Happy Birthday, Kim Ware of the Good Graces!

[Attention all Sarah Records fans:] Fort Lowell Records is superduperexcited to share with you that on August 27th we will be releasing a brand new song titled "capital R" from North Carolina's own the Good Graces... moniker for our Birthday Girl, Kim Ware!  Let's wish Kim a Happy Birthday today, and stay tuned to hear her sweet new indie pop gem, fitting for a Summer release!

'GROW' Album Sales Provide Scholarships to New Hanover County Students

On October 30, 2020, Fort Lowell Records released the album GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter as a fundraiser for the New Hanover County NAACP.  After only eight months of sales, a total of five students from the Cape Fear Region have been awarded scholarships, made possible from the sale of GROW.  Below is a picture of three of those students holding their checks issued to them on June 6, 2021.

On Saturday, June 19th, Fort Lowell Records will be hosting our Vinyl DJ Dance Night -- Let's Dance -- at Satellite Bar & Lounge in The South Front District of Wilmington NC, where will have GROW available for sale for $30.00.  To help raise more money for additional scholarships to be given to other students from within The Port City, both Satellite Bar & Lounge + The South Front District together will * MATCH * all $30.00 donations for GROW, ultimately providing the New Hanover County NAACP with $60.00 in total per record sold at Let's Dance that evening.

Join us at Let's Dance on Saturday, June 19th at Satellite Bar & Lounge!  Let's GROW!

Neon Belly (of GROW) live in concert at The Opera Room, June 21

Punk rockers -- Neon Belly -- who made their debut as part of the album GROW: A Compilation in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter are set to play their very first live concert at 6:00pm on Monday, June 21st at The Opera Room in Downtown Wilmington NC. In addition, Neon Belly drummer Derek Gude will be performing as Nice Derek (his solo project), plus Masked Manley + Cal Folger Day (both from Ireland) are also on the line-up!   You won't want to miss this show!

Music Video Premiere: Soda Sun “Blood”

[Repost from Music Defined; by Josh Terzino, June 2, 2021]

A happy belated birthday to Soda Sun’s John Goraj. The band have had a busy schedule ahead of the release of their debut album Stay Here (two singles are out in the world already, and today I’m sharing the third music video a couple days before it’s available to hear on their bandcamp page) so hopefully he got a couple days to relax and reflect on the passing of another year.

The video for “Blood” is a meditation on evolution and the effect humanity has had on the world. While we see animated clips of dinosaurs and computers, we also see the band evolve. First, they appear in a sun-drenched rehearsal room, with the walls so washed out by the light it looks like a shot from Jay Z’s “Big Pimpin'” video. By the end, Soda Sun is on a stage performing the song. The story reveals itself in such a short time that it’s worth watching the video a few times to catch all the little things that are happening.

Musically, Soda Sun has an interesting but not unfamiliar sound. Goraj has a history as a folksinger, and that comes out a lot in the first two singles. With “Blood” you can hear influences of surf rock, emo, and shoegaze. The song feels a bit like an experiment, with two very different halves put together. The first half is a little more laid back, while the second half amps it up with Goraj letting loose on the vocals and an explosion of guitar. The dynamic shows the bands ability to do different styles of music, and they execute both extremely well.

Stay Here is available to pre-order from Fort Lowell Records. The digital version will be released on July 2nd, with a vinyl release October 1st.

The Good Graces concert announcement

Atlanta, Georgia... The Good Graces will be performing in concert at The Earl on Saturday, August 28th with The Preakness + Ben Trickey [full band]!  Don't miss it!

Fort Lowell Records · the Good Graces "Standing in Line"

Soda Sun "Blood" [Digital Single], OUT NOW!

CLICK HERE to PRE-ORDER Soda Sun's debut album, Stay Here, and receive a copy of their third single, "Blood".

Happy Birthday, John Goraj of Soda Sun!

Happy Birthday, Sean Thomas Gerard!

Video Premiere: “Hildegard” by Soda Sun

[Repost from Independent Clauses; by Lisa Whealy, May 18, 2021]

Tucson, Arizona’s Soda Sun finds a way into our emotions with this visual gem for the single “Hildegaard” off of Stay Here. This latest, via Fort Lowell Records, marks a new start for Los Angeles transplant John Goraj.

Hopeful, searching, authentic, guitar-driven simplicity best describes this cut. This subtle bit of brilliance offers a taste of what’s to come, while longing for the past. Mixing by Larry Crane (Sleater-Kinney, She & Him, Elliott Smith) helps shape nuanced, sonically restrained excellence here. Soda Sun’s lilting acoustic rock melody is the perfect accompaniment for visuals from an early 1960’s Miss Polish America, sourced from the Prelinger Archives. Both the audio and visual art has the opportunity to shine. 

After this long, strange year, bands like Soda Sun remind us of all the talent that has been laying in wait. Check out more from Soda Sun on social media at Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, and Spotify. 

Let's Dance / James Tritten Birthday Celebration at The Opera Room, Sunday June 6th

Fort Lowell Records + The Fuzzy Needle presents: Let's Dance -- an Indie / Alterntive / Underground Vinyl DJ Night -- at The Opera Room in Wilmington, North Carolina -- Sunday, June 6th, 8:00-11:00pm.  Come celebrate the founder of Fort Lowell Records and resident Let's Dance DJ -- James Tritten's -- birthday with us!  In addition, The Fuzzy Needle will have their vinyl record store pop-up set-up, so come dance to and purchase some vinyl records!

Happy Birthday, John Vanderslice -- contributing artist to 'Luz de Vida' [October 18, 2011]

CLICK HERE to PURCHASE LUZ DE VIDA: A Compilation to Benefit the Victims of the Tucson Tragedy.  100% of all sales are donated to Homicide Survivors, Inc..

Soda Sun "Hildegard" [Digital Single], OUT NOW!

CLICK HERE to PRE-ORDER Soda Sun's debut album, Stay Here, and receive a copy of their second single, "Hildegard".

Sean Thomas Gerard 'Finally Found a Paradise' Vinyl Announcement

Well, since this has been a weekend chock-full-o announcements and celebrations, we figured now is a good time to share this with you: Thanks to the support of Modern Legend, as well as a few amazing individuals who simply want to see Wilmington NC continue to grow and remain the beautiful community it already is... Fort Lowell Records is very proud to report that Sean Thomas Gerard's stellar sophomore album -- Finally Found a Paradise -- will soon be made available on vinyl record! Jackets are printed, and vinyl lacquers have been cut, so records are soon to be pressed and we hope to have wax in hand sometime in the late summer / early fall. Can't wait to see Chris Frisina's artwork on 12inch format! Stay tuned, and enjoy your Sunday Funday!

Happy Birthday to J Holt Evans III of Lauds + 'This Water is Life' Announcement

Okay, okay... this is simply beautifully serendipitous: Earlier today we posted about it being KON Sci's birthday, and we also hinted at an upcoming project with his group MindsOne. Shortly after that, we learned today is also Holt's birthday, who is in the band Lauds... aaannd ALSO part of that same project featuring MindsOne! It sure does seem like all signs are pointing to this being a match made in heaven, and we now we simply can't contain ourselves any longer, so here we go...

Fort Lowell Records is very excited to share with you that we are partnering with Gravity Records, Cape Fear River Watch, Coastal Plain Conservation Group, Josh Putnam, Ross Langdon Page, Pufferfish Print Shop, and Dock Street Printing to bring you a very important series of 12inch vinyl record releases, titled This Water is Life. The purpose of this project is to help raise awareness for what has been happening to the water supply here in Southeast North Carolina, particularly with GenX. Each record will provide both Cape Fear River Watch and Coastal Plain Conservation Group an opportunity to help educate all of us on what has been taking place in our community for years, and how it affects as humans as well as the nature and wildlife in our region, respectively.

The cover art, which will include photographs by Josh Putnam, along with B-Side artwork by Pufferfish Print Shop, will speak to the overall message of This Water is Life. Side-A for each record will feature new music by one (1) Hip-Hop group from Wilmington NC, while Side-B will include the same for one (1) Indie Rock band [per record]. Ross Langdon Page will provide his own unique style of portraits to highlight each musical group. Each volume will be limited to only one-hundred (100) 12inch vinyl records, but will also be made available on all digital platforms. This Water is Life is designed to sustain itself indefinitely as a continuous outlet for education, support, and inspiration.

This Water is Life, Vol. I musically brings together MindsOne & DJ Iron [Side-A] + Lauds [Side-B], and is set to be released in the Fall Season of 2021. Stay tuned!

Happy Birthday to KON Sci of MindsOne!

...Holda', holda', hold up! Did we forget to tell you that we will be releasing a few new tracks [not just one] by MindsOne later this year on vinyl record? Wait, what?! That's right! More details to come... but know there is a very, very important project [an indefinite series of releases] in the works to be released later this year that will feature MindsOne & DJ Iron on the first record, and then many other Wilmington hip-hop artists in the years to come! In the meantime, let's wish KON Sci a 'Happy Birthday' today, ...and if you are not familiar with MindsOne, do yourself a solid and go listen to Transitions [2008], Self Reliance [2010], Pillars [2014], and Phaseology [2016]. Every album of theirs is our favorite!

Tracy Shedd 'Blue' 20th Anniversary Vinyl Release w/ Teen-Beat

Thanks to Mark Robinson of Teen-Beat, plus Jeff Lipton & Maria Rice of Peerless Mastering, Fort Lowell Records is very, very excited to share with you that... to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Tracy Shedd's debut album -- Blue [Teen-Beat 312; March 19, 2001] -- we will be partnering with Teen-Beat this year to release Tracy Shedd Blue on 12inch vinyl record for the first time ever; completely remastered! Production is wrapping up, and we hope to have the records available by the fall season. Stay tuned for more details!

Fort Lowell Records presents 'Let's Dance' at Satellite Bar & Lounge | Thu May 20 8pm

An Indie / Alterntive / Underground Vinyl DJ Night

Soda Sun "Beachwood" Video Premiere

[Repost from Blood Makes Noise; by Joe Pugsley, May 3, 2021]

Soda Sun is an indie rock band from Tucson AZ, whose sound is relaxed, heartfelt and atmospheric. Blood Makes Noise is stoked to host the premiere of their new video “Beachwood”, the first single from their upcoming debut album “Stay Here”, to be released via Fort Lowell Records digitally on July 2 and on a vinyl LP on October 1. Scenic views interspersed throughout the video capture the nostalgic and longing vibes of the song. “You are a great mountain range that I keep seeing in different ways.. you are the heart, the blood of my life..” Soda Sun sings as the band members finally emerge in the video around the 3-minute mark. Chill indie reminiscent of the likes of Elliot Smith, Small Factory and other 90s bands mark Soda Sun’s sound, as this debut song gives us a taste of what’s to come on the upcoming full length. This seems to be a love song by the line in the chorus singing to the “blood of my life”, but you get the feeling it may or may not be a romantic love that is being spoken about -  perhaps it is the imagery in the video that gives a familial feel to the aesthetic, but music is best interpreted by the listener anyway. Soda Sun are a new band with a developing sound that bodes well for an intriguing future. Check out the video and look for the full album July 2.

Soda Sun "Beachwood" Digital Single, OUT NOW!

CLICK HERE to PRE-ORDER Soda Sun's debut album, Stay Here, and receive a copy of their first single, "Beachwood".

Soda Sun 'Stay Here' Singles Release Schedule

We couldn't be more excited to release the debut album for Tucson, Arizona's Soda Sun, Stay Here.  Out July 2nd as a Digital LP, and then October 1st as a Vinyl LP, the record will feature four singles + music videos which will be released over the next two months, starting next week:

• May 7, 2021 - "Beachwood" [single] - Video Premiere by Blood Makes Noise on Monday, May 3
• May 21, 2021 - "Hildegard" [single] - Video Premiere by Independent Clauses on Friday, May 21
• June 4, 2021 - "Blood" [single] - Video Premiere by Music Defined on Wednesday, June 2
• June 18, 2021 - "Stay Here" [single] - Video Premiere by PopMatters on Monday, June 14

Be sure to follow Fort Lowell Records on Instagram or Twitter to keep up with Soda Sun Stay Here announcements.