MP3: Kuan “J”

…Having served in numerous local outfits over the years, the collective members of Kuan are anything but green. Certainly their sound falls in the post-rock realm, with its guitar-driven instrumental nature, but it’s also easy to hear much influence from the jazz, psychedelic, and classic rock realms as well. Over the course of September, we’re planning to hear one of the best unsung bands in Dayton stretch out and show an impressive musical range. Hope you can join us….

MP3: Kuan “G”

…well, this month we are extremely excited to be featuring young pop/punk quartet, All Alliteration Aside. The band recently issued their debut disc, In Angry Mob Form, and are making it available for FREE HERE. We’d highly recommend you grab this goodie, as it’s likely to end up as one of our favorite releases this year. While the band flaunt a healthy affection for some of the more notable practitioners in the pop/punk realm, they also show a flair for 70s rock moves and blazing guitar solos. Combined with tasteful synth melodies and passionate lyrics, the band could just as easily slip into the indie realm as well. Ultimately, this is a band that straddles enough stylistic lines to appeal to listeners, wherever they stand, on their own terms. A feat not easily accomplished these days…

…head on down to Oregon Express tonight to join us for a great night of music. Things get started at 10 pm sharp with The Space Race. All Alliteration Aside hits the stage at 11 pm. This is a FREE show for 21 & up. See you there…

MP3: All Alliteration Aside “Mistakes”
MP3: All Alliteration Aside “Gun Arms”

UPDATE: The Space Race will not be playing tonight. We just received word that Eric Butler has his arm in a sling, and thus will not be able to play. Stay tuned…

UPDATE: We have confirmed that David Payne will be opening this evening for The Buddha Den NTRO/XPO. Again, music starts at 10 pm. See you there…

MP3: The Turkish Delights “Dig Yourself”
MP3: Mascot “Solar Party”

…our featured performer last night was the one-man A/V experience that is Outside Residential. Although the music might have been more at home in a dance club, the audience didn’t seem to mind. Between imagery that featured everything from noir to anime, OR’s compositions married to the two media in a truly captivating way. In many ways, it was much more experiential than it was performance. Sadly, we were told that Outside Residential will be relocating at the end of October. Truly a loss for the Dayton music community…

…we’d like to remind everyone that The Buddha Den NTRO/XPO is an ongoing weekly that takes place every Wednesday at Oregon Express. This event is FREE every week…

…stepping into the featured performances for the night, Tin Toy Robot made their debut. The new band, featuring three members of local fave Astro Fang, tore through a brief but torrid set of punk-inflected synth-driven numbers that were destined to bore themselves into yr psyche. Augmented by projectors and and animatronic reindeer, the band certainly made quite the splash on the Dayton scene. Keep an eye out for them in the coming months…

…winding out the night, we had a subdued set from Engine the Gun. Due to some technical glitches, the typical loops that define Engine the Gun were absent on this night and, in an attempt to carry on, ETG proceeded with a short set of self-proclaimed “sad bastard music”. Regardless, Engine the Gun delivered a sleepy set that was a fine way to close out a Wednesday night…

For more photos from the evening, go here.

…if yr feeling a little more subdued tonight, head over to Oregon Express to catch the second week of The Buddha Den NTRO/XPO. Tonight we will feature the jazz-rock explorations of Black Wolf Fight and the soulful stomp of The Lowland Healers, as well as the open mic to start the night. As always, it’s totally FREE…

…if you still need another option for a Wednesday, head on over to Dayton Dirt Collective to check out the return of Joe Anderl (aka The Challenger Disaster) to the stage. Also on tap are The Gunshy (Chicago), a revamped version of The Story Changes, and Accidently On Purpose. This one starts early, around 7 pm….

…in only their second public appearance, State School hit the stage with a swagger that typically only comes from seasoned veterans. Although brimming with confidence, it should be noted that the trio are exceptionally humble and good-humored. Without any aid from amplification (that includes PA reinforcement), State School drew the room right to the cusp of the stage and held them there for the duration of their set. Armed with more ukuleles than we’ve ever seen, along with various toy pianos and keyboards, the band served up infectious little ditties lined with witty pop-culture references and the aforementioned good-humor. Recalling Moldy Peaches and any slew of K Records bands, we’re very excited to welcome State School to the Dayton music scene…

…closing out the evening, we welcomed yet another new band to the scene, Hackplant. With their feet firmly dipping into the classic pool of hard rock tinged with experimental tendencies and alt-rock sensibilities, the young group showed some promise. Although many of their ideas simply seem to lack focus at times, the musicianship is certainly in place. In particular, the guitar work of Josh Deane caught the ear of the audience. Hackplant may be young, but they seem hungry to make their mark in Dayton…

For more photos from the show, go here.

…we’re also very excited to present a video put together by our friend Glad Girl that features footage from our show last week at Canal Street Tavern. Check it out…