STRATEGIC ARTIST ADVOCACY SINCE 1997
“Paul Slavens channeling the spirit of Frank Zappa on a track from his first album in twelve years.”
Thanks out to Jazziz Magazine for including Paul and “Ophelia,” one of the women of 𝘈𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴, 𝘝𝘰𝘭. 𝘐𝘐, on this week's Editor's Choice playlist!
Album out now on State Fair Records. Click for your life!
Loving this write-up about Paul Slavens’ 𝘈𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴, 𝘝𝘰𝘭. 𝘐𝘐 over at Dusted Magazine.
“Gleefully skipping around, mixing playfulness and classiness, all developing Slavens’ strange ideas and strong compositions.”
Thanks to Justin Cober-Lake! Album out now from State Fair Records! Click for your life!
Three-quarters of The High Water Marks live in Norway. They have invited me to move there. I am posting this publicly for posterity. I have been to Oslo and it is very expensive, but America is becoming more costly by the minute and I ain't talkin' 'bout inflation, yo!
Anyway, did you know that the band has been announced for Indiefjord 2022 in the western Norway village of Bjørke on July 9 + 10?!
Also, too, as well, and additionally: follow the link to check this interview with Norwegian site Lost In The Nordics (formerly A Portal To The Nordics). Per Ole manages to squeeze in a mention of the failed KISS soundtrack 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳.”
CLIFFWALKER released their debut EP, Painted Gray Sky, on Friday. I have been thrilled to help this project along. It's another one of those that came to be in a humble fashion and has made an impression on all that have heard it. May you be one?
If you love minimalist composers, the simple bass (Cliff Hayes of CARCRASHLANDER) and vibraphone (A. Walker Spring of Old Time Relijun) foundation of this instrumental "crime jazz" music really hits. I have compared it to John Carpenter's self-soundtracks and Michael Mann's early films for this reason. Listen. And learn? What if we did that...
Premiering now from Paul Slavens!
It's the cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs video for “Ophelia,” a song in which Prince Hamlet asks the doomed Danish noblewoman of the title to “give a guy some slack,” among other things.
The song features vocals from Rosana Eckert, who most recently appeared on the Grammy®-winning 𝘌𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 album by the late Lyle Mays. If you enjoy Frank Zappa, They Might Be Giants, and Shakespeare as much as I do, please check it out!
Paul's upcoming 𝘈𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴, 𝘝𝘰𝘭. 𝘐𝘐 is out June 24 on State Fair Records.
RIYL: Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Tortoise, Death From Above 1979
It's Monday morning and it's time for the influences of legendary minimalist composers to meet post-rock contemporaries in the Devo-inspired (“Beautiful World” to be exact) video for “Punching Clocks” over at All About Jazz.
The duo is CLIFFWALKER — Cliff Hayes (Buellton) primarily on bass and A. Walker Spring (Old Time Relijun) primarily on vibes. This is instrumental goodness — you don't need lyrics this early in the week, trust me.
Debut EP Painted Gray Sky arrives June 24.
Hi! Do you enjoy Frank Zappa, They Might Be Giants, and Shakespeare as much as I do? Great! The new Paul Slavens single “Ophelia” is the first bit of music that I heard from his upcoming 𝘈𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴, 𝘝𝘰𝘭. 𝘐𝘐 (June 24, State Fair Records.)
My reaction: Paul is a genius. Paul is nuts. I need to talk about it! This tune in which Hamlet asks the doomed Danish noblewoman to “give a guy some slack” is just the thing to draw a desperately needed smile. Treat Yo Self!
Today at Nanobot Rock: a full-album stream of 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 by The March Divide, which arrives this Friday via Slow Start Records. "Throughout the record an air of throwback feeling melodies pair with optimistic instrumental backing to take The March Divide’s cathartic honesty and make it feel more present than ever."
I've been working with Jared for a long time and I've always felt he's been honing his skills for a record with the level of commitment to catchy melodies, self-aware humor, and relatable catharsis that is 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴. Just like the above quote states! This album is a fine piece of work to be very proud of.
Click for your life!
"Ethereal, hypnotic vibes and a distorted, robotic bass."
"Some kind of dirty lounge groove."
"Gloriously mesmerizing."
Look at all the incredible things Treble says this morning about "Pulling Threads," the next single from the upcoming debut EP by CLIFFWALKER!
The instrumental bass (the instrument) and vibes (the instrument) duo of Cliff Hayes (Buellton) and A. Walker Spring (Old Time Relijun) will release Painted Gray Sky on June 24.
𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 is the new album by The March Divide, dropping via Slow Start Records on June 10. The album contains two short and sweet instrumental tracks, each automatically named for the street Jared Putnam was on when he recorded the voice memo. Nanobot Rock is teasing them out for us in anticipation of premiering the entire album this week. Go over and watch the "poetically rare Texas snow day" in "Mont Del Dr.” Then, dig “Dover Cir.,“ which ”quickly takes on an almost acoustic prog rock 3/4 sound reminiscent of Howe/Kaye."
Tune back this Wednesday for a stream of 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 in its entirety.
Athens! Check out yer boy Sloan Simpson beaming out from the cover of this week's Flagpole Magazine! I'm so happy to represent for the Sloan Brothers project because it represents for me. It's everything about why I do this for a living - i.e., I do it for a loving!
Sloan made 𝘚𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘜𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 because the pandemic took the life and love he knows as a recordist away. His friends encouraged and supported him, gave that love back, and everyone who listens to this record hears it in the songs.
Anyway, it's a small joy in rough times to see a brother get the spotlight thrown their way. Congrats Sloan!
And back to biz: You can stream now, pre-order your vinyl (out 7/1) and RSVP for the 𝘚𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘜𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 listening party (also 7/1) at the following links:
https://fanatic.lnk.to/SloanBrothers-SystemUpdate
https://sloanbrothers.bandcamp.com/album/system-update
https://tinyurl.com/SLOAN-BROTHERS-ATHENS-070122
Click for your life!
Good evening! Here we are again, back for another edition of 𝘔𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳, where we document the continuing adventures of this video star puppet.
"The March Divide is great... 'Tension In The Air' is the perfect example of a necessary viewing," said Central Track on Monday in its "Song of The Day" post.
"Perfect,” “necessary," and “great" are three words that should have you out of your mind excited to watch this video. Heck, we should all be using these words to describe ourselves personally, no? Self-care is important. This, my advice to you.
New album 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 by The March Divide is out June 10 on Slow Start Records.
Paul Slavens had a nice long chat with Central Track about his long career, which contains so many highlights that brevity prohibits me from mentioning them here.
BUT!
I 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 take this moment to remind that 𝘈𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴, 𝘝𝘰𝘭. 𝘐𝘐 is out June 24 from State Fair Records.
Central Track says, "The album is all over the place, from jazz to prog to pop, but it’s as eclectic as Slavens is."
World Goth Day was this past Sunday, and the Goth-friendly Cruel World Fest happened the previous weekend, too. Why bring these up? CLIFFWALKER - the instrumental duo of Cliff Hayes (Bass, Keys) and A. Walker Spring (Vibes, Drums, Keys, Guitar) - is not Goth, but there's a darkness to this music that would appeal to Goths!
"Punching Clocks," the duo’s first video, is evidence. See it now over at It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine.
Cruel World Fest rides into this argument via Devo. We see the influence of that band's classic "Beautiful World" video on the "Punching Clocks" clip as the existential conflicts of humanity are played out on the stage of life. All this in three-and-a-half minutes? Yes!
And like Devo's ability to bring levity, Cliff reminded me by saying, "I do have a decent sense of humor!"
A new single by The March Divide is out and I'm worried about Jared. Thanks to The Spill Magazine for posting "King of The Lost Cause" this morning, a song in which Jared is clearly trying to provoke our concern:
I’m at my best when I’m lost / I’m fucking up at any cost / That’s why they call me / King of the lost cause
Thoughts and prayers, bro!
𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 is out June 10 on Slow Start Records.