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Dayton Blues Society

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dbs(the following is from our friend Kelly Marie Weiler)

In August 2008 at the Dave Hall Plaza Blues Festival, on a tent near the stage hung a brand new banner with a really cool logo announcing the arrival of a new 501c3 non-profit, the Dayton Blues Society.  Enthusiastic volunteers wearing a variety of shirts and caps (with the really cool logo) sold memberships and apparel all afternoon as they shared the mission of DBS.

Fifteen months later, the Dayton Blues Society now has over 200 members, an increasing team of dedicated volunteers and talented musicians, and new community partners helping increase awareness, understanding, and appreciation of blues music while presenting excellent blues performances.

DBS helps expand the presence and vitality of the blues locally through promotional events, educational programs like Blues in the Schools, and opportunities to strengthen the link between the community and local musicians.

Board President Jeff Hill leads the all-volunteer team with passion, commitment and vision. He and his crew sure know how to throw a party! In addition, they endeavor to be a resource for blues lovers. Visit the Dayton Blues Society website and you will find the world of local, regional and national blues at your fingertips. From calendars, to links to bands, venues and other blues societies, there is also a link to a fascinating uncensored history of the blues.

The Dayton Blues Society provides opportunities to experience music like blue jeans for the soul. DBS, like many things in Dayton, is still a secret treasure. Dayton has many secret treasures: people, places and things that create the intangible, hard-to-describe quality of life feeling that makes Dayton a wonderful place to live. Take a minute to learn more about DBS, attend the Winter Blues Showcase in January and resolve to make 2010 the year to experience some of the secret treasures that make our community “blue jeans for the soul.”

Shrug to record live album at Canal Street Tavern, open for MINK reunion

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ShrugShrug recently celebrated their 15th anniversary of bringing music to Dayton and beyond.  That celebration will continue on Friday, November 27th at Canal Street Tavern, and it promises to be quite a treat for local music fans.  Shrug will open the show with a set of songs ranging from their 1995 album, Straight to Beta to present-day material.  Shrug’s set will be recorded for a live album (so come out and make some noise!).  The evening will be headlined by a reunited MINK, who took the Dayton music scene by storm in the 90’s.  It should be a great night to be thankful for our local musical offerings.

Shrug will also appear on Kaleidoscope on Wednesday, November 25.  They’ll be doing an acoustic set and chatting about Friday’s show, the live album, and their 15 years of making music.  Tune in from 8 to 11pm on 91.3FM WYSO or listen online at www.wyso.org

GIVEAWAY: Jucifer/Mouth of the Architect/Beneath Oblivion @ Southgate House 11.21.09

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jucifer2
…hey kids! You like yr rock n’ roll at maximum volume? Well have we got a treat for you! We’ve got 2 pairs of tickets to giveaway tomorrow night for a show down at The Historic Southgate House in Newport, Kentucky. With a bill certain to cave in yr chest cavity, you’ve got sludge duo, Jucifer, longtime Dayton faves of doom Mouth of the Architect, and Beneath Oblivion. The show is 18 & up and doors are at 8 pm…

…if you’d like to get yr paws on a pair of tickets, email us at [email protected] with “SGHTIX” in the subject line. Obviously, supplies are limited, so first come first serve. Go…

MP3:Mouth of the Architect “Hate And Heartache”
Download audio file (Hate_And_Heartache.mp3)

Looking for Local Music on Dayton Radio

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daytonlocalradioAs a young twenty-something living in Chicagoland in the early 90’s, I was connected vicariously to the Chicago music scene through my friends and roommates whose bands played shows in just about every bar in the city.  Many of us supported our friends by trekking into the city on most weekends, especially when they played the bigger and/or more popular venues like the Aragon Ballroom, Double Door and Metro.  And I can remember the two radio stations that supported local music – Q101 and WXRT.  Q101 even put out a compilation cd that featured my friends’ band, and to this day I listen to WXRT online.  A bit older now with a family and now living in Dayton, I’m not at all connected to the music scene here and don’t get out much (though I’m proud to say I know Drexel Dave).  But I’m aware that there is a local music scene here and I would like more of an opportunity to hear it.

Living in Dayton since 2001, I have long since figured out that the radio scene here is as generic as they come.  The ultimate in generic radio would be Fly92.9 – a Jack FM format that is completely automated with no DJ’s (though I am told they have one).  And absolutely no commercial radio station plays or promotes local music – not a single one.  Anybody that listens to local commercial radio in Dayton would probably have no clue as to just how many original bands call Dayton home.

I make the commercial distinction because we do in fact have one station that does promote local talent – that would be WYSO 91.3, the public radio station out of Yellow Springs.  DMM’s own Juliet Fromholt hosts the weekly Kaleidoscope on Wednesday evenings, which showcases local bands and features live performances.  Rev Cool’s Around The Fringe show on Friday nights is an eclectic mix that includes promotion of the local scene.  And Niki Dakota’s Excursions offers listeners music across the music spectrum every weekday.  In a different genre, WDPR 88.1 (another public radio station and DMM media partner) plays classical music and promotes the local scene when it comes to the Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Ballet, etc.

While WYSO is the one station I listen to on a regular basis, their music offerings are limited to certain days and/or hours of the day.  What do you think about local radio?  Is Dayton doomed to a future with no original commercial radio play or local music promotion?  Do you think that a local Internet radio station that focused on the local scene could have legs?  What say you?

(for a complete listing of Dayton radio stations, check out our Dayton Media page)

Bonneville Gears Up For Winter Tour, Stops by WYSO

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bonnevilleBonneville has accomplished a lot for a young band.  They participated in the Dayton Band Playoffs in 2002, before their freshman year of high school.  They’ve released several CDs, and in a few weeks, they’ll embark on a winter tour taking them from Columbus to Nashville and South Carolina.  Before their journey begins, they’ll perform at Canal Street Tavern on November 29.

This week, the band will appear on Kaleidoscope on WYSO (Wednesday 8-11pm) for a live  set and interview.

The Sadness Will Last Forever

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sleepybird_cover
…after an interminable wait and several band member changes, Dayton’s lovable psych/folk troubadours Sleepybird are releasing their third album, The Sadness Will Last Forever, on Saturday night at South Park Tavern. While the band recently parted ways with founding member keyboardist Jaime Legato and his wife, viola player Lisa Earl, the remaining sextet carry on the good work of the album, which is certain to perk up ears near and far. Fueled by the songwriting of Nick Tertel, the band’s arrangements are incredibly focused and inspired. Within the span of its eight tracks running just over 45 minutes, the disc traces an unpredictable route through country drawls, symphonic flourishes, and droning synths. At the core, however, are incredibly emotive songs upon which every textural element hinges. On the track “Signal Surpassed”, Sleepybird ascend to some of their most ambitious heights and hit the mark with an anthemic flair. The band captures its characteristic melancholy on “Drunk Dialer”, “Weightless”, and the title track…

…For anyone that has witnessed the band’s live performances, Saturday evening is certain to be an epic event….

MP3: Sleepybird “Signals Surpassed” Download audio file (Signal_Surpassed.mp3)

Waitin’ for a Sign

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nwo_november

…throughout the month of Novmeber, we’ll be sharing some great new tracks from one of our favorite d8n bands, The Northwest Ordinance. Their sophomore album, Valley of Ashes, drops in December, but we’ve got exclusive tracks for you NOW. Grab these little gems, let them soak in, then meet us all at Oregon Express tonight for the second week of The Buddha Den NTRO/XPO November Residency with The Northwest Ordinance tonight. We’ve also got very special guests, The Revelators. Music starts at 10 pm and, as always, is presented completely FREE! See you there….

MP3: The Northwest Ordinance “Empty Home” Download audio file (Empty_Home.mp3)

MP3: The Northwest Ordinance “Waitin’ for a Sign” Download audio file (Waitin_for_a_Sign.mp3)

The Rebel Set to Release New Album on Saturday

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RebelSetThe Rebel Set is gearing up to release a follow-up to their debut album, Ghost Town Silence.  The new offering is called Across the Relentless Sea and will be available as both physical CDs and digital copies on iTunes, Amazon, etc on November 14th.  To celebrate the release, The Rebel Set will perform at the Oregon Express on November 14 along with fellow Dayton bands Akillis Green and To Catch a Matador.

The band will also be stopping by the WYSO studios on Wednesday, November 11th for a live performance and interview on Kaleidoscope at around 9pm.

The Northwest Ordinance Starts November Residency for The Buddha Den NTRO/XPO-Tonight @ Oregon Express

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…admittedly, things have been a little slow around the offices of The Buddha Den lately, but rest assured, we are still very much here. With that, we are very excited to kick off another month of The Buddha Den NTRO/XPO tonight at the Oregon Express with one of our very favorite Dayton bands, The Northwest Ordinance. The lads have recently completed work on their sophomore album, Valley of Ashes, and will be featuring the new material throughout the month. Tonight NWO will be joined by fellow travelers, Mountain Screamer. Should be a fun night of rock n’ roll goodness…

….as always, The Buddha Den NTRO/XPO will be kick off at 10 pm sharp and is FREE for 21 & up. See you there…

MP3:The Northwest Ordinance “Red”
Download audio file (Red.mp3)

MP3:The Northwest Ordinance “Tellin’ Lies”
Download audio file (Tellin_Lies.mp3)

Pacchia Grooves Into the Holiday Season

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pacchia_logoIn September, Pacchia introduced groove., a weekend concert series that marked a return to live music for the restaurant/bar. Recently, groove. announced its Pre-Thanskgiving rock show featuring music from The Story Changes, Stone the Mayor Sheriffs and Luxury Pushers on November 25.

Tonight on Kaleidoscope, WYSO listeners will get an update groove., including information on some upcoming shows.  Kaleidoscope airs 8-11pm every Wednesday night on WYSO.

Swearing at Motorists: WYSO on Wednesday, Canal Street on Thursday

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SMPoster

Back in mid-September there were whispers that Swearing at Motorists would be returning to Dayton after a 3 year hiatus and performing a single US show at Canal Street Tavern.  Those whispers have turned into shouts of joy as the show date rapidly approaches.  Tomorrow night (Thursday, Oct 29) Dave Doughman will be joined onstage at Canal Street Tavern by original Swearing at Motorists drummer (and current Smug Brother) Don Thrasher.  They’ll be playing 2000 release Number Seven Uptown in its entirety.  Completing an amazing evening of local music, the Smug Brothers will also perform along with Rev. Davis Kettering and Fab Gear DJs.  The doors at Canal Street will open at 8pm, and music is set to start at 9pm.

Dave Doughman will also be a guest on Kaleidoscope tonight (Wednesday) on WYSO.  The show is from 8-11pm, and Dave will be dropping by during the second half of the show, sometime after the open house at the Dayton Dirt Collective.

Idle Hands and the Devil’s Plaything

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davedonjosh

…by this point, we’re fairly certain most of you are aware of the pending arrival of one Dave Doughman to the Gem City next Thursday, October 29 for a single performance of Swearing at Motorists at Canal Street Tavern. Along with original drummer Don Thrasher, S@M will perform, in its entirety, the acclaimed 2000 album, Number Seven Uptown. We recently spoke with Doughman about his hiatus, the pending show, and what it all means…

The Buddha Den: It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard anything from Swearing at Motorists. What has kept you silent for the past three years? What drove you out of the US? Do you miss us?

Dave Doughman: well, i’d say Swearing At Motorists kept quiet, but not exactly silent…
there were a couple of tracks on compilations, a few shows in Berlin, but yeah nothing major has happened in the “World of ‘Motorists” since the release of “Last Night Becomes This Morning” and “Exile On Gipsstraße” in 2006.

December 7, 2004, in the middle of a European tour, i fell in love with Berlin. During our set, i asked from the stage if anyone knew of empty flat or room for rent… after the show i ended up with a decent list of names and addresses! so i went to my favorite Berlin after-show drinking spot, 8mm, and asked the bartender which of the addresses was closest to the bar…
the next day i went to that address and gave the landlord a deposit.
finished the tour, went back to Philly to tidy some loose ends, and moved into my flat at Gipsstraße 23 on February 02, 2005.
i needed a change.
of scenery,
of lifestyle,
i needed a new muse(geographically speaking of course, not romantic… )
and to concentrate on just making music…

but in January 2007, my son was born,
my new focus was on being a great father,
i found caring for and playing with my son more enjoyable than creating new music…

now he is almost 3, and in the last year has shown a real interest in music, so i started writing again,
first with him, just for laughs,
then more seriously on my own when he is asleep…

TBD: With all this down time, what projects have kept you busy? Anything new in the works? A new album perhaps?

DD: lately i have been recording demos for a new album, i’ve trimmed my list to about 22 songs. i think a sequence of 14-16 of those will make a great album. hopefully we can finish the proper recording before winter is over…

TBD: After a 3-year absence, it seems peculiar that you would return to Dayton for a one-off show. On a Thursday, no less. Care to elaborate on the motivation behind such a bizarre phenomenon?

DD: the truth is,
i realized my license was about to expire and since i needed to fly from Berlin to Chicago for work Oct 30, i thought i would fly to Dayton a day early, renew my license, then drive to Chicago. so i was looking online, to see what i could do on my one night in Dayton, and noticed, there was nothing i wanted to do, no bands were playing that i wanted to see. so i decided it would be cool to book a show and invite a band i really wanted to see to play with me…

i am really excited about the show, not only because it’s been 3 years since i’ve played in North America,
but because we are going to do something we have never done before.
the idea to play Number Seven Uptown in sequence came from being a fan of the All Tomorrow’s Parties “Don’t Look Back Concerts” , where ATP commission artists to perform their “critically acclaimed” or “classic” albums live in sequence…
i was joking with a friend that the 10 year anniversary of Number Seven Uptown was next year,
so i’d better start rehearsing it in sequence,
you know, just in case ATP wanted us to play it as a Don’t Look Back Concert…
and then i thought, hey why not do this in Dayton?
to make it different than just playing Canal Street Tavern again…

so we will play the album, ATP style as i like to call it,
then if people want, we will play some more songs.

i think it’s going to be a great night in Dayton,
a bunch of old friends getting together for some good music.
it’s going to be a Dayton Rock-n-Roll Family Reunion, ‘Motorists’ style!
i mean cmon, Jay Madewell spinning Fab Gear before between and after!?!
DANCE PARTY!
i’m pretty excited to see Smug Brothers play,
as i am a big fan of the Fortune Rumors Ep series…
and of course anyone too cool to show up early and see the Rev. Davis Kettering open the show at 9pm,
will be missing out on a performance i guarantee will be talked about for ages…
oh, for those of you who will be there, you should be quiet, as he is prone to violence against talking audience members…

yep, it’s going to be a great night

SWEARING AT MOTORISTS 11pm
Smug Brothers 10pm
Rev. Davis Kettering 9pm

Fab Gear 8-9pm
between bands
and after S@M ’til Mick kicks us out…

TBD: What inspires you to continue to create these days? What keeps you motivated? What is your current working method like, now that you’re essentially on your own? Still home recording?

DD: i can’t help myself… i hear this stuff in my head, and i just try to get it to come out of the speakers… i’m very lucky to be on such a great label as Secretly Canadian, but if i wasn’t, i would still be making songs and records, burning cdrs for my friends. i mean this whole “band” started as a cassette i made for a friend… and my son motivates me, because i want him to respect me as an artist, to realize when he is older, that making music is not what i do, it’s who i am. and he has changed my “working habits”…
now i can’t stay up all night drinking red wine and smoking,
waking up the next afternoon in bed next to a guitar and a notebook full of words…
i can’t just wait until inspiration hits…
so i spend a few hours each morning Mon-Fri in my home studio,
trying to write, or at least play guitar, while he is at preschool…

TBD: Having put down roots [at least tentatively] in a number of locations, what keeps you tied to Dayton? What essence do you feel Dayton possesses that keeps those that leave calling it home?

DD: Dayton is where i began making music, it’s where the 2nd phase of my musical education took place. long before i lived here, when i would visit my mother, i would buy records at Trader Vic’s. Mike Justice is responsible for getting me hooked on all the local Dayton bands.
He’s the one who insisted i buy Brainiac’s Smack Bunny Baby Lp, instead of some Pavement import 7″…
i moved to Dayton at an important time musically, and was very fortunate to end up in a supportive circle of friends that made some pretty amazing music. and lucky that some people were interested in hearing my bedroom recordings…

TBD: Will it ever be as good as it was? Was it ever that good? Is now better than what some would say?

DD: it can be as good or even better for someone else, for someone who wasn’t there maybe…

…as a special treat, Doughman has been kind enough to provide an exclusive download via The Buddha Den of the S@M side of a split 7″ with ex-touring partners, Spoon. Grab that goodie while you can, since it’s previously unavailable digitally…

MP3: Swearing at Motorists “Bitch(Idle Hands and the Devil’s Plaything)/Bad Drawing of the Worst Photograph”
Download audio file (Bitch.mp3)

The Buddha Den Presents: Jesse Remnant & the Trainwrecks/The Fervor/Yazoo Street Scandal-TONIGHT @ Canal Street Tavern

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…it’s been a little while since we’ve hosted a show and we’re pretty excited to present this lineup tonight at the legendary Canal Street Tavern. Along with the sunny tunefulness Jesse Remnant & the Trainwrecks, you’ve got the moody Americana of The Fervor [on tour out of Louisville], and the fiery local up-and-comers Yazoo Street Scandal who blew minds at the NTRO/XPO last month. We’ll see you there…

MP3: Jesse Remnant & the Trainwrecks “Same Sun”

Download audio file (Same_Sun.mp3)

King of the Queen City Author Comes to Shake It Records

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…thanks to Joe at Each Note Secure for bringing this to our attention…

…for longer than most people realize, this region has served as fertile soil for many genres of music. One of the most influential, yet unacknowledged, forces in the region was the formidable King Records. One of the pioneering independent labels in American music, King Records put Cincinnati on the musical map in the 1940s and 1950s with an impressive stable of acts, ranging stylistically from blues to bluegrass to R & B to western swing…

…the author of King of the Queen City: The Story of King Records, Jon Hartley Fox, will appear at Shake It Records in Cincinnati this Sunday, October 18 at 2 pm to discuss the new book. Here’s a little background on the book:

King of the Queen City is the first comprehensive history of King Records, one of the most influential independent record companies in the history of American music. Jon Hartley Fox tells the story of a small outsider record company in Cincinnati, Ohio, that attracted an extremely diverse roster of artists, including the Stanley Brothers, Grandpa Jones, Redd Foxx, Earl Bostic, Bill Doggett, Lonnie Johnson, Ike Turner, Roy Brown, Freddie King, Eddie Vinson, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, and even a young James Brown. While other record companies of the day made their fortunes by concentrating on one style of music, King Records was active in virtually all genres of vernacular American music, from blues and R & B to rockabilly, bluegrass, western swing, and country.

State School Embarks on Tour, Stops by WYSO

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StateSchoolIf you haven’t checked out State School’s Cats in Boxes EP, you’re missing out on one of the fantastic newer bands Dayton has to offer. Fresh from their performance at Dayton Music Fest, this indie folk act is preparing for their upcoming Southern tour. But before they leave, they’ll be stopping by WYSO for a live set on Kaleidoscope, this Wednesday (October 14th).

You can catch Kaleidoscope on Wednesday nights, 8-11pm on 91.3FM, or you can listen online at wyso.org. You can also catch State School at their next local gig on November 8th at Blind Bob’s in the Oregon District.

This Flag Signals Hello

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Dave Doughman

…if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, yr well aware of our infatuation with Dayton’s storied musical past. We’ve been fortunate enough to cover some of Dayton’s most recognizable names over the past few years, but one has steered conspicuously under our radar….

…until now…

…late yesterday we received this communique from somewhere deep on the Continent. Check it out…

Where in the hell is Dave Doughman?
he’s in Berlin,
but he’s heading to Dayton,
Thursday October 29, when Swearing At Motorists play Canal Street Tavern.
For S@M’s first (and only) North American show in 3 years,
Dave will team up with Don Thrasher to perform Swearing At Motorists’ critically acclaimed album Number Seven Uptown in sequence.

…that’s right! Swearing at Motorists will make a single US appearance in Dayton at Canal Street Tavern with original drummer, Don Thrasher. We suspect that this will be a homecoming of EPIC proportions. Also on the bill for this event are Thrasher’s new outfit, Smug Brothers, and Jay Madewell makes his triumphant return DJing Fab Gear, spinning soul, funk, 60s garage and more. If yr in the dark, Fab Gear is one of Dayton’s best dance parties and will be spinning before, between, and after the bands…

…over the coming weeks we’ll have several special Swearing at Motorists exclusives and rarities here at The Buddha Den in anticipation of this big show. Here’s the first offering: a special new track called “It’s Love that Chooses You”, recorded on March 22 of this year for the I Will Not Return Your Records internet radio program…

MP3: Swearing at Motorists “It’s the Love That Chooses You”