Southeast Engine/Jesse Remnant and the Trainwrecks-Tonight @ Canal Street Tavern

..after hearing us talk about the new Southeast Engine album, From the Forest to the Sea for a while now, the band will bring the goods to Canal Street Tavern tonight. Opening up, and pulling double duty as well, is Jesse Remnant and his Trainwrecks (feat. members of Shrug). Do yrself a favor and do everything you can to make this show...

MP3: Southeast Engine "Black Gold"

The cooperative hootenanny

...after disappearing for a few months late last year, the long-running Canal Street Tavern Musician's Co-Op has made quite the resurgence in recent months. Thanks in large part to the efforts of Eric Cassidy (from Shrug), the Co-Op continues to serve as a fertile breeding ground for local songwriters to step out into the light and work out new material. The co-op takes place every Tuesday night at Canal Street Tavern and is always free to get in. Head on down and see it all before everyone else does...

REVIEW: Jordan Hull-s/t

...sure, it's all too easy to make the obvious references to the earliest phases of a certain harmonica/guitar-playing-singer/songwriter. It's also incredibly easy to get caught up on the fact that he's only 18. The fact remains, however, that young Jordan Hull has issued an incredible debut album.

Working in the Nashville studio of Dayton ex-patriate Patrick Himes and accompanied by Dayton mainstays Brian Lakatos on bass (from Shrug) and Brian Hoeflich on drums (from Flyaway Minion/Brian Hoeflich & the All-Nighters), the nine tracks found on this disc display a command of songcraft that many of Hull's elders have yet to attain. The Sun Records-flavored "On to Me" is an instant classic, with it's singalong chorus that belies the song's strained sentimentality. The incredibly powerful simplicity of "Better Than You" may be the album's finest moment. With its hypnotic sway and pleading confessions, the song most clearly indicates the depth of Hull's writing. Album closer "How Dare He" closes the case with its winding verses echoing some of Dylan's finest moments from his earliest work and also from his post-Time Out of Mind era successes. Rather than be mired in the weight of the master's early socio-political work, Hull draws more from the romantic introspection perfected on Blood on the Tracks.

This is not to say that Hull is merely a Dylan knock-off. Sure, the comparisons are easy to make. However, Hull's other apparent affinity for the earliest strains of country-western, most notably those found through Hank Williams, infuse the album with a much-needed counterpoint. While the tracks that most readily evidence this (mid-album tracks like "Rusty Bones" and "Cause I Know") are some of the weaker moments on the album, by their mere presence they indicate that Hull possesses the depth to transcend whatever similarities his work may have with Dylan and eventually come into his own. Keep in mind, Hull is not yet even in his twenties.

Perhaps more than anyone in Dayton at the moment, Jordan Hull is poised to make a name for himself outside of the Gem City. On the strength of his timeless songwriting, his masterful guitar and harmonica work, and a voice that is at once youthful and wise, Hull may soon catch the attention of audiences that will no more easily accept the unmistakable talent before them.

For a short time, Hull has made a track available as a free download at his website. Head over now and grab the free track, as well a samples of all the tracks...

The Buddha Den Presents: Songwriters-in-the-Round @ Canal St. Tavern 6.8.08

...as the unseasonal heat nearly choked the city last evening, several of Dayton's finest songwriters gathered for The Buddha Den's first Songwriters-in-the-Round event at the legendary Canal Street Tavern. With four performers on stage at a time, each set delivered some incredible performances and an incredibly relaxed and fun show. In the first group, Nathan Peters (Captain of Industry), playing on Canal Street's ancient upright piano, threw out some of his finest work with his band as well as a choice cover of an old Ohio Casket song by the all-too-reclusive PJ Paslosky. Nick Tertel (Sleepybird) might have seemed somewhat reserved without the backing of his sprawling outfit, but his country-flavored tunes truly blossomed in this context. In a rare solo performance, Derek Gullett (ex-Switchblade Serenade) showcased some of his more personal material, overcoming various technical glitches along the way...




...in the evening's second set, Tod Weidner (Shrug) demonstrated yet again on his home turf why he continues to be one of Dayton's underrated treasures. His literary wit and classic compositions are nearly as much a part of Canal Street's charms as the battered stained glass. The younger, but no less vital, Andy Smith (Andrew & the Pretty Punchers) might have been buzzing on the eve of his band's first proper recording sessions, but his songs of wisdom well beyond his years reminded us that this is a talent that will hopefully grace the Gem City for many years to come. After suffering through various technical aberrations, Dustin Rose (Toads and Mice) abandoned technology in favor of simple, yet elegant compositions. His departure from the material of his band completely shocked us and, yet again, gave of great hope of things to come. Newcomer Miranda offered up jazz/blues-flavored piano compositions and topped them off with a voice of such power and passion that we are hoping to see much more from her in the months to come...





For more photos from the evening, please go here.

The Buddha Den Presents: Songwriters-in-the-Round - Tonight @ Canal Street Tavern

...we at The Buddha Den have a very special treat for you this evening. The Buddha Den is hosting a Songwriters-in-the-Round tonight at Canal Street Tavern. For those of you unfamiliar with the format, there will be two sets, each featuring four musicians. Each player will do one song at a time for four rounds. Tonight we will be featuring some of Dayton's finest songwriters: Nathan Peters (Captain of Industry), Tod Weidner (Shrug), Nick Tertel (Sleepybird), Andy Smith (Andrew & the Pretty Punchers), Dustin Rose (Toads and Mice), Derek Gullett (Switchblade Serenade), Mascot, and Miranda Pennington. We will also be recording this evening for future release as a FREE DOWNLOAD through The Buddha Den, so keep an eye out for that. We'll see you tonight...

Canal Street Tavern's Dayton Band Play-Offs Registration NOW OPEN

...yes, it's summer again and that can only mean one thing in Dayton: time for the Annual Dayton Band Play-Offs at Canal Street Tavern. For the uninitiated, the Dayton Band Play-Offs has been an annual right of passage for nearly 25 years. Such Dayton icons as The Method, Brainiac, Real Lulu, and Shrug have all championed the event. More recently, bands such as Bluekarma, Mona, and Orange Willard have done the same. More than that, ask pretty much any musician that has spent any time playing in Dayton and they'll most likely admit to having done at least one year in the Play-Offs. If your band is looking to make a mark, this is a great place to start. You can download your registration form right here. Get 'em in...

Shrug/The Poor Devils-Tonight @ Canal Street Tavern

...we're kicking off an amazing holiday weekend tonight over at Canal Street Tavern. Local heroes Shrug will be playing with the long-dormant The Poor Devils, making their first appearance in over 2 years. With a few good runs in the Dayton Band Play-Offs a few years a ago and a number of great songs in their stadium-sized alterna-pop cache (the song "89" is still one of the best out of Dayton in recent memory), it's good to welcome The Poor Devils back into action. Should be a great way to warm-up the weekend....

Shrug/Joe Anderl/Wil Cope-Tonight @ Canal St. Tavern

...over at Canal Street Tavern tonight, we have on tap some of the finest songwriters currently working in Dayton. Opening the night will be The Homeless Romantic, Wil Cope, who will be making his last appearance in Dayton before his relocation to Nashville this weekend. Next up is the relentless juggernaut that is Joe Anderl. Allegedly, there will be an all-star cast backing Joe up on this evening. Closing the show will be Dayton mainstays, Shrug, chock full of rock n' roll goodness. You can't miss on this one...

...to whet your appetite, here's a recent video of Wil Cope in promotion of his new album, Borrowed Light...


photo of Joe Anderl courtesy of Kim at Picture the Sound

Zaireeka listening party tonight @ Gem City Records

Few records in the history of rock n' roll come with such mystique and have been so difficult to digest. The sheer audacity of Zaireeka at that particular moment in the journey of The Flaming Lips speaks not only to their unbounded daring, but also to the scope of their vision. An album that is only fully appreciated with the aid of 4, yes 4, CD players?!?!? Who has that technology laying around??? Well, perhaps it was an attempt to bring people together to enjoy the experience, like it is happening tonight. Seems like something Wayne Coyne would think up....

...so, tonight. 7 PM. Gem City Records. Curated by Eric Cassidy of Shrug. Virtual Wayne Coyne. We can't imagine this being anything less than bizarre.....