…as we are rapidly approaching this year’s edition of the Dayton Music Fest, we’ll be previewing participating bands with a little Q&A to help our loyal readers find out a little more about the bands. Here’s what we have for you today:

Jesse Remnant & the Trainwrecks

BAND NAME: Jesse Remnant & The Trainwrecks
HOME BASE (city): Dayton, OH
FORMED (year): 2008
STYLE OF MUSIC: indie/pop/rock
MEMBERS (names and instruments played):Jesse Remnant:guitar, lead vocals,
Eric Cassidy: guitar, vocals, Ken Hall: keys, vocals, Dan Stahl: Drums,
Bryan Lakatos: Bass Guitar
DISCOGRAPHY (release title and year): The Human Cannonball (2008)
NUMBER OF DMF APPEARANCES (and years): 1-2009
LATEST NEWS (what’s up?):we are working on finishing up an album which
should be released in the next few months
PLANS FOR 2011: see above
WEB SITE: myspace.com/jrandthetrainwrecks

MP3: Jesse Remnant & the Trainwrecks “Same Sun”

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Eat Sugar

HOME BASE (city): Cincinnati, OH

FORMED (year): 2006

STYLE OF MUSIC: Synth Pop

MEMBERS (names and instruments played):

Aidan Bogosian – Vocals
Mike McBride – Synths
Jim Reynolds – Bass & Synths
Greg Poneris – Drums

SHARED INTERESTS OF BAND MEMBERS: Movies, Books, Muscle Cars, Breakdancing, Shark Week

DISCOGRAPHY (release title and year):

Eat Sugar – 2007
It’s Not Our Responsibility! – 2009
Levantense! – 2010

SONG THAT BEST REPRESENTS YOUR BAND (and why):

“Shadowside”. Because you never know what’s going to happen.

NUMBER OF DMF APPEARANCES (and years): 1 in 2009.

LATEST NEWS (what’s up?): New record, Levantense!, out now.

PLANS FOR 2011: Touring & recording.

WEB SITE: http://www.eatsugarmusic.com

MP3: Eat Sugar “Shadowside”

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…well, we thought we might try and jumpstart yr week with a new track from Cincy faves, Eat Sugar. The quartet have a new digital-only release due out on August 24 entitled Levantese! Working again with Dayton alumni John Schmersal, the album finds Eat Sugar boiling their high-energy aesthetic to reveal an propulsive, sensual rhythmic [courtesy of bassist Jim Reynolds & drummer Greg Poneris workout shrouded in menacing clouds of synths [provided by Mike McBride]. At the epicenter as narrator, Aidan Bogosian croons and howls out seductive tales of modern confusion. Dig the track “Shadowside” below and head over to the Eat Sugar website to grab the free download. The band will be at South Park Tavern this Saturday, August 21 with The Fervor [Louisville] and locals The Turkish Delights. See you there….

MP3: Eat Sugar “Shadowside”

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…while we told you all about the new Eat Sugar EP, It’s Not Our Responsibility, back in the spring, today marks the official release for the world…

…First, a little background refresher: After releasing a self-titled debut EP in 2006, Eat Sugar-Aidan Bogosian (vocals), Mike McBride (synths), Greg Poneris (drums) and Jim Reynolds (bass and synths)- traveled throughout the region, ultimately heading to Europe for a short tour in early 2008. Around this time, the band met up with Brainiac/Enon alumni, producer John Schmersal, who agreed to work with the band on their sophomore effort. In taking the mobile version of Schmersal’s Notausgang studio to Poneris’ suburban Cincinnati home, the tracks that comprise the 7-song EP retain Eat Sugar’s spastic punk aesthetic while the spacey, synth-fueled arrangements are given room to breathe. Taking cues from contemporaries such as The Faint and Death from Above 1979, this slab is poised to fill dance floors everywhere, particularly if a suitable remix should emerge…

…you can pick up the album directly from the band HERE. Eat Sugar are scheduled to appear at the Dayton Music Fest on October 3. Tune in now…

MP3: Eat Sugar “Distortions of the Heart”
MP3: Eat Sugar “It Will All End In Tears”

…after the guys from Cincinnati’s Eat Sugar sent out a teaser track and video clip a few months back, we’ve been eagerly awaiting the newest release, the It’s Not Our Responsibility EP. Done with Enon’s John Schmersal, the seven tracks turn a murkier corner on the band’s electronic tendencies. While the urgency of the band’s debut remain, their ability to draw out the tension takes the whole trip to a much more rewarding level. Check it out now before the disc drops later this month…

MP3: Eat Sugar “Distortions of the Heart”

…we’ve got a great show for you tonight over at J-Alans. Following up on their Buddha Den Showcase appearance back in December, we’re bringing the spastic electro/dance of Eat Sugar back up from Cincinnati. Along for the ride is the return of noise/pop faves, The Gluons. This is one you don’t wanna miss. We’ll see you there…

…why are there teaser clips? Really? We find this whole concept to be in direct violation of everything we hold to be American: instant gratification, sensory overload, self-indulgence…In all seriousness, we’re pretty excited about the teaster clip that came across our desk over the weekend from Cincinnati’s Eat Sugar. The clip for the unreleased-upcoming-album-track, “Pop Singer” was produced by Ragged Productions and features a spandex clad young lady appearing more than slightly demented by the proposition of pop stardom. Have a look…

Eat Sugar-Pop Singer Teaser from Ragged on Vimeo.

…don’t forget, Eat Sugar will be in Dayton this Friday for The Buddha Den Presents at J-Alans, along with Dayton’s very own The Gluons. We’ll see you there…

…this just came across our desk, and we’re pretty excited about it, so we thought we’d spread the love. One of our Cincy faves, Eat Sugar (who we featured at The Buddha Den Showcase back in December), have a new track up for sampling called “Seeing Red”. Recorded by none other than John Schmersal, the song pulstates between seductive synth-bass bleeding into a searing fuzz bass (both courtesy of Jim Reynolds) Although singer Aidan Bogosian turns in a relatively subdued performance, his measured restraint only further heightens the songs inherent seedy tension. The perfectly lo-fi drum attack of Greg Poneris simultaneously grinds and grounds the track as keyboardist Mike McBride splashes the whole thing with eerily hypnotic synths. The band made sure to point out that this is an unmastered preview, so keep in mind this is just a sneak peek. We’re waiting for word of the band’s next release, so stay tuned…

…building on our monthly tradition at South Park Tavern, everyone at The Buddha Den was certainly excited to be bringing Eat Sugar up from Cincinnati again. With the band hindered by the inclement weather, they arrived slightly late and proceeded to set up shop without delay. This night was the maiden voyage of South Park Tavern’s new room, as the bar space and the band performance space had switched. Throughout the night, we received numerous raves about the improvement. Although none the wiser, Eat Sugar christened the space with their trademark electro/punk dance party….

…while it took a while for both band and audience to acclimate to the room and each other, by the band’s second set the room was filling up and adding fuel to the fire. As singer Aidan Bogosian twitched and taunted, drummer Greg Poneris’s relentless pulse eventually broke through to the crowd and got people up on their feet. At times their twin keyboard attack shelled out the haunting, hypnotic melodies, but Jim Reynolds moved over to bass as well and whether dirty or clean, his bass never failed to drive up the whole thing several notches. By the end of their second set, the club wanted more and South Park Tavern begged the band to come back and do a third abbreviated set. Fortunately, the band obliged and tore up a few more tunes before saying goodnight…

For photos from the evening, go here.

…oh, so the cold and snow are bearing down on ya? Well, we’ve got a great excuse for you to break yr early stages of cabin fever tonight. Head on down to South Park Tavern (1301 Wayne Ave.) tonight to check out The Buddha Den Showcase for December. This month, we’re bringing in one of our favorite regional bands, Eat Sugar, from Cincinnati. The band has been getting all kinds of raves from both sides of the pond, and we agree that their warranted. Although falling comfortably into the electro/punk box, they’ve got a darker, less obvious post-punk/soul flavor that definitely sets them apart…

…as always, The Buddha Den Showcase is FREE/ALL AGES. Music starts PROMPTLY at 9, so this is not the night to be fashionably late. We’ll see ya there….

…while technology impeded the climate comfort of Canal Street Tavern on this unbearably balmy evening, the heat did little to dissuade either audiences or performers. From the start of their set, 8-Bit Revival unleashed a bevy of new material that left us eager for the release of their new album. Despite operating under sauna-like conditions, 8-Bit held nothing back on this night as their trademark howls and jarring dissonance perfectly framed their anthemic tunes…

…after a nearly year-long absence from the Gem City, Cincinnati’s Eat Sugar made the jaunt up I-75 much to the delight of the crowd on this night. With vocalist Aidan Bogosian strutting and exuding a nearly untouchable cool and the rhythm section of bassist Jim Reynolds and drummer Greg Poneris laying down a brutally danceable backbeat, Eat Sugar quickly turned the horde into believers. As keyboardist Mike McBride’s synths held down the pulsating melodies, the band drove through song after song and got the audience moving by the end of their set…

…with the attendees fully ready to let loose, Boston’s Pretty & Nice hit the stage with such a electricity that within a matter of minutes the crowd was theirs. As the band’s signature tazer rock buzzed through the crowd, the waves of disjointed dance rhythms, jarring dissonance, and singalong melodies whipped the crowd into such an blissful, sweaty frenzy. Propelled by guitarist Jeremy Mendicino’s drum crashing and sudden outburst into the audience, Pretty & Nice elevated to an infectious level of energy that enveloped the entire room. By the end of their set, Pretty & Nice had earned a number of converts from the Gem City…

…closing out the evening, perennial Dayton faves Grizzzzy Bear officially christened their new moniker, Friday Night Vampire Club. Unfortunately on this night, the band had clearly celebrated a bit too much for leader Brian Baker’s birthday throughout the night. By the time the band hit the stage, at least one member of the band was wholly unable to function and sadly inhibited the band’s performance. Although the band tried to soldier on, the chorus of missed notes that landed largely off time simply could not be ignored. The band did their best to compensate, with bassist Christian Roerig prowling the stage, drummer Colin Croom doing his best to hold the ship together, and keyboardist Lucian Naragon delivering the hooks. By the time the band reached set closer “Mr. Bloodsuck”, they finally started to find a bit of footing. We hope that this was merely a single misstep and not an emerging trend…

…all black and white photography by Marla Bremer. For more photos from the evening, go here.