Dayton Music

…for the past five years, The National’s Bryce Dessner has presented some of the most innovative indie acts during his MusicNOW Festival. Held in his hometown of Cincinnati [lucky for us here in Dayton…], MusicNOW has announced that its 2010 lineup will include the likes of St. Vincent, Bon Iver, and Joanna Newsom. While its likely that a few more names will be added to the festival that runs March 30-April 1 at Cincinnati’s Memorial Hall. You can grab tickets HERE while supplies last….which will not be long….

MP3: St. Vincent “Actor Out of Work”
Download audio file (Actor_Out_Of_work.mp3)

MP3: Bon Iver “Skinny Love”
Download audio file (Skinny_Love.mp3)

…when the news came down in mid-December that Gem City Records, the last of the local indie record shops, would close on January 29, 2010, we were obviously stunned and saddened. While we’re still wrestling with what it all means in the short- and long-term for the local music scene, we’re fairly certain that the demise of the store will impact individuals, businesses, and the community immensely. In trying to comprehend it all, we were able to speak with store manager and the face of Gem City Records for some 20 years, Dale Walton. Here’s what Dale had to say about the past, present, and future of Gem City Records….

The Buddha Den: How long have you been affiliated with Gem City Records/worked in record stores? As manager? How did things change when Value Music bought Gem City Records in 2003? Do you feel that the change affected in any way your ability to cater to local music?

Dale Walton: I started working in the record business in 1977. I was hired by Tom Weiser (owner of the legendary record store “The Forest”) at the time he was the buyer for the Goldman’s which owned a chain of department stores in the Dayton area as well as the Golden Rod music stores. He had a test that you had to take that was basically a music trivia test, very hard I might add, but as a kid growing up I absorbed music. I bought every album I could, read the liner notes, studied the credits knew who produced what, who played on what song, what label they were on, etc. The test was 200 questions and I scored a 197. John Huffman also passed the test and worked in one of their stores, that’s how we met. We both worked at the ‘Forest”, “Bullfrogs” (a shop that specialized in 45’s), Golden Rod, and “Disc Location”.

The Goldman’s eventually went under and I started working for a Pittsburgh based chain called National Record Mart while John went on to do mail order and record shows out of his house. His inventory grew so large he had to have a place to store it so he rented the space at 337 E. 5th St. (across the street). In 1981 he decided to open a store, small but a great place to buy the latest vinyl. In 1985, John came to NRM which I was a 3rd key manager in the Salem Mall and asked me to work for him. I jumped at the chance and with help from some other great record store guys like Todd Robinson (owner of Luna Music in Indianapolis), Dave Barber (Cityfolk), and Tim Frueh (The Record Changer) we built a great store. We moved across the street to present location in 1990 and that is when I became the store manager. We have always encouraged and sold local musicians product, myself included.

In 2006, we were bought by Value Music which actually was a very positive and exciting time. Things were not going so well and John wanted to get out of the business so he sold the store. They were all about store promotions and so was I. We started doing our Acoustic Showcases which not only gave local musicians a place to sell their work but also a place to play. I am proud of this and learned so much from all the fine local talent in this area.

TBD: What were the circumstances surrounding the closing of Gem City Records? What was Value Music’s official position? What were your feelings regarding the closing of the store at this point in time?

DW: We were certainly affected by downloading and the general economy. The labels with high list prices on music made it much easier for our customers to buy on line or at the big box stores (Wal Mart, Best Buy) where you could buy music cheaper than what our cost was. The idea that box stores could sell new music for $7.99 because they sold tons of refrigerators and TVs hurt all independent record stores. I built this store with John. As far as Value is concerned, I really cannot speak for them. They were put in an unfortunate situation and did not want to close us but times are tough. We were not the only ones, they closed 25 stores. The store was profitable but sometimes that is not enough.

TBD: How has the changing climate toward digitized music [iTunes, Rhapsody, etc.] affected record sales in your store? Have you noticed a shift in recent years towards a renewed enthusiasm in vinyl? Do you feel there is still a place for a local independent record store in today’s music business?

DW: Yes, the internet has had a huge impact on music sales. You have a whole generation of people out there that have no conception of what an album is. They want one song and don’t want to pay for that. The artist creates this body of work and wants it to be heard as a whole so not only does the artist suffer, the listener suffers and doesn’t even realize it.

TBD: How do you feel that Gem City Record’s closing will affect the local music community? How important do you feel it was for local bands to have a place where their records could be discovered by the general public? Do you think that resources like iTunes and Myspace can fill that void?

DW: When the news came down that we would close the first thing that entered my mind was, “OMG! Where are people going to buy music?” I mean there is still Second Time Around, and Gary at Omega but they are primarily used stores. Good stores indeed, but we had developed into a great indie store as well as a vinyl junkie’s dream.

Vinyl has made an unbelievable comeback and we did extremely well with album sales as well as turntables. Truth be known albums sound so much better than CD’s and of course cover art is so appealing compared to the little 6 by 6 insert you get with a CD. A lost art, not to mention you could read the liner notes without a magnifying glass.

TBD: With the closing of so many independent music stores in the area over the last few years [Dingleberry’s and all CD Connection locations], do you feel that Dayton can still support an independent record store? What niche do you think keeps an independent record store viable?

DW: Dayton could and hopefully will support a good store but it must be more of a specialty store that specializes in special orders, vinyl, collectible, current hits and most importantly a knowledgeable staff that knows music inside and out, a staff that knows what instrument Coltrane played or who did the song “Frankenstein” or who played the theme song to the Beverly Hillbillies. That is what set us apart and I am so proud of the employees I have had over the years. We knew our stuff and gave legendary customer service, a term I learned from Rob, the owner of Value Music Concepts. They are not to blame, a tough economy and a changing world are at fault.

TBD: Is there anything else you would like to add?

DW: Music is the ultimate escape. It can take you places, it can change your mood, it can create a picture, it can teach you, it can conjure memories or create new ones, it can save your life or kill you if you let it. It guided me from The Beatles on Ed Sullivan to Bruce singing Born To Run, Seeing The Who at the music hall in 1969 to hearing and sharing my son’s passion for Death Cab For Cutie (of course I reveled in the Beatls reference). I became a musician and songwriter because of all this and to this day can be found in my basement, volume set on throttle and listening to the Dave Clark Five. From the scratchy sound of a Bobby Darin 45 to the bop of a new Eric Alexander CD, I am proud to say I am still absorbed in music.

…it may be a new year, but we’re all still as broke as we were in 2009. So, yr friends in Dirty Projectors are making it easy on you: click on the little link below, give them a valid email address, and two tracks filled with provocative pop invention will be yours for FREE. While recorded for last year’s endlessly acclaimed Biite Orca disc, “Ascending Melody” and its accompanying B-side “Emblem of the World” have been previously unreleased until now. For those with a little loose change, you get this on 7″ via Domino Records….

…and some tour dates for the initiated…

02-19 New York, NY – The Allen Room @ Lincoln Center
02-27 Los Angeles, CA – Walt Disney Concert Hall
03-03 Auckland, New Zealand – Montechristo Room
03-04 Wellington, New Zealand – San Francisco Bathhouse
03-06 Brisbane, Australia – The Lost Weekend
03-07 Meredith, Australia – Golden Plains Festival
03-09 Melbourne, Australia – The Hi Fi
03-10 Sydney, Australia – The Metro
03-13 Perth, Australia – The Rosemount Hotel

…for those of you willing to take a little drive, we’d recommend you head south tomorrow evening to catch North Carolina folksters Bowerbirds at The Historic Southgate House. If you need  additional prodding, take a look/listen to the footage from the NPR Tiny Desk Concert below…

…for those of you seeking to get yr band into the Gem City hotspot that is South Park Tavern, you may be very pleased to receive this notice. South Park Tavern recently modified its booking procedure so that ALL booking inquiries will now have to go through the club’s booking email address:

[email protected]

…pretty simple, right? if you want to get a booking at South Park Tavern, email the pertinent info [including band name, contact info, and Myspace link] to the email address above and you’re in the game. We would advise you not to call the club or any other number previously used for booking. Just use that email address. Keep in mind that the club is currently only booking for Saturdays, Thursdays, and Tuesdays. Carry on…

…thanks to Each Note Secure for letting us know about NPR offering a stream of the new Spoon album, Transference, this week. The album drops January 19 via Merge and sounds like Britt Daniel and co. have returned in fine form. As the band’s first self-produced effort, they’ve taken fiftteen years of one of indie rock’s most revered catalogs and honed their trademark minimalist-pop to a razor point that stands to refresh everything you ever loved about Spoon in the first place. You can hear for yourself RIGHT HERE….

…well, Happy New Year everyone! Yes, we know we’ve been stagnant here on The Buddha Den for a while now. We’re very sorry we haven’t been writing as much lately, but, well….it just happened that way. Rest assured, we are still very much here and still very much keeping tabs on the Dayton music scene…

…as is our wont, we’re still hosting music with our FREE weekly event, The Buddha Den NTRO/XPO, at Oregon Express. Tonight we will be kicking off our January Residency with a fine young songwriter, David Payne. Payne recently self-released his debut album, 21, a dynamic acoustic outing that could provide a perfect soundtrack for a Midwestern winter. With a powerfully emotive vocal delivery, Payne channels the angst and anticipation of youth into an impressive debut…

…David Payne will appear at The Buddha Den NTRO/XPO every Wednesday throughout January with a different guest each week. Tonight Payne will be joined by the acoustic duo, Starving in the Belly of the Whale. Music starts at 10 pm and, as always, this is a FREE event. See you there….

MP3: David Payne “Out There”
Download audio file (Out_There.mp3)

…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)

…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)

…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)