Here is a photo of Golden Mastering cutting the vinyl lacquers for 'GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter'

Pictured below is The Rosebuds song on Side-B of GROW being cut:

Photo by: JJ Golden

Happy Birthday, Tracy Shedd!

Luz de Vida is back; all proceeds now go to Homicide Survivors, Inc.

On Wednesday, June 3, 2020, nine days after George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao, we at Fort Lowell Records were inspired by our 2011 release - LUZ DE VIDA: A Compilation to Benefit the Victims of the Tucson Tragedy - to create a similar project, this time to help support the local citizens in our now home of Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina; titled: GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter.  When Luz de Vida was first released, all proceeds went to the Tucson Together Fund; an organization established to provide financial assistance to victims, witnesses and their families for expenses associated with the Tucson Tragedy, which occurred on Saturday, January 8, 2011.  Once the Tucson Together Fund was dissolved in 2013, Luz de Vida itself was discontinued as well.

Thanks to Main Gate Square of Tucson, Arizona, one of the original Luz de Vida sponsors, it has been brought to our attention that in the wake of the Tucson Together Fund, Tucson Tragedy victims are receiving aid from Homicide Survivors, Inc.: a nonprofit victim assistance organization dedicated to meeting the crisis and long term needs of families of murder victims.  In an exchange of influence, 2020's GROW has now moved Fort Lowell Records to re-release the digital version of 2011's Luz de Vida, and donate 100% of the proceeds to Homicide Survivors, Inc.  It brings us great pleasure to share with you that LUZ DE VIDA: A Compilation to Benefit the Victims of the Tucson Tragedy is officially available once again on all digital platforms - such as Amazon, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Tidal, YouTube, etc. - for your listening enjoyment, and all downloads and streams will persist to benefit the Victims of the Tucson Tragedy indefinitely.

Thank you for your continuous support. - Fort Lowell Records

• Click here to learn more about Luz de Vida
• Click here to learn more about GROW

LUZ DE VIDA TRACK LISTING:
1. Taraf de Tucson - Vaya Con Dios
2. Dead Western Plains - People Beat
3. Sweet Secrets - Evidence
4. John Vanderslice - Pale Horse
5. Rachel Flotard & Jon Rauhouse - Hammered Light
6. Kiss & The Tells - Tell Me Now
7. El Depravos (feat. Chuck Prophet) - Vampire Requiem
8. Rainer - The Oasis
9. Reno del Mar - All For Love
10. Robyn Hitchcock - Light Blue Afternoon
11. Ozomatli - It's Only Time
12. Mariachi Luz de Luna - Luz a la Vida
13. Sunday Afternoon - Mexico
14. Giant Sand - Recovery Mission (Radio Edit)
15. Al Perry & Calexico - Dreaming (Live)
16. Brian Lopez - Molly (Live)
17. Chango Malo - A Change Is Gonna Come (Live)
18. Meat Puppets - Love Our Children Forever (Live)
19. Jimmy Eat World - Here It Goes (Live)
20. HAIRSPRAYFIREANDGIRLS - The Only Child
21. Tracy Shedd - Encourage Me
22. La Cerca - Swim An Ocean
23. Spoon - Vittorio E.
24. Seashell Radio - Lewis y Clark
25. Calexico - Absent Afternoon
26. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
27. Mark Growden - Saguaro
28. Sergio Mendoza y La Orkesta - Las Calles de Tucson
29. DeVotchKa - The Common Good
30. Lenguas Largas - Such A Thing
31. Golden Boots - Regional Whales
32. Silverbell - Why
33. Rich Hopkins - What Am I Supposed To Do?
34. Holy Rolling Empire - Father's Father
35. Tom Walbank - Guitar In Dub
36. Silver Thread Trio - Mockingbird
37. Salvador Duran - Gabynda (Yolanda)

Around Town with Rhonda Bellamy: GROW: Getting Racism out of Wilmington

[Repost from WHQR; by Mary Bradley, July 10, 2020]

Rhonda Bellamy speaks with James Tritten of Fort Lowell Records about GROW: Getting Racism out of Wilmington, an indie rock compilation to benefit the NAACP.

CLICK HERE TO PLAY MP3 AUDIO FILE OF COMPLETE INTERVIEW

Love Language, Rosebuds, Tracy Shedd and more to be featured on upcoming compilation from Port City’s Fort Lowell Records

[REPOST from StarNews; by John Staton, July 8, 2020]

Ever since the George Floyd video surfaced in May and the protests started, James Tritten has been a little on edge. He wanted to do something to show his support for the Black Lives Matter movement, but he wasn’t sure what.

“I had been aggressively meditating because of all this anxiety, trying to get my head around it,” said Tritten, who lives in downtown Wilmington with his wife, the musician Tracy Shedd.

Then, on June 3, while he was meditating, “It hit me: I’ve done this before,” Tritten said. “I can curate this wonderful collection of indie rock bands and have it be for a good cause.”

Tritten, who runs the indie label Fort Lowell Records with his wife, had helped release a musical compilation in 2011 to benefit victims of a mass shooting in Arizona, where he and Shedd lived at the time.

Later this summer or by early fall, Tritten said, Fort Lowell will release “GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter.” Comprised of songs by current and former Wilmington indie rock bands -- and including one act making its debut -- proceeds from the sale and streaming of the record will benefit the New Hanover County chapter of the NAACP.

Hours after he came up with the idea for “GROW” on the morning of June 3, Tritten said, he had $15,000 in donations from manufacturers who will be producing the vinyl version. “GROW” will also be on streaming services and available for download.

The album’s 12-band lineup reads like a who’s who from the annals of Wilmington indie rock history (and/or its future). All of the songs are new releases.

Two bands, The Rosebuds and The Love Language, got their starts in Wilmington before moving on to record albums for Durham’s Merge Records label.

The Rosebuds, formed in Wilmington 20 years ago by then-married couple Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp, are releasing their first song since breaking up a few years ago, a remix of an existing track.

“Kelly is tickled pink” to release the song, Tritten said, adding that the all-Wilmington compilation gave the band the perfect excuse to drop the tune.

Other acts on the compilation include a mix of veteran acts (Shedd, Sean Thomas Gerard of Onward, Soldiers); seldom-seen old-school heroes (Summer Set, The Majestic Twelve, Life of Saturdays); current acts (Kicking Bird, Lauds, Pinky Verde, Team Player); and one brand-new band called Neon Belly.

The list of local partners is lengthy, and there’s also a visual art element to “GROW,” with James Williams (cover), Trevor Van Meter (jacket), Chet Childress (vinyl) and the students of DREAMS of Wilmington (liner notes) providing work for the project.

Liner notes will be written by Wilmington’s Third Person Project, which delves into often unknown or covered-up aspects of Wilmington’s history in regards to race.

Tritten and Shedd are from Florida, and from 2006 to 2013 they lived in Tuscon. That’s where Fort Lowell started, and where they released “Luz De Vida,” a compilation created by the Music Against Violence group that benefited the victims of a mass shooting that included Congresswomen Gabbi Giffords.

They’ve been in Wilmington for just the past two years, but their local roots run deep. Tritten first played here with his former band, Audio Explorations, in 1996 for the old WE Fest, and Shedd’s music was featured on locally shot hit shows “Dawson’ Creek” and “One Tree Hill.”

He and Shedd also host Manic Monday, a monthly alt-rock and indie pop DJ night that, before the pandemic, was held at downtown bar The Opera Room.

Tritten’s day job is as sales manager for KWIPPED, a locally based, online equipment-procurement marketplace. But he said the community nature of the “GROW” project “gets to why we even have a record label in the first place.”

Tritten said the minimum donation for the compilation when it comes out will be $30, to benefit the NAACP’s get-out-the-vote efforts. At least 1,000 vinyl copies of “GROW” will be pressed, he said, and will be available locally at Gravity Records, Modern Legend and elsewhere.

Contact John Staton at 910-343-2343 or John.Staton@StarNewsOnline.com.

"Reinvent a new form of decency"

On April 16, 2011, Fort Lowell Records had the pleasure of releasing a 7inch record by Howe Gelb of Giant Sand for Record Store Day 2011.  It was a split 7inch between two of Howe's own projects: 'Sno Angel and Melted Wires.  For Howe's 'Sno Angel track, we were provided a live recording of the song "Spiral" that was performed with the Voices of Praise Choir from Ottawa, Canada.

Music documents a moment in time, and allows us an opportunity to be reminded about the past and continue to learn from it.  "Spiral" was originally released on March 20, 2006 by Thrill Jockey Records as part of the album 'Sno Angel Like You.  Howe would have drawn his inspiration for "Spiral" from events unrelated to what we are all witnessing today in 2020; this is what makes "Spiral" so important.  Today, the lyrics of "Spiral" are as relevant and necessary as they ever were.

As Fort Lowell Records continues to work on our upcoming release GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter, which will itself document a moment in time, we are reminded at how thankful we are to have had to the honor to partner with both Howe Gelb and Record Store Day to bring you Howe's in-concert recording of "Spiral."  We encourage you to take a moment to revisit this song below, and to help us - as Howe says: "reinvent a new form of decency."

Howe Gelb “Spiral”

There’s a lot of people out there
Having a hard time tonight
There are shouts of revolution
There are whispers of hang on tight
There’s a lot of hearts out there
But now some will never mend
Been losing our patience
Been losing way too many men
Some are saying it’s the end times
Some are saying it’s just begun
Some are running to the churches
Some are running to the gun

And you come on down
Fall on down
Well within this regency
Spiral down
You can jot it down
Reinvent a new form of decency

Some are thinking it’s extinction
Some are swearing by salvation
Some are noting Nostradamus
Some are relating Revelation
Well it sure is getting hotter
And the water’s on the rise
Don’t wanna live forever
Another generation would be nice

And you come on down
Fall on down
Well within this regency
Spiral down
You can jot it down
Reinvent some new form of decency

There’s a lot of people out there
Having a hard time tonight
Some are shoutin’ revolution
Some are crying to hang on tight
There’s a lot of crippled hearts out there
And now some will never mend

And you come on down
Fall on down
Well within this regency
Spiral down
You better jot it down
Reinvent a new form of decency
Decency

New Song: "Fight For the Good" by Wet & Reckless

Like many musicians right now, Emily Brooks Wilder, frontwoman of the Los Angeles, California band Wet & Reckless, has been focusing her thoughts around racial injustice into her own music.  She recently recorded a fantastic new song, titled "Fight For the Good", and has made the track available on YouTube for the world to enjoy.  Take a moment to listen to "Fight For the Good" by Wet & Reckless here: https://youtu.be/ivo9bzL0-ZI.  We hope you find Emily's words to be as healing and welcomed as we do.

Get Racism Out of Wilmington (and everywhere else)

Alright folks, it's about time we posted a lil' something here on our ol' Blogger site to let you know what is going on with Fort Lowell Records.  If you are like us, as we all witnessed the horrifying events that unfolded on May 25, 2020 with the four police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota who killed George Floyd, along with the events that followed, then your heart is heavy as well with a deep pain and concern for our country and mankind altogether.  Fort Lowell Records believes music is essential to living a good life, and by continuously supplying our planet with positive music, a better world is possible for all human beings to experience.

To show our support for the Black Lives Matter movement, and stand in solidarity with people around the world who want to end racism, Fort Lowell Records is releasing a compilation album of Wilmington, North Carolina based artists to sell so we can raise money to provide a financial donation to our local New Hanover County chapter of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People).  The title for this project is 'GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter,' which also stands for Get Racism Out of Wilmington.

We will be pressing a total of 1,000 vinyl records, and asking for a minimum donation of $30.00 per record, which will allow us to potentially donate approximately $30,000 to the New Hanover County NAACP.  All of the artists involved, musicians as well as visual artists, have donated their talents, time, and work 100% to this project.  In addition, all of our manufacturing partners have also contributed 100% of their materials, time, and costs to GROW, which is enables us to give 100% of the proceeds to the New Hanover County NAACP.  This simply would not be possible without their support.

MANUFACTURING PARTNERS:

• Golden Mastering - Vinyl Lacquers
• Imprint Indie Printing - Album Jackets
• Kindercore Vinyl - Vinyl Records
• NiPro Records - Vinyl Stampers
• Peerless Mastering - Audio Mastering

LOCAL SPONSORS / PARTNERS:

• Art In Bloom
• ARTphics
• DREAMS
• Gravity Records
• Modern Legend
• New Elements Gallery
• Third Person Project

VISUAL ARTISTS:

• Chet Childress
• HeyTVM
• James Williams - Cover Art

MUSICAL ARTISTS:

• Kicking Bird
• Lauds
• Life of Saturdays
• The Love Language
• The Majestic Twelve
• Neon Belly
• Pinky Verde
• The Rosebuds
• Sean Thomas Gerard
• Summer Set
• Team Player
• Tracy Shedd

Stay tuned to Fort Lowell Records here, as well as on Instagram and Twitter, to keep up with the GROW project.  Supporters from around the world will be able to purchase GROW on vinyl record through the internet and have it mailed directly to them, as well as they will be able to buy GROW locally here in Wilmington, North Carolina at various retail outlets.  In addition, GROW will be available through all digital music download and streaming platforms, such as Amazon, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Google Play, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube Music, etc., where all proceeds from those services will also be donated to the New Hanover County NAACP, so you will be able to show your support with GROW even if you are not interested in a vinyl record.

Thank you in advance for your support! - Fort Lowell Records

Follow @FortLowellRecords now on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/fortlowellrecords • Finally, yours truly has moved into the 21st century and created an account for our lil' ol' record label on Instagram.  Please follow Fort Lowell Records - @FortLowellRecords - so you can keep up with what we have going on.  And that being said, we've got some good, good stuff in the works, so you will want to keep up for sure.  Thanks!