Saturday, February 23, 2013

Callers-- s/t CDep (FCH028.5)


Callers-- s/t CDep (Harlan Records #28.5)

DOWNLOAD here!

5 songs.
Recorded summer 2005 by Ryan and Sara in a haunted-ass house in Providence RI.
500 copies pressed, September 2005.

Credits:

Sara Lucas-- voice, guitar
Ryan Seaton-- guitar, voice, saxophone
Lee Buford-- drums on "Julia"

Track Listing:

1. The Other Day
2. O Yer Cordial
3. Julia
4. Work
5. Khephra

Notes:

* Callers' own site can be found here.

* Members also in Flaws, Siren Cult, Denim Venim, Halo Perfecto, and Rainy Day Regatta.

Callers (Don Godwin, Sara Lucas, Ryan Seaton) in Bloomington IN, March 2009. Photo by Nate Powell.
Practice. Brooklyn NY, August 2008. Photo by Nate Powell.


Wednesday, February 20, 2013

The Good Good-- A Fem Era LP (FCH028)

 
The Good Good-- A Fem Era LP (Harlan Records #28)

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17 songs.
Recorded summer 2004 by Jeremy Scott in Brooklyn, NY.
First self-released on cassette, January 2005 (100 copies).
LP released April 2005. 600 copies pressed.

Credits:

Natalja Kent: voice, guitar, keyboard, bullhorn
David Penn: bass, voice
Peter Woods: drums, voice, keyboard
Mindy Abowitz: drums on "Now Now"
Luci, Jeremy Scott, Amber Woods, Graham, Stones, Anne: backing voices
Art Middleton: co-writer of "Follow Your Hope"

Track Listing:

1. Now Now
2. Laying Here
3. To Come
4. Neighbors
5. Thumper
6. Looking There
7. Semuc Champey
8. To Leave
9. Intermission
10. Every Leaf
11. Ether
12. Flute Ditty
13. Redefine
14. Hello Friends
15. Clouds
16. Do Do Tiss
17. Follow Your Hope

Notes:

* Members also in Bloodhuff, Querent, Acht(en), Boomfancy, Cha Cha Cha, Cobra Kai, Seven Days Of Samsara, and Short Millie.

TGG @ Fuck What You Heard house. Bloomington IN, February 2005. Photo by Nate Powell.
TGG slumber party @ Lemp Arts Center. St. Louis MO, February 2005. Photo by Josh MacPhee.
Parting ways at the end of tour (The Good Good, Erin Tobey, and Wait). Columbus OH, February 2005.
TGG @ AS220. Providence RI, August 2004. Photo by Nate Powell.



Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Mt. Gigantic-- Old Smiler CD (FCH027)


Mt. Gigantic-- Old Smiler CD (Harlan Records #27)
DOWNLOAD here!

7 songs.
Recorded June 2003 by Mike Dixon in Bloomington IN.
First released on a tour CDR, December 2003 (100 copies made).
LP released by Friends And Relatives Records in May 2004 (600 copies made on grey trash vinyl).
CD is a split release with Friends And Relatives Records. 1000 copies, November 2004.

Credits:

Ben Bussell-- drums, keyboard
Mike Dixon-- bass, voice
Megan Downey-- keyboard, voice, tambourine
Justin Vollmar-- guitar, air organ, bells, voice
Jason Williams-- voice, guitar
Greg Dixon-- guest violin
John Ringhoffer-- guest slide trombone
Ryan Stearman-- guest sleigh bells
Erin Tobey and Torlando Hakes-- claps

Track Listing:

1. Bring Back The Healthy
2. Dip Into My Daddy
3. Grandpa Plays The Drums
4. Raechel And Her Children
5. Bells
6. Hey There Is No Birthday Party For Me In Here I Want To Punch You
7. Making Time For/ It Is Time For

Notes:

* Shortly after the recording of this album, Mt. Gigantic's lineup shifted to Jason Williams, Justin Vollmar, and Megan Downey, with Matt Tobey (drums, melodica), Erin Tobey (bass, voice), Dorey Fox (violin, voice), and Justin Clifford Rhody (inaudible tiny acoustic guitar, voice). This lineup existed in some form from fall 2003 to 2005, when Megan and Dorey each left.

* Members also in Lougow, Vollmar, Memory Map, Prayer Breakfast, Rep Seki, Ooga Booga Caveman Sabertooth Tiger Band, Homecomings, Rapider Than Horsepower, Sump Pumps, Good Luck, Matty Pop Chart, Kimya Dawson, Erin Tobey, Fat Shadow, Pink Razors, Abe Froman, Usurp Synapse, Candidate.

Mt. Gigantic @ SuperHappyFunLand. Houston TX, January 2004. Photo by Nate Powell.
Mt. Gigantic @ NBA Jam house. Bloomington IN, December 2003. Photo by Nate Powell.
Mt. Gigantic @ NBA Jam house. Bloomington IN, December 2003. Photo by Nate Powell.
Mt. Gigantic @ SuperHappyFunLand. Houston TX, January 2004. Photo by Nate Powell.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Slang-- s/t CD (FCH026)


Slang-- s/t CD (Harlan Records #26)

DOWNLOAD here!
Order LP or CD from No Idea here.

9 songs.
Recorded May 2004 by Rob McGregor at Goldentone Studios in Gainesville FL.
1000 CD's pressed, June 2004.
LP released by Obscurist Press, 2005-- 500 copies pressed.

Credits:

Micah Daw-- drums
Samantha Jones-- bass, voice
Patrick Quinney-- guitar, voice

Track Listing:

1. Shaking Hands With Our Enemies
2. Royal Gardens
3. The Sea Stole My Brother
4. Oh, City Of Graves
5. Sports Sentimentalist
6. Within My Reach, Diving
7. Fatal Gestures
8. My Mountain Music
9. Familiar In The Morning

Notes:

* Members also in Cassette, Holopaw, The Deep And Holy Sea, Nervous Dogs, Fiya, The Beat Buttons, Bitchin', Rumbleseat, Vanbuilderass, The Crustaceans, and The Goddamn Deluge.

The only photo of Slang on the internet, circa 2004. Taken from the Dead Tank blog.
Patrick in Milwaukee WI on tour, June 2004. Photo by Nate Powell.


Thursday, February 14, 2013

Rainy Day Regatta-- Unreleased LP (FCH025.5)

 
Rainy Day Regatta-- Unreleased LP (Harlan Records #25.5)

DOWNLOAD here!

10 songs.
Recorded early 2003 by Keith Souza at Machines With Magnets in East Providence, RI.

Credits:

Gus Martin-- upright bass
Mary Clarendon Mulkey-- voice, keyboards
Ryan Seaton-- voice, guitar, bass, keyboards, piano, saxophone
Mikael Wood-- voice, guitar, keyboards
Lee Buford-- drums on "Witchy"
Steve-- drums on "Pile Them Up Like Birds" and "Weather"

Track Listing:

1. (Intro)
2. Witchy
3. You're Out, I'm Out
4. Pile Them Up Like Birds
5. Memory Or Picture
6. Work Is Good Work
7. Shake Hands
8. Pound On Chest
9. Weather
10. Set Me Free

Notes:

* This album was tentatively titled Eons Or Octaves. I looked over some old notes in an attempt to properly title the songs, but some may be wrong (please correct me if so, RDR folks!). The recording was mixed but never properly shimmied up and mastered, so I did a simple compression job on it for this digital issue.

* One of the central lines in "Shake Hands" echoes an Everyone Asked About You song from their 1999 LP, unreleased until just a few months ago on 25 Diamonds. 

* Members also in Callers, Flaws, Denim Venim, Siren Cult, Halo Perfecto, and Soophie Nun Squad. Collins Kilgore, the keyboardist/harmonic wine glassist for RDR from 2000-2002 (but not on this recording), was also in Everyone Asked About You and American Princes. Gus Martin was in Arcing, Idiot Vehicle, Tiny Hawks, New Granada, Encyclopedia Of American Traitors, Fields Lay Fallow, Spirit Assembly, and sometimes The Body.

* Mikael Wood is now the pop music writer for the Los Angeles Times.

RDR recording this album at Machines With Magnets, February 2003.



Friday, February 8, 2013

Soophie Nun Squad-- Passion Slays The Dragon LP (FCH025)


Soophie Nun Squad-- Passion Slays The Dragon LP (Harlan Records #25)

DOWNLOAD here!
Order CD version from me here.

21 songs.
Recorded October 2002-May 2003 by Tim Scott at ElectricLeedyLand in Kansas City, MO.
First released in Europe on LP by Narshardaa Records, September 2003. (2 pressings, 700 copies)
LP released in North America by Harlan, January 2004. 1000 copies pressed on lavender trash vinyl (what a terrible idea-- glad the "trash" option isn't as common as it used to be!)
CD released by Plan-It-X Records, May 2004. (2 pressings, 2000 copies)

Credits:

Maralie Armstrong-Rial-- voice, accordion, whistles
Dustin Clark-- guitar, voice, claps
Mark Lierly-- drums, percussion
Mike Lierly-- voice, snare, claps, acoustic guitar on "The Scab Fairy--Introduction"
Eli Milholland-- bass, voices of a cow and a monster
Mike Motley-- keyboard, piano, percussion
Asa Newell-- guitar
Nate Powell-- voice, claps, percussion
Tim Scott-- electronics, production, voice, piano, trombone, turntables
Alan Short-- percussion, voice, bass on "The Last Things First"
Mikael Wood-- voice, keyboard
Kristine Barrett-- voice, piano, and assistant engineering on "The Scab Fairy"
Terry Johnson-- voice on "Birthday Song"
Rymodee-- voice on "Birthday Song"
Grendel the Dog-- barks on "Exponents"
Dish-- backing voices in "Your Birthday Song", hallway samples in "D Hall"

Track Listing:

1. The Last Things First
2. Destiny
3. Juxtapose
4. Sesame Sticks & Stevie Nicks
5. To Be A Hero
6. Exponents
7. The Bovinity Of Crust
8. (An Instrumental)
9. D Hall
10. Wilson Phillips
11. Inner Booty
12. Lord Of The Dip
13. Your Birthday Song
14. The Scab Fairy: Prelude
15. The Scab Fairy: Introduction
16. The Scab Fairy: Complication
17. The Scab Fairy: Rising Action
18. The Scab Fairy: Climax
19. The Scab Fairy: Denouement
20. The Scab Fairy: La Triumphe De La Scab Faerie
21. Sleeping On Your Floor

Notes:

* The all-powerful Assfactor 4 is sampled/bootlegged in "The Bovinity Of Crust", from a show I saw them play in Washington DC in October 1996 (the song is "Hey Stinky"). One of the greatest punk bands of all time-- I highly recommend seeking out all of their records, if you're unfamiliar!

* "To Be A Hero" is a Kirk & The Jerks cover, first heard on the incredible 1988 H-Street skate video Hokus Pokus.

* The first 100 copies of the European pressing of the LP (released by Narshardaa Records) have huge white squares surrounding the lettering on the cover, obscuring half of the cover art.

* Okay, here's why this album has so many different titles. When assembling the cover of Passion Slays The Dragon, I asked a friend to do the title lettering. In the spirit of both playful participation in the Soophie process and faux-intellectual anxiety about the word "passion" (seriously, what the fuck?!), she chose to rewrite the title as the homonym Passion, Sleighs, The Dragon for the European LP. I accepted this twist but didn't like it, and neither did anyone else. Tim Scott did the layout for the American version of the LP jacket, and secretly manipulated the title to read Pasizzle Slizzles Tha Drizzle, while labeling the spine Fleetwood Mac-- Rumours (a nod to our cover treatment of The Devil, The Metal... LP's) and Driggynizzle. None of us were aware of this until we received the proofs. As I fell deeper into a hole in life in early 2004 and couldn't "get real" for a while, I re-titled the CD version Pass Ion, Sleds, The Drag-On, while Tim labeled each side of the jewel case Lethal Weapon Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Ghost Dad (Widescreen DVD) respectively. You would not believe how many stores and distributors got pissed off about this. I didn't even receive payment from some folks because they couldn't "find" the record in their system! Finally, for the 2nd pressing of the CD, Chris Clavin requested that we put our actual band name on the spine (very reasonable!), but color-blind Tim took it to the next level by having the spine in electric blue & orange text, intentionally making it unreadable and seizure-inducing.

* Soophie's last show was at Nexus in Braunschweig, Germany on June 21, 2006 with Tim's electronic band Orange Core. We attempted to have two final shows in Little Rock, May 19-20 2007-- one with Smoke Up Johnny as a part of Towncraft week, and the other with The Good Good, Erin Tobey, and Totally Michael in North Little Rock. Unfortunately, Mark had broken his wrists a few weeks prior, so neither show ever happened.

* Folks from SNS also in Humanbeast, V Manuscript, Bloodhuff, Sand City, Deadbird, Zucura, Holy Angell, Universe, Pallbearer, R.I.O.T.S., The Evelyns, Divorce Chord, Wait, The Insides, Tem Eyos Ki, Lily Maude Horseman, Sugar And The Raw, Big Boots, Rainy Day Regatta, Boomfancy, Gioteens, Shake Ray Turbine, Revolver Red, William Martyr 17, and K.


SNS @ Kafe Kult. Munich, Germany, May 2006.
SNS @ Solidarity Infoshop. Lawrence KS, July 2005. Photo by Ginger Alford.
SNS before leaving on our final tour. Little Rock AR, May 2006. Photo by Sara Blancett.



Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Halo Perfecto-- Hospitals In Other Countries LP (FCH024)


Halo Perfecto-- Hospitals In Other Countries LP (Harlan Records #24)

DOWNLOAD here!

11 songs.
Recorded March 2003 by Keith Souza at Machines With Magnets in East Providence, RI.
Split release with Mountain Collective and UndeRadar.
1000 copies pressed, July 2003.

Credits:

Daniel Pastrana: drums
Ryan Seaton: guitar, voice
Mike Taylor: bass, voice

Track Listing:

1. Rites
2. He's A Clever Boy
3. Don't Just Say You Will
4. Dance Music
5. Work Is More Work
6. Tony Blair
7. Shocked/Scarred
8. Sevens
9. Here's Your Ass
10. Scared & Tired
11. Do French

Notes:

* Members also in Callers, Flaws, Denim Venim, Siren Cult, Rainy Day Regatta, Palatka, Anton Bordman, The Pickup Pattern, True Feedback Story, The K Shipley, and Woken By Wire.

Halo Perfecto @ Tin Can Full Of Dreams Fest. Providence RI, July 2002. Photo by Nate Powell.
Halo Perfecto @ The Bakery. Providence RI, September 2002. Photo by Nate Powell.

Monday, February 4, 2013

The Insides-- Endangered Young'uns CD (FCH023)

 
The Insides-- Endangered Young'uns CD (Harlan Records #23)

DOWNLOAD here!

11 songs.
Recorded September 2002 by Daren at Plan B Studios in Philadelphia PA.
500 copies pressed, May 2003.

Credits:

Dustin Clark-- guitar, voice
Hannah Lew-- moog, glockenspiel, voice
Pete-- drums, voice
Lawrence Wilson-- bass, voice

Track Listing:

1. Cobra Fangs
2. Do It In The Graveyard
3. You're Dead
4. Baltimore Ave. Parade
5. Violet T-Shirt
6. Kick The King
7. Creative Non-Fiction
8. Tarantulove
9. Cars Overboard (the south street bridge)
10. Superjam
11. Oh

Notes:

* The Insides went through a number of drummers over the years. Pete from Unpersons drummed from 2002-2003, followed by Sean (that burly, wacky, kind motorcycling wingnut guy in the Northeast) for a winter tour in early 2004, then Mark Lierly from Soophie Nun Squad/ Pallbearer/ Sugar & The Raw, and finally the drummer for Tulsa (was his name John Paul?) for 2006-2007, when The Insides fully reformed in the Bay Area.

* Members also in Sand City,  Grass Widow, Lazy Fair, Soophie Nun Squad, Shake Ray Turbine, Revolver Red, William Martyr 17, Ghost Family, Shitstorm, and Unpersons.