Bottlecap Mountain is on the show today!

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One of Dr. J’s favorite bands, Bottlecap Mountain, will be in Dayton on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, and that is a cause for celebration.

After a visit to Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative for an interview and some live acoustic songs during our second hour they will play a set at Blind Bob’s in Dayton tonight!

Imagine a great indie pop rock band with a side of funk and a Replacements meet Uncle Tupelo vibe. This is a band that has no problem stepping into various genres and styles — Folk, Indie, Americana, Rock, or even Power Pop — with a sense of humor and sly social commentary served with a side of melody.

Do not let the band’s playfulness disguise the lyrically rich storytelling and musicianship that they can demonstrate in a single song like ‘Canoe’ or ‘Dream On, Come On’. The bass lines, keyboard, and slashing guitar on ‘AstralFunk’ show how the band can make a slinky funky tune that will carry you along. “Resurrection Blues’ has a powerful pull that recalls Folk and Americana at their most urgent. And this band rocks! ‘My Little Demon’ is an honestly heavy, bluesy confection that urges all of us to soulful reflection.

Their latest album is a well-made affair while keeping a whimsical look at the subjects of everyday life. They are tight, and not afraid of crunchy guitars, bubbly bass, and a keyboard foundation which is a real pleasure. In fact, one of the strengths of the band is the ability to move from quiet to loud or vice versa without being jarring or precious. The vocals on the record are nothing short of perfect. This is a record to be played loudly and often.

Come see the Austin, Texas quartet play songs from their sixth album ‘O! Fantastik Melancholy’ at Blind Bob’s tonight!

Show time with Nicholas Johnson

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We were fortunate to be able to see a knock-your-socks-off set at Blind Bob’s in Dayton from Nicholas Johnson who is finishing up a punishing schedule of shows in support of his latest record, Shady Pines Vol. 2.

Coming to town with The Pinkerton Raid and joined by hometown heroes, Age Nowhere – he played one heck of a show featuring music from not only the new record but the excellent Back Upstate and Shady Pines Vol. 1!

Before the show, we spoke with him about the tour and we were amazed that he not only played the classic one show a night but also played multiple shows on the same day in different towns. However, you would never know the demanding itinerary for the tour from his performance. He was energetic and charismatic which drew the crowd into the experience because of his enthusiasm.

If you ever have a chance to see a Nicholas Johnson show. Do it. You will not be disappointed.

Nicholas Johnson in Dayton!

How do you find music?

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Today it seems that keeping up with new music is like trying to take a drink from an open fire hydrant. One of the consequences of music streaming and related online tools is the geometric increase in music widely and — most importantly — easily available to us at any time, for any reason. But a single snowflake can be lost in a snowstorm. How do you find music given the wide variety available? Of course, this assumes that people want to find music. One of the possible outcomes of so much music being so accessible is that the experience of music becomes less important to some of us.

The constant torrent of new songs, re-releases, remixes, live recordings, and more can feel like a whirl of glimpses and phrases. While few bands and artists are as prolific as Guided By Voices/ Robert Pollard, there are over 2,000 albums released every week. And that does not measure the backlog of older music and more.

On the show yesterday, we discussed the different tools that we use to try and keep up with music releases. We use a mix of streaming services, music aggregators, emails from song pluggers, magazines, blogs, and newsletters. We also find that social media can be helpful in trying to expand what we play on YTAA. What are people interested in music talking about? What new music are the artists we admire excited about? What are they listening to at the moment?

On YTAA, we are trying to avoid the ‘big’ artists who are on the major record labels or who comprise what Alan Krueger called “The Superstar Economy” in concerts and music releases. The “Winner Take All” assumption of the music industry overlooks thousands of artists who have good qualities that deserve praise, support, attention, etc. Since the beginning of the show in 2004, we have focused on indie, alternative, and local music that we believe deserves more support than it gets. This is just as true today as it was when we started almost 19 years ago.

So, the question remains: What do you do to keep up with new music releases? How do you track down new music? What tools, services, and approaches help you find new music that you love? Send us any thoughts you would like to share at drjytaa at gmail.com.

How do you find music?

Video of the Day: Librarians With Hickeys – ‘Can’t Wait ‘Till Summer’

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Those marvelous melodic maestros in Librarians With Hickeys are back at it with a song that speaks the truth about how much we tire of the cold! Bring on the Summer, indeed! This fun music video for “Can’t Wait ‘Till Summer” evokes The Psychedelic Furs, English Beat, and Let’s Active. The band has a gift for borrowing from their influences and creating a sound that is fresh. If you, like us, are a sucker for shimmering, ringing guitars then you need to explore this band’s discography. ‘CWTS’ is the group’s latest single from the terrific album “Handclaps & Tambourines” available and streaming everywhere from the fine folks at Big Stir Records!

Today on YTAA

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Tuesdays are our favorite days! Radio day!

Tons of new music. Some indie classics. We love radio day. Today we are spotlighting music from Nicholas Johnson, Kim Ware, Bottlecap Mountain, and Nick Kizirnis!

The set list includes songs from our good pal Nicholas Johnson, High on Stress (from Minneapolis, MN), Kim Ware, Librarians with Hickeys (Ohio by way of Big Stir Records), BAILEN, ODESZA, Panic Pocket, Connections (from Columbus, Ohio), POPSICKO (seriously Big Stir records roster is an impressive lineup of great indie powerpop), Iguana Death Cult, Unkown Mortal Orchestra, ALIENS, The Band of Heathens, Bottlecap Mountain, James, Genevieve Artadi, The Speedways, The 1984 Draft (Dayton, Ohio), M83, The Housemartins, Daughter, Nick Kizirnis (Dayton, Ohio), Phoenix, Beach Bunny, The Connells, Greg Dulli, Achilles Tenderloin, Steady Holiday, Let’s Active, Nicole Yun, The Tisburys and The Replacements.

We will be chatting about some exciting shows on the horizon from Nicholas Johnson, The Pinkerton Raid, Age Nowhere, Bottlecap Mountain, and more happening in our hometown of Dayton, Ohio.

Listen along from 3-6pm on WUDR Flyer Radio

Video of The Day: Nicholas Johnson – New Vampire

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Nicholas Johnson has not only released a new incredible record, Shady Pines Vol. 2, but played an incredible record release show at Urban Artifact in Cincinnati that we were able to see! Damn, what a good show. The celebration of new music from Nicholas included stellar sets from The New Old-Fashioned’s David Payne and Kent Montgomery (longtime listeners of the show will know that TNOF is a big fave of YTAA) and The Pinkerton Raid. He is coming back to Dayton on Thursday, March 23rd at Blind Bob’s and you should make plans now to catch that show (again with The Pinkerton Raid and Dayton alt-country heroes, Age Nowhere joining the bill).

I cannot pick a favorite song from Shady Pines Vol. 2 but the latest video from Mr. Johnson is a standout on the record. New Vampire is lyrically deep and musically rich. The song is propelled with a gravity of its own that explores the idea of how we experience evenings. The rhythms on this song are deceptively seductive. Nicholas does not have to scream to create an inescapable emotional impact. When he sings “The west is calling, the west is falling” — you believe him because you have felt the same way.

To say that he has a gift with a clever turn of phrase is a sincere moment of understatement. Nicholas takes the anomie and alienation that swells around us that feels like we are being pulled under the surface by a current of our own creation and makes it a statement that does not have the hollow ring of melancholy. The words reveal the power and passion of inescapable frenzy and yet surprisingly tantalizing prospect of loneliness of the current age in which we find ourselves:

Premonition and the prophet screams
Rage into the void of a restless dream
Phone screen burns like man makes fire
Ushers in the age of the new vampire

New skin
Paper thin
Don’t you feel the new age dawning
I can feel it move through my bones
All the places I call home
Yeah we crawl into the unknown
Ah the west is calling
The west is calling
The west is falling

Did you know?

your tuesday afternoon alternative Radio Show, Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative ,

Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative used to be called ‘School of Rock w/ Dr. J’? True story. The program was an outgrowth of classes that Dr. J taught at the University of Dayton on the sociology of popular music, popular music in society, and the history of popular music in the United States. This began in November of 2004 and lasted for a few years until the program was retooled to focus on indie, local, and Dayton, Ohio music and the talented Mrs. Dr. J became a regular part of the program. By 2010, the focus of the show had changed.

Then the program was re-named ‘Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative’ and featured Dr. J and Mrs. Dr. J (we are truly a married couple) and we did the program together for a few years. Of course, it is important to note that Mrs. Dr. J was making significant contributions to the program behind the scenes. During that time we even featured segments that focused on different ideas near and dear to her heart — ‘Mrs. Dr. J’s Dance Party,’ ‘Dayton Concert Calendar’, and ‘Favorite Song of the Week.’

The School of Rock program was an extension of those classes where Dr. J would investigate a particular song, album, or artist and explore where that sound came from in the classroom. Who influenced a sound that is popular today? Where did that approach originate? These segments — often taking over an hour of the show were efforts to draw clear lineage for music that we played on the show. But no one likes a preachy college professor discussing lines of influence every week. And the show organically moved toward an interest in the amazing music scene in Dayton, Ohio specifically, and the American Midwest more generally. This combined with an interest in alternative, independent, and new and local music.

One of our first programs drew a line from traditional music to folk music to Hank Williams and early country, Appalachian, and bluegrass music to The Byrds (especially Sweetheart of the Rodeo) and Graham Parsons and The Flying Burrito Brothers to The Eagles (who shared a founding member Bernie Leadon) to modern bluegrass and newgrass (notably Sam Bush, Bela Fleck) and alt-country of the Avett Brothers, Whiskeytown, and Uncle Tupelo (a big favorite of ours). These and other bands drew from all of the music that they loved in their formative years — Rockability, Juke Joint, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Punk Rock, Country, Americana, and Folk music among other influences.

While the program no longer explores a single thread of an idea and expanded from a two-hour program to a three-hour show so that there would be time to conduct interviews with bands, artists, and creatives, the interest in finding time to reflect deeply on music is a passion that still drives the radio show today.

YTAA was once the School of Rock w/ Dr. J

What a Night!

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On September 16th, Nick Kizirnis, Kyleen Downes, and Isicle played a stellar show for us at Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative and several classes from the University of Dayton at the Yellow Cab Tavern. It was a fantastic show full of amazing music and spectacular performances! Thank you, Nick, Kyleen, and Isicle! All photos by Tom Gilliam Photography!

Josh Roush’s ‘Wrong Reasons’

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Dr. J was quite fortunate to be able to talk with Josh Roush about his punk rock film ‘Wrong Reasons.’ The film is going to be shown at Dayton’s very cool Neon theater in February. Kevin Smith is the executive producer and is also in the film.

The terrific soundtrack even features a song from Dayton’s own Nightbeast! Josh has just started a film tour that will keep him busy until March! If you have a chance to go see this film, do it! And in our interview, there is a surprise guest who pops up in the video… you will just have to watch it to find out who that is, sorry but that is how these things work.

Learn more about Josh and his projects at https://www.anticurrent.com/.

You can find out more about the film, where to see it, and watch a trailer at https://findkatoden.com/.

Enjoy Music Friends!

Tyler Trent and Tim Krug of Brainiac

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This week was extra special with guests Tyler Trent and Tim Krug of Brainiac in the studio to discuss the release after several decades of music that Brainiac was working on right before the passing of Timmy Taylor.

It was a powerful yet fun discussion with them. We celebrated the music of the band and discussed reunion shows including a tour in Europe with Mogwai. After over 25 years, enthusiasm around the music and art made by Brainiac continues.

Following the incredible 2019 Transmissions After Zero documentary made by Eric Mahoney about the band, interest was generated among a new generation of fans. Several recently unearthed archival releases from Touch and Go Records — ‘Attic Tapes’ and ‘From Dayton, Ohio’ both released in 2021 continue to build interest.

The surviving band members: Tyler Trent (drums), John Schmersal (guitar), and Juan Monasterio (bass) return to celebrate the music joined by Tim Krug of Oh Condor and Hexadiode abling stepping in to help the band reimagine that music for a new audience. As the Predator Nominate EP demonstrates even in the form of demos, the forward-thinking musical chaos of Braniac continues to resonate once more for both a new generation and long-time fans alike. 

The new Predator Nominate EP is available now wherever you get music.

Video of The Day: Steady Holiday – The Balance

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Dre Babinski’s solo project Steady Holiday has a new album, her fourth, Newfound Oxygen coming out on February 17, 2023. She has been making captivating ethereal and yet down-to-earth shimmering chamber pop since her 2016 debut, Under The Influence. 2018’s Nobody’s Watching explored socio-political unrest with a fragile vulnerability that is equal parts wide-eyed concern and personal reflection.

The first single from Newfound Oxygen, The Balance, has a sound that imagines a deeply personal and yet communal emotion mixing The National, Fleetwood Mac, and Camera Obscura in a melody that calls on classic pop music signatures. Cannot wait for the whole album.

You can connect with Dre on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and her website.

Cool Show Alert! The 1984 Draft always Best Friends Forever

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We have good news for you Music Friends!

The new year begins with all of the vibrancy of a guitar on overload! And that is because the latest full-length album from the power-pop-punk of the Joe Anderl-led The 1984 Draft arrives this week on January 19th! The Dayton quartet’s latest record will remind you that music does still matter and perhaps it means even more today. The new album combines the urgency of The Smoking Popes with the intensity of Bob Mould’s post-Husker Du project, Sugar, thrown headlong into the pure and direct heartbreak of The Replacements. The Draft plays every song like their lives depend on it.

The first two singles await your listening pleasure now via streaming!

The new record comes our way courtesy of the fine music-loving folks at Dayton, Ohio-based Poptek Records with assistance from Sell the Heart Records and Engineer Records (in the UK and EU). You can order the 12″ vinyl now or get a copy at the big record-release show in Dayton on January 20 at the legendary Yellow Cab Tavern. And we highly recommend that you go to the concert!

And speaking of that show, The Draft has invited friends and sonic heroes like Josh Caterer (Smoking Popes), Paige Beller, Shane Sweeney (Two Cow Garage), Josh Goldman (The Raging Nathans), Narrow/Arrow, Abiyah, and Josh Arnold to play the record release celebration. Best friends forever, indeed!

Time is running out to make your plans! But today is your lucky day because we are here to help! You can scoop up your advance tickets now and save $5 off the admission to the Yellow Cab Tavern in Dayton by grabbing that ticket a few days before the big show. Be a friend of The Draft and get a ticket now.