I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START, EXCEPT TO SAY THANK YOU.

BOAT, Black Whales, Typhoon, Ritchie Young, Nathan Walker, Kat Gardiner, Dave Depper, Alicia Rose, Jeremy Hadley, Mississippi Studios staff, Lagunitas Brewery, people of PDX who went to Mississippi Studios last night, and the lady at Kinko's who helped me with the enlarger, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for making Holidang! sucha fucking crazy success. Not only was the house packed, not only did all the bands blow peoples' minds and get to all hang out, not only did the Riot Act DJ Wrecking Crew make asses oscillate, but upon emptying the donation boxes this morning, I learned the amazing news that right now, we get to to to the bank and cut the National MS Society a cashier's check for $495.61!!!!

The house was packed (making it a little tougher to get to those donation boxes), and times are tough, so truly and honestly, our minds are blown over here. Also, a quick story about Black Whales: at the end of the night, they said, "We don't need fucking gas money! Fuck you!" and stuffed bills, with great vigor, into the donation till. I mean, holy shit. Both they and BOAT (who were, in an act of Riot Act universe big-uppageing, sporting some Screaming Females shirt action) drove down from Seattle for the show--Ritchie Young, who also runs amazing PDX venue The Woods, had to go, you know, run his venue right after the set. And Typhoon, as many of them are underage, had to go hang out at the pizza shop next door for hours waiting to play, then they had to split afterwards, too (liquor laws must be followed, so they were). These are not small sacrifices.

SO--THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. Riot Act Media has the most awesome bands and people of all time. And more wanted to be involved; we just had to cap the bill. THANK YOU. Did I say thank you yet?

Happy, happy, happy (and safe) New Year's Eve, friends. We here hope that each and every one of you can give 2009 a proper send-off and help usher in 2010, or as we call it, "Two Thousand and Win".

IN PDX TONIGHT: HOLIDANG! @ MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS

Don't miss it! BOAT, Black Whales, Typhoon, Ritchie Young (of Loch Lomond) and the Riot Act DJ Wrecking Crew are going to jingle yr jangle (what?) at Mississippi Studios TONIGHT. Get there early, as there's no cover--but donations are being taken at the door that'll go to Multiple Sclerosis research, thanks to our amazing, amazing, amazing bands. MERRY HAPPY, YOUSE GUYS.

GET READY FOR 2010!

Good Monday, everyone--and welcome to the FINAL MONDAY OF THE AUGHTS. Whether or not it's weighed more heavily on the tough or effortless side for you, I don't know one single person for whom 2009 hasn't been a pretty crazy year--and next year promises to be, perhaps, even more bonkers. Fortunately, it is already proving to be a year that brings us plenty in the way of MEGA JAMS, many of which we here at Riot Act are getting to tell you about first.

There's plenty to come in 2010 for Riot Act Media bands with just-out, forthcoming or on-the-horizon releases, so prepare to be hearing mucho from us on Ben Davis ("Charge It Up!" is out next Tuesday on Lovitt), Rauelsson ("La Siembra, La Espera Y La Cosecha" is out 1/12 on 180 gram colored vinyl on Hush), Shellshag ("Rumors In Disguise" is out 2/6 on Don Giovanni), Screaming Females (their "Singles" collection is out the same day on the same label), Blunt Mechanic ("World Record" is out this spring on Barsuk), Metroid Metal (who we can't wait to tell you about!), Boy Eats Drum Machine (Tender Loving Empire), Typhoon (Tender Loving Empire), Ape Cave (the Portland, OR band formerly known as Church, also TLE), Jared Mees & The Grown Children (also TLE), Murdocks (aka your new favorite band from Austin, TX), and more. And that's not even us touching on what's going on with Visqueen (holy crud, have you seen the amount of amazing love our bro Rachel is getting from Washington Post, NPR and more?), Black Whales, Finn Riggins, Loch Lomond and everyone else we're so lucky to work with.

Strap on that New Year's Baby diaper, folks--it's going to be an incredible year.

Much love,

Joan, Nathan, Dave & Riot Act Media

Screaming Females Announce NYE Show at the Cake Shop in NYC!

You heard me right! 2009's break out band of the year is closing down the oughts at the Cake Shop in New York City... $15 gets you a free pbr and the shreddiest new year's eve party in the city. Not to be missed!

Visqueen and frontwoman, Rachel Flotard, capped off an amazing year last night opening for Vampire Weekend and Muse at Seattle's "Deck The Hall Ball!"

As you're reading this, Rachel Flotard from Visqueen is somewhere over the Pacific en route to Laos to deliver much needed aid to schoolchildren. This past couple weeks have been the icing on the cake for an amazing return to form for her and her band Visqueen!

On monday, she was interviewed by NPR's Ari Shapiro on Morning Edition. Later that same day, Stephen Thompson (NPR's Music Editor) on All Songs Considered named Visqueen's Message To Garcia 2009's Biggest Surprise of the Year! Tuesday rolls around and the band plays Seattle's Deck The Hall Ball to about 7000 people as the only local band on a lineup that included Muse and Vampire Weekend. Then this morning, she flew out on her aid trip to Laos with a few thousand dollars to pave the school's floors and twenty suitcases full of school and medical supplies for her return trip to Ban Na Mouang.

When she returns in a month, Visqueen plans to tour the entire US with stops at Noise Pop and SXSW...

All images copyright Curt Doughty

HOLIDANG!

BLACK WINE'S S/T FULL-LENGTH = OUT TOMORROW!

It is beyond fitting that Black Wine's self-titled debut is being released on Don Giovanni for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that, in many ways, Don Giovanni came about in order to put out early releases by Black Wine guitarist Jeff Schroeck's former band, New Jersey punk legends The Ergs. Throw in the fact that Black Wine's other members, Miranda Taylor and J. Nixon, comprised the rhythm section of another of Jersey's most explosive bands, Hunchback—and that Screaming Females frontwoman Marissa Paternoster (herself beyond influenced by The Ergs) helped record Black Wine's debut, and the familial nature of how Black Wine fits into the New Brunswick scene becomes even more clear.

Schroeck, Taylor and Nixon have lived the essence of what punk community should be about—different folks in different bands in the same community sharing ideas, making music together, supporting each other—for a decade now. With Black Wine, the trio is exploring a slightly poppier musicality, building upon the cult successes they've experienced in their other bands to achieve a heightened degree of songwriting prowess, steeped in grit and rich with experience. And boy have they ever had plenty of amazing experiences.

Both bands—Hunchback and The Ergs—broke up following a tour in early 2008; when they played one final show at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, NJ on November 15th of that year, each member of each band playing that night got onstage and demolished every instrument in reach. There's something to be said for closure, because closure makes way for rebirth.

Cut to one year later, and not only did Black Wine find themselves having recorded some of the finest output of their careers, but Schroeck and Taylor are engaged to be married. Black Wine is the phoenix rising from the fire of The Ergs, and the fire sounds great. Think early SST drive; think early Sub Pop crunch, think forward.

RAUELSSON: "EL RIO DE LOS NUDOS" LIVE VIDEO, "DEBUTANTES" MP3!

You know Dr. Raul Pastor Medal, the Spanish musician/neuroscientist we've been telling you about? Well, here he is, playing "El Rio De Los Nudos" live here in PDX at the always great-sounding Mississippi Studios. Chad Crouch, Hush Records label head (Hush is putting out the "La Espera, La Siembra Y La Cosecha" full-length on 180g gatefold vinyl on 1/12/10) shot the video in HD. Aside from watching the video, please do check out Rauelsson's "Debutantes" EP, which is now available via donation or free at the Hush Shop, HERE.

About the "Debutantes" EP: While some are content to collect the cast-offs for extra album material, Raul saw fit to reserve two of the finest tracks ("Depredadores" and "Dsbocados") as a special gift for listeners, and offer them up for free (or your support). They are bundled with the album opener, "Debutantes", an almost a capella choral arrangement Spanish version of Loch Lomond's "Elephants and Little Girls" (here, translated as "Elephantes y Ninas"), and a haunting Chad Crouch remix of the album track "Palidez" entitled "Palicdeces".

MEET YOUR NEW FAVORITE JAM OF 2010: SHELLSHAG'S "RESILIENT BASTARD"

Jesus Christmas, it was hard for everyone to pick a first song to share with everyone off Shellshag's upcoming "Rumors In Disguise"---you know why? THERE ARE SO MANY DAMNED JAMS that hit you so, so hard that selecting the right one to be the first one just seemed absurd. But, we did. And here it is: listen. Enjoy.

http://www.riotactmedia.com/mp3/shellshag_resiliant-bastard.mp3

SCREAMING FEMALES ARE ON THE ROAD WITH ARCTIC MONKEYS.

....and, don't forget! they're releasing a collection of singles (aptly called Singles) on 2.9.10, a few days after the what-is-to-be-mindblowing don giovanni showcase at bowery in nyc (2/6/10). they also just debuted a new song at asbury lanes! check out the brilliance:

PS--i got a text from them the other day at about 3 AM that said "we are driving next to insane clown posse's tour bus."

SCREAMING FEMALES ON TOUR:

12.07.09 - Milvale, PA @ Mr. Small's Funhouse*
12.08.09 - Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club*
12.10.09 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5*
12.11.09 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5* (SOLD OUT)
12.13.09 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues*
12.29.09 - Asbury Park, NJ @ The Stone Pony (Home for the Holidays!)#
* = w/ Arctic Monkeys
# = w/ Bouncing Souls

Rachel Flotard's FOOTLAOS Raised Over $2400!

So last night's Footlaos, a benefit to raise money to pave a school in Laos, was a major success. With the sold out "Deck The Hall Ball", with Muse, Metric and Vampire Weekend, being Visqueen's last performance before Rachel flies east the following morning, we can safely say Rachel was overwhelmed with your support!

From Rachel:

"I can barely type today, my tears of joy have champagne bubbles in them.

WE RAISED OVER $2,400 LAST NIGHT.
Chris, Justin, and I are completely blown away.
Not only will the school have a new floor, but textbooks, supplies, and enough to go to 3 different other charities. Our first stop on 12/17 is in Cambodia. We'll be visiting the Angkor Children's hospital and the Savong school before our trek into Laos and into Vietnam.

WE NOW HAVE MORE GIFTS THAN WE THOUGHT POSSIBLE, ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!!"

DON GIOVANNI ANNOUNCES LABEL SHOWCASE—SCREAMING FEMALES RELEASE "SINGLES" EP (2/09/10), TOUR

DON GIOVANNI RECORDS ANNOUNCES LABEL SHOWCASE @ BOWERY BALLROOM, SAT., 2/6/10, NYC, NY: It’s been a heck of an ’09 for New Brunswick, NJ’s Don Giovanni Records, and it’ll be an even more amazing ’10 for the label and its family of extraordinary bands. Everyone is beyond excited to announce that this year’s Don Giovanni Showcase show will take place at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom on Saturday, February 6^th, 2010—tickets are $13 in advance and $15 at the door, and the show starts at 6 PM. Get there early to see the Groucho Marxists, Black Wine, The Measure, Jeff the Brotherhood, Screaming Females, Forgetters and headliners Shellshag, whose incredible new record, Rumors in Disguise, is out the following Tuesday, February 9^th. Black Wine (ex-Ergs) will be playing from their debut self-titled full-length (out December 15^th), and the Females will play songs from their brand new Singles collection (also out the following Tuesday, February 9^th) as well as from ‘09’s Power Move! Don’t miss this amazing night.

SCREAMING FEMALES: SINGLES (DON GIOVANNI, 2/09/10): 2009 will go down as the year that everyone—EVERYONE—started to take notice of Screaming Females in the wake of the release of their third LP (and their first on a label of any kind), Power Move (Don Giovanni, April, 2009). From their first TV appearances (dancing with puppets on Chicago’s cult public access TV show, “Chic-a-Go-Go”, then making their national TV debut as a musical guest on MTV’s “It’s On! With Alexa Chung”), first multi-page national print media press and having lead Female Marissa Paternoster be named “Best Shredder in New York City 2009” by the Village Voice to being the band that everyone from Dinosaur Jr., Throwing Muses, Dead Weather and Arctic Monkeys personally asked to tour with, 2009’s been quite the weird and exciting year for Screaming Females. After all, they’re doing exactly what they’ve done, the way they’ve always done it…organically, with friends. It’s just that now all of these people are noticing how amazing they are. And they can, y’know, quit their day jobs in lieu of touring all the time and recording new material with both their own band and their side projects because of it. Amen to that, right?

Prior to working with Don Giovanni, itself a staple of the New Brunswick, NJ scene, the band did everything themselves, the way you’re supposed to before it’s time for a label to step in and help facilitate things. This collection, Singles, is six songs from four now-rare Females 7”s, and comes with liner notes written by drummer Jarrett Dougherty and images of the original 7” artwork penned by Paternoster (did you know she does all the band’s artwork? It’s true. Bassist King Mike draws, too, but that’s another story for another day). If you are one of the many who have just this year been introduced to Screaming Females, Singles is here to take you to the School of Deep Cuts.

FEBRUARY 2010 SCREAMING FEMALES SINGLES TOUR W/JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD: The Females’ Singles tour kicks off with the Don Giovanni Label Showcase, and may be coming to a town near you! Many more details will be announced soon. So far:

Sat Feb 6 - Bowery Ballroom - Don Giovanni Showcase - NYC

Sun Feb 7 - Washington, DC

Mon Feb 8 - Asheville, NC

Tue Feb 9 - Athens, GA

Wed Feb 10 - Gainesville, FL

Thu Feb 11 - Tallahassee, FL

Fri Feb 12 - New Orleans, LA

Sat Feb 13 - Houston, TX

Sun Feb 14 - Austin, TX

Mon Feb 15 - Dallas, TX

Tue Feb 16 - Memphis, TN

Wed Feb 17 - Nashville, TN

Thu Feb 18 - Birmingham, AL

Fri Feb 19 - Atlanta, GA

Sat Feb 20 - Durham, NC

Sun Feb 21 - Baltimore, MD

Mon Feb 22 - Philadelphia, PA

PRESS QUOTES:

“Her name is Marissa Paternoster, and she is 2009’s answer to Sleater-Kinney’s 2006 breakup, using her throaty pipes and serious chops to channel that trio’s femme-shredder legacy to a new generation.”—Rolling Stone

“The last three “guitar heroes” I saw were women: Marnie Stern, Kaki King, and Marissa Paternoster of the the Screaming Females.”—Sasha Frere-Jones, New Yorker

“The Females recently toured with the Dead Weather; no idea how Jack White had the balls to even walk out onstage after Pasternoster was done with it, or how there was still a stage left at all. Call it Guitar Hero: Riot Grrrl. Bow down.”.”—Village Voice, named Marissa Paternoster NYC’s Best Guitar Shredder 2009

“Fuck the Dead Weather. Also Fuck P.J. Harvey, Karen O., Sleater-Kinney, Patti Smith and any other clever girl-rocker comparisons people have been making to Marissa Paternoster of the Screaming Females. And not just the guitar chicks. Fuck Jimi Hendrix. Fuck Jimmy Page. Fuck power trios that don't start with Screaming and end in Females (I'm looking at you Cream and Nirvana). Fuck Jack White. Fuck Meg White. Fuck the Queens of the Stone Age. Fuck the Kills. While we're at it, fuck people who hold up their iPhones to take five-minute videos of the Dead Weather. The Screaming Females killed last night at Terminal 5. The Dead Weather, eh. I could have done without.”—New York Press

TRACK LISTING:

SCREAMING FEMALES

SINGLES

(DON GIOVANNI, 2/9/10)

1. Arm over Arm

2. Zoo of Death

3. Cortez the Killer

4. No Being Disgusting

5. Pretty Okay

6. I Do

LINKS:

Bio, photos, cover art, MP3s, etc:

http://www.riotactmedia.com/artist_screamingfemales.php

Tour dates:

http://www.riotactmedia.com/tourdates.php

MySpace:

http://www.myspace.com/screamingfemales

Don Giovanni Records:

http://www.dongiovannirecords.com

DECEMBER: THE ACTION DON'T STOP.

Can you believe it's December tomorrow? Neither can we---but it's the true truth! Just because it's the month of weird record sales trends and treacherous road conditions doesn't mean that Riot Act artists are taking a break--quite to the contrary. Why, many of us are even throwing down holiday-style....most overtly, the amazing Portland Cello Project, who are kicking off a triad of Holiday Spectacular (tm) shows this Friday at Portland's Aladdin Theater (see below for Eugene & Seattle show details). Ben Davis, Black Wine, Blunt Mechanic, Church, Finn Riggins, Glorytellers, Screaming Females and Visqueen will all be jammin' some serious show action as well--WHOA!

AND, speaking of The Season of Giving and Visqueen, tomorrow in Seattle, Rachel Flotard is hosting and DJing an incredible benefit dancestravaganza featuring three of the Emerald City's finest DJs and named in typical Flotard-genius-style: FOOTLAOS: CUT LOOSE FOR LAOS. Y'see, Flotard is FLYING TO LAOS TO PUT A F'N FLOOR IN THE BAN NA MOUANG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THE MORNING AFTER playing the WaMu Theater in Sea-town with Metric, Muse and Vampire Weekend. Every rainy season, 340 pairs of feet get wet because the school lacks proper flooring. Quoth Rachel, "This outrages our inner Kevin Bacon." This is her second trip there--if you aren't in Seattle but want to help, please consider making a donation to the organizations below.

http://www.friends-international.org/
http://www.globalgiving.com/projects/typhoon/
http://seda-laos.org/welcome/

Soon, we'll be telling you some amazing news about our new and upcoming releases, new videos our bands have, and more re: Verbicide, Rauelsson, Loch Lomond, and the Don Giovanni family of bands. Not to mention the amazing amount of awesomeness going on over at Tender Loving Empire!

BEN DAVIS
12.16.09 - Chapel Hill, NC @ The Cave w/ 22FYI

BLACK WINE
12.04.09 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes

BLUNT MECHANIC
12.19.09 - Seattle, WA @ Vera Project w/ The Rural Alberta Advantage
01.15.09 - Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey

CHURCH
12.01.09 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
12.03.09 - Salem, OR @ Ike Box w/ the Madrigals and the Volks
12.04.09 - Bend, OR @ The Annex w/ Sweet Harlots
12.05.09 - Boise, ID @ Visual Arts Collective with ATTN:
12.07.09 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court with S.L.F.M. and silver antlers
12.09.09 - St. George, UT @ Mojo Underground
12.11.09 - Tempe, AZ @ Ye Olde Bike Saviours w/ French Quarter
12.13.09 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Smell with That Ghost
12.14.09 - San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
12.15.09 - La Jolla, CA @ Che Cafe
12.16.09 - Los Angeles, CA @ Historical Marker 157 w/ The Finches
12.17.09 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Church
12.29.09 - San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern
01.02.10 - Sebastopol, CA @ Aubergine
01.04.10 - Sacramento, CA @ The Press Club
01.05.10 - Redding, CA @ Downtown Eatery
01.06.09 - Eugene, OR @ Sam Bond's Garage
01.07.10 - Salem, OR @ The Space
01.09.09 - Portland, OR @ Slabtown w/ Wampire

FINN RIGGINS
12.02.09 - SALT LAKE CITY, UT @ Kilby Court (all ages) w/ The Continentals + Asher in the Rye + Mathematics Et Cetera
12.03.09 - GRAND JUNCTION, CO @ Le Giragge (all ages) w/ Dem Bones
12.04.09 - DENVER, CO @ Hi-Dive w/ Fissure Mystic + Vitamins
12.05.09 - NEDERLAND, CO @ First Street Pub
12.06.09 - BOULDER, CO @ The Laughing Goat (all ages)
12.09.09 - CRESTED BUTTE, CO @ The Eldo
12.10.09 - DURANGO, CO @ The Summit
12.11.09 - TELLURIDE, CO @ Fly Me To The Moon Saloon
12.17.09 - LA GRANDE, CO @ Mt. Emily Alehouse
12.18.09 - BOISE, ID @ The Linen Building (all ages) w/ Mere Cat + A Modern Balloonist
12.19.09 - HAILEY, ID @ Sun Valley Brewery (all ages)

GLORYTELLERS
12.07.09 - Chicago, IL @ Hideout
12.08.09 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom Tavern
12.09.09 - Washington, D.C. @ Black Cat
12.10.09 - Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
12.11.09 - New York, NY @ Cake Shop
12.12.09 - Allston, MA @ O'Brien's Pub

THE PORTLAND CELLO PROJECT
12.04.09 - Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater# w/Portland Ukelele Project, The Robinsons (Kevin and Anita of Viva Voce and Blue Giant fame), Leviethan, Panther
12.05.09 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern# w/Portland Ukelele Project
12.12.09 - Eugene, OR @ Cozmic Pizza # Holiday Dance Party w/Brian Perez
# = HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR!

SCREAMING FEMALES
12.05.09 - Columbus, OH @ The Summit
12.06.09 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theater*
12.07.09 - Milvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Funhouse*
12.08.09 - Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club*
12.10.09 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5*
12.11.09 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5* (SOLD OUT)
12.13.09 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues*
12.29.09 - Asbury Park, NJ @ The Stone Pony (Home for the Holidays!)#
* = w/ Arctic Monkeys
# = w/ Bouncing Souls

VISQUEEN
12.01.09 - Seattle, WA @ FOOTLAOS--EVERYBODY CUT LOOSE FOR LAOS! 8pm until John Lithgow's book burner shuts us down. Sole Repair/Capitol Hill (Behind Quinn's) MC QUEEN LUCKY, DJ DAREK MAZZONE, and DJ COLBY B.
12.15.09 - Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theater - 107.7's Deck The Hall Ball w/ Vampire Weekend, Metric and Muse

THANKS, EVERYONE!

RAUELSSON: "'La Siembra, la Espera y la Cosecha' to be released in the US in 180 g clear vinyl limited edition and digital 1/12 (Hush Records)!

Adopted Oregonian Raúl Pastor Medall (a.k.a. Rauelsson) has been busy over the past seasons, not only flying the North pole skies back and forth between the Pacific Northwest, where he resides currently, and the lands of his native Spain, but also working on three different projects to be published in the near future: a score for a documentary film entitled 'From River to Sea', a collaboration with his admired friend, multinstrumentalist Peter Broderick, and his first full length album, 'La Siembra, la Espera y la Cosecha' to be released in the US in 180 g clear vinyl limited edition and digital formats in January 2010 via HUSH Records.

In 'La Siembra, la Espera y la Cosecha', Rauelsson expands his inviting sense of melody and arrangement yet the organic construct of its songs remains based on his willingness to work with a simple, though evocative, palette of acoustic ingredients. Produced by Portland's finest Adam Selzer (M.Ward, The Decemberists, Mirah, Laura Gibson, Loch Lomond, etc.) and co-produced by Dave Depper and Raúl, the album presents a noble collection of eleven songs which grandeur resides primarily on their well captured subtle sensibility. With emotive, dynamic transitions between austere to rich, sombre to bright territories, the production's prevailing mission was to respect the original conception of the album: a cohesive musical and thematic observation of the fragility of life and the immenseness of love as a response to such fragility. Since nature and its untamed energy provided a lyrical and sonic motif to the majority of these tracks, an organic, earthy sound corresponded.

The core of the album was recorded at Type Foundry, Portland, OR, during the fall/winter of 08/09, with Dave Depper (Jolie Holland, Loch Lomond, Norfolk and Western, etc.) and Rachel Blumberg (M.Ward, Jolie Holland, Mirah, Norfolk and Western, etc.) as the spine of this vertebrate ensemble. Without much rehearsal or pre-production, Dave and Rachel followed their intuition and tracked most of their material live to a 2" tape machine, layering pianos, bells, bass and percussion over Raúl's figerpicked nylon and acoustic guitars. Reel-to-reel magnetic tapes awaited for Raúl's return as, back in Spain, he retreated in the Mediterranean country side to concentrate on lyrics. Surrounded by a mountainous scenario, with a small recording equipment, he tracked most of his vocal parts in ancient stone-walled houses, searching for spaces where natural reverb could propel words and sounds and integrate with the music as another instrument. Returned to Portland, Raúl worked with Adam for a couple of weeks at Type Foundry on finishing and mixing these songs. During those days, the springtime blossoms brought friends/HUSH cohorts to the studio, and they contributed with vocals (Laura Gibson, Loch Lomond's Ritchie Young), strings (Amanda Lawrence, Heather W. Broderick) and other instrumentation that spooled together into a cohesive whole. 'La Siembra, la Espera y la Cosecha' also features cameos by singer-songwriter compatriots Santi Campos and Julio de la Rosa.

Rauelsson's tone of reflective folk romanticism is also present in the evocative artwork of the album, featuring composite visuals based on fragments of a painting by nineteenth-century German landscapist Andreas Achenbach. The release of 'La Siembra, la Espera y la Cosecha' will be preceded by a free/support digital e.p. (Debutantes e.p., release date TBA) with alternative versions of some songs of the album and exclusive material not to be found elsewhere.

Tracklist:
1. Debutantes
2. El Río de los Nudos
3. La Calma
4. Cambio de Mar
5. Casi la Cosecha
6. El Desierto de las Palmas
7. Columpios
8. Palidez (un Aviso)
9. Raíces (otro Aviso)
10. Lápices sin Punta
11. Cosidos

ALL SMILES' "FALL NEVER FELL" EP, "THE COMPARISON BLOUSE" EP, AVAILABLE TOMORROW!

All Smiles' brand new five-song "Fall Never Fell" EP is available tomorrow through www.allsmilesmusic.com, all digital retailers, and at shows! Also--get this--between now and Dec. 25th, the digital version of All Smiles' mind-blowing full-length, "Oh For The Getting and Not Letting Go", will be available for only $5 if and only if you go to www.allsmilesmusic.com. While you're there, you can also grab "The Comparison Blouse" EP (also out tomorrow!), comprised of five demos from the OFTGANLG sessions, free of charge.

But, that's not all: tomorrow marks the first time that "Oh For The Getting And Not Letting Go" is available at retailers near you, thanks to the great folks at Burnside Distribution! As with All Smiles' full-length, both new EPs were recorded in Omaha, Nebraska and Los Angeles, California by co-producers Solon Bixler (Great Northern) and Nik Freitas (Mystic Valley Band). Both Freitas and Bixler lent their multi-instrumental talents to the record, along with drummer/percussionist Joe Plummer (Modest Mouse).

Jim Fairchild has had an incredibly busy and amazing year this year, what with the release of both his full-length and two EPs--he's also been on the road a good chunk of the year playing guitar in Modest Mouse, and he's relocated to San Francisco, CA.

"Fall Never Fell" EP Track Listing:

1. Dolly, Don't

2. Fall Never Fell

3. The Way That I Come And Go

4. Tired Jaws

5. Water or Whisper

"The Comparison Blouse" EP Track Listing:

1. The Ones I Want To Live (demo)

2. It Never Saves Me (demo)

3. I Was The One (demo)

4. Brightest Beyond (demo)

5. All You Are Is A Human, Sir (demo)

SHELLSHAG: "RUMORS IN DISGUISE" (DON GIOVANNI, 2/9) REVIEW COPIES NOW AVAILABLE!

In attempts to dance about Shellshag's architecture, they've been explained as an amalgam of The Breeders, Sonic Youth, The Ramones, DFA, David Byrne, Guided By Voices, Moldy Peaches and early Superchunk—and, because they're a male guitarist/female drummer duo, those touch points (Jack and Meg, Matt and Kim, Juicifer) get tossed around like so much confetti, too. They've played with everyone from Iggy Pop, The Slits, The Cramps, Lightning Bolt and J. Mascis to Evan Dando, Les Savy Fav, Shonen Knife and their label mates Screaming Females, and their first (and now out of print) Gary Young EP was recorded by Pavement's Gary Young in 2004. Together, Johnny "Shell" and Jen "Shag", have forged a legacy on both coasts over the course of this crazy thing we call life: as seminal members of the '90s DIY scene in San Francisco, they ran the now-legendary public arts space Starcleaners, the former home of the Dandy Warhols, Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Residents and others, they launched their own label of the same name, releasing Destroy Me, I'm Yours in 2007, and they moved to Brooklyn, forming Shellshag and becoming integral members of the Jersey-based Don Giovanni family of artists and musicians.

The thing to get, though, is that, aside from the universal truth that all roads point to now, it's not their back story, tour history or the fishing lure mentions of the scads of played-withs and sounds-likes that is of import. What is of import is that, with Rumors In Disguise, Shellshag has not only made their most incredible, inspired, hooky, crunchy, distilled and concentrated record yet—they've made the record that will define what making music in the new decade should be like. Joyous, raw, engaging, innovative, personal, weird, loud, fucking communicative, inclusive, pure. You know, the kind of qualities that made the experience of digesting and living music magnetic to begin with. That's this record.

The record's heart-theme is made up of the stuff we all, as evolving humans, struggle with, as the band explains: "Most of the songs on the record are about hope and despair, love and survival, death and fear." From the grin-laced stubborn pride in Shell's vocals on "Resillient Bastard" to Jen Shag's tom-heavy heartbeat rhythms on crunchy duet "Means That Much", every inch put to tape is as real as it gets. Finding honesty and purity of creative expression in the vastness of what our musical landscape has evolved into is a more difficult task than ever before, and it takes a band like Shellshag and a record like Rumors in Disguise to answer that search. Now, listen.

LOCH LOMOND'S "NIGHT BATS" EP IS OUT TODAY!

AND, if you haven't already, listen to "Wax and Wire" via Largehearted Boy, check out an awesome interview with Ritchie Young on Oregon Music News and read what Pampelmoose had to say about the band---plus, look for the EP review in next month's SPIN! Paste says: "If you can't get enough of the spiritual children of Nick Drake (Iron and Wine, Bon Iver, Sun Kil Moon, Alexi Murdoch), Portland Oregon's Loch Lomond is your new favorite band."

Loch Lomond continue to pound the pavement this week on the West Coast!

November 10 The Woods Portland, Or

November 11 EMU Univ. of Oregon Eugene, Or

November 12 Hotel Utah San Francisco, Ca

November 13 Luigi's Fungarden Sacramento, Ca

November 14 Historic Brookdale Lodge Santa Cruz, Ca+

November 15 Muddy Waters Santa Barbara, Ca+

November 16 The Loft @ UCSD La Jolla, Ca *

November 17 The Bootleg Theater Los Angeles, Ca*

* w/ Horse Feathers

+ w/ The Generationals

LOCH LOMOND'S OPBmusic Studio SESSION--JAM IT! "NIGHT BATS" OUT TOMORROW, TOUR KICKING OFF!

If you haven't yet, we implore you to head to OPBmusic, here to take in the splendor of Loch Lomond's recent, rad session, wherein they play new material from their "Night Bats" EP, out tomorrow on Hush Records!

From the OPBmusic site: "Recording engineer: Steven Kray, with technical assistance from Randy Layton

The Portland sextet makes a second stop by our studios at the end of a busy year, capped off next week by the release of their Night Bats EP. They talk music videos (specifically, this one), Bee Gees covers and the name change that wasn’t, and shed some light on the full-length they’re prepping for a 2010 release, Little Me Will Start a Storm.

Look for three Oregon dates from the band surrounding the Night Batsrelease: Nov. 9th at the Pendleton Center for the Arts in Pendelton; Nov. 10th at The Woods in Portland; and Nov. 11th at the Univ. of Oregon in Eugene. They then begin a string of dates down the California coast at the Hotel Utah in San Francisco on Nov. 12th. Plus, don’t miss Loch Lomond on an upcoming edition of OPB-TV’s Art Beat, including footage shot during our session.

"

Visqueen - NPR Song Of The Day and Huffington Post!

The past two days have been big days for Rachel Flotard and Visqueen. Yesterday an amazing article came out in Huffington Post on her, the band, her new label, her new record and more... Read it here!

Then, this morning, the fine folks at NPR named "Hand Me Down" the Song of the Day. Yeah!

BOAT and the "Fabulous Confetti Guys"

So, in case you didn't know this, BOAT has two fans in Portland that have came to every show the band has ever played in this town. The band isn't sure how, when or where they found out about their music but these two gentleman arrive at every show with a giant bag of homemade confetti and generally try to bring the party! Last night was another smashing success... BOAT is easily, one of the most fun bands in the entire world! East Coast folks, look out! They're headed your way.

Killer Interview w/ Ben Davis and the Jetts

Watch this video with our man Ben Davis and then fall in love! It's that easy...