Indie singer Tracy Shedd makes a case for taking it easy and living in the moment on her new single Let It Ride. Her husband James Tritten acted as one-man rhythm section and Andrew Gardner added swirls of soft-spoken electric guitar. Recommended if you like Belle & Sebastian and The Beautiful South: "Give it some time // We don’t wanna rush it // You try and try // ‘Cause we don’t wanna miss it // Let it ride // And you’ll never miss it".
A lifelong love of music started for local recording artist TRACY SHEDD at age 5, when she began playing the piano. It was the first of many instruments Shedd has played through the years. By the early 1990s, she had added guitar to her repertoire, which introduced her to a new love – her husband, JAMES TRITTEN. Today, she and Tritten own Fort Lowell Records, a Wilmington-based record label they started in 2009 while living in Tucson, Arizona.
Shedd’s solo career took off in 1998, when she moved to Boston and recorded her first album, “Blue.” Since 1999, Shedd has shared the stage with well-known acts, and she has opened and toured with some of her all-time favorite bands like The Magnetic Fields, Cat Power, Cyndi Lauper, Howe Gelb, and Trembling Blue Stars. “Too many to list, but I cherish them all,” she says. Until 2019, Shedd mostly released albums of her work, but her approach has shifted in recent years. “We are in the middle of what marked a new era when we started releasing singles. We also have incorporated more synthesizers and drum machines,” she says.
Her new single, “Let It Ride,” will be officially released on Friday, August 18 and she debuted the song in July – her first performance in a year. “The lyrics represent what’s for you won’t pass you by, trusting the process, and not rushing it,” she says. Like the meaning behind the lyrics themselves, the song emerged organically for Shedd. “The song came from testing out a guitar for our new tape machine and in the process, I wrote a song. We recorded the guitar part that day and slowly I started writing lyrics to go with it. A few months later I recorded the vocals.”
Shedd’s influences and artistic inclinations have progressed naturally over the years. The roots of Shedd’s current approach can be traced back to 2015, when she and Tritten started a synth project called Band and The Beat. “It was just the two of us and we restricted ourselves to only playing synths (mostly analog) and a drum machine, no guitars,” Shedd says. “It was eye-opening. I would start a song on the guitar, most of the time, and then would transpose it to the piano. It taught me that just because a song starts one way, doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. It created a lot more freedom in my writing.”
Fort Lowell Records presents another outlet for Shedd’s love of music. She and Tritten launched the label in response to the local talent they saw while living in Tucson. “We wanted to help them have a platform to get their music out,” she says. “It’s so great to see the label still flourishing here in Wilmington with all the amazing local talent.” Today, the label is fully enmeshed in its new community. Fort Lowell’s This Water is Life project is a self-sustained and ongoing vinyl series of split EPs with two express purposes: to highlight new hip-hop and indie rock music from Southeastern North Carolina, as well as to provide a platform for Cape Fear River Watch and Coastal Plain Conservation Group to deliver up-to-date authoritative reports on the health of the Cape Fear River Basin for both human beings and wildlife.
Shedd describes the Wilmington music scene as vibrant and lively. “Although we didn’t move here until 2018, we have played shows in Wilmington since 2001. We are happy to be a part of it and to see it still thriving,” she says. In addition to Shedd’s releases and the couple’s work at Fort Lowell Records, you can catch the duo DJing at Satellite Bar and Lounge on Tuesdays from 6-8:30 p.m. Called Let’s Tuesday, Shedd and Tritten spin some of their favorite songs. “It’s a chill nice place to have a taco at Block Taco attached to the bar and listen to us spin some vinyl from our personal collection,” she says. Also, mark the calendars for February 24, when Shedd will perform at Bourgie Nights with friends Dead Cool.
Join us at Satellite Bar & Lounge on Friday, September 1st from 8:30-11:00pm as Fort Lowell Records hosts LET'S DANCE: a Vinyl DJ Night of dance-centric Alternative / Indie / Underground music deejayed by label owner James Tritten
In late 2017, John Goraj left the Los Angeles hustle for Tucson’s contemplative desert beauty. Seeking an artistic revival, it wasn’t long before the ex-folk troubadour joined forces with local musicians Johny Vargas (guitar) and David Foley (drums), as well as then bassist Derek Cerretani, to form Soda Sun.
"The Ghost Plant at Blood Run", Soda Sun's latest digital single, is a spectral ballad, deftly painting the Southwestern landscape in a palette of sonic hues. The song’s namesake is a stunning, all white plant that derives its energy solely from fungi in the soil, not from the sun. Lead singer and songwriter, John Goraj saw the plant with his son in a boggy forest along the Sioux River in South Dakota where he grew up. Goraj couldn’t help writing about the strange fungi-dependent plant and the stark contrast to the desert where he lives now. The song then becomes a reflection of both places: a dark, wet, spongy forest and a sun-soaked desert.
Blending introspective lyricism with a resonant sense of homecoming, the song reaches into the desert's heart, unearthing gold from its dust. The journey from sunrise screams to twilight whispers is a testament to Soda Sun's evocative storytelling and the intimate sense of family throughout their work. “The Ghost Plant at Blood Run" is a poetic dance with nature and the kaleidoscopic colors of the desert.
Hailing from Tucson, Arizona, Soda Sun quickly made their mark in the 2020s with a unique combination of atmospheric melodies. Stay Here (Fort Lowell Records), their 2021 debut album which was mixed by Larry Crane (Sleater-Kinney, She & Him, Elliott Smith), earned critical acclaim. Soda Sun's organic instrumentation and authentic narrative have cultivated a dedicated fanbase, both locally and internationally.
Today, Blood Makes Noise is excited to share with you the official World Premiere of Soda Sun's brand new digital single, "The Ghost Plant at Blood Run". Fans of other artists such as Bonnie Prince Billy, Cotton Jones, Damien Jurado, Lambchop, Phosphorescent, and Songs: Ohio will enjoy Soda Sun's music. Click the link below to listen to "The Ghost Plant at Blood Run" by Soda Sun now.
Ah, it’s good to be back. In particular, I’m very pleased to be working with Tracy Shedd andFort Lowell Recordsagain. When James Tritten sent over this song, he thought “it might be a little too ‘up’ for your interest.” Given that this is a mid-tempo indie-pop jam with good-times ’80s vibes, I think this is a sign that I’ve become a little dour in my listening interests.
Nevertheless, this track did indeed catch my ear. Shedd’s lovely voice cruises over a thrumming bass line, a solid electronic percussion backline, and some swirly/mystical guitars and keys. (Let it ride, indeed.) The solid groove stays on track the whole way. The outcome of the piece is a very summery track without a lot of the usual indicators of “summer,” which is a compliment to the songwriting: evoking the feeling without hitting too many tropes is a feather in the cap. If you like Generationals, Metric at their chillest, and Rilo Kiley (shoutout; I don’t know what the statute of limitations is on RIYL references is, but we’re probably past it on this one) will love this.
Soda Sun's new single "The Ghost Plant at Blood Run" is a spectral ballad, deftly painting the Southwestern landscape in a palette of sonic hues. The song’s namesake is a stunning, all white plant that derives its energy solely from fungi in the soil, not from the sun. Lead singer and songwriter, John Goraj saw the plant with his son in a boggy forest along the Sioux River in South Dakota where he grew up. Goraj couldn’t help writing about the strange fungi-dependent plant and the stark contrast to the desert where he lives now. The song then becomes a reflection of both places: a dark, wet, spongy forest and a sun-soaked desert.
Blending introspective lyricism with a resonant sense of homecoming, the song reaches into the desert's heart, unearthing gold from its dust. The journey from sunrise screams to twilight whispers is a testament to Soda Sun's evocative storytelling and the intimate sense of family throughout their work. “The Ghost Plant at Blood Run" is a poetic dance with nature and the kaleidoscopic colors of the desert.
Hailing from Tucson, Arizona, Soda Sun quickly made their mark in the 2020s with a unique combination of atmospheric melodies. Stay Here (Fort Lowell Records), their 2021 debut album which was mixed by Larry Crane (Sleater-Kinney, She & Him, Elliott Smith), earned critical acclaim. Soda Sun's organic instrumentation and authentic narrative have cultivated a dedicated fanbase, both locally and internationally.
For fans ofBeirut, Big Thief, Bon Iver, Bonnie Prince Billy, Calexico, Andrew Collberg, Cotton Jones, Fleet Foxes, Sean Thomas Gerard, Great Lake Swimmers, Iron and Wine, Jim James, JPW, Damien Jurado, Lambchop, Midlake, Phosphorescent, Pinback, Songs: Ohio, Sufjan Stevens, Jeff Tweedy, The War On Drugs, Denison Witmer
Join us tonight (Aug 24) at Satellite Bar & Lounge in Wilmington NC for LET'S BOOGIE— a night of Electro-Synth-Funk / Post-Disco —featuring FADER on the 'wheels of steel'!
Wilmington, NC's Tracy Shedd has been releasing music since 1999, had her music appear on Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill, and has played with artists ranging from Cyndi Lauper to The Magnetic Fields. Her latest single, "Let It Ride," is this interesting mixture of indie rock, folk, and surf rock. It has a distinct summertime vibe to it, so it's perfect for squeezing out the last couple of weeks of summer. It's a dreamy and somewhat hypnotic sunny single that has just a little bit of a dark edge to it. "Let It Ride" has a slight groove that is going to suck you in and make you need to move, even if just a little.
You can listen to "Let It Ride" [above]. The single is available now via Fort Lowell Records. For more on Tracy Shedd, check out the artist's website.
As an artist, James Sardonejust never stops growing. You can see it on his brand new EPColors(vinyl version here), a real exposé of the guitarist’s skills as a songwriter. From Wilmington, North Carolina, the singer-songwriter uses his guitar and his pop sensibilities in tandem, combining the influences of 40 years of alternative and indie music. Originally from the Appalachians, Sardone has been etching out his place within indie rock for some time now, stemming back to his younger years in the late 1980s when he was part of the post-punk trioBrickbat.
His sound and musical preferences have evolved over the years to now a more electronic-influenced, 1980s retro feel. There are many highlights within this new set of songs, including two versions of the song “Colors of Your Brain,” one a shortened radio edit, while the other an eleven-minute marathon track meant to keep those feet moving. In addition, you’ll find a brilliant take on Blondie’s “Dreaming,” which features guest piano by none other thanTracy Shedd.
The reason for all the musical changes by Sardone over the years is simple: he doesn’t like resting on his laurels. This means that he is not content with staying in one musical space for too long because he feels confined or gets bored quite easily. That’s why so much of his music, over the years, has sounded so different because it’s more about the authenticity and the amusement in it for Sardone, rather than just succumbing to a perceived pressure to sound a certain way.
But never mind music for now! Today, we are joined by Sardone for a190 Proofinterview, in which we discuss his alcoholic beverage preferences, being under the influence, dive bars, and more.
First things first: beer, wine, or liquor?
James Sardone:“Oh, hello. It depends if I’m having a glass with a meal or not; but as you say, first things first… Bourbon. I’m a known foodie and used to work as a sous chef, so wine is the go-to with a good dinner. Beer comes last, but I like Belgian and German beers likeDuvel,Delirium Tremens, or aWeihenstephaner. Extremely hoppy beer doesn’t work with my buds (kind of like some freaks not liking cilantro), and makes my mouth taste like an eternal ashtray.”
What was the first drink you ever had, and how old were you?
“Probably Coors or Budweiser and mostly like started some bad habits at 14. I’m sure some awful swill like Miester Brau or Miller High Life might’ve been involved. I had no idea what to drink. There wasn’t any really good booze like we have today. It was all Canadian Club out of our parent’s liquor cabinet.”
It’s been a long day, and you get to have a drink: where are you, and what do you get?
“If I’ve been working in the sun, a crisp Pilsner; if it’s been a hard day working the jobby job, an Old Fashioned. Not to be confused with the ‘new” Old Fashioned with the muddled, radioactive cherry and orange slice… I’m talking ye olde, original whiskey cocktail. I just muddle a small demerara sugar cube with Angostura and orange bitters, splash that with a tidbit of soda, add bourbon or rye and express the oils from an orange peel. Simple, alcohol forward as the booze critics like to say.”
What’s the most unique/strangest/most batshit thing you’ve ever had to drink? Describe the experience.
“Barium, it’s like drinking chalk, but then comes the x-ray. If you don’t need your pipes looked at, I don’t recommend it. Nothing to see here folks, just too much coffee.”
What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever done under the influence?
“Back in the early 2000s, I was on a date with my now wife, and we went to the Rodeo Bar in NYC (where I used to run sound). We were ending the date with a nightcap; we ended up closing down the bar. On the way out, I tried to be dashing like some kind of ’40s film hero by sliding down the stair handrails from the upstairs lounge, completely wiping out, and rolling down the stairs. I was feeling no pain; luckily, no serious injuries beside some bumps and a good deal of embarrassment. We still laugh about it.”
What do you think is a totally overrated drink or brand?
“I did a blind taste-test with James Tritten of Fort Lowell Records, between Buffalo Trace and Ancient Age; I chose Ancient Age (laughs).”
You only get to listen to one album, but it’s only when you drink, and it’s for the rest of your life; what is it?
“The Replacements, Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash.”
Marry, fuck, kill: Your choices are Captain Morgan, Admiral Nelson, Sailor Jerry?
“Kill ‘em all and get yourself a good, funky bottle of Smith & Cross. It’s great in a ‘Charles Dicken Punch.’”
What’s the worst (or best) dive bar you’ve ever gone drinking to?
“TheMARS Bar/ NYC. Definitely some characters out ofWilliam Kennedy’s Ironweed alongside ’90s hipsters, The mix was horrible to look at.”
If a drink could define your life so far, what would it be and why?
“The Old Fashioned. I’ve been in the music biz for a very long time, so everything I do with my music, I try to be mellow, professional, and exceptional. I like the magic and mystery in the crystal whisky glass as well as not knowing every detail about an artist in the days before mobile devices and the internet.”
A fan asks to buy you a drink in a bar; what do you choose?
“I accept, of course; I usually cap that offer by telling them I drink for free and can I buy you the next one?!
What do you think about kids soaking tampons in alcohol and then inserting them up their asses to get drunk?
Um… I have never ever heard of that. Whatever happened to sniffing glue? Good enough for The Ramones, good enough for you!”
Where is the most embarrassing place you have barfed?
“Going back to the late ’80s, in the median of Fifth Ave, downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. I was walking home from a friend’s house just around daybreak, ‘walk of shame’ if you will. I suddenly projectile vomit bile three feet. I was wearing a trench coat and a trilby; later, a friend told me he saw me on his way to work and thought it was Tom Waits for a second.”
Tracy Shedd's new song "Let It Ride" is an infectious summertime indie pop anthem about being patient and trusting your gut, and it is Shedd's eighth single since the release of her sixth studio album The Carolinas. Since 1999, Shedd has crafted melodic, heartfelt compositions that encourage people to make the most out of every moment, and "Let It Ride" is exactly that.
For fans of Alvvays, Belle & Sebastian, Broken Social Scene, Fujiya & Miyagi, Future Islands, The Generationals, Geowulf, Japanese Breakfast, Jay Som, La Cerca, Liz Phair, Madonna, Metric, New Order, Of Montreal, The Pretenders, Rilo Kiley, Sasami, Snail Mail, Sonic Youth, Spoon, Starflyer 59, Stereolab, Twin Shadow, Yo La Tengo
An aptly titled album from the highly creative artist Nic Jenkins, as infinitikiss he uses improvised backing track cassette tapes, vibrational therapy and chakra/energy systems for 75 minutes that are steeped in mood and colors in a ROYGBIV sort of way.
“drinking cherry hibiscus tea at a stop light at sunset” gets the listen off to a soothing, dreamy start, where very gentle guitar floats alongside the waves of calm droning. “the smell of burnt turmeric” follows, and presents a bit of a darker landscape, where a tinge of mystery enters the sparse, meditative song craft.
Moving along, the middle tracks are some of the best, and include the more firm gestures of “in the same vibration that pothos green grows,” which swirls with cinematic appeal. “or the minty jade of ginkos” is equally enjoyable, and carries a touch of sci-fi like exploration that makes great use of percussive sounds in a sparing but effective strategy.
Closing in on the end of the listen, “tears of happy mermaids” recruits the sound of woodwinds for a very light and hypnotic eight-plus minutes of very precise instrumentation, and “from a lavender halo we are projecting ourselves” finishes with a warm buzzing and raw electronic stabs that nearly sound mechanical in their technical nature.
A truly unique listen that incorporates indie-rock, alt-pop and electronica amid the looping skills, the most obvious and known parallel here would be Brian Eno. For those who really dig into the genre, other luminaries like William Basinski, Boxhead Ensemble, and Pye Corner Audio would be good reference points.
For those who prefer to own the physical product, the LP artwork is equally as colorful as the music, and is restricted to just 100 vinyl copies, but certainly worth seeking out for fans of ambient songwriting.
La Cerca’s new single “Gimme Some Myrrh” is a bittersweet dreamy rocker, as well as an ode to frontman Andrew Gardner’s dear friend, the late Sam Jayne (Love as Laughter).
“Sam would come to Tucson, Arizona on tour. We would go to dance parties, skateboard all night, as well as stay up until dawn talking about music and the most unusual things,” reminisces Gardner, who played “Gimme Some Myrrh” in its infancy to Jayne many years before. “At the time, the song was about people going for the life of living art, much like Sam, who would put every last penny into having a run of shows with his band,” Gardner shares. Ultimately, Jayne was the inspiration; he loved the song and told Gardner that it needed to be released.
It wasn’t until after Sam Jayne’s passing in 2020 that La Cerca would follow his advice and recorded “Gimme Some Myrrh”. Gardner adds, “I remember Sam playing an acoustic set and putting his audience in a frenzy, and the crowd would be screaming for more. I realize now that I actually wrote this song about Sam, and how he was such an inspiration to me; like a superhero.”
For fans ofBuilt To Spill, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Dead Meadow, Dinosaur Jr., Guided By Voices, Love as Laughter, Pink Floyd, R.E.M., Real Estate, Red House Painters, Saint Maybe, Silver Jews, Smashing Pumpkins, Spiritualized, Teenage Fanclub, Kurt Vile, The Warlocks, Wilco, Yo La Tengo
Dreaming || Cover: James Sardone || Original: Blondie
North Carolina singer/songwriter/guitarist James Sardone (ex-Brickbat, Burnley Brothers, The Jimmy Nations Combo, Loose Jets) released his compelling Colors EP this month on Fort Lowell Records. In addition to two original tracks, it also includes this six and a half minute long rendition of Blondie’s 1979 single Dreaming, featuring Tracy Shedd on piano. It’s melancholic, atmospheric and worthy of the title.
Wilmington, NC indie rock /shoegaze group led by Adam Bastug, Doggy Daycare “(forgetting) sarah marshall” single on Fort Lowell Records
Delving into early ’90s Shoegaze and Noise Rock realms, a noisy, drunk confession stirs jagged poignant melodies carved by lush, loud and hooky guitar swells, nestled amid thick abrasive riffs and saturated fuzz-laden distortions, to overwhelm strained, sore vocals with angsty romantic longings and brooding disenchanted moods.
Fans of a certain strain of underground indie rock music will recognize North Carolina’s James Sardone as the guitarist of Brickbat, the Wilmington-originating noise rock band that released three records in the 1990s and toured with the likes of Jawbox and The Jesus Lizard. Sardone’s music has certainly evolved since those days, as evidenced by the latest release under his own name,Colors. The five-song EP runs over half an hour in length, although half of that is devoted to a dancefloor-friendly remix of opening track “Colors of Your Brain” and its truncated “radio edit”, meaning that there’s about fifteen minutes and three songs of “new” music, one of which is a cover song. That said, Sardone offers up plenty to enjoy in these three tracks.
Opening track “Colors of Your Brain” is vintage new wave/college rock at its best, with Sardone’s clear vocals leading an instrumental brimming with New Order-esque bass melodies and swooning synths. It’s a sharp pop song that is too strongly-written to fall victim to any sort of mindless retro fetishism, and while follow-up track “Life of Love” isn’t as immediate, it’s arguably even more sonically interesting. Its post-punk influences lurk a bit more under the surface as it adopts a tougher alt-rock posture (even as its lyrics are aggressively optimistic) and even throws in a surprisingly heavy guitar solo. Sardone then pulls into the EP’s centerpiece–a six-and-a-half minute version of Blondie’s “Dreaming”, slowing down the original’s giddy new wave into a slow, deliberate but still starry-eyed synthpop ballad. Sardone incorporates it intoColors’ light-seeming but deep sound effortlessly. (Bandcamp link)
As the shoegaze genre continues to splinter into subgenres, we now have a new one: Southern shoegaze. That sound is brought to us by Doggy Daycare out of Wilmington, NC. On their new single, "(forgetting) sarah marshall," the quartet show off the sheer force shoegaze can have behind it. The song is drenched with 90's indie rock reverb and much as the lush drone of shoegaze. It's more of a hybrid of early Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine, with just enough of a Southern twang to keep things unique and interesting. "(forgetting) sarah marshall" is the kind of single that's going to make you thrilled to find out what a band does next. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long to hear more from Doggy Daycare.
You can listen to "(forgetting) sarah marshall" below.For more on Doggy Daycare, check out the band onInstagram.
