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Art Jipson

Amazing Music Highlights from a Powerful Year in the Local Music Scene

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Art Jipson

Every year there are those who lament the lack of exciting new music. Perhaps this comes from a place of cramped personal style where we think that there can be no better music than the music when we were teenagers or the songs we listened to in college or the sonic landscape when we were dating. It is very easy – seductively easy – to become set, fixed, so focused on the music from a particular time and refuse or become unable to move beyond our individual experience. We all have our interests that shape the music we love and that is all right. The point is to avoid pigeonholing ourselves.

Therefore, with that in mind this brief commentary on local music demonstrates that 2019 was a banner year in local Dayton area music! From the release of the first records by several exciting yet different musicians, there is tremendous music arising from the Miami Valley and Dayton in particular that needs to be heard! This year we had exciting first records from the bouncy bucolic Age Nowhere (Airport Sounds), the amazingly fierce vocals of Amber Hargett (Paper Trail), the quirky indie pop of The Paint Splats’ eponymous disc to name a few new entries into the scene.

Shrug

We are also fortunate to have the twenty-five year stalwarts in Shrug releasing their terrific (Easy is the New Hard). This year also included the second record from the pop-punk majesty of Brat Curse (Brat Curse II). Fresh Hip-Hop courtesy of K. Carter (NBX and The Pack live), and some of the best representation of real country music from Charlie Jackson and the Heartland Railway with an EP called EP. Mr. Jackson is not the only area musician exploring the country side of the music equation. The country soul wailing of Mack McKenzie’s tremendous (Kill the Buffalo) demonstrates that real country music is alive and well. If there is a more evocative country song than ‘Woe is Me’ this writer has not heard it.

This year also marked the return of sensual electronic soundscapes care of Dirty/Clean’s (Stereo) and one of the great local bands of 2019, Goodnight Goodnight released their passionately awaited new record (I Love you Fiercely). The hard to define industrial noise rock of HEXADIODE captured the musical imagination with their latest (Metaxy). Roley Yuma released their explosive self-titled record in 2019. Listen to those records and try not to feel. It is not possible.

While Dayton’s music scene is unbelievably strong. There has been some fine music created south of town from Frontier Folk Nebraska who released an excellent new record (Teenage Freaks) that captures the grime and grit of everyday life. Wussy driving force Chuck Cleaver’s superb Send Aid demonstrates that the drone can captivate our interest just as well as the pristine; if not even more so! Although not exactly Dayton releases, these first-rate records illustrate the outstanding music in the area. Consider it close enough. Perhaps in an additional article I will discuss the amazing music coming from the Columbus and Cincinnati area music scenes in much more detail.

John Dubuc’s Guilty Pleasures

Local songwriters made a strong showing in 2019. The quirky good-natured songs of John Dubuc’s Guilty Pleasures illustrated that music can both explicate real lived experience and sardonically laugh about it all. Max B. Greene released his evocative and excellent record (My Head Broke Open) that explored the dark side of the human balance. David Payne’s late 2019 release (Orange Glow) captured a welcome life affirming perspective that demonstrates the versatility of local songwriters. This year also marked the return of songwriter par excellence Mike Bankhead with his single, Little Light. That song demonstrated the depth of storytelling in Mike’s approach. I would be remiss in my duties if I did not explain that Mike also recorded a split record with Brandon Berry of The Paint Splats (Defacing The Moon).

Demonstrating both the power of songwriting and song craft, Overthought Musik’s appropriately entitled record appropriately entitled ‘Album’ is surprisingly cohesive considering that each song has a different vocalist and approach. Derl Robbins Overthought Musik is consistently releasing extraordinary music that moves from rock to pop to indie to songs that quite honestly defy facile categorization. Each song on this dynamite collection is a new discovery. While discussing Overthought, we also have to consider the fact that Dayton has a thriving set of record labels that are consistently releasing excellent music. Magnaphone Records, Poptek and Overthought Musik are creating legacies not just collections of songs. In fact, the samplers from Magnaphone Records should be explored by anyone who enjoys music. The Repeating Arms also contributed new music to the fantastic Magnaphone Records Sampler Vol. 3 (which also include David Payne, The Boxcar Suite, Shrug and others).

Sadbox released their first record in 2019, The Magic Nothing. The Magic Nothing is far from nothing. From start to finish, this record captures every growl, yell and vocal from Paul Levy and combines it with the musical alchemy courtesy of Ray Owens, Eli Alban and XXX along with the afore mentioned Mr. Levy and together these gentlemen have crafted a record that deserves to be heard and cherished.

The Transfiguration of Salvadore Ross

Capturing another level of music is the power trio – in the greatest and grandest tradition in rock and roll – of Salvadore Ross (The Transfiguration of Salvadore Ross). In a fair world, this band would be playing stadiums and we would all close our eyes tight and let the psychedelic power music made by them wash over us and transport us somewhere else. Somewhere lovely, bright and kind.

Scary Hotel (Love Like Your Lonely) are making the kind of emo laden indie pop that just makes you smile. Until you notice that the lyrics are often heavy and dark, yet you keep right on smiling because the music makes you feel good, warm, and comforted. The Story Changes (To Hell With This delicate Equation) returned this year with a record that hit as hard as anything being made anywhere. Period.

Seth Canan & The Carriers released a tour de force with the rocking melancholy of change and transition (Strange Forces). The majesty in these songs lay in the direct arrangements and powerful emotions. Sympathetic buzz constructed a fantastic record in the glorious tradition of Midwestern rock (Superbloom).  The Typical Johnsons continued their domination of first-rate exploration of delicate efforts to avoid being undone by the overwhelming nature of life and the choice we make or fail to make (wreckage). 

Seth Gilliam & The Fake News

Experimentation also was a key component to brilliant local music. Okay Lindon released their reggae-inspired collection (Participation this year), Seth Gilliam & The Fake News traveled the soulful side of the indie rock canon (Misconstrued) and Starving in the Belly of the whale released a remarkable achievement in the reflection of and study of memories whether real or perceived (A Memory Preserved). Gabbard & Perkins released a song celebrating local culture and food (Donuts at Bill’s). Zachary Gabbard’s project (Sunday Fed Creek Birds) released the tremendous Driving Away. Wells & Watson created the cover of the year with their version of Mike & The Mechanics ‘Silent Running’ that is more haunting than the original.

Lo Fi rocking indie is alive and well in Dayton courtesy of the prolific Smug Brothers who released three powerful records in 2019 (Attic Harvest, All Blur and Spark and Serve A Thirsty Moon). This band continues making good catchy music at a pace that would put most to shame.

Moreover, all of this from a music community still influenced by local legends Guided by Voices who released several exciting albums in 2019 (Sweating the Plague). Here is looking forward to the local music created in 2020.

Art Jipson: Still Teaching Us After 10 Years Being On-Air

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It’s another Tuesday afternoon, and that means University of Dayton students, along with devoted followers, have their radio dials locked onto  the  college station WUDR 98.1/99.5 FM and Flyer Radio online.  Between the hours of 3-6pm in the WUDR Studios at ArtStreet on the University  of  Dayton, the animated and jovial voice of Art Jipson (aka his radio persona Dr. J) graces the airwaves as they spin music from local and  national  bands and artists.  Jipson wears multiple hats in his role with the university-Director of Criminal Justice Studies Program, professor,  coordinator  of the Self and Community in the 21st Century Learning and Living Community.

However-the show, titled “Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative”, offers much more than most imagine.  Ten years later, the show continues to be  one of the premier staples that features music to the community.  To celebrate the show’s 10 year anniversary, Jipson and the Learning and Living  Community program will be presenting The Motel Beds and Ghost Town Silence (formally The Rebel Set) on Friday night.  The show will be the  ending of Learning and Living Community’s theme of music.  The collection of first year students majoring in social science, sociology, criminal  justice, political science, psychology who all live in the same dorm and attend similar events.  Last year, a group of local musicians spoke to the  group and explained what it was like being a musician in Dayton.tues

The love for music began for Jipson when he was growing up in the western central part of Minnesota.  His folks were heavy into music from all corners.  Jipson’s father was a fan of country and Elvis, while his mom was a Californian who adored The Byrds, early Linda Ronstadt.  In his teens, he was listening to music what he called “terrible pop radio”, and was wanting more.  One day, Jipson’s wish came true.  “I am listening to the worst of the 70s music, and my cousin Steve introduces me to Kiss’ Alive, and I am changed.  Another cousin introduces me to Iggy and the Stooges.  It’s all gone from there,” he added.

Jipson began to dig deeper and deeper in different genres.  Jipson recalls collecting albums from Television, Patty Smith.  He talked about diving into punk rock, and getting in trouble in school because of it.  Due to where he was living at the time, Jipson says that he had to travel farther than most to catch live music.  “When I wanted to go see shows, I had to drive 3 and a half hours to get to Minneapolis.  I would drive 3 or 4 hours to see The Replacements, and wait in line.”  Jipson’s passion for music allowed him to discover more than he could ever imagine.

In 1988, Jipson received a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, Anthropology, and Political Science from the University of Minnesota.  He also received his Masters and Doctorate degrees in Sociology, Criminology, and Social Theory from Bowling Green State University.  When he was at BGSU, Jipson was the last grad student to study with Ron Denisoff, who wrote the definitive autobiography on Waylon Jennings, which was published in the 80s.  Denisoff was among the first generation of sociologists who took music seriously as part of culture, not just musicology alone.

In 2001, Jipson arrived at the University of Dayton after teaching in Miami University for several years.  One of the goals he wanted to achieve when he arrived on campus was to connect to the city.  He started doing projects where his students would work with various schools and literacy programs in Dayton.  He created a pop culture class that is now in the Sociology department.  “We talk about the history of popular music,” Jipson says when describing what the class entails.  “I take them back to the 1910s, and work my way from turn of the century all the way up to the present.  It’s a fun class, and we all learn from each other.”

With only so much that Jipson could do within the class with the sociology of popular music and culture, he wanted to do more.  He envisioned what he could do to have his students understand more about the depth of music, and even more so that is being made in their backyard.  It was then that Jipson began his weekly radio show, which debuted in November 2004.

very-final-band_poster_cjs_final-2_page_03When you sit down with Jipson, you immediately see that his excitement that comes off on-air isn’t something that is produced or fake.  There is no possibility that it can be.  When you listen to him talk, you get just as excited about the topic you are discussing.  Jipson comes off as a real life John Keating from the movie Dead Poets Society.  You could only imagine the methods that Jipson uses to reach his students.  Encouraging them to seize life, and become enchanted with the city that they are living in.

The show has grown over the years.  During the early days, the show was called “School of Rock with Dr. J”.  Jipson centered the show with a focus on connections with music and bands.  He incorporated some musicology, sociology, and psychology.  After a couple of years, Jipson’s wife, Tracey (aka to listeners as Mrs. Dr. J), joined the show full-time after she was mostly calling in and suggest music.  The format also was modified.  The music that is played on the show started to shift towards  mostly local music around that year, with also playing music regionally and nationally, ranging from new to older songs.

Ten years have magically come and gone, and there are no plans for Art and Tracey to slow down.  They are hoping to eventually have the show more accessible after the original airing.  For now, they will continue to come to the airwaves every Tuesday, and provide all of their listeners with great music, CD reviews, upcoming show announcements, interviews, and so much more.  Lessons are being taught to all of us, indirectly.

There is not a doubt that we are all standing on our tables in unison, staring straight down at Art Jipson, Dayton’s own music professor.

One by one, we say to him, “O Captain, my Captain”.

Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative and Self and Community in the 21st Century Learning and Living Community in cooperation with WUDR Flyer Radio 99.5/98.1 will present The Motel Beds and Ghost Town Silence on Friday, November 21st at McGinnis Center Multi-Purpose Room, next to the ArtStreet complex.  Show is free.  Pizza and drinks will be provided.