indiePulse

Trans- Records Signs Now, Now

Chris Walla's Trans- label has signed Now, Now and will release a full length LP in March.

Check out the newly release track "Dead Oaks":

Now, Now: Dead Oaks by trans-records

Mexican Summer signs The Fresh & Onlys

The Brooklyn-based label recently signed The Fresh & Onlys. Th eband is currently in San Francisco recording with producer and engineer Phil Manley [Les Savy Fav].

http://thefreshandonlys.blogspot.com/ 

 

Partisan Records Sign Heartless Bastards

The new record is called "Arrows" and will be released on Feb 14. A new single will be available on Dec 1 to their mailing list.

theheartlessbastards.com

Suicide Squeeze signs Nu Sensae

From the recent announcement: Suicide Squeeze has just announced that Vancouver, BC band Nü Sensae will begin recording its second LP and label debut this fall -- for a 2012 release -- via Exclaim (see Aug. 12 news story). The band is also offering a free MP3 download of the track "Dust" from its recent Tea Swamp Park EP on Fast Weapons. Nü Sensae is a hardcore punk duo comprised of bassist-vocalist Andrea Lukic and drummer Daniel Pitout. Their recordings capture the band in its most primal form, which act as a testament to its ferocious live sound.  However make no mistake, their live show is not to be missed, as videos on You Tube can attest:  Lukic is a subtle and focused performer, with a voice that goes from a guttural howl to high pitched screams that can peel the paint off of walls; Meanwhile drummer Pitout is the perfect counterpoint, hammering out propulsive rhythms and frenzied fills with his manically flailing arms.    Nü Sensae  have been very busy the last few months. The band just completed 8 tours and visited over 100 cities in North America, including a recent jaunt with fellow Canadians White Lung.  They also released a disturbing new video for TV, Death And The Devil track "I'm a Body." The clip stars both Lukic and Pitout and showcases their twisted sense of humor (their faces are adorned in peanut butter and jelly, for starters). Additionally, the band also released the Tea Swamp Park 7" EP for Fast Weapons (a Portland, OR based label run by Nathan Howdeshell of the Gossip).  The FADER premiered the entire EP as a stream, and had this to say, "Vancouver's Nü Sensae  is a two-person whirlwind...Daniel Pitout's drums are like a car driving way too fast at night towards the edge with vocalist and guitarist Andrea Lukic in the passenger seat wailing panicked...it's a slightly new direction for them. It's still pounding, for sure, but Lukic's shrill tones are undercut with some haunting, ghostly vocals from Pitout, just a tad bit softer."   They've also seen raves and notices from respected outlets like Maximum Rock and Roll, Chicago Reader, Dusted, Earshot and more.   Fueled by strong DIY ethos, Nü Sensae  began in 2008 by playing shows at the city's (then) main underground venue, The Emergency Room. Later that year the band recorded its first tune, "Self-Titled," as a one sided 12"  and co-released it in a partnership with the Isolated Now Waves label. The band has since recorded and released an LP, as well as an assortment of tracks for singles and compilations. In 2010, Nü Sensae released their critically acclaimed debut LP, TV, Death And The Devil via Nominal Records, which made Canadian music monthly Exclaim's Top 10 punk albums of the year.     Nü Sensae are also road warriors, having toured extensively over the past three years (and up to 10 weeks at a time). The duo has shared the stage with the likes of White Lung, Mika Miko, Women, HEALTH, AIDS Wolf, Audacity, Gay Beast, Broken Water, Best Coast, High Castle, Milk Music, Talbot Tagora, Tyvek, Shannon and The Clams, Francis Harold and The Holograms, and more.  The band also run a monthly fanclub mailing list where they send zines, buttons and other stuff to over 500 members in 9 different countries - free of charge.

 

Suicide Squeeze signs Tammar

Tammar are from Indiana. More from the announcement:

On Visits, Tammar pulls off a pretty incredible trick with each and every one of its post-punk anthems, probably something of which the band doesn't take much note. They mine the classic sounds of paranoia, malaise and misanthropy (Joy Division, The Velvet Underground, The Fall and early 90s alt-rock), and fill it all with so much exuberance and joy of playing that each song becomes a triumph over anxiety and ennui. Visits finds each of the band's five members stepping outside of themselves, but not in an snake-poison-ingesting, flopping-on-the-floor sense. It's something else, something full of wonder. It's witnessing a dear friend suddenly unveil an incredible hidden talent, as if that talent is levitation or some shit. These songs burst and evolve like water capsule toys. Warm beds of wobbly and fat-bodied krautpop prove to be overwhelming, atmospheric art-rock tours de force. You are left pie-eyed and windblown by the whole glorious affair. It's the B-side of Neu! as pep rally music. It's the kind of thing that would have flipped Old Man Peel's wig in another place and time.

The band is offering Visits track "The Last Line" for download. Pitchfork premiered the track, and had this to say, "The Last Line is a hypnotic, chest-beating first listen from Visits, the debut LP from Indiana psych-rockers Tammar, due September 20 on Suicide Squeeze." 

(see Pitchfork): http://pitchfork.com/forkcast/15941-the-last-line/

Western Vinyl signs Carter Tanton

From the announcement:

Carter Tanton (formerly known as Tulsa and current member of Lower Dens) is excited to announce his forthcoming full-length, Freeclouds with Western Vinyl. Slated for a November 1st release, the album marks four years since his celebrated Tulsa EP, I Was Submerged, and features the enchanting vocals of Boston dream-folk artist Marissa Nadler. In anticipation of the LP, he has released his first single, "Murderous Joy" for free mp3 download available at Pitchfork or Western Vinyl. 

Tanton's last release with Tulsa, I Was Submerged won the approval of both the media and fans alike, praised by NPR, SPIN and Rolling Stone, who said Tanton's "indie-seraphim voice is not of this world." In addition to recording and co-writing one song on Marissa Nadler's well-received 2011 album, Tanton has recorded albums by George Lewis Jr. (Twin Shadow) and Drug Rug among others. Tanton will embark on a fall tour with The War On Drugs. More details about the album and tour to follow. \

Western Vinly signs Carter For more information, please visit:

http://luxurylinerpleasurecruise.blogspot.com 

http://westernvinyl.com/artists/cartertanton.html 

 

Vagrant signs Reptar

Blastoff by reptarathens

From the recent announcement:

Reptar are thrilled to announce that they have signed to Vagrant Records, who will be working in partnership with Make Records Not Bombs on the upcoming Oblange Fizz Y'all EP.  The EP is due out digitally on August 2nd and an early taste of the EP is streaming on the bands Soundcloud page
http://soundcloud.com/reptarathens .  

The band will later take to the road to support the Oblange Fizz Y'all EP by playing both Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits music festivals.  A nationwide tour with Foster The People and Cults will immediately follow ACL festival in September.  See all current dates below.   

Hailing from the greater Athens-Atlanta-Asheville area, Reptar has been playing music ever since recorded history, but playing shows as Reptar since December 2008.  Since then, the fast rising fabulous four has created quite a sensation around the Southeast. It all started with their debut 7" recorded with producer Ben Allen (Sean P. Diddy Combs, Gnarls Barkley, Animal Collective, and Matt & Kim) and released on Allen's label Make Records Not Bombs:http://mrnb.bigcartel.com/.   

Reptar likes to first and foremost make people dance, and have been likened to The Talking Heads, Animal Collective, Prince, Marky Mark, Lake, Air, and the Jackson 5. The band is made up of Andrew McFarland, a Brazilian native, classically trained snare drummer, and sophmore at UGA, Ryan Engleberger, who currently attends Dartmouth College in the Artic Circle majoring in Jaco Pastorius’ fretless bass, Graham Ulicny, a hernianted African Soukous guitarist and AstroBioElectroPhysics student at the University of North Carolina in Asheville, and William Kennedy, greatgodson to Herbie Hancock’s ARP 2600 and connosiour of fine chocolate (85% cocao or above) and sophmore at UGA. With Reptar's powers combined, they can topple small buildings, smaltzy restaurants, and shmuppy next-door-neighbors with their devastating wall of synthesizers and samples.

Frenchkiss signs Races

Big Broom by Races

From the announcement:

RACES (formerly known as Black Jesus) formed in the fall of 2009 after singer/songwriter Wade Ryff escaped the sweaty grips of multiple bands, the San Fernando Valley and a real life witch. Originally formed as an impromptu group assembled for a one time performance, this haphazard ensemble of 7 musicians decided to continue playing together and see what opportunities came their way. RACES have recently signed to Frenchkiss Records, who will be releasing their self-recorded and produced debut album this fall.

Fat Possum signs Youth Lagoon

Montana by Youth Lagoon

From the recent announcement:

Twenty-two year old Trevor Powers, whose musical venture is called Youth Lagoon, has had a long year. Not because he's been endlessly touring or pursuing some wild dream, but because of life - the life of a kid going to college, being in love, dealing with heartache, and just living.

"Youth Lagoon isn't me." says Powers. "It's merely a part of me. I was in and out of different bands in high school and always tried to define myself by what music I played. I tried to find a sense of meaning by being in a band. But it wasn't until this last year - when I realized I was more than just music - that I was able to create music that means something to me. And that is Youth Lagoon."

Throughout the course of 2010, Powers began to write an album about things he had a hard time talking about. He claims that when he tries to talk about it to people, he doesn't make sense. So he wrote an album about it titled The Year of Hibernation.  

"For my whole life I've dealt with extreme anxiety." says Powers. "Not anxiety about passing a test or somewhat normal things, but weird.. bizarre things. Things that only I know. I sometimes feel like I'm literally being eaten up inside. So I started writing these songs. Not just songs about my anxiety, but about my past and my present. Songs about memories, and all those feelings that those bring. I know that if I can be honest about what is inside my mind, there will be others that will be able to relate to it."

Although his music seems somewhat dreamy with the first listen, the lyrics show a different side to the matter. Hidden beneath the melodies is a voice that is eerie yet nostalgic. Powers claims his music is like letting people read his journal. "I don't think I could ever write a completely happy album. It's not that I'm not a happy person," claims Powers, "but I just have too many things in my mind that haunt me."

The Year of Hibernation by Youth Lagoon is due Sept. 27 on Fat Possum (and on Lefse in Europe) - stay tuned for more details.

Razor & Tie signs Kevin Devine

 

From the recent announcement:

(New York, NY) - Razor & Tie is excited to announce the signing of Brooklyn based singer-songwriter Kevin Devine.  His new full length album, Between the Concrete & Clouds, will be released September 13, 2011 via Razor & Tie / Favorite Gentlemen.  Devine will head out this fall on a headlining tour with The Features as direct support on its first leg.  The tour will kick off on September 6th in Pittsburgh, PA at Club AE and make stops nationwide, concluding in Upland, CA at The Wire.  (Dates below, 2nd half forthcoming).   Stream or download the title track (both approved to post).      

Between The Concrete & Clouds is a record full of firsts for Devine, both sonically and technically.  Perhaps best known for his solo acoustic musings, this is the first record he's made that is fully backed by a band.  After settling back home in Brooklyn after being on tour for most of 2009 and '10, Devine spent time in his rehearsal space playing around with ideas on his own, bringing shape to the songs by recording them as acoustic demos, something he hasn't done since high school. 

Produced by longtime collaborator Chris Bracco and mixed by Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith, Dr. Dog), Between the Concrete & Clouds was recorded in 10 days over a span of a month.  The 10 track album features musicians Brian Bonz (keyboard), Chris Bracco (bass, keyboard), Mike Fadem (drums, percussion), Russell Smith (electric guitar), and Mike Strandberg (guitar, mandolin).  This is the first recording Devine's done with his version of this band, and it had an inspired impact on the final product.

"The combination of Chris and Rob on this record kind of marries the best aspects of everything I've tried to do over the past ten years," said Kevin.  "I tried to explore a bit musically and make an album that still has a lot to chew on, but serves it with a scoop of ice cream," said Kevin.  "I took the lyrical density of what I typically write - which are not-simple stories about not-simple people, or what I feel life is most accurately like - but give them more of a traditional pop structure."  

Devine has received numerous accolades from press and fans alike over the span of his nine year career.  His discography includes several EPs and live albums, as well as past full-lengthsCircle Gets the Square (2002), Make the Clocks Move (2003), Split The Country, Split The Street(2005), Put Your Ghost to Rest (2006), Brother's Blood (2009), and Bad Books (2010), a side project Kevin worked on with Andy Hull and other members of Manchester Orchestra.  Kevin has played with top artists including Bright Eyes, Manchester Orchestra, Okkervill River, Earlimart, and many more, and has performed at the following festivals: Coachella 2010, Bonnaroo 2010, Bamboozle 2010, Lollapalooza 2009, Austin City Limits 2007, and Soundwave 2008 (Australia).  

 

TOUR DATES

Sept 6 - Pittsburgh, PA - Club AE
Sept 7 - Akron, OH - Musica
Sept 8 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
Sept 9 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
Sept 10 - St. Louis, MO - Old Rock House
Sept 11 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
Sept 13 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
Sept 14 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
Sept 16 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon Lounge
Sept 17 - Portland, OR - Bunk Bar
Sept 19 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
Sept 20 - Upland, CA - The Wire