…this came across our desk late last week. Just when we thought Captain of Industry was laying low, they bust in with this visual gem. We’re just trying to figure out how late they had to stay in their office building to get this one done…

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

…as is becoming typical in Dayton these days, you’ve got a couple of good options for showgoing tonight…

…over at Gilly’s, you’ve got some of Dayton’s finest doing a retake of last year’s highly successful Legalize Gassett benefit. This one’s for the bands, however, so head on down and check out Mouth of the Architect, Captain of Industry (whose latest album, The Bronze, entered the CMJ charts this week), 8-Bit Revival, and Goatherd…

…there’s also a good one over at Dayton Dirt Collective tonight with the ambient Tin Can Telephone, Men as Trees, and one of our newer favorites, Lvngs. Get on out and check these shows out…

…if yr out and about tonight, head on over to Pearl to catch one of Ohio’s most underrated talents, Happy Chichester. Having spent time in such notable outfits as Royal Crescent Mob, Howlin’ Maggie, and Twilight Singers, journeyman Chichester has carved out a sizable niche in Ohio music history. Make no mistake, however, this is no mere retro act. Chichester is currently at work on a new record which will most likely feature assistance from sometimes-backing-band Captain of Industry. COI will be backing him up this evening, as well as doing an opening set of their own. See ya down there….

…while Daytonia heats up, so does the rock. There’s a pair of great shows on tap tonight…

…down at Riverscape this evening, Captain of Industry will perform as part of Five River Metroparks summer concert series. Music gets under way at 7:30 and it’s completely free. You know what we’ve had to say lately about COI, so you’re gonna wanna catch this one…

…just up a few blocks from the Great Miami River, the Dayton Dirt Collective is hosting a great bill. Local sludge gurus Marijuana Johnson headline along with Grizzzzy Bear and The Atlas Moth (from Chicago). With the club being so small, you may wanna be on time for this one…

…as local heroes Captain of Industry set out on tour to support their new album, The Bronze, they kinda stole our thunder. Well, kinda. Yep, they started a blog. Granted, it’s a tour blog. About their current tour. Head over to Plastique Bones and see what happens when five Daytonians attack the East Coast. Also, if you wanna know what one of them eats while engaging in tour, check out I Crushed This. You can also head over to their Myspace and dig a couple of live tracks recorded in NYC on this tour: a cover of Deerhoof’s “The Perfect Me” and “It Might Be Me” from the band’s debut, ! Enjoy…

…while many shows in Dayton begin with a relative whimper as the opening band is forced to endure the unspoken code of show attendants arriving well past the fashionably late mark, on this evening at Gilly’s the force that is Grizzzzy Bear enjoyed a nearly packed house from the very beginning of their set. As the band unleashed their newfound fury, the collective jaw dropped throughout the club. As a band that is riding an undeniable buzz in Dayton, Grizzzzy Bear on this night proved that the hype is deserved. While the band is certainly pulling away from the synth-heavy psyche/pop on their debut disc, the ADD-inflicted tendencies of their arrangements that made that album so brilliant are simply taking a more aggressive slant as the Myspace-only track “Mr. Bloodsuck” suggests. As one infectious riff turned into a sludgy grind and then spun out into a snotty pop nugget, it seemed apparent that Grizzzzy Bear stands as one of Dayton’s finest young bands…

…having not been spotted on a Dayton stage in nearly a year, Lab Partners hit the stage shrouded in psychedelic fog. The band filled the club with their trademark soaring shoegaze/drone pop and seemed to grab some unfamiliar ears. Guitarist Mike Volk veered between elegiac 12-string guitar work to slashing power chords as Amy Smith’s synth bass and Mike Smith’s echoed jangle washed over the audience like a seemingly tranquil, yet utterly enveloping, tidal wave…

…at last the time came to celebrate Captain of Industry’s release of their incredible new album, The Bronze. As keyboardist/vocalist Nathan Peters strode out in a dapper suit jacket, the rest of the band filed in and proceeded to lay down their patented brand of indie prog/pop with a joyful determination that carried throughout their set. As the band tore through chunks of their new album, they also dug out a number of tunes from their back catalog, all served up with a undeniable sense of purpose on this night. From the aggro fire of “Sabo” to the lilting saccharine of “Popsicle”, on this night COI simply could not miss. Drummer John Lakes and bassist Ian Sperry held down the frantic rhythms as guitarists Kevin Oldfield and Tommy Cooper drew from a seemingly endless palate of sonic delights. As if the occasion wasn’t already special, the band offered up a ferocious cover of Deerhoof’s “The Perfect Me”. As the band closed out an extended encore with “Good Side Son” off their debut disc, it seemed as if the night served as a reckoning of the band’s past with their seemingly bright future…

…by the end of the evening, there was a consensus that everyone would like to see more shows like this on a regular basis. For more photos from the evening, go here.

…we’ve been talking at great length about the incredible new album by Captain of Industry, The Bronze. Tonight is the big local CD Release show at Gilly’s and you really couldn’t ask for a more stacked bill. Opening the evening will be buzz band of 08, Grizzzzy Bear (who are currently in the studio working with COI drummer John Lakes). You’ve also got local shoegaze masters Lab Partners (who are putting the finishing touches on their new album). This could very well end up as one of the best shows of 08. You really can’t afford to miss this one…

…you need another reason to come out? Well, The Buddha Den has teamed up with Captain of Industry to hook up yet another CD giveaway. Tonight at the show before COI hits the stage, The Buddha Den will present 3 lucky winners with a copy of the new album, The Bronze. How do you win??? Simple. Email us at buddhaden27@yahoo.com with “THE BRONZE” in the subject line. First three respondents will be notified and receive their prize tonight at Gilly’s. Don’t hesitate….

…as the release of their stellar new album The Bronze is this weekend, Captain of Industry will hit the airwaves yet again this afternoon. Stepping up for their third appearance in the fabled WOXY Lounge Acts, COI will be performing tracks off their new album and chatting it up. Tune in here at 4 PM today, and if you miss it, you can grab the download later over here. Be sure to tune in to The Buddha Den tomorrow morning for a very special announcement regarding the release of The Bronze…

In many band’s catalogs, it is their debut offering that ends up as their defining work. After honing their sound on the stage, a band is often able to capture the intensity and immediacy on their first venture into the studio. The material presented is typically so well-rehearsed at that point that it seems there could be no way to top it. However, in some cases a band takes a few albums before finally hitting a stride and making that definitive statement of their sound. In the case of Captain of Industry, their third album, The Bronze, (out on All Hail Records) seems destined to fall into that latter category.

Since their last album (2005’s The Great Divide), Captain of Industry expanded their ranks by adding long-time Dayton journeyman Tommy Cooper on guitar (augmenting core members Nathan Peters on vocals/keyboards, John Lakes on drums, Kevin Oldfield on guitar, and Ian Sperry on bass). With this addition, Cooper gave the band additional stability in the rhythm section and enabled Oldfield to more confidently indulge his gratuitous knob-twiddling. As their first work with Cooper in tow, The Bronze is a decidedly more muscular affair than either The Great Divide or the band’s debut !, which suggested a band more in love with Herbie Hancock than David Bowie. While COI has always had a penchant for prog rock and twisted, sprawling arrangements, with The Bronze the band has refined their ideas to such a razor-fine point that nearly every track on the album serves as proof of a band in full command of its prowess.

The one-two punch of “Gold For Your Mouth” and the manic “Sweet Nectar Action” indicate the band’s growth from last year’s studio binge on The Gold Teeth EP. Most notably, the guitar interplay of Oldfield and Cooper drive the tracks in a way that the guitars have not done elsewhere in the COI catalog. This is a trend that most notably defines the shift on The Bronze from the band’s previous work. Perhaps one of the most defining moments on the album, “Facefull of a Headfull of Hair” showcases Peters’ melodic gifts and effortless wordplay draped in sheets of vibrato guitars and piano stabs. The scale-running workout at the song’s conclusion only further builds the case for the band’s newfound guitar-centric sound. As if the point needed further evidence, check out the ferocious prog workout of “Sabo” and the dynamic slashing shuffle of “TKO”.

While the Captains may be steering their ship away from calm waters, this is not to say they have not taken with them the melodic gifts which helped craft their sound. The track “Popsicle” is easily as memorable as anything James Mercer has dished out, and its irreverant lines of “One man gets wasted/Another joins the rodeo/One DJ quits his job/Because what he plays blows” highlights Peters’ ability to infuse a dose of humor into his sublime melodies.

While it may have taken Captain of Industry a few swings to come up with the long ball, The Bronze is a shot that may very well be heard ’round the world. With their idiosyncratic blend of prog-infused-indie pop and a stack of songs that easily stand up against most of what passes for modern rock, Captain of Industry have produced an album that may very well move them up out of the minor leagues and send them to the show.

…in anticipation of the release of their third album, The Bronze, Captain of Industry will be in-studio with Rev. Cool Jim Carter this evening on 91.3 FM WYSO. The guys will be on the program from 9-10 PM this evening playing tracks off their new album as well as some in-studio performances. Tune in on the dial or catch it online here…