Blog Archives

November 28, 2011

Postcards from the Road: Gold Leaves

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We’ve got a bunch of postcards for you this week from Bryan John Appleby, The Smokey Brights and Gold Leaves who just finished a cross-country tour a couple days ago. Having driven through the midwest twice in a months time, they’ve got some excellent soundtrack advice for driving through Nebraska.

(You can click on the postcards to enlarge them for easier reading)

Seattle can see Gold Leaves next on February 17th when they open for Damien Jurado at The Neptune. Lucky European readers can see them in the next few weeks as they open for the Fruit Bats from Stockholm to Paris.

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November 4, 2011

Seapony Interviews Brave Irene!

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Hardly Arts signees Seapony are one of the new up-and-comers spewing for that always reliable labor.  They’re playing Saturday at The Vera Club with Rose Melberg’s side project Brave Irene.  Both are twee little bits of sadly drawn sunshine, and since they’re both here and both immensely entertaining we decide to pair ‘em together to see what might come out.

The two bands play Saturday the 5th at The Vera Project:

Seapony – Blue Star

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It’s no secret.  Rose Melberg’s music has played an integral role on our sound.  From the whimsical butterflies-in-the-stomach noise-pop of Tiger Trap – to the bare bones, heart-on-your-sleeve simplicity of The Softies - we have looked to Rose as a source of inspiration.  Her latest project, Brave Irene, is an emotional fuzz sensation that combines all the best aspects of Rose’s varied musical undertakings.  It’s a real joy to be able to share the stage with such an indie-pop icon.

SEAPONY:  Hey Brave Irene!  How’s it going?

BRAVE IRENE: It’s going great!

SEAPONY:  Today is Halloween.  Happy Halloween!  Are you going to/did you dress up as anything?

BRAVE IRENE:  I didn’t get around to doing a costume this year, but Caitlin was a flower garden, Jessica was a road trip and Amanda was a spirit raccoon (a mystical creature from an island near here…).

SEAPONY: TP’ing houses is a Halloween tradition. Have you ever TP’d a house before?  If so, whose house?

BRAVE IRENE: I’ve never TP’d a house, but there is a grouchy lady two doors down who could use a good TP’ing. However, I currently have pink toilet paper and I have a feeling that would immediately give me away.

SEAPONY:  Do you want to TP someone’s house with us?

BRAVE IRENE: We could TP the space needle.

SEAPONY:  We are playing a show together on Saturday at the Vera Project.  How many shows have you guys played, anyway?

BRAVE IRENE:  We have played a grand total of 6 shows in two and a half years! Seattle will be LUCKY 7. It is not easy to get 5 busy ladies (and sometimes a fella) together in the same town to play lots of shows. It is pretty awesomely special when we do get to play.

SEAPONY:  Rose, you have been in some of the coolest bands ever [The Softies and Tiger Trap]. I’m curious as to what bands the other members of Brave Irene have played in?

BRAVE IRENE:  Laura (our original drummer), Jessica and Caitlin all played in a Vancouver band called Collapsing Opposites at various times. Caitlin sometimes plays in a project called Unreliable Narrator and she is currently in one of the best bands in Vancouver, Loose Tights. Our current drummer Kevin plays in about 100 bands in Vancouver (cuz he’s such a great drummer!), most frequently the band the SSRI’s (the members of which are also the Taxmen, the funnest Beatles tribute band ever). I am also currently playing bass in a band called Bleating Hearts.

SEAPONY:  Is there anything you’re just dying to do while you’re in Seattle?

BRAVE IRENE: WAYWARD CAFE. We have three vegans in the band so eating rad vegan food is usually a priority.

SEAPONY: Don’t you just love sound checks?

BRAVE IRENE: I actually do quite love sound checks. It is one of those few times when I actually feel like a real professional musician (which makes me feel better about rarely having a normal job…).

SEAPONY:  Describe your sound in 10 words or less…Just kidding! What I really want to know is:  Do you guys wanna go get some breakfast on Sunday morning or what???

BRAVE IRENE: WE WILL ALL EAT THE MOST BREAKFAST!

Go catch these great bands at The Vera Project on Saturday the 5th.

October 18, 2011

Win A Copy of The Beet’s New Album!

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Hardly Art is continuing it’s year long triumph of all things awesome with this brand new release from New York’s The Beets. Everyone but me has been lauding praise on this trio of stoner-garage-folk for years now, but because my brain works at a slower frequency I was unable to comprehend.  Comprehension has arrived though and with it Hardly Art’s loving offer to send off two copies of The Beets’ brand new LP Let The Poison Out to two lucky readers.

All you have to do is post your favorite beet-related dish in the comments below. Don’t know any beet related dishes?  Make one up!  Don’t know what a beet is?  I’m stunned, shocked even.

We’ll pick two winners from the comments below!

Need more drive to get your sorry ass commenting?  The new single from The Beets’ below:

The Beets – Friends of Friends

October 18, 2011

The Daily Choice: The Sandwitches – The Pearl

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The Sandwitches most recent album Mrs. Jones’ Cookies is one of the great sleepers of the year.  It graced my record player time and time again and though I liked it, I could never say I truly loved it.  In the last few weeks though since it’s slowly slid its way out of the rotation, I’ve found myself mentally going back to the album over and over again.  To say that I’m excited that local superheroes Hardly Art have decided to release a brand spanking new 7″ from this talented trio is a vast understatement. “The Pearl”, the a-side to the 7″, contains everything about The Sandwitches anyone with an ounce of discerning music taste loves about them: haunting vocals; a taste of desert-noir; the slightest hint of catchiness to help dispel a bit of the sadness inherent in so many of their songs.  It’s a lovely addition to a discography that is quickly becoming exceptional.

Pick up The Sandwitches’ “The Pearl” at Hardly Art.

The Sandwitches – The Pearl

September 28, 2011

VHS Mixtape 9.26: Spectrals, Jacuzzi Boys, Eric Sarmiento

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British haze-pop,  Miami garage-machines, strange strangeness, and the newest bid at The White Stripes throne – all broadcasted in video form.

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Spectrals – Get A Grip from Slumberland Records on Vimeo.

Spectrals first 4-track EP gently slapped me around a bit.  Bad Penny drops on Slumberland on October 25th.  It depresses me to think that someone this talented is only 21.

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Jacuzzi Boys – Automatic Jail from Hardly Art on Vimeo.

This video has a CGI dog and the description, “Butts are sniffed and windows licked.”

Jacuzzi Boys album Glazin’ is out now on Hardly Art.

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Check out the video from Eric Sarmiento after the jump.

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September 27, 2011

Win A Copy of Gem Club’s Breakers – Out Today!

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Hardly Art is having a banner year, and the release of the hauntingly beautiful Gem Club’s Breakers – out right now – is a part of that.  Sad, crisp, delicately picked to pieces by piano – the album is gorgeous in that most crystalline of ways.

The good folk at Hardly Art have given us the opportunity to give away two copies of the Breakers CD to a couple of are very, very lucky readers.  All I need you to do is drop your favorite gem stone (and why) in the comment board below, and we’ll pick a few winners and call it a day.

Don’t sleep on this album, the sadder aspects of your brain will be angry if you do.

Gem Club – Breakers

Gem Club – Twins

September 21, 2011

The Daily Choice: The Beets – Doing As I Do

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Don’t be afraid/you will not die.  And if you die/whatever.

- The Beets

Hardly Art is making some major moves in the garage/punk/thrashy experimental world right now, and the acquisition of The Beets is a big one.  The Beets have been kicking around the bigger indie labels for a while now, and I can still remember having hardly dipped a toe in to the world of garage, a naysayer telling me “they just didn’t get The Beets.”  Well naysayer, you’re fucking stupid.  ”Doing As I Do” is the kind of drone-y lo-fi folk rock I’ve been missing from my diet lately (a diet of synthy Brit-pop and dreamy shoe-gaze that has fit my sour moods).  It has the restless energy of punk but stripped of the grinding guitar and sweaty leather.  This is a bored afternoon in a park with wet grass where you switch between rolling a piece of grass between your fingers and trying not to let your elbows get wet from the afternoon ground moisture.  Maybe a friend drops by, maybe you smoke too many cigarettes, maybe you just sit there and stare up at the skyline.

The Beets third album Let The Poison Out will be out on Hardly Art October 24th.

The Beets – Doing As I Do

August 30, 2011

Win A Copy of Jacuzzi Boy’s Glazin’, Out Today!

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Hardly Art has really been dishing out the goods to old Sound on the Sound as of late, and the hit parade just keeps on marching.  Miami, Florida’s Jacuzzi Boys are releasing their second full-length album Glazin’ on Hardly Art, well, today and we couldn’t be more excited.  The first TDCed single “Cool Vapor” was a youthful summer compressed in to guitar strings and bass rolls and if the rest of the album finds its way down any of the same sun-dappled paths, then we’ve got a mid-year classic on our hands.

The fantastic folk at Hardly Art (and I do mean fantastic) have once again given the opportunity for two of our devoted readers to win a copy of the brand new album.  All you have to do is drop a line in the comment section telling us what you’re summer highlight was and we’ll suss out a few winners in the days to come.

If you don’t win, eschew the need for free stuff and pick up a copy of this amazing album right here.

Jacuzzi Boys – Cool Vapors

August 16, 2011

Win A Copy of the Brand New Gold Leaves Album Releasing This Week

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Hardly Art, quickly becoming the best indie label releasing on the West Coast these days, is releasing  The Ornament, the full-length debut of Grant Olsen’s (one-half of Arthur and Yu) Gold Leaves.  If you’ve even poked your nose in to the old Sound On The Sound beehive as of late, you’ll have seen our unabashed fervor for this beautiful album.  Lucky for us, and lucky for you the good people of Hardly Art have given us the go-ahead to giveaway two copies of the album to a couple of lucky readers.  Drop a line in the comment box giving us good reason to choose you and the album will be floated to your home on gossamer wings.

For those unlucky devotees who miss out on the giveaway, you can purchase the album from Hardly Art.

Gold Leaves – Cruel or Kind

August 8, 2011

Carissa’s Wierd is Here: So is a New 7” & Show

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Carissa’s Wierd ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

Sometimes you get what you wish, I don’t have to remember here, you’re really close this time.

Last July after a chatty one-off reunion show at The Showbox, the largest show Carissa’s Wierd had ever played, fans old & new alike wondered aloud … would there be more? Would the final song the band performed, a yet named new song, mean more from the band than the Hardly Art re-issues and retrospective?

The answer for now is at least a tentative yes with a 7” due out September 13th, the band’s first new material in seven years. (You can pre-order it now from Hardly Art. ) “Tucson” (that yet named song debuted at the Showbox) and the previously unheard “Meredith & Iris,” are as lyrically bleak and as beautiful a whisper as any songs Carissa’s Wierd have ever written.

Carissa’s Wierd – Meredith & Iris by hardlyartrecords

So we’ll never go back. Do you wish they remembered still? It could happen again.

To celebrate the release, the band will be playing Neumos on September 24th. Considering they nearly sold out the Showbox last July, you should probably buy your tickets sooner than later. There’s no word if this 7” and second show is the start of something more for Carissa’s Wierd and Hardly Art is keeping it coy, “It is too soon to say whether or not Carissa’s Wierd is “back,” but for the time being, we can certainly say that they are here.” And just to be here now with Carissa’s Wierd, even if it’s just one more time and two new songs, is pretty special.

So just to be there now, one more time with you.