Spring singles countdown

[Repost from Poprock Record; by Dennis Pilon, April 19, 2022]

North Carolina’s Tracy Shedd ambles onto centre stage with her single “Going Somewhere,” its laid back feel gaining more urgency in the chorus. Definitely a bit of car-driving, windows-open on a summer day sort of music.

Listen to Dream Pop Ensemble Lauds “II” EP

[Repost from Post-Punk; by Alice Teeple, April 9, 2022]

The old 9 to 5

Who could invent a

Better way to waste a life?

Hailing from the beaches of Wilmington, NC, guitar outfit Lauds are united by a love of the water and chiming hooks. They have released a second EP, entitled II, a sprawling, psychedelic, melodic masterpiece of pulsing indie rock and jangle pop with a motorik edge. It’s out now via Fort Lowell Records.

The bass and drums are given equal footing with the guitars in this collection, which vacillate between moments of chorused-out bliss and searing noise-rock catharsis, peppered with catchy hooks. Lead singer McKay Glasgow beckons the listener to get lost alongside him in the sprawling guitar scapes with his gentle croon.

The quintet composed of McKay Glasgow (lead vocals, guitar), J Holt Evans (vocals, lead guitar), younger brother Boyce Evans (keyboards, third guitar), Gavin Campbell (bass), and Ross Page (drums, vocals) play the bulk of the melodies on the album. They recruited friends Ross Page and Gavin Campbell, who helped steer the arrangements when it came time for recording.

Their lyrics, though sparse, are poetic ruminations on everyday life, from questioning the point of the daily grind (Weekend) to pushing through obstacles in search of an elusive freedom (CeeDee Lamb). They pack a lot of emotional punch in these fleeting moments. Despite the brightness of the melodies, these are songs examining deep-seated angst.

Having become a staple of Wilmington’s thriving guitar-rock scene, the band continues to play regularly in their region and hope to expand down the road, both with touring and in the studio.

“We wanted to challenge ourselves in the studio to be more adventurous with the type of sonic textures we were using to color the songs,” says the band. “All of the tracks are still essentially pop songs built around twin guitar melodies but we wanted to see how we could expand our sound by leaning into things like harmonics, feedback, and expressive solos…in the end I think we arrived at a sound that is darker, leaner, and more reminiscent of our live shows.”

Find Lauds’ II EP Here

Follow Lauds:

• Twitter 
• Instagram
• Bandcamp

Photo by Mary Hannah

‘Footprints’ by MindsOne & DJ Iron | ‘This Water is Life’ series

[Repost from Psychedelic Baby; Klemen Breznikar, April 6, 2022]

Exclusive track premiere of ‘Footprints’ by MindsOne & DJ Iron, taken from ‘This Water is Life’ series, out April 22, 2022 via Fort Lowell Records.

‘This Water is Life’ is a self-sustained and ongoing series of split EPs with two express purposes: to highlight new hip-hop / indie rock music from Southeastern North Carolina, as well as to provide a platform for Cape Fear River Watch and Coastal Plain Conservation Group to deliver up-to-date authoritative reports on the health of the Cape Fear River Basin for both human beings and wildlife.

Ever since our forebears crawled up out of the water and drew their first breath, our – which is to say human and animal (and for that matter, plant) – experience has never strayed too far from its life-sustaining force. This water IS life. It will continue to be. But what kind of life? Threats to that water are, in turn, threats to the very life it supports.

Inspired by photography focused on water in urban landscapes against a backdrop of the evolving GenX (PFAS) water pollution problem in the Wilmington, NC / Cape Fear region, ‘This Water is Life’ is a local multimedia, multi-platform project. It takes what Fort Lowell Records does best – put out and promotes killer indie music of varied stripes – and fuses it with photography and other visual arts alongside river and wildlife advocacy. The goal is a virtuous circle contained within an intended series of records. Packaged together, musical and visual artists from the Port City combined with a separate, serialized and locally-specific environmental message gives rise to the future promotion of other local music acts and further advocacy.

‘Volume I’ features MindsOne & DJ Iron and James Sardone (of Brickbat, Burnley Brothers, The Jimmy Nations Combo, Loose Jets).

Innovative lyrics, heart pounding instrumentals, precise cuts, and intense live shows are what MindsOne has been offering their listeners since 2002. In its current iteration for this project, the group consists of KON Sci and Tronic on vocals with Belgian producer DJ Iron reprising his beatmaking role. Their music embodies the spirit of independent hip hop culture and pays homage to those boom bap masters and others who came before.

They have consistently delivered powerful and inspirational music over the years, and have continued to perfect their sound with each project from their debut EP, ‘The Space Time Continuum’ in 2006 to 2016’s collaboration with DJ Iron on the ‘Phaseology’ album.

Pre-order it here!

Fort Lowell Records · MindsOne & DJ Iron "Footprints"

HCTF premiere - James Sardone: Do This Thing

[Repost from Here Comes the Flood; Hans Werksman, April 5, 2022]

James Sardone (Brickbat, Burnley Brothers, The Jimmy Nations Combo, Loose Jets) has been part of the indie rock scene for a couple of decades, keeping the DIY flag flying throughout his career. His new song, the rollicking Do This Thing, supports a good cause: keeping tabs on Cape Fear River Basin in North Carolina by Cape Fear River Watch and Coastal Plain Conservation Group. The track will be included on This Water is Life, Vol. I, a split EP, with three Sardone songs taking up on side, and four tracks by hip-hop artist MindsOne and Belgian producer DJ Iron on the other one. It is the meeting of two worlds that worked out quite well.

Do This Thing is released via Fort Lowell Records. Release date: April 8. This Water is Life, Vol. I is available for pre-order here (vinyl - 150 handnumbered copies, digital). The EP will be released on Earth Day (April 22).

Live date:

• 04/22 Wilmington NC @ Satellite Bar & Lounge (release party - free show)

» James Sardone on Instagram

Fort Lowell Records · James Sardone "Do This Thing"

OUT NOW: MindsOne & DJ Iron "Footprints" + James Sardone "Do This Thing"

The Digital Singles from the inaugural Fort Lowell Records album This Water is Life, Vol. I for both artists MindsOne & DJ Iron plus James Sardone are both available today, April 8th, on all music platforms.  When you pre-order the vinyl or digital album from Bandcamp, you will be able to download and save by singles:

• MindsOne & DJ Iron "Footprints"
• James Sardone "Do This Thing"
  
  

PRE-ORDER FULL EP NOW [Vinyl + Digital]

Fort Lowell Records · MindsOne & DJ Iron "Footprints"

Fort Lowell Records · James Sardone "Do This Thing"

LAUDS: II

[Repost by Blood Makes Noise; by Sam Lowry, March 31, 2022]

Immediately the band hits you in the face with a Cure meets The Smiths riff but as the vocals pop in it’s more clear that this is very brit rock inspired. It feels like something like Ivy, The Sundays, and mostly mellow stuff that is usually female fronted. More contemporary comparisons would be Soccer Mommy, Swiims, or Phoebe Bridgers. However the reverb washed vocals give it a more goth feel. I also hear quite a bit of classic indie influence especially in the guitar which at times is New Order/Joy Division –ish. This is quite nice and blends a tiny splash of goth with straight forward indie rock/ indie pop. At times you can hear a little bit of dissonant background noise like a splash of My Bloody Valentine or Mission of Burma was thrown in. Track 3 is titled CeeDee Lamb and I had to wonder, are these guys football fans? Dallas Cowboy fans? Ok, they lose some points with me for liking the Cowboys but I digress. In all a really solid EP that I suppose the new genre classification for is “dream pop” but if you are older than 25 you’ll get all the references and what these guys are about.

Let's Dance at Satellite Bar & Lounge on Friday, April 8th at 7:00pm in Wilmington NC

New EP: Lauds || II

[Repost from Add To Wantlist; by Dennis, March 29, 2022]

After their self-titled debut EP last summer, North Carolina 5-piece Lauds are back with a second 4-track EP, logically called II. James McKay Glasgow (guitars, lead vocals), J Holt Evans III (guitars, keyboards, vocals), Gavin Campbell (bass), Boyce Evans (keyboards, additional guitars), and Ross Page (drums) play melodic jangle pop with chiming guitar hooks and dreamy vocals, with a biting undertone that will also appeal to fans of noisy shoegaze. The lyrics of closing track Weekend clearly show what this band is about: “Hazy summer lines // What are we doing // The days are careening by // The old 9 to 5 // Who could invent a // Better way to waste a life?” – enchanting.

OUT NOW: Lauds 'II' [Digital EP]

Hailing from the beaches of Wilmington, NC, Lauds are five friends (two of whom are brothers) united by a love of the water and chiming guitar hooks. The quintet composed of McKay Glasgow (lead vocals, guitar), J Holt Evans (vocals, lead guitar), younger brother Boyce Evans (keyboards, third guitar), Gavin Campbell (bass), and Ross Page (drums, vocals) play a pulsing take on indie rock with lush intertwining guitar melodies that draw on everything from C86 jangle pop to British titans like Ride and The Cure.

On II, Lauds trade some of the more languid structures of their debut EP (Lauds, Fort Lowell Records) for hard hitting motorik-inspired pop. Now, the bass and drums are given equal footing with the guitars, which while catchy as ever, vacillate between moments of chorused-out bliss and searing noise-rock catharsis. The final product remains distinctly Lauds, with Glasgow’s vocals beckoning the listener to get lost alongside him in the sprawling guitarscapes.

Having become a staple of Wilmington’s thriving guitar-rock scene–playing packed sets at places like the Palm Room, Satellite Bar and Lounge, and, most notably, a sold-out Bourgie Nights slot opening for Athens, GA’s Futurebirds–look for Lauds to continue to make noise in their native the Carolinas and beyond. Next up: a 4/2 release show at Modern Legend, the first in-store show hosted by the record store and scene luminary in over two years. Featuring opening sets by local legends Color Temperature and Louis, this set promises to be the show of the year and a (noisy) celebration of all that live music has to offer in the Port City.

Lauds II is now available on all digital music platforms.

OUT NOW: Tracy Shedd "Going Somewhere" [Digital Single]

Available on all digital audio platforms, Tracy Shedd's latest single "Going Somewhere" is out today -- Friday, March 25th -- featuring James Sardone (Brickbat, Loose Jets).  For fans of Alvvays, Stereolab, and Wilco.

Photo by Scott Madgett

Lauds | Interview | “We’re a guitar band first and foremost”

[Repost from It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine; Klemen Breznikar, March 18, 2022]

Lauds is part of the dream pop-shoegaze-post-punk continuum, but carries an unpredictable edge.

Lauds are a band from Wilmington, NC that was formed in the spring of 2019 by songwriters McKay Glasgow and J. Holt Evans III. Bonding over their love of Slowdive and Neil Young, the band plays in the style of the former while channeling some of latter’s more untamed guitarscapes. Glasgow and Evans were both craving an outlet to make guitar-oriented rock music, and Lauds is the result. Glasgow is also a member of Tumbleweed, a folk-rock group, but had songwriting ideas that didn’t fit within their confines. Teaming up with Evans, who has spent a lot of his free time in recent years recording reverbed-out bedroom pop songs, the two founded Lauds as a project to unleash their Jazzmaster ambitions.

How did you get together to form Lauds?

Evans: My dad does a lot of music production work in Wilmington, North Carolina which is where we’re all from and grew up. McKay and I met while he was finishing up his folk band Tumbleweed’s first record at my dad’s studio. We kind of just immediately became pals, starting jamming, grabbing beers and the rest is history I guess. We were both sitting on piles of old demos that neither of us had found a home for and realized we were on to something when we started playing them for each other and rearranging them together to be all about the guitars. We added my brother Boyce on drums and our friend Rett on bass after that and started playing shows.

What inspires your music?

Evans: We’re a guitar band first and foremost. I think when you look under the Lauds hood we’re really just striving to capture feelings from different frames of mind and experiences that are meaningful to us and turn those into memorable guitar melodies. I’m a huge reverb and chorus guy because my dad played that U2 album ‘October’ too many times in the car when I was a kid. I feel like those sounds are almost integral to how I approach the guitar for better or for worse. We kind of started Lauds on this half joke premise of what if there was a band that sounded like Neil Young and Crazy Horse covering Slowdive. We really don’t sound like that at all, which I guess is probably a good thing, but we did try to cover ‘Cortez the Killer’ at our first show. Very grateful there doesn’t seem to be footage of that anywhere.

Glasgow: We want to write songs that we like and that are interesting sonically and hopefully that at least our friends will like. For me, a lot of the appeal in performing and writing now comes from the ways the guitar riffs interlock and the generally very affected sounds that are a bit off center. Lately we’ve been putting more emphasis on trying to make songs really groove with the backing drums and bass so that people can move around more at shows. It’s just more fun for everybody to want to bounce around.

What can you tell us about the 4-track EP that you released via Fort Lowell Records?

Glasgow: I think it’s safe to say we feel it’s our strongest work to date. The recording process was less about trying to come up with perfect parts and more about getting the sounds right. We tried to limit adding additional guitars in the mix and keep the arrangements replicable for live shows. It’s a bit more distorted and aggressive at moments than any of our other stuff but it has the familiar melodic breaks and bouncy baselines that will always be a part of our songs. There is also more singing in lower registers to fit the mood of some of the tracks.

Evans: We took months and months between putting out our first batch of singles and releasing the EP. The pandemic definitely slowed us down but in hindsight I’m really glad we took our time with these songs and the writing process in general. Like McKay said, we spent a lot of time trying to hone in on a unified vibe for the record that fit the mood of the songs and I think that extra time really helped pull everything together in the end.

What about the single, ‘Are You There All Alone’?

Glasgow: Holt 3 and I had a couple weeks where we sat down and tried writing in post-surf stupors. Basically we sat there with an acoustic guitar and bass, not overthinking and came up with a couple songs we felt good about at the time. But as every songwriter knows, it’s the days after that determine whether or not you were being delusional. We listened later and were like, “That was okay.” ‘Are You There All Alone’ was one of those songs. We started thinking, maybe this is a better way to write songs than laboring over them. We have enough songs now where we can let a song go for a while and come back to it so that has kept us from agonizing over trying to make a song work that just isn’t there yet.

Evans: That one was written quickly. We both locked in on a chord progression and 5 minutes later we were giggling like little kids. We knew that we had just written a great song. Can’t recommend the post-surf stupor enough.

Are you planning to release an album in the near future?

Glasgow: We’ve got about 12 songs ready to go after EP 2. The plan is to get a full album done and out this summer before some of the guys head off for school. We have felt really inspired to write music so we aren’t wanting to take the next six months for granted.

How are you coping with the current situation as a new band? Are you excited about being on stage?

Evans: We love playing live. It’s probably at least 90% of the reason we started the band, to share our music with our friends in a common space and have a great time doing it. Obviously we wish the state of the world wasn’t what it currently is but we’re trying to make the most out of it while striving to be as safe as possible for all involved. We’re stoked to have added our good friends and great musicians Ross Page and Gavin Campbell to the band. I feel like we’re probably the best we have ever been as a live unit in terms of tightness and musicianship.

Glasgow: We are trying to be responsible and not overly fearful. We have canceled some shows out of town in February but we are planning shows for the Spring and hoping for the best. We would be very excited to get back to playing consistently through the spring and summer if it’s possible. And if we can’t then it’s just more time to record.

Let’s end this interview with some of your favorite albums. Have you found something new lately you would like to recommend to our readers?

Evans: I know ‘Twin Plagues’ by the band Wednesday is a new album that’s been on heavy rotation for all of the guys recently. Great heavy shoegaze with an almost country bent out of Asheville, NC. Siouxsie and the Banshees ‘Tinderbox’ and ‘Script of the Bridge’ by the Chameleons are classics that are big for us. We also all liked the newest Deafheaven album a lot as well. I feel like I tell everybody I know to listen to that record. It’s amazing. Other than that, been bumping this bootleg copy of Mobb Deep’s ‘The Infamous’ that I got on CD for $2 at a gas station a lot in the car.

Thank you. Last word is yours.

Evans: Thanks! We feel really privileged to be a part of an incredible music scene in our hometown. Lots of melodic and fun guitar music in all sorts of flavors. Our drummer Ross is the king of Wilmington and in about 18 bands and all of them are great. Check out Seeking Madras (jangletown), AZZA (chorused out political punk), Nice Derek (the only band on this list Ross is not in), and Color Temperature (like Guided by Voices covering Talk Talk).

Photo by Mary Hannah

MindsOne + James Sardone live in concert Friday, April 22 at Satellite Bar & Lounge

Meet Heather Ivins | Graphic Designer & Fine Artist

Heather Ivins is the artist who created the illustration for Tracy Shedd's new single "Going Somewhere", due our Friday, March 25th.  Here is a photograph of the original art Ivins drew, along with the final cover art for the release.  Below is a recent interview Ivins did with ShoutOut Miami.

[Repost from ShoutOut Miami; March 16, 2022]

We had the good fortune of connecting with Heather Ivins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Heather, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?

There was never going to be another choice for me—I’ve always known that I would work as a creative, in some capacity or another. I’ve been creative/artistic since as far back as I can remember, and I’m fortunate to have a family that encouraged and supported my creative expression.

As a young kid, I would design stickers and sell them at family yard sales. I would cut up newspapers, rearrange the pieces, and write new text to create my own publications. As a teenager, I hand painted t-shirts and gifted them to friends and family, which eventually led to painted t-shirt commissions (remember the days of puffy paint?). I would sculpt trinkets for friends to hang on their rear-view mirrors and paint my friends’ portraits as flowers, giving them petals instead of hair. It has always brought me joy to make others happy with my artwork.

In my senior year of high school, I participated in the school’s work experience program, where you would leave school for most of the day to go to work. I remember being in search of a job and flipping through the yellow pages to find something suitable. I was determined to find a position that would make good use of my creative skills. I came across the sign-making industry and quickly found myself working at a little sign shop in Stuart, where I began learning graphic design on the job. In my spare time, I continued to teach myself graphic design applications and principles in order to pursue a career in it.

I’ve since worked as a designer for over 20 years for a number of companies, including AOL and Fast Company Magazine. Most recently, I’ve joined forces with my husband, John Ciambriello, to officially form HEATHER & JOHN, a creative studio specializing in brand design, post-production photo editing, and illustration. Our most recent project was the re-branding of our local arts council, MartinArts. This was a very rewarding project for us, as my husband and I are both members of the local arts community.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

In addition to being a graphic designer, I’m also a fine artist and illustrator. I love to experiment and to explore different media, techniques, and subjects. I don’t just do one thing—which is kind of a theme running through my whole life (I’ve also dabbled in music and health coaching!). I don’t like comparing myself to other artists, but perhaps this is what sets me apart—you never know what you’ll get from me! I’m best known for my photorealistic colored pencil pet portrait commissions. But, I also paint with watercolor and gouache. And ink. And Posca paint pens. And my fingers! And cat whiskers! The one thing that I think remains consistent, though, is that I like the finished artwork to convey a sense of beauty and wonder.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

THE BEACH! The beach is a must, obviously, when visiting Florida (I’m in Stuart). On our way back, we would stop at Ital Bowls for a healthy treat. We would take bike rides around town and enjoy the beautiful local environment. Anyone visiting me has to come with me to my favorite little cafe and storefront, Hani Honey Company. They have awesome bubble tea, coffee drinks, and really yummy food. We would also head to Gilbert’s Coffee Bar to enjoy a tasty beverage while taking in the gorgeous sunset—they have the perfect view of the sunset over the marina. We would walk along the water and over to Downtown Stuart. After that, we would definitely hop in the car and go eat at my favorite restaurant, South Fork Kitchen and Bar. And then we’d come home and relax in my back yard looking at the stars. That’s just the first day of the visit—the rest of the week, just hit repeat.

Alright, so let’s jump right in! The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there a person, group, organization, book, etc that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? Who else deserves a little credit and recognition in your story?

I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my family. My mom, April Newswander, has always been super-supportive of my artistic pursuits. My husband, John Ciambriello, is my rock. He’s also my sounding board and has no qualms about telling me something isn’t working or needs re-thinking (or sucks!). And my son, Lee, is incredibly creative, artistic, and unafraid to be himself—he’s an inspiration to me.

Website: www.heatherivins.com & www.heatherandjohn.co

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherivins & https://www.instagram.com/heatherandjohn.co

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherivinsart

Photo by John Ciambriello

WL//WH Premiere: LAUDS “Rust” single

[Repost from White Light // White Heat; by Fabrizio Lusso, May 10, 2022]

Lauds are a band from Wilmington, North Carolina started in the spring of 2019 by songwriters McKay Glasgow and J. Holt Evans III, bonding over their common love of Slowdive and Neil Young, and nurtured by further inspirations such as Creation Records and Captured Tracks, as well as British alt-rock legends like Ride, Chapterhouse, and The Cure.

With the addition of Boyce S. Evans, Gavin Campbell and Ross Page, the 5-piece released last summer’s promising self-titled debut 4-tracker followed by a transitional single, “Are You There All Alone”, in November, while preparing for the sophomore EP, entitled “II”, due for March 29, 2022, via fellow DIY label Fort Lowell Records, anticipated by the single “Rust”, WL//WH is very pleased to premiere.

And mainly the springlike, sparkling and nostalgic arpeggiated 6-string leanings to bands such as Beach Fossils and Real Estate, enriched with airy and dreamy 60s harmonic sensibilities, mostly define “Rust”, that lyric-wise captures the ambivalent push, pull, and ultimately corrosion that foolish mind games and toxic manipulations inflict on a relationship.

“Rust” manages to sound fresh, deceptively simple and enthralling, gliding through sun-dappled glares rippled with wandering crystalline refractions from obsessively tangled jangly guitar lines, built on velvety churning, serpentine bass pulses and lively drum beats, to twist twinkling wistful melodies around euphoric angsty vocal longings, restless hums, and regretful daydreams to slip hopelessly into a fading sunset of wasted fate.

A sheer and emotional outpouring of timeless intoxicating pop melodies as regained from the blurry mists of memories for some, contemporary and exciting for others, which for 3 minutes makes you dream and deceive yourself of living in a never-ending reverie.

Lauds‘ new single “Rust” will be released tomorrow March 11, 2022, while the upcoming sophomore EP, “II”, is scheduled for March 29, 2022, both on Digital, through Wilmington, NC‘s independent label Fort Lowell Records‘ Bandcamp and the main sharing platforms,

Photo by Mary Hannah

OUT NOW: Lauds "Rust" [Digital Single]

Available on all digital music platforms today (March 11), "Rust" is a brand new song by the boys from Wilmington, North Carolina -- Lauds -- that is part of their second Digital EP II, due out at the end of March.  Pre-order II now on Bandcamp, and receive a copy of Laud's new single "Rust" in advance.

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDR LAUDS II NOW!

Wilmington Record Show at Waterline Brewing - Saturday, March 5 from 11:00am-5:00pm

Upcoming 2022 Fort Lowell Records Releases

While on the frontlines of social media, it may seem that things have been quiet around Fort Lowell Records' headquarters so far this year, we have to tell it is has been quite the opposite. As of today, there are six (6) brand new releases scheduled for this year, plus at least two (2) and possibly up to (4) vinyl re-releases of previous digital only records. Below is an overview of what's to come.  Stay tuned to Instagram, Twitter, or our Email List for more updates!

NEW RELEASES

• Lauds II | Digital EP ~ March 29, 2022
• Tracy Shedd "Going Somewhere" | Digital Single ~ March (TBD), 2022
• This Water is Life, Vol. I | feat. MindsOne & DJ Iron and James Sardone | Vinyl EP ~ April 22, 2022
• Desario Signal and Noise | Vinyl LP ~ Early Summer 2022
• Kitimoto Vintage Smell | Vinyl LP ~ Early Summer 2022
• JPW Something Happening / Always Happening | Vinyl LP ~ Late Summer 2022

VINYL RE-RELEASES

• Moyamoya Hawn | Vinyl LP ~ Early Summer 2022
• La Cerca A Nice Sweet Getaway | Vinyl LP ~ Fall 2022
• Audio Explorations ActionReaction | Vinyl LP ~ Tentative
• Lauds [Debut Album, Name TBD] | Vinyl LP ~ Tentative

Lauds II | Digital EP


Tracy Shedd "Going Somewhere" | Digital Single



This Water is Life, Vol. I | feat. MindsOne & DJ Iron and James Sardone | Vinyl EP

Desario Signal and Noise | Vinyl LP

Kitimoto Vintage Smell | Vinyl LP

JPW Something Happening / Always Happening | Vinyl LP

Moyamoya Hawn | Vinyl LP

La Cerca A Nice Sweet Getaway | Vinyl LP

Audio Explorations ActionReaction | Vinyl LP

We've got beanies!

Just in time for all of this snow, Fort Lowell Records is very happy to let you know that we've got beanies available for sale!  And not just any beanie, but supercomfy, superior cotton blend knit beanies, made by OTTO CAPOTTO CAP; not those itchy acrylic kind -- these are the (really) good ones!

ORDER YOUR BEANIE NOW

We've got t-shirts!

Meet Josh Putnam, photographer of the image used for our brand new Fort Lowell Record T-Shirt, shown here -- modeled by Josh himself. Not only did Josh take the original picture we used for the design of our new t-shirt, but he is also going to be the featured photographer for our new series This Water is Life, which showcases Wilmington NC based Hip-Hop + Indie Rock music on vinyl; coming soon, very soon.  For now, we are all superstoked about these new t-shirts, thanks to Josh! Printed by Elliott McDonald at Creo Print Co. on Alternative Apparel shirts, there is a very limited supply of these tees, so don't miss out!

ORDER YOUR T-SHIRT NOW

By the way, can you guess what building in Downtown Wilmington NC makes up the 'Z' design of the shirt?

Citified reemerges with “Lie Like a Painter”

[Repost from YES! Weekly; by Katei Cranford, Jan 5, 2022]

As a new year dawns, reemergence hangs in the air. And after a decade of slumber, Greensboro dream-pop group, Citified, has reemerged with a new album, “Lie Like a Painter,” out now on Fort Lowell Records.

The essence of Citified resides in the recording projects of Chris Jackson, who embarked on the endeavor in the mid-’00s as a means to funnel songs that didn’t fit the mold of his alt-rock outfit, Lookwell. A self-admitted “sucker for delay and reverb,” Jackson began his pursuit toward more sonic texture with a drum machine off eBay, an Alesis HR-16, which, as he noted, is “still in use to this day.”

Taking the name from his song, “Going Places,” Citified ultimately filled out into four-piece and back again, with the new album presenting “a collection of songs that have lain fallow for some time.” As the years have melted, these songs “breathe new life into a discography already on solid footing.”

Pulling from a foundation of influences including Echo And The Bunnymen, Let’s Active, R.E.M’s “Murmur,” “The Soft Bulletin” from The Flaming Lips, and even the old Greensboro band Slowchange Madagascar, the album’s eight-tracks ring of winter. Tinny, cold, and blustering — the echoey-fog of Casio keyboards glisten like frost on a windowpane. Underwater vocals and driving drums give the feel of thunder passing, a concept illustrated by the cover, a photo Jackson took in the Tanger Outlet Center parking lot while “waiting for a storm to blow over.”

It’s a notion carried into the material, notably so in the second single, “Sleep Sound,” which as Jackson explained, “is about putting our beloved orange tabby cat, Benny, down. It’s one of my favorite tracks on the album, but I still have a hard time listening to it.”

Spanning years of songwriting, the first single, “Must Forget,” lingers from what Jackson calls his “Lookwell” era. As Citified enters a new era for itself, he recalled the origins (heavily guided by Guided By Voices) at Duck Kee Studio in Mebane. “I had a handful of songs we weren’t playing in Lookwell and took them to Jerry Kee,” he said, dropping Kee’s work with Polvo, Superchunk, and the Strugglers.

Initially, a solo-endeavor, as Citified solidified, Jackson needed a band to push the songs. “In order to promote the self-titled album, a group was formed with Franklin Kane on bass, Eric Ussery on drums, and Diego Diaz on guitar,” he explained. “Over the next several years we toured up and down the east coast and recorded two additional albums ‘The Meeting After The Meeting’ (2008) and ‘Absence’ (2009).”

Notions of reemergence abound, with Citified having hosted their previous album release for “Absence” at the old Flat Iron in 2009. “It’s a favorite venue,” Jackson admitted, “but I’ve yet to see a show in the newly renovated space.”

Regarding the new record, “Like Like a Painter,” was recorded at OPOTW, the space of which has reemerged with a new group as etc. “It took shape similar to the first Citified release,” he explained of the album. “I brought a batch of demos to Randy Seals at the now-defunct On Pop Of The World Studios in Greensboro, with the end result being a combination of new recordings and existing demos.” Seals pulled “double-duty” on drums; meanwhile, Jackson tapped Lookwell bassist, Jason Kennedy, for his assistance in that sonic arena.

Jackson eventually shared the finished product with Kim Ware of Eskimo Kiss Records. “Kim was always very supportive,” he said of Ware, who founded the late-90s Wilmington label (which housed catalogs for both Lookwell and Citified).

Eskimo Kisses folded around 2010; but Citified retained their coastal connection, joining the Wilmington-based Fort Lowell Records label for the new release. The process of which Fort Lowell head, James Tritten (a former member of the Eskimo Kiss fold) defines as something of a family affair.

“Fort Lowell Records had recently released ‘capital R’ for Kim’s band, the Good Graces,” Tritten explained. “My own band, Audio Explorations, along with my wife, Tracy Shedd (Teen-Beat), were both on Eskimo Kiss Records, and Kim knew that Tracy and I were huge fans of all things Chris Jackson.” Recalling “literally taking every Citified album with us on every Tracy Shedd tour we ever took,” Tritten considers Citified, “absolutely essential listening for the long drives.”

In 2021, Ware reached out to Fort Lowell with the new tracks, “and the rest is history,” Tritten said. “It’s easily been one of our favorite projects to work on. And such an honor to have Citified as part of the Fort Lowell Records family.”

With the new record and a new label, Jackson is content with a simple release, for now. “No shows are currently scheduled,” he said, “but we’ll see what the new year brings.”

“Lie Like a Painter” is out now on Fort Lowell Records