HOWARD IVANS - "Red Face Boy" b/w "Pillows
Out on Spacebomb Records, Nov. 19 2013 (USA), Dec. 9 2013 (UK)
SB003
7" Vinyl

Buy: bit.ly/howardivans

In 2012, Spacebomb dropped a bottle in an ocean, a record by Matthew E. White called 'Big Inner,' the label’s inaugural work. It floated around the world and into thousands of new homes. For a small organization just starting out, it was more than just a success–it was a game changer. This fall, Spacebomb will again open its arms and gather around a man called Howard Ivans, embracing a process to produce a magic piece of round plastic. SB003, all hail the mighty 45. All hail Howard Ivans, of indie pop darlings The Rosebuds and soft rock bad boys Gayngs. Here he’s stepping out solo, bringing along two mesmerizing, gut-sticking, and monstrously sexy tracks that tear away the walls between the future and the past, sadness and happiness, light and shadow. Howard Ivans reveals himself anew, with two brilliant flashes of chromatic-eyed soul.

Side A, “Red Face Boy,” is a blistering journey through the madness and insecurity of love, feet on the floor, glossy ‘n raw. Tight Virginia funk with obvious nods to the city formerly known as Minneapolis. Side B, “Pillows,” is a honeyed dream ballad, the trademark Spacebomb sound draped in silk: ravishing strings, stinging horns, and above all, an insistent and persuasive rhythm section. This is bedroom music and party music, for the wedding and the honeymoon, music for work or play. This is the music of Spacebomb & Howard Ivans, the music of our minds.

The game may have changed, but the Spacebomb players are still the same: Pinson Chanselle and Cameron Ralston, drum and bass rhythm kings; string arrangements by Trey Pollard; and horn charts by Matthew E. White. Hear the attic studio move and shake like a well-oiled machine, making records the Spacebomb way. A perfect match for Ivans’ vision, for the man who made a song-by-song cover album of Sade’s Love Deluxe, channeling all his love for the history of satin-lined R&B into creating (and crooning) these two remarkable songs.

The 21st century has a soul-shaped void in its heart and Howard Ivans is going to fill it until the grooves run out.

Howard Ivans tour dates
Dec. 4 - Allston, MA - Great Scott *
Dec. 5 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg *
Dec. 6 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s *
Dec. 7 - Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel *
Dec. 13 - Wilmington, NC - Manna
Dec. 14 - Raleigh, NC - Kings Barcade #
Dec. 15 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter #

* w/ Matthew E. White, dosh
# w/ Matthew E. White

This December, the sound and spirit of Richmond, Virginia’s record label-that-could manifests itself live over six special evenings in six special cities. With each of these shows, Spacebomb is honored to bring you a small piece of their community, playing bedroom music and party music, work music and dance music. Inspired by the guts and showmanship of the great traveling revues of Motown, Spacebomb will showcase their community pride from the stage: both Matthew E. White and Howard Ivans will be backed by the 100-proof Virginia gentlemen of Spacebomb’s inimitable house-band. Brace yourselves for three rounds of the purest, finest Spacebomb Revue.

Hit bell no. 1 -- Tight Virginia funk and honeyed dream ballads draped in silk christen the evening from Howard Ivans, whose brilliant new 7” is the next piece of chromatic-eyed soul from the Spacebomb trust. Ring bell no. 2 -- Spacebomb extended family member dosh, Minneapolis soundscapist, percussionist, free thinker and joyful noise-generator. Strike bell no. 3 to close out the evening -- Matthew E. White, whose Big Inner has become a staggering critical success, re-pressed and re-released around the globe, brings his vision for what music can be in the 21st century—grand and essential. It takes a village to raise a child, it takes a town like Richmond, Virginia to raise the unholy groove of the dead and dying music industry. With experimentation, courage, craft, and love, they sing in the choir of their own imagination, making regional music, folk music, modern music — music brought to your ears by the Spacebomb Revue.

Publicity:
USA: Alyssa DeHayes, Team Clermont
alyssa@teamclermont.com

UK: Nathan Beazer, Dog Day Press
nathan@dogdaypress.com

Spacebomb Records:
Dean Christesen
dean@spacebombrecords.com

Red Face Boy
Howard Ivans

The Spacebomb House Band
Cameron Ralston, bass
Pinson Chanselle, drums
Matthew E. White, guitar

The Spacebomb Horns
Bob Miller, trumpet
Rob Quallich, trumpet
Marcus Tenney, trumpet
Bryan Hooten, trombone
Reginald Pace, trombone

The Spacebomb Strings
Faith Hofma, violin
Melissa Sunderland Jones, violin
Evan Setzer, cello
Stephanie Barrett, cello

with Trey Pollard on guitar and Daniel Clarke on Wurlitzer, Fun Machine, Chamberlin and Synthesizer

Horn Arrangements by Matthew E. White
Strings Arranged and Conducted by Trey Pollard

A Spacebomb Production

Mixed by Stewart Myers
Mastered by Gene Paul at G&J Audio
Engineered by Trey Pollard at Spacebomb Studios and Songwire Studios

Photography by Ryan Patterson
Design by Joel Speasmaker and Travis Robertson

Howard Ivans - "Pillows"

Grandma Sparrow & his Piddletractor Orchestra (SB004), out May 20, 2014 on Spacebomb Records
Pre-order (CD / LP): http://bit.ly/grandmasparrow

Grandma Sparrow & his Piddletractor Orchestra is a psychedelic children’s song-cycle for adults that reveals Joe Westerlund’s fascination with collage, improvisation, humor, and the convergence of atonal and popular melodies. It’s the kind of project that is rarely dreamed up these days, rarer still to be executed with such skill, bravado and glee (complete with an amateur youth choir). An over-the-top, richly realized musical vision from an over-the-top musical visionary, Westerlund (Megafaun, Gayngs, Califone) takes the listener on a wild ride of audio collage, drifts of radio static, and orchestrated grooves–the Beach Boys and Charles Ives wandering through Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. It’s another bold production from Spacebomb Records, ever dedicated to the redefinition of what a record can be in the 21st century.

TOUR DATES
May 1 - Washington, DC @ DC9 *
May 2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right *
May 16 – Richmond, VA @ Coalition Theater %
May 17 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook ^
May 18 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook (Sunday Brunch) ^

* w/ Megafaun
% w/ Improv comedy by Pigeon
^ w/ Alexandra Sauser-Monnig (of Mountain Man)

READ MORE about Grandma Sparrow: http://spacebombrecords.com/artists/grandma-sparrow
PRE-ORDER the album: http://bit.ly/grandmasparrow

LYRICS
It's time to go now, Alewishus
It is time to wash for dinner
You had such a funny day
playing with your Grandma Sparrow
and the friends from Piddle Tractor:
Squirnkey, Scrimpa, Pigsmilk Candycane

Little Prince Clown
Piddle Gown laughing at the Goon-mick ring yif
Par-rah la-le be-shawn
Just sing along

It's time to go now, Alewishus
It is time to wash for dinner

Please stop fussing
Please stop kicking
If you donʼt stop, I will slap you

On the bottom, thatʼs enough now
Seriously stop this minute!

Grandma Sparrow - The Farewell Bolero

Grandma Sparrow & his Piddletractor Orchestra (SB004), out May 20, 2014 on Spacebomb Records
Pre-order (CD / LP): bit.ly/grandmasparrow

Grandma Sparrow & his Piddletractor Orchestra is a psychedelic children’s song-cycle for adults that reveals Joe Westerlund’s fascination with collage, improvisation, humor, and the convergence of atonal and popular melodies. It’s the kind of project that is rarely dreamed up these days, rarer still to be executed with such skill, bravado and glee (complete with an amateur youth choir). An over-the-top, richly realized musical vision from an over-the-top musical visionary, Westerlund (Megafaun, Gayngs, Califone) takes the listener on a wild ride of audio collage, drifts of radio static, and orchestrated grooves–the Beach Boys and Charles Ives wandering through Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. It’s another bold production from Spacebomb Records, ever dedicated to the redefinition of what a record can be in the 21st century.

TOUR DATES
May 1 - Washington, DC @ DC9 *
May 2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right *
May 16 – Richmond, VA @ Coalition Theater %
May 17 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook ^
May 18 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook (Sunday Brunch) ^

* w/ Megafaun
% w/ Improv comedy by Pigeon
^ w/ Alexandra Sauser-Monnig (of Mountain Man)

READ MORE about Grandma Sparrow: spacebombrecords.com/artists/grandma-sparrow
PRE-ORDER the album: bit.ly/grandmasparrow

LYRICS
Oh no! Look out! Itʼs Tristan Wimbley!

This is my wheelhouse, this is your skull
Diamonds and tapestries, aligning the wall
Twelve silver dollars, your pocket is full 
Donʼt ever mind when I feed you with wool

This is my wheelhouse, this is your skull!
You are a munky, my little troll!
A Diaper-rash-putin, the puffin is dull
The song that we sing is the one your neighbor brings

Tip-toe past the Oryoman... Tip!

Grandma Sparrow - This Is My Wheelhouse

Grandma Sparrow
Grandma Sparrow & his Piddletractor Orchestra (SB004)
Out May 20, 2014 on Spacebomb Records
Pre-order (CD / LP): bit.ly/grandmasparrow
iTunes: bit.ly/grandmasparrow-itunes

Grandma Sparrow & his Piddletractor Orchestra is a psychedelic children’s song-cycle for adults that reveals Joe Westerlund’s fascination with collage, improvisation, humor, and the convergence of atonal and popular melodies. It’s the kind of project that is rarely dreamed up these days, rarer still to be executed with such skill, bravado and glee (complete with an amateur youth choir). An over-the-top, richly realized musical vision from an over-the-top musical visionary, Westerlund (Megafaun, Gayngs, Califone) takes the listener on a wild ride of audio collage, drifts of radio static, and orchestrated grooves–the Beach Boys and Charles Ives wandering through Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. It’s another bold production from Spacebomb Records, ever dedicated to the redefinition of what a record can be in the 21st century.

www.grandmasparrow.com
spacebombrecords.com/artists/grandma-sparrow

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