Crossroads of America Records

Mother

xra_admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:00:18 +0000

At the turn of the century, a girl walks into a living room where a boy is watching a Phil Collins concert DVD. She is confused because it will still be several years before this sort of behavior is widely acceptable again. She wonders who he is and what gives him the audacity to enjoy what he likes. The boy’s name is Burke Sullivan, and the girl cannot know what he will become. Flash-forward to the advent of marketable bedroom records, those helplessly viral offspring of affordable home recording and conceived-in-the-80s nostalgic baggage. Whether this union is divine or demonic, salvation or sacrilege, is in the hands of the priest who marries them. The combination of a keen melodic talent, an exceptional work ethic and a uniquely Midwestern perspective make Sullivan a worthy minister of the elements. On Mother, nothing is rushed. Like Dad always told us, if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right. Sullivan draws from a decade of experience in local music scenes and a passion for the perfect pop song to create a debut that burrows a New Terrors-shaped hole deep into the middle of your heart, and eats it from the inside out. What if groups like Tears For Fears and Thompson Twins had spent their formative years listening to alternative rock, making radio-ripped mix tapes of songs by Nirvana, The Verve Pipe, and The Toadies? What if Kevin Shields and Brian Eno had made a record together in 2001? While comparisons may be drawn to artists such as Washed Out, Flying Saucer Attack, Small Black and Aphex Twin, Mother shares more sonic likeness to the instrumentation found in the verses of Heart’s “These Dreams”, with an affecting emotional maturity that is neither ironic nor trite.

TRACKLIST:
1. Teething Troubles
2. Seagulls
3. Feather Fingers
4. Mouths
5. Twins
6. Snakeskin [MP3]
7. Night of the Creeps
8. Souvenir (Cassette Only)

XRA Records Digital Store

xra_admin — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:38:49 +0000

It’s here! The new XRA Records Digital Store collects our entire digital catalog in an easy to navigate, easy to use shop where you can buy and sample as much XRA Records music as you can stomach.

While our first love definitely still remains in the physical realm, (touch is our love language, after all) we figured, while we’re at the digital thing too, we might as well make it easy and wide open! More new physical releases are moving their way down the tubes as we speak, but in the meantime, feel free to peruse the digital offerings (including some out-of-print titles) and let your imagination run wild!

So, if there’s an XRA title you’ve always been curious about but didn’t want to pull the trigger blindly, give it a listen in the digital store and we’re sure you’ll be convinced of it’s greatness. And as always, if you hear something you like be sure to pick up the real-world version of it from our Catalog page.

VISIT THE DIGITAL STORE BY CLICKING ON THESE WORDS WITH YOUR MOUSE!!!

ATG on TV!

xra_admin — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:42:38 +0000

Mark your calendars! We just received a telegram from Hollywood, California with some big, BIG news…

On April 16, 2012 point your satellite dish, or tune your dial, or direct your web browser to the Oxygen Network’s big time hit television programming sensation “Bad Girls Club” so you can hear Alexander the Great’s tune “Postcard”! (First heard on the XRA Records release “Faces Change”) The song will play sometime during episode #812, “Breakup Breakdown”. It’s sure to be a riveting, explosive nite of television. Please join us and tell all your pals to tune in!

Featured Band

xra_admin — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:47:37 +0000

Metavari
Metavari is just days away from successfully funding their brand new, gorgeous, and fittingly ambitious double LP, Gravity is Still Everywhere. Take a look!

Bro. Stephen “Tears on Tape” video and Tour Dates!

xra_admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:20:12 +0000

I want every head bowed, and every eye closed…nobody looking around….Now, who likes music videos? I see that hand. I see those hands! OPEN YOUR EYES! YOUR SALVATION HAS ARRIVED!!

and here it is : Bro. Stephen – Tears on Tape (Official Video)

What’s that? Is there a non-conformist anti-establishment longhair in our midst? What’s that, you say? You don’t care for music videos?! Well, we’ll never understand you, but we love you in spite of your flaws. Here are the Bro. Stephen, LIVE and IN PERSON, tour dates just for you, my longhaired friend!

Have faith :
Feb. 17^th | Bloomington, IN @ In-store @ Landlocked w/ Lydia Loveless

Feb. 17^th | Bloomington, IN @ Record Release Show at Russian Recording w/ Mike Adams At His Honest Weight and Busman’s Holiday
Feb. 18^th | Muncie, IN @ Village Green Records w/ State Park
Feb. 19^th | South Bend, IN @ Quincy’s w/ John Davey
Feb. 20^th | Grand Rapids, MI @ 815 Watson St SE w/ Fred Thomas (Saturday Looks Good to Me), Nathan K (limited seating! Email danclimie@gmail.com for a spot on the guest list)
Feb. 21^st | Lansing, MI @ tba w/ Nathan K
Feb. 22^nd | Kalamazoo, MI @ No Fun House w/ Glowfriends
Feb. 23^rd | Ypsilanti, MI @ Woodruff’s w/ Gun Lake
Feb. 24^th | Toledo, OH @ In-store @ Culture Clash
Feb. 24th | West Lafayette, IN @ Greyhouse
Feb. 25^th | Indianapolis, IN @ LUNA Music w/ husband&wife, Rodeo Ruby Love, and Metavari
Feb. 26^th | Nashville, TN @ The Dirks’ House w/ Seth Wood
Feb. 27^th | St. Louis, MO @ The Heavy Anchor
Feb. 28^th | Bowling Green, KY @ tba
March 1^st | Springfield, IL @ tba
March 2^nd | Peoria, IL @ 2020 House
March 4^th | Milwaukee, WI @ Linneman’s w/ Golden Coins, Jay Flash
March 5^th | Minneapolis, MN @ tba w/ Kalispell
March 6^th | Eau Claire, WI @ The Mouse Trap w/ Kalispell
March 8^th | Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR w/ Molly Sullivan
March 9th | Ft. Wayne, IN @ The Dash-In
March 11^th | Louisville, KY @ RYE on Market
March 13^th | Austin, TX @ SXSW
March 14^th | Austin, TX @ SXSW
March 15^th | Austin, TX @ SXSW
March 16^th | Austin, TX @ SXSW
March 17^th | Austin, TX @ SXSW

Hear two new Bro. Stephen songs!

xra_admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:05:26 +0000

Our pals over at Octopuswindmill.com are streaming two brand new tracks (“Domino” and “Tears on Tape”) from the forthcoming Bro. Stephen album, Baptist Girls!

Listen now, then buy the record, then feel like a million gottdang bucks!

XRA-033 Banner

xra_admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:55:17 +0000

Happy New Year!

xra_admin — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:30:37 +0000

Welcome to the final year of existence! 2012. Wow. All of this build up, all of this progress and innovation, all of human history culminates in one enormous worldwide fireball at the stroke of midnight on 12/21/12. Who knew….

So, I guess we’re just kinda hanging around killing time at this point, all of us. My recommendation would be this: If you HAVE to sit around and anticipate the apocalypse, why not do it listening to the new Bro. Stephen record? After all, it’s very good, and it kind of makes a perfect soundtrack for waiting for the end of time. I mean, at that moment when the Earth’s crust turns inside out I’m sure we’ll all be playing some SUNN O)))) or Zao or something, but until then, Bro. Stephen is ready to sooth us and calm us down while we wait. I mean, we’ve got 11 months to sit idly by and wring our hands. No reason to waste that time worrying and fretting. As for me and my house, we will let Bro. Stephen give us a neck rub until the moon turns to blood and the locusts reign down from on high.

Ok, sorry…enough of that….here’s some real information.
The new Bro. Stephen Record Baptist Girls is out officially on 1/24/12!!
If you preorder it now, though, we’ll send it right away!!
Tour dates are falling into place for Bro. Steve and he’ll be hitting the road hard with his new record beginning in February!!
We’ll be happy to debut the new single/music video very soon!! Just waiting on some finishing touches.

We’re very excited about this record, and a few other things that will be coming up very soon. Feel free to get in touch with us anytime if you have any questions, or just want to chat.

Baptist Girls

xra_admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:53:22 +0000

Nearly two years of wandering the country and hopeful soul-searching have culminated in the debut full-length from Bro. Stephen. The feelings are clear, the lyrics are poetic, and the ghosts in the background are real…

Primarily recorded in a converted chicken coop in rural Indiana, Baptist Girls is stark but hopeful; haunting but beautiful. The sounds of incidental rain and the crack of the wood-burning stove do much to inform the experience. Occasional help from Cheyenne Marie Mize (Yep Roc / Bonnie “Prince” Billy) certainly doesn’t hurt, either!

Tracklist :
Easy Love
Tears on Tape
Patrons of the Arts
Jacob
Without Effort
This June
Under Your Feet
Domino
Bare Wood
Prayer Pose
Shepherd’s Cane
When You Find Out
Fix Your Grip*
Late Night Park Race*

(* vinyl-only bonus track)

November is Vinyl Month!

xra_admin — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:55:30 +0000

…3 brand new vinyl releases from XRA records before the year is over. Just in time for the holidays!!

You read right! We know its been kind of a quiet year for us, release wise, but things are back on track and in full-effect. here’s the deal :

XRA-027 / Bro. Stephen / Patrons of the Arts 7″
We’re now taking orders, and shipping immediately, this beautiful brand new 7″ single from Bro. Stephen! (The official release date is Nov 8, but this music CANNOT be contained) These songs were recorded in the middle of a former chicken barn in the middle of autumn in the middle of nowhere in Indiana. he A-side is a well orchestrated, toe-tapping taste of what’s to come from Bro. Stephen while the B-side features two exclusive solo tracks accompanied only by the cracking of the wood stove and the rain falling hard against the barn’s tin roof. (limited to 300 copies, vinyl-only)

XRA-032 / Alexander the Great / Native Tongues 7″
The final piece in the songwriting puzzle that was Alexander the Great…this posthumous release finds the Bloomington youngins at their most melancholy-yet-inspired moment yet. Three lovely tunes to bid farewell to ATG, while at the same time reminding us just exactly what it is we’re going to miss about these dudes; catchy hooks, true emotion, and thoughtful, thought provoking imagery. (limited to 200 copies, vinyl includes mp3 download)

XRA-034 / Candy Claws + Mike Adams At His Honest Weight / Sing Starflyer 59 Split 10″
We’re pleased as punch to offer this novelty with our buddies from Flannelgraph Records! Two of the modern era’s greatest acts, Candy Claws and Mike Adams At His Honest Weight, together at last doing covers of the world’s greatest undisputed act of all time, STARFLYER 59! (strictly limited to 500 copies, vinyl includes mp3 download)

prices and ordering info for all three of these brand new offerings can be found by visiting the “Catalog” page, right up above us here.

…and if that wasn’t enough….
XRA will be doing another abbreviated version of XRAfest this weekend at the Village Green Records in Muncie, Indiana! All of that info can be found on the “Live” page.

more great stuff is coming after the turn of the new year, but that’s all we can tell you about for now. see you soon!!!!