STRATEGIC ARTIST ADVOCACY SINCE 1997
Let's start out 2023 with another quick look at 2022, as Alex Lilly has been named the Best New Artist of 2022 by mxdwn!
Check out some incredible and fun photos of Alex by Piper Ferguson and an in-depth interview by Eve Pierpont.
"Her latest record... goes beyond hitting the mark. 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘐𝘴 𝘈 𝘚𝘪𝘯 is a beautiful and emotionally honest album that is more than worth praise."
Facts.
𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘐𝘴 𝘈 𝘚𝘪𝘯 is out now on Release Me Records!
"An all-vocal album... Pregnancy Choir digs in – clawing back layers to reveal a beautiful glimpse into motherhood. Joyful, somber, chaotic, and dissonant all at once… an internal chorus grapples with the realities of pregnancy, from the thrill of life to the policing of women's bodies."
Lovely words today from the Austin Chronicle about Jenny Parrott!
Read more, and and listen to Pregnancy Choir in full here.
"Envisioned as an imaginary B-side to Bruce Springsteen’s cover of 'Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town,' the song is an upbeat rocker that carries a bittersweet sadness."
Hey! While you're out there contributing to the economy today, take a moment for this soon-to-be-classic holiday number by Sloan Brothers.
"Ain’t Goin’ Home This Christmastime" is streaming exclusively today at Flagpole Magazine and will land at all streamers on Tuesday. Click for your life!
Good morning!
The conversation about this feature story for Charleston Home + Design Magazine started two years ago as Mark Bryan was still in construction on his studio.
I absolutely love how the final piece turned out! On stands locally now, or you can check it out right here.
Many thanks to Micaela Arnett and Paige Taylor for seeing this through. The beautiful photography is by Callie Cranford.
Favorite local band? SUSTO!
The fine folks of Fecking Bahamas invite you to "take a jaunt through something else entirely" via "Calm Sea," the latest video from Portland's bass & vibraphone duo CLIFFWALKER, aka Cliff Hayes (CARCRASHLANDER) and A. Walker Spring (Old Time Relijun).
"At once a breath of fresh air and a deeply nostalgic look into the 1960’s aesthetic... comparisons to espionage composers like John Barry or Lalo Schifrin... The duo casually skirts past math rock, jazz, and minimalist classical like ships in the night."
The video is a beautiful assemblage of clips from the film Impressions of a Drowned Man, with the blessing of its director, Kyros Papavassiliou.
He says, "The film is about the responsibility towards the preciousness of life, and about the responsibility of offering without waiting for something in exchange."
Painted Gray Sky — the debut EP by CLIFFWALKER — is out now.
I have a new policy here at Fanatic! When posting about Alex Lilly on Wednesday, follow up by posting about Alex Lilly on Thursday!
In accordance, here's another chance to hear "Frank" from Alex's upcoming new album 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘐𝘴 𝘈 𝘚𝘪𝘯, out October 21 from Release Me Records.
Thank you BuzzBands.LA for posting about this song, which is SO VERY Los Angeles itself as it turns Alex's real-life friends into lyrics. Kevin Bronson writes, "Lilly introduces the album on a decidedly whimsical note — and she’s exceptional at that. She name-checks almost a dozen of her friends (and her late cat)."
Keep your ears peeled for Inara George, John Vanderslice, and Eleni Mandell for starters. The rest I will leave for you to puzzle out when you're done with Wordle.
I'm never going to stop posting Paul Slavens photo shoots because I need to make sure every Kroger in the Dallas area turns into an impromptu autograph signing for Paul.
So, today, this two-page spread in D Magazine with lovely images by photographer Marc Montoya.
One of the perverse joys I get out of my job is writing an artist's bio and then subsequently reading interviews where the artist is questioned about the details I brought up. It's like me (not a journalist) getting an actual journalist to do my dirty work.
Anyway, that'll do it for another post about someone else that I made about me! Paul's new album 𝘈𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴, 𝘝𝘰𝘭. 𝘐𝘐 is out now on State Fair Records.
“‘Animals Figure 427’ is revelatory — imagine if 2008 visitors from a distant galaxy got just close enough to Earth to pick up warped snippets of the song ‘Animals.’” Thanks a million to Kevin Bronson at Buzzbands.la for the reveal of another cut from the first official release from GANGI in a decade!
“Animals Figure 427” is from the upcoming 𝘈𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴, a nod to the duo's name going forward. The limited (100 copies!) vinyl of this release (with etched B-side!) is an actual artifact.
These pieces were pressed, then stored, when the songs were originally recorded and “mangled” ten years ago. They were gone once. They'll be gone again!
Pre-order here. 𝘈𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 is out August 5 via Office of Analogue and Digital.
Did you know that the hold music at The Dallas Morning News is The Dream Academy's instrumental version of The Smiths classic “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want,” as heard in Ferris Bueller's Day Off? I know because I had to get around the paywall to bring you this big, fat article about Paul Slavens in yesterday's paper! Thanks to Thor Christensen for the thoughtful words and to Shafkat Anowar for the fantastic photos!
Thor writes, “His new album, 𝘈𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴, 𝘝𝘰𝘭. 𝘐𝘐 (State Fair Records), shows off his dazzling songwriting talents as he jumps from Parisian classical-jazz (‘Naomi‘) to razor-edge bebop (‘Queenie‘) to new-wave cabaret (‘X on My Heart‘).”
It's been a sincere pleasure for me to work on this album by a master of his craft. Click for your life… paywall, sorry!
Many thanks to Danny Gallagher at the Dallas Observer for this deep dive on 𝘈𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴, 𝘝𝘰𝘭. 𝘐𝘐 and wide-ranging interview with Paul Slavens about it.
This record encompasses so many styles, genres, nuances and niches. It's the perfect soundtrack to whatever weird alcohol and meat-fueled weekend you have planned for yourself.
Out now on State Fair Records.
More from MOTORCADE today! I have been a total pest about this song "Slip," so it is satisfying to read Mitch Mosk of Atwood Magazine's "Today's Song" thoughts about it: "Everything’s surging forward with dramatic, volatile force, and yet MOTORCADE are calm, cool, and collected: Masters of balancing chaos with control, they shine with charming post-punk passion... [‘Slip’ is] a sign of turbulent times; an anthemic, emotional rallying cry in the darkness; a valiant outpouring of self-expression in a sea of overwhelming futility and frustration."
Check out the full review! And if you are in Dallas, come out to the Kessler Theater on June 24 to see MOTORCADE live (with FIT supporting!) Tickets on sale here.
Athens! Check out yer boy Sloan Simpson beaming out from the cover of this week's Flagpole Magazine! I'm so happy to represent for the Sloan Brothers project because it represents for me. It's everything about why I do this for a living - i.e., I do it for a loving!
Sloan made 𝘚𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘜𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 because the pandemic took the life and love he knows as a recordist away. His friends encouraged and supported him, gave that love back, and everyone who listens to this record hears it in the songs.
Anyway, it's a small joy in rough times to see a brother get the spotlight thrown their way. Congrats Sloan!
And back to biz: You can stream now, pre-order your vinyl (out 7/1) and RSVP for the 𝘚𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘜𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 listening party (also 7/1) at the following links:
https://fanatic.lnk.to/SloanBrothers-SystemUpdate
https://sloanbrothers.bandcamp.com/album/system-update
https://tinyurl.com/SLOAN-BROTHERS-ATHENS-070122
Click for your life!
Here's a thing I would like to proclaim: I love this album and 97.89% of the human population agrees with me (and the rest don't listen to music.) That's pretty good, right?!
Here's what AllMusic is saying about the latest High Water Marks album:
"Catchy, affectionate pop... a skill that's front and center. Even diversions into noise and darker corners charm on a set that never loses its spark."
Out now on Minty Fresh!
Paul Slavens had a nice long chat with Central Track about his long career, which contains so many highlights that brevity prohibits me from mentioning them here.
BUT!
I 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 take this moment to remind that 𝘈𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴, 𝘝𝘰𝘭. 𝘐𝘐 is out June 24 from State Fair Records.
Central Track says, "The album is all over the place, from jazz to prog to pop, but it’s as eclectic as Slavens is."
Thanks to the always influential Sound Opinions podcast for continuing to support MOTORCADE!
Greg Kot played "Static" from 𝘚𝘦𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘐𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 (out now on Idol Records) during the show's latest "Buried Treasures" episode, effectively making it less buried. Thanks for that, Greg!
Dallas! Come out to the Kessler Theater on June 24 to see MOTORCADE live (with FIT supporting!) Tickets on sale here.