Romance of the Young Tigers/Ghastly City Sleep/Lungs-Tonight @ Dayton Dirt Collective

...we know it's Monday, but here's a great early show at the Dayton Dirt Collective that is sure to be an experience. You've got the post-everything Romance of the Young Tigers, the haunting Ghastly City Sleep (Brooklyn), and the savage up-and-comers, Lungs [highly recommended]. Things get rolling around 7, so you can still be home in time to make it to work tomorrow, if that's what you need to do...

Romance of the Young Tigers/CJ Boyd Sexxxtet/Yakuza Heart Attack/Hills-Tonight @ Dayton Dirt Collective

...tonight is a perfect opportunity to explore some of the more esoteric aspects of the Dayton music scene. Head over to Dayton Dirt Collective tonight to catch the ethereal sonic wave that is Romance of the Young Tigers, the jazzy explorations of the CJ Boyd Sexxxtet (Chicago), the prog onslaught of Yakuza Heart Attack, and Hills....

...also, remember that LadyFest Dayton continues tonight. In from the Pacific Northwest, be sure to check out the dirgey blues duo The Pack A.D. who will be performing later tonight...

Ladies and Architects....

...after a quiet week, we've got lots of big options for you tonight...

...if you're up for an early start, head over to the Dayton Dirt Collective, where there will be a benefit show for Ladyfest Dayton. Those lending their music to the cause this evening include Defiance, Ohio, Hospital Garden, Gem City Saints, Kanible, and Kristen. Proceedings get under way at 7, so plan accordingly...


...over at Pearl tonight, the good kids at Sarasvati Productions are putting on a good show you'll wanna catch. On tap you've got upstarts New Vega, The Last Priority (Oxnard, CA), Hot Box (Boston), and the ladies from Vanity Theft...

...if you wanna catch one of Dayton's finest on the eve of a new album and tour, head on down to Jimmie's Cornerstone tonight. Mouth of the Architect will headline an evening that includes Complete Failure (Pittsburgh) and Romance of the Young Tigers...

...make yr plans and watch this town come alive...

REVIEW: Romance of the Young Tigers/Marie EP

...while the disc claims itself an EP, the Marie EP by Romance of the Young Tigers runs longer than many so-called albums these days. Clocking in at over 30 minutes, it's two tracks might have just as easily been released as two individual EPs. However, the listing of simply Part 1 and Part 2 suggest a necessity for their pairing. Recorded last fall in a single live session, the Marie EP is a haunting, inspiring work. Released in limited edition boxes or burlap bags (we got the burlap), the obtuse packaging merely hints at the mysteries within...

...While Romance of the Young Tigers may be a polarizing force within the Dayton music scene, it would be difficult to dispute that they are a singular presence. Although the band draws numerous comparisons to various post-rock outfits, the glaring absence of any drums/percussion would set them firmly outside of that genre. Drawing more from the ambient work of Brian Eno and electronic composers that defined the late-70s NYC art music scene, ROTYT do not offer easily consumable chunks for the modern listener. Surely, their work is challenging and easily confounding. However, for the focused listener the EP is filled with subdued, reflective passages juxtaposed with eerie shards of electronic manipulations. While the disc is more than most will be able to digest, it certainly begs further investigation...

You can purchase the disc through the band here.

The Human Reunion/Romance of the Young Tigers/Lungs @ CADC

...upon arriving at the gallery space in the Cannery District, we were informed that the PA had not arrived and that the out-of-town-band, Unpsparing Sea (from Cleveland), had canceled. As fas as we were concerned, this was absolutely no way to start the evening. Alas, we waited. And waited. And waited. Eventually, Lungs began and thankfully their bludgeoning riffs and sprawling grind were sufficient to bring us back into enjoyment of the evening. As a band we'd not yet seen in town, Lungs were a welcome surprise. Drawing heavily from such 90s icons as Slint and Unwound, Lungs has taken enough from that palate and added their own sludgy melodicism to the template. On this particular evening, the band suffered through several gear failures, but still came out just fine. Apparently, the band is gearing up to release a 7" later this summer, so stay tuned for more on that...



...as if the evening couldn't drag out any longer and be riddled with any more gear failures, as Romance of the Young Tigers prepared for their set they were befallen by numerous gear-related issues that put their start time well past that promised for the headliner. Regardless, once the group began, their ebb and flow of sonic landscapes resonated through the gallery and out on the streets of Dayton like an ocean across the harsh post-industrial landscape. As the sheets of distortion raged and retreated, the subtlety of the electric piano offered a welcome familiarity against the backdrop of feedback. While Romance of the Young Tigers continues to challenge audiences in Dayton and beyond, we'd have to say that it's an experience best enjoyed through recorded mediums...


...after enduring the numerous technical barriers, we simply could not hold out for The Human Reunion to take the stage. We apologize to both readers and the band for this, but if anyone has a report or imagery, we'd love to hear it...

DDC Benefit feat. The Human Reunion/Unsparing Sea/Romance of the Young Tigers/Lungs-Tonight @ CADC

...in their ongoing efforts to infuse the Dayton music scene with new life and vigor, the Dayton Dirt Collective will be holding a benefit show this evening at the CADC Gallery (520 E. Third St. in the Cannery building). Headlining the event will be none other than the Kings of Clack, The Human Reunion. Also on the bill are Romance of the Young Tigers, the haunting Americana of Unsparing Sea (from Cleveland), and post-rock outfit Lungs. We'll see ya there....

Grizzzzy Bear/The Sailing/Toads and Mice/Romance of the Young Tigers @ Nite Owl 3.14.08

...as night fell on the Oregon District, waves of people moved throughout the district as gallery openings and art events dotted the area. Outside of the Nite Owl, music lovers gathered in support of Squids Eye Records' celebration of their first year. With lines pouring out the door, this was one of the biggest events of the season. Before things got under way over there, we stopped in to Jasper Wall Cafe to catch the young Jordan Hull, performing as part of the Echos Dayton for March...



...opening the evening over at the Nite Owl, the ambient/noise outfit Romance of the Young Tigers perplexed most audients, but left us with a sense that perhaps in more inviting environs they could become a truly captivating experience...




...next up was our favorite set of the evening, Toads and Mice. While the set got off to a rather slow start, by mid-set the band had hit its stride and in front of a capacity audience proceeded to demonstrate why they are truly one of the best bands in Dayton today...




...with their debut disc coming out later this spring on Squids Eye Records, The Sailing delivered an inspired set of hair-flailing anthemic rock. With their prog tendencies in full display, their high-energy set impressed us, although we felt they could have made a stronger impact with a slightly shorter set. Regardless, we are very much looking forward to their debut disc...




...closing out the evening, Grizzzzy Bear whipped the audience into a frenzy as the throng charged toward the stage. As we endure the band's stylistic shift into a prog/metal stance, we were left somewhat bemused as much of the band's strongest material off their debut disc was left off the setlist. Clearly, Grizzzy Bear continues to find its footing with the new lineup, but with so much obvious talent we are more than willing to follow them down the rabbit hole...




we'd like to thank Tony Gilbert and everyone at Squids Eye Records for an amazing night and for proving that Dayton music is still, very much, alive and well. For more photos from the show, head over here....

down on the street....

...tonight's a big night for music in Dayton, so we hope we see everyone out there. Here's the lowdown...


...we're starting early tonight over at Jasper Wall Cafe with one of our favorite monthlies, Echos Dayton. This month their musical guests will be Jordan Hull, who everyone really needs to check out, and indie/folk duo Umbrella Men. Featured poets this month are Fred Kirchner, Matthew Estvanic, and Cherokee. This gets under way early at 8 pm, it's free, and it's all ages. Go grab a coffee, catch some culture, and get ready for the main event...


...one of the most highly-anticipated musical events of the season, tonight at the Nite Owl the ubiquitous Squids Eye Records celebrates its first year with a showcase of monumental proportions. Four of the labels finest are on tap for the evening: Grizzzzy Bear, Toads and Mice, The Sailing, and Romance of the Young Tigers. In addition, Squids Eye will be handing out a complimentary sampler CD to everyone in attendance. With four of Dayton's most promising young bands and the most ambitious record label in town putting this on for you, you owe it to yourself not to miss this one...

PROFILE: Tony Gilbert of Squids Eye Records

...this Friday night, Squids Eye Records will celebrate their first year with a big show at the Nite Owl. We caught up with label founder Tony Gilbert recently to talk about Squids Eye...

The Buddha Den: What led to the formation of Squids Eye Records? When did you decide to start the label and how long did it take to launch it? What labels were you involved in before? How did you make the jump in running your own labels? What contacts did you make that enabled you to do this? Why did you decide from the beginning that you wanted to be involved in running a label?

Tony Gilbert: The frustration I had releasing music from people who I had no personal relationship with and in which the only conversations we had were business related led to the formation of Squids Eye Records. I decided to start Squids Eye Records in early 2007 but had the idea for a structured local label when I was doing Net31 and went to The Sailing and Yakuza Heart Attack show at Oregon Express. The show was amazing and still holds up as one of my favorite local shows. I started my first label in High School. It started out as a fake little CD-R label with my best friend Mike Cooley. By the fourth release it became real, sold a few thousand copies of our first official release and then from there on each release sold better. The main contacts I got were just from networking with different artists and labels. Anticon and Sage Francis did a lot to help me out in the early days along with a handful of other labels and bands.I decided I wanted to be involved in some aspect of music since music consumed my life anyway, so at the time I thought the easiest way to be involved was to start a label, was I ever wrong.

TBD: What climate led you to believe that it was a good idea to have a Dayton-centric label? How did you envision selling the music of Dayton to the world? Why did you decide to call it Squids Eye Records? What were your goals with setting up this label?

TG: Just the fact so many people I knew were making great music but no one seemed to care outside of our little circle. Squids Eye is on a 3 year plan as for sales numbers and everything. I didn’t expect to begin the label and automatically start where I left off. That being said, the label is doing better then expected and the response we have gotten from outside vendors has been great. Putting out records from Neotropic and Ceschi really helps the catalog, because they already have a built in fan base which leads to their fans checking out more of our artists.

Dozens of names were tossed around, none of which stuck. Then one night I was talking to Keith online and we were tossing names back and forth and he said Squids Eye and that stuck out. He then followed it up with a rough draft of what would become the logo. I checked into it and the name was available, so Squids Eye was born. Since then it's spun off into different sub labels – Squids Eye Limited for Limited Edition projects under 1000 units and SE Direct which distributes Squids Eye directly to hundreds of stores worldwide. We will also be doing the manufacturing and distribution for Ceschi and his brothers David new label ‘Fake Four Inc’ which I am excited to get started on. My goals with the label is to just get the music heard by as many people as possible and not lose the ethics that were put in place on day 1. The main goal is to remember and make sure the artists remember this is an art project above everything else, not a record label in the traditional sense. Sometimes with so much money involved it’s hard to remember that. In the end if the label is monetarily driven, then regardless of its success the label has failed.

TBD: Since the inception of SER, what has been the reception from the Dayton music scene? On the national/international level? Do you feel that having such an active label in Dayton is helping to attract attention to the city?

TG: For the most part the reception has been good, there are a ton of supporters and that makes all this worthwhile. When I approach stores they laugh when I tell them we are based in Dayton. I then send them promos and they call me back and tell me they just ordered the catalog from the distributor. It's just getting people to give it that first listen. That’s all the records need. For the most part we try and package everything as appealing as possible and I think that helps spark peoples interest as to what’s inside. We sell more records in Boise, Idaho then here in Dayton, but I’m not disappointed. Here they pay to see our bands monthly and come out and support in that way. I hope what we are doing is attracting people to Dayton. I make sure that everyone knows we are from Dayton.

TBD: What have been some of the best selling releases? What is your favorite release from the last year? What sort of musical theme, if any, do think runs through the SER catalog? What type of label are you trying to be?

TG: The best selling Squids Eye releases thus far is Yakuza Heart Attack and the compilation [Dayton, OH Vol. 1]. both have been doing very well all around North America and overseas people have begun to take notice. Picking my favorite releases is trouble, so I will just say it’s the compilation since it represents all of our bands, and I really love the artwork on that one. Keith killed it. In the beginning I would say the musical theme would be synth heavy, but since then we have added bands spanning all genres. We really don’t have an ongoing musical theme, except for good music made in Dayton basements. I look up to labels like K, Touch and Go, and Dischord – their sense of community is amazing, bands help out other bands, labels help out other labels. I’d love to see this sense of community come to life in Dayton. We all have our little cliques and rarely leave them, and we all need to break that.

TBD: What role do you think SER plays in the current Dayton music scene? What more do you think SER could do to bolster the scene at this time and for the future? What are your long-term goals with the label? Do you think there is enough talent in Dayton at this time to really make an impact nationally?

TG: The role I think Squids Eye is playing in the current Dayton scene is the same as the majority of the other bands. Just trying to get their music heard by as many people. Squids Eye like other bands could bolster the scene by doing more touring. The long term goals are not much different from the goals I have right now. Down the road I hope to hire a few people and concentrate more on doing physical and digital distribution for other artists and labels. I would love to see more labels and more artist self-releasing, I’ve started a CD Manufacturing broker service just for that reason, to help local acts get their music manufactured with out getting screwed. I think there is enough talent in Dayton to make an impact nationally. I think there are a few records coming up that will help Dayton make some noise. I think the upcoming Captain of Industry album and tour will knock some doors down.

TBD: What bands/artists do you think are poised to break out of Dayton (SER act or not)? What bands/artists would you like to work with in the future? What are your plans for helping your roster get out of Dayton? Do you plan to have more showcases elsewhere?

TG: I will not include Squids Eye bands. I honestly think all given the chance could break out of Dayton. I really believe Human Reunion and Captain of Industry could and will break out of the slums of Dayton. They have put in a ton of work and it’s their time. As for what bands and artists I’d like to work with; Human Reunion, Captain of Industry – I think we will work with both these bands in the future in some form. Once this initial batch of records is out, we will set up a proper tour. Right now the majority of my time is spent on manufacturing, distribution, publicity and sales of the current and upcoming releases. But a proper tour will be setup around Summer – I’d like to get Grizzzzy Bear, Toads and Mice and the Sailing out there as soon as possible for all parties.


TBD: How do you think this showcase on March 14 will affect your label's visibility locally? Why did you choose these 4 bands to represent your label? How do you think they define what SER is all about, or do they? What are your hopes for this show? Why the decision to give away a sampler at the show? How does that disc represent your label at this time?

I’m hoping people pay attention and come out for the show. This year has been 22-hour days pushing the Dayton music out to the world. I’d like to have a proper celebration here locally just for my own psyche, to know people are paying attention in town. I wanted to give something back to the people that I see at each show who pay to get in week after week. I figured a sampler CD would be appropriate. The CD has 20 tracks and showcases a track off of all our upcoming releases and available releases. This is the definitive representation of Squids Eye Records in 2008.

TBD: With such an active release schedule, do have any concerns that you may be saturating the market or overextending your labels capabilities or do you think it merely demonstrates the vitality of your label and your commitment to consistently offer the best of Dayton music?

TG: The only reason the release schedule is currently so active is because the bands here in Dayton have been working on these records for years but never had a proper outlet, now with Squids Eye we are playing catch up and putting out all these debuts. At the same time as long as friends are making great records I will release them, at this point, if we don’t put out these records they sadly won’t get heard outside of Dayton. I just don’t want anything to slip beneath the cracks; the music deserves more then that. Squids Eye is just here to document the current scene, I understand money is tight, I don’t expect people to buy everything, but when they want it, it will be here.

...be sure to head out this Friday, March 14 to catch Squids Eye Records Anniversary Party featuring performances by Grizzzzy Bear, Toads and Mice, The Sailing, and Romance of the Young Tigers. Everyone will get a free copy of the Squids Eye Sampler just for coming out. This one will be huge and you know we'll be there...

Pretty Punches & Young Tigers...

...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...

Get Born/Romance of the Young Tigers/Realcide/Evolve @ Goloka Gallery Tonight

If you're looking for some really underground action tonight, head out to Goloka Gallery in the Front Street warehouses tonight (on E. 2nd Street, off of Dutoit, off of E. 3rd St.) You can check out a detailed description by our good friend Jenn over here. She has a big hand in the ongoings tonight, so trust her assessments. We do....the show starts at 8 pm, is free (donations appreciated), and is ALL AGES....