Happy Birthday, Jessica Gelt of Wet & Reckless + Death Kit!

We Can Make You Love This Song

Death Kit's hit single "I Can Make You Love Me" is simply perfection.  Fort Lowell Records may not have released the original version, featured in this video below, but we did have the honor of releasing ...music video?'s remix of this same song, which was featured on the B-Side of their 7inch record for "Devadasi," also provided for your enjoyment below.

WELCOME HOME!

This morning, the other Fort Lowell Records 7inches welcomed their newest member of the family, fairweatherfriend, home, with flowers and all!

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."

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."

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

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

CONCERT POSTERS FOR UPCOMING SHOWS!

DEATH KIT DONE ACOUSTIC!

Back in August 2010, Death Kit hooked up with Gorillacoustic for an acoustic performance of "Devadasi," the song they just released with our lil' ol' label on creamy 7inch vinyl! Check it out, and read their interview below! Then pre-order their 7inch directly with us--->>>


DEATH KIT "DEVADASI" from Gorillacoustic.com on Vimeo.

INTERVIEW FROM GORILLACOUSTIC w/ DEATH KIT:

Most people assume that since I run a site that focuses on acoustic performances, that I must be a fan of acoustic music. And I am… to a certain extent. But it’s not what why I started this site. See, my theory has always been that a good musician is a good musician no matter what the musical delivery method. This focus on acoustic performances is just a fun way to test that theory... A test to see if when you strip all the technology away, the emperor still has his clothes, so to speak. This week’s featured artist, Death Kit, passed the test with flying colors.

To be honest, when I initially approached Death Kit, it was with a wee bit apprehension. While I quite enjoyed their music, it was seeped in electronica which could be rather difficult to translate if they happened to rely too heavily on it create their sound. So I was more than pleasantly surprised when we hit the location and they effortlessly turned out this wholly acoustic number… and so was everyone else heading home that particular evening.

Watching the video, you can definitely tell there was a bit of skepticism and nervous laughter when we first boarded. Just watch the woman in the corner between singer August Brown and bassist Cove Gelt… You can see her actually cover her face, bracing for the worst. But as soon as August opens his mouth, everyone’s focus immediately shifts to the band. And, by the 1:25 mark, that woman in the corner is completely into it too, bobbing her head along to the music.

GORILLACOUSTIC: What does the world need to know about Death Kit?

AUGUST BROWN: That we love you terribly and promise to call more.

GA: Your output is fairly electronic in nature, yet you easily broke out this acoustic number for the shoot. Does your writing process generally start more acoustically or does it just depend on what you have at hand when inspiration strikes?

AB: Death Kit started as a wholly laptop-based project that I wasn’t even producing for – a friend helmed most of the programming on an early e.p. that we did in our bedrooms with barely any organic instrumentation. But I’ve always been hugely bored with most live electronica, and really wanted a band to build out performances and give people something to watch. I like the idea of not really revealing what sound is coming from where onstage while still being really physical and tactile as a live act. So once I took over production duties, I made a point of writing loops and melodies and structures and kind of stopping halfway through the arrangement process, to let Terry and Cove and Chad finish the songs off. They’re all such impossibly creative and fantastic players, and now that the lineup is settled it’s getting way more egalitarian in writing arrangements and we’re switching instruments more often, so we’re feeling more familiar with the “songs” instead of just “parts” and can translate that to different settings as needed.

GA: Why did you choose to perform on a train?

AB: Chad thought of it, but it was apropos. I’m kind of riveted by public transit; that grand Metro route schematic for LA county that you see at bus stops can hypnotize me for hours. This is such a stoner musing, but absorbing the sheer scope of all the different places you can go from any given point on that grid just kind of amazes me. And most of the techno I’m listening to now, like Basic Channel and Gas, is kind of made for night bus rides coming down from a long night out. There’s something so sweet and kind of celestial about being surrounded by mute strangers in terrible fluorescent light. I ride the Gold Line recreationally, it still has a bit of the ghost of the Red Cars about it, and I can’t help but pine for what Los Angeles could have been if those weren’t torn out.

In a different life where I could perform simple math or draw a straight line to save my life, I’d love to be a city planner. I kind of look at writing music as solving a similar structural problem -- there’s an end goal of creating a particular emotional world, and you try to make as many right decisions as you can to get close to that ideal.

GA: What’s in your death kit?

AB: Scotch.

GA: What other local artists (besides yourselves of course) should people be checking out?

AB: Well, Wet & Reckless and Emperor X are just movements unto themselves, and it would behoove all of you to go shovel money at them and cook elaborate vegan meals in alms to their artistic benevolence.

Gorillacousticers probably don’t need me to tell them this, but Health is the best band in L.A., it’s not even a contest anymore. But beyond that, Infinite Body is composing some crushing, heartbreaking ambient pieces, and the Franks are just pure pop whiplash. Our friend Ferraby Lionheart has a really winsome new record too.

GA: If you could do another gorillacoustic performance anywhere else in the world, where would you do it?

AB: Probably inside the wooden stilt house on an island off the west coast of Thailand where I had the loveliest week of my life. In all likelihood it washed away in the tsunami, but I have to believe it’s still there.

GA: Better straight to SyFy "on a Train" movie: "Snakes on a Train", "Zombies on a Train" or "Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus on a Train"?

AB: I don’t know, you can’t really top “Under Seige 2:Dark Territory” for riveting train-centric cinema.

www.deathkitmusic.com
www.myspace.com/deathkit
www.facebook.com/deathkit

FREE DEATH KIT POSTER!

The first 20 pre-orders for Death Kit's new 7inch record receive this limited edition poster for free! Pre-order today directly from us by clicking "Add to Cart" on the right column--->

KXCI DJs ARE COOL!

Thank you to KXCI Community Radio and DJs Laura Adams and Jason Repko for inviting us to be a part of Laura's Guest DJ Project she will be debuting in 2011. Laura is looking to connect the city of Tucson with various people in the community by asking them about what music inspired them. She requested that we bring in 4-5 songs that have a significant meaning to us and our journey through life, that tell a story. Here is a list of what we brought in to play:

Echo & the Bunnymen - "Crocodiles" (Shine So Hard)
fIREHOSE - "Brave Captain" (Ragin', Full-On)
Mudhoney - "In 'N' Out of Grace" (Superfuzz Bigmuff).
My Bloody Valentine - "Feed Me With Your Kiss" (Isn't Anything)
Unrest - "Make Out Club" (Perfect Teeth)

You will have to wait to listen to the live broadcast from Laura in 2011 to hear how we wrap all of these great songs into one story. And in addition, we gave Laura an advanced copy of Death Kit's new 7inch record, due out February 22, 2011, for her to debut with the radio broadcast. We will be sure to let you know when to tune in.

Again, thank you KXCI for all of the great support!
- Fort Lowell Records

TEST PRESS RECORDS, THE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER!

The test press records for Death Kit's 7inch have arrived, and they sound sweeter than a candy cane dipped in sugar! The official release date is February 22, 2011. Stay tuned for pre-orders coming in the new year! Ask Santa for some new dancing shoes, 'cause you're gonna need them with this wax!









- Fort Lowell Records