IndieUprising's Notes
Hey everyone,
As you know, I’ve been taking a break from IndieUprising. After much thought I’ve decided not to go on with the show or the website. This was a tough decision because I have discovered so many incredible bands the past 2 years, and it’s been a lot of fun helping others discover these great bands.
I’ve been running IndieUprising pretty much all by myself. From the web design, posting stories, screening hundreds of CDs a month, writing reviews (with some help, thanks Allie, Derik, Sarah and Jen!), recording and posting the show, contacting bands, managers, record labels and so much more . . . it’s been a lot of work. So, with this dreadful economy, my job keeping me extremely busy and family life keeping me even busier, it’s time to make some priority decisions.
I’ll miss doing IndieUprising as it’s been a huge part of my identity these past 2 years. There are so many great bands starting up and breaking up every day. I’ll continue to follow and discover all these great bands and hopefully I’ll be able to organize and bring back an even better IndieUprising within the next 2 years.
I’ll keep the website up, so all the shows will still be available. I just won’t be contributing anything new. Thanks for listening to the show and supporting Indepenent music! Hopefully I’ll bump into you at a show sometime.
All the best,
Sean Duregger
Daniel Martin Moore will release his new album Stray Age on October 7th 2008.
You’ve never heard of Daniel Martin Moore, from Cold Spring, Kentucky. That’s okay. Before we got his unsolicited demo in January 2007, neither had we. Luckily, he’d heard of us, and contacted us the way people in Cold Spring still do- he sent us a package, just to see what would happen. In all honesty, his odds were quite slim, but occasionally we’ll take down that “no solicitation” sign on our door. And in this case, we’re glad we did.
The first thing you’ll notice about his debut, “Stray Age” is its simplicity. It’s a folk record, evoking certain feelings (as all good records should), but there’s a gentle approach to its sound and the way Moore’s voice phrases his words. “Stray Age” was recorded in Los Angeles in three different spurts, the first two sessions taking place in October and December of 2007, then the third in February of 2008. He even got some people you’ve heard of to help him out. Joe Chiccarelli (The Shins, U2, The White Stripes) took on co-production, recording and mixing duties. Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, Tori Amos) played upright bass. Jesca Hoop lent her voice to “The Old Measure” and “Restoration Sketches.” And Petra Haden (Bill Frisell, Beck) adds violin to “It’s You,” “The Hour Of Sleep,” and “The Old Measure.”
Those reference points are really just that, though. Moore is most captivating as a singer, one who doesn’t seem concerned with usual folkie fodder. If you ask him what his music’s about – a legitimate question – he just politely shrugs his shoulders in a way that says, “that’s up to you to figure out.” But, the insights in “Stray Age” are not secrets and would never hope to be. Yet as simply as Daniel Martin Moore thinks of “Stray Age,” it’s rich with understated complexities that take you to places that people like Nick Drake and Mojave 3/Slowdive principle Neil Halstead have been cited as doing. There’s a soft swing in the vocals reminiscent of Chet Baker. But the one thing with Moore, that we like to think of as separating him from the pack, is he’s looking forward. He wants to go places, he wants you to come with him, and we’re finding him right in that moment.
NEW! Mp3 “Stray Age” http://www.subpop.com/asse
Artist Page http://www.subpop.com/arti
*** FULL ALBUM STREAMING – NOW! on Blitzen Trapper’s MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/bli
Furr is the fourth record by Portland sextet Blitzen Trapper and the follow-up to last year’s highly acclaimed Wild Mountain Nation. Written in the gaps of the group’s frenetic touring schedule and recorded mostly in a hoary old telegraph building close by the Willamette River, the new record refines and expands on the far-ranging yet distinctive songcraft that lies at the heart of Blitzen Trapper’s unique appeal.
Like its predecessor, Furr was made largely in the group’s studio at Sally Mack’s School of Dance, which is housed in the aforementioned telegraph building near downtown Portland. This is a small T-shaped room with high ceilings, a couch, a hot-plate, and a mixing console. During reprieves from tour, songwriter and producer Eric Earley lived furtively in the studio, crashing on the couch, but rising with the sun or staying up into the nether hours when the other bands in the building quit and went home. It was during these quiet times that the new songs took shape, with rhythm sections printed hot to four-track and then layered and embellished and deconstructed or sometimes just left the way they were.
One key to this new material was an ancient, warped piano that appeared in the hallway one day at Sally Mack’s School of Dance and which was subsequently muscled into the group’s studio. Though out of tune and missing teeth, this piano became the warhorse upon which Earley wrote and recorded much of Furr. The beast has gone away to the landfill now, but you can still hear the clacking and clattering of its rickety skeleton in songs like “Not Your Lover” and “Echo.”
Blitzen Trapper is a group of native Northwesterners, most of whom grew up in Salem, Oregon. They have lived and played together in Portland since 2000. Critics and fans have compared their music to just about everything; there have been calls to coin a new genre. After self-releasing Wild Mountain Nation in June of 2007, the group ventured beyond the West Coast for the first time to tour extensively in Europe and North America. Furr is their first Sub Pop release.
Mp3 “Furr” http://www.subpop.com/asse
Artist Page http://www.subpop.com/arti
Tour Dates http://www.subpop.com/tour
ONE WIN CHOICE - New Vinyl / Upcoming Tours
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* New 7-inch on Jump Start
* Nine-day tour with American Armada begins today
* Three-week tour in Oct / Nov with Antillectual (Oct 17 - Nov 09)
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ONE WIN CHOICE (Toms River, N.J.) has just announced that their upcoming three-song 7-inch will be released by Jump Start Records in early 2009. The band should have copies in late October though, just in time for their show at The Fest in Gainesville, F.L.
A total of five songs were recorded in September by Mike Rummel at Below Sea Level. Rummel has worked with The Bouncing Souls, Spanish Bombs, Pitch Black Blonde and Gimme Drugs. Three of the tracks will appear on the 7-inch while the remaining two will be available exclusively as digital downloads. Of course, anyone who purchases the vinyl will receive mp3s for all five songs.
The band has also planned a fair share of touring for the next two months, beginning today with a nine-day trip through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana with American Armada.
In October and November, One Win Choice will be hitting the road for three weeks with label mates Antillectual. Jump Start will be releasing the U.S. vinyl version of the Belgium band’s latest full-length, Testimony, on October 21st. More on those dates soon, but as previously mentioned, both bands have been confirmed for The Fest.
TOUR
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SEP 19 - Punxsutawney, PA @ The Rad Tav w/ American Armada
SEP 20 - Akron, OH @ The Mullet House w/ American Armada
SEP 22 - Lansing, MI @ Mac’s Bar w/ w/ American Armada, The Riot Before
SEP 23 - Michigan City, IN @ The Creephole w/ American Armada
SEP 24 - Indianapolis, IN @ 1511 House w/ American Armada
SEP 26 - Athens, OH @ Brown Town w/ American Armada
SEP 27 - Cleveland OH @ The Womb w/ w/ American Armada, Two Hand Fools
SEP 28 - Pittsburgh, PA @ The Smiling Moose w/ American Armada
One Win Choice’s fiery debut full-length, Never Suspend Disbelief, was released by Jump Start Records in December of 2007. Recorded by Nick Rotundo (Paint It Black, None More Black) and produced by Boy Sets Fire’s Josh Latshaw, the album explodes with 12 anthems of raw, uncompromising hardcore punk. It’s impassioned, urgent and uplifting all at once. You can stream a few tracks on the band’s myspace page.
- A crunching, yet tuneful, meaningful onslaught from the heart. - Rock Sound
- An absolute gem…a simply stunning disc that all hardcore fans will love. - Verbicide Magazine
- Each song is a drawn-out thought that is full of substance, heart and inspiration. - MaximumRockNRoll
- Balls-to-the-wall melodic hardcore punk that is easy to love and impossible to ignore. - Can You See The Sunset?
- One Win Choice’s secret weapon is the way it so vividly captures storms of confusion, anger and self-pride. - Jersey Beat
- Never Suspend Disbelief is an unrelenting source of energy, youthful optimism, intelligence and revolutionary ideals. - The Punk Site
http://www.youtube.com/wat
Southern California’s I Am Ghost has announced their co-headlining tour with Century Media’s Blessed By A Broken Heart. The band will also play a CD release party on October 12th at the Glass House in Pomona, CA before starting their full European tour.
“It has been nearly two years since the band has been back in the United Kingdom and we could not be happier. This will also be our very first tour ever in continental Europe, so we are extremely excited to see how our music goes over there,” says I Am Ghost front-man Steven Juliano. “It’s like a dream to finally play in all these great places. This is going to be an amazing tour!”
After a two year tour run that saw the band steal the show with jaw dropping live performances alongside Aiden, Escape the Fate, Eyes Set to Kill and the Vans Warped Tour, I Am Ghost has returned with their much anticipated sophomore album, Those We Leave Behind, on October 7th, 2008 through Epitaph Records. Recorded with producer Paul Leavitt (Senses Fail, The Bled, Circa Survive) in Baltimore, MD, “Those We Leave Behind” takes the band’s dark brand of rock and pierces it with sharp metallic riffs and soaring melodic choruses that sweep listeners off their feet in what will be remembered as a career defining release for the band.
“We took everything differently this time,” says the inimitable Juliano. “We didn’t set out to impress anyone this time. We didn’t care what anyone thought of this new record. The entire band just let loose. We didn’t hold back and this time around there weren’t people telling me what I could and could not say in my lyrics. I delved more into my dreams and nightmares and wrote lyrics that meant a lot to me and the band.”
Conceived by former animator/artist Juliano, I Am Ghost was formed in the fall of 2004 in an attempt to create a style of music that not only rocked but also explored the beauty within darkness. After finding fellow musicians who shared his vision, Juliano and crew recorded the group’s “We Are Always Searching” EP and quickly started building a strong following throughout southern California. In 2005 the group signed with punk-rock powerhouse Epitaph Records for the release of their debut full-length “Lovers’ Requiem”, which saw the band develop a national cult following of loyal fans who gobbled up the album.
In the meantime, I Am Ghost has uploaded video footage from the recording of Those We Leave Behind online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG
I AM GHOST TOUR DATES:
Oct 12 – Pomona, CA –The Glass House
Oct 27- Athens, Greece- Texas Necropolis (w/o BBABH)
Oct 30 - Tilburg, Netherlands - 013
Oct 31 - Antwerp, Belgium - Biebob
Nov 01 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
Nov 04 - Hamburg, Germany - Logo
Nov 05 - Aarhus, Denmark - Voxhall
Nov 06 - Oslo, Norway - John Dee
Nov 07 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Brewhouse
Nov 08 - Stockholm, Sweden - Klubben
Nov 09 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega Jr.
Nov 11 - Berlin, Germany - Kato
Nov 12 - Dresden, Germany - Scheune
Nov 14- Szczecin, Poland- Stara cynkownia
Nov 15- łódź, Poland- Andy Club
Nov 20 - Munich, Germany - 59 to 1
Nov 21 - Dietikon, Switzerland - Sounddock 14
Nov 22 - Milan, Italy - Zoe Club
Nov 24 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Midnight
Nov 25 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Caracol
Nov 29 - Cologne, Germany - Underground
Nov 30 - Saarbruecken, Germany - Roxy
Dec 01 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal
Dec 04 - Cardiff, UK - Barfly (with Fei Comodo)
Dec 05 - London, UK - University Of London (with Fei Comodo)
Dec 06 - Plymouth, UK - White Rabbit
Dec 07 - Wrexham, UK - Central Station
Dec 08 - Liverpool, UK - Barfly
Dec 09 - Glasgow, UK - Cathouse
Dec 10 - Birmingham, UK - Barfly
Dec 11 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City
Dec 12 - York, UK - Fibbers Barfly
Dec 13 - Brighton, UK - Concorde 2
Dec 14- Poole, UK- Mr. C’s
INTO IT. OVER IT. - 52 Songs In 52 Weeks
- All Available For Free Download!
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* Final song in Evan Weiss’ 52-week recording project posted today
* For a limited time download free MP3s for all 52 tracks
* Songs being remixed / remastered for re-release on iTunes
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Over the course of the past year, INTO IT. OVER IT., the alias and mouthpiece for Philadelphia native Evan Weiss (The Progress / Up Up Down Down), has written and recorded exactly one new song every week for the past 52 weeks.
Last week, the project - or at least the current phase of it - came to an end as the final song has been posted. Check it out here.
And while you’re at it, why don’t you grab the previous 51 offerings as well? They’re all available in MP3 format and will remain on the site as free downloads for the next two weeks. Everything is currently being remixed and remastered by Steve Poponi (Up Up Down Down) and will be re-released via iTunes in October. Weiss is also planning on an eventual Into It. Over It. CD / Vinyl release. If you’re interested in being a part of that, drop him an email.
Into It. Over It. was conceived by Evan Weiss as a means to break free from a musical rut, as well as an autobiographical outlet to document that quickly passing thing we call “life.” The first song was posted on his 23rd birthday (09/27/07) and for each of the following 51 weeks Weiss tackled the ambitious task of writing and recording one new song for the span of a year.
52 weeks = 52 songs: a stat even more impressive considering that nothing was composed in advance, as well as the time constraints involved in such an undertaking. Of course, none of that would matter if the music didn’t hold up. No worries there as there are some really amazing indie rock songs on full display, ranging from tender to tough, sweet to stinging.
Most of the instruments were played by Weiss and the majority of songs were recorded at Gradwell House by Steve Poponi. The last few weeks of music was recorded on the road, however, as Weiss has become the full-time touring bassist for Equal Vision band, Damiera
While this year-long Into It. Over It. project has come to an end, Weiss has no plans on retiring the band. He’ll continue to tour with Damiera and soon he’ll begin a new Into It. Over It. adventure. He’s still not sure what exactly, but check the website in another week; he’ll be posting a wrap up - thoughts and reflections - on the experience, as well as speculation on the future of the band.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are currently on tour. Here’s their tour schedule. More info at their website:
TOUR DATES
09/23/08: Baltimore, MD // 8×10
09/24/08: Washington, DC // DC9
09/30/08: Philadelphia, PA // Barbary
10/07/08: Baltimore, MD // 8×10
10/14/08: Washington, DC // DC9
10/21/08: Pittsburgh, PA // Brillbox
Chad VanGaalen’s new album Soft Airplane is in stores now!
Chad VanGaalen’s musical roots date back to the first part of the decade, when he made a living busking on the streets of Calgary. He is also an accomplished animator and illustrator whose music is very much informed by his appreciation of visual arts. He has produced a voluminous wealth of material, by himself, at a rate that might best be described as alarming. And whatever his motivation for doing what he does, or creating what he creates, the result is that it is always both genuine and good.
The proof is in the songs themselves. They have heart. They have pain. They have hope. They have humor. And most importantly, they have fun.
Chad VanGaalen’s first two LPs, Infiniheart (2005) and Skelliconnection (2006), were wildly eclectic and ethereal, texturally imaginative, sometimes ambitious and sometimes restrained. Recorded on a Tascam 4-track and other analog devices, using synthesizers, guitars and a collection of his own handmade instruments, Chad created a unique style of pop songcraft, fundamentally experimental, both delicate and soaring, simple and elaborate.
Chad is more confident now, and unlike his previous albums, the songs on Soft Airplane were written and recorded more or less within the same time period, rather than collected from disparate moments and sessions spanning many, many years. As such, it feels more focused, deliberate, thoughtful and centered, both thematically and musically. It’s the sound of someone taking his time and sharpening his focus while opening his mind. At its core, it’s a pop record, one that feels free.
Mp3 “Willow Tree” http://www.subpop.com/asse
Artist Page http://www.subpop.com/arti
Tour Dates http://www.subpop.com/tour
Video “Molten Light” http://www.subpop.com/asse
YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/Cha
http://www.youtube.com/wat
I’m not really a Trapt fan, but this video is pretty funny. I don’t know what was going on with the cameras…reality show?
STATIC RADIO NJ - East Coast Tour Begins
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* In Support of An Evening Of Bad Decisions - out this now.
* New songs streaming on myspace
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Static Radio NJ (New Brunswick, N.J.) kicks off a tour of the East Coast today in support of their debut full-length, An Evening Of Bad Decisions. The album was released earlier this week - September 9th - via Black Numbers.
To coincide with the release and tour, the band has posted two new songs on their myspace page for your streaming pleasure. Check it here. Additionally, the record continues to stream in its entirety at Punknews.org.
This current tour will take Static Radio NJ up and down the East Coast for the next month, playing shows with Polar Bear Club, O Pioneers!!! and Smoke or Fire among others. They’re currently booking additional East Coast dates in October, as well as a few Canadian and Midwest shows with The Ergs on their way to Riot Fest in Chicago and…what else? The Fest in Gainesville, F.L., of course.
TOUR
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SEP 20 - Wilmington, NC - NEED HELP!
SEP 21 - Chattanooga, TN @ JJ’s Bohemia w/ O Pioneers!
SEP 22 - Louisville, KY @ Skull Alley w/ Polar Bear Club
SEP 23 - Charlotte, NC @ Lunchbox Records
SEP 24 - Atlanta, GA @ TBA w/ Polar Bear Club
SEP 25 - Tallahassee, FL @ The Shed w/ DEA
SEP 26 - Tampa, FL @ Springs Theatre w/ Gatorface
SEP 27 - Orlando, FL @ Black Box Colletive w/ Gatorface
SEP 29 - Gainesville, FL @ 1982 w/ Gatorface, Dirty Money
SEP 30 - South Carolina - NEED HELP!
OCT 01 - Danville, VA @ The Tesla
OCT 02 - Newark, DE @ Ewing Room - Perkins Student Center
OCT 03 - Philidelphia, PA @ The Fire w/ Smoke Or Fire
OCT 04 - Wilkes-Barre, PA @ Cafe Metropolis
OCT 05 - Rahway, NJ @ Rahway Stage and Cafe w/ I Am The Avalanche, Sakes Alive
OCT 06 - Albany, NY @ Valetines w/ After The Fall
OCT 07 - Rochester, NY @ TBA
OCT 08 - Albany, NY @ TBA
OCT 09 - Montreal, Quebec @ TBA w/ The Ergs!
OCT 10 - Toronto, Ontario @ TBA w/ The Ergs!
OCT 11 - Michigan @ TBA w/ The Ergs!
OCT 12 - Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater / RIOT FEST
OCT 13 - Columbus, OH @ TBA w/ The Ergs!
OCT 14 - Louisville, KY - NEED HELP!
OCT 15 - Columbus, OH - NEED HELP!
OCT 16 - Western PA - NEED HELP!
OCT 17 - Toms River, NJ @ The Shed w/ Antillectual, One Win Choice
OCT 31 - NOV 02 - Gainesville, FL @ The Fest
- Punk rock record of the year? Most definitely! - Mutiny
- This might be the closest thing to a perfect CD I’ve heard so far this year. - AMP Magazine
- Holy sh_t, this album is definitely one of the best releases of 2008. - Battle of the Midwestern Housewives
- All you lucky bastards going to The Fest - make sure you give these guys the chance they deserve. - Punktastic
- Great, dynamic, uber-melodic hardcore punk that borrows a bit from Lifetime. - Read Junk
- A definite immediate contender for “year end” lists. - Sound As Language
- More punk rock needs to be like this. - New-Noise.net