…as one of the most jubilant bands currently working out of the region, we’re very excited to see the return of Cincinnati’s The Seedy Seeds to South Park Tavern this evening along with local openers Wake Up Mordecai. With their infectious blend of big beats, folk instrumentation, and catchy-as-hell songwriting, the trio has earned a devoted following over the past few years. We spoke with Mike Ingram of TSS about the band’s past year, lineup changes, and their trajectory for 2012. Here’s what he had to say…

The Buddha Den: As TSS wrap up 2011 and head into 2012, what were some of your favorite moments from the past year? How was the reception to your last album, Verb/Noun?

Mike Ingram: 2011 was our biggest year ever. New album, new agent, new drummer, two music videos, and about 22,000 miles worth of touring on top of it all. There are too many moments to even begin to say which one represents my favorite, but I think the ones that I’ll always remember are the sort of eye-of-the-hurricaine moments. Sometimes you find yourself in situations that seem ridiculous but they’re even more ridiculous when you think of how many more ridiculous moments happened to lead you to this one.

For instance, we had our good friend Andrea along for a couple of months of tour, selling merch and keeping us company. And it just so happened that at just about every single truck stop and gas station and restaurant we stopped at—which amounts to several times a day—Andrea, while a perfectly normal and non-insane person, had what was always the MOST INSANE PERSON IN THE UNIVERSE come up to her and start a conversation. Like, for whatever reason, crazy-serial-killer-truck-driver-who-collects-the-toes-of-his-victims-in-a-jar happened to be in the restaurant at that time, and absolutely without fail would happen to be in her vicinity and turn to her with no warning and start striking up a conversation, ranging from his life story (”I can’t stand potato chips to this day and here’s why”) to proposing marriage on the spot (”girl I know how to treat a woman and I would treat you right”). About once a day, this exact thing happened, for two months straight.

I think my favorite thing however was the release of Verb Noun, which I really think is our best album yet; we finally had the right studio and the right time frame and the right tools to flesh out the sounds in our heads, and I’m really proud of it. We had a really successful radio and press campaign, toured around the US and Canada in support of it, met countless new friends and saw countless old friends as well. It’s a little crazy that it’s basically my job to go on vacation and collect crazy experiences.

TBD: The band recently parted ways with drummer Brian Penick. What was the story behind the lineup change? How did you meet up with your new drummer, Joe Frankl?

MI: We had been pals with Joe’s other band—aptly named The Frankl Project—basically since we’ve been a band ourselves. I can’t rightfully recall but I think we might’ve actually played our third show ever with them, in a basement no less. Joe had filled in this past summer for a handful of festival dates while Brian was on vacation, and he fit right in without missing a beat, har har har. Brian came back and at that point we realized we had two drummers, and in fact at this year’s Midpoint Music Festival we performed with a dual-drummer assault! Brian then announced that he was going to take a break from playing music, after spending the better part of a decade constantly touring; we’re all very much friends and totally understand, and Joe kind of just slid right in there. It couldn’t have been an easier transition. Joe brings a lot of exciting things to the table because he also plays guitar and bass and piano and a pile of other instruments, and sings like an angel. We will defiantly be exploiting him to the fullest extent of the law!

TBD: You recently released a new video for the track “I am the Conductor” off Verb/Noun. How was that experience? How did you come up with this concept? How do you feel it compares to your other video concepts?

MI: The director, Anthony Moorman, came to us originally with an idea for a video that was reasonably straightforward, and while it would have been cool and a great video, we asked him to come up with something crazy to compare it to to make sure it was really going to work. He came back the next day with the concept for the I Am The Conductor video, almost shot-by-shot how it eventually turned out. It was our first big-time rock-star video, and we had an absolute blast. It was amazing to see it all come together, and to see 25 or so people working together and filling in every piece that needs filled exactly when it needs to be there. We’ve done videos before that are loosely based on story and a couple that are kind of simple “band-in-a-room” kind of deals, but we couldn’t be happier with how Anthony was able to fit just enough story and character development and humor and music into a two-and-a-half minute song.

TBD: You just played your last show at the Historic Southgate House in Newport, Kentucky. How was that night for you and the audience? How did you feel about the venue closing down? What kind of effect do you think this loss will have on independent music in the region?

MI: The Southgate House has been an enormous part of our story, and we’ve always viewed it as our “home base” as it were. The staff and the sound and the stage and the whole vibe is just indescribable. Not only have they given us specific opportunities (opening for good bands and playing good shows etc), but by nature of their existence they gave the Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky music scene a platform, shelter from the storm, a soap box where you could present your music to fans of all shapes and sizes and ages etc. I can’t say I’ve ever heard of a place like it – where you can have three venues under one roof, with three genres of music, almost every night; anything from Indie to bluegrass to rockabilly to punk rock. And if you didn’t like that band, you just walk to the other room and watch a different band in a different style.

Margaret wrote an op-ed piece on the EachNoteSecure, a local music blog, that pretty much sums up the whole story. A venue is not just a stage and a sound system, it’s the heart and soul behind the place that keeps it going and keeps it popular. You can have the best stage and lights in the world and no one will go if it’s not the whole package, done for the right reasons. The Southgate House has always been a haven for original music, and never gave way to the “make money off of cover bands” model that their neighbors quickly adopted.

Fortunately, the heart and soul of the place—the people that run it, the sound crew, even the ghosts—will be moving to a new space over the next couple of months. It won’t be the same, of course—all things and buildings must return to dust—but the new place could be an even better place to see music. It’ll be the next chapter in the legacy and we can’t wait to be a part of it.

TBD: With a new lineup in place, are you currently working on new material? Have you been recording? When do you expect a new release to come out? What else can people expect from TSS in 2012?

MI: We’ve been working on new material for a while now. It’s a really exciting process because for a while, we were really focussed on putting out as many albums as possible and everything we wrote was with that in mind – we were always writing for the next one. However, right now we’re writing without a specific album or project in mind, so instead of trying to write songs that fit with the other songs so they’ll all fit on one disc, we’re letting each song go in its own direction and flesh it out into its own existence, and try to take it as far as it can go. It’s really fun to work on each song like it’s its own little album, and see if evolve and change as we play it live and make changes and record demos and change it again and again until it really fills out its own identity. Of course we will eventually organize these songs into an album, but writing with Joe, who also plays several other instruments, is a totally different process than we’re used to and it’s keeping us fresh and on our toes; after four albums worth of material I feel really happy that we’re continuing to evolve our sound and our writing.

This year we are working to make a lot of changes to how we present ourselves live. I feel like live music should always be an important and unique experience, and as personal and unique as recorded music is, it’s important to be a band that is as fun to see as it is to hear. We’ve got some big things coming down the pipe for our live show; as well as the fact that Joe plays a variety of instruments, we are finding more and more opportunity to deviate from the sort of “trio” format of guitar, drums, banjo. We’ll be on the road a lot in 2012 and we can’t wait to start breaking out our ideas!

TBD: Is there anything else people need to know about TSS and their upcoming show at SPT in Dayton? Anything else at all?

MI: I guess the only thing to say is despite being from Cincinnati, it feels like our two cities are expanding to the point where they join in the middle – right around the Trader’s World exit, as if that flea market is the light on the end of God’s finger in the famous Sistine Chapel mural. We feel like Dayton is just as much part of our home as Cincinnati. We’re really, really fortunate to have so many people in Dayton treat us like a hometown band, and it’s really exciting to have two cities right next to each other that have so much respect and support for original music. We had an absolute blast at South Park Tavern last time, and I suggest folks bring their dancin’ shoes!

…it’s been a while since we’ve heard anything new from Dayton expatriate Erika Wennerstrom and Heartless Bastards, but the Austin quartet have a new album, Arrows, due out Feb 14. They’ll be touring through the area in February as well, hitting 4 dates within 2 hours of the Gem City for those of you willing to make the drive. You can get the lowdown on getting the new album and all tour date info HERE. For now, have a listen to the first track they’re offering up and let us know what you think…

…we’re off to a great start with the revived NTRO/XPO series at South Park Tavern. Last week we witnessed two great young bands throw down some excellent new sounds: The Trash and The Flesh Pets. As the former continues their month-long residency with us, we’d highly recommend you check out their debut album online HERE and make it out to see them in the flesh. If you need further evidence of why, check out this clip made by our good friends at the Dayton Informer and we’ll see you out TONIGHT…

…Me and Mountains, Dayton’s favorite band with a dude named “Burris” in it, have released a preview of their newest album, Feral. Along with the snippets is a rather cryptic message: At some point today, they will have launched a Kickstarter campaign and it will be unleashed on the public to help fund it’s inevitable future on vinyl. With any luck, they’ll reach their goal. More as this develops…

UPDATE: M&M have launched their Kickstarter campaign. GO HERE TO SUPPORT

…here we are barely into a new year. A year in which the world, according to some ancient cultures, is sure to end. Well, who doesn’t love a good doomsday story? If the end is indeed nigh, tonight is a perfect opportunity to get in your last slice before it all goes bye-bye. If you wanna know where the kids are gonna be tonight, odds are you’ll find them at South Park Tavern. Why? Oh, just another night out with The Motel Beds [whose new album Tango Boys you should REALLY pick up], their No More Fake Labels buddies from Athens, GA Mass Solo Revolt, and their little brothers in upstarts King Elk [ex-Andrew & the Pretty Punchers, for those of you keeping score]. We’ll see you there….

…it’s been several silent months here at the Buddha Den, but we’ve decided to return despite our better judgment. We’ve got a new contributor joining us from the ranks of the Dayton City Paper, the controversial and enigmatic W. C. Ruffnel. So, we thought we’d let him kick things off for us here in 2012 with a feature on our first NTRO/XPO Residency of the year, The Trash….

MY EVENING WITH THE TRASH

^ _ ^

The Trash arrives at my apartment around 9:30. This is more or less when they said they would pick me up; I had asked lead-singer Ben Dale if meeting at a bar and having a few drinks will be indicative of ‘the Trash experience’ and conducive for an interview. An exuberant “hellyeah” is my affirmation and we arrange to meet. When we convene, I am greeted by three of five members. The gang and I agree to conduct our ‘interview’ at a distinctly un-hip local bar possibly known for possibly having once filmed a porno on the patio[i].

The band consists of two brothers, Maxwell & Sam Ervin, (bass and drums respectively) and their cousin Ben. It’s like some sort of fucked-up Kings of Leon, although there is no overt inclination that they are trying to propagate an image-centric branding based on family ties. Also perhaps because longtime friends Craig Myers and Matthew Dunham (no relation – though Myers, Dunham & Dale are all ’89 Pisces) round out the lineup on guitars. Both guitarists play upside down (!) – Craig being a lefty who learned to play by stringing his right-hander upside down, and Matthew who learned to play upside down. Ben and Craig sing, and the others are apt to make noises as well – when I see them practice, Sam shouts joyful obscenities at the end of each song.

The Ervins elect to continue obligations elsewhere, so Matthew, Craig, Ben and myself purchase a small pitcher of a recent migrant beer – and due to it’s small nature, I am correct in assuming we will need more. We chat, and although Craig prefers to be difficult (despite the fact that he is not), we have a great time. I of course ask about the recent string of songs they have made available online.

“These are just the first seven,” says Craig. “We have, like, 26 songs, and we wrote a new one today.”

Adds Ben: “We try not to write any stereotypical song, but these are all the Trash.”

The Trash’s songs are short, anthemic in nature, contain no shortage of harmonious hooks, and have copious amounts of guitar heroics. When I ask the three of them what some of their main influences are[ii], they happily oblige.

“Well, obviously the Beatles,” says Matthew.

Craig adds Cheap Trick, while Ben agrees with both and adds Guided by Voices and the Strokes. When listening to the tracks, the cited influences do shine, along with a general sense that it sits with you like an old friend or a worn-in pair of sneakers. The band is far from sounding like a throwback – they pack what seems like a very lively greatest hits collection into a scant half an hour or so.

This is how we want to be; it isn’t very healthy the gang boasts on stand-out track “Strong and Healthy,” an off-kilter pop song that sounds like a cross between Rick Springfield and Brainiac.

“It’s all based on some sort of youthful exuberance,” says Craig. “Ben’s lyrics are like a very raunchy honesty, and the music represents that as well.”

When I ask them about the influence of Dayton bands, the band states that both the legacy-bands of Dayton’s past and present do impact, but it’s the city itself, along with its people that is the real influence.

Craig: “Our music expresses frustrations of a small city, but in a fun and rock-and-roll way.”

Ben tells me the writing process is very organic, and I can’t help but notice that the word organic is thrown around a lot. The album does indeed sound real, and I ask them if they’re a real band. They all nod.

Ben: “We are real.”

Matthew: “We are alive!”

The band is fun, the record is real. Craig tells me that he absolutely abhors music “that is so overproduced that it sounds good to any ignorant ear,” listing off the recent bands that couldn’t hold a candle to Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold,” which is now blaring on the jukebox. They tell me The Trash became ‘The Trash’ in July, and were cemented when Max joined the band in October. With another brother in the fold, they were all ‘on the same wavelength,’ and ambitiously hit the studio in Cleveland later that month.

The result sounds great, and the gang is pleased. I know this because when we get into Ben’s car, I urge him to play the tunes so I can see their reactions. They head-bang and sing to the songs, and I tell them I am going to include that in this article[iii]. They don’t care.

“This music is kind of about not giving a shit,” says Ben.

“Here it is,” says Matthew. “This is it. This is us. If you don’t like it, I’m sure you’ll find something else to listen to anyways. But I wouldn’t be doing this if we all didn’t believe in it.”

Says Craig: “To me, it sounds like my own home – where I live. Kind of like a state of being.”

And that’s real, and that’s the Trash, and it’s pretty awesome. I sang along too[iv].

[i] Some guy told me this.

[ii] I know this a trite and classically boring question, but this the first time I have interviewed anyone in person, and it’s one of the only notes I can read from my scribbled shorthand.

[iii] You would ask this too if you were an asshole like me.

[iv] Like a motherfucker

The Trash will appear every Tuesday night at the Buddha Den’s NTRO/XPO Series at South Park Tavern throughout the month of January.

…hello everyone! It’s been a while since we’ve been on here and we’re very sorry we have been away for so long. Today we just wanted to make a quick announcement regarding Dayton Music Fest, which is taking place this year on September 9 & 10. This year’s event features 29 acts at 7 venues, with Omega Music making their first appearance and Canal Street Tavern returning this year as well. Here’s the official schedule, so have a look and make yr plans now…

FRIDAY, SEPT 9

OMEGA MUSIC
7-R. RING
8-JASPER THE COLOSSAL

CANAL STREET TAVERN
9:30-WAKE UP MORDECAI
10:30-NEW VEGA
11:30-C. WRIGHT’S PARLOUR TRICKS
12:30-BUFFALO KILLERS

SATURDAY, SEPT 10

SOUTH PARK TAVERN
5-DAN RARIDAN & THE CALIENTES
6-THE WHITE SOOTS
7-THE FAIR SHAKES

TROLLEY STOP
9-PAIGE BELLER
10-FATHER’S DAY
11-BJSR
12-AL HOLBROOK BAND

TUMBLEWEED CONNECTION
9:30-OXYMORONATRON
10:30-THE FERVOR
11:30-ROLEY YUMA
12:30-THE NORTHWEST ORDINANCE

BLIND BOB’S
9:30-FOOTBINDER
10:30-GRENADES?!
11:30-OH CONDOR
12:30-ASTRO FANG

OREGON EXPRESS
9-SAD CADILLAC
10-MOON HIGH
11-NATHAN KALISH & THE WILDFIRE
12-MAGIC JACKSON

CANAL STREET TAVERN
9-SLEEP FLEET
10-ME & MOUNTAINS
11-FLOTATION WALLS
12-LEGBONE

…well kids, it’s that time of year again for Dayton Music Fest submissions. Head on over to the DMF Official Website to get all the details, but hurry as submissions close June 30. Festival organizers Kyle Melton & Don Thrasher moved the event up a full month this year to September 9 & 10, so be sure to mark your calendars accordingly. More details to come as the event approaches, but rest assured that we will keep you abreast of all developments here on The Buddha Den…

* logo by Ryan France Creative

…well kids, tonight is the big show we’ve been talking about all week: Captain of Industry will return to the stage for the first in nearly two years, along with their friends The Receiver, Pretty & Nice, and Roley Yuma. In addition, we’re very pleased to announce the winners of our Captain of Industry Mystery Package Giveaway:

MIKE BANKHEAD

GREG TUDOR

….we’ll see the rest of you out tonight!

Captain of Industry – “Healthy Spines” from trevor hollen on Vimeo.

…we’ve been talking with Captain of Industry this week in preparation of their upcoming show at Gilly’s this Friday and today we’ve got another discussion for yr enjoyment. This time we’re talking with the guitarists for the band, Kevin Oldfield and Tommy Cooper, about the upcoming shows and what, in their humble opinions, makes COI so special. Have a look….

The Buddha Den: What led to the decision at this time to do a series of COI reunion shows? What are your feelings about reviving something that seemed to mean so much to people? Do you feel any sort of responsibility about presenting the material any certain way?

Tommy Cooper: I don’t think we ever officially broke up but the last time we played in June of ‘09 word kind of got around that it was our last show and that wasn’t anything we ever announced so if felt like a premature final show. It ended up kind of being the last show but I think we all knew we would play together again and the timing just felt right to do this now.

More than anything this is just a great chance to play these songs again (which I miss) and hang out together, which the five of us haven’t done in a long time. We’re hoping to see a lot of familiar faces that have seen us before and hopefully play to some new ones. The band has meant a lot to us and to a lot of people outside of the band so we’re hoping to reflect that during the shows and just have a good time.

Our only concern with presenting the material is that it sounds as good as we know it can and we’ve been rehearsing a lot to get everything up to speed. Of course these rehearsals have been without Kevin so once we start playing with him the songs will take on a new life. The songs have always deviated from the recorded versions into something a little more elastic live and this time around is no different.

Kevin Oldfield: I am not sure i have a definitive answer for this first part of the question…for myself, the notion or desire to be playing music with the lads is often sauntering through my mind. I would wager that the same is true for my cohorts. so perhaps we can chalk it up to collective consciousness. Technically, Nathan gets the gold star for doing all of the work. I am tremendously excited about being in that world again. I have mixed emotions about playing these shows… whereas, i am greatly looking forward to doing them, I know that it will only foster the desire to continue. I can’t say that I feel any responsibility about what or how we play these shows aside from us enjoying our time together.

TBD: What is your favorite COI memory? Favorite album or song? Why?

TC: From seeing the band play its first show and then playing many, many shows with them while in The Motel Beds, I have had the pleasure of having an inside and outside perspective to the band. Almost every show The Motel Beds and COI played together was always a blast. They were always a band that were pushing themselves songwriting and touring wise and it was definitely an influence and motivator to me. My favorite album was and still is the first one, (!). These guys just holed themselves up in their practice space for like a year honing their sound and this record and they subsequently exploded on the scene. I remember playing the unmastered version of the disc at work everyday and taking it parties and making people listen to it. You could tell there was something special about the band and it was exciting.

KO: As I scale through the Rolodex of memories there are many that are branded in my mind. I really cherish the times that we spent together and crafting songs. The writing and recording process was always something that I enjoyed. Notably, the prowess of [drummer] John [Lakes]. Every measure played with him made me a better musician. Tho, there are a number “big, high profile” shows we played on tour that were mind-bending experiences, I remember a show where PJ [Paslosky, of Motel Beds] came onstage and picked me off the ground and held me upside down (while playing) Tommy, Brett Barker, and John Gassett started turning on my pedals and fucking around with them…for some reason the brotherhood that I developed with a plethora of incredible people stands out the most. I am really proud of the more avant sounding songs such as “Eyes Everywhere”, or the last two songs on The Gold Teeth EP. I always pushed myself to put my mark on a song and I felt that I (with the help of the lads) was mostly happy with the ideas we committed to. My favorite recording session opposed to album is the WOXY Lounge Act that we did in 2006. I feel really proud of that session. The tenacity of our live set was expertly captured then. While it’s not as polished as one of albums we conveyed our controlled chaos best at that point in time.

I have the fondest of memories playing music with these fellows and hope that other people will enjoy the set. I am not looking to relive any glory days and strongly abhor trying to recreate the past so i aim to play them as the musician I am today. I don’t really expect anything but cakes and ale doing this show at Gilly’s it’s all for fun anymore. I anticipate that ringing true for the audience as well. Dayton is a very unique and wonderful place because the people who create there, whether it be a coffee shop, a band, or as a clothier do it because they care about their small community banding together and having something to call their own. I live in a city where the options are so much more expansive and plentiful, but somehow I feel limited by the fact that the lifestyle or ideas I have are already represented and sold. I hope that through playing in this band we helped show how incredible Dayton is. That being said, I no longer live there…I do sorely miss the struggle and excitement that permeates the music of Dayton, Ohio. I look forward to being back with utter joy.

TBD: How would you describe the COI experience? What do you feel defined the group? How would you liked to be remembered in the legacy of Dayton music?

TC: The COI experience is a ball of jittery energy that somehow stays grounded amongst all the chaos going around it. The key components to the group are the diverse set of influences from David Bowie to Yes, the musicianship and the endless hours of hard work. If we’re lucky enough to mentioned in any conversation involving the Dayton music scene I’d like to hope the band would be remembered as a band that made every effort to not only embrace and be influenced by our hometown but also break outside of Dayton and keep us on the map.

TBD: What can people expect from this upcoming performance? What do you hope people leave with as their memory of COI?

TC: We’re planning on just plowing through a good portion off all the albums. Focusing a little more on the recorded work and trying to hit some stuff from the first couple albums that haven’t been playing in a long time. Our only expectations is that everyone has a good time and gets to enjoy a good cross-section of music from all the bands.

TBD: Is there anything else that you’d like people to know about COI and these reunion shows?

TC: We put a lot of thought and effort into putting together a good bill of bands for these two shows and both the Dayton and Columbus shows should be a real treat. We have local openers for each show (Roley Yuma and Way Yes) and were lucky enough to get to do both shows with two great out of town bands who have done pretty well in Dayton on their own (The Receiver and Pretty & Nice). Both nights should be fun filled affairs with old and new friends and plenty of good music.

MP3: Captain of Industry “History”

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MP3: Captain of Industry “Plastique Bones”

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