Did you know Naïm Amor has a new album out?

He does... with Kid Congo Powers of Gun Club, the Cramps and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.  It's called Tucson Safari, and it is being released by In The Red Records on October 17, 2025.  Be sure to check it out, and watch the video music video below.

Don't forget to grab your copy of Naïm Amor's latest solo record, titled Stories, which was released by your truly here just last year.  There are only a handful of copies left, so don't wait!

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LET'S DANCE at The Underfront Co. in Wilmington NC on Saturday, Oct 4thh

LET'S DANCE is a Vinyl DJ Night hosted by Fort Lowell Records, featuring a variety of music — Pop, Disco, Boogie, Indie, Hip-Hop, R&B, Electronic, etc. — including the latest hits and spanning the past five decades. 

LET'S DANCE is held monthly at The Underfront Co. on the Saturday following every First Friday — AKA: RizzyBeats' Hip-Hop Fridays. Dancing starts at 8:00pm and goes all night. A $5.00 cover charge will be collected at the door upon entry paid via Cash, Credit Card, or Venmo.

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE for October 4th

Best Of Phoenix 2025 | BEST ALBUM: JPW & Dad Weed Amassed Like a Rat King

[Repost from Phoenix New Times; September 25, 2025]

BEST ALBUM: JPW & Dad Weed Amassed Like a Rat King

Like chocolate and peanut butter cozying up in a candy bar, the union of musicians JPW (Jason Patrick Woodbury) and Dad Weed (Zachary Toporek), who created this fantastic offering, also results in a sweet treat. Released in April on Fort Lowell Records, the 11-song "Amassed Like a Rat King" sounds and feels like the intersection of several pertinent moments in music: the breezy spirit of '70s light rock, gritty '80s radio rock a la Tom Petty, and those jangly moments of R.E.M. before they emerged from the shadows. We felt like pulling out some Posies records after the first listen. Instead, we simply took "Amassed Like a Rat King" for another few spins. It may be loaded with a variety of inspirational influences, but don't try pinning it to any one style. These expert music-makers crafted a group of tracks brimming with great melodies and catchy riffs and topped them with JPW's rich, earnest vocals. At times, you catch a laugh or feel a spark that underlines the pair's chemistry. We hope a sophomore effort is in the works.

New EP: Kim Ware and the Good Graces || Grand Epiphanies

[Repost from Add to Wantlist; by Dennis, September 24, 2025]

Gifted songwriter bares her heart once again

Nearly twenty years after Kim Ware first picked up a beat-up guitar and started writing songs, the Good Graces return with the Grand Epiphanies EP, their tenth studio release—five folky indie pop tracks that wrestle with regret, resilience, and connection. We already knew the only cover, of Jeff Fortgang’s Some Guys Have All the Luck, from the 2023 Homely LP, but it returns here in a different version.

As always, the storytelling of the self-penned tracks is unsurpassed: “There’s a red bird just outside the door // I can’t say what he was sent here for // Maybe he is checking in on me // Bringing me a sense of freedom and serenity” (from Old/New). All those beautiful lines—sung heartfeltly—are framed in warm, full-band arrangements of guitar and piano. A fertile ground to emerge some unexpected truths.

The Grand Epiphanies EP, produced by Steven Fiore and Justin Faircloth, is out now digitally via Fort Lowell Records; a CD version is available through the band itself.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp (Fort Lowell) || Bandcamp (The Good Graces)

REVIEW: Kim Ware and the Good Graces – Grand Epiphanies

[Repost from The Shrieking Fox; by Ms. Fox, September 18, 2025]

Coming out on 9/23/2025 digitally, it’s the newest EP, “Grand Epiphanies.” And, yeah, holy shit, I’m in love. Take the best of jangle pop, add a twang, a dash of nostalgia, indie rock, and a smidgen of country, and you get this absolute dream of an EP. Like, yeah, it’s that good (like HELL YES!). There’s something so soothing about the vocals, and the lyrics are superbly crafted and straightforward. Need I mention that the cover of, “Some Guys Have All the Luck,” is hands down the best I’ve ever heard? Where has this record been all of my life? Where has this band been all of my life? They’ve been around since 2008, so I’ve got a back catalog to explore! Get into them!

https://fortlowell.bandcamp.com/album/grand-epiphanies

REVIEW: Blase – Somewhere Out There

[Repost from The Shrieking Fox; by Ms. Fox, September 18, 2025]

Releasing on 10/24/2025 on vinyl and digital, it’s the new LP, “Somewhere Out There,” by Blase. Fort Lowell Records again delivers us a killer artist that excels at creating a rich, unique sound. Indie pop, dream pop, psychedelic, electro rock, synth chill, jangle and so many other genres get blended up, resulting in a dreamy sound, somewhere between the Flaming Lips, a mellower MGMT, M83 and REM. This is intoxicating. Hazy, mellow, and dreamy, the tracks elevate the listener to a surreal headspace. The lyrics are catchy, and I’ve found myself singing along after just two listens. I’ve no doubt you will find yourself doing the same. This album was a real treat. Personal, heartfelt, catchy, and cosmic, it’s a release you won’t want to skip.

https://fortlowell.bandcamp.com/album/somewhere-out-there

OUT NOW: Kim Ware and the Good Graces 'Grand Epiphanies' [Digital EP]

Kim Ware and the Good Graces — who have shared the stage with artists such as Indigo Girls, Sierra Ferrell, and The Love Language — have released their tenth studio offering titled Grand Epiphanies [Digital EP] and it is available today everywhere and anywhere!

LISTEN NOW

OUT NOW: Blase "Dirt Into Gold" [Digital Single]

Chicago-born and Wilmington-based multi-instrumentalist Blase unveils his most expansive and heartfelt project yet with Somewhere Out There, released through Fort Lowell Records. Known for merging shimmering synth layers with warm indie pop foundations, Blase has evolved from his early days as a Chicago drummer into a solo artist who transforms fleeting feelings into vivid musical worlds. Inspired by a transformative journey traveling across the entire United States, the album captures the essence of wide-open landscapes and the quiet revelations found on the road.  With Somewhere Out There, he invites listeners on a journey that feels both personal and universal — an exploration of solitude, connection, and the unexpected places where we find meaning. The record balances quiet vulnerability with uplifting energy, making it his most immersive and captivating work to date.

"Dirt Into Gold" the fourth and final single from Somewhere Out There by Blase is out now on all platforms.

LISTEN NOW | PRE-ORDER VINYL RECORD

REVIEW: Kim Ware and the Good Graces "Missed the Mark"

[Repost from If It's Too Loud; by Ken Sears, September 12, 2025]

Kim Ware started off as a punk drummer, and started the Good Graces after purchasing a beat up acoustic guitar in 2006. Her latest single, "Missed the Mark," is a laid back singer-songwriter track with a gentle country lilt. It has some of that 90's mainstream alt-rock sound from artists like Liz Phair and Lisa Loeb, and doesn't shy away from its country side at all. It's also the perfect song for this time of year, where summer isn't quite ready to die and fall is slowly asserting itself. "Missed the Mark" is also the kind of song that you end up loving more with every listen, as a simple song starts revealing more of itself to you with repeated listens.

You can watch the video for "Missed the Mark" below. Grand Epiphanies is due out September 23 on Fort Lowell Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on Kim Ware and the Good Graces, check out the artist's website.

LET'S DANCE at The Underfront Co. in Wilmington NC on Saturday, Sept 6th

LET'S DANCE is a Vinyl DJ Night hosted by Fort Lowell Records, featuring a variety of music — Pop, Disco, Boogie, Indie, Hip-Hop, R&B, Electronic, etc. — including the latest hits and spanning the past five decades. 

LET'S DANCE is held monthly at The Underfront Co. on the Saturday following every First Friday — AKA: RizzyBeats' Hip-Hop Fridays. Dancing starts at 8:00pm and goes all night. A $5.00 cover charge will be collected at the door upon entry paid via Cash, Credit Card, or Venmo.

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE for September 6th

Blase: Your new favorite Dream Pop artist!

Are you a fan of any of these artists: Beach Fossils, Cigarettes After Sex, Color Temperature, Day Wave, Mac DeMarco, Ducktails, The Flaming Lips, Goth Babe, Hoops, Lauds, Men I Trust, No Vacation, The Radio Dept., Stray Fossa, Surf Rock Is Dead, Swimming Tapes, Tame Impala, TV Girl, or Wild Nothing?

If so, check out Blase, and be sure to reserve your copy of his new album Somewhere Out There, which is due out on October 24th.

PRE-ORDER VINYL RECORD

Tracy Shedd live concert videos from Bourgie Nights in Wilmington NC; Friday, August 22, 2025

Tracy Shedd performed live in concert at Bourgie Nights in Wilmington, North Carolina on Friday, August 22, 2025 as part of their 'Good Vibrations: A Songwriter Showcase honoring the music of Brian Wilson' event.  Here are the video recordings of those three songs that Tracy Shedd played that evening in order of how they were performed.  Enjoy! 

"In My Room" (by The Beach Boys)

"How Your Eyes Affect Me"

"God Only Knows" (by The Beach Boys)

REVIEW: Blase "Finding myself in you"

[Repost from Sloucher; by Orestes P. Xistos, August 13, 2025]

‘Finding myself in you’ is the new single by Blase. Starting with a synth heavy atmosphere, it swirls into a dream pop territory, where it can roam freely. There’s moment, near the 2:27 mark of the song, where the electronic drum swerves the mood into a solemn denouement. Somewhere out there is out on October 24th. Pre-order with Fort Lowell Records.

REVIEW: Blase “Finding Myself in You”

[Repost by The Deli; Jason Behrends, August 11, 2025]

Blase recently released the third single, “Finding Myself in You”, from his forthcoming album, Something Out There, which is due out on October 24th via Fort Lowell Records. 

This is the heartfelt bedroom pop of Chicago-born and Wilmington-based multi-instrumentalist Blase Settecase.

REVIEW: Blase "Finding Myself in You"

[Repost from Here Comes the Flood; by Hans Werksman, August 7, 2025]

Wilmington, NC based multi-instrumentalist Blase might have found the cure for aging on his new single Finding Myself in You. As long as he is together with his significant other "the days never grew old", because each day comes with a new way to find himself as part of the equation. Drenched in synths and guitar flourishes he created a dream pop maze for the listener to wander around in.

Finding Myself in You is released via Fort Lowell Records. The Somewhere Out There album is available for pre-order here (translucent blue vinyl, digital). Release date: October 24.

Live date:

• 10/24 Wilmington, NC @ Satellite Bar & Lounge

» Blase on Facebook

HCTFreview of Under the Same Stars

Blase Unveils New Single ‘Finding Myself in You’ Ahead of LP

[Repost from PopFiltr; August 5, 2025]

Chicago-born and Wilmington-based multi-instrumentalist Blase unveils his most expansive and heartfelt project yet with Somewhere Out There, released through Fort Lowell Records. Known for merging shimmering synth layers with warm indie pop foundations, Blase has evolved from his early days as a Chicago drummer into a solo artist who transforms fleeting feelings into vivid musical worlds. Inspired by a transformative journey traveling across the entire United States, the album captures the essence of wide-open landscapes and the quiet revelations found on the road.  With Somewhere Out There, he invites listeners on a journey that feels both personal and universal — an exploration of solitude, connection, and the unexpected places where we find meaning. The record balances quiet vulnerability with uplifting energy, making it his most immersive and captivating work to date.

The opening track, "Middle of Nowhere," embodies the heart of the album, born during a reflective moment in Joshua Tree National Park. It celebrates the idea of finding true presence and belonging far from the noise and chaos of everyday life. "Under the Same Stars" leans into the bittersweet ache of distance, capturing the tension between holding on and letting go, and the comforting thought that loved ones are never entirely out of reach. These songs speak to the tension between isolation and connection, suggesting that meaning often emerges in the spaces between what we leave behind and what we hold close. Rather than focusing on external escape alone, they examine the internal journey of coming home to oneself through shared experiences.

"Finding Myself in You" offers a tender exploration of love as a mirror, revealing unexpected depths and a sense of renewal. It channels the excitement and vulnerability of discovering new parts of one’s identity within a relationship. In contrast, "Dirt Into Gold" reflects on resilience and transformation, celebrating the quiet strength it takes to turn life's uncertainties into moments of growth and hope. Written and recorded after returning home from his cross-country travels, these songs capture the album’s essence: turning wandering into understanding, and distance into deeper connection. Each track invites listeners to step inside Blase’s world of subtle revelations and emotional landscapes, encouraging them to see their own journeys with fresh eyes.

With Somewhere Out There, Blase has created an album that feels like a trusted companion during quiet drives or moonlit evenings, a soundtrack for those seeking moments of peace beyond the familiar. This record confirms his place as a musician capable of blending heartfelt storytelling with lush, genre-spanning arrangements. It reminds us that even in life’s most remote and uncertain moments, beauty and connection are always within reach. In this new chapter, Blase invites us to wander alongside him — and perhaps discover new parts of ourselves along the way.

Blase Unveils Widescreen Dreamscape with ‘Somewhere Out There’ – A Cross-Country Journey Pressed to Vinyl

[Repost from The Pop Blog; by Rome Rodriguez, August 5, 2025]

The open road hums through every groove of Somewhere Out There, the luminous new album from Wilmington-based sonic architect Blase, set for release on October 24, 2025 via Fort Lowell Records. Born from windshield meditations and desert sky revelations during a transformative American odyssey, these eleven tracks crystallize into what might be the Chicago transplant’s most fully realized work yet – a 12-inch vinyl daydream that bridges jangly indie pop, hazy synth explorations, and the wistful ache of alt-rock. Those who’ve followed Blase’s evolution from Chicago drum circles to solo auteur will recognize his signature alchemy of textured nostalgia and forward-thinking arrangements, now expanded to widescreen proportions with production that alternately shimmers like heat waves on pavement and crashes like Pacific breakers.

From the sun-bleached optimism of lead single “Middle of Nowhere” (recorded after a Joshua Tree epiphany) to the twilight intimacy of “Under the Same Stars”, the album maps emotional terrain as diverse as the landscapes that inspired it. There’s a particular magic in how “Finding Myself in You” refracts Mac DeMarco’s slacker romanticism through Tame Impala’s psychedelic lens, while “Dirt Into Gold” channels The Flaming Lips’ resilient whimsy into an anthem for personal reinvention. Side B’s “Where Only We Know” and “Reflecting Time” showcase Blase’s gift for transforming existential wandering into radiant pop – the musical equivalent of watching a thunderstorm roll across the Great Plains from the safety of a roadside diner.

Critics are already hailing the project as “dream pop with a sunny disposition” (AnalogueTrash) and “a sparkly track with somehow both a retro, yet modern sound” (Mix It All Up). The vinyl release (available for pre-order now) promises to be a tactile companion to these highway hymns, with artwork that mirrors the album’s balance between vastness and intimacy. Fans of Beach Fossils’ coastal melancholy or Men I Trust’s slinky grooves will find kindred spirits here, though Blase carves his own path through familiar influences – these aren’t just songs about movement, but artifacts of motion itself, recorded in motel rooms and mixed with road dust still clinging to the tapes.

Mark your calendars for the October 24 record release party at Wilmington’s Satellite Bar & Lounge, where Blase will translate these widescreen compositions to the stage. In the meantime, let the already-released singles serve as postcards from the journey: “Middle of Nowhere” (out March 21), “Under the Same Stars” (May 29), “Finding Myself in You” (August 1), and “Dirt Into Gold” (September 19) collectively trace an arc from departure to homecoming. What makes Somewhere Out There extraordinary isn’t just its evocative blend of analog warmth and digital clarity, but how it transforms solitary miles into shared experience – proof that the best road trips always lead back to human connection.

Somewhere Out There tracklist:

Side A: Middle of Nowhere / Finding Myself in You / Under the Same Stars / Directions / Dirt into Gold

Side B: My Mind Set on You / Where Only We Know / No Other Place / Only With You / Don’t Want This to End / Reflecting Time

Pre-order the vinyl now and prepare to soundtrack your own wanderings when the full album arrives this autumn – because as Blase proves, sometimes you need to cross a continent to discover what was inside you all along.

OUT NOW: Blase "Finding Myself in You" [Digital Single]

Chicago-born and Wilmington-based multi-instrumentalist Blase unveils his most expansive and heartfelt project yet with Somewhere Out There, released through Fort Lowell Records. Known for merging shimmering synth layers with warm indie pop foundations, Blase has evolved from his early days as a Chicago drummer into a solo artist who transforms fleeting feelings into vivid musical worlds. Inspired by a transformative journey traveling across the entire United States, the album captures the essence of wide-open landscapes and the quiet revelations found on the road.  With Somewhere Out There, he invites listeners on a journey that feels both personal and universal — an exploration of solitude, connection, and the unexpected places where we find meaning. The record balances quiet vulnerability with uplifting energy, making it his most immersive and captivating work to date.

"Finding Myself in You" the third single from Somewhere Out There by Blase is out now on all platforms.

LISTEN NOW | PRE-ORDER VINYL RECORD

REVIEW: Blase "Under the Same Stars"

[Repost from Here Comes the Flood; by Hans Werksman, July 20, 2025]

Wilmington,NC-based multi-instrumentalist Blase mixes his synths textures with multi-layered to create a psych-pop mood that is invitation to look at the sky in wonder on his Under the Same Stars single, a track from his forthcoming Somewhere Out There album. While he is away from his loved ones, the fact that they can see the same distant suns at night offers some consolation.

Under the Same Stars is released via Fort Lowell Records. The Somewhere Out There album is available for pre-order here (translucent blue vinyl, digital).

Live date: 10/24 Wilmington, NC @ Satellite Bar & Lounge

Click here to watch Blab School live concert video from Flicker in Athens GA on July 18, 2025