Everything you wanted to know about the Dayton music scene and more but were afraid to ask
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Vows/Sound For Language/Stone The Mayor Sheriffs-Tonight @ Pearl
...if it's big rock you want, then there's only one place for you to be tonight: Pearl is hosting three of Dayton's finest and you won't want to miss it. Opening the night will be up-and-comers Stone The Mayor Sheriffs who have impressed us greatly in recent outings and we're expecting good things from them in the near future. Then you've got pop/punk stalwarts The Sound for Language who are always good fun. Closing the night will be the big party of Vows. Here's a great way to jumpstart yr weekend....
...this past Sunday afternoon at Gem City Records, a small crowd gathered to watch short sets by Jake Geisege of Wild & Free, Mascot, and this performance by Andrew Smith of Andrew & the Pretty Punchers. With the feel of an old sea shanty imbued with some incredible life advice, it has the feeling of running into a drunken old Irishman who just can't help but share his wisdome. This is one of our favorite new songs floating around Dayton at the moment, so have a peek....
...from the mind of Caregiver come Letters: Part I, available now as a FREE download over at Fictionband. Since Caregiver strictly avoids personal appearances, we recommend you take full advantage of this opportunity and let yourself be absorbed into this retro-futuristic soundscape. Employing synthesizers and tone generators both old and new, the manner in which Caregiver subtly mutates melodic structures is captivating without a doubt. With points of reference falling somewhere between Kraut and Kubrick, Caregiver serves as the soundtrack to your future....
...on this particular evening, we can't recall exactly how many times we heard mention of the fact that this was to be the coldest night of the year. With sub-zero temperatures and it being a weeknight and all, you might have expected a less-than-stellar turn out for this show at the Nite Owl. Oh, how you would have been mistaken.... ...upon arriving, we just missed We Are the Fury. Although, reports from various audience members confirmed our suspicions that WATF blew people away, especially being in the opening slot on this night. The reports we got made us eager for a return visit soon...
...We were fortunate enough, however, to come in just in time to find a spot near the stage to catch De Novo Dahl. Luckily we made our move when we did, as within minutes the whole front area was jam-packed with dancers and romancers, all vying for a spot near the stage. De Novo Dahl were incredibly enthusiastic, unabashed fun. Their ability to incite the crowd and sustain the ride for the duration of their set left us in awe. There was not a minute of let-up the entire time, and the audience loved them for it...
...as their amps get bigger, the sound of Grizzzzy Bear only intensifies. Luckily, they've not subjugated the brilliance of their songs in favor of sheer volume. Although some of the material continues to lack the edge that the application of synths has always given the the songs both live and on record, on this night Grizzzzy Bear seemed to have arrived at a suitable middle ground, as the guitar arrangements still delivered the intricate melodic runs with stunning accuracy, but with the added impact. Much to our delight, the band was joined late in the set by their previous keyboardist for the song "Passing". We were later told that he will be joining the band full-time, a notion which could not have made us happier....
...We'll be back at Fab Gear again next month on Thursday, February 28. As always, we'll be playing the best from Dayton's past, present, and future from 10 to 11, followed by Fab Gear, spinning the best in vintage soul, funk, new wave, punk, and more! Make your plans now to come down and catch up on all the bands you may have been missing....
...alright kids, ready to ramp up for the weekend? Well, you got two really good options tonight, depending on yr moods... ...if you're in the mood to shake it out and blow yr mind, you're best bet is to head over to the Nite Owl, where De Novo Dahl from Nashville (who we profiled earlier this week) is gonna help you work it on out. You've also got We Are the Fury, trafficking in vintage 70s glam, as well as one of our favorite locals, Grizzzzy Bear, to take it all right over the edge....
...now, if you're more inclined toward some earthy introspection, we'd advise you head over to Canal Street Tavern and dig an incredible set of personal paeans. Up from Cincinnati, you've got a pair of Americana enthusiasts, with very different interpretative aspects: Frontier Folk Nebraska are the young guns and The Hiders are the road-tested troubadours. Rounding things out will be Joe Anderl, who will be joined by drummer Dan Stahl of Shrug. Anderl has just put up a pair of live tracks from a recent show, as well as a new studio track that will appear on his next album. Head over and dig in...
...so, figure out where you stand and chart your course appropriately. If you need an early stop, don't forget that The Buddha Den will be playing the best of Dayton past, present, and future from 10-11 over at Pearl, followed by Fab Gear for the rest of the night....
...we've got something special to give back to you today. We're doing our monthly outing tonight at Pearl, courtesy of the good people over at Fab Gear. To show you how much we want you to be part of this monthly event, we're giving away FIVE FREE PASSES for tonight's event! Head over to our Myspace, send us a message, and the first five responses will be special guests of The Buddha Den this evening as we spin the best from Dayton and beyond between 10 pm and 11 pm. Afterwards, stick around as the Fab Gear DJs will play the absolute BEST in garage, new wave, soul, funk, punk, and everything else you can imagine...
...hurry, these passes went pretty fast last month....
UPDATE: Sorry, all the passes are gone. Be sure to get yours for next month, which will be on Thursday, February 28...
...as one of the most promising bands we've seen in the last several months, The Northwest Ordinance has been laying low as of late. We'll forgive them, as they've been hard at work behind the scenes putting the finishing touches on what we believe will be one of the best albums to come out of Dayton in 2008. Really, just take a look at that cover art...
...We got our mitts on their upcoming album, State of Ohio, a while back and we're pretty enthralled with it. With a tasteful vintage punk/garage flavoring and a dash of Seattle and some herky-jerkiness for good measure, the dizzying twists and turns and tempo shifts will keep it on repeat for days....
...we're giving notice now: The Northwest Ordinance will be releasing this album on Saturday, February 16 at The Oregon Express. It's gonna be a great bill, which includes one of our new favorites, The Lions Rampant, who put on an amazing show last weekend. If you missed that one, don't make the same mistake again...
...we like to keep tabs on those who've left Dayton and still continue to work elsewhere. Today we've got a clip from Cincinnati's The Chauncers, featuring longtime Daytonian Billy Catfish, along with members of Heartless Bastards, Wussy, and Moth. The clip is shot in their rehearsal space and intimately documents the recording of the tune," Runaway Blues". We highly recommend you swing over to their site and check out the rest of their tunes. We can only hope for a visit soon....
...this Thursday night at The Nite Owl you've got a real treat in store: De Novo Dahl from Nashville will be making a stop in Dayton during a brief winter outing. With their incredibly upbeat,danceable brand of indie pop,we couldn't recommend any higher that you do everything you can to make this show.
We were able to wrangle an interview with De Novo Dahl bassist, Keith Lowen. Read on...
The Buddha Den: What is the function of De Novo Dahl? What motivates you as a group to do what you do? What brought you all together in the first place? From where do you all pull influences?
Keith Lowen: I think you would get 5 totally different answers to that question depending on which one of us you asked. In my opinion, De Novo Dahl tries to be what our name describes. Roughly, "De Novo Dahl" means "the new Dahl." Roald Dahl was an eccentric, creative, exciting, and FUN writer. We try to encompass all of those adjectives in our music, hence "the new Dahl." Also, I think we want our shows and music to highly incorporate crowd participation and try to eliminate the division between band and audience as much as possible. We love shows where fans get on stage and dance with us or when there's no stage at all.
The band formed six or seven years ago when Joel and a guy named Mark Bond, who now plays in a band called The Features, formed a new band after their high school band broke up, long story short. De Novo Dahl started as a six-piece and in late 2005, half the band quit. Joel, Joey, and Serai wanted to keep it going and Joel and I were pretty close and had worked on some other music projects together. That, plus I was already a huge fan of the band, so it didn't take much to convince me to join. Matt just joined about 6 months ago. We went to high school together and he was an excellent musician even back then, so he was an easy choice when we had yet another keyboardist leave the band.
I think our influences are across the board. I definitely had a long funk phase where all I listened to was Sly and The Family Stone, The Meters, James Brown, and stuff like that so I probably incorporate some of that into my playing. I also listen to a fair amount of brit-rock and power pop which influences my playing and writing. Joel listens to a lot of Kinks, Bowie, and Hip Hop. Joey listens to a lot of hip hop, but it's not rare to catch him listening to Peter Gabriel, Sting, and stuff like that. Matt likes a lot of random, obscure Japanese rock and also lots of glam stuff. Anyway, it's all over the board, which probably has a lot to do with the music we create.
TBD: How would you describe the current scene in Nashville?
KL: I think Nashville has the best music scene in the world. We had a festival recently called Next Big Nashville in venues all over town featuring almost exclusively Nashville-area bands and I would put the quality of music up against South by Southwest or CMJ any day. Obviously, Nashville is known as a country town, but there are so many great rock bands here, pretty much all of whom are getting out on the road a lot now, so I think the stigma of "Nashville band" will change very soon.
TBD: What continues to bring you back to Dayton? Why the decision to do a small tour now?
KL: We probably have more fun in Dayton than any other city. The first time we played there after I joined the band, we played at The Pearl Club on a night where they were also doing a tattoo exhibition featuring nude women in body paint. De Novo Dahl plus drunk dudes plus naked girls dancing equaled a pretty crazy, amazing show. Ever since, we've gotten great reactions every time we've played in Dayton and there are a handful of kids that come to our shows that always make us dinner and show us a good time when we're in town. And as I said before, we like playing shows where the band and crowd seem to be equally involved in creating the show, and Dayton seems to have the most interactive crowds we've played for...or with.
TBD: What can we expect from De Novo Dahl in 2008?
KL: Our new record, Move Every Muscle Make Every Sound comes out March 25th. I am incredibly proud of the record and think people are going to love it. We'll most likely be touring constantly once it comes out, so you can expect a really good record and lots and lots of De Novo Dahl shows in 2008.
TBD: Why did you abandon the stripes for the glam threads? KL: We didn't abandon the stripes. In fact we played a show in Nashville wearing the stripes this week. It's just that we just got the Nudie Suits (look up Nudie Cohn on Wikipedia), we paid a lot of money for them, and we love them so we wear them most of the time. You can definitely expect for De Novo Dahl to keep coming up with crazy wardrobe ideas. I absolutely can't wait for our record release show, because we have something different up our sleeves that is going to be incredible if we pull it off.
De Novo Dahl will be at The Nite Owl this Thursday, January, 24, with We Are the Fury and Grizzzy Bear. If you need a little more to go by, view this intro to the band by their label, Roadrunner Records. Apparently, it's causing quite a stir...
The Goody Two Shoes/The Lions Rampant/The Turnbull ACs/The Give Ups @ The Oregon Express 1.19.08
...with wind chills on this evening plummeting below zero, it seemed unlikely that many people would make it out to The Oregon Express, even for this promising bill. Fortunately, we here in Gem City find such conditions irrelevant when it comes time to rock n' roll...
...opening the evening, the brutal precision of The Give Ups left us wondering how we've been missing these guys for so long. With an obvious affinity for the first wave of punk, these guys were no-frills all the way.... ...although we'd seen they were coming to Dayton several times in the past, we'd not had the good fortune of catching The Turnbull ACs before this night. While we weren't entirely sure what to expect, we were blown away by the impassioned delivery and brilliant, life-soaked lyrics. This was a set you got absorbed in. As various members cracked a smile upon the realization that all cylinders were firing, we couldn't help but get swept up in the swagger and snarl of The Turnbull ACs... ...digging even deeper into the abyss of the raw emotions hovering in the core of rock n' roll, The Lions Rampant unapologetically dove head first into their blues-heavy brand of garage. With blistering guitar breaks and primal drums stomping, The Lions Rampant whipped the audience into a frenzy. Lead Lion Stuart MacKenzie prowled the stage, stumbling back into the drums one minute, scaling amplifiers the next, then ending the evening with the abandonment of his guitar and serving up a shamanic reading of the primordial "Gloria"... ...while having made great strides over the past few months to refine their sound, we still find ourselves lukewarm on The Goody Two Shoes. With a handful of songs that show promise, we'd like to see these ladies and gentlemen elevate their sound to the level of their style. Regardless, the kids on this night loved it...
The Goody Two Shoes/The Lions Rampant/The Turnbull ACs/The Give Ups
...if it's rock n' roll you need, yr in luck tonight. There's good rockin' tonight down at The Oregon Express, as local garage underdogs The Goody Two Shoes host a blistering bill. Opening the evening will be the vintage punk of The Give Ups, followed by a pair of Cincinnati bands. The Turnbull ACs bring a soulful, bluesy brand of indie rock, while The Lions Rampant, who we profiled earlier this week, are sure to bring the house down with their bluesy stomp and swagger. Head and down and work it all out....
Andrew & the Pretty Punchers/Umbrella Men/Reggie Stone @ Nite Owl 1.18.08
...despite a pair of cancellations on the bill and a last-minute addition, the evening's festivities at the Nite Owl came off just fine...
...opening the evening, Reggie Stone wowed the audience with his acoustic guitar pyrotechnics,at times gently coaxing the instrument only to revert to pummeling the guitar into submission. Stone's ability to make the most of the limitations of the guitar and to transform himself into a virtual one-man band certainly impressed us, although a shorter set might have made for greater impact... ...next up were Umbrella Men making a rare appearance in Dayton. On this night, the brothers Tuss muddled through various technical issues and delivered an fairly good set based on what we've seen in recent months. With many pieces in place, we'd still love to see the band augment its lineup and quite possibly elevate their brand of folk rock to the next level... ...closing out the night with a rousing set, Andrew & the Pretty Punchers continue to up the ante with each successive appearance. As the band blitzed through their own fiery take on folk/country inflections blended into power-drinking anthems, the audience gave back as much as they received. While the band may still have a few minor tweaks to make, we are expecting great things from A&TPP in the coming months... photos of Andrew & the Pretty Punchers by Marla Bremer. For more photos, go here.
...as with a typical Friday night in D-town, you got some quality options based on your various wants and needs. As always, we'll break it down for you....
...over at the Nite Owl, you've got the more folk/acoustic end of the spectrum, featuring Umbrella Men, Andrew & the Pretty Punchers, and Ruckus and the Trousers. Keep in mind, these bands may favor acoustic guitars, but this is not a light event. Should be a really good time...
...if you're inclined to trudge into the underground, head over to Acid Fever House and dig the wall of white noise. For you tonight: Antilles, Romance of the Young Tigers, Concrete Artery, Lungs, and Hills. Truly for the initiated, but they will be rewarded...
...we were recently informed that one of our favorite locals, Wild & Free, have officially disbanded. From all of us here at The Buddha Den, we hope to see all the members of the band in new pursuits very soon....
...as some sort of posthumous statement, the band will be releasing a DVD of a recent performance of a show at Peach's in Yellow Springs. The disc was done by Mezzlab Multimedia, and this clip of the title track from their album Andiamo leaves us highly anticipating this final gesture...
Luxury Pushers/Sexicon/Switchblade Serenade-Tonight @ Pearl
...you really couldn't ask for more from your rock n' roll tonight, as the Pearl will be hosting three of Dayton's most unapologetic acts. Headlining the evening will be the living legends, Luxury Pushers. Although Eric Purtle is currently out of commission, expect nothing less than pure, unadulterated, punk rock n' roll. In the sweet spot you've got Sexicon, who we're still waiting on to put up some sound clips. Opening the night will be gararge/trash masters Switchblade Serenade, who we featured a video clip by the other day. If you missed it, go ahead and rewind....
...if you want rock n' roll, you know what to do...
...for those of you who can't get enough of the sugary goodness of impeccably crafted indie pop, you've got some sweet treats to look forward to in the coming months. Local mainstays Reutschle are hard at work in their studio crafting a follow-up to the critic-fave, 2006's Exotic Destinations. Operating under the tentative title Color Theory, the guys have us excited to see what they will come up with. With titles like "No Regrets" and "Whole New World", it sounds as if they're getting some perspective on things. Stay tuned and see how this works out...
...we are also told to expect a redesigned Reutschle website as well as a new face for their label, Poptek very soon...
...as anyone who goes out to shows with any frequency is well aware, the options for band performance in Dayton at the moment are somewhat lacking. Well, a handful of enthusiastics have taken it upon themselves to rectify the situation and instigate change. Check out the official announcement from the Dayton Dirt Collective:
THERE IS NOW A WORKING COLLECTIVE TO RAISE MONEY TO OPEN AN ALL AGES SPACE IN DAYTON. this will be a band place first and foremost. the music is the most important thing and it should be for everyone. there seems to be an abundance of good independent places for art shows with bands in the back seat. we hope to get this going and bring in lots of touring bands of all genre's and create a punkrock/indie/noise/metal/d.i.y. scene in dayton. so make sure you go to the benefit shows and give your donation and together we can make it happen
GO TO THE PAGE AND CHECK IT OUT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.
If you are at all inclined to see this situation improve, we would encourage you to do what you are able. Stay tuned for more information. You know we'll keep you posted as the story develops...
...while we love their debut EP No One Cares, we'd be remiss to deny that the forum in which Switchblade Serenade truly shines is on the stage. Well, they've put out a fantastic new clip of the title track from their EP, showing the band on the road, backstage, and in front of the kids. The footage is perfectly twitchy, with plenty of footage of Dayton nightlife. We're really impressed with the clip and hope that this is merely a taste of a full-length Switchblade Serenade video release in the future....
...if you like what you see here, be sure to head out to Pearl this Thursday night to catch Switchblade Serenade, along with Sexicon and local legends Luxury Pushers.
L'Eighties Night 2 Year Anniversary Show 2.12.08 w.Toads and Mice/Grizzzzy Bear
...we have a very special announcement for you today, kids! The Buddha Den is making its first foray into live shows, joining forces with the good kids at L'Eighties Night to help celebrate their Two-Year Anniversary Show at Pearl on Tuesday, February 12. Yes, we know that's a couple of weeks from now. We're telling you now so that you can plan ahead. It's because we care...
...the L'Eighties Night folks have allowed us to put our definitive stamp on the event by bringing along two of our local favorites to open the evening: Toads and Mice and Grizzzzy Bear, both from local label Squids Eye Records. We really couldn't be more excited....
....we're telling you all know so that you can arrange your life accordingly. In order that you can properly do so, please keep the following information in mind:
Admission is $0.00
Bands begin PROMPTLY at 9:30 (Toads & Mice at 9:30; Grizzzzy Bear at 10:30. All bands will be done by 11:00 for those of you want an early show on a weeknight. Yep, we're looking out for you too!)
The Buddha Den will be playing our favorite local tracks in between bands
Following the bands (after 11:00), L'Eighties Night will be playing the best in New Wave and 80s classics until close (or later...)
...if you're not familiar with L'Eighties Night, we recommend you head down to Pearl this evening to help them celebrate their 100th show. You know where to go and what do. Carry on....
...so you like rock n' roll? Yeah, so do we. That's why we like The Lions Rampant. Nothing says "trashy" like starting yr band in a trailer in northern Kentucky, which is their point of origins. They also like dressing up. No, not in matching suits. They wear these crazy lions suits. Sure, they're raw, but they've got the songs to hold it all together. Check out the tracks "7030" and "Come On! (Let Us In) for further proof. Get hip now, because they're gonna be at The Oregon Express this Saturday night. We'll see you there...
Benefit for Hospice of Dayton-Tonight @ Goloka Gallery
...you've got a good opportunity to do a good thing today, kids. Over at Goloka Gallery in the Front Street warehouses (Third and Dutoit) there will be over a dozen artists showing their work and some musicians doing their thing with all proceeds being donated to Hospice of Dayton. Musical entertainment will provided by Outside Residential, Hills, Jake Geisege from Wild & Free, DJ Mattheo, and more. For additional info, call Brandon Hawk at 626-8211....
....kids, you've got a really good bill tonight over at the Nite Owl. Headliners and Buddha Den faves Grizzzzzy Bear will be there, as will The Minor Leagues, who we profiled earlier this week. Opening the show are Dirty White Ponies, who have been working hard and making strides as of late. We've been digging their new track, "Smokem If You Gottem" as well....
...if you want options, we've got you covered. The Oregon Express also has good stuff for you: The Sweep (from Cincy, who also appeared at the Dayton Music Fest in October) will be in town, along with Andrew & the Pretty Punchers and Jasper the Colossal. If you're feeling a little more underground, head out to Acid Fever House (122 S. Philadelphia) to catch Hands Rendered Useless, Pharmakon Collaboration, Anamnesis, Diaphragm, Concrete Arteries, and Foreign Soil. Show starts at 8....
Chart a course and set sail. We'll see you on the high seas....
Halos Were Found at the Landing Site/Rock Formation/Tubucu-Tonight @ Canal Street Tavern
...with the word on the street hinting at the possibility that labels are starting to sniff around following a couple of high-profile appearances during CMJ week, you'd do yourself good to go and check out Halos Were Found At The Landing Site tonight at Canal Street Tavern. Arriving somewhere near the intersection of Radiohead/Minus the Bear/Sigur Ros/Death Cab for Cutie, their sound most certainly has the potential of propelling them into bigger things soon. Also on the bill this evening will be Rock Formation and Tubucu....
...rolling through on an extensive Midwest/East Coast tour, Mason Proper (from Michigan) brings an enigmatic brand of indie rock, laregely borrowing from Spoon's playbook (minus the overcalculation) and infusing it all with the rave-ups of The Futureheads. Check the video for "My My(Bad Fruit)":
...opening the evening will be one of Dayton's finest, Joe Anderl, who will be joining Mason Proper for a few dates following tonight's show...
...having been one of the first bands we ever posted about at The Buddha Den, we are exhilarated to have found out that Ra Ra Riot from Syracuse will be returning to The Nite Owl on January 30 (yes, we know it's a weeknight. Make yr plans now.) This clip for "Dying Is Fine" employs seasonal and caterpillar metaphors, as well as colorfully playful animation to great effect. Overall, it's a fun clip by a fun band that we can't wait to see again....
...while we rarely discuss bands from outside of Dayton at length, we'd like to think we have a slightly wider worldview than that. At least sometimes. Which brings us to The Minor Leagues from Cincinnati. As part of the long-running Datawaslost label and the Vibrating Needle Collective, these harbingers of lo-fi delight have long been one of our regional favorites. With their obvious affinity for Phil Spector and British Invasion filtered through various punk and indie flavors (think Apples In Stereo doing Kinks covers), TML are long on melodic treats. With the recent release of The Pestilence Is Coming the band have transcended their modest lo-fi roots and produced a captivating work that would easily appeal to adherents of Elephant 6 ethos. Check them out now and plan on seeing them this Saturday at The Nite Owl. You know we'll be there....
The Sailing/Fox Japan/Paego Paego-Tonight @ The Oregon Express
...while there are a number of quality shows out there for you tonight (we'll get to those in a minute), our pick for the night is to head over to The Oregon Express to catch a trio of fine young bands. Opening the night will be Paego Paego, back in action after several months of inactivity due to school schedules. We're excited to hear some of the new material the band has been working on for their debut release, as the band's chamber-style post-rock trip hit us pretty good back in the summer. In from West Virgnia is FOX Japan, who brings with them monster powerpop chourses a la Weezer or Superchunk. Headling the festivities will be The Sailing, who in recent appearances has proven to us here that they are one of the most compelling bands in Dayton at the moment. With near boundless musical ambition and the chops to deliver, these space/dream rockers have us piqued for their upcoming album to drop...
...we like to give you options, kids, and tonight you have plenty of other ones. Down in Centerville at Celebrity you've got the big punk show with legends, The Queers, or over at Aquarius you can catch local legends Luxury Pushers.
The Poison Control Center/The Gay Sharks-Tonight @ Nite Owl
...some bands reunite for the money. Some reunite to secure their legacy. Some reunite because living in a post-industrial wasteland can be so void of options and you can only drink yourself into oblivion so much that you have to think of something else to do. Which brings us to The Gay Sharks....
...In their previous incarnation as The Motel Beds, PJ Paslosky and Tommy Cooper (currently of Captain of Industry) dished out some of the most sublime indie pop tunes to come out of Dayton. We'll go ahead and say ever. But, just as soon as they appeared, The Motel Beds were no more. With much time having passed, and with members relocating and such, PJ and Tommy have decided to wheel out some new material, with the promise of new recordings forthcoming, tonight at the Nite Owl. Headlining the bill will be The Poison Control Center, out on tour from Iowa. TPCC dishes out the type of powerpop/indie rock stew that would conjure up hints of Superdrag, The High Strung, and any number of Sub Pop bands you'd care to mention....
Toads and Mice "Ghengis Kahn"-Live @ Gilly's 12.31.07
...having been there ourselves, we can say this is pretty decent footage of the band opening the NYE show at Gilly's earlier this week. One of the most amazing things we've noticed about Toads and Mice is their ability to impeccably perform the complexities found on their debut disc. What's more, they also command incredible control over their equipment, producing incredibly full, yet balanced sound in the venues in which we've seen them. For anyone who knows, getting good sounds in different clubs is much more challenging than it sounds on paper...
...Winding through the endless series of time signatures and dynamic shifts on the track "Ghengis Kahn" (off Toads and Mice), these youngsters somehow make it all seem so effortless...
The New American Folk Presents... Tonight @ Acid Fever House
...if yr into real underground shows, check out this one over at Acid Fever House in East Dayton (122 S. Philadelphia St. to be exact...). They've got a slew of acts, including Brandon Hawk and Kyle Sowash (from Columbus). There's a small suggested donation to help the out-of-town bands, so do the right thing if you head over...
...if you're more in the mood for dancing, the Fab Gear DJs will be hosting a free event over at Pearl tonight. As always, expect the finest vintage jams and a number gems they've dug up for you....
...hey kids, as a way of saying "Thanks!" to all of you and to all of the bands we've been talking about for months now, we've gone and put together our own compilation CD. Yes. For you. For free. Why? Because that's what we do.
...you can download all this fine music, plus our cover art, for free right here. We highly recommend that you share this with friends and give the bands that are included the love they deserve. Go see them. Buy their albums. Send them nice emails telling them you like their stuff...
...we plan on doing one of these quarterly, so if you or your band would like to be included, let us know. We're always on the lookout....
Captain of Industry/Male Models/Baby Teeth/Toads and Mice @ Gilly's 12.31.07
...as we said goodbye to 2007 and welcomed in 2008, we had an amazing evening of music to enjoy. Heading down on this blustery evening to Gilly's, we were excited for the musical treats we had in store...
...opening the evening was one of our favorite bands, Toads and Mice. With their impeccable execution on this evening, we were delighted to see this band in such a setting. While the tracks from their debut disc, Toads and Mice, landed in every way, the band's inexperience in such a setting revealed to us that a little more in the way of stage presence and banter could serve to improve the band's ability to further connect with their audience...
...in from Chicago, Baby Teeth's funk-inflected indie pop largely fell on indifference from the audience. Although we were somewhat bemused initally, by the end of their set, Baby Teeth had won us over, leaving us hopeful that they may return to the Gem City in 2008...
...with two Dayton ex-patriates in the band, we were excited to see Male Models from St. Louis. Despite our high expectations, we were largely disappointed in the band on this night. While some of the material held promise, the execution of the material came across as incomplete and shoddy. The enthusiasm, however, helped to hold our attention and gave us hope that with further refinement Male Models may evolve into an interesting outfit... ...just after the stroke of midnight, Captain of Industry hit the stage with their patented frentic, angular indie rock sound. On this particular night, the band seemed to be in full command of their oevure, slashing across the core melodies with muscular abandon. The appearance of the Pixies "Where Is My Mind?" was a welcome treat for the audience, as everyone fell into singalong mode, and we were well on our way into 2008...
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