the black watch to release "The Paper Boats EP" on April 27th

NEWS

Over the course of his long and varied career, John Andrew Fredrick has cumulatively released 25 albums, EPs, and books. His latest as the black watch, "The Paper Boats EP," is scheduled for April 27th.

The new EP was engineered by guitarist Andy Creighton (who fronts his own pop band, The World Record, and whose angular leads were featured on last year’s the black watch LP.) The songs were done quickly at Creighton’s shed in the obscure El Sereno district of Los Angeles, then sent for mixing to Scott Campbell’s (Shelby Lynne, Stevie Nicks, Acetone) state-of-the-art studio in Woodland Hills.

Rush Week chats with Floated Magazine

INTERVIEW

Rush Week chats with Floated Magazine ahead of the release of the debut album Feels, out 4/6 from Elefant Records.

Sleepspent shares first single from debut EP at Northern Transmissions

PREMIERE

21-year-old songwriter and guitarist Austin North is the guy behind the El Paso-based band Sleepspent, the new signing to Slow Start Records. The trio's debut EP is out May 4th, produced by Chris Common (Minus the Bear, Chelsea Wolfe, Le Butcherettes.) Head to Northern Transmissions for the premiere of the "Something" single, hitting all streaming platforms this Wednesday.

See the video for "Feelings" by Rush Week at Aupium

SONG POST

"Rush Week captures the hair-raising inexplicable euphoria of emotions in their new lush nu-disco/R&B single 'Feelings.'" Aupium with a re-post of the beautiful Juanma Carrillo-directed music video. Rush Week debut album Feels out from Elefant Records on April 6th.

Every Austin cyclist appears in new Peelander-Z video at Glide Magazine

PREMIERE

Peelander-Z invited every cyclist in Austin to participate in shooting the music video for the new single "Bike Bike Bike," premiering today at Glide Magazine. The clip was directed by Toto Miranda of The Octopus Project who explains, "We put out a call to Austin cyclists to join us for a group ride and got a spectacular group of all kinds of bikes and riders. Peelander fans are already a pretty fun bunch, and Peelander fans who ride are even more down to party!" The new Peelander-Z album Go PZ Go is out April 6th on Chicken Ranch Records. The band invades SXSW next week.

"Feelings" by Rush Week is a pick of the week at Floated

SONG POST

"Sex, Smoke, Deer Masks, Beer, Glitter, Love. You'll get a rush of all of those in Philadelphia-based Rush Week's new track 'Feelings.'" Read more about it and see the "Feelings" video at Floated Magazine.

The Fretless shares second "Artfarm" live video with Folk Radio UK

PREMIERE

Thanks out to Folk Radio UK for sharing the second video from Live At The Artfarm (out 4/6) by The Fretless. The album, recorded in a barn in upstate New York in front of a handful-sized audience seated only a few feet from the players, is the follow-up to the band's 2016 Juno® Awards win.  Trent Freeman of The Fretless says, "This one is all original. Melody written by Ben (Plotnick), arranged by the band. The least traditional on the record. We wanted to feature a tune by Ben on the album, and he came back with this monster of a piece."

Gregory Ackerman shares latest single via American Songwriter

PREMIERE

New single from L.A.-based musician Gregory Ackerman is out this Friday and you can stream it today over at American Songwriter Magazine. Thanks out to Brittney McKenna, who says, "He’ll release his debut album And Friends on May 25, and an early taste he’s offered of that LP takes stock of our current moment. Inspired thematically by the 24-hour news cycle and structurally by Agatha Christie’s landmark 1939 novel 'And Then There Were None,' 'Ten Little Indians/And Then There Were None (State Of The Union)' recounts troubling issues of the day — like 'nine reasons not to handle a gun' and 'eight people dead in a bar' — over hypnotic guitar and eerie, increasingly chaotic backing vocals."

Rush Week shares "Feelings" music video with PopMatters

PREMIERE

Courtesy of PopMatters: "With the music influenced by a range of styles, including soul and R&B, as well as the luxurious sounds of Roxy Music and Talk Talk or the more contemporary settings of St. Vincent or Tennis, (Rachel) Haines, and (Benjamin) Thomas move the listeners throughout this deeply emotional track." Here now is the beautiful Juanma Carrillo-directed music video for "Feelings," the debut single from Philly-based duo, Rush Week. Look out for the full-length via Madrid's venerable indie-pop label Elefant Records on April 6th.

See "Something Stupid" by Fawns of Love at Groundsounds; New 7-inch out today

PREMIERE

New 7-inch from Fawns of Love is available today. Pick up "Zine Days" b/w "Something Stupid" at fawnsoflove.bandcamp.com, packaged in a 3-D sleeve with accompanying glasses (suitable for making fashion statements at family gatherings!) Thanks to GroundSounds for premiering the video for "Something Stupid" today!

Imperfect Fifth debuts Fawns of Love's flipside "Something Stupid"

PREMIERE

Imperfect Fifth, the new music discovery blog founded by former Impose editor, Meredith Schneider has the premiere of "Something Stupid" by Fawns of Love today. The track is the flip side of the duo's new 7-inch "Zine Days," out tomorrow!

Sleepspent is first signing to newly-formed Slow Start Records

NEWS

Sleepspent, the El Paso-based shoegaze and dreampop-inspired trio led by 21-year old songwriter and guitarist Austin North, has signed to upstart record label Slow Start Records for the national release of its debut EP "It's Better If You Don't Speak Or Think". In its relatively short existence, Sleepspent has quickly amassed a local following in its hometown, already earning a nomination as ‘Best Band in the City’ by El Paso's The City Magazine. Slow Start Records is headed up by El Paso-based music industry veteran, Luis Mota and San Antonio-based musician Jared Putnam (the future releases of Putnam's band The March Divide will also appear on Slow Start Records.) "It's Better If You Don't Speak Or Think" by Sleepspent is scheduled for release on May 4th, 2018.

Fawns of Love shares 3-D video for "Zine Days" at MXDWN

PREMIERE

“We think Flying Nun had the coolest roster on the face of the planet during the 1980s and 1990s, and they still do." Joseph Andreotti of Fawns of Love explains the inspirations behind the music video for "Zine Days" (starring Jenny Andreotti) which you can see (in 3-D, if so inclined) over at MXDWN. The song is part of the band's new 7-inch, out March 2, which itself is packaged in a 3-D sleeve (w/ glasses.) Pre-order: fawnsoflove.bandcamp.com.

Dream System 8 shares "Color The Stars" with BuzzBands.LA

PREMIERE

"Wistful but buoyant. Yes, it is unabashedly starry-eyed." Kevin Bronson and BuzzBands.LA shares "Color The Stars" from Dream System 8's debut album We Sleep Again, out via Minty Fresh on Feb. 23rd.

The Fretless performs live in front of a handful-sized audience in "Jenny Bear" premiere.

PREMIERE

Watch The Fretless "effectively deconstruct and reform traditional string compositions and stylings" in a performance shot in front of a handful-sized audience seated only a few feet from the players. Thanks out to Jonathan Frahm at PopMatters for this write-up about the upcoming Live From The Artfarm (April 6th), the follow-up to the band's 2016 Juno®-winning Bird's Nest.