OUT NOW: Brec "Patience... or Whatever" [Digital 45]

FOR FANS OF: Add N To X, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Holy Fuck, Maserati, Mercury Program, Mogwai, Moyamoya, Poster Children, or Trans Am

"Thanx one million times over for including us on GROW!" ~ Neon Belly

Together we will GROW

HCTF premiere - Brec: "Patience... or Whatever" video

[Repost from Here Comes the Flood; by Hans Werksman, November 2, 2020]

Richard Dudley started his Brec post-rock project as a solo outing, but is quickly evolved into a collaboration with former moyamoya bandmate Scott Madgett. Debut single Patience... or Whatever finds them exploring repetitive guitar textures and drones. Recommended if you like The Fierce and The Dead.

The video was made by Zane Hall. Patience... or Whatever will be released via Fort Lowell Records. Release date: November 13.

» Brec on Instagram

Fort Lowell Records presents GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter

[Repost from Blood Makes Noise; by KL Martin, November 5, 2020]

"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." - Fort Lowell Records

So, one of the great things that has come out of the societal upheaval wrapped around the persistent systemic racism in the form of police brutality has been the proverbial artist “circling the wagons” around art’s most vulnerable and marginalized groups. Collectives, collaborations and compilation have been a marked bright spot in an otherwise dark overcast sky that is 2020.

I myself have been apart a few in almost every capacity that isn’t being a musician. There is no denying how important, at least to me, it is to see all walks of life and genres create and donate in the name of this cause. That energy, from the perspective of an African American man, is something that’s not only needed but immensely appreciated.

Listening to Fort Lowell Records effort, GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter only reaffirms that appreciation.

Now all things being honest, as you get to know me as a writer and music reviewer, I am both blunt, honest and unbiased when it comes to listening and critiquing music or artist regardless of what it’s for. That said, this might be the first compilation, in a list that includes my own efforts, that I happen liked EVERY song on.

Top to bottom it is clear that there is an abundance of talented musicians in Wilmington, NC that you need to know and listen to ASAP.

That said there are some legitimate bands that you should seek out and give more than one listen to. They, at least for me, carry so much of this album that make it a “whole album” if that makes sense.

These are my Standouts:

Kicking Bird - What would all the Other Girls Say (If They Knew What I Was Doing)

Honestly one of my favorite songs on the album. It’s an entire vibe that makes me think of The Cardigans, Two Door Cinema club and Silversun Pickups with a 60’s froth that I want swim through. If I hear anything that even stands under the same roof as those aforementioned three bands, it has my automatic and undivided attention.

The Love Language - Throwing Darts

Weezer vibes all around but “Pinkerton” Weezer with better guitar playing, an airy sound and superb use of synth that seems to be well ahead of what Weezer was at that time. I feel like they, however, captured the Cali sound way before Rivers milked it for everything it was worth. No complaints here about that though. If you don’t hear, see or smell the Pacific Coast highway while driving in a drop top while listening to this, I question how well your brain works. Please do yourself a favor and look them up, their 2013 album “Libraries” might be the best album I never heard before.

Sean Thomas Gerard - Strange & Electrifying

As a filmmaker, screenwriter and music supervisor, I take great pride in how I pick music to be used in projects. It always helps when a song can build a visual for me. “Strange & Electrifying screams rom com in the most enjoyable way possible, it’s a music lucid dream honestly that has been stuck in my head for a few days now. This is a guy who has a great understand of what he can do in the studio which is harder to find among indie artist. I’m definitely going to sit through his discography and see what I have been missing.

Lauds - Don’t Mind 

They are probably the best band on the compilation. I have zero clue what rock I have been living under that I haven’t heard of these guys. I’m fairly certain i went and followed them on what little social media I could find from them. The opening guitar melodies and over all dream pop sound makes me automatically feel like they are an indie, not as polished, not as over produced (which is awesome) Snow Patrol. It just automatically makes you bop your head and want to know more about what they are doing and just how good the music in Wilmington, North Carolina is.

Fort Lowell Records
Bandcamp
Instagram
Twitter

- KL Martin, BMN Contributor

New ‘GROW’ album benefits New Hanover County NAACP

[Repost from WWAY TV-3; by Matt Bennett, November 5, 2020]

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A brand new locally-produced compilation album aims to get racism out of Wilmington.

The album is called GROW, and was produced thanks to about $15,000 worth of donated time and materials.

It features North Carolina artists and bands, but the record is about much more than music.

“GROW stands for ‘Get Racism Out of Wilmington’, or it could be ‘Get Racism Out of the World,'” said Art in Bloom Gallery owner Amy Grant.

The album is the brainchild of Fort Lowell Records owner James Tritten.

“It is a collection of musical artists, visual artists, and literary artists that all stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter,” Tritten said.

Tritten says he was inspired by the killing of George Floyd, and wanted to use his platform to make a difference in the Wilmington community.

“I turned to my wife immediately and said we have to make this project happen,” he said.

Tritten reached out to his contacts in the business and never expected the response he got.

“Every single one of our manufacturing partners, they all donated everything, 100 percent,” he said. “Whether it was the materials, whether it was their time.”

This means 100 percent of proceeds from album sales will go directly to the New Hanover County NAACP.

Inside you’ll also get artwork and a copy of a Wilmington newspaper from 1895, thanks to sponsors like Dreams of Wilmington, the Third Person Project, and Art in Bloom Gallery.

“At Dreams of Wilmington, three of the students 12-14 years old Drake, Dylan, and Jamie did this graphic maze,” Grant said.

Other sponsors include New Hanover County Government and Gravity Records, which is helping to distribute the album.

“I feel like so many people are so focused on other things right now and the whole Black Lives Matter thing is kind of off their radar or it’s fallen off their feed,” said Gravity Records owner Matt Keen. “This isn’t going away.”

With 1,000 albums for sale at $30 a piece, that’s as much as $30,000 for the local NAACP to further their mission for equality.

“It’s very important that I don’t want people to see this as a Fort Lowell thing, my thing, it’s not my thing,” Tritten said. “I merely had the voice of being able to create this, but part of creating it was really empowering people in the community.”

The record can be purchased at several local businesses like Gravity Records and Art in Bloom Gallery. You can also listen online on Spotify, and that revenue will also go to the local NAACP.

Click here for more information about the New Hanover County NAACP.

Click here for more about the album.

GROW Album and the New Hanover County NAACP

[Repost from WKNC 88.1 FM Eye on the Triangle; by Aaron Kling, November 3, 2020]

SUMMARY

James Tritten of Fort Lowell Records and Deborah Maxwell of the New Hanover County NAACP discuss the upcoming indie rock album "GROW," its inspiration, and how 100% of sales will go towards community enrichment and voter education.

WHAT IS EYE ON THE TRIANGLE?

Eye on the Triangle is WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2’s weekly public affairs programming with news, interviews, opinion, weather, sports, arts, music, events and issues that matter to NC State, Raleigh and the Triangle.

LISTEN HERE:

 

PODCAST LINKS:

• Apple Music
• Spotify
• Transistor.FM

Community comes together to ‘GROW’ beyond division, creates fundraiser for New Hanover County NAACP with new LP

[Repost from Port City Daily; by Shea Carver, November 4, 2020]

Team Player’s Marty Cunningham, Chandler Hicks, and Chris Warren contributed “Wake for You” on the 12-song compilation of ‘GROW,’ a new LP out from Fort Lowell Records that’s acting as a community fundraiser for New Hanover County’s NAACP. (Port City Daily/Courtesy of Team Player)

NEW HANOVER COUNTY — “The world ain’t coming back until I hear you sing,” Team Player’s guitarist Marty Cunningham croons on “Wake for You” — one of the songs on “GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter.” The latest 12-song compilation was released on Oct. 30 as a fundraiser for the New Hanover County NAACP and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. According to producer James Tritten of Fort Lowell Records, the goal is to raise $30,000 for the nonprofit to create a positive impact toward justice.

Tritten reached out to Wilmington artists, past and present — and many of whom he’s known since the mid-’90s — to flesh out the record. More so, he went beyond musical partners and connected with literary and visual artists, plus the business community, to create a wide circle of advocacy.

“Art is healing, and vinyl records specifically allow for multiple types of art to be showcased — not just music,” Tritten said.

The album art, titled “Persistence,” was created by James L. Williams from New Elements Gallery, with additional design elements and liner notes contributed by Trevor Van Meter of Hey TVM, Chet Childress, students at DREAMS of Wilmington and Third Person Project.

According to New Hanover County’s communications and outreach coordinator, Lauren McConville, even the county got involved with the project. Originally posted around county workspaces were signs noting, “I stand in solidarity because…” Employees filled in the phrase with their own thoughts, intended to be a conversation-starter in the workplace.

“James asked if the county would consider sharing the sign image as part of the ‘GROW compilation record as [smaller] inserts,” McConville said. “And we were happy to do that as a show of support — and to help promote the county’s efforts and shared values of diversity, inclusion, equity, and respect county-wide.”

Each vinyl record comes with a card insert, encouraging folks to consider the phrase for themselves.

Cunningham’s lyric also will have listeners considering the importance of human rights and inclusivity, regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, beliefs or political affiliation.

“The betterment of society isn’t coming until every voice is heard loud and clear and justly represented,” the singer explained.

“Wake for You” was recorded in Cunningham’s bedroom after Team Player picked up a free piano they saw advertised on Facebook. The band, also consisting of Chandler Hicks on bass and Chris Warren on drums and piano, tends to post up whenever and wherever they can to flesh out a tune. 

When Tritten approached them about “GROW,” “Wake for You” gained new legs.  

“It gave us a definitive direction,” Cunningham said, “something that matched the energy we wanted for it all along.”

Covid-19 put a damper on many bands’ plans in 2020, including Team Player, which was slated to hit the road for their first tour. Instead, they’ve focused on another compilation, “The Quarantine Sessions” and their own LP. 

“With Covid, we can’t affect people in person the way we’ve always tried to,” Cunningham said, “but with a compilation like ‘GROW,’ we just might be able to bring about some positive change right here from home, and that’s a beautiful thing.”

Local band Lauds also has felt the hardships and effects of the shutdown this year, with some bandmates in school and others working full-time. McKay Glasgow (guitar and vocals), Holt Evans III (guitar), Boyce Evans (drums), Rett Nabell (bass), and Colin Allen (synth and vocals) are trying to get by—in that regard, music hasn’t been at the forefront of 2020.

However, Evans had a song which never made it onto a Lauds album, so he and Glasgow decided to rearrange and record it with an upbeat vibe—opposite of the more lamenting and brooding sounds they’d otherwise been playing around with.

“We added a bridge and spent a while filtering through different riff arrangements and eventually locked in on the ones you hear on the track,” McKay described. “We felt like it was a good song for the project because it has the positive message of needing each other to figure out what to do.”

Summer Set, consisting of Brian Weeks (above) and Robert Rogen (above), with Jeff Bridgers, took an old unreleased song, “Comfortable Town” and contributed it to ‘GROW.’ (Port City Daily/courtesy of Summer Set)

Another song on the compilation includes Summer Set’s “Comfortable Town,” created years ago by band members Brian Weeks, Robert Rogan and Jeff Bridgers. But Summer Set never released it. The time felt right, according to Weeks, to send it out into the ether in 2020.

“There was so much unrest this year, globally, nationally and locally,” he said. “It’s really been paralyzing, and I’ve been asking myself what I could do to make things better. . . It feels good to do something positive and together collectively.”

Heather Jensen, a.k.a. Pinky Verde, played guitar, drums and synth on “Come on Over”—a tune Jensen explored sonically with the yin and yang of chaos and calm. 

“Much like the social anxiety theme of the song,” Jensen explained, “it fits into ‘GROW’ because it’s calling upon awareness of social norms and society.” 

Neon Belly directly deals with angst of the day as well. Lacie Jay (vox), Nice Derek (drums) and PMattitude (guitar/bass) created a tune centered on themes of gender-based violence and white supremacy in “The Boys Are Alright.”

“Although this year has shed greater light on white supremacy and how it permeates our institutions, these issues are not new,” PMattitude said. “We take responsibility as artists and in our personal lives to be involved in efforts that contribute to meaningful change.”

For local artist Sean Thomas Gerard, “Strange and Electrifying” became an anthem to protect and look out for one another. He spent a great deal of the year in his home studio, putting his hopes and fears into music.

“I want the world to be a better place for my daughter some day,” Gerard said. “I want to look back some day and know I was on the right side of history.” 

The Love Language (“Throwing Darts”), The Rosebuds (“Get Up Get Out”), Life of Saturdays (“That Kind of Love”), Kicking Bird (“What Would All the Other Girls Say”), and The Majestic Twelve (“Amphibious Vehicular Love”) round out the LP. 

Tritten and his wife, Tracy Shedd, also make an appearance on ukulele, air organ, bass, synth and drum machine. “Holding Space” is about expanding minds and really making room for others intently.

“It is about creating space and listening—truly listening, not reacting,” Shedd said. “I think 2020 for me is about opening our hearts and stepping in someone else’s shoes. Seeing life from a different perspective. It’s been a crazy year. Hopefully, we can grow and learn and keep growing.” 

Shedd and Tritten started Fort Lowell Records in 2009 when they lived in Tucson, Arizona. They’ve worked with more than 70 artists, like Calexico, Neko Case, Jimmy Eat World, Meat Puppets, and Spoon.

“Releasing records is our voice,” Tritten said, “and after witnessing the horrific Memorial Day murder of George Perry Floyd Jr. at the hands of four Minneapolis Police officers, we could not help but want to use our voice to support our own community—with working towards a better, more just future for all persons.”  

Only 1,000 hard copies of “GROW” are available for sale at Gravity Records, Modern Legend, Record Bar, Yellow Dog Discs, and Angie’s Hair and Records. It also can be purchased digitally from Fort Lowell’s Bandcamp in a “name your price” capacity, or streamed at Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Deezer, Pandora, Tidal, and YouTube.

Tracy Shedd and James Tritten, founders of Fort Lowell Records, contributed to ‘GROW’ and produced the LP. (Port City Daily/Tracy Shedd)

On new album, Wilmington bands rock for Black Lives Matter

[Repost from StarNews Online; by John Staton, November 3, 2020]

A ton of compilation albums featuring Wilmington bands have been released over the years and, if we're being honest, they've been largely forgettable and of widely varying quality. The latest effort in the venerable comp tradition, however, is also one of the more notable. In fact, it's one of the better local comps in recent memory, maybe even the best ever, a mix of solid song craft, rockin' vibes and excellent production values.

Born of this summer's Black Lives Matter protests, the album "GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter," was released Oct. 30 by Wilmington-based indie label Fort Lowell Records. It was masterminded by label founder James Tritten, who said the project was spurred by his desire to show support for the #BLM movement. Proceeds go to the Wilmington chapter of the NAACP, hence the title.

"GROW" is currently available on vinyl at Wilmington shops including Gravity Records, Yellow Dog Discs, The Record Bar and Modern Legend, as well as for streaming or purchaseonSpotify, iTunes, Bandcamp, Amazon Music and other online platforms.

Usually, compilations seek to the capture the zeitgeist of a town's music scene, kind of an aural snapshot of a moment in time. "GROW" is a little different, partly because there's not really a scene at the moment since live shows are on on hold due to COVID, but also because the bands represented are a mix of current and former acts. A couple of had their heydays in the mid-2000s and others haven't been based out of Wilmington for more than a decade.

Lyrically, not much stands out as being explicitly themed to the #BLM movement, and indeed many, if not most of the songs either predate the movement or seem to have been written with other subjects in mind. At any rate, "GROW" does showcase a good mix of styles, from classic and retro rock to dreamy pop and even some old-school skate punk.

The album leads off with the lilting drone of Tracy Shedd's "Holding Space," with its mantra-like lyrics hitting the album's theme and exhorting us to "make it a better world."

"Come on Over" from Pinky Verde -- aka Wilmington songwriter Heather Jensen -- slinks in with low-slung cool before breaking out into a sublimely noisy, blissed-out finale. Kicking Bird's "What Would All the Other Girls Say (If They Knew What I Was Doing)" is a fantastic, garage-y nod to the early '60s girl-group sound. And the newest band on the comp, Neon Belly, kicks things into high gear with the propulsive "The Boys Are Alright" and its disdainful lyrics about being "never man enough."

The veterans of Wilmington's rock scene are well-represented. The Love Language, who started out here before going on sign with Durham's Merge Records, deliver one of frontman Stu McLamb's trademark melodies buried under a wall of pounding cool. Summer Set, who hit their Wilmington peak around 2004 or 2005, offer the soft banger "Comfortable Town," which calls to mind the pleasures and pitfalls of living in a comfy burg like the Port City.

Ironically, for an inherently political record, the remix of The Rosebuds song "Get Up Get Out" from their 2007 album "Night of the Furies" -- this is the band's first new release since breaking up a few years back -- is the most direct call to action on "GROW." Wrapped inside an effervescent, celebratory melody, Ivan Howard sings of joining together to fight for light: "Get up get out, and fill the streets/ Let's dance in the ash of the big chimneys/ I know it's late, but meet us there/ We need our friends everywhere."

Sean Thomas Gerard of Wilmington band Onward, Soldiers captures the sublime folk rock he's known for on "Strange & Electrifying," a song driven by acoustic strums that amps up unto into a throbbing classic rock chorus.

Longtime Wilmington musician Kenyata Sullivan (Pandora's Lunchbox) has a delightful little track in the goofily bombastic yet endearing "Amphibious," using an electronic vibe to riff on an otherworldly tryst of some kind.

One of Wilmington's best and most seldom-seen acts is Life of Saturdays -- led by lyricist/vocalist John Jeremiah Sullivan and musician Nick Laudadio, I don't think they've ever played a live show in town -- and their pulsing rocker  "That Kind of Love" cuts a deep, dark groove.

"GROW" also highlights up-and-coming Wilmington bands, including Lauds, whose remastered song "Don't Mind" is a driving dream pop gem. Team Player, among the kings of the local scene when the pandemic hit, bring the album out on an anthemic note with the Beatles-esque "Wake for You."

On the whole "GROW" is a fine record that both documents Wilmington's past and present indie rock awesomeness and supports one of the most important causes of our time.

Pick up a copy, virtually or on vinyl, for the music lover on your holiday list.

Want to buy?

What: "GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter," a collection of songs by current and former Wilmington bands from Fort Lowell Records

Where: Vinyl copies are available in Wilmington at Gravity Records, Yellow Dog Discs, The Record Bar, Modern Legend and a number of other local shops.

Online: Stream or purchase on Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp, Amazon Music and other platforms.

Details: Fortlowell.bandcamp.com

If you have not voted, please vote today.

Come 'Trick-or-Treating' with Fort Lowell Records on Castle Street

Tomorrow -- Friday, October 31 - Halloween -- Fort Lowell Records will be at the Castle Street Maker's Market in Wilmington, North Carolina, located in the empty lot across the street from Luna Cafe (604 Castle St, Wilmington, NC 28401) between the hours of 10:00am and 2:00pm EST selling vinyl records of GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter.  We are asking for a minimum donation of $30.00 per vinyl record, and 100% of your money from the purchase of GROW will be donated to the North Carolina New Hanover County NAACP.  Stop by to support all of the wonderfully talented local artists who will be participating.  Then, head over to Gravity Records to buy some vinyl records and support your local record shop! 

GROW vinyl records have arrived!

Order GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter today from Gravity Records, Modern Legend, or Yellow Dog Discs; international shipping is available.  All money will be donated to the North Carolina New Hanover County NAACP to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.

Ladies & Gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that we present to you...

GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter -- NOW AVAILABLE on all digital music download and streaming platforms.

Remember, every time you download or stream GROW on any digital music platform, you are making a financial donation to the North Carolina New Hanover County NAACP. Your contribution will be used to help ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination. 

Thank you in advance for your support.

Video Premiere: "Comfortable Town" by Summer Set

[Repost from The Big Takeover; by Jen Dan / The Big Takeover Exclusives, October 22, 2020]

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, arriving on October 30th.

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 must be brought to the attention of our country because of Wilmington, North Carolina’s history: being the location of The 1898 Massacre and only successful American Coup D’État. People deserve to know about our suppressed past, and learn what this one specific community is doing today to make it better for the future

GROW is an effort to help address the dire effects of racism in America.

A personally curated collection of regional artists, GROW arranges a sampling of the vast indie rock talent exhibited within The Port City. Both new and old, all embrace the alternative rock ‘n’ roll sound that Fort Lowell Records promotes.

Big Takeover is deeply pleased to host the video for one of the three never-before-heard compositions from previous recording sessions found on this album. The track “Comfortable Town” is from Summer Set, an indie pop outfit who have been active beyond the Carolinas since 2001 and contains members of the band De La Noche.

The hazy dreaminess of the synth-pop single is mirrored in the video clip which shows a ballerina-type dancer slowly going through her dance moves at the start. The footage then transitions to an art studio where the physical form is drawn, sculpted, and celebrated in all its complex beauty.

The litany of images of the video clip are a meditation upon the passage of time and the ephemeral nature of life that can be captured in an artistic way…

All video footage by Cotton

Pre-Orders Available through Gravity Records and Modern Legend
Fort Lowell Records Website
Summer Set Bandcamp

Fort Lowell Records · Summer Set "Comfortable Town"

7-days until 'GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter' is released!

Order your vinyl record now from Gravity Records, Modern Legend, and Yellow Dog Discs!

Fort Lowell Records · GROW: The Singles

4th single from 'GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter' is out now

Summer Set is Brian Weeks and Robert Rogan from De La Noche, which is their "frivolous soufflé of soft-rock baby-makers and disco deliria" (Pitchfork; August 24, 2019) project with Ivan Howard of The Rosebuds (Merge Records).  Summer Set was much more active in the live music scene back between 2000-2005, and have a few great indie recordings to show for it on their Bandcamp page, which also features a fantastic EP from 2012.  Summer Set has since remained a studio project for the most part for the dynamic duo from Wilmington, North Carolina.  Weeks and Rogan wrote their contribution to GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter -- "Comfortable Town" -- a few years ago, but finalized the track for the album just this summer as the project came together.  

We are very excited to share with you that Summer Set "Comfortable Town" is now available as of today on all digital music download and streaming platforms.

The album GROW will be released in its entirety on Friday, October 30, 2020, and the vinyl record is available for pre-order now from Gravity Records, Modern Legend, and Yellow Dog Discs.  100% of the sales from GROW will be donated to the North Carolina New Hanover County NAACP to help ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.  GROW is an effort to help address the dire effects of racism in America; thank you in advance for your support. - Fort Lowell Records

Happy, happy Howe; now go vote

It's Howe Gelb's birthday today.  Happy Birthday, Howe.

Fort Lowell Records · Howe Gelb - 'Sno Angel "Spiral"

 

Happy Birthday, Nathan McGlothlin of honeybrandy

Premiere: Tracy Shedd’s “Holding Space”

[Repost from Independent Clauses; by Stephen Carradini, October 15, 2020]

I’m a big fan of Tracy Shedd, The Band and the Beat, and Fort Lowell Records– all efforts of some combination of Shedd and James Tritten. They (in Fort Lowell form) have a new compilation coming out called GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter. The label explains that “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.”

In advance of the record, they’re releasing four singles, and we have the honor of premiering Tracy Shedd’s single/video for “Holding Space.” The video is here:

The song is an icy, stark, downtempo electro framework with Shedd’s inviting vocals lifting the proceedings. “Are you listening?” she asks over a rubbery bass guitar, Casio-esque tinny synths, and distant tambourine clink. “Holding space / make it a better world” she croons over the chorus, as the instrumentation cheers slightly to meet the hopeful lyrics. The song isn’t long (2:59), keeping things tight and urgent. This is especially reflected in the coda of the song, which shudders to a sudden halt, leaving the listener with a sense of incompleteness that fits the lyrics. The accompanying video focuses on moving shots of horses and plants (particularly flowering ones, plus the spiky/beautiful aloe plant), but with a cold, desaturated color palette reflecting the dim light of the song’s sonic world. It’s a unique, interesting song with a tightly connected video.

You can also listen to “Holding Space” via SoundCloud:

Fort Lowell Records · Tracy Shedd "Holding Space"

“Holding Space” officially releases Friday, October 16th. The full album of GROW will be released on Friday, October 30th.

Pre-Order links for GROW are here: Gravity Records, Modern Legend, Yellow Dog Discs.

Video Premiere: Life of Saturdays

[Repost from Fuzzy Logic; by Megan Petty, October 9, 2020]

Back in 2015, John Staton of the Wilmington Star News described Life of Saturdays as "the best Wilmington band no one's ever heard of." Five years down the road, and that's not so much the case anymore - even non-Wilmingtonians might already know/love Life of Saturdays; if not by name, perhaps by note, thanks to the band's song "If U R Alive" being featured in an episode of Vice Principals (please allow me to save you some searching - season 2, episode 7). 

For the uninitiated, I'm thrilled to be able to introduce you to Life of Saturdays through this here video premiere. The video you're watching, for the unreleased "That Kind of Love," is special - not only because it's a gem in its own right, but because it's part of the Fort Lowell Records GROW compilation (full name of the record being GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter). The record is officially released on October 30, and features songs from Wilmington/Wilmington-adjacent artists. 100% of sales from the album will be donated to the New Hanover County NAACP, so your purchase will go to an extremely worthwhile cause. 

You'll be hearing more from me about GROW in the very near future, but let's get back to Life of Saturdays. 

"That Kind of Love" is all sorts of intriguing. The beguiling beat hints at the early 2000s slink of Ladytron, the sort of sound that makes for a glorious good time, underpinned by an acute sense of unflinching resignation. The vocal interplay between John Jeremiah Sullivan and Jessie Williams is both warmly complementary and far out free-wheeling. Sullivan, the band's ringleader, and Williams both have the kind of rambling, offbeat vocal styles made for storytelling, and both imbue Sullivan's lyrics with a poignancy that hits hard. 

The more I listen to "That Kind of Love," the more I keep thinking to myself, "Magnetic Fields." Sullivan seems to have a knack for spinning yarns, but there's something sardonic about the lyrical realism mixed in with his vibrant, poetic tendencies. At times diverging from one another, Sullivan and Williams consistently find their own ways to yank the heartstrings, while also doing plenty of damage together. The song's video certainly hits the spot, a collection of grainy moments pulled from vintage movies, with plenty of Hollywood kisses adding dramatic effect to the cinematic feel of the song.    

Fort Lowell Records · Life of Saturdays "That Kind of Love"