CLAIRECORDS NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2009
Welcome to the 45th edition of the Clairecords newsletter.
We at Clairecords would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone
who bought our releases, came to our concerts, wrote about our bands
and gave our releases such generous airplay in 2008. Radio stations, print
and online publications, devoted fans-- that means you! 2009 promises to
be even more exciting (yes, that’s more than possible), so stay tuned!
On to the happs!
AUTODRONE
College and community broadcasters continent-wide are continuing their
torrid affair with Strike a Match, among them WVUD (Newark, DE), WBNY
(Buffalo, NY), WVUR (Valparaiso, IN), WXBC (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY),
KSLU-1 (St. Louis, MO), KFAI (Minneapolis, MN) KBOO (Portland, OR), WPHS
(Warren, MI), and WPUB (NYC, NY). KVCU (Boulder, CO), in its infinite good
taste, named Strike a Match its #1 album of 2008! Clairecords loves you,
KVCU! And thanks to everyone who came to see the band on their
journey out West—it was a resounding success! Look for the band at
SXSW, too.
http://www.myspace.com/autodrone
GUITAR
Autodrone aren’t the only Clairecords melody makers burning up the
charts! Honeysky charted at #19 on KDVS-FM earlier this month and we
extend mad props to everyone responsible for that. Saltykisses,
meanwhile, made it to #19 on KUCI (Irvine, CA); #6 on KVCU (Boulder,
CO); #16 on WNYU (NYC, NY); #5 on WTJU (Charlottesville, VA) and #23
on WTUL (New Orleans, LA). Everyone remotely affiliated with the
aforementioned broadcasters unquestionably rules.
http://www.sunkiss.de/
http://www.myspace.com/guitarsunkissed
TEARS RUN RINGS
Pitchfork’s Matthew Solarski was kind enough to list Tears Run Rings’
Always, Sometimes, Seldom Never as one of his top 25 albums of the year
(#23, to be exact). In further news, Matthew is officially our #1 homie.
Kisses, Matthew!
http://www.tearsrunrings.com
http://www.myspace.com/tearsrunrings
* * * ALL YOUR PRESS IS BELONG TO US * * *
GUITAR
“Honeysky starts off with the appropriately titled ‘Escape,’ and continues
to shed feather-like music that's sounds like it was recorded in a cloud
studio, while the backmasked and reverbified ‘Love Is Slow’ sounds like
Slowdive on liquid acid. It's sometimes delirious music to be sure, and not
recommended while driving. Sleeping in late on Sunday, though? Piece of
cake. While the utopian dreams of the shoegazers might be gone, some
dreamers remain.” – David Day, The Weekly Dig
* * * CLAIRECORDS IS COMING—EVERYBODY LOOK BUSY * * *
AUTODRONE
02/07/09 NYC, NY- Crash Mansion
02/27/09 NYC, NY- Mercury Lounge
w/ The Swirlies
03/19/09 Austin, TX- The Spider House (SXSW/Post-Punk.com showcase)
Free! No wristband needed.
AVERKIOU
02/15/09 Gainesville, FL- The Atlantic
03/05/09 Gainesville, FL- Common Grounds
03/06/09 St. Augustine, FL- Harvest of Hope Festival
w/ Devotchka, Broken Social Scene, Holy Fuck, Bad Brains, Her Space
Holiday, John Vanderslice + more
03/07/09 Atlanta/Athens, GA- TBA
03/08/09 Durham, NC- House Show
03/09/09 Washington, DC- Velvet Lounge
03/10/09 NYC, NY- TBA
03/11/09 NYC, NY- TBA
03/12/09 Richmond, VA- The Czar
w/ Slavagoh, Julie Karr
03/13/09 Arlington, VA- Basement Speakeasy
w/ Ringo Deathstarr, Screen Vinyl Image
03/14/09 Norfolk, VA- The Boot
w/ Ceremony, Screen Vinyl Image
04/16/09 Tampa, FL- TBA
HEY, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?
(A peek into the inner sanctums of your favorite Clairecords stars!)
Michael Lueckner (der Musiker, GUITAR)
ALBUM of the Year 2008:
Francois Couperin
Pièces de violes
Musicians: Philippe Pierlot, Emmanuel Balssa, Eduardo Egüez, Pierre Hantai
Mirare / www.mirare.fr
CONCERT of the Year 2008: David Sylvian live in Offenburg
Jon Downs (guitarist, THE BROTHER KITE)
TBK Music:
The Walkmen - You & Me
The Tallest Man On Earth - Shallow Grave
Fleet Foxes - S/T
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
Deerhunter - Microcastles
Sigur Ros - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
R.E.M - Accelerate
Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
TBK Film:
Rachel Getting Married
The Fall
Synecdoche, New York
The Dark Knight
The Visitor
In Bruges
Wall-E
Zack And Miri Make A Porno
Man On Wire
Slumdog Millionaire
TBK Resolutions:
Finish the record
Dan Sostrom (CLAIRECORDS owner/founder/mack daddy/daddy mack)
Here's my top 20, split into 4 categories:
SINGLES/SONGS:
1) THE RULING CLASS - Flowers (Shelflife / Fandango)
2) DEEP CUT - Commodity (Club AC30)
3) QUE POSSUM-Stay Heavy (from Pop Mayhem 4-way split 7")
4) PIA FRAUS/ULRICH SCHNAUSS-Split 7" (Seksound)
5) Any/All split singles in Slumberland's Searching for the Now series
ALBUMS:
1) MOSCOW OLYMPICS-Cut the World (Lavender)
2) SOUNDPOOL-Dichotomies and Dreamland (Aloft)
3) PANDA RIOT-She Dares All Things (self-released)
4) ROSEBUDS-Life Like (Merge)
5) PETER BRODERICK-Float (Type)
REISSUES:
1) RODRIGUEZ-Cold Fact (Light in the Attic)
Worth all the hype? Hell yes.
2) NGAS-Nah Und Fern 2xLP / 4xCD (Kompakt)
Both formats essential, because (a) it's vinyl (duh) and (b) the digital
version has like a bazillion more songs (duh!)
3) THE LEFT BANK-Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina LP (Shasam)
The ultimate in lush 60s orchestral pop. This was reportedly the most
expensive album ever produced at the time of its recording. Well worth it!
4) THE WAY WE LIVE-A Candle for Judith 180g LP (Ozit)
An amazing 1971 album by the band Tractor, recording under a different
name. A totally gorgeous and mindblowing off-the-radar classic.
5) METALLICA-Master of Puppets: Deluxe Edition 2xLP (Warner Bros)
Their greatest achievement, half-speed remastered at 45 rpm. What more
needs to be said??
OVERRATED "IT BANDS" THAT REALLY AREN'T THAT OVERRATED AT ALL.
THEY'RE JUST AWESOME.
1) KASAI ALLSTARS (Notable awesome release: in the 7th moon, the chief
turned into a swimming fish and ate the head of his enemy by magic on
Crammed Discs)
Konono No. 1 took Congotronics into Pitchfork hipsterdom. And suddenly
everything in the Congo has to follow suit? But holy bejeesus - go right
now to last.fm and listen to the track Quick as White. Then listen to it about
a dozen times over the next week. Don't worry, you won't forget - that's
instinct taking over. And don't say I didn't TELL YOU. Best track I've heard
all year, easily.
2) FUCKED UP (Notable awesome release: Crooked Head single on
Matador)
What the hell is it about this band that makes me feel like it's a guilty
pleasure, when really, it shouldn't be? Like it's supposed to be too hipster
or cool for my tastes, or something? No, it just rules. This band
encompasses everything I love about music. You know these guys all
have Sarah Records, shoegaze records, Angry Samoans albums, and
fucking classic Metallica LPs in their record collections. And for that reason
alone, they should be your best friends in the world. And maybe they are.
But for me? They are much tougher than any of my friends ever could be.
I just know it. I still don't know if they completely destroyed one of my
favorite Sarah Records catalog tracks, or did an awesome job...
3) DEERHUNTER (Notable awesome release: Microcastle LP on Kranky)
And this just makes you realize that finally people are coming to accept
the fact that there is so much more awesome music to be made. If ever in
a funk that there's "no good or new or interesting music anymore" you can
just throw on a damn Deerhunter record and flip your shit around.
4) VIVIAN GIRLS (Notable awesome release: all of them)
These girls are the real deal definition of buzzworthy: amazing, simple
harmonies recalling the best of C86, shoegaze, and 60s girl groups.
5) SIGUR ROS (Notable awesome release: Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum
Endalaust on XL)
Thankfully, I have kept Sigur Ros unspoilt over the years by not overplaying
them to death like the rest of society seems to have done. Every time I
hear one of their tracks or albums or releases, it blows me away and stays
refreshing and gorgeous, as it should.
Ten things that restored Susan Moll (CLAIRECORDS international woman of
mystery)’s faith in humanity in 2008:
1. Our badass new president
2. Helvetia- The Acrobats (The Static Cult Label/Up)
3. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)
4. Mad Men (AMC)
5. Idaho- Alas/The Forbidden EP: Special Edition (Halfpipe Records/Idaho
Music)
6. Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live.
7. The Helio Sequence- Keep Your Eyes Ahead (Sub Pop)
8. Chocolate News (Comedy Central)
9. Beach House- Devotion (Carpark)
10. Greedy, arrogant stock traders barfing into their hands on the floor of
the NYSE
Questions? Comments? Need an advance copy of something? Want to
book one of our bands, or license a song or two for your film or TV project?
Well, what are you waiting for? Contact Susan Moll
(susan@clairecords.com) or Dan Sostrom (dans@clairecords.com). Kids,
ask your parents before you call.
______________________________________________
CLAIRECORDS * Purveyors of Quality Noise
http://www.clairecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/clairecords