Independent Record Label | Est. 2009
Wilmington, North Carolina

 
 

EVENT CALENDAR

Sunday, November 20, 2011

TRACY SHEDD | WINTER TOUR: NOV 23 - DEC 23



31 days on the road playing 26 shows in 24 different cities!

It has been seven years since Tracy Shedd has been on a proper US Tour; seven years too long.  Since Tracy Shedd's last days spent on the road, she has released some of her greatest recordings: Cigarettes & Smoke Machines (Teen-Beat Records 2008), EP88 (Eskimo Kiss Records 2010), and her split 7inch with Wet & Reckless (via our very own Fort Lowell Records 2010), as well as her contribution to the Luz de Vida benefit compilation (Fort Lowell Records 2011).  The world is ready to hear these songs live, and that they will!  Armed, this time not with her Avocado Green Microfrets guitar but instead, with what has become her signature Red Fender Telecaster, and now a piano along side, Tracy Shedd will be performing tracks from these recordings, and perhaps a new one or two!

Follow Tracy Shedd on her tour via her Facebook + Twitter posts!

Tracy Shedd | Winter Tour 2011
11.23.11 | Marfa, TX | Padre's
11.24.11 | day off
11.25.11 | Dallas, TX | Good Records In-Store | w/ Graceful Exit at 6:00pm
11.25.11 | Dallas, TX | The Kessler Theater | w/ Carolyn Wonderland and Daphne Willis at 7:00pm
11.26.11 | day off
11.27.11 | Austin, TX | Mohawk | w/ Follow That Bird, She Sir, and Quin Galavis
11.28.11 | Houston, TX | Rudyard's Pub | w/ The Mathletes
11.29.11 | New Orleans, LA | Siberia | w/ Au Ras Au Ras and Whom Do You Work For?
11.30.11 | Jacksonville, FL | Club TSI | w/ Moyamoya, AC Deathstrike, and DJ Cash
12.01.11 | Fernandina Beach, FL | The Green Turtle | w/ The Fornicorns
12.02.11 | Tampa, FL | Micro Groove Records In-Store | w/ Jennifer O'Connor - afternoon
12.02.11 | Tampa, FL | New World Brewery | w/ Rec Center - evening
12.03.11 | Atlanta, GA | 529 | w/ The Good Graces, Virginia Plane, and Book Club
12.04.11 | Raleigh, NC | Slim's | w/ Schooner and Miami Jetski
12.05.11 | Arlington, VA | The Galaxy Hut | w/ Talk It (Teen-Beat Showcase)
12.06.11 | Brooklyn, NY | The Rock Shop | w/ Tristen and Ravens And Chimes
12.07.11 | Pawtucket, RI | The News Cafe | w/ The Invisible Hours and Gertrude Atherton
12.08.11 | Philadelphia, PA | The Fire | w/ Lauryn Peacock
12.09.11 | Cleveland, OH | Cleveland Renaissance Hotel
12.10.11 | Chicago, IL | Red Line Tap | w/ Michael Alexander, Cassandra Henwood, Alejandra Oleary
12.11.11 | day off
12.12.11 | day off
12.13.11 | day off
12.14.11 | Seattle, WA | Columbia City Theater | w/ Howe Gelb, Maggie Bjorklund, and Sweet Secrets
12.15.11 | Portland, OR | Doug Fir Lounge | w/ Howe Gelb and Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter
12.16.11 | day off
12.17.11 | Oakland, CA | The New Parish | w/ Howe Gelb
12.18.11 | day off
12.19.11 | Sacramento, CA | Bows & Arrows | w/ Desario and Allen Clapp & His Orchestra
12.20.11 | San Francisco, CA | Hemlock Tavern | w/ Desario and Allen Clapp & His Orchestra
12.21.11 | Los Angeles, CA | Bootleg Theater | w/ Flora & Fauna and Harriet
12.22.11 | San Diego, CA | The Tin Can | w/ Skyline Union, Carmen Caserta, and Saba
12.23.11 | Palm Springs, CA | Amigo Room at Ace Hotel | w/ Young Mothers and JP Houston

Saturday, October 29, 2011

NEW VIDEO: TRACY SHEDD "ENCOURAGE ME" - LUZ DE VIDA



Tracy Shedd has partnered with Canadian filmmaker Jesse Ewles (who has made videos for Grizzly Bear, Of Montreal, and Tokyo Police Club, to name a few) to make her latest video for her song "Encourage Me" from the Luz de Vida benefit compilation.

Enjoy!
~ Team FLR

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

HAPPY RELEASE DAY LUZ DE VIDA!

In case you have not been on the up-and-up the past few months, Fort Lowell Records' latest release is a partnership with Music Against Violence, a team of music professionals in Tucson that have come together to release a compilation record made up of local Tucson and national artists that will be sold to benefit those affects by the shootings in Tucson on January 8, 2011, otherwise known as The Tucson Tragedy.  The compilation record is called Luz de Vida and today, Tuesday, October 18, is the official release date for this record.  Luz de Vida is available in two formats: a 12inch vinyl record that features 12 Tucson bands with exclusive tracks to this project, and a 37-track digital download that includes the 12 from the vinyl, additional Tucson artist, as well as many great national artists.  The vinyl record does include the download card with all 37 songs.  This project was funding 100% by local and regional businesses, so all of the money made from Luz de Vida will be given to the Tucson Together Fund to help those in need.

If you would like to help support this project, you can purchase the vinyl record directly from Fort Lowell Records by clicking "Add to Cart" from the right column of this websiteLuz de Vida will also be available from all of the retail outlets in Tucson and Phoenix that carry all of our other releases.  If you do not live in Arizona, you can request your local record store to order a copy from our distributor, StickFigure Distribution.  Otherwise, if you are interested in purchasing the digital download for Luz de Vida, you can do so from sites like iTunes and Amazon, amongst many other digital outlets that will populate very soon.  There is one track that is exclusive the vinyl record, so please note that when purchasing the digital download via websites, there will only be 36 tracks.

If you are looking for additional ways to help the families affected from that tragic day last January, please spread the word about Luz de Vida.  It is a very simple, cheap, easy way for anyone in the world to help make a difference.  The added bonus is all of the amazing music one will receive for purchasing Luz de Vida.  It is a simply stunning compilation.  The Arizona Daily Star recently claimed Luz de Vida "one of the finest showcases of Tucson's music community ever presented."

Here are links to many of the great reviews Luz de Vida has received:
- Arizona Daily Star
- Arizona Daily Wildcat
- The Bay Bridged
- Blabber 'N' Smoke
- Blurt Magazine - News
- Blurt Magazine - Review
- The Caliente
- Here Comes The Flood
- Ick Music
- Merge Records
- Phoenix New Times
- 7 I N C H E S
- Tucson Lifestyle Magazine
- Tucson Sentinel
- Tucson Weekly - Cover Story
- Tucson Weekly - The Range
- Turntable Kitchen
- Zocalo Magazine

Thank you in advance for the support!
We, the people of Tucson, truly appreciate it.
~ FLR

Saturday, October 15, 2011

PRE-ORDER LUZ DE VIDA NOW

Click the "Add to Cart" link in the right-side column, right over there--->

Monday, October 10, 2011

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22nd, THE RIALTO THEATRE

Monday, October 3, 2011

HOWE GELB + TRACY SHEDD TAKE THE NORTHEAST!

Hot off the press...
Howe Gelb + Tracy Shedd have added three more US dates for this upcoming winter season:

Tuesday, December 6th - Cambridge MA - The Brattle Theater
Wednesday, December 7th - Brooklyn NY - Littlefield w/ Ani Cordero
Saturday, December 10th - Chicago IL - The Volcano Room at The Bottom Lounge

Looks like the holiday season is going to get started early this year!
- Team FLR

Monday, September 26, 2011

OCT 22: LUZ DE VIDA RECORD RELEASE BENEFIT AT RIALTO

It's official folks... the Record Release Benefit for Luz de Vida is going to be held at The Rialto Theatre in Tucson AZ on Saturday, October 22. All proceeds from ticket + record sales for this night will go to the Tucson Together Fund, helping those affected from the Tucson Tragedy (January 8, 2011).

Confirmed Artists to Perform (in no particular order):
- Kiss & The Tells
- Reno del Mar
- Mariachi Luz de Luna
- HAIRSPRAYFIREANDGIRLS
- Tracy Shedd
- La Cerca
- Golden Boots
- Silverbell
- Rich Hopkins
- Tom Walbank
+ more artists to be announced

Ticket / Pricing:
- $5.00 for Entry
- $10.00 Free Entry + Digital Download of Luz de Vida
- $20.00 Free Entry + Digital Download + Limited 12inch Vinyl of Luz de Vida

Mark your calendars now! Times for event and performances are still to be determined, but will be posted soon!

Thank you for all of the support!
See you October 22nd at The Rialto!

~ Fort Lowell Records + Music Against Violence

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

HOWE GELB + TRACY SHEDD KILL THE WEST COAST

Mr. Howe Gelb and Ms. Tracy Shedd are hitting the West Coast together this coming Winter Season...

Wednesday, December 14th - Seattle WA - Columbia City Theater
Thursday, December 15th - Portland OR - Doug Fir Lounge
Saturday, December 17th - Oakland CA - The Parish

Tracy Shedd will be out on her own full US Winter Tour (more dates to come), while Howe Gelb will be flying in to play these exclusive US dates!

This.
Is.
Going.
To.
Be.
Beautiful.

More to come on a wonderful winter season from Fort Lowell Records!
Enjoy!


~ FLR Executive Committee

Sunday, September 18, 2011

HEY MOM!

In just one month, Luz de Vida (FLR007) will be available for everyone to enjoy!  100% of all sales will go to the Tucson Together Fund and will help those affected by the Tucson Tragedy (January 8, 2011).

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

FLR IN THE UK


Our friend Mary P from Zia Records (here in Arizona) recently went on a trip to the UK and ran across this at Piccadilly Records. Sweet!

Monday, September 5, 2011

TUCSON HIP-HOP DON'T STOP UNTIL THE BREAK OF DAWN

I'm just curious if there is anyone else out there other than my friends Jonny and Wax, and the whole New Tribe crew (obviously), that realize how much seriously great hip-hop is coming out of Tucson AZ right now.  I freakin' woke up this morning singing (do you sign rap?) my friend Manny's (Black Sai) tunes, from Stone Ninjaz.  Local DJ and PR-guru Carl Hanni was quite intrigued himself to hear about what's going on with this scene in the Old Barrio.  After sending him a few links to sample, he agreed about the quality and slickness.  That led me to posting this article for all of you to read.  Here is a track from each of my favorite Tucson hip-hop groups that I've been listening to recently...

STONE NINJAZ:
No Way by STONE NINJAZ

JIVIN SCIENTISTS:
15 Style by Jivin Scientists

Enjoy!
FLR

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

FUCK CANCER!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAVELAB – 10 Bands, two stages, one cause!

As part of Congress’ commitment to the SAVELAB cause, we are hosting the first part of our two pronged charity program this night. Tonight is the giant local event then, the giant national event During HoCofest the next week. 

Coordinated with the Tucson Artist And Musicians Healthcare Alliance we’ve arranged to have 100% of the proceeds go to our friend Craig Schumacher who’s battlin’ the big C. We’ll  have  indoor and outdoor stages  featuring a  little something for everyone. Don’t miss out on great music for an even better cause! Doors open at 7pm!

Outdoor Acts:
Determined Luddites
Stefan George
Tracy Shedd

Ferrodyne


Indoor Acts:
Wayback Machine
Last Call Girls
Carnivaleros
Funky Bones

Sunday Afternoon

DEATH KIT HEADLINES BOOTLEG + FREE NEW SINGLE










Hey there. After a bit of a break to write and re-vamp the lineup, Death Kit returns to the light of day to headline on Sept. 5 at Bootleg Theater, with the excellent Young Hunting and Paper Angels. It's a free show, DK at 9:30.  

As penance for waiting so long, here's the new single "Draw Blood." Post it elsewhere as you see fit.

DEATH KIT -- "DRAW BLOOD": http://yousend.it/otiuwo 

More fall shows coming soon. Thanks.
-DK

One Thirty BPM -- “Success in catchy tunes and high energy. The sound comes across as being very similar to The Rapture, especially when the singer busted out his cowbell-on-a-stick.I’m not a dancer, but Death Kit provided the kind of music that it was hard not to move your body to.”

Beatcrave.com -- “Forlorn yet effective lyrics paired with firm, romantic guitar chords and earth shattering synth lines in songs such as  “Devadasi” and “I Can Make You Love Me” made melancholy shockingly danceable.”

Turntable Kitchen -- “The a-side “Devadasi” is sure to be one of the year’s strongest synth-pop gems and alone is worth the price of the record.  It features brightly-lit synths, glass-smooth vocals, and purposeful percussion that alternates between stumbling and steady. Sporting an ambiance that calls to mind 80′s Cure singles, but a grooving electro-disco rhythm that transform this cut into a contemporary synth-anthem
."

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

...MUSIC VIDEO? HIT THE ROAD

Good things come in threes, and in this case it's Tucson's electro-pop trio ...music video?, who will be hitting to road in September!  Check it out West Coast peeps, and stay tuned for possible additional shows:

Sept 1 - Silverlake Lounge - Los Angeles CA
Sept 3 - Freakin Frog - Las Vegas NV
Sept 4 - Audie's Olympic - Fresno CA
Sept 6 - Grant & Green - San Francisco CA
Sept 7 - The Ruby Room - San Diego CA

Also, check out ...music video?'s Facebook page for event details:
http://www.facebook.com/musicvideo

Rock on!
~ FLR

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

LUZ DE VIDA [LIGHT OF LIFE]

Fort Lowell Records is extremely excited to announce our partnership with Music Against Violence, a coalition of Tucson writers, recording engineers, and venue operators, for our next record release and what will be our very first full length 12inch vinyl... Luz de Vida: A Compilation to Benefit the Victims of the Tucson Tragedy.

Just yesterday, as our group Music Against Violence were walking into the offices of the Rialto Theatre to begin planning for our promotional launch, the world was celebrating Gabby Giffords' return to Congress in Washington DC to vote on the debt ceiling.  The six of us, along with Joey Burns of Calexico and Charlie Levy from Stateside Presents, stopped in our tracks and cheered at the C-SPAN web stream that we had raced to display on Ryan's large design-friendly monitor.  It could not have been better timing, as Gabby's determination to vote yesterday was a great motivator for our team to continue pushing more ideas to make Luz de Vida bigger and more impactful than any of us had ever imagined.

Luz de Vida will be released on 12inch yellow vinyl featuring 12 Tucson artists, as well as a digital release made up of 37 artists, including John Vanderslice, Rachel Flotard & Jon Rauhouse, Chuck Prophet, Robyn Hitchcock, Ozomatli, Meat Puppets, Jimmy Eat World, Spoon, Neko Case, and DeVotchKa.  The 12inch vinyl will be available regionally in stores that carry other Fort Lowell Records releases, plus directly here on our website and through out distributor, StickFigure.  The digital download of 37 tracks will be included inside the vinyl record, and also available through all major online music outlets such as iTunes, Amazon, and eMusic (basically anywhere IODA makes available).  We will also have download cards for sale at all local events promoting Luz de Vida, such as our record release party at the Rialto Theatre on Saturday, October 15th.

You can read much more about this record and the track listings for both the vinyl and digital versions on the Music Against Violence website.

Luz de Vida is brought to you 100% by businesses that have sponsored this project by donating money and/or services to make this Luz de Vida possible.  Because of their sponsorship, we are able to guarantee that all proceeds generated from Luz de Vida will go to the Tucson Together Fund, the only officially sanctioned fund established to assist victims, families, and witnesses of the January 8th tragedy.


As of today, the jackets are being printed, we have approved the liner notes, which are now off to print  The vinyl test pressing has arrived and sounds absolutely great!  All in all, Luz de Vida is coming along nicely.  Promotional work will begin in September, so if you are in radio or with the press... stay tuned!  You will be hearing from us shortly with more information (and music to listen to).



Okay, that's all we have for now...
but stay tuned for more information to come!

Enjoy!
Fort Lowell Records & Music Against Violence

Thursday, July 14, 2011

SO TRUE (AND HILARIOUS)!

I can not take any credit for writing this. In fact, I think it is one of those spam-story-telling emails that your Aunt Judith sends to your work email addy. But this one was sent to me from my buddy Skid, and it is so-damn-freakin'-hilarious, I couldn't resist... Read on!

IF PETS WROTE DIARIES

Excerpts from a Dog's Diary...... 

















8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk Bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!


Excerpts from a Cat's Daily Diary...

















Day 983 of my captivity...

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets.

Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage...

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously clueless.

The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now.................

Friday, July 8, 2011

WET & RECKLESS HIT THE ROAD

The fabulous four femme fatales, otherwise known as Wet & Reckless, are hitting the East Coast once again, this time with their latest 7inch release from Fort Lowell Records featuring their smash hit "New Guy!" Check it:

July 16, Cyclops, Baltimore, MD
July 17, the Galaxy Hut, Arlington, VA
July 18, The Velvet Lounge, Washington D.C.
July 19, Pianos, NY, NY
July 20, the Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, NY
July 22, Girl’s Rock Camp, Boston, MA (during the day)
July 22, O’Brien’s, Allston, MA (at night)
July 23, Nectar’s, Martha’s Vineyard


Monday, June 6, 2011

SUCCESS?

When we started this record label thingy, we said to ourselves "Wouldn't it be cool if one of our 7inches ended up on eBay selling for more money than it was really worth?" Well, that day has come...

Howe Gelb - 'Sno Angel + Melted Wires - $29.89



Just in case you were interested... look to your right.
You can order the same record directly from us for $5.00.

Happy shopping!
Team FLR

Monday, May 30, 2011

WHAT'S NEXT FOR FORT LOWELL RECORDS?

Twelve inches of Tucson AZ!



Sunday, May 22, 2011

FREE DEATH KIT CD!

Order Death Kit's Devadasi 7inch from us directly and receive a free copy of their CD/EP titled 'Deathworks,' featuring five tracks: "Boy," "Catholic Kitsch," "We Were Young and Needed the Money," "Acid Kids," and "Morning Comes."

I DON'T HAVE A RECORD PLAYER

So, you've been dying to pick up our Record Store Day 7inch for Howe Gelb, but you sold your record player at the yard sale the PTA hosted for the kids to go on a field trip to the science museum last year.  No sweat, the Howe Gelb 'Sno Angel + Melted Wires 7inch is available all over the world wide web to purchase as MP3 audio files!  Here are three of the more popular sites you may like to download the songs from:

Amazon
eMusic
iTunes

Enjoy!
FLR

Monday, May 16, 2011

F' IT! WE'RE SELLING PROMOS!

So we might have sold out of the 750 numbered Howe Gelb 7inches... but we've got un-numbered promo copies available, and we're puttin'em up for sale on the ol' world wide web! The 'Add To Cart' has been made available on our website on the right side of the page for your purchasing pleasure.

GO!

SUNDAYS IN THE PHOENIX METRO AREA CAN BE FUN


Yesterday was a great day spent at The Nile Theater Record Fair in Mesa AZ! This was the second event they have hosted like this, and something we hope they keep doing. We continue to meet people that have never heard of Fort Lowell Records, and truly appreciate the opportunity to make new fans.


It was great to be set up next to our favorite record store in the Phoenix Metro Area, Stinkweeds. Good times were had hanging out with our friend (their Manager), Lindsay Cates... admiring the awesomeness of her credit card machine (SEE BELOW). We even managed to pick up a few records ourselves from Stinkweeds: The Black Angels' B-Side EP, The Amazing, The Black Ryder, a Deerhunter 7inch, a Trouble In Mind 7inch sampler, and two great great great records from the record label The Numero Group (#17 and #35 1/2) that we are very excited to listen to soon.



We met a lot of nice people throughout the day that were really excited to hear new music. The listening station proved to be helpful once again. This time we brought in two sets of headphones, so family and friends could join in the fun.


We also met Ryan from Perfectly Round Records and James from Gilgongo Records, two awesome awesome record labels from the Phoenix Metro Area. We highly recommend you check out both labels and the various bands they are releasing. We picked up The Tri City Thundercats 7inch, our only missing 7inch from the Perfectly Round Records catalog; excited to complete that set now. We also got a number of new vinyl from James at Gilgongo Records: two full lengths from French Quarter, one from ZS, Little Women, and James' own release, as well as 7inches by Woods, Married In Berdichev, and Vegetable. It's nice to finally meet both of those guys. They are both working really hard to bring you some great tunes, so definitely check them out.


Stinkweeds and Fort Lowell Records toughed it out until the very end, making sure every last possible customer was met and no one left behind. We celebrated a successful day of hard work at a local wine bar call Il Vinaio. Definitely recommend stopping by there if you are ever in the neighborhood. Pretty cool spot with a great selection of wine and beers, including an awesome Hemp Ale (that they allowed Tracy Shedd to take home in a growler she just happens to carry around with her at all times just in case she find a beer on tap she wants to take home in a growler... #realtalk).

Good times! Good times! We look forward to the next time The Nile Theater hosts a record fair, or to any other time we have a reason to head north and hang with our peeps in Phoenix.

Word.
FLR

Sunday, May 15, 2011

THE GIFT OF THE NILE

Today we are headed up to Mesa AZ to The Nile Record Fair II, hosted by The Nile Theater.  If you are in the area, stop by and say 'Hello!'  We will have our new Fort Lowell Record "Music Sounds Better 7inches At A Time" TShirts, as well as all of our colorful 7inch records (including promotional copies of Howe Gelb's sold out 7inch)!  We are now able to accept Credit Cards, so don't sweat stopping by the ATM machine.  See ya'll at the show! ~ FLR

Saturday, May 14, 2011

MUSIC VIDEO KILLS THE PODCAST!

Just in case you missed to awesome live performance ...music video? gave on KXCI 91.3FM Radio a few weeks ago, you can download or stream the podcast right here:
http://kxci.org/localsonly/podcast/podcast-05022011.mp3

Photos by Andrew Brown:


Enjoy!
FLR

Friday, May 13, 2011

GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE, GONE!

That's right folks, Howe Gelb's 7inch is gone! All 750 numbered copies have been sent out to record stores across the world. Stop by your local record store to see if they have it in stock. If not, they may still be able to order it in through our distributors: EDGE, AES, Super D, or StickFigure.

For those of you in Tucson AZ, you may still be able to find a copy at one of these local retail stores: Bohemia, Bookmans Grant, Bookmans Ina, Bookmans Speedway, Mast, Preen, Toxic Ranch, Zia Records Oracle, or Zia Records Speedway.

We personally only have a few un-numbered promotional copies available that we may use to sell at shows or use to restock local retailers, if not use them for promotional reasons. We are going to bring a couple of these with us this coming Sunday at the Nile Theater Record Fair in Mesa AZ, so stop by our table if you need one.

As you can see... Kickflip does not seem to mind selling out of this record. She is enjoying the extra shelf space to lounge around in.

For those of you that were able to secure a copy of Howe Gelb's 7inch, we hope you have been enjoying the record!

Thanks for the support!
Team FLR

Sunday, May 8, 2011

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, MOM!

I just wanted to take a moment to share with everyone out there in cyberworld how rad the El Patron De Mamá (AKA: my Mom) is.  She's a lil' Italian lady with the brightest damn red hair you've ever seen (close to Miki Berenyi from Lush).  For most of her life, she was a school teacher, and an amazing one at that.  The stereotypes you would expect about an Italian mother are all true, just like Vinnie's mother from The Jersey Shore: she's a supergreat cook and loves having big groups of family and friends around for dinner, and she definitely has a soft spot in her stern heart for her lil' bambino (me).

Mom was never mean to us kids, but she definitely had her rules we had to follow.  She taught us the value of working hard at an early age.  At age six I had a solid list of house chores which included doing laundry for everyone (Mom, Dad, sister, brother, and myself) in the household.  She rewarded us for our hard work each week with an allowance, but made us responsible for buying our own 'luxuries in life,' which for me at the time were skateboards.  Then, when I was sixteen, old enough to have a 'real job,' she made me responsible not only for buying my skateboards and whatnot, but also for many of the 'necessities in life,' such as clothes and transportation.

Mom knows how to have fun too, though.  She was not all about work-work-work.  Mom was very supportive of developing a creative mind.  When any of us had a wacky idea to do something that most parents would not normally approve of, she was always there encouraging us to explore our ideas, but yet holding us accountable and making us responsible for our actions.  She was always there to guide us along the way to learn something new about ourselves or life.  My sister and I both ventured into the world of Interior Design with our own bedrooms; mine being tremendously more psychedelic than my sister's angular modernism.  Most parents would hardly let their kids put a poster on the wall, let alone paint swirly checkerboards with flames coming out the edges and wrapping around a six-foot happy face (don't ask me what I was thinking).

Don't get me wrong, Mom was not a push-over.  She would not just let us kids run wild and do whatever the heck we wanted.  She said "no," a lot.  But what is more important is that she knew when to say "yes."  Mom knew what was best for us to explore, and (more importantly) what would teach us the greatest lessons to become the people we are today.

My Mom is the reason why Fort Lowell Records is Fort Lowell Records.  She not only taught me to explore ideas, but to follow through on ideas, as well as to value the rewards of hard work.  Today, as we celebrate Mother's Day, Fort Lowell Records is also celebrating the success of selling all copies of one of our records for the first time: the Howe Gelb 'Sno Angel + Melted Wires 7inch we released for Record Store Day 2011 (just three weeks ago).  After one year of releasing 7inches records, we have finally succeed with getting all copies of a release out to the public, a common goal (if not the main goal) for any record label.

This achievement is not being taken for granted.  We know it is a result of all of the hard work and many sacrifices everyone has made in our inaugural year.  When I was growing up with my Mom, I would give up my time on weekends to work around the house so I could earn money to buy new skateboards.  Now we give up our time on weekends (and holidays and weeknights and an hour before going to work each day) to run this record label... a record label that only after one year has so much to be proud of.


...and for that, we have my Mom to thank.


Thank you Mom for being my Mom.  I really appreciate all you ever taught me in life.  I may not show it in ways others would expect, but I want you to know that I am proud to say that my own successes are due to being your son.  With each achievement in my life, I can pinpoint the moment in my childhood you showed me whatever life-lesson it may have been that led to that accomplishment.  Your wisdom and direction have given me the greatest life one could ask for.  Thank you, again.


Happy Mother's Day!
I love you, Mom!
~ Son

ROCK LOTTERY ROCKED TUCSON

Last night's Rock Lottery was simply awesome! What a great display of how beautiful the Tucson music community is! 25 talented musicians came together and in one day put together 5 bands that all kicked butt! Our favorite was The Sweet Spots, featuring our very own Tracy Shedd and one of our favorite guitarist in Tucson, Dana Fehr from the band Juarez. They started the night with their ass-kicking-take-no-prisoners power pop (file between Husker Du and Velocity Girl), that included an amazing cover of The Cars' "Just What I Needed."





Kudos to Mike Sanger and Johnnie Munger from Dead Western Plains, Dr. Dan from KXCI's Locals Only radio program, Maebelle Reed and everyone at Plush, and to the people of Tucson AZ, ...all for an awesome night!

Lastly... Thanks to The General! You can't have a great night out on 4th Avenue without stopping by to see The General at his hot dog cart across from Che's. He is simply the coolest vegetarian you will meet selling the raddest hot dogs while playing the sweetest jams! I swear, if he could sell beer, I would just hang out with The General all night.



RockRock!
FLR

Saturday, May 7, 2011

HOT DAMN! IT'S THE TUCSON ROCK LOTTERY! [TONIGHT]

The Rock Lottery began in Denton, TX in 1997 (and in Seattle in 2006 and Brooklyn 2010). This will be Tucson's inaugural Rock Lottery. The premise is simple, but effective...

Twenty-five hand picked musicians meet in the morning at Plush. These volunteers organize into five groups through a lottery-based chance selection. The five separate groups are then released to practice at different locations. The musicians have 12 hours to create a band name and three to five songs (with a one cover limit). The groups will then perform what they have created that evening in front of a waiting audience.

The twenty-five musicians included in the experiment are selected in an attempt to represent a wide variety of musical styles. This event intends to bring together many facets of the Tucson music community that may seem incompatible as well as musicians whose interests may conflict. The challenge for these musicians is to try and go beyond their personal and musical differences and work together to create a unified group project that still contains personal styles of each of the participants.

All door proceeds go to CysticLife.org, a social network for the cystic fibrosis community. This positive, uplifting web site is the central location for the CF community to share tips, questions, ideas, experiences and encouragement to those families dealing with cystic fibrosis.

Musician participants include:
Mik Garrison, Winston Watson, Dante Rosano, Vikki Brown, Dana Fehr, Dave Mertz, Gabe Sullivan, Brian Lopez, Keli Carpenter, Joshua Butcher, Tracy Shedd (Fort Lowell Records), Ben DeGain, Fen Ilkner, Mike Mihina, Kaia Chesney, Lana Rebel, Steven Yanez Romo, J Lugo Miller (...music video? / Fort Lowell Records), Brian Green, Nick Letson, Vikas Pawa, David Clark, Ryan Janac, Geoff Hidalgo, and Will King.

More information:
- Facebook Event Page
- Plush Calendar

Press Coverage:
- Arizona Daily Star
- Arizona Daily Wildcat 
- KXCI
- Tucson Lifestyle Magazine
- Tucson Metromix
- Tucson Weekly
- Zocalo Magazine

Congratulations Mike Sanger (Dead Western Plains / Fort Lowell Records) on a job well done putting this together!  It is going to be an awesome night for sure!  See you all at the show!

Friday, May 6, 2011

OUR RECORDS ARE NOW SQUARE




We are superexcited about our new lil' Square! It's going to allow us to take credit cards at our merch tables from now on! Sweet! Thanks again Johnnie for the heads up on this! If anyone has any feedback to share on these lil' Squares, please let us know what's the 411.

Word.
Team FLR

Monday, May 2, 2011

MUSIC VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO (OR IS GOING TO)

Tonight, ...music video? will be playing live and interviewed on KXCI 91.3 FM here in Tucson AZ!  If you live in Tucson, tune in!  If you don't, go to KXCI's website http://www.kxci.org and click "listen now" on the left side to stream the broadcast.  ...music video? will be on the Locals Only program which airs between 8:00-10:00pm (Pacific Time Zone).  We are sure ...music video? is gonna' kill it!

Enjoy!
FLR

Monday, April 25, 2011

I KNOW A DRUMMER

For anyone in Tucson AZ that wants to start a band or become a DJ, we've got some news for you. Over at St. Vincent's thrift store on Stone, they have this great old Numark DJ mixer with wood panels on the sides for $55. You should pick it up so you can mix between Fort Lowell Records 7inchers while you are spinning for your friends. Or, if you've always wanted to start a band so you could become the next Fort Lowell Records artist, the Goodwill on 4th Avenue has this great Casiotone CT-6000 for $30. It has a rad drum machine built in and a sweet pitch wheel. You could totally be a one-man-band with that keyboard.

The Goodwill also had a great Imperial suitcase record player, but there was no needle. If it had one, that would have been ours.

Anyhoo, enjoy.
FLR

Saturday, April 23, 2011

YESTERDAY WAS AN EPIC DAY! (AND DAMN-IT, WE'VE GOT THE PHOTOS TO PROVE IT)

Thank you to everyone who made Friday, April 22nd, the most special day in our one year existence!  It truly was an epic day, beginning with a quick visit with Jason Repko at the KXCI 91.3 studio.  Dan Sheffer from local television station Tucson-12 stop by as well to see what was going on.  Tucson-12 will be putting together a feature on Fort Lowell Records to air at a later date.

As the afternoon rolled into the evening, Allie Baron (AKA: The Vinyl Baron) kicked off the party at Hotel Congress on the patio, while inside Dead Western Plains was getting set up to blow our minds (once again).


Zach Toporek was first on stage outside on the patio, starting the night with a solo set, and then joined by his band Young Mothers.

Our host, Zachary Elias Clark from KAMP Student Radio, welcomed the ladies from Los Angeles CA, Wet & Reckless, to the stage following Young Mothers.   Again, Dan Sheffer from Tucson-12 was on hand to capture the greatness happening at Hotel Congress. 


Inside Club Congress, our favorite DJ from KXCI 91.3, Jaime J, was getting the crowd warmed up with his sweet jams, followed by a mind-blowing performance by Dead Western Plains (AKA: The Men in White).  Notice: even Dead Western Plains' drums were dressed in white!

Tracy Shedd kept the music flowin' outside on the patio immediately following Dead Western Plains; playing a few guitar gems, followed by her lovely work on piano.  Did anyone else catch her cover on The Magnetic Fields' "Candy," or her rockin' poppin' cover of our own Death Kit's "I Can Make You Love Me?"  No?  Your loss man, they were both rad! 

Speaking of Death Kit... holy jeeze!  They killed it inside Club Congress!  Believe it or not, we had never actually seen Death Kit live before, so we were just as curious as anyone else.  But seriously, Death Kit was amazing!  We are so happy both Death Kit and Wet & Reckless were able to drive out from Los Angeles CA to join us for this special event. 


If you did catch Death Kit's performance inside Club Congress, you just might have missed a very special guest that just happened to stop by Hotel Congress for the celebrations... Howe Gelb!  Due to Howe's busy touring schedule, we were not 100% sure he would be able to make it out, but very happy to have received a text from him at about 10:30pm saying "Just pulled up."  For those of you that did catch Howe Gelb's performance, I am sure you will agree that it was quite a treat! 

Jaime J delivered a very special performance as well inside Club Congress just before ...music video? wrapped the night up (as well as before Death Kit earlier in the night).  He is not only an amazing DJ with an excellent taste in music, but he's a great performer who knows how to get the party started!  ...music video? followed with another amazing set showing us that electronic music does have a heart and soul, and can be a lot of fun to watch being performed live.  Our favorite is when they perform "I'm Afraid of Everything," their song from their Fort Lowell Records 7inch.  (Sorry, we totally forgot to take a photo of ...music video? from the show last night, so Paul sent us this one from their CD Release Party at Plush from a few weeks ago.)


Lastly, we've have to take a moment to say "Thank You" to all of the great folks at Hotel Congress and Club Congress: David Slutes, Dan Hernandez, Dana Fehr, Zack (sound engineer for the patio), Elizabeth (the manager who took care of us all night), and Larry and the roller derby lady (the bartenders that kept the drink flowin' all night)!  You all rock, and we love you all!

Thank you Tucson!
Thank you everyone!
~ Fort Lowell Records

Friday, April 22, 2011

TONIGHT IS GOING TO BE... (HOW DO THE KIDS SAY IT THESE DAYS?) "EPIC!"


We hope you are all able to make it out to Hotel Congress in Tucson AZ for our Fort Lowell Records Showcase tonight!  It is going to be an awesome party!  All of the bands from our first year of records are coming together to say 'Thanks' to all of you for the support you have shown this past year!  Tonight's show is a FREE event for you, so come on out and have some fun!  You did not hear this here, but there may even be a surprise guest!

OUTSIDE STAGE (Patio):
6:00p - DJ Set w/ The Vinyl Baron + Dan Shapiro

8:00p - YOUNG MOTHERS
8:45p -
DJ Set w/ The Vinyl Baron + Dan Shapiro
9:15p - WET & RECKLESS
10:00p -
DJ Set w/ The Vinyl Baron + Dan Shapiro
10:45p - TRACY SHEDD
11:15p -
DJ Set w/ The Vinyl Baron + Dan Shapiro

INDOOR STAGE:
9:00p - DJ Set w/ Jaime J
10:00p - DEAD WESTERN PLAINS
10:45p -
DJ Set w/ Jaime J + Live Performance
11:15p - DEATH KIT
12:00a -
DJ Set w/ Jaime J + Live Performance
12:30a - ...MUSIC VIDEO?

[Click here for the Facebook Event Page] 

In addition to all of the great music and celebration, we are extremely excited to debut the very first Fort Lowell Records TShirt!  We will have them on sale for $20.00 each in boys and girls sizes, printed on Alternative Apparel shirts!



Thank you again for all the support during our first year! Tonight is going to be a lot of fun, and we are looking forward to celebrating with you! Stop by Hotel Congress any time during the night to see your favorite band, or just come hang out and listen to the amazing DJs! Don't forget to order one of our favorite drinks from the bar... either the "Dead Western Plain" or a "Seven & Seven!"

See you tonight!
~ Fort Lowell Records

Saturday, April 16, 2011

HAPPY RECORD STORE DAY!

We've been waiting for this day for the past year.  It was exactly this day last year, Record Store Day 2010, that we celebrated our official first release for Young Mothers with a showcase at Zia Records Speedway in Tucson AZ; including Young Mothers, ...music video?, and Tracy Shedd.  Today is Record Store Day 2011, and we will be back at Zia Records celebrating our sixth release, this time for Howe Gelb.  Tracy Shedd will be joining Howe Gelb at Zia Records Speedway to ring in Record Store Day 2011.  Howe Gelb's 7inch is an official sponsored release with Record Store Day, which means it is also available across the world for everyone to enjoy.

If your local record store did not receive Howe Gelb's 7inch for Record Store Day, don't fret... have them contact the Record Store Day distributors, Alliance and Super-D, and they should be able to get a copy for you even after Record Store Day.  And within the coming weeks, we will also put up a link to purchase Howe Gelb's 7inch direct from us.

If you at Coachella this weekend and unable to make it to a record store to celebrate Record Store Day, we've got you covered there as well... Zia Records is hosting a pop-up record store tent in the desert at the festival and they have all Fort Lowell Records 7inches, including Howe Gelb's Record Store Day release.  In addition to that, all Zia Records have signed copies of Howe Gelb's 7inch record... only Zia Records.

We look forward to seeing you today at Zia Records Speedway!
Thank you for all of the support!


~ Fort Lowell Records

Monday, March 28, 2011

ALL OF A SUDDEN, KICKFLIP IS NOW SCARED OF THE SOCKS!

If you have not noticed, we are über-duber excited about our sixth release, which is to be release very soon... Howe Gelb - 'Sno Angel + Melted Wires 7inch, an official Record Store Day release for 2011! To help celebrate this release, The Vinyl District and Zia Records are both hosting two separate contests online for you to enter to win a signed copy of Howe Gelb's 7inch! Here is the skinny for both contests...

THE VINYL DISTRICT
The contest that The Vinyl District is about to end, so sorry for the late post of this, but it is definitely well worth the effort to jump on this one as soon as possible. The Vinyl District is offering a signed copy of a test press record; signed by Howe Gelb and John Convertino.  They have actually signed the label on the vinyl itself, and Howe has drawn a wonderful lil' picture for you on the other side.

The first thing to understand is the significance of the test press record. When we are in the process of making a record, the manufacturer sends us four copies of the record called "test pressings." These test pressings are used by our Executive Team to make sure that the record is good to go for mass production. In this case, Howe Gelb's test pressings were perfect, so we approved the test pressings and continued forward with manufacturing the final product for all of you. One special thing about the test pressings is that they are always on black vinyl. Being that all of our releases come on colored vinyl, our test pressings are the only copies available on black vinyl, making them über-rare.  One copy is kept in the Fort Lowell Records Vault, manned by a personal security guard twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.  Two copies of the test pressing are given to the artist.  Finally, the forth copy is typically given away for promotion purposes, such as this contest.

The Vinyl District has made it very easy for you to enter their contest... you simply need to post a comment on their page about the contest HERE.  Just tell them why you feel you deserve to own the signed test pressing from Howe Gelb.  They are going to post the winner very soon, so act now.  Again, we apologize for the late notice on this one.  Good luck!

ZIA RECORDS
To start, we just have to say "Thank You" to Zia Records.  They have been very supportive of our label for the first year of our existence, and we really appreciate everything they do.  So, speaking of what they do... Zia Records has a contest going to win a signed copy of Howe Gelb's record as well.  Their signed copy is not for the test pressing, but for the actual release on blue vinyl.  For Zia, the record has been signed on the cover by Howe Gelb.  The advantage, we've actually got a few copies of these available for Zia Records.  I believe they are going to be giving them out by the regions in which they cover: Tucson, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.

To enter Zia Records' contest, you simply need to send them an EMAIL with all of your contact information: Name, Address, and Phone Number... and be sure to put "GELB ZIA" in the title of your email.  Their contest ends April 11th, so don't wait too too long to send your EMAIL in to Zia Records.

Now, the cool thing about Zia Records is that not only are they offering you an opportunity to win a signed copy of Howe Gelb's 7inch for free... but for those of you that don't "win" a "free" copy, Zia Records will also have signed copies of Howe Gelb's 7inch available for sale on Record Store Day, April 16th, at all locations!  Yup!  So... send an EMAIL to Zia Records first to try and get a copy for free.  Then, if unfortunately if you don't win, just stop by your local Zia Records on April 16th, Record Store Day, to pick up a copy of Howe Gelb's 7inch!

As far as Kickflip is concerned... she used to be a freak with socks!  She loved playing with them; jumping into mounds of them and tearing them apart.  But for some reason, now she is freaked out by them.  We had a pile of them lingering around our corporate offices (don't ask), so we dump them on top of her and she jumped nearly three feet in the air backwards and now won't go near them.  What gives?

Good luck with the contests!
- Fort Lowell Records

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

WIN A SIGNED HOWE GELB 7INCH!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

TRACY SHEDD LIVE PHOTOGRAPHS

Thanks to our dear friend Lisa MacInnes Healey from GroovyStylie! for these wonderful photographs of Tracy Shedd & Co. performing live at Club Congress in Tucson AZ!