…head on down to Canal Street Tavern tonight to catch one of Dayton’s finest. Epic-rockers The Sailing headline a bill which includes Russian Tombstones (Morgantown, WV) and 2007 Dayton Band Play-Offs Champs, The Audible Influence. See you there…

…although last year we were able to cover a fair amount of the Dayton Music Fest, we admittedly fell for the hype surrounding the potential for a sellout at Gilly’s in anticipation of Robert Pollard’s homecoming show with his new band, Boston Spaceships. As a result, our account of the evening focuses on the action at Gilly’s. Still, we were very excited about what we saw…

…kicking things off were last-minute additions, Hospital Garden. Having seen them a number of times over the last few months, we felt the band turned in one of their best sets. Likewise, The Sailing rose to the occasion and delivered a powerful set for a swelling audience. At long last, Boston Spaceships took the stage following a surprise introduction by none other than GBV alumni, Don Thrasher. For the part of the set that we caught, Pollard and co. combed through a flurry of material from Brown Submarine, as well as recent releases by The Takeovers and Pollard’s recent solo album, Robert Pollard is off to Business. Although we were not fortunate enough to hear any classic material, Pollard’s newest live band might very well be one of the best lineups Pollard has ever assembled…

Hospital Garden

The Sailing

Boston Spaceships

…after staying stationary for way too long on this night, we finally ventured over to Blind Bob’s to catch a few of our favorites at DMF. Rolling into the Oregon District, the energy on the street was great. People were everywhere and seeming to have a great time. We caught the last half of Astro Fang’s set, which may have been their best ever. The sound in the room was much improved over our previous venture into Blind Bob’s, which we were very pleased about. We caught a few songs from the new lineup of Lab Partners, and they likewise sounded great. With the night waning, we headed out to try and stop into one more club…

…we got to Oregon Express just in time to catch a few songs from Human Reunion. By this point, we were getting a bit burned out, but the band sounded great…

…although we had a pretty good time, it would have been nice to have seen more. For more photos, go here.

…How did your night go? Got any good pictures?

…allegedly this will be the last opportunity to get yr monthly Squids Eye Records fix at Pearl, so better make it count. On tap tonight, SER has brought out the latent talent that is Joey Deady (ex-Jet Kid Committee), the epic dream-rockers The Sailing, hip-hop flavor from Cry Baby Genius, and local twee/folk up-and-comers State School. This one’s all over the map, so check it out…

…as night fell on the Oregon District, waves of people moved throughout the district as gallery openings and art events dotted the area. Outside of the Nite Owl, music lovers gathered in support of Squids Eye Records‘ celebration of their first year. With lines pouring out the door, this was one of the biggest events of the season. Before things got under way over there, we stopped in to Jasper Wall Cafe to catch the young Jordan Hull, performing as part of the Echos Dayton for March…

…opening the evening over at the Nite Owl, the ambient/noise outfit Romance of the Young Tigers perplexed most audients, but left us with a sense that perhaps in more inviting environs they could become a truly captivating experience…

…next up was our favorite set of the evening, Toads and Mice. While the set got off to a rather slow start, by mid-set the band had hit its stride and in front of a capacity audience proceeded to demonstrate why they are truly one of the best bands in Dayton today…

…with their debut disc coming out later this spring on Squids Eye Records, The Sailing delivered an inspired set of hair-flailing anthemic rock. With their prog tendencies in full display, their high-energy set impressed us, although we felt they could have made a stronger impact with a slightly shorter set. Regardless, we are very much looking forward to their debut disc…

…closing out the evening, Grizzzzy Bear whipped the audience into a frenzy as the throng charged toward the stage. As we endure the band’s stylistic shift into a prog/metal stance, we were left somewhat bemused as much of the band’s strongest material off their debut disc was left off the setlist. Clearly, Grizzzy Bear continues to find its footing with the new lineup, but with so much obvious talent we are more than willing to follow them down the rabbit hole…

we’d like to thank Tony Gilbert and everyone at Squids Eye Records for an amazing night and for proving that Dayton music is still, very much, alive and well. For more photos from the show, head over here….

…this Friday night, Squids Eye Records will celebrate their first year with a big show at the Nite Owl. We caught up with label founder Tony Gilbert recently to talk about Squids Eye…

The Buddha Den: What led to the formation of Squids Eye Records? When did you decide to start the label and how long did it take to launch it? What labels were you involved in before? How did you make the jump in running your own labels? What contacts did you make that enabled you to do this? Why did you decide from the beginning that you wanted to be involved in running a label?

Tony Gilbert: The frustration I had releasing music from people who I had no personal relationship with and in which the only conversations we had were business related led to the formation of Squids Eye Records. I decided to start Squids Eye Records in early 2007 but had the idea for a structured local label when I was doing Net31 and went to The Sailing and Yakuza Heart Attack show at Oregon Express. The show was amazing and still holds up as one of my favorite local shows. I started my first label in High School. It started out as a fake little CD-R label with my best friend Mike Cooley. By the fourth release it became real, sold a few thousand copies of our first official release and then from there on each release sold better. The main contacts I got were just from networking with different artists and labels. Anticon and Sage Francis did a lot to help me out in the early days along with a handful of other labels and bands.I decided I wanted to be involved in some aspect of music since music consumed my life anyway, so at the time I thought the easiest way to be involved was to start a label, was I ever wrong.

TBD: What climate led you to believe that it was a good idea to have a Dayton-centric label? How did you envision selling the music of Dayton to the world? Why did you decide to call it Squids Eye Records? What were your goals with setting up this label?

TG: Just the fact so many people I knew were making great music but no one seemed to care outside of our little circle. Squids Eye is on a 3 year plan as for sales numbers and everything. I didn’t expect to begin the label and automatically start where I left off. That being said, the label is doing better then expected and the response we have gotten from outside vendors has been great. Putting out records from Neotropic and Ceschi really helps the catalog, because they already have a built in fan base which leads to their fans checking out more of our artists.

Dozens of names were tossed around, none of which stuck. Then one night I was talking to Keith online and we were tossing names back and forth and he said Squids Eye and that stuck out. He then followed it up with a rough draft of what would become the logo. I checked into it and the name was available, so Squids Eye was born. Since then it’s spun off into different sub labels – Squids Eye Limited for Limited Edition projects under 1000 units and SE Direct which distributes Squids Eye directly to hundreds of stores worldwide. We will also be doing the manufacturing and distribution for Ceschi and his brothers David new label ‘Fake Four Inc’ which I am excited to get started on. My goals with the label is to just get the music heard by as many people as possible and not lose the ethics that were put in place on day 1. The main goal is to remember and make sure the artists remember this is an art project above everything else, not a record label in the traditional sense. Sometimes with so much money involved it’s hard to remember that. In the end if the label is monetarily driven, then regardless of its success the label has failed.

TBD: Since the inception of SER, what has been the reception from the Dayton music scene? On the national/international level? Do you feel that having such an active label in Dayton is helping to attract attention to the city?

TG: For the most part the reception has been good, there are a ton of supporters and that makes all this worthwhile. When I approach stores they laugh when I tell them we are based in Dayton. I then send them promos and they call me back and tell me they just ordered the catalog from the distributor. It’s just getting people to give it that first listen. That’s all the records need. For the most part we try and package everything as appealing as possible and I think that helps spark peoples interest as to what’s inside. We sell more records in Boise, Idaho then here in Dayton, but I’m not disappointed. Here they pay to see our bands monthly and come out and support in that way. I hope what we are doing is attracting people to Dayton. I make sure that everyone knows we are from Dayton.

TBD: What have been some of the best selling releases? What is your favorite release from the last year? What sort of musical theme, if any, do think runs through the SER catalog? What type of label are you trying to be?

TG: The best selling Squids Eye releases thus far is Yakuza Heart Attack and the compilation [Dayton, OH Vol. 1]. both have been doing very well all around North America and overseas people have begun to take notice. Picking my favorite releases is trouble, so I will just say it’s the compilation since it represents all of our bands, and I really love the artwork on that one. Keith killed it. In the beginning I would say the musical theme would be synth heavy, but since then we have added bands spanning all genres. We really don’t have an ongoing musical theme, except for good music made in Dayton basements. I look up to labels like K, Touch and Go, and Dischord – their sense of community is amazing, bands help out other bands, labels help out other labels. I’d love to see this sense of community come to life in Dayton. We all have our little cliques and rarely leave them, and we all need to break that.

TBD: What role do you think SER plays in the current Dayton music scene? What more do you think SER could do to bolster the scene at this time and for the future? What are your long-term goals with the label? Do you think there is enough talent in Dayton at this time to really make an impact nationally?

TG: The role I think Squids Eye is playing in the current Dayton scene is the same as the majority of the other bands. Just trying to get their music heard by as many people. Squids Eye like other bands could bolster the scene by doing more touring. The long term goals are not much different from the goals I have right now. Down the road I hope to hire a few people and concentrate more on doing physical and digital distribution for other artists and labels. I would love to see more labels and more artist self-releasing, I’ve started a CD Manufacturing broker service just for that reason, to help local acts get their music manufactured with out getting screwed. I think there is enough talent in Dayton to make an impact nationally. I think there are a few records coming up that will help Dayton make some noise. I think the upcoming Captain of Industry album and tour will knock some doors down.

TBD: What bands/artists do you think are poised to break out of Dayton (SER act or not)? What bands/artists would you like to work with in the future? What are your plans for helping your roster get out of Dayton? Do you plan to have more showcases elsewhere?

TG: I will not include Squids Eye bands. I honestly think all given the chance could break out of Dayton. I really believe Human Reunion and Captain of Industry could and will break out of the slums of Dayton. They have put in a ton of work and it’s their time. As for what bands and artists I’d like to work with; Human Reunion, Captain of Industry – I think we will work with both these bands in the future in some form. Once this initial batch of records is out, we will set up a proper tour. Right now the majority of my time is spent on manufacturing, distribution, publicity and sales of the current and upcoming releases. But a proper tour will be setup around Summer – I’d like to get Grizzzzy Bear, Toads and Mice and the Sailing out there as soon as possible for all parties.

TBD: How do you think this showcase on March 14 will affect your label’s visibility locally? Why did you choose these 4 bands to represent your label? How do you think they define what SER is all about, or do they? What are your hopes for this show? Why the decision to give away a sampler at the show? How does that disc represent your label at this time?

I’m hoping people pay attention and come out for the show. This year has been 22-hour days pushing the Dayton music out to the world. I’d like to have a proper celebration here locally just for my own psyche, to know people are paying attention in town. I wanted to give something back to the people that I see at each show who pay to get in week after week. I figured a sampler CD would be appropriate. The CD has 20 tracks and showcases a track off of all our upcoming releases and available releases. This is the definitive representation of Squids Eye Records in 2008.

TBD: With such an active release schedule, do have any concerns that you may be saturating the market or overextending your labels capabilities or do you think it merely demonstrates the vitality of your label and your commitment to consistently offer the best of Dayton music?

TG: The only reason the release schedule is currently so active is because the bands here in Dayton have been working on these records for years but never had a proper outlet, now with Squids Eye we are playing catch up and putting out all these debuts. At the same time as long as friends are making great records I will release them, at this point, if we don’t put out these records they sadly won’t get heard outside of Dayton. I just don’t want anything to slip beneath the cracks; the music deserves more then that. Squids Eye is just here to document the current scene, I understand money is tight, I don’t expect people to buy everything, but when they want it, it will be here.

…be sure to head out this Friday, March 14 to catch Squids Eye Records Anniversary Party featuring performances by Grizzzzy Bear, Toads and Mice, The Sailing, and Romance of the Young Tigers. Everyone will get a free copy of the Squids Eye Sampler just for coming out. This one will be huge and you know we’ll be there…

…local space rockers The Sailing have launched their own website this week (yes, bands can still have a non-Myspace web presence). Here you will find all kinds of media goodies, including photos, video, and audio clips. With the band poised to release what we believe will emerge as one of the finest albums out of Dayton in 2008 (it’s currently being mastered by Bob Weston from Shellac and slated for release on Squids Eye Records), you’re gonna want to bookmark this page and stay up to date as The Sailing spread their wings….

…while there are a number of quality shows out there for you tonight (we’ll get to those in a minute), our pick for the night is to head over to The Oregon Express to catch a trio of fine young bands. Opening the night will be Paego Paego, back in action after several months of inactivity due to school schedules. We’re excited to hear some of the new material the band has been working on for their debut release, as the band’s chamber-style post-rock trip hit us pretty good back in the summer. In from West Virgnia is FOX Japan, who brings with them monster powerpop chourses a la Weezer or Superchunk. Headling the festivities will be The Sailing, who in recent appearances has proven to us here that they are one of the most compelling bands in Dayton at the moment. With near boundless musical ambition and the chops to deliver, these space/dream rockers have us piqued for their upcoming album to drop…

…we like to give you options, kids, and tonight you have plenty of other ones. Down in Centerville at Celebrity you’ve got the big punk show with legends, The Queers, or over at Aquarius you can catch local legends Luxury Pushers.

…tonight it’s like 1991 all over again down at Canal Street Tavern. Yes kids, it’s gonna get heavy. And you’re likely to blow an eardrum. Call it the price of admission…

…opening the night will be Accidentally on Purpose, with their female-fronted alt/punk onslaught, this will serve as a perfect indication of what’s to come…next up you’ve got Shawen Acres, fronted by none other than Mr. Nate Farley (ex-GBV, The Amps, The Method). With more than a nod towards Farley’s last tenure but with a healthy dose of his punk roots showing, this should be a good one…rounding out the night is Dayton legend Mitch Mitchell (ex-GBV, Fathom Theory) with his Terrifying Experience v 2.0. Apparently recruiting several members of The Sailing to back him up, you know he’s gonna be ungodly loud….

…brace yourself and get down there…

…if you need to space out for a while during the holidays, tonight is a perfect opportunity. Over at Canal Street Tavern, we’ve got a trio of escapist rockers that just might transport you off the planet for a while…

…opening the night will be Nostra Nova in from Athens. With an extensive cast contributing to the sound (some of which include members of Yakuza Heart Attack and Southeast Engine), the lush, tribal sounds might appeal to fans of Akron/Family or Man Man… Next up you’ve got locals Five Deadly Venoms. While they’ve yet to release any of their material, the fact does little to diminish the impact of their jazz/prog explorations that recall early King Crimson and Zappa. …rounding out the night are local interstellar explorers The Sailing. With their debut disc pending (due out in the Spring on Squids Eye Records), make the effort to catch these guys before they break. We did a few weeks ago and plan to do so again tonight. See you there….

Tonight at the Nite Owl, you’re getting a rare treat. Dabbling in everything from prog to Britpop, local faves The Sailing will be making an all-too-rare appearance. Opening the evening will be Happy Birthday Amy, out on tour from Nashville. Combining the vaudeville aspects of Dresden Dolls with Joanna Newsom’s fluttery vocals and the straighter indie flavors of The Decembrists. Rounding out the evening will be Bear Colony from Little Rock. Trafficking in loop-heavy indie pop, their light, dreamy melodies and soothing synths should serve as a perfect ending to the evening…