The Lovely Hearts Club is celebrating its first ever party this year at SXSW for its 6-month anniversary.  Showcasing over 30 new bands (and a comedian!) from across the universe, our aim is to bring you the NEW new and put these more than deserving bands in front of the eyes and ears of industry and fans alike.   The Lovely Hearts Club will be setting up a two-day camp (FREE w/ RSVP) at the lovely Uncorked Wine Bar (900 East 7th St) on Thursday, March 17th and Friday, March 18th from 2-10pm.

Our partners at ThingLink and Moniker Guitars have also provided for you the chance to win a FREE custom Moniker-brand guitar, a FREE  swimming pool (for the second year running!), and packages of FREE music goodies.  Vitamin Water will also be there with giving away FREE beverages to keep you hydrated throughout the party!  It’s a SXSW Free-for-all!

RSVP and visit the link below to enter and guarantee your entry as well as find the full schedule!

THURSDAY, MARCH 17

2:00 – The Seedy Seeds

2:30 – Rich Aucoin

3:00 – Deer Bear

3:30 – Campfire OK

4:00 – The Loom

4:30 – Chris Betts (comedian)

5:00 – Little Tybee

5:30 – Strand Of Oaks

6:00 – Alcoholic Faith Mission

6:30 – Cody

7:00 – Alyson Greenfield

7:30 – Tea Cozies

8:00 – Midtown Dickens

8:30 – Black Whales

9:00 – CALLmeKAT

9:30 – The Sour Notes

FRIDAY, MARCH 18

2:00 – Golden Ages

2:30 – Diamond Center

3:00 – Little Red

3:30 – Freedom Or Death

4:00 – Little Tybee

4:30 – Laura Stevenson And The Cans

5:00 – Bear Driver

5:30 – Letting Up Despite Great Faults

6:00 – Xylos

6:30 – Shad

7:00 – Chris Betts (comedian)

7:30 – Panic Bomber

8:00 – Team Genius

8:30 – Midwest Dilemma

9:00 – The Smiles

9:30 – Viva City

CALLmeKat -  Bug In A Web (LHC SXSW showcasing band)

The Loom - Song For The Winter Sun (LHC SXSW Showcasing Band)

As heard on the Season Finale of MTV Skins (Season 1, Episode 10). 

Check out the episode here: http://www.mtv.com/shows/skins/episode.jhtml?episodeID=174432

“Little Tybee is a group that is really hard to put your finger on stylistically, and that’s the way we like it.” - FILTER

“I can already go ahead and tell you that it will be one of the best records to come out of Atlanta this year. The song-writing is focused, their technical prowess is flawless, and the sound is timeless yet distinct.” - Ohmpark

“The group, under the direction of mastermind Brock Scott, has become one of Atlanta’s favorite sons by creating pure, orchestral pop with sparkling string arrangements and artful sensibility.” - Creative Loafing

“Little Tybee is something of a mini orchestra with its ever-evolving five to ten members all engaged in intricate musicianship. Their name comes from a tiny island off the coast of their native Georgia, where legend has it, an undetonated atomic bomb from the 1950s lies missing. They jokingly attribute the quirkiness of their debut album Building a Bomb to the long-term effects of eating radiation-drenched seafood, but it’s more likely they were just born that way” -Lavinia Jones Wright, ASCAP

One might think from their humble beginnings in the backwaters and basements of coastal Georgia to their headlining shows at some of Atlanta’s most well known independent venues that the members of Little Tybee were the harbingers of some secret formula for artistic success.  In reality, they are simply a group of friends who couldn’t stop making music together if they tried.

The core of each of their songs begins in the relentless and creative mind of vocalist/guitarist/pianist Brock Scott.  The songs mature through the dedicated musicianship of 8-string guitarist Josh Martin, violinist Nirvana Kelly, bassist Ryan Donald, and percussionist Pat Brooks. Since the release of their first LP last year, they have discovered that change is not only inevitable, but indeed good.

Though Little Tybee has had its fair share of challenges along the way, the group has discovered that the path to musical success lies in patience and perseverance.  Little Tybee isn’t afraid to experiment freely, even dangerously at times, to follow a musical idea to its ultimate end. This mentality has led the group to explore music that transcends genre and packs a much bigger punch than their modest title implies.

While DIY in nature, Little Tybee collaborated with over 14 Atlanta instrumentalists to produce their latest album, Humorous to Bees. With this release, Little Tybee has proven that they are just as adept at writing lilting pop ballads and sprawling orchestral melodies as they are with Motown and Tropicalia. At last, Little Tybee has found their unique voice, and they are blasting their sound with little care for the neighbors.

Humorous To Bees

Holding Stones

Little Tybee - Holding Stones

Music and lyrics by Haleh Liza 

'Settle In' is the entrancing new single by Brooklyn-based artist Haleh Liza featuring playful and moving lyrics, sparkling electric guitar lines, warm vocals, and a thumping bass drum.  There is an intimacy and a mystical quality to the song as if she's both whispering in the audience's ears and sending listeners comfortably floating through space.  

In late August of 2014, a couple of people from the Brooklyn-based company INDMusic invited Haleh Liza to perform a tune as part of their Great Outdoors Series with Daily Motion. While sitting around a campfire under the moon, they filmed her playing 'Settle In' and it seemed clear to everyone present that they had just heard a magical new song.  That very night she was offered a record deal with the boutique label Paper Garden Records and agreed the following week to release a series of singles that had been glowing in her pockets for years.  'Settle In' is the first of these luminous folk tunes.

////

When the moon sails down the black river of the sky
and docks one pier's length above your town
please don't resist

When the moon unfurls her staircase 
like the long, bleached tongue of a dragon
please go ahead and climb

Cause life wants to see you whole again
the rain wants to taste your skin
the sky wants to fill your eyes
stillness wants to touch your mind
so please don't resist

The moon will seep into your skin 
till you glow like her above the night
please let it be

Cause life wants to see you whole again
the rain wants to taste your skin
the sky wants to fill your eyes
stillness wants to know your mind
your body wants to feel at ease
your blood wants you to breathe
so please settle in

\\\\

Buy on iTunes

Haleh Liza - Settle In

The City And Horses - I Don't Want To Make You Sad

The City And Horses - Wedding Rings

A foot-tapping break-up song for the broken hearted optimists
Released in association with The International OCD Foundation

The City And Horses - 1996

Sweater Aesthetic is a deeply personal, low-tempo folk-pop song by John Greska. The sweater we use to protect ourselves from the world can be interpreted in many different ways: The false emotions we display so people can’t see the real us; our parents, who we only use until we don’t need them anymore; and perhaps even just a plain old sweater, that protects us from the wind and storm. Inspired by artists like Simon and
Garfunkel, this piece tells a story that’s yours and yours alone.

This release is in tandem with Paper Garden Records "Digs" program and is raising money for The Trevor Project, a great LGBTQ+ charity. If you'd like to donate you can use this link give.thetrevorproject.org/fundraiser/5895184

Sweater Aesthetic - Single

John Greska - Sweater Aesthetic - John Greska

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/thecityandhorses

Twitter - http://twitter.com/cityandhorses

Website:  http://www.thecityandhorses.com/

“The singer-songwriter behind the City and Horses refers to himself merely as Marc, hinting at the breezy informality of his indie-pop tunes. Unassuming as it might seem, though, the Brooklyn outfit’s debut, I Don’t Want to Dream, is both wise and disarmingly wistful.” – TIME OUT NEW YORK 

“The City and Horses is singularly-named Brooklyn songwriter Marc, whose aching, strummy indie-pop could be described by a lesser ear as twee. Not us, Marc! We prefer to focus on the literary bent, the folksy thrust, the chamber strains. His sound may be sweet, but it’s not precious by a mile.” – RCRDLBL.com
Huh?

The City and Horses will never be discovered.  While it may be the title track and name of their new album, “We Will Never Be Discovered”, it also represents something bigger than that for the act.  Preferring the shade of obscurity, The City and Horses, led by a disheveled children’s television producer named Marc, take comfort in being a hidden musical gem.  Aurally, they could be classified as some combination of lo-fi indie-folk pop.   Introspectively, they are magnificent, breathtaking, wonderful, mind-blowing and a little bit peculiar.

Originally from NYC, the band received much acclaim on their debut album I Don’t Want to Dream, including reviews from Time Out New York, The Big Takeover and a wide variety of blogs including RCRDLBL, Stereo Killer, and many more. They have been compared to Teenage Fanclub, Jonathan Richman, The Velvet Underground and Orange Juice. Yet, their appeal is quite simple — they make jangly, well-crafted pop songs with quirky, intelligent lyrics and quickly hummable hooks.  And that’s that.

Yet, unlike other contemporary indie bands, The City and Horses hope to remain in the shadows behind their meaningful and melodic tunes.  In this spirit, the band would rather hide away in Thai restaurants regretting the wild nights they’ve never had than play shows.  While their image remains behind the scenes, their clandestine spirit has tantalized listeners and led to random friendships with Donnie Wahlberg, Charlyne Yi and Man Man.  Their presence online even garnered them placements in the indie film “Paper Heart” and in an advertisement for the Jessica Simpson Collection.  Look out for more of The City and Horses soon, including their new album, “We Will Never Be Discovered,” on Paper Garden Records and an upcoming music video extravaganza by French pop artists, le contremaître et sa contremaîtresse.

We Will Never Be Discovered

The City and Horses - We Will Never Be Discovered

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dad-Rocks/323716390096

Twitter – Twitter.com/dadrocks1

Website – Dadrocks.co.uk

Icelandic musician Snævar Njáll Albertsson is the mastermind behind Dad Rocks!, the solo project of the singer who initially rose to prominence with the Danish band Mimas. Dad Rocks!, however, is quite different: the guitar here is mostly acoustic and is accompanied by piano, trumpet, violin, viola, handclaps and much more. As Dad Rocks!, Albertsson is inspired by acts such as Bill Callahan, Owen, Why?, Akron/Family and Do Make Say Think. This has led to a sound that is a unique mix of folk, pop and lo-fi with complex guitar-work and anthem-like arrangements.

Snævar Njáll Albertsson’s primary sources of inspiration, however, are the relations closest to him. Most of all his little daughter who also inspired the name Dad Rocks!, naturally a pun on the ’dad rock’ genre. The use of pathos and irony is something that is explored throughout his work. Lyrically, this is also a central aspect with subjects both big and small. Sometimes delivered almost cynically but with words that are close to naïvism. Underneath this, the irony lurks at every corner, and even the title of the debut EP, “Digital Age”, explores this dynamic.

Whilst the EP was recorded in a lo-fi setting on an analogue tape recorder, Albertsson had another vision for the forthcoming debut full-length, Mount Modern, and went for a different aesthetic that allowed the instruments to stand out clearer to bring out every single melody carried out on the many instruments played on the album. For this task he enlisted Icelandic super producer Addi 800 (Blur, Björk) to mix the album and Tom Mcfall (REM, Stars, Regina Spektor, Bloc Party) to do the mastering.

Mount Modern

Weapons

Dad Rocks! - Weapons (featuring Charles Spearin of Broken Social Scene)

Lovely Hearts Club presents Belgrave CMJ Live at The Living Room

Philadelphia Slick -  'Everything Must Go'

Our friends over at INDIGENOUS are due major kudos for this Lovely Hearts Club addition. Ryan Karazija is the man behind Low Roar, who just released his debut, self-titled album this November. What perfect timing of this release, as it's so nice to have something a bit sad to put in the headphones on these cold, short days of winter. Ryan moved from San Francisco to Iceland and began writing this album as he found himself in a state of loneliness struggling to provide for his family in a foreign land. Anyone who as ever picked up and left a stable life in hopes of finding something new/better/different or just to escape from their past knows this feeling of despair, fear of the unknown, and hope of what's to come.

The brand spanking new video for "Give Up", (recently premiered via Prefix) depicts this image of self-reflection so beautifully and raw that it might just bring a tear to your eye. It's nice to be reminded that we are capable of feeling the melancholy brought on by Low Roar, and for that we are thankful.  So take a seat or lay down in your room with the lights dimmed and stream "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight". Then head to iTunes and pick up the whole album, you won't regret it!

Lovely Hearts Club Presents: Low Roar - Tonight, Tonight, Tonight

First single from the album, 'Daffy's Elixir', released on Paper Garden Records, April 24th, 2012

http://www.facebook.com/bryanscary
http://www.papergardenrecords.com/bands/records/bryan-scary

Bryan Scary tells fantastic tales. His art-pop songs may paint him as a schizophrenic musical oddball, but the eccentricities are hardly frivolous. They stem from a carefully tailored vision, an ambitious and well-honed mutation of the rock and roll storytelling tradition. Bryan Scary is himself a story years in the making.

Bryan Scary, the NYU Film Student:
At film school, disillusioned by camera-folk, Scary (then Bryan Treitler) recorded his first album, THE SHREDDING TEARS. Much like some other indie favorites (Sufjan Stevens, Beirut, etc.), Scary played every instrument on his debut. He won over L.A. label Black & Green Records and the album was released on Halloween of 2006. To support the record, Scary put together a touring band – ALSO called The Shredding Tears – a confusing predicament which the songwriter has recently remedied with a scalpel (he’s just Bryan Scary now).

Bryan Scary, Prog-Pop Storyteller:
Scary and his band developed a glammy theatrical stage show that quickly drew a large word-of-mouth following. Narrative songs were given glittering visual representation, complete with oddball costumes and set pieces, with everything filtered through Scary’s darkly comedic and maniacal stage persona. Scary managed to create a world . It was not just a concert, but a show in the old-fashioned sense of the word – a spectacle for the haters at the back of the bar. The band drew comparisons to Queen, ELO, Sparks, and Of Montreal, among other artists unafraid to court the dramatic. After some heavy touring, Scary returned to the studio and crafted FLIGHT OF THE KNIFE (2008), the first album to feature his touring ensemble. It was a conceptual work inspired in-part by Thomas Pynchon’s epic novel “Against The Day,” with nearly every song delineating a tale of flight, airships, or the wild blue yonder. The record got heady with interwoven themes of innocence lost and the uses of enchantment. It opened with a magical fairy-tale and closed with a cynical commentary on that same fairy tale. Fanciful, poppy and psychedelic (albeit with a glamorous 70′s bend), the material on FLIGHT OF THE KNIFE was built around ADD-inflicted arrangements and liberal genre-playing, as the band careened from jazz to funk to classical to country to music-hall….

Bryan Scary, the Ever-Resilient Star:
FLIGHT OF THE KNIFE led to two years of touring. Critical acclaim poured in -  the album received praise from Pitchfork, SPIN, Rolling Stone, MTV and other delectable periodicals. It was the “Editor’s Pick” on iTunes and managed to peak at #6 in their Rock Albums section. Then came the bad news. Mid-tour in L.A., while preparing to record an EP for Elijah Woods’ Simian Record, the band’s van and trailer was stolen…along with all of their gear! Tour derailed. Goodbye original Moog synthesizers and sparkling 60s Slingerland kit. Cry us a river. But Bryan Scary is both a pragmatist and an optimist. Yes, the band was stuck in L.A., but the quarantine allowed them ample time to finish up the 5 track EP for Simian. Most of that EP was produced by thenewno2 member Jonathan Sadoff. Later, Scary added a 6th track produced with Bryce Goggin (Apples in Stereo, Pavement). The completed MAD VALENTINES EP was released in late 2009.

Bryan Scary, Man of the Theater:
During the L.A. days, Scary and then manager Dave Zonshine began work developing a political-themed rock opera with Interscope. This sparked for the songwriter a new-found focus on musical theater song-craft, an influence always essential to his work. Scary is now also developing an ARCHIE comics musical for Playing Pretend Productions, and he is a member of BMI’s Lehman Engel workshop. He writes and records film/television music with composer Giulio Carmassi (the duo recently started a music production house called SCARY CAR).

Bryan Scary, the Visioneer:
Scary’s newest album DAFFY’S ELIXIR, 2 years in the making, will be released on Paper Garden Records in April 2012. To fund the record, Scary launched a successful Kickstarter campaign, raising over $16,000 in fan donations (and that during the earliest epoch of the now established website). The album was recorded throughout 2010 in a variety of studios with a revolving door of engineers and instrumentalists. The completed DAFFY’S ELIXIR is an epic double album featuring cons, quacks, cow-gal robots, spurned lovers, villains and bandits, all set in the Old West. Euro-centric art-pop meets Spaghetti-Westernisms and old-timey yarn spinning, a unique stew congealed by Scary’s most ambitious musical arrangements yet. With an expanded 9 piece lineup, and a boatload of fresh material, the new and improved Bryan Scary will be crashing into living rooms and stealing eardrums throughout 2012 (and beyond).

The Wicked Frontier

Ziegfield Station

Bryan Scary - Ziegfield Station

Whhaaamm! Bam!  Kapow! To the Batcave!  In Basement Batman's case, their 'Batcave' is their basement studio in Bushwick where the band has just completed their debut album, 'Season 1'.  Basement Batman is doing things a bit different than most, bringing you 'Season 1' in 4 different episodes over the coming months.  These aren't some crime show CSI episodes, though...they're more along the lines of Breaking Bad - showing you the extreme diversity of the band and its influences with each episode.  With musical influences ranging from The Beatles to Kanye, drums from Hip Hop's golden-age, and their parents' disco records you can really see what Basement Batman is all about.

Basement Batman - On A Streak

Fierce Creatures - Satan Is a Vampire

Fierce Creatures emerged from the scorching Fresno, CA summer of 2009. Abandoning past musical undertakings that never seemed to fit quite right, the band came together to build a fresh identity, free of limitations, focused on the joy of undiluted music. They drew inspiration from the melodic heritage of classic rock and pop, as well as the grandeur and spirit of its inventive successors. By reinterpreting musical conventions and pursuing a song wherever it leads, Fierce Creatures has created something new and altogether enchanting.

Guitar and keys drive the songs, but don’t restrict them. Mandolin, harmonica, and bells accentuate the sound, with chanting choruses and a miscellany of percussion. The product is a cultivated art-pop that fluctuates from delicate anthems to soaring ballads. Fierce Creatures’ self-produced, self-released debut EP, I Mostri Feroci, arrived in July 2010. They will be releasing their first full-length album, Catacomb Party, on August 7th, 2012 via Paper Garden Records.

Fierce Creatures is Mike Adame, Mathr Collom, Tomas Galvan, Joel Melton, Jon Rulloda, Nathaniel Stiers, and Amanda Valdez.

Fierce Creatures - Catacomb Party

The Due Diligence - How It S Gonna

The Due Diligence - Lonesome Slim

Ever since October of 2011 we have been blasting I Can Chase Dragons! at high volumes in the PGR office. Our fascination started with the release of the single "Diving For Sunken Treasures" and it snowballed from there. Maybe it was the catchy whistling in this debut track that put our ears on the edge of their seats, eagerly waiting each new release. So it is our pleasure to bring to you yet another amazing new track "Republique."

ICCD! is the solo project of Julio Gudiño, lead singer of Mexico City's biggest indie band, The Plastics Revolution. We stumbled upon these guys in the middle of a sidewalk jam session at Barton Springs as SXSW 2011 came to an end. Julio led the band for hours but the crowd would not let them stop, even to the point of them having to play some songs twice. He is no stranger to being the frontman of a band and is now pushing his musical limits to the electronic dream pop side of the spectrum. Drawing influences from Panda Bear and El Guincho as he loops electric textures combining organic and synthesized sounds with lyrics in English and Spanish.

He is currently going to school in Boston and polishing up his live set to include a drummer, bassist and visuals that will blow your mind so be on the lookout for East Coast tour dates in the very near future. He also started a Mexican indie label, Dos Pelícanos, and their first act of awesomeness was to release the I Can Chase Dragons! debut album "Expansión" in January. You can purchase it for just $7.92 on iTunes or name your price on Bandcamp.

I Can Chase Dragons! - Republique

“'Woolgatherer' is a great summertime track, blending up-and-down harmonies with punchy percussion as well as scorching sunshine and afternoon thunderstorms. The vocals remind me of Brooklyn’s ARMS and the snap-crackle percussion/harmony tango of juvenile Animal Collective. Can’t wait to see these guys live, snag some vinyl til then." - I GUESS I'M FLOATING

PURCHASE CONVEYOR's DEBUT ALBUM ON 12" COLORED VINYL OR CD HERE: http://www.papergardenrecords.com/shop/conveyor

Conveyor is a Brooklyn-based music project spawned by the fated juncture of a wandering tarot of musicians in Gainesville, FL. Was it kismet or perhaps a primordial summon which led these gentlemen purveyors of sound to individually tune in and migrate North to the bustling seductress known as New York City? Their retort is Sun Ray, a debut EP birthed and released in the warm embrace of Spring 2011. Brimming with lucid, homey synths layered over acoustic guitars and harmonious vocals, they channel extraterrestrial bible-thumpers drenched in love, spouting acid-soaked pop unabashed to beam with the simultaneous embrace of life/death realities backed by a polyrhythmic, pulsing backdrop. A decidedly grand task indeed, and following a string of self-released, handmade EPs, they are releasing their debut full-length album in 2012 with Brooklyn’s Paper Garden Records, a testament to our nature and the nature of ourselves.

Woolgatherer

iTunes

Conveyor - Woolgatherer

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/TeamGenius

Twitter -http://twitter.com/teamgeniusband

“Team Genius sure does have the feel of a team. It often sounds as though all eight members of the local coed indie-pop group are singing at once, yielding a potent critical-mass effect.” - Time Out New York

“Bubbly Pop Tarts” – The L Magazine

LOUD SONGS

The Noisy Peak: Drew, Chad, Erin, Emma, Chris, Rebekah, and Scottie D.- don’t they sound like names you want to be friends with? Maybe they’re your friends already? They’ve gone around the block a few times now and know how to do it hard. Tonight everything is more than alright, everything is stupendous, it is time to get loud, time for double time, I mean you need to jump up and down and remember that everything is madness and deserves to be shouted out about in the form of yips, wah-ohs, woos, and oh OH you should blow really excited high notes on a harmonica because it feels as good as it sounds! Just do it, who the hell cares?!!

Team Genius - Ca Plane Pour Moi

Little Tybee's 3rd album, "For Distant Viewing", released on Paper Garden Records on April 9, 2013. Pre-order it now at http://ow.ly/hp4A2 

"See the band, whose namesake is an island off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. Their third record, "For Distant Viewing" is finally finished, and the same exuberance it captures is palpable tonight, onstage in Atlanta. Five guys and one girl, home at last after many months on the road. You notice the front man first, strumming his scratched and battered acoustic guitar, grinning a little as he sings. Then the violinist, lone female, her eyes closed, so obviously in love. And the lead guitarist, watching his own fingers tap-dancing upon the fretboard of his eight-stringed instrument as if he'd just set them loose to see what they might do. The keyboard player strikes you as the quiet type, head bobbing as he waits, listens--but his contribution, when it comes, reveals wisdom, a phrase so well-chosen you're instantly aching for the next. And finally, the rhythm section, bass and drums engaged in some kind of telepathic chess game they'll both win so long as they continue interpreting and anticipating one another's moves. A band in full command now of a sound that amalgamates jazz-like virtuosity, symphonic scope, and hook-laden folk into something focussed and distinctly original. A band that, after four years together, seems to have achieved that rare level of cohesion so as to make each member seem equally imperative to, and inseparable from, the music they create. As if, in fact, they are a family, bound not by blood so much as pure devotion. See them in Atlanta, their current home, or in Savannah, their old one, or anywhere else, for they have performed all over the country. See them awash in California sunlight, or shrouded in the mist of the Seattle Mountains. Hear their sounds filling the silences of the Texas desert, or rendering the big-city cacophony into more enjoyable forms of grandeur."
-Alex McWalters

For Distant Viewing

Little Tybee - For Distant Viewing

Little Tybee's 3rd album, "For Distant Viewing", released on Paper Garden Records on April 9, 2013

Hearing Blue

Little Tybee - Hearing Blue

Left Right

Little Tybee - Left Right

Everything Happens for the First Time

Eli Mardock - Everything Happens for the First Time

"Strange Range is my attempt to explain why I've been acting strange over the last few years.  So it's pretty personal, I guess.  Though, for anyone who's a little off sometimes or knows someone who's a little off sometimes, the album might be be meaningful." - Marc Cantone

We are proud to announce that The City and Horses will release their new album, Strange Range, via Paper Garden Records on June 18th!  The quirky indie-pop charm that came with We Will Never Be Discovered rings through the new album and exposes new layers of shoegaze, dance and even R&B while offering a glimpse into the personality and persona behind the project, singer/songwriter and awkwardly lovable Marc Cantone

While the album may not be out till June 18th, that doesn’t mean you can’t go ahead and put your order in now! Pre-Order your album NOW and you will get a hand-signed note from Marc himself!

Strange Range is the third album recorded by The City and Horses at The Bunker Studio in Williamsburg (Black Keys, the Roots, Dangermouse, Tuneyards).  The album was recorded and mixed by Bunker co-owner Aaron Nevezie and produced by Aaron and Chuck Palmer.  It was mastered by Scott Hull at Masterdisk.

Marc initially tracked with Dave Downham at Gradwell House Recording in Haddon Heights, NJ to structure the songs and decide which tracks would make the cut. He then brought the tracks up to the Bunker where Aaron, Chuck, a host of TCAH regulars like Domenica Fossati (flute) and Nikki D'Agostino (sax) and Marc spent many long weekends building the songs.  

Marc wrote the first single, "17", with GarageBand on his iPhone and used much of the what he recorded in the final version.  He also plugged his iPhone directly into the console and used it as an instrument on a number of tracks.  

After mentioning his iPhone, Marc shakes his head and says, "Man, describing our recording sessions is boring.  Besides ordering lunch from a different restaurant each day, there's nothing all that interesting about the sessions.  No drugs or sex or anything.  One time, though, three cute French exchange students were locked outside of their apartment and hung out with us in the studio.  We gave them CDs and stuff.  But they never emailed or liked us on Facebook."

The band will also appear for the first time in their own music videos.  Previously their videos have featured the French performance art duo le contremaître et sa contremaîtresse (http://www.toutcontre.com), quirky animated characters and re-edits of obscure Danish rock videos.

Comfort

Earthquake Weather

The City and Horses - '17'

Follow the band on twitter @FRDMRDTH

n the 1820's during the Greek War of Independence "Freedom or Death" became the war cry for the people of Greece. Their passion, belief and desires were so strong, that they accepted no substitute. The Toronto based duo adopted that name, as it’s their mantra when it comes to their music. “We want to have the freedom to make the music and the artistic choices that we want. If we can’t have that freedom, we’d rather not put anything out, which is the death of our art” says Fernandez, one half of the production and song writing unit. Freedom Or Death’s sound is based in everything, acoustic folk, electronica, traditional rock, hip-hop rhythms yet always rooted in lyrics with substance. “We didn’t want to get caged into any kind of pigeonhole,” Sway says. “That’s our freedom, to make the music however it comes out. We have two different sensibilities to making music that clash, but it’s how we actually reconcile them that’s interesting.”

With the release of their self titled EP, they’re creating and making music their way. The two of them met while working at a major record label and have a solid understanding of how the music industry works. “We know what sold, we know how to make it, but we decided not to make it. We created an artist record”, Sway says. “We decided we wanted to make music that we would like to listen to, regardless if it gets played on the radio or not.” Within three months of writing they had come up with an album’s worth of material and in true fashion, Freedom Or Death assumed all creative control; every song was written, produced, recorded and performed by the duo. Yet while they have proven they’re self contained there is a strong desire to work with like-minded artists. “We are more interested in working with a collective of artists, rather than being a silo unto ourselves,” Fernandez says. “Our artwork is being done by artists that inspire us, our videos are being shot by directors
that we want to work with.”

Fernandez was classically trained as a pianist and has been a DJ for over a decade, while Sway has been a
driving force as a vocalist and songwriter behind various bands, musically Freedom Or Death’s sound is
eclectic, yet their approach to lyrics is clear. “We posed the question, are we going to write lyrics that resonate
with a mass amount of people or are we going to write music from our heart?” Sway asks. “We decided to write things that had a truth to it. The lyrics are a really huge part, they’re not always the last part, but for me if there’s no lyrics for a song, the song stops.”

With a strong and steady creative process, stopping is the last point on Freedom Or Death’s agenda, they plan on touring, as well as another EP in the near future. As long as the band’s ideals of their art come first and commerce taking a back seat hold true, they will continue to make the music they want to make for as long as they desire. 

Lovely Hearts Club presents: Freedom Or Death - Sober (Pink Cover)

Taken from ARMS' aptly named "EP2" out September, 2013 on 12" vinyl + digital. Released on Paper Garden Records.

"I was exhausted," says Todd Goldstein, reflecting on the years since the release of his band ARMS' lush, ambitious 2011 album, Summer Skills. "I put everything I had into that album—creatively, emotionally—I had nothing left in me." After spending his mid-20s playing guitar in New York's much-loved Harlem Shakes and the ensuing years crafting two albums and an EP as ARMS, Todd took a sharp turn away from music. He went back to school to study design; he spent long afternoons throwing down in the kitchen; he looked elsewhere to find his creative kicks. Eventually though, he remembered why he can't help but write songs. ARMS' EP2 is the proof.

The product of a long, slow collaboration with drummer Tlacael Esparza, EP2 feels both urgent and relaxed, its five home-recorded pop songs projecting a lived-in looseness without sacrificing an ounce of tension. "Comfort," the EP's opening track, seems at first to be about music—or a girl. But, unlike most love songs that pull this double duty, the message of "Comfort" is unexpected: Neither one is a prescription for the ailments of real life. "Sleepwalker" plays like an insomniac's wake-up call, dressing a careening rhythm in melancholic guitar figures and peals of glowing distortion, while "Up & Up" is the late-night ripper, an album closing comedown that refuses to land. EP2 is the sound of a kid with a worried mind—a frequent character in Todd's musical universe—learning to let go at last. It only seems right that ARMS' leanest, most immediate record would finally arrive after leaving it all behind.

ARMS is Todd Goldstein and Tlacael Esparza. ARMS has shared the stage with Passion Pit, Walkmen, Beach House, White Rabbits, The Long Winters, A Place to Bury Strangers, Japandroids, Hospitality, Caveman, Asobi Seksu, and more.

https://soundcloud.com/armsongs

Label / Press: hgreenwood@papergardenrecords.com 
Booking: toddiangoldstein@gmail.com

Buy the VINYL, CD, MP3

ARMS - Comfort

Jellyfish" is a song that belongs on cassette, in a boombox, next to an occupied beach towel. In it, Dinner Set Gang embraces maximalism, combining bubbly pop melodies with lush layers of vocals. This juxtaposes the lyrics -- in Brian Wilson fashion -- which comment on escapism and the harmful consequences of avoiding unpleasant realities. In the words of Casey O'Brien, "It’s like being in warm ocean water with the person you love most in the world and still thinking about your car payment. A shadow around the light. It’s like spending your workday drafting your two-week notice but then coming home to a yellow dog who pisses on your shoes out of sheer joy. A sparkle in the darkness.

A special Paper Garden Digs collaboration w/ Company Brewing & Dinner Set Gang.

Head to https://www.papergardenrecords.com/digs1dinnersetgang for the full campaign & more info!

Listen to the 'Jellyfish' track at https://dinnersetgangjellyfish.bandcamp.com/

Shop for Company Brewing's 'Gang's All Here' beer @ https://www.toasttab.com/company-brewing/v3/add/7a65eba4-ef0b-49bf-b6d9-499a179dd32f/8fd105a8-5f9e-4962-933a-42f1322ad24b 

Donate to Pathfinders charity @ https://www.pathfindersmke.org/donate/

Jellyfish

Dinner Set Gang - Jellyfish

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