BODIES OF WATER "A Certain Feeling" Available for Pre-order Now!
At long last, you can pre-order your very own copy of BODIES OF WATER's new record, "A Certain Feeling," which will be in stores 07/22/08.
A free poster will be included with all pre-orders as well as a download code for those who order vinyl.
To celebrate the record, Bodies of Water will be holding a CD release show followed by a string of dates in August and September!
07/17/08 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo (CD Release Show) 08/06/08 Madison, WI - Cafe Montmartre 08/07/08 Chicago, IL - Schubas 08/09/08 Toronto, ON - El Mocambo 08/10/08 Montreal, QC - Le Divan Orange 08/12/08 Boston, MA - Middle East Upstairs 08/13/08 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge 08/15/08 Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall 08/16/08 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's 08/17/08 Wasington D.C., - Black Cat Backstage 08/18/08 Columbus, OH - Skully's Music Diner 08/19/08 Indianapolis, IN - Locals Only 08/23/08 Los Angeles, CA - Sunset Junction Street Festival 09/02/08 Vancouver, BC - Media Club w/ Karl Blau 09/03/08 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey w/ Karl Blau 09/05/08 Salem, OR - IKE Box w/ Karl Blau 09/07/08 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of The Hill w/ Throw Me The Statue 09/09/08 San Diego, CA - Casbah w/ Throw Me The Statue 09/10/08 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo w/ Throw Me The Statue
06/24/08
DAMIEN JURADO On Fuel TV
DAMIEN JURADO will be on Fuel TV performing a few songs this Thursday, 06/26/08. You'll have four chances to catch his performance so you have no excuse for missing it.
Damien's new record, Caught In The Trees, will be in stores 09/09/08.
06/23/08
THROW ME THE STATUE's Huey Lewis Cover Premiers On Stereogum
THROW ME THE STATUE are contributing a song to the Huey Lewis & The News cover compilation, "Are You Still With Me?!" Joining them on the comp is My Brightest Diamond, Apostle Of Hustle, and, label mates, Catfish Haven.
DAMIEN JURADO To Release "Caught In The Trees" on 9/9/08
"Caught In the Trees" marks the dawn of a new era for Damien Jurado. It may not be a huge departure from some of his past albums musically, but lyrically Jurado has taken a giant leap forward and there is no turning back. Best known for his dark yet fragile first person fictional tales, Jurado now unlocks the door and invites us into his own enigmatic world with an energy and intensity that is all-consuming.
Jurado took a full year to make this record, longer than ever before, as he ran away from and eventually found himself in his own songs. He subsequently found refuge in sharing the songs with his closest friends and bandmates, Eric Fisher and Jenna Conrad. Having walked alongside him through this most challenging journey, the songs that came out of it are as much theirs as his. Jurado, Fisher, and Conrad collaborated on the compositions - some much more rocking than Jurado fans are used to, but ever as intense - and pulled in producers Kory Kruckenberg and Casey Foubert to contribute their own unique stylings.
Recording started in the summer months and the sweltering heat, and wrapped in the freezing temps of winter. (It is clear on first listen that two distinct seasons are represented through "Caught In the Trees" - an accidental metaphor perhaps?) There was laughter and there was introspection, and the result is a record that Jurado loyalists will find was worth the wait. And perhaps a reason to listen for those who have yet to give this bedraggled storyteller a chance.
IMPOSSIBLE SHAPES Release Video For Infinity's Lips
Secretly Canadian is proud to announce the release of the second video from The Impossible Shapes new record. Capturing time lapses of a southern Indiana summer, you can almost feel the heat descend, in a fraction of the time.
The Impossible Shapes are also headed out on tour starting next Saturday, performing songs from their new release "The Impossible Shapes" (though the name of the album is actually a sigil, a symbol of desire).
Tour dates:
06/28/08 Chicago, IL - South Union Arts 06/29/08 Pontiac, MI - The Crofoot 06/30/08 Toronto, Ontario - Sneaky Dees 07/02/08 Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa 07/03/08 Portland, ME - Space Gallery 07/05/08 New York, NY - Cake Shop 07/06/08 Jamaica Plain, MA - The Milky Way Lounge and Lanes 07/07/08 Philadelphia, PA - M Room 07/08/08 Washington, DC - DC9 07/09/08 Chapel Hill, NC - Night Light 07/10/08 Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light 07/11/08 Louisville, KY - Lisa's Oak St. Lounge
06/18/08
JENS LEKMAN "Sipping On The Sweet Nectar" Remixes Now Available
Service Records in Sweden recently released a few JENS LEKMAN remixes entiled "Sipping On the Sweet Nectar, The Epic Remixes by ULTRACITY and Bogdan Irkük a.k.a. BULGARI"
Epic they are, indeed. So epic, in fact, they bear the seal of approval from the S.E.D.A.*
THE WAR ON DRUGS Wagonwheel Blues Available Now!
The wait is over, you can purchase your very own copy of Wagonwheel Blues, the debut full length from The War on Drugs, now! HERE
"Granduciel's plainspoken voice and his band's dreamily textured, ambient sound are alluringly compatible, lush and dreamy with a familiar rock 'n' roll bite." - Steven Rosen, Paste Magazine
Also, THE WAR ON DRUGS is Spin's Artist of the Day today. HERE
"He sounds incredibly like the amphetamine-addled Bob Dylan of '66 fronting the Jesus And Mary Chain" - Nathaniel Cramp, NME
While you're on the internet, check out the band's current Myspace.com feature HERE
Tour Dates: 08/08/08 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso 08/09/08 Venlo, Netherlands - Zomerparkfeest 08/10/08 Courcelles, Belgium - La Posterie 08/11/08 London, UK - The Old Blue Last 08/12/08 London, UK - Club Fandango at Dublin Castle 08/13/08 Farnham, UK - The William Cobbett 08/14/08 Saint-Malo, France - La Route Du Rock Festival 08/15/08 Crickhowell, South Wales - Green Man Festival 08/16/08 Yeovil, UK - Orange Box 08/17/08 Dublin, Ireland - Crawdaddy 08/18/08 Bristol, UK - Thekla Social 08/20/08 Brixton, UK - Windmill w/ Bowerbirds
06/09/08
THE WAR ON DRUGS Offer Free MP3 of "Taking The Farm" via Other Music
For this week only, Other Music is offering a free download of "Taking the Farm," the first single from THE WAR ON DRUGS highly anticipated debut full length Wagonwheel Blues, out 6/17/08. Check it out HERE"
06/06/08
DAVID VANDERVELDE to release "Waiting For The Sunrise" August 5th
David Vandervelde dropped out of the sky in early 2007 with the well-received indie classic The Moonstation House Band. That album more than lived up to its title's potential, providing a healthy slab of cosmic, primal rock boogie. While this debut was the product of Vandervelde being isolated in the studio, being allowed to follow his every musical whim, Waiting For The Sunrise is a product of a new sort of isolation. After relocating from Chicago to Brooklyn, Vandervelde struggled to find his place in the new musical community. This seclusion led to most of the album being composed in his apartment on an acoustic guitar.
Although Waiting for the Sunrise is a decidedly more rootsy effort, Vandervelde has lost none of the exotic swagger that colored his debut. But this time around the savage is mixed with the sublime in a way that is reminiscent of the classic, sentimental pop of the 70's. The production emboldens the AM radio vibe that prevails throughout the album, sliding effortlessly between hazy rock shuffles and ballads for wood paneled basements. On this sophomore effort Vandervelde has put his best foot forward with a focused set of songs that recall classic themes of journey and infinity. Rarely has a sun-drenched folk-rock album sounded this confident.
For the first time, members of his band contributed to the recording sessions and the finished album features a song co-written by ex-Wilco member Jay Bennett. The finished product is the result of Vandervelde having extended himself both musically and emotionally, looking both deeply inward and outward for inspiration.
Upcoming Shows: 7/18/08 Chicago, IL - KEXP Live From Chicago with Cheryl Waters 7/27/08 Chicago, IL - Schubas 8/31/08 Los Angeles, CA - Fuck Yeah Fest
06/02/08
BODIES OF WATER Announce Tour
BODIES OF WATER will be going on tour in support of their upcoming release, "A Certain Feeling," in stores 7/22. See you there!
Tour dates:
07/17/08 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo (CD Release Show) 08/07/08 Chicago, IL - Schubas 08/09/08 Toronto, ON - El Mocambo 08/10/08 Montreal, QC - Le Divan Orange 08/12/08 Boston, MA - Middle East Upstairs 08/13/08 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge 08/15/08 Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall 08/16/08 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's 08/17/08 Wasington D.C., - Black Cat Backstage 08/18/08 Columbus, OH - Cafe Bourbon St. Annex 08/19/08 Indianapolis, IN - Locals Only 08/23/08 Los Angeles, CA - Sunset Junction Street Festival
05/30/08
THROW ME THE STATUE video for "Lolita" debuts on MTV.com
After some pretty serious anticipation it's happened and we couldn't be happier: Throw Me The Statue's video for the track "Lolita" (from the album Moonbeams) has debuted on MTV.com. That's right. So all that's left for you to do is watch it, embrace it, soak in it for a bit - make it happen.
DAMIEN JURADO Starts Tour Tonight
DAMIEN JURADO starts his tour w/ Jeremy Enigk tonight. Hope to see you there!
Tour dates:
05/30/08 Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar w/ Jeremy Enigk 05/31/08 Allston, MA - Great Scott w/ Jeremy Enigk 06/01/08 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom w/ Jeremy Enigk 06/03/08 Vienna, VA - Jammin' Java w/ Jeremy Enigk 06/05/08 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 w/ Jeremy Enigk 06/06/08 Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend w/ Jeremy Enigk 06/07/08 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse w/ Jeremy Enigk 06/10/08 Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland w/ Jeremy Enigk 06/11/08 San Francisco, CA - Cafe Du Nord w/ Jeremy Enigk 06/12/08 Salem, OR - IKE Box 06/13/08 Portland, OR - Dante's w/ Jeremy Enigk 08/06/08 Seattle, WA - KEXP in-studio 08/17/08 Crickhowell, South Wales - Green Man Festival 08/18/08 Manchester, UK - Trinity Chapel 08/19/08 London, UK - Bush Hall
05/30/08
FOREIGN BORN Sign to Secretly Canadian!
Secretly Canadian is thrilled to announce that Foreign Born, the Los Angeles Times' "best [band] to use sleigh bells" has joined their roster and will be releasing their Secretly Canadian debut, "Person to Person" in February of 2009. The band made the announcement themselves to Mark Sovel, the program director for L.A.'s influential radio station Indie 103.1 on his "Check 1-2" radio show this past Sunday. This follows the band's well-received first long-player, "On The Wing Now."
"Full of vast, powerful tunes that take an earnest aim at the human condition." -Pitchfork 8/07
Foreign Born began as a collaboration between singer/guitarist Matt W. Popieluch and lead guitarist Lewis Pesacov while the two were still in college. After finishing their studies they relocated to Los Angeles to record with Lewis' longtime friend Ariel Rechtshaid, who had begun producing a series of increasingly impressive recordings for other bands like the Blood Arm and We Are Scientists and soon became Foreign Born's bassist. Drummer Garrett Ray joined the band with sometime collaborator Rechtshaid, rounding out the foursome.
The band has since toured with the aforementioned Scientists, as well as fellow Southern Californians the Cold War Kids and multi-instrumentalist Annie Clark, better known as St. Vincent, among others, always inviting their touring companions on stage for a rousing rendition of their closing stomp, "Union Hall."
"As purely So-Cal as Snoop Dogg and Silver Lake." -NYLON Magazine, 9/07 The band amassed 22 songs in preparation for the release of "Person," tinkering with each candidate and gradually working toward the 15 they'll bring with them into the studio with still more cuts to be made. These selections take as much from the members' musical influences as they do from the band's eastside-LA environment, incorporating themes of wanderlust, loneliness amidst a teeming city, and concern over the landscape changing around them.
Asked to describe the feeling of finding a like-minded partner in Secretly Canadian, singer Matt W. Popieluch said simply that he finds the new arrangement "seriously bitchin', on a number of levels."
You can check out the videos from a sweet sun-kissed acoustic session the band recently recorded for Live Daily here:
http://www.livedaily.com/sessions/9.html Stay tuned for more on the new album "Person to Person", upcoming live dates and more!
MORE ON Foreign Born:
Foreign Born on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/foreignborn Band Website: http://foreignbornmusic.blogspot.com/
05/28/08
THE WAR ON DRUGS Wagonwheel Blues available for preorder now!
According to FADER, "The War On Drugs made a totally serious album, shimmering and sprawling- it's as inspiring as it is exhausting and dense." We couldn't have said it better ourselves (and that's why we're not in the magazine business).
And now, at long last, you can pre-order your very own copy of this much anticipated debut from The War on Drugs "Wagonwheel Blues," (in stores June 17; which is why we're in the record business).
For vinyl lovers, if you order the LP, your package comes with a free poster and download code; order now!
After a string of raucous US dates in anticipation of the release of "Wagonwheel Blues", The War on Drugs is getting geared up for August UK/EU dates. "Wagonwheel Blues" comes out in the UK on June 2.
06/07/08 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
08/08/08 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso 08/09/08 Venlo, Netherlands - Zomerparkfeest 08/10/08 Courcelles (B), Belgium -La Posterie 08/11/08 London, UK - The Old Blue Last 08/12/08 London, UK - Club Fandango at Dublin Castle 08/13/08 Farnham, UK - The William Cobbett 08/14/08 London, UK - Cargo w/ Cave Singers & O Death 08/15/08 Crickhowell, South Wales - Green Man Festival 08/16/08 Yeovil, UK - Orange Box 08/17/08 Dublin, Ireland - Crawdaddy 08/18/08 Bristol, UK - Thekla Social 08/20/08 Brixton, UK - Windmill w/ Bowerbirds
"'Wagonwheel' is no period piece: it's got some 80s big-drum heroics and Eno-esque ambience to tangle the time line, and Graduciel's lyrics explore the timeless war between hope and disillusionment with such giddiness it's unclear which side he favors to win" - CHICAGO READER
"This wall of sound isn't impenetrable, because atop it sit the stadium-friendly Springsteenisms of frontman Adam Ganduciel, whose wit and wordplay add a whole new depth to the proceedings. Opener 'Arms Like Boulders' sets out his stall with a cryptic critique of neo-con America, while on highlight 'Needle In Your Eye' he sounds incredibly like the amphetamine-addled Bob Dylan of '66 fronting the Jesus And Mary Chain" - NME
"Top-down, pitch-perfect car-radio rock. Only Americans can make music like this: blue sky and widescreen, feel good - but with a sting." - UNCUT
05/21/08
BODIES OF WATER to release "A Certain Feeling" this July
One year after self-releasing the acclaimed "Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink," Bodies of Water have created another full-length offering. "A Certain Feeling," their first record for Secretly Canadian, was written, arranged and recorded in David & Meredith Metcalf's house in the Northeast L.A. neighborhood of Highland Park.
The strains that one can hear running through all of Bodies of Water's music are fully exhibited here; instantly familiar melodies, rich harmonic color, expansively deft arrangements, and compositions that ebb, flow, and double back on themselves in cathartic synchronicity. Though no two songs sound entirely similar, it's a cohesive collection that comes out feeling like the anthemic prog/gospel/psychedelic/kraut-tribal movie score that Ennio Morricone and Phil Spector never got around to collaborating on. The choral hugeness that typified "Ears Will Pop" still rears it's emphatic head, only here its more often held in reserve as we marinate in each movement before being pulled along into the next passage of the narrative.
"A Certain Feeling" is the sound of a band carving out an ever-evolving, but distinct aesthetic niche for themselves. Steve Reich organ figures blend into a Wagner meets Sabbath riff. A shape-note choir is dropped into the midst of an Upsetters/ESG jam. Musique concrete meanderings beget Velvet Underground plodding that escalates into a five-time tropicalia workout. In spite of (or because of) the record's breadth, its easy to see the group's fingerprints all over. The singing, playing, compositions, lyrical themes (obsessive meta-physicality/spiritual surrender/human frailty) are unmistakably Bodies of Water's. "A Certain Feeling" is a step forward, but assuredly filled with the same beautiful urgency that we have come to expect from them.
"A Certain Feeling" will be released on 7/22/08, and Bodies of Water will be headlining a celebration of the record with a concert at the Echo on July 7/17/08 in Los Angeles.
Please preview the album with the unbelievably grand Under the Pines
05/13/08
JENS LEKMAN Starts UK Tour
JENS LEKMAN has just begun an extensive UK tour that continues through May. Hope to see you out!
Tour dates:
05/13/08 Newcastle, United Kingdom - The Cluny 05/14/08 Leeds, United Kingdom - Woodhouse Club 05/15/08 Glasgow, Scotland - Oran Mor 05/18/08 Minehead, United Kingdom - All Tomorrows Parties 05/19/08 Manchester, United Kingdom - Academy 3 05/20/08 London, United Kingdom - Scala 05/21/08 Birmingham, United Kingdom - Glee Club 05/23/08 Belfast, Ireland - The Black Box 05/24/08 Galway, Ireland - Roisin Dubh 05/25/08 Dublin, Ireland - The Village
LONPAUL ELLRICH, May You Rest In Peace
We were extremely saddened to hear of the passing of our dear friend and colleague, LonPaul Ellrich last week in the early hours of Wednesday May 7th. LP was first introduced to us in the late '90s as a core member of Marmoset and through the years he produced and played on many Secretly Canadian projects. Though most knew him as an amazingly subtle and musical drummer, LP was very much a swiss army knife. He could sing, play guitar, break out a fucked up keyboard part, it didn't matter...his primary instrument was his sheer taste in music and unending - sometimes to a fault - need to realize what he was hearing in his brain.
LonPaul, you're brutally honest, totally endearing, and always inspiring, we'll miss you.
Services will be Wednesday May 14 at Crown Hill Funeral Home in Indianapolis. Calling at 5:30pm with the Memorial Service immediately following at 6:30pm.
THROW ME THE STATUE Live On KEXP Today
THROW ME THE STATUE will be performing at KEXP’s live broadcast from Sonic Boom in Seattle today at 2 pm EST. TMTS will be joining KEXP and Sonic Boom to celebrate the success of KEXP’s most recent pledge drive.
Secretly Canadian To Release Debut By MUSIC GO MUSIC
On 5/20/08, Secretly Canadian will release the first 12" in a series of vinyl releases by the band Music Go Music.
Music Go Music have the simple syrup of pop extravagance running through their veins. These arena-sized songs are composed with such savage efficiency that you find yourself humming along before two bars have gone by. They are as assured and crafted as ABBA and ELO's best songs of '76, yet Music Go Music sounds fresh. They've exploded the formulas from the inside out, sounding like a hundred others and no one else. "Light of Love" is a true celebration of pop music's potential - laying a thin sheen of magic over the world around it, and making the tedious bits of the human experience a little less so.
Thirty years ago these songs would have been recorded by coke-fueled session musicians and millionaire producers in Nassau or Stockholm for $5000 a day. They would have been performed in huge arenas and played in every mall as the soundtrack to the prom queen's shopping spree. It was music made by the few for the very, very many. Thirty years on, it could only be re-imagined by a band whose members came of age playing music in the tradition of those that ended up killing it off: the punkers. Now that punk's branches sag heavy with the crass kudzu of of x-treme ubiquity (Hot Topic, wallet chains, totally-in-your-face Mountain Dew commercials), its old nemesis has become the new underdog. This time it's leaner, wiser, and has been distilled down to an essence of the bloated dinosaur that it grew into the last time around. There are no wasted notes, no fat, no filler. "Light of Love" plays like the first three tracks of a future Greatest Hits album.
"Speak to me, darling, in hushed tones. Tell me your heart's true desire" sings Gala Bell on the title track, equal parts Debby Harry, Karen Carpenter, and Kate Bush. Maybe it's the wonderfully layered vocals, maybe the rich synth textures, maybe their impossibly uplifting nature, but there is something immediately familiar about these songs. At first listen, we're inexorably drawn into their sphere. For at least a moment, we are surrounded by the halo of their refracted energy - we can bask in the light of love.
THROW ME THE STATUE Joins CAKE For Show At The Paramount Theatre
We’re pleased to announce that THROW ME THE STATUE will be joining Cake on May 11th for what promises to be an epic show at the equally epic Paramount Theatre in Seattle. This will be TMTS’s debut performance at the revered Seattle venue.
THE IMPOSSIBLE SHAPES To Release Seventh Proper Full Length; Give Away Music For Free
The title of THE IMPOSSIBLE SHAPES seventh proper full length is a sigil. A sigil is often used in magic and can take an aural form. This particular sigil is a potent symbol of desire, but, this sigil is unpronounceable - so you can call the album "The Impossible Shapes".
THE IMPOSSIBLE SHAPES have been merrily musickmaking for a decade now. With this release the band has recorded songs which were flushed out over many live performances over many tours all across the globe. Although the individual songs vary quite a bit, this is perhaps the band's most cohesive album to date. This album is their pinnacle song mound that could have been issued by Zapple, if times had been different. At the root, these four long-hairs are a pop band -- kinda like how Byrds became a meta group -- who've been strained through British folk as well as the whole post/beat/mystic literate gob.
THE IMPOSSIBLE SHAPES are a band that Charles Aron of SPIN Magazine describes as "Indie rockers who trip nervously like Love and muse enigmatically like Pavement. Few bands daydream and flake out with such a mature sense of purpose". This self titled album is perhaps the Bloomington, Indiana band's best manifestation of this sentiment. And The Impossible Shapes want to show you.
Please check out (and share) the following MP3 of a song called "Hey!": http://www.scjag.com/mp3/sc/hey.mp3
The band has also released a video for the song "Let The People Build What They Will". It is the first of a series of videos produced and directed by members and friends of the band.
And if this isn't enough free stuff for you, eMusic will be hosting a retrospective of free MP3s from The Impossible Shapes. Two tracks from every album The Impossible Shapes have released on Secretly Canadian (including this upcoming release).
US TOUR DATES thus far ---------------------------- 06/28/08 Chicago, IL - The Note 06/30/08 Toronto, Ontario - Sneaky Dees 07/03/08 Portland, ME - Space Gallery 07/05/08 New York, NY - Cake Shop 07/07/08 Philadelphia, PA - M Room 07/08/08 Washington, DC - DC9 07/09/08 Chapel Hill, NC - Night Light 07/10/08 Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light
05/01/08
THE WAR ON DRUGS hit the road to support forthcoming debut Wagonwheel Blues
The War on Drugs are taking their show on the road this summer. First up is a string of US dates in May and June supporting Bishop Allen and Blood on the Wall, followed by a trip to Europe for the August festival season. Stay tuned for more dates as they are announced.
05/05/08 New York, NY - Piano's Brooklyn Vegans Rock and ROFL 05/14/08 Northampton, MA - Iron Horse w/ Bishop Allen 05/15/08 Boston, MA - Middle East (Downstairs) w/ Bishop Allen 05/16/08 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ Bishop Allen 05/18/08 Washington DC, - The Black Cat w/ Bishop Allen 05/21/08 Cleveland, OH - The Grog Shop w/ Blood On The Wall 05/22/08 Detroit, MI - The Magic Stick w/ Blood On The Wall 05/23/08 Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle w/ Blood On The Wall 06/07/08 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's 08/08/08 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso 08/09/08 Venlo, Netherlands - Zomerparkfeest 08/15/08 Crockhowell, Wales - Green Man Festival
Wagonwheel Blues is being released in the US on June 17, 2008, and in the UK on 2 June 2008.
RICHARD SWIFT unveils Ground Trouble Jaw documentary series
On the heels of the latest Richard Swift release "Richard Swift As Onasis", we are pleased to present Ground Trouble Jaw, an ongoing documentary series shot and edited by Swift. Through the series, the mad professor Swift takes you into his lab where you will behold tesla coils, unruly theremins, and the birth of the vicious tape reel monster! Lots of fun in an assuredly oddball fashion, the series provides a great insider's perspective into the brain of Mr. R. Swift.
The first five episodes:
Episode I: Wilco Loft, Chicago, IL (5:05)
Episode II: National Freedom! Tour Rehearsal Nov. 2007 (6:56)
Episode III: Attack of the Tape Monster! (2:36)
Episode IV: Theremin Tomfoolery (1:29)
Episode V: Bat Coma Motown (2:19)
The Ground Trouble Jaw series can be viewed in one place here
Watch RICHARD SWIFT's new video for Knee-High Boogie Blues
We are pleased to announce another entry into the Richard Swift canon. Richard and Lance Troxel got together and made a hand clapping, foot tapping video for "Knee-High Boogie Blues" off the new double-EP "Richard Swift As Onasis", due out April 8 on Secretly Canadian.
WINDSOR FOR THE DERBY releases "How We Lost" this May
Windsor For the Derby spent the last year and a half writing and recording "How We Lost". Holed up for days on end in their Philadelphia studio, they recorded and re-recorded obsessively until every sound was exactly where they wanted it. Gear broke, hard drives crashed, gear broke again, and nervous breakdowns ensued. It seemed at times that this record would never be completed but the band persevered just as they have managed to do for the past dozen or so years, as the music industry fluxed around it.
Despite the connotation of its title, "How We Lost" is a celebratory album. It's a reflective record and, in its own way, celebrates the WFTD continuum that's been created from their first release (Calm Hades Float, 1996) to their last (Giving Up the Ghost, 2005). Each of these recordings is a sequel to the next; both in narrative and musically and as the band's first two records (Calm Hades Float and Minnie Greutzfeldt) were re-released last year they found themselves in constant dialogue about their body of work and the paths they'd chosen. Also a part of that ongoing dialogue were the records that the band finds itself consistently re-visiting (Swell Maps, Section 25, Psychic TV and much of the Factory Records catalog) and what makes those recordings timeless and resonate in a personal way with the band. The songs on "How We Lost" are reflections of those records and those conversations. It's about the band and the ways the band has changed over the years, the things they hold onto and what's been left behind.
Windsor For The Derby will release "How We Lost" on 5/20/08.
SECRETLY CANADIAN at SXSW 2008
Citizens of Earth! Travellers to Texas! Eaters of Mexican food! Goers of shows! Passers out on 6th! Wakers up by the river! Stumblers to breakfast! Hairs of the dogs that bit you! Wakers up in someone's backyard! Stumblers to the river! Takers of a nap! Hailers of a cab out of town! Barfers at airport bathrooms! Sleepers on planes! Forgetters of entire weekends! Whisperers of disbelief back at work on Monday! Citizens of rock! Unite!!
Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, and Dead Oceans are pleased to announce the line-up for our 2008 South By Southwest showcase. Good times will be had from 8pm to 2am on Thursday March 13th at The Mohawk (located at 912 Red River). Like last year we'll be running two stages, details as follows:
OUTSIDE STAGE Black Mountain - 1:00-2:00 Jens Lekman - 12:00-12:45 Bon Iver - 11:00-11:45 Evangelicals - 10:00-10:45 Bodies Of Water - 9:00-9:45 Phosphorescent - 8:00-8:45
INSIDE STAGE Parts & Labor - 12:30-1:15 Citay - 11:30-12:15 The Explorers Club - 10:30-11:15 Throw Me The Statue - 9:30-10:15 White Hinterland - 8:30-9:15
Here is a handy schedule that details where our bands will be during the rest of the fest.
Jens Lekman: March 13 @ THE PARISH - NPR Performance 1:15pm March 13 @ EMO'S MAIN STAGE - Kork Showcase 8:00pm March 14 @ CLUB DEVILLE - Hot Freaks! Party 4:30pm
Bodies of Water: March 12 @ THE PEACOCK - GORILLA V. BEAR 3:15PM March 13 @ FRENCH LEGION MUSEUM (outdoor campus) - Other Music Day Party 1:00pm March 14 @ AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER - 4:30PM March 14 @ URBAN OUTFITTERS IN-STORE 2:00pm March 15 @ DAYTROTTER RECORDING - 11:00am March 15 @ CLUB DEVILLE - Hot Freaks! Party 2:30pm
The War on Drugs: March 15 @ LAMBERT'S DOWNTOWN BBQ - Prelude To Heat Death Pt. II (Quite Scientific + Friends) 12:50pm
See you in Austin!
03/06/08
Secretly Canadian joins forces with THE WAR ON DRUGS
After a carefully choreographed mating dance and an unhealthy binge of Dylan's Verbose Years, Secretly Canadian and Philadelphia's The War on Drugs have entered into a union from which many soon-to-be-considered classic albums will spring forth. First up is the "Barrel of Batteries" EP, which is being given away as a free download for a limited time (see links below). Containing 5 demos that we found ourselves returning to over and over again, "Barrel of Batteries" showcases the band's epic pop songs as well as a few short ambient pieces. With influences ranging from Dylan and CCR, to Suicide and Silver Apples, Adam Granduciel joins a distinct set of songwriters with his own brand of timeless musicianship. Ushering in a new golden era of polished, yet subcultural exploration, Adam's voice and music have that unmistakable singularity that comes along only so often. This is not the canon rehashed, rather it is realized with a spirit of invention. This earnest playfulness is at the forefront of of the listening experience. Layered with popping ecstatic guitars, with drums sitting firmly and a voice that is urgent and in control, it's like "I'm On Fire"-era Springsteen with 80s singalong qualities while still being firmly planted in the present.
The War on Drugs started like many bands, primary songwriter Adam Granduciel and neighborly aesthete Kurt Vile were just hanging out and playing their guitars. With the addition of Kyle Lloyd, Charlie Hall, and Dave Hartley and some meandering guest musicians, the band congealed into the current outfit which has been playing out in Philadelphia with increased momentum.
Look for a full-length from The War On Drugs in mid-2008.
New live footage of MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO surfaces
Not too long ago Magnolia Electric Co played in Washington DC. John Francis was there with his crew and captured some great live footage, featuring the late great Evan Farrell on bass. Enjoy.
"Leave The City" from the album What Comes After The Blues
"Talk To Me Devil Again" from the album Fading Trails
"Shiloh Temple Bell" from the Sojourner Box
02/26/08
RICHARD SWIFT gets down and dirty with new double EP
Secretly Canadian is pleased to announce another sparkling, but rough cut gem from Richard Swift. "Richard Swift As Onasis" hits record stores April 8, 2008.
This double EP is as creatively fortifying as it is unhinged and unpolished, a primal slab thrown into the fire for dancing and merriment during the chilly months while we await Richard Swift's second full-length, and proper follow-up to last year's colossal "Dressed Up For The Letdown".
Not long ago, the idea of a record was to capture a performance. Before the studio trickery of our beloved icons from the 60s, cats gathered around a couple microphones, and let at it. This is hardly a forgotten art, but its purveyors (and us) are languishing in the onslaught of amplified 1s and 0s, where honesty, blemish and truth are subjected to a virtual recording filters that auto-remove soul. So it's no surprise Swift, a long-in-the-tooth impresario of all things analog, would jangle and stomp out this tangent of jams that tape-echo a generation of pioneers who believed Rock and Roll and the Blues are a calling, not a choice.
These songs get in your belly and wiggle your hips like Howlin' Wolf, and stomp your foot and bob your head like Link Wray. Some of them float around like organ music that slipped out the church backdoor and headed to that bar with vinyl booths and a Little Richard photo over the burbling Wurlitzer of 45s. Whether with Instruments of Science and Technology, or the tin pan rattle of "The Novelist", or his own short films, or now with "...As Onasis", Swift keeps finding sides of himself to explore. While one day someone somewhere might begin to add up all these parts and find an overarching theme winding through his work (probably much like a kite string tangled up in a tree), it's enough that we have a new collection of rock solid jams to turn up loud, really loud.
THROW ME THE STATUE featured on Pitcfork's Forkcast
Check out Blogotheque's newest Take-Away-Show, and you can see THROW ME THE STATUE performing several songs from the new SC release "Moonbeams". The band filmed while performing on the Seattle-Puget Sound Ferry. Makes us Bloomingtonians miss the coastline!
BOBB TRIMBLE acetate goes for $1975 on eBay
A recent eBay auction for BOBB TRIMBLE's "One Mile From Heaven" b/w "Killed by the Hands of an Unknown Rock Star" 7" acetate has earned the reclusive folkster almost $2000. The acetate, Bobb's first release from 1978, was donated by an old high school friend of Bobb's, and all of the proceeds will go to his retirement fund.
For more info, the closed listing can be viewed here
02/20/08
Closet Classic: NIKKI SUDDEN & DAVE KUSWORTH'S THE JACOBITES video for Don't You Ever Leave Me
Nikki Sudden & Dave Kusworth's The Jacobites "Don't You Ever Leave Me" video from Heart Of Hearts (1996, Por Caridad Procucci):
02/15/08
THROW ME THE STATUE announce their first US tour!
THROW ME THE STATUE has been wow-ing audiences of the Pacific Northwest for the past year, earning a residency slot at Seattle's Chop Suey and a west coast tour with Jens Lekman. The release of his debut album on Secretly Canadian, "Moonbeams", is upon us! This Tuesday, February 19th, "Moonbeams" will be available in stores, and to celebrate, TMTS will be playing a cd release show in Bellingham, WA on February 22nd and the NoisePop! Festival in San Francisco on February 28th.
Following the international release of "Moonbeams", TMTS will begin their very first US tour, reaching both coasts and the magical music festival known as SXSW. Please join them in the following cities:
Feb 22 - Bellingham, WA - Boundary Bay Brewery Feb 28 - San Francisco, CA - NoisePop! Fest at Great American Music Hall w/ Stellastarr Mar 6 - Seattle, WA - Neumo's w/ Arthur and Yu Mar 12 - 3/16 - Austin, TX - South by Southwest Mar 13 - Austin, TX - Mohawk Lounge, Secretly Canadian Showcase w/ Black Mountain, Jens Lekman, and many more! Mar 18 - Seattle, WA - Chop Suey w/ Beach House and The Papercuts Mar 22 - Missoula, MT - Badlander Mar 23 - Spearfish, SD - Toomey's Mar 28 - Chicago, IL - Schuba's w/ Le Loup and The Ruby Suns Mar 29 - Bloomington, IN - Art Hospital Mar 31 - Lexington, KY - The Icehouse Apr 2 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop w/ Born Ruffians and Cadence Weapon Apr 8 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East (Corner) Apr 10 - Philadelphia, PA - The Khyber Apr 11 - Ewing, NJ - Ratskeller College of New Jersey Apr 18 - Austin, TX - Mohawk w/ Golden Bear Apr 19 - Fort Worth, TX - Lola's Apr 21 - Santa Fe, NM - College of Santa Fe Apr 22 - Flagstaff, AZ - Mia's
Recent raves for TMTS:
"Moonbeams, the debut album from the group, is a collection of catchy, upbeat indie pop with enough experimental twists and turns to keep it interesting." - NPR www.npr.org
"This guy is from Seattle, and, good lord, he is good!" - USA TODAY www.usatoday.com
"This standout track ("Lolita") has the straightahead bedroom vocals of Guided by Voices, the lilting pop instincts of fellow Seattleites the Long Winters, and chutes-and-ladders melodies recalling the Shins. All are in service of a breezy July-afternoon song full of ramshackle bells, electronic beats, and simple, chugging guitars." - PITCHFORK MEDIA
"A captivating set of songs that begs for repeated listens." - FILTER MAGAZINE
02/14/08
ANTONY creates fashion for a good cause
ANTONY has recently designed a very special dress exclusively produced by YOOX.com which will be up for auction on eBay. The money raised from bidding will go to benefit the Sylcia Rivera Law Project (SRLP), which is the American grassroots organization that fights for the rights of all people to self-determine gender identity and expression, regardless of race, and without facing harassment, discrimination or violence. A worthy cause, to be sure.
The dress is beautiful, hand made of white silk jersey with unfinished hems in a single model signed by Antony. Bid on it here starting today, Thursday, February 14.
02/13/08
JASON MOLINA appears in Silkworm Documentary
Jason Molina makes an appearance in a documentary about Silkworm called Couldn't You Wait? The Story Of Silkworm. Check out the trailer:
02/05/08
THROW ME THE STATUE's "Moonbeams" now available for pre-order
Making waves throughout the latter half of 2007, we're super pleased to deliver Seattle's Throw Me The Statue's debut album, "Moonbeams." Conceived and fronted by Scott Reitherman, "Moonbeams", was constructed with the help of Casey Foubert (Sufjan Stevens, Pedro The Lion) to create a wondrous concoction of fuzzed out synths, brass ensembles and epic vocal melodies that have been noticeably absent since "In the Aeroplane, Over The Sea" first saw the light of day.
JENS LEKMAN announces Australian tour dates in March
At long last, JENS LEKMAN returns to Australia in March for 5 days of shows. Catch him while he's there!
03/05/08 Brisbane, Australia - Troubadour 03/06/08 Adelaide, Australia - Rocket Bar 03/08/08 Sydney, Australia - Manning Bar 03/09/08 Meredith, Australia - Golden Plains Festival 03/10/08 Melbourne, Australia - Corner Hotel
Up-to-date tour info can always be found on the SC shows page
02/04/08
EARLY DAY MINERS live on WFPK
EARLY DAY MINERS are the latest band to be featured on Radio Louisville WFPK's Live Lunch. Their live performance can be heard here. Enjoy!
02/04/08
Hercules & Love Affair featuring ANTONY out 3/10/08
DFA/EMI will be releasing the self-titled debut full-length by Andrew Butler's Hercules & Love Affair project on March 10, 2008. The album features four tracks with Antony singing lead vocals, the lead-off single being the hitbound "Blind", for which a video has just been completed:
EARLY DAY MINERS Daytrotter session is now up
Early Day Miners paid a visit to the Daytrotter studios in the fall of 2007, and laid down 4 new songs. The songs and accompanying interview are now posted on Daytrotter.com. Frontman Dan Burton has this to say about the experience:
"Our Daytrotter Session happened at an opportune time for the band. EDM was in the midst of recording a new album (which we’re currently putting the finishing touches on) and after some discussion, we chose to perform all unreleased, new songs. I think it was a good choice, a snapshot of a band smack dab in the middle of writing, arranging and making constant changes to the music. Some of the songs recorded here have already evolved and changed and gone on to become something else entirely. Upon listening back, I think it’s really exciting to hear where we were just a few months ago. The recordings exude a band which is giddy and excited about new pedals, keyboards and fresh sounds."
DAVE FISCHOFF reworks JENS LEKMAN
Ever since releasing his critical acclaimed album The Crawl, Dave Fischoff has been busy reworking songs by others under the moniker Spoolwork. His reworking of the Jens Lekman song "I'm Leaving You Because I Don't Love You" is getting some attention and can be found at the Spoolwork Myspace page.
Dawn Landes on BBC Radio 2 tonight, backed by THE EARLIES
Dawn Landes is appearing on BBC Radio 2 on the Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie show tonight between 8pm and 10pm. She'll be joined by an assortment of EARLIES for a backing band, give them a listen!
For those of you that aren't in the UK, you can listen here
01/17/08
RICHARD SWIFT posts two new tunes on his website
Been wondering what's been going on at Camp Swift these days since the snow has shaken loose on the Middle and Eastern Coasts, what's been going on in RICHARD SWIFT's lab? It turns out he's turned the way-back machine to the 50's, when talk was cheap and grunge was being firstborn. Luckily for us, Swift has been recording a LOT of new material inspired by this bygone era of chickenshacks and BBQ pits, when it was still scandalous for white kids to tune into black frequencies. Swift has made two of these unfinished tracks to his Myspace page for your downloading enjoyment, both of which are of the instrumental variety. But don't be misled — he speaks volumes in these odd magical tunes he's named "Knee High Boogie Blues" and "SM60". In a post, he references Howlin Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley, Link Wray, and Bunker Hill. We could go on and on, but that about says it.
01/10/08
BOBB TRIMBLE & THE CRIPPLED DOG BAND Galilean Boy Video Unearthed (Live in Worcester, MA, 1983)
This past November, more than a handful of new fans fell in love with the once forgotten gems "Iron Curtain Innocence" and "Harvest of Dreams" painstakingly crafted by the one and only Bobb Trimble. Secretly Canadian now proudly presents to you an unearthed video from 1983, at the Worcester Rock and Roll Party. Bobb is backed by his cadre - The Crippled Dog Band - who bravely share their magic with the world. The live version of Galilean Boy found here is the same as the version found on Harvest of Dreams, and the video, bunny ears and all, is a retreat into the oft-concealed otherworldly goings-on in Bob Trimble's faintly-lit universe. Enjoy.
JENS LEKMAN announces spring U.S. tour
JENS LEKMAN has just announced a bunch of new tour dates, beginning with a headlining appearance at the Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguwar/Dead Oceans label showcase in mid-March. Jens and his merry band will then make their way up the West Coast, across the central U.S., and will conclude the tour with a New York show at Webster Hall.
Jens and company will then head to the UK in mid-May, where they will perform at both the Pitcfork Media- and Explosions In The Sky-curated All Tomorrows Parties festival shows.
Tour dates:
03/13/08 Austin, TX - South By Southwest- SC Showcase- Mohawk 03/14/08 Dallas, TX - Granada 03/21/08 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre 03/22/08 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's 365 Club 03/23/08 San Francisco, CA - Bottom Of The Hill 03/24/08 Portland, OR - Berbati's 03/25/08 Seattle, WA - Neumos Crystal Ball Reading Room 03/29/08 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre 03/30/08 Madison, WI - Music Hall 03/31/08 Chicago, IL - Logan Square 04/01/08 Columbus, OH - Wexner Center For The Arts 04/02/08 Washington DC, - Black Cat 04/04/08 Boston, MA - Paradise 04/05/08 New York, NY - Webster Hall 05/09/08 Camber Sands, United Kingdom - Pitchfork/ All Tomorrows Parties 05/10/08 Camber Sands, United Kingdom - Pitchfork/ All Tomorrows Parties 05/11/08 Camber Sands, United Kingdom - Pitchfork/ All Tomorrows Parties 05/16/08 Minehead, United Kingdom - All Tomorrows Parties Fest 05/17/08 Minehead, United Kingdom - All Tomorrows Parties 05/18/08 Minehead, United Kingdom - All Tomorrows Parties
01/08/08
BODIES OF WATER announce U.S. tour with Sons & Daughters
Los Angeles-based Bodies of Water will be returning to the road in March and April in support of their critically acclaimed self-released debut "Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink". A majority of the dates will be with Sons & Daughters, while others will be done with the Castanets, Phosphorescent, and the Bowerbirds.
02/01/08 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo w/ Castanets 03/08/08 Norman, OK - The Opolis w/ Phosphorescent + Bowerbirds 03/10/08 Denton, TX - The Cavern w/ Phosphorescent + Bowerbirds 03/17/08 Atlanta, GA - The EARL w/ Citay + Sons and Daughters 03/18/08 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle w/ Sons and Daughters 03/21/08 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ Sons and Daughters 03/22/08 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom w/ Sons and Daughters 03/23/08 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's w/ Sons and Daughters 03/24/08 Cambridge, MA - Middle East Downstairs w/ Sons and Daughters 03/25/08 Montreal, QC - La Salla Rossa w/ Sons and Daughters 03/26/08 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace w/ Sons and Daughters 03/28/08 Chicago, IL - Double Door w/ Sons and Daughters 03/29/08 Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater w/ Sons and Daughters 03/31/08 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive w/ Sons and Daughters 04/01/08 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge w/ Sons and Daughters 04/03/08 Seattle, WA - Neumos w/ Sons and Daughters 04/04/08 Vancouver, BC - Richard's on Richard's w/ Sons and Daughters 04/05/08 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge w/ Sons and Daughters 04/07/08 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall w/ Sons and Daughters
Released on Bodies of Water's own Thousand Tongues label, "Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink" had previously been available only at live shows, through digital retailers and on the band's website. The album's distribution will be expanded as Secretly Canadian helps Thousand Tongues make the album available to all good record shops internationally on January 22nd. The band's first release for Secretly Canadian -- the band's second full-length -- will happen in the summer of 2008.
01/03/08
In Memory of EVAN FARRELL
EVAN FARRELL, Magnolia Electric Co. touring bassist, former Rogue Wave bassist, long-time member of the musical collective Japonize Elephants and contributor to countless bands, passed away Christmas weekend from injuries sustained in an Oakland house fire. He was 33.
We at Secretly Canadian have known and worked with Evan for over 10 years. He was a fixture in our community and a bright spot in all of our lives. He was exceptionally talented, funny and genuine. This can go on and on, because there is so much to say about Evan, but anyone who has come into contact with the man already understands all that can be said. Evan Farrell was a friend.
A memorial fund has been set up for Evan's wife and two sons; donations are being accepted via PayPal. That can be accessed here.
01/02/08
JENS LEKMAN vs. Take-Away Shows (part deux)
Performing in the Portland evening, Blogoteque captured three songs from Jens. You can jump here for the full feature
New EARLIES song available for free download
Here's a holiday message from the band:
It might seem like its been quiet in The Earlies Towers, but we're busy working on the next album which will see light in 2008, and we've also been busy working on other peoples records...
The first fruits from the studio, are a new track we recorded with rising star Lucy & The Caterpillar
JENS LEKMAN announces European tour dates
Swedish popmeister and recent "Mr. Indie Rock" award winner JENS LEKMAN has just announced dates for a European tour which will commence in mid-February. Go go go go go!
For up-to-date show listings, you can always visit the SC shows page
12/12/07
DANIELSON releases new Christmas song via free download
DANIELSON has released a new Christmas song, as part of his label Sounds Familyre's digital compilation "A Familyre Christmas". His contribution is entitled "Christmas Eve Nite". It's a sweet organ-driven carol about the restless wait for Santa and the excitement of Christmas morning. "We can't sleep, we can't sleep, it's Christmas Eve!" a choir of kids cheer, as Danielson describes a conversation between an eager child and well-meaning mom.
You can download this little bit of Christmas cheer here
12/11/07
THROW ME THE STATUE featured on KEXP Music That Matters podcast
SC newbies THROW ME THE STATUE are currently featured on KEXP's "Music That Matters" Podcast. Their song "About To Walk" is the 3rd of 13 songs.
Here's the info on how to subscribe to the podcast. It's totally free...
You can also link directly to the podcast in MP3 form here
12/07/07
SWEARING AT MOTORISTS unveils new song on German compilation
Yeah, we know it has been quite awhile since you heard some new Swearing At Motorists music. well, wait no longer, as you can hear/download "Mercury Poisoning", a brand new Swearing At Motorists song via Berlin's own 8MM Musik. The details here
SHOTS: 8MM Music 2002 - 2007
14 bands made a scene without a scene in Berlin between the years of 2002 and 2007.
Many of these bands were from anywhere in the world besides Berlin, and seldom had a steady audience to play to in a city dominated by its electronic scene and rock'n'roll cover bands. Often too modest to fit into the hyped-up party scene, the common trait of these bands was that they made their way somehow or other into the 8MM Bar and found a haven for good music from DJs that shared a unique history of rock'n'roll.
12/03/07
SECRETLY CANADIAN opens up shop (in the digisphere)
Yes, we've thrown ourselves into the digital pool by offering our MP3s directly (with a little help from Mediapal). Though we're still working out a couple kinks you can give it a whirl here.
12/03/07
CATFISH HAVEN cover Misfits
This past Halloween, CATFISH HAVEN performed as Misfits at the Double Door in Chicago, Illinois. Someone filmed what turned out to be a pretty spot on performance. Watch them on Youtube here:
JENS LEKMAN confirms ATP (twice)
Jens Lekman has been invited by both Pitchfork and Explosions In The Sky to play their All Tomorrow's Parties festivals next year, which will take place on May 9-11 at Camber Sands, UK and May 16-18 at Minehead, UK respectively.
SC racks up PLUG award noms
SECRETLY CANADIAN has been fortunate enough to nab a few PLUG award nominations this year. JENS LEKMAN is up for Male Artist of the Year, and the label is nominated for Record Label of the Year
From right now through February 8, 2008, you can head on over to the PLUG website and cast your vote.
The winners will be announced at the awards show on March 6 in New York.
11/19/07
BODIES OF WATER featured on La Blogotheque
Recent SC signees BODIES OF WATER are featured on La Blogotheque today. There are 2 videos of them performing on the street in Chinatown, in Los Angeles.
And marvel at their impressive unison whistling skills, among many others. Enjoy!
11/18/07
Vote for CATFISH HAVEN for best video on MTV2 Subterranean
MTV2 Subterranean's Best of 2007 Countdown has officially started and we need your help in voting Catfish Haven's video for "Tell Me" to the top spot.
You can go here and vote as many times as you want.
You can see the results December 12 on MTV2 at 1 AM EST
11/16/07
SC announces the addition of BODIES OF WATER to their roster!
Secretly Canadian is extremely proud to announce the addition of Bodies of Water to its roster! This fall, the Los Angeles-based band toured with the Go! Team and Dead Ocean's Phosphorescent, playing songs from their critically acclaimed album "Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink". Released on their own Thousand Tongues label, the "sparkling and expansive" (Spin) album has only been available at live shows, through digital retailers and on the band's website to date. With some distribution help from Secretly Canadian, the physical album will be officially released in stores December 4th in all good record shops in the States, and in the rest of the world on January 22. The band's first release for Secretly Canadian will happen in the Spring of 2008.
"Sooner or later, every song on Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink gains momentum, takes off, and soars. Sometimes they come back to earth; other times, they burst into bright lights. This glorious grandiosity is their aim, and the band hits the mark more often than not. These California dreamers are definitely on the right track." - Popmatters
Bodies of Water started in David Metcalf and Meredith Arthur's closet. They were newly married and lived in a very small house. The closet was the only place to put the computer that they used for recording. They eventually formed a musical group to play David's songs. Meredith figured out the piano, and their friends Kyle Gladden and Jessie Conklin learned to play the bass and drums, respectively. In the ensuing years, the four have learned to deftly spin those threads which inevitably weave their way through every Bodies of Water song: ebullient group singing, melodic invention, thundering polyrhythms, and sublime dramatic tension. '"Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink" is their first full-length record, and the first release from the band's own Thousand Tongues label. The songs stray from verse-chorus structure but are engaging and memorably crafted, drawing on an admixture of traditions; the transcendent intensity of gospel, brutish gusto of punk rocking, earnest idiosyncrasy of American folk, sonic inclusiveness of tropicalia, planned jamming of prog, and the sincere bombast of musical theatre. These songs can be likened to a sort of emotional topiary; an unruly living mess lent its shape by the psychic framework around which it grows.
The language of these songs obliquely references what is the overarching concern of the record; the irreconcilable tension between the physical and metaphysical worlds and the human creature that stands precariously astride the two, being pulled by forces indistinguishable from desire and pushed by compulsions masquerading as emotions. Since its inception Bodies of Water has added an auxiliary corps of musicians and when playing in L.A. their ranks can swell to as many as 11; hitting, blaring, strumming and bowing away. The four core members' vocal synchronicity remains the group's hallmark. Their calls, responses, shouts and harmonies ride above and around a retaining wall of sound in a fleeting burst of neo-tent revival immediacy.
Bodies of Water isn't providing a soundtrack for catharsis, surrounding the listener with "good feelings" or "bad feelings." They only hope to give encouragement in the lone struggle against adversity, to proffer up a thing to be internalized (and evolve therein) or die. Comfort engenders complacency and neglect, while dissatisfaction/ingratitude begets cruelty and self-absorption.
What critics have been saying about Bodies of Water and "Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink":
"A thighmasteringly amazing debut" - The Village Voice
"Bodies of Water has created some of the most bold and thought-provoking music in the indie rock world." - Amplifier
"Contrasting sections nestle against one another, waterfalling harmonies echo such classic SoCal harmonizers as the Beach Boys and the Association, the godspell horns work their magic, and the ears of your ears awake. Can I get an amen?" - Paperthinwalls
"If the B-52's all took turns singing separately, came from California and played glorious gospel-folk-psychedelia-pop instead of space-rock-party music, they probably wouldn't sound half as magnificent as Bodies of Water " - Chart
11/13/07
BOBB TRIMBLE Podcast Now Available For Download
Bobb Trimble Super Fans:
Iron Curtain Innocence and Harvest of Dreams, Bobb Trimble's masterworks from the early 1980s are now available via Secretly Canadian, fully remastered and expanded. The newest episode in the Secretly Canadian Podcast Series dips you into Bobb Trimble's boiling pool of psychedelic madness. Kris Thompson, Bobb Trimble's close friend and ultimate super fan carries you through Bobb's world, and teases you with tracks from each reissue. Listen in!
THROW ME THE STATUE EP now available for pre-order
We're pleased to introduce Seattle's Throw Me The Statue to the Secretly Canadian family with the limited edition just-in-time-for-the-holidays "About To Walk" single. The title track is a Neutral Milk Hotel-fueled concoction of fuzzed synths, doubled bedroom beats and epic vocal harmonies. Also present are the upbeat handclapper "Lolita" and Elverum-esque "The Old Believer."
Conceived and fronted by Scott Reitherman, TMTS will release its debut full length, "Moonbeams" February 19th, 2008 on Secretly Canadian.
DAVE FISCHOFF tours with JENS LEKMAN and get even more NPR lovin
Dave Fischoff is gearing up to hit the road for a Midwest mini-tour with Jens Lekman starting tomorrow please check the tour dates.
The NPR program Weekend America is graciously using some of their airtime to do a profile on Dave and his music, and it's scheduled to air this Saturday, Nov. 3. You can check it out here.
10/29/07
RICHARD SWIFT Takes Up the Arms Race with The Cold War Kids
Richard Swift and The Cold War Kids have been friends since both acts were just getting their start back in Long Beach, CA, and now they're hitting the road together. There'll be some tangled fun this Fall as Swift joins the Cold War Kids for eight dates of their bi-coastal U.S. tour. Here are the dates:
11/16/07 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom w/ Cold War Kids 11/17/07 San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theater w/ Cold War Kids 11/23/07 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern w/ Cold War Kids 11/27/07 Washington DC, - 9:30 Club w/ Cold War Kids 11/28/07 Washington DC, - 9:30 Club w/ Cold War Kids 11/29/07 Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore at the TLA w/ Cold War Kids 11/30/07 New York, NY - Webster Hall w/ Cold War Kids 12/01/07 New York, NY - Webster Hall w/ Cold War Kids
Last March, Richard Swift and I made our way down to Daytrotter's studio at SXSW for a quick session. On our way, as the sun began to glow golden in the evening sky we passed a procession of some of Austin's finest freaks and geeks: riders on franken-bicycles, a huge blonde python wrapped around a even huger man's shoulders, and others in various states of drag, all heading downtown for the evening's festivities. Upon arrival, as Richard prepared to record, a knock came on the door and the Cold War Kids made their way into the studio. Already acquainted, Richard and the Kids caught up and Richard returned to the business at hand. As I sat in the studio with the Cold War Kids, seated on the floor arms crossed over our legs, we were witness to an absolutely sublime moment as Richard unleashed four masterful versions of songs mostly off of his latest full-length "Dressed Up For the Letdown" (which you can hear at the link below). With a real electricity in the air we all sat in reverence listening to Swift. It was my favorite moment of SXSW - and even more so - a moment where I could clearly see why I do what I do. Later, in an interview with Daytrotter, Richard echoed the same sentiment calling the moment "an example of this intangible electricity that ties everyone together somehow". And Daytrotter's Sean Moeller also similarly chimed in, "It was singularly the most awesome display of what music can do to people. Everyone was sitting in this stone-walled room, with a single window out that lent no view of Swift, just rapt, ears wide for whatever the man was going to pull in the adjacent room. It was chilling, in the good way."
10/16/07
Secretly Canadian Welcomes THROW ME THE STATUE to the Fold
We're uber pleased to announce Seattle's Throw Me The Statue to the Secretly Canadian family. Conceived and fronted by Scott Reitherman, TMTS has been delivering its wondrous concoction of cheapo sequenced synths, brass ensembles, fuzzed out beats and epic vocal melodies to various Seattle clubs for the past year.
The band's debut, "Moonbeams", was constructed primarily by Reitherman and Casey Foubert (Pedro The Lion, Sufjan Stevens, Richard Swift). TMTS's live show has been described as "Wildly energetic. Live drums, electric guitars, and four-part harmonies replace Reitherman's multitracking, and the able, athletic band switch instruments, add extra percussion, and throw in melodica and glockenspiel with an abandon grounded by serious musicianship." (The Stranger, 2007)
Due in February, "Moonbeams" "is both complicated and personally cohesive. Each song expands beyond the bedroom atmosphere often attributed to mellow solo artists. The opening track, 'Young Sensualists' sets the tone with a digital backyard party beat while a guitar riff and vocals dance smoothly over it." (QRO Magazine, 2007)
The album at times brings to mind the whimsy of Magnetic Fields, the lyrical playfulness of Neutral Milk Hotel, and the lo-fi bliss of Eric's Trip.
TMTS will be sharing the stage with Jens Lekman in November, dates below: 11/06/07 Seattle, WA - Nectar 11/07/07 Portland, OR - Someday Lounge 11/09/07 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's 365 Club 11/10/07 West Hollywood, CA - Troubadour
CATFISH HAVEN cancel CMJ show
This comes straight from the band
Due to circumstances beyond our control we have had to cancel all of our CMJ appearances that were scheduled for this week. Our drummer fell and injured himself around 2am on this past Saturday night Oct. 13th. He's currently in the hospital and cannot play drums for a couple weeks. Sorry to any fans who were planing on seeing us at CMJ. We as a band were looking forward to rocking New York. But things like this happen sometimes in life and there's nothing we can do about it. From what I've been told he should be fine after a couple weeks of recovery. Again sorry we can't be in NYC. We'll be rockin' full force soon.
10/15/07
BOBB TRIMBLE's Iron Curtain Innocence and Harvest of Dreams reissues now available for pre-order
The BOBB TRIMBLE reissues Iron Curtain Innocence and Harvest Of Dreams are now available for pre-order on CD or LP from the Secretly Canadian mailorder page.
Born August 4, 1958 in Marlborough, MA, Bobb grew up in the Worcester suburb of Northborough feasting on the Beatles and later Bowie, Pink Floyd, and Queen. The music he went on to create wasn’t an attempt to replicate the genius of those artists, but to stand alongside them with his own masterpiece of mythical, hysterical songwriting genius.
Bobb and Secretly Canadian are proud to present you with Iron Curtain Innocence and Harvest of Dreams, two releases that will now reach a genuine audience with full reissue treatment. Each CD release contains never before seen photos of Bobb Trimble, the Wormtown scene, and restored and fully realized artwork. In addition, each CD will feature bonus tracks from their respective recording periods.
"Bobb Trimble's first album appeared like a ghost that had slipped through reality's curtain. Impossible to place inside any rational context, the music and voices seem to have been created inside your head and, indeed, maybe they were."
- Byron Coley, 2007, on Iron Curtain Innocence
"Incredible, multi-layered late night listening of the highest order. A cross between extreme gentility and musical savagery that will have you growing horns out of your own forehead, if not used carefully."
WINDSOR FOR THE DERBY to host WPRB career retrospective
Princeton's premier radio station, WPRB, will play host to Dan Matz from Windsor for the Derby for a solo live set. Airing Wednesday, October 3rd at 8:00pm, host Jon Solomon will also be combing back through WFTD's 11 year history to revisit the band's finer moments.
JUNE PANIC releases free collection at Emusic.com
In honor of the triple-threat-4-track-early-recordings-boxset, "Songs From Purgatory", Mr. June Panic has offered up a primer for the uninitiated and best-of for the hardcores. Entitled "A Child's Treasury of June Panic," the collection is available exclusively FOR FREE* at Emusic.com.
TRACKLISTING: 22 Parties The Source (To destroy a girl) The Silver Sound That's The Moon, My Son That Parade Do Not Let Them Fool You! Misery Moon Satan Star Graveyard Crown Pity Well Hung-up Lonely For Lonely's Sake George Fox Gender Bender Peter Panic Devils Wait David Poe Blink Blues Of A New Man Bi-ped (Bells) Ring Out The News
*(available as a free download for the next three weeks)
09/17/07
New CATFISH HAVEN Daytrotter session
Catfish Haven were one of the first bands to do a Daytrotter session and they were lucky enough to be invited back. Listen to it here
09/17/07
DAVID VANDERVELDE stopped at UK border; dates cancelled
DAVID VANDERVELDE's UK and Irish tour has been cancelled due to immigration issues. Secretly Canadian apologises for any inconvenience.
We're working hard to ensure that the 5-piece band is able to make it overseas rest of the European dates. Stay tuned for more info.
09/25/07 Paris, France - La Maraqoniere 09/26/07 Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique 09/27/07 Utrecht, Netherlands - Ekko 09/28/07 Malmo, Sweden - Inkonst 09/29/07 Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser 10/01/07 Oslo, Norway - Cafe Mono 10/02/07 Gotenborg, Sweden - Pusterviksbaren 10/03/07 Aarhus, Denmark - Voxhall 10/04/07 Hamburg, German - Haus 73 10/06/07 Groningen, Netherlands - Take Root Festival 10/07/07 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
09/14/07
DAVE FISCHOFF reveals new live band, tour dates
Plucking musicians from such bands as The 1900's, The Notes and Scratches, Blue Ribbon Glee Club, and Trio In Stereo, Dave Fischoff has assembled a cast able to bring his studio mastery to a live setting. This is no small feat. Dave's album, "The Crawl" is sonically expansive, full of organic sounds (drum breaks, violins, trumpets, bells, etc.) and electronically tweaked blips, pings and textures. But in a live setting, these songs take on a new intensity. Elements of the original electronic arrangements remain, particularly in the electronic percussion coming from Chris Kolodziej's laptop, while Whitney Johnson's viola helps retain the orchestral pop element present on "The Crawl". But by bringing Dave's guitar into the mix (which doesn't exist at all on the album), and combining it with Matt Hallock & Kolodziej's rhythm section, the songs morph into a new kind of animal, one that's a bit hairier, a little less tame.
While the vintage Dave Fischoff show had a slow, quiet intensity to it, this new live sound is much more upfront, extroverted and energized. The whisper is now a roar.
This Chicago-based musician has drawn numerous comparisons to The Postal Service. This album surpasses The Postal Service's work on so many levels - certainly lyrically and compositionally - but still retains their catchy, innocent charm. - Chattanooga Pulse
Fischoff fashions a hefty musical composite, drawing upon the likes of the Beach Boys and Burt Bacharach, whose bouncy '60s pop sounds fuel Fischoff's imagination into fluttering melodies. Add a splash of some of the Postal Service's chunkier electronica elements, and you've found yourself in Fischoff's whimsical world. - Spin
Tour Dates:
09/20/07 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle w/ Early Day Miners + Odawas 11/01/07 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom w/ Jens Lekman 11/02/07 Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium w/ Jens Lekman 11/03/07 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club w/ Jens Lekman
09/13/07
JENS LEKMAN has the #1 record in Sweden!
Jens Lekman's new record "Night Falls Over Kortedala" is currently sitting atop the pop charts in his native Sweden. Congratulations Jens!
09/12/07
DANIELSON hits the road for weeklong European tour
DANIELSON has been busy recording bands for his Sounds Familyre label, but he's taking a break to play a week's worth of shows in Europe, including an appearance at the End Of The Road Festival, in Wiltshire, UK. Catch him while you can!
09/12/07 Paris, France - Point Ephemere 09/13/07 London, UK - Blow Up @ Metro 09/14/07 Coventry, UK - Taylor John's House 09/14/07 Coventry, United Kingdom - Taylor John's House 09/15/07 Wiltshire, UK - End of the Road Festival 09/16/07 Dublin, Ireland - Crawdaddy
What's up with the MAGNOLIA boxset?
We realize that many of you who are wanting the MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. boxset, Sojourner, are having a difficult time getting one. Here's the scoop. The band are on a massive coast to coast tour of the United States and they took a lot of the boxes with them. A lot! When the band returns we will be able to re-allot the boxes and hopefully everyone who wants one will be able to get one.
09/04/07
DAVID VANDERVELDE touring Europe for 3 weeks, beginning Sept. 15
DAVID VANDERVELDE will be hitting the road with his new 5-piece band, beginning in mid-September. The band will be embarking upon an extensive tour of Europe, beginning with an inaugural appearance at the End Of The Road festival in Wiltshire, UK. Come hear the tunes that that NME calls "eight pristine pop songs (that) recall the best of T. Rex, ELO or early Bee Gees..."
Tour dates:
09/15/07 Wiltshire, UK - End of the Road Festival 09/17/07 London, UK - Luminaire 09/18/07 Nottingham, UK - The Social 09/19/07 Glasgow, UK - The Barfly 09/20/07 Belfast, N. Ireland - Club Radar at Speakeasy 09/21/07 Dublin, Ireland - Radiator at the Hub 09/22/07 Manchester, UK - Night and Day Cafe 09/23/07 Bristol, UK - Thekla Social 09/24/07 Brighton, UK - The Prince Albert 09/25/07 Paris, France - La Maraqoniere 09/26/07 Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique 09/27/07 Utrecht, Netherlands - Ekko 09/28/07 Malmo, Sweden - Inkonst 09/29/07 Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser 10/01/07 Oslo, Norway - Cafe Mono 10/02/07 Gotenborg, Sweden - Pusterviksbaren 10/03/07 Aarhus, Denmark - Voxhall 10/04/07 Hamburg, German - Haus 73 10/06/07 Groningen, Netherlands - Take Root Festival 10/07/07 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
08/22/07
MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. on NPR again!
Magnolia Electric Co. is song of the day on NPR's appropriately titled show, Song Of The Day. Check in out here
08/21/07
JUNE PANIC's "Songs From Purgatory" now available for pre-order
"Songs From Purgatory", JUNE PANIC's 3-disc collection of previously unreleased material has finally arrived! The material embodied on Songs From Purgatory was recorded in vans, dank basements and tiny apartments in Grand Forks & Fargo, North Dakota using crappy microphones on an even crappier 4-track machine. This body of work showcases a songwriting and producing talent that perhaps was only commercially held back by its medium - one which he initially embraced as a matter of necessity, but eventually grew to deliberately embrace with the zeal of a lo-fi revolutionary. According to June, "Over time, I came to appreciate the sounds I was getting, and it dawned on me that recording in an expensive studio is not somehow inherently superior to 'lo-fi' recordings - it is simply a different medium."
Originally released as cassette-only albums on his own label 3 Out Of 4 Records, June's master tapes were almost destroyed in the Great Flood of 1997 that consumed Grand Forks. Over 200 master tapes sat submerged under the murky Red River water for several days in his parents' basement until saved through a painstaking cleansing process that is hilariously documented in the liner notes to this collection. Brought into this world by June, taken out by the Flood, then brought back by June, these songs have been re-mastered by the able hands of the iconic KRAMER.
Hear THE EARLIES on BBC Radio 2
On Wednesday August 15th the Earlies performed live on the Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie show on Britisih Radio BBC Radio 2. Check it out here.
08/14/07
JAPONIZE ELEPHANTS third album available for digital download
The Japonize Elephants third album was recorded after the band re-located to the Bay Area in California at the turn of the Millenium. Released on compact disc on 8/20/02 on their own label TZME Productions, Secretly Canadian is now making the album available to the world via the digital domain.
JENS LEKMAN pre-order bonus material and new stream announced
As we've all been eagerly awaiting the release of Jens' forthcoming album, Night Falls Over Kortedala, (and it seems some haven't been able to wait at all...hello oinkers!), we're excited to announce that all pre-orders from our webshop will receive a free download of exclusive bonus material. Jens describes the audio as "some very exclusive content. Not exactly sure what will be on it but I can tell you it won't be horseshit."
However since the download is still being finalized, all codes will be activated on September 1st (don't worry, we'll send an email to everyone who has ordered to remind you to claim your code!)...regardless, you should receive your code within 2-3 business days of payment of your pre-order.
Furthermore, these codes will be available at your favorite retail shop within the coming weeks, be sure to ask your friendly clerk about it.
Last but not least, live favorite "The Opposite Of Hallelujah" in now available for streaming here.
08/08/07
Secretly Canadian to release JUNE PANIC's "Songs from Purgatory"
(Ed. Note: This is a project, much like the other comps & collections we've been involved in, that has been percolating in our collective brains for nearly 11 years; since that fateful first meeting with June in my mom's kitchen back in 1996 where he dropped off his collected works, we were saddled with the dream of making it all available. Since then, its been "all about timing." And what better way to indulge our 11th year as a label as well as our 11th year working with June then releasing a collection from the early years of one of pop's most seriously under-appreciated geniuses? And so we give you, Songs From Purgatory.)
June Panic spent six years during the early 1990s crafting 14 lyrically disturbed and sonically self-mutilated albums that would make him the closest thing to an underground rock songwriting celebrity that the Dakotas would bear during this era otherwise obsessed with grunge. While scratching an itch for Dylan that could not be alleviated, June willed his bedroom songs into musical nuggets that find tonal residence between the hazy fog of Ween and Sebadoh, the great white isolationism of Eric's Trip, and the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink production style of '80s-era Prince.
The material embodied on Songs From Purgatory was recorded in vans, dank basements and tiny apartments in Grand Forks & Fargo, North Dakota using crappy microphones on an even crappier 4-track machine. This body of work showcases a songwriting and producing talent that perhaps was only commercially held back by its medium - one which he initially embraced as a matter of necessity, but eventually grew to deliberately embrace with the zeal of a lo-fi revolutionary. According to June, "Over time, I came to appreciate the sounds I was getting, and it dawned on me that recording in an expensive studio is not somehow inherently superior to 'lo-fi' recordings - it is simply a different medium."
Originally released as cassette-only albums on his own label 3 Out Of 4 Records, June's master tapes were almost destroyed in the Great Flood of 1997 that consumed Grand Forks. Over 200 master tapes sat submerged under the murky Red River water for several days in his parents' basement until saved through a painstaking cleansing process that is hilariously documented in the liner notes to this collection. Brought into this world by June, taken out by the Flood, then brought back by June, these songs have been re-mastered by the able hands of the iconic KRAMER
MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. on NPR
National Public Radio picked up on Magnolia Electric Co.'s Sojourner box set. Hear what Morning Edition had to say about it here
08/02/07
MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. Release New Video
The filmmakers of the DVD included in the boxset have put together a music video for the song "A Little At A Time". The video features scenes and outtakes from the film.The Road Become What You Leave. Directed and Edited by Todd Chandler. Tim Sutton was the producer and Ava Berkofsky was the Director Of Photography
JENS LEKMAN puts finishing touches on new record
We're proud to announce that Jens Lekman will be releasing his third album, Night Falls Over Kortedala on October 9, 2007. The first single from night Falls Over Kortedala will be the digital release of "Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo" available worldwide on July 31, 2007. You may also - at this very moment - stream it here.
Jens arduously labored over the songs on Night Falls Over Kortedala over the last three years between relentless tours (which ranged from full blown 8-piece ensembles to just Jens alone with a ukelele at the mic). Kortedala refers to a neighborhood in Jens' hometown of Gothenburg, Sweden, where his studio Koredala Beauty Center is located. It also refers to a vague musical pop sound with hints of tropicalia that has been coming out of Gothenburg's clubs over the last few years. Having more in common with Paul Simon's Graceland, Jens' latest is a response to more than an engagement in today's Kortedala music of his Swedish peers. An exercise in insularity, Night Falls Over Kortedala has achieved its specific sound not from going out but from Jens staying in and coming to grips with the sounds he had in his head, or as he said, "from the sound of my own voice reverberating off my home's old '50s brick walls, from the ghosts of everyone who's lived here before me clapping along with their little ecto-plasm hands. My record basically never leaves the 30 square meters that I live on until the very last song when i take a short bus ride to the countryside in 'Friday Night at the Drive-in Bingo'."
FULL TRACK LIST:
"And I Remember Every Kiss" "Sipping On the Sweet Nectar" "The Opposite of Hallelujah" "A Postcard to Nina" "Into Eternity" "I'm Leaving You Because I Don't Love You" "If I Could Cry (it would feel like this)" "Your Arms Around Me" "Shirin" "It Was a Strange Time in My Life" "Kanske Är Jag Kär i Dig" "Friday Night at the Drive-in Bingo"
07/24/07
MARMOSET reaches the treetops, releases new CD/LP, uses opposable thumbs to create podcast
Now that the first new Marmoset recordings in over 5 years are conveniently available in a tangible format entitled 'Florist Fired', you're probably wishing to know more about this band who's compact disc or long player you now hold in your hands. Lucky for you, we caught up with the band in Indy a couple weeks back and learned about jailbreaks, Rush, and walking the streets. Somewhere in between the guys provide a Cliff Notes version of their existence and commentary on their future classics.
To hear Marmoset along with other Secretly Canadian artists, you can tune into our podcast from the following links: Itunes Yahoo Google Feedburner
07/24/07
I LOVE YOU BUT I'VE CHOSEN DARKNESS play FunFunFun Fest, prepare for new album
I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness have announced their date at this year's FunFunFun Fest in Austin, Texas. Playing Sunday November 4, 2007 at Waterloo Park, ILYBICD will be joined by a ton of other bands of which have not been announced yet. But if last year's lineup is any indication (Spoon, Prefuse 73, Black Angles, etc), then, well, it should be a pretty fun time this year...
In other news, ILYBICD is currently preparing new material as they get ready to head back into the studio this fall for their next record.
07/11/07
DAMIEN JURADO tours with Okkervil River, enters the studio for new record
After relentless touring in support of last year's "And Now That I'm In Your Shadow", Damien Jurado settled into his Seattle home with bandmates Eric Fisher and Jenna Conrad to develop the counterpart to "And Now That I'm In Your Shadow." Ready to emerge from their creative exile, the band will venture into the Avast! Studio in Seattle next week with Casey Foubert (Pedro the Lion, Crystal Skulls, Richard Swift) producing.
Damien & Co. will also be sharing the stage this September and October with Okkervil River on a mammoth tour of the US. See dates below:
DAMIEN JURADO 07/21/07 Seattle, WA - The Crocodile Cafe w/ Grand Hallway + Night Canopy 09/03/07 San Diego, CA - Casbah w/ Okkervil River BUY TICKETS 09/04/07 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour w/ Okkervil River 09/05/07 San Francisco, CA - Independent w/ Okkervil River BUY TICKETS 09/08/07 Portland, OR - Berbati's Pan (MusicFest NW) w/ Okkervil River 09/09/07 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard's on Richards w/ Okkervil River 09/10/07 Seattle, WA - Neumos w/ Okkervil River 09/13/07 Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre w/ Okkervil River BUY TICKETS 09/14/07 Omaha, NE - Waiting Room w/ Okkervil River BUY TICKETS 09/15/07 Iowa City, IA - Picador w/ Okkervil River BUY TICKETS 09/17/07 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater w/ Okkervil River 09/18/07 Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium w/ Okkervil River BUY TICKETS 09/19/07 Urbana, IL - The Canopy Club (Pygmalion Festival) w/ Okkervil River BUY TICKETS 09/21/07 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace w/ Okkervil River 09/22/07 Hamilton, Ontario - Pepper Jack's Cafe w/ Okkervil River 09/23/07 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa w/ Okkervil River 09/24/07 Burlington, VT - Higher Ground w/ Okkervil River 09/25/07 Boston, MA - Middle East w/ Okkervil River BUY TICKETS 09/26/07 Northampton, MA - Iron Horse w/ Okkervil River BUY TICKETS 09/28/07 New York, NY - Webster Hall w/ Okkervil River BUY TICKETS 09/29/07 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's w/ Okkervil River BUY TICKETS 09/30/07 Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel w/ Okkervil River BUY TICKETS 10/02/07 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle w/ Okkervil River BUY TICKETS 10/03/07 Athens, GA - 40 Watt w/ Okkervil River 10/04/07 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder @ FSU w/ Okkervil River 10/06/07 Houston, TX - Walter's on Washington w/ Okkervil River
And, if you're looking for a little taste, check out the band's recent performance at Seattle's Tractor Tavern from May 31st: http://youtube.com/watch?v=dS-sASlCgTw
MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO's Sojourner box set now available for pre-order
Secretly Canadian is proud to present the Sojourner boxset. It is the accumulated work of thirteen musicians, five locations, four recording engineers, three filmmakers, two designers and one songwriter, including enough material for three full lengths, one EP and one DVD. The boxset includes 4 CDs a DVD, a poster, postcards and a medallion.
The four CDs that are included in the boxset are from four distinct recording sessions that Magnolia Electric Co recorded following the release of their debut studio album What Comes After The Blues. The session known as Nashville Moon was recorded by Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studios in Chicago, Illinois. The session known as Sun Sessions was recorded at the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The session known as Black Ram was recorded by David Lowery at his Sound Of Music studios in Richmond, Virginia and features an entirely different cast of characters including Lowery, Rick Alverson, Andrew Bird, Molly Blackbird, Miguel Urbiztondo and Alan Weatherhead. The session known as Shohola was recorded by Jason Molina alone, with a guitar and microphone. The Road Becomes What You Leave is a film produced by Todd Chandler and Tim Sutton. It follows the band as they tour across the prairie provinces of Canada and shows the loneliness and isolation one can feel even when traveling in a pack.
