Sleeping Bag's Adams Demos Cassette is available right now (and since yesterday) from us, or ask about it at your favorite record shop!
As of yesterday afternoon, the Laminar Excursion Monthly series has officially drawn to a close. All of the final shipments have been dropped in the mail and subscribers should expect to find them at their door any day now. 26 releases, hours upon hours of cd b urning, tons of stamping cutting and folding, and over 7 1/2 hours of good music later, we couldn't be happier with how this project came out. Mondo thanks to everyone who participated, both artist-side and subscriber-side. We hope you enjoyed the year as much as we did!
here's a recap :
January
LEM 1 : Damien Jurado
LEM 2 : Chad Serhal with She Does Is Magic
February
LEM 3 : Health Worldwide
LEM 4 : Danny Paul Grody
March
LEM 5 : husband&wife
LEM 6 : Black Cat
April
LEM 7 : Frank Schweikhardt
LEM 8 : J. Tillman
May
LEM 9 : Richard Swift
LEM 10 : Homecomings
June
LEM 11 : Everything, NOW!
LEM 12 : Osteoferocious
July
LEM 13 : Cotton Jones
LEM 14 : Dylan Ettinger
August
LEM 15 : Matt Nowlin Jazz Orchestra
LEM 16 : Vollmar
September
LEM 17 : Bro. Stephen
LEM 18 : Rodeo Ruby Love
October
LEM 19 : The Paradise Losers
LEM 20 : Dr. NoBot & Friends
November
LEM 21 : 900x
LEM 22 : Either/Or
December
LEM 23 : Bexar Bexar
LEM 24 : Metavari
LEM 25 : Alexander the Great / Cigarette Cigarette
LEM 26 : Mombaccus (Saxon Shore)
Ain't she a beaut! Believe it or not, we actually didn't sell all 100 subscriptions (we know...it's a commitment!) so, sometime soon we'll probably make the very few remaining complete box sets available for sale, but you're sure not getting it for no $50!
Also, we're hoping to try another subscription based series sometime in 2012 if the starts align. we'll keep you posted!
THANKS AGAIN!!
Bittersweet news tonight, all of the Starflyer 59 Silver test pressings have been sold and are no longer available from us here at XRA Records.
There are still a few of the regular version, as well as just a couple of OLD test presses still available for those interested parties.
For the rest of yous...it's off to EBAY!
Fans of anything ever, but especially of the hit TV series One Tree Hill, will be pleased to hear that there is a new Interview with Zack Melton available for listening right now on the Hilarie Burton-curated SoGoPro Podcast!
Check it out right here! CLICK THESE WORDS!!
We're knee-deep in doughnuts over here at XRA headquarters! Streamers are flying, party favors are buzzing, pots and pans are banging, every couch is a make-out-party....it's WILD!
Why are we so excited, you ask? Because we have the pleasure of introducing you to Sleeping Bag, our new bros. from another cosmos!
Sleeping Bag is the best band around. They rock when duty calls, they jam on impact, and they know how to get serious when the time comes. Mark your calendars for MARCH 8, 2011 because that's the day Sleeping Bag's Adams Demos Cassette EP was released on XRA Records! (Preorder's up now, though...and it ships early. MP3 coming soon)
Where were you when Sleeping Bag dropped?
Check ' em out!
All week long Rodeo Ruby Love is topping the editorial pick section over at PUREVOLUME.COM! go listen. go "like" them. go tweet about it. go tweet it on the mountain!
Bad touch first...
Due to the craziness of the holidays, (and a special super secret surprise) I'm afraid I have to announce that the December, and final, shipment of the Laminar Excursion Monthly series is a bit behind. Everything is in production and on it's way very soon, we just got a later start than we had hoped. Anywho, things will arrive before too long, and your collection will be complete!
Good touch!!!!!!!
There aren't many details to report just yet, but I've been listening to the final masters for three of our new releases this week and getting very VERY excited about them. The specifics are all being hashed out presently, like official release dates and what not, but please join me in looking forward to:
Bro. Stephen - Patrons of the Arts 7"
Alexander the Great - Native Tongues 7"
and
Sleeping Bag - Adams Demos Cassette EP
the Bro. Steve stuff is sparse, haunting and pretty. The ATG stuff is catchy, thoughtful and complex, and the Sleeping Bag tunes are raw and energetic. Speaking of which, you can actually hear a brand new, non-XRA Sleeping Bag song right now for free!
click on the word "Slime" to check it out.
2010 is winding down, but there's still time for us to squeeze in some exciting XRA news before we close the lid.
Today is a special day because today is the day that DOUG BURR is prominently featured on DAYTROTTER.COM! His session showcases some beautiful stripped-down versions of 4 songs from his latest XRA Records release, O Ye Devastator. The songs are as haunting and achingly gorgeous as ever with Doug's signature delivery taking center stage against the backdrop of a single guitar and piano. As always, it's free, so don't miss it!
a few of things...
Number 1: the super nice, talented, and in-shape fellows at bandcycle.com just posted a fantastic video they put together in regards to their trip to bloomington and their visit with XRA. just click the play button over Indiana once you get to the site!
Number 2: there are a couple of new husband&wife interviews to read concerning Proud Flesh, plans for the future, reflections on the past, touring, what-have you. you can find them at Stereosubversion and Jansport!
Number 3: Alexander the Great just turned in the final mixes for their brand new 7" record Native Tongues. It's a beautiful aside from ATG that showcases their most laid back, pop-tified side yet, without abandoning their usual virtuosic playing and progressive songwriting skills. We'll have a release date for you soon, but get excited, because this thing is gonna be great!
Number 4: lots of XRA touring happening right now, so be sure and check out the Tour & Performances page to see who's going to be near you, and when!
It's official! Tomorrow marks the day when husband&wife's brand new record Proud Flesh sees the light of day. Preorders of the CD version are already shipping, not to mention the album being available early on bandcamp and at h+w shows. Tomorrow it will be available at your local record shop, or wherever fine CDs are sold, AND from itunes, amazonmp3 and a host of other online retailers.
the hub 'n dub fellas are also on tour at the moment. If you just can't make it to a show (we're sorry for you) but, you can keep with the tour via the husband&wife tour blog that is updated daily by the band.
ALSO, Frank Schweikhardt is on tour once again. get those dates here. Frank's working on a brand new album and his set at XRA fest was definitely a favorite amongst everybody there. Catch him solo while there's still time before he blows up into a major pop sensation!
There is another big announcement coming from us very soon, but we can't spill the beans just yet. For a clue, you can feel free to check out the Bro. Stephen tour blog and try to catch one of his upcoming shows. This is going to be big, BIG NEWS!
I'm writing in a hurry right now, so hopefully i didn't leave anything out. expect more frequent updates in the coming weeks as things start to settle down for us a bit.
TTYL!
it's that time again......XRAfest is upon us!!!
This year is more action-packed and better than ever, for real. Not only are you getting two nights of XRA-ness dribbled down your sweet little chin from the entire XRA roster, there are loads of surprises coming at you, too.
One: Alexander the Great haven't played a show in almost 4 months. Not locally, not anywhere, and they've got a heavenly host of funky new jams to get your butt shaking. I'm really banking on their entire set being a raucous rowdy mess the likes of which has never been seen. And that's a lot of $5 words, but i'm serious. get ready to party.
Two: Rodeo Ruby Love are playing a bunch of moldy oldies. Fans of Your Love Has Made Everything Beautiful will not be disappointed. In fact, they're practicing in the other room right now as I type this, and it's like I'm hearing these songs for the first time all over again. I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS SHOW!
Three: husband&wife are doing an entire set dictated by YOUR requests. Anything goes...If there's a song from the husband&wife back catalog that you've just been dying to hear, simply send a little e-mail to hello@xrarecords.com and let us know what it is. it's JUST that easy. get the requests in quick though, because there isn't much time left for the dudes to rehearse.
and those are just the surprises we've been warned of!
September 24 and 25 are the dates. Russian Recording and the Bishop are the venues. Bloomington, IN is the town, and 8 measly dollars gets you in both nights. (or $5 each if you're a wimp). There will also be plenty of things happening during the day saturday if you're coming in from out-of-town. just shoot us an email if you want to hang!
It's official! Starting now, a handful of our new releases are available from Insound.com!
You're already picking a bunch of stuff up from them, so next time you're browsing around over there go ahead and throw some Alexander the Great, Doug Burr, husband&wife, Metavari, Rodeo Ruby Love, or Starflyer 59 albums in your cart. It's just that easy. Or, as always, you can totally get this stuff directly through our mailorder catalog. Either way, YOU win!!
Another bit of exciting news for you non-physical, internet-realm, mp3 download types out there (i'm looking at you, teenagers!)...Every Rodeo Ruby Love album, even the out-of-print ones and never-before-released-as-mp3s ones are available as high quality downloads for real cheap from our friends at Daytrotter.com
get 'em while they're hot!
We just posted the preorder form for Starflyer 59's OLD in the catalog. Get them while you can....
Also, Doug Burr orders are shipping now!
Hi Folks,
Bad news first...thanks a million to everyone who has preordered the new Doug Burr album O Ye Devastator so far. Unfortunately, there has actually been more than one printing error made during the production of the album. None of it is our fault, but we still have to suffer the consequences. So, just to let you know, everything should be here no later than next week and all of the orders will be shipping ASAP once all the parts arrive. Thanks for being so patient.
On to the good news! We're really pleased to (finally) officially announce that we will be releasing the world's first and only vinyl edition of Starflyer 59's classic album Old in August! August 10 to be exact. As many of you know, that's also the same day as the release of the brand new SF59 album the Changing of the Guard...stayed tuned for more info on how to get both of these new releases as one sweet package deal. The preorder for Old should be up on the catalog page in a couple of days. And on a related note, we have a VERY SMALL number of Old test pressings that are for sale right now until they are gone. If you're interested in such things, feel free to send $40.59 to michaeldwayneadams@gmail.com via paypal and we'll get one out to you right away.
More good news! husband&wife recently turned in to us the final mixes for their new album Proud Flesh and it is a real rocker! The mastering date is this Sunday. we'll try to give you a preview sometime after that, but until then, you can just dream about how great it's going to be to finally hear this album! Look for an October release date for this one.
Rodeo Ruby Love and Metavari are still on tour, and on opposite ends of the country! try to catch the one that's closest to you if you can, before it's too late!
And one last thing...planning has gotten into full-swing for this year's XRAfest. More info soon, but be prepared to party in September!
Dudes, you gotta check out the catalog page! Starting right now you can preorder both of our brand new summer releases!
First, Rodeo Ruby Love's new album, This is Why We Don't Have Nice Things (6/29/10) is available for a mere $10! If you didn't catch the album stream at the end of last month, let me tell you what you're missing. This is without a doubt RRL's finest work yet. Recorded in Indianapolis by Wes Deboy (Arrah and the Ferns) and mixed in Kansas by Ed Rose (the Get Up Kids, Appleseed Cast, Kill Creek) "...Nice Things" is the most focussed, punchy, polished, high energy, sing-a-long record that Zack and Co. have made yet. And that's really saying something considering their other records are like the best things ever. Take a listen to "America's Funniest Home Videos" in the player next door if you don't believe me. You have two weeks to preorder and receive a special little gift made just for you by the band!
Second, we're stoked off our nuggets to tell you that you can also now preorder the new LP O Ye Devastator by our friend and Texan Doug Burr, right over there at the "catalog" page. If you don't know Doug's music yet (and you will soon!) a lot of names like Tweedy, Kozelek, Jim James, and Bon Iver get tossed around when people are being introduced to him. All fine comparisons, but believe me, especially on this new record, Doug's definitely got a beautiful brooding melodiousness all his own. If you'd like to see what Doug has to offer before you commit to buying the LP (which also comes with a digital copy of the album) check out this jam packed info page at Spune.com. There's all kinds of music and great looking video over there that i'm confident will make you want to order this thing album as soon as you can!
That's all the preorder news we have to offer for now, but the summer is just getting started. We'll try to be free with as much info as we can regarding the other new stuff coming down the tube....another Starflyer 59 LP, new husband&wife material, an Alexander the Great 7", AND a Bro. Stephen 7"...we'll see how much of that we can squeeze out before this year is over. I'll bet we can do it all! Help us....buy something!
Two days only: That's today and tomorrow, our good buddies over at Musical Family Tree will be streaming the brand new Rodeo Ruby Love album This Is Why We Don't Have Nice Things in it's entirety...absolutely FREE!
but.....the record doesn't come out until June 29, why is this happening? is this real life? Yes, it is! RRL is getting ready to hit the road in a major way this summer and the first of their summer shows are happening right here in good ole Indiana, starting tomorrow with a cd release show/party in Indianapolis! Listen to the record, come to the show, buy the record, buy a t-shirt, party til you drop and prepare yourself for the greatest summer of all time!
Good news abounds! here we go.....
XRA is very pleased to anounce that we have teamed up with our friends over at Velvet Blue Music and Spune Productions in order to bring you the brand new LP, O Ye Devastator, from TX native and incredible songsmith Doug Burr! The CD and digital versions of the album will be available May 4th from VBM, with the vinyl version quick on it's heels right here at XRA. We don't have an official release date yet for the LP, but that information, along with preorder info for the LP (including a digital download) will be making an appearance here very soon.
In the meantime, check out the single RED, RED from O Ye Devastator that's tearing up the web right here.
in other news, the brand new Metavari 12" ep will be arriving this week and shipping as soon as we can get them screened and assemebled. This music is supreme, and only 100 copies exist! (are you kidding me!!?!?) so don't wait....get them fast. preorder it here.
AND, the new Rodeo Ruby Love album This Is Why We Don't Have Nice Things will be available for preorder soon. The first single from the album, America's Funniest Home Videos is circulating the web presently and making some waves. Check it out and get psyched for this record. It's their best yet...no joke!
Oh! and I almost forgot...one more "more info/preorder coming soon" announcement....We're super excited to announce that we will be giving Starflyer 59's classic 2003 album Old the vinyl treatment very soon. Martin, Cloud, Lenz, AND Swift in a trippy rocking floyd-esque haze! What a lineup! it's looking like August for a release date, but we'll nail that down soon and make it known.
spooked ya!
That's right, folks. Right now it is time to mark your calendars for June 29, 2010. That is the day that Rodeo Ruby Love's brand new full-length album, This Is Why We Don't Have Nice Things will be available from us, your favorite record store, and a whole host of internet-based digital music sellers! The new album was recorded in Indianapolis by Wes Deboy (Arrah and the Ferns), and mixed in Kansas by Ed Rose (the Get Up Kids, Appleseed Cast, Kill Creek, Canterbury Effect) and it sounds incredible!
What's that you say? You'd like to hear a song from this outstanding new album? No problemo! Next Monday (4/5) Indianapolis' own NUVO will be debuting the album's lead-off single America's Funniest Home Videos, and we are absolutely certain that you're going to be impressed. don't forget to head over there first thing monday morning and give your ears a thrill.
One more thing...RRL is also hitting the road in a major way in support of this record. in the next few days we'll be listing TONS of US tour dates, including some first-time west coast dates for Rodeo Ruby Love!
Listen to the single, buy the album, catch a show on tour, have a blast. Doctors Orders!
Alexander the Great is all set to WOW you one more time with a brand new track on the forthcoming compilation album It Happened Here available on Record Store Day, April 17 2010, from Russian Recording/Landlocked Music/St. Ives Records. This LP+7" compilation is limited to a mere 750 copies and boasts this unreal, and exclusive, tracklist:
The Delicious - Something
Maps & Atlases - Pigeon (live)
ROOMS - Radio Ghosts
Magnolia Electric Co. - Rider. Shadow. Wolf. (live)
Tremendous Fucking - We've Got Your Daddy
The Entrance Band - Lookout (live)
Prizzy Prizzy Please - Let's Go to the Zoo
Wovenhand - Kicking Bird (live)
Alexander the Great - Built From the Ground Up
Damien Jurado - Kansas City (live)
Whoa!Tiger - Calm After the Storm
Phosphorescent - South of America (live>
Bonus 7":
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Beware Your Only Friend (live)
Lou Barlow - Imagination Blond (live)
Built From the Ground Up was recorded during the sessions for last year's critically LOVED Faces Change, but has never seen the light of day, until now. Good luck getting your hands on one of these things!
...but loads of news is even better!
First things first. Next week Metavari and husband&wife are heading out on a short trip down south for the festivities in Austin, TX. (including shows with Rodeo Ruby Love, Danielson, Ben + Vesper, and a few other great bands) All of those tour dates are available on the tours page and include a few towns where these guys have been meaning to pay a visit for quite some time. Maybe one of those towns is yours?
Also, in celebration of the tour, Metavari are releasing a brand new, VERY LIMITED one-sided 12" of brand new material! All of the info and pre-order stuff is available at MTVRI.com. And for reals, get them while they're hot because they will not last long.
Also, in new release news, there are 7"s on the way soon from Alexander the Great and Bro. Stephen...WHO?!?...more info on that very soon, as well as the brand new full-length record from Rodeo Ruby Love, and it is awesome! More info and a single will be coming very soon.
Stay Tuned!
It's all true! We just got e-mail confirmation yesterday from Scotland-by-way-of-Indiana punk rock legend Daniel Otto Jack Petersen (aka Ottobot, Otto Nobot) that he and his friends, running the whole gamut of his musical endeavors, will be participating in this year's Laminar Excursion Monthly project!
What does this mean, exactly? From the horse's fingers: "a few new tracks from [Voice of the Mysterons], a few new tracks from Blaster [the Rocketman], and a few tracks from a new musical project I'm working on with a couple guys (as yet unnamed), and a few short spoken word pieces - all packed into 20 minutes!"
Needless to say, all of the undead little monsters creeping around the XRA/Flannelgraph morgues these days are salivating for whatever delicious treats Otto's brain has to offer. (we're excited!)
And, just so you know, there are still a few subscriptions left. And by few, I mean "not very many". So, you'd better jump on the wagon before it's too late.
EAT FLESH!
as recently as today, husband&wife have released a brand new, free, 0" single! the A side is a home recording of the fellas doing a lively rendition of chemic's classic jam "Don't Stop", complete with homemade kazoos and the whole nine yards. The B side is an unbelievable "remix" of husband&wife's classic jam "I Got Fat" by Matt Coleman that is sure to be the club hit of the summer!
the single is only available for a limited time, but you can get it right now by visiting www.husband-wife.net and clicking the link.
it's official! as of right now you can get the new Either/Or collection, Greatest Hits, Vol. I, available only on i-tunes! Greatest Hits, Vol. I compiles all three limited edition Either/Or albums, all 47 tracks, into one massive onslaught of short bursts of Jimi Mann's insane personality and quirky songwriting (not song finishing, he doesn't bother).
In celebration of this digital release, Either/Or is hitting the road this month with husband&wife. here are the dates:
January 14 - Kalamzoo, MI
January 15 - Detroit, MI
January 16 - Lansing, MI
January 17 - Pierceton, IN
January 20 - Bloomington, IN
January 22 - Terre Haute, IN
January 23 - Ft. Wayne, IN
January 24 - Muncie, IN
more info for all of these shows is available on the tour dates page.
also, check this out!
For some reason, this year, 2009, has seen an abundance of "Best of..." lists popping up all over God's green internet. Not to mention the influx of people belly-aching all over the place about all of the "Best of..." lists. Either way, we're always excited when someone likes our records, and we like it even more when they tell other people that they like them! So, in order to celebrate word-of-mouth advertising, the democratization of the internet, and good, independent music we thought we'd publicly congratulate husband&wife and Frank Schweikhardt for making #'s 25 and 11 respectively on Backseat Sandbar's "Top Albums of 2009" list! great work fellas!
And, also, too, as a friendly reminder, the few remaining LEM subscriptions will be jumping up to $50 in just a couple of days. get them cheap while you still can.
It's the most wonderful time of the year! So, in order to celebrate, we're making you this special seasonal gift offer. Buy one XRA title, and you'll get another absolutely free! Every XRA order you make during the month of December will get you another XRA title of your choosing (of equal or lesser value) for FREE! The only rule is that it has to be a different title than the one you already ordered.
Just put the name of the free record you want in the comment section of your paypal transaction. It's just that easy.
The fine folks over at Pitchforkmedia.com made mention today of our very own Laminar Excursion Monthly series! That's big news for us because, as you well know, Pitchforkmedia is like our generation's Rolling Stone + Will it Float? put together. So, today, we kind of feel like what would happen if Cameron Crowe (finally) had a baby with Biff Henderson.
Still a few subscriptions left...get them fast!
You've probably already noticed that fantastic scrolling banner at the top of the page (thanks be unto Nate) but in case you didn't, here's the skinny...
XRAfest (sort of) is hitting the road! This weekend, Saturday November 21 to be exact, at Molly Malone's Irish Pub (3rd floor) in Covington, KY, at 9pm, husband&wife, rodeo ruby love, metavari, alexander the great, and the atriums will be playing a fine rock n roll show to show the greater cincinnati area what XRA has got going on. Come on out and hang!
Laminar Excursion Monthly is a 3" subscription service starting January 2010 and made available through the collaboration of Crossroads of America Records and Flannelgraph Records. The intimacy of its sparsity and the intentionality of its medium promise to make this an even more fulfilling investment than a jelly-of-the-month club.
Subscribers will receive two new 3″ cds at the beginning of every month in the year 2010. A unique box will be sent with the initial shipment. Even if the rest of your world falls apart, you can still count on having two new compact discs arriving to your mailbox each month for the entire year.
Each disc will hold 20 minutes of brand new, unreleased material from the artists. The joint effort is bringing together the rosters of both labels as well as such notable artists as Richard Swift, Damien Jurado, Cotton Jones, J. Tillman, Desolation Wilderness, Bexar Bexar, Danny Grody (of Tarentel and The Drift), Saxon Shore, and a host of others.
Laminar Excursion Monthly will be limited to 100 subscribers.
The yearly subscription fee is $45.00 until January 1st. If any subscriptions are still available at that point, the fee raises to $50.00.
Subscriptions will be available here at www.xrarecords.com beginning Monday, November 2nd.
Here's the deal - we're now taking pre-orders for METAVARI's brand new full-length album Be One Of Us And Hear No Noise. Not only does preordering the record secure your place in metvari/xra history as one of the first people to have this beautiful record in their hands, but anyone who preorders the album (orders placed before 8/18/09) will also receive a FREE copy of Metavari's debut Ambling EP!!
Seriously, get them while they last.
also, in conjuction with the release of their new record the guys in Metavari are curating an art exhibit in Fort Wayne NEXT WEEKEND! More info on the band's MySpace page.
Rodeo Ruby Love is hitting the road, once again, this week with good buddies Traveling By Sea. These shows are only in the midwest, and are going to be tons of fun. Don't miss 'em. And please, help spread the word! (maybe you could link to this?)
XRA is very, very pleased to announce officially that we've just struck a deal to release Metavari's debut full-length album, Be One Of Us And Hear No Noise. The fellows in Metavari have been friends of ours for a while now, and after a few shows with them on husband&wife tours, and hearing the mixes of their new [fantastic] record, it became obvious that we should be working together. Metavari has also had the pleasure of being exclusively invited to participate in the relaunch of the famed muxtape.com.
Neat! XRA's south-of-the-Ohio brethren in Chemic recently did a video session for the esteemed laundromatinee.com, and it has been posted here. Take a stroll through the other sessions on the site to see a ton of cool stuff.
We've also opened up pre-orders for Alexander the Great's Faces Change, coming out 5/19/09. I previously posted an incorrect date. It's okay now. All is well. Also, this is pretty funny.
Hot on the heels of our Starflyer 59 reissue (which is selling like a certain proverbial breakfast treat), we're thrilled to announce that Alexander the Great's long-awaited full length, Faces Change, finally has an official release date: May 19, 2009. The guys are celebrating with a release party on May 5th at 9pm at Bloomington's Bluebird. Also on the bill is the ever-fabulous Mock Orange.
Exciting news! We now have a release date for our vinyl reissue of Starflyer 59's classic debut LP, Silver: March 31. We've started taking preorders. It's only $15 (international orders have an extra $3 shipping cost, so please select the right option in the drop-down menu). Visit the catalog to place your preorder now! You will not regret this decision.
Today brings the release of the third full-length from Husband&Wife, Dark Dark Woods. Check out streaming MP3s and video of a couple of the songs below, and check out the recent Husband&Wife Daytrotter session.
