La Cerca "Free of Expectation" available now on all digital platforms

Music Video: "Free of Expectation" by La Cerca

[REPOST from The Big Takeover; by Big Takeover Exclusives, September 7, 2020]

Tucson, AZ-based ambient/psych-rock band La Cerca will be releasing their fifth album, A Nice Sweet Getaway, on September 25th via Fort Lowell Records. The LP showcases a sonic slideshow of multiple dimensions, with looped guitars and reflective ambiance emanating like waves under the Sonoran Desert sun.

The 11-tracks offer an endless source of inspiration, taking the listener on an exploratory excursion of learning and experimenting with a two-track recording device. The mostly (though not all) improvisational compositions meld together the radiation of fuzz, delay and modulation in a living room setting, with intimate microphone placement capturing the essence of musical movement in the room.

A Nice Sweet Getaway wends through empathetic sensitivities of unrest from stirring up dormant feelings and ideas after a protest; it is a personal voyage of love and memory ruminating on life’s travels…

La Cerca is the wellspring of Andrew Gardner, who is joined by other musicians including Bill Oberdick, Rick Bailey, Roger Reed, Nick Cashman, Brian Green, and Dani Ponci.

Big Takeover is please to host the video premiere of “Free of Expectation,” a gently guided ambient number that glows with shining, slowly drawn out guitar curves, like the unhurried downing of the sun over a desert landscape at the end of the evening. Occasional crackles of light percussion and echoing reverb mimic the sound of insects and plants getting ready to rest from the day.

The video clip, which was done by Jason Marrano, mirrors this gradually slowing down feeling, with close-up images and longer views of the natural world, including focused shots of cacti and other desert flora swaying in the light breeze. Dusky purple and faded red shadows signal the approach of night, under a partially cloudy sky. Soon a half-moon comes into view, completing the cycle of the day…

Fort Lowell Records · La Cerca "Free of Expectation"

Thank you, Bandcamp!

So, the folks at Bandcamp got word of what Fort Lowell Records is doing with our two releases - honeybrandy Not In Out City (Remixed) and GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter - where we are donating 100% of our sales to the North Carolina New Hanover County NAACP, and they have decided to lower their own fees to allow for more money to flow through to our community! 

Thank you, Bandcamp! We truly appreciate your support! - Fort Lowell Records

Pre-Order 'GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter' now

Moved by the horrific Memorial Day murder of George Perry Floyd Jr. at the hands of four Minneapolis Police officers, Fort Lowell Records presents GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter. The project, focused on Wilmington, North Carolina, is a response to the racial injustice continuously displayed by law enforcement across the United States of America.  Friends of the formerly Tucson, Arizona-based label involved with GROW have donated their own talents to allow 100% of the sales from the record to endow the New Hanover County NAACP with working capital to help Fort Lowell’s newly adopted local community.  GROW is an effort to help address the dire effects of racism in America.

Pre-Order GROW now from:

• Gravity Records
• Modern Legend
• Yellow Dog Discs

TRACK LISTING & TIMES

SIDE-A

• A01 - 2:59 - Tracy Shedd - "Holding Space"
• A02 - 3:53 - Life of Saturdays - "That Kind of Love"
• A03 - 3:26 - Summer Set - "Comfortable Town"
• A04 - 2:18 - Neon Belly - "The Boys Are Alright"
• A05 - 3:22 - Pinky Verde - "Come on Over"
• A06 - 2:43 - Kicking Bird - "What Would All the Other Girls Say (If They Knew What I Was Doing)"

SIDE-B

• B01 - 2:19 - The Love Language - "Throwing Darts"
• B02 - 3:22 - The Majestic Twelve - " Amphibious Vehicular Love"
• B03 - 3:32 - Sean Thomas Gerard - "Strange & Electrifying"
• B04 - 4:03 - Lauds - "Don't Mind (GROW Remaster)"
• B05 - 3:47 - The Rosebuds - "Get Up Get Out (Mark Saunders Radio Remix)"
• B06 - 3:57 - Team Player - "Wake for You"

GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter - Release Date: Friday, October 30, 2020

"Not in Our City" ~ Dr. Keith R. Anderson

Harding Street Assembly Lab, a record label based out of Lynchburg, Virginia, recently released an new album titled Deaton Forestbrook for the electronic drone duo honeybrandy.  The Digital LP features a track called "Not in Our City," which showcases a speech that was presented by Dr. Keith R. Anderson -- Chaplin of the Lynchburg Police Department, founder of the Highly Favored Ministries Association of Churches, and member of the newly formed Alliance for Policing Reform in Lynchburg, Virginia -- to the Lynchburg City Council on June 23, 2020.  Friends of Fort Lowell Records -- De La Noche (members of Summer Set), Tracy Shedd (Teen-Beat Records), Kevin Earl (Stoop Records), infinitikiss (member of Grace Joyner, Valley Maker), and Gordon Merrick (member of Life of Saturdays) -- were so moved by the music and Dr. Anderson's words, they all decided to make their own remix version of honeybrandy's song, which we have now made available to you as a Digital EP: Not in Our City (Remixed).

Scheduled to be released on Friday, September 18, 2020 and all digital music download and streaming platforms - honeybrandy's Not in Our City (Remixed) is being made exclusively available on Bandcamp today -- Friday, September 4, 2020 -- in line with Bandcamp Friday, when Bandcamp waives all of their own fees.  100% of the sales from the Not in Our City (Remixed) Digital EP will be donated to the New Hanover County NAACP to provide their organization with working capital to help Fort Lowell Records’s own community of Wilmington, North Carolina ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.  Benefactors can give any sum of money that works for their own budget to obtain the digital download audio files and unlimited music streaming access for Not in Our City (Remixed) through Bandcamp at fortlowell.bandcamp.com.

Visit Fort Lowell Records at Bandcamp to make a donation to the New Hanover County NAACP by purchasing honeybrandy Not in Our City (Remixed) now.  In the meantime, enjoy listening to De La Noche and Tracy Shedd's remixes below.  Be well, and be kind. - Fort Lowell Records

honeybrandy "Not in Our City (De La Noche Remix)"

Fort Lowell Records · honeybrandy "Not in Our City (De La Noche Remix)"

honeybrandy "Not in Our City (Tracy Shedd Remix)"

Fort Lowell Records · honeybrandy "Not in Our City (Tracy Shedd Remix)"

Music Video for Saint Maybe pulled from the archives

"Take It Easy (But Take It)" is the seventh track on Saint Maybe's debut album Things As They Are.  Frontman Oliver Ray (Patti Smith) apparently made his own music video for this track, for an alternate version from what ultimately ended up on the famously meditative B-Side to their record, two years prior to their album every being released.  Enjoy!

Happy Birthday to Paul B. Jenkins (AKA: PBJ) of ...music video?

Fort Lowell Records · ...music video? "I'm Afraid Of Everything"

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.

Dead Western Plains, forever!

Digging around the ol' YouTube this weekend, we stumbled on this great live video of Dead Western Plains from February 20, 2010.  We believe the venue was Plush in Tucson, Arizona, but we are not 100% sure.  The song performed is "We Are Destroyers," which was never released as a proper recording, so enjoy this concert footage instead: 

We ❤ Ambient Music

We are very excited to share with you that Fort Lowell Records will be releasing La Cerca's next full-length recording titled A Nice Sweet Getaway; an ambient album chock full o'beautifully warm and fuzzy spacey guitars.  Ambient music in general has been a passion of ours since we were first introduced to Brian Eno's Discrete Music 30-years ago, while Andrew Gardner from La Cerca has been a favorite musician / songwriter of ours since we first learned of La Cerca in 2001.  Gardner's shimmery guitar work on A Nice Sweet Getaway is thoughtfully executed, and continues to demonstrate his skill and craftsmanship.  A Nice Sweet Getaway will be released on Friday, September 25, 2020 on all digital music download and streaming platforms. 

For now we leave you with La Cerca's album cover art and Brian Eno's definition of "Ambient Music" as featured in the liner notes of Eno's 1978 album Ambient 1 Music for Airports.

AMBIENT MUSIC
The concept of music designed specifically as a background feature in the environment was pioneered by Muzak Inc. in the fifties, and has since come to be known generically by the term Muzak. The connotations that this term carries are those particularly associated with the kind of material that Muzak Inc. produces - familiar tunes arranged and orchestrated in a lightweight and derivative manner. Understandably, this has led most discerning listeners (and most composers) to dismiss entirely the concept of environmental music as an idea worthy of attention.

Over the past three years, I have become interested in the use of music as ambience, and have come to believe that it is possible to produce material that can be used thus without being in any way compromised. To create a distinction between my own experiments in this area and the products of the various purveyors of canned music, I have begun using the term Ambient Music.

An ambience is defined as an atmosphere, or a surrounding influence: a tint. My intention is to produce original pieces ostensibly (but not exclusively) for particular times and situations with a view to building up a small but versatile catalogue of environmental music suited to a wide variety of moods and atmospheres.

Whereas the extant canned music companies proceed from the basis of regularizing environments by blanketing their acoustic and atmospheric idiosyncracies, Ambient Music is intended to enhance these. Whereas conventional background music is produced by stripping away all sense of doubt and uncertainty (and thus all genuine interest) from the music, Ambient Music retains these qualities. And whereas their intention is to `brighten' the environment by adding stimulus to it (thus supposedly alleviating the tedium of routine tasks and levelling out the natural ups and downs of the body rhythms) Ambient Music is intended to induce calm and a space to think.

Ambient Music must be able to accomodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting.

BRIAN ENO
September 1978

MUSIC FOR THE MOVEMENT: Local bands team up to create collaborative album benefiting BLM

[REPOST from Encore; by Coral Naudet, August 5, 2020]

As with many people in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and Black Lives Matter movement, James Tritten of Fort Lowell Records wanted to get involved but didn’t know how to make a difference at first. Nevertheless, as someone with a following in the Wilmington indie-rock scene, Tritten says he realized his label is his voice; Fort Lowell gives him a platform to shed light on issues like systematic racism and inequality.

“As human beings, it is our responsibility to use [our voice] to promote equality and support the Black Lives Matter movement,” he says. “As a business, and on the most basic level, we are simply making a product available: music.”

Specifically, “GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter,” a compilation album featuring 12 local veteran and new artists, is set to hit the shelves this fall. Moreover, proceeds will benefit the New Hanover County NAACP chapter.

“On a higher level,” Tritten explains, “‘GROW’ is an outlet for people—from the artists, manufacturers, and sponsors, to all patrons and supporters—to exercise their individual alliance with Black Lives Matter and provide a positive influence towards justice. ‘GROW’ is what we are able to offer our community to help us do just that: grow.”

Originally from Florida, Tritten and his wife Tracy Shedd lived in Tucson, AZ (2006 to 2013), the original birthplace of Fort Lowell Records. This is the second album the label has produced to benefit a cause important to them. “Luz De Vida” was released in January 2011 with profits going towards the victims of the Tucson shooting. Among the victims was Arizona Congresswoman Gabbi Giffords. The album was composed of artists and industry professionals in Tucson and benefited the Tucson Together Fund. Tritten comments that without “Luz de Vida,” “GROW” would not be possible.

“The opportunity [with ‘Luz de Vida’] in itself is what inspired ‘GROW’ and has enabled us to proceed,” he explains. “‘Luz de Vida entirely was a complete lesson learned, one which we are bringing to the table wholeheartedly with ‘GROW.’”

Tritten says “GROW” will mirror “Luz de Vida” in fundraising efforts and has already secured $15k in donations from manufacturers who will make the vinyl. The label intends to press 1,000 records, asking a minimum donation of $30 per record. This means if those copies sell, ILM’s NAACP will receive a minimum of $30k on top of any donations made from all digital downloads and streams of the album … indefinitely.

This is Tritten’s first time working with the local NAACP. He says chapter President Deborah Dicks Maxwell’s leadership is what made them choose to align “GROW” with her vision for New Hanover County.

“It was important to us that the money from ‘GROW’ be used as a resource to help establish equality for Black citizens within our community,” he explains, “and that is the mission in which Ms. Maxwell leads by for her organization.”

The record cover was designed by local visual artist James Williams, appropriately titled “Persistence.” Williams’ style incorporates vibrant acrylics and collages to create an eclectic feel. Trevor Van Meter, local illustrator and animator created the album’s jacket, with artist Chet Childress’s work will be on the B-side of the vinyl. Liner notes will be written by Wilmington’s Third Person Project, which openly discusses Wilmington’s longstanding history regarding racial disparity and discrimination.

While Tritten and Shedd have called Wilmington their home for the past two years, Tritten’s former band Audio Explorations played a gig at the former Wilmington Exchange Fest in 1996. Shedd, too, has had her music featured on local television productions, such as “One Tree Hill” and “Dawson’s Creek.” “GROW” will include a song by Shedd, as well as a blend of seasoned performers like Sean Thomas Gerard (Onward, Soldiers), Summer Set, The Majestic Twelve, Life of Saturdays. Then there are Kicking Bird, Lauds, Pinky Verde, Team Player; and Neon Belly, making their debut with the label. All bands featured have an indie-rock background, a connection to the Port City, and know and support Black Lives Matter, according to Tritten. Neon Belly features the newly engaged couple Lacie Jay and Matt Emmerick, who also are friends of Tritten and Shedd.

“Matt has a great sense of punk-rock rhythm and melody, while Lacie’s honest passion for her beliefs really shines through on her vocal performance,” Tritten says. “There is a grit to Neon Belly that we just adore. We are honored to have the opportunity to debut their music.” Tritten comments.”

Wilmington-based five-piece psychedelic, soul, surf, rock band Kicking Bird will also make an appearance on the album. Kicking Bird’s unique style of “beach music” was what originally led Fort Lowell to select the band to record a song for the album. After being approached by Tritten earlier this year, the band began writing a new single specifically for “GROW.”

“Kicking Bird’s excellent songwriting skills, fun throwback style and overall musical tone is what drove us to ask them to be a part of ‘GROW,’” Tritten adds. “Specifically, we love their guitar tone, which really cuts through on the lead for their song ‘What Would All the Other Girls Say (If They Knew What I Was Doing)’ for GROW.”

Guitarist Robin Cooksley says listeners can expect a fun, upbeat vibe to lighten the mood during these times of uncertainty. His bandmate Shaun Paul (Guitar, vocals) says now is the time to come to support Black Lives Matter and come to terms with their own privilege based on race and gender.

“We have been able to coast through our whole lives unaffected by the systemic racism that runs through every institution in the county today,” Pauls says. “I think this has been a serious reality check that we do not live in an equal society. Whether you’re a woman or a person of color the system is slanted against you and I think we’ve all had to realize our own complicitness by simply being comfortable.”

While the exact drop date for “GROW” is still pending, listeners can follow Fort Lowell Records on Instagram for when they announce a fall release. Once available, folks can pick up a copy at local vinyl stores Gravity Records and Modern Legend, or stream online on Spotify and iTunes.

DETAILS:
GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter
Album to benefit NHC NAACP
Release date TBD in Fall 2020
Follow Fort Lowell Records

The ‘GROW’ album cover features artwork by James L. Williams called, ‘Persistence.’

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!