…for nearly a decade now, Cincinnati chamber-pop outfit The Minor Leagues have quietly issued a half-dozen albums that channel virtually every era of rock’s fertile playground through bandleader Ben Walpole’s singular voice. With the band currently operating as a septet, TML have touched on a number of stylistic themes with their latest album, The Story Is Old, I Know, But It Goes On. Taking cues from the likes of Belle & Sebastian and early Voxtrot, TML fuse together an engaging amalgamation of vintage 60s pop, ambitious orchestral passages, soulful horn stabs, new wave sheen, and 90s indie into a fresh-yet-familiar concoction. With summer on the make, the tracks below may provide excellent fodder for yr pending seasonal mixtapes…

…The Minor Leagues will return to Dayton this weekend with an appearance at South Park Tavern along with locals Vanity Theft and The Quickturns…

MP3: The Minor Leagues “Good Boys”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

MP3: The Minor Leagues “The Love That Never Was”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

MP3: The Minor Leagues “Travel Agent”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

…at some five years in the making, at long last Dayton’s beloved Human Reunion will issue their first disc this weekend, the Carbonics 7″. Brought to you by the Detroit imprint Five Three Dial Tone, the 7″ includes the title track which is the first shot from the band’s upcoming debut full-length, Arc De Square, all of which was recorded by Enon frontman John Schmersal. The remaining three tracks are all non-album sides, including a spooky demo version of the title track. As the first shot fired from the upcoming album, “Carbonics” is a perfect introduction into the world of HR: the grinding bass bolsters the propulsive rhythms, guitars and synths ebb and flow throughout the soundscape, and the rapidfire vocal delivery speeds through the maelstrom. Human Reunion will celebrate the release of the Carbonics 7″ with a show this Friday at Blind Bob’s with The Motel Beds and Summer Lungs. Tune in now and we’ll see you there…

MP3: Human Reunion “Carbonics”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

…tonight we return with our ongoing weekly event, The Buddha Den NTRO/XPO, at our new stomping grounds over at South Park Tavern. This evening we’ll continue our May Residency with the high-octane blues/punk from the duo Mountain Screamer. You can check out a track from their recently-released self-titled debut album below. Opening things up this evening are the dreamy indie pop newbies, Charge Scenic. Music starts at 10 pm. This is a FREE/ALL AGES event, so we’re hoping you’ll join us for what’s new in Dayton music tonight…

MP3: Mountain Screamer “Midnight Molester”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

…this past Thursday, May 13, Sleepybird bassist Jason Dryden was found dead in his home. You can read the official news here. We’re very saddened here at The Buddha Den for this loss, as we’ve worked with Sleepybird on several occasions over the years. The remaining members of Sleepybird will host a memorial gathering for Dryden on Friday, May 21 at Shon Walter’s house, 157 Samuel St. in Dayton. Below is a special outtake given to us by the band from their last album, The Sadness Will Last Forever….

MP3: Sleepybird “World”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

…well kids, we’ve made it into May, so that means it’s time for a new residency at The Buddha Den NTRO/XPO at South Park Tavern. We’re very excited to bring you the swampy stomp duo Mountain Screamer all throughout May. Fresh off the release of their self-titled debut [have a listen below], Mountain Screamer will appear every Tuesday throughout the month along with a special guest opener each week. This week, we’ll be bringing back the grungy indie duo Army of Infants for another appearance. In case you missed them last month, we’d highly recommend checking these guys out. As always, The Buddha Den NTRO/XPO is a FREE/ALL AGES event which kicks off at 10 pm. We’ll see you there…

MP3: Mountain Screamer “Golden Pill”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

…if yr looking to kick out the cobwebs from a long weekend, may we recommend you have a listen to The Conformists. Hailing from St. Louis, the band possesses obvious reference points to their northern neighbors in Chicago. The point is further emboldened by the fact that their most recent effort, Three Hundred, was recorded by no less a Chicago icon as Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studios. While there may exist some ties to the likes of US Maple and Shellac, The Conformists present a unique example of deconstructionism in their applications of rhythm and dynamics which set them apart. From its hiccuped drum patterns to its guitar meltodwn outro, “Are These Flowers” still retains enough shape to trace its twisted steps…

….The Conformists will appear at South Park Tavern this Thursday, May 6 along with Passe Montagne [France] and local faves, Toads and Mice. Tune in now and we’ll see you there….

MP3: The Conformists “Are These Flowers?”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.