[March 2, 2007]
There's a Silkworm tribute show taking place in Chicago tomorrow evening (Saturday, March 3). Chris Brokaw is amongst the performers ; he'll also be playing at Chicago's Hideout the following night with his new band, Fflashlight (Brokaw, Elliot Dicks, Doug McCombs). In April, Chris will be on tour in Europe playing guitar, bass and keyboards for Eleventh Dream Day.
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves are continuing work on their 3rd album at Austin's Public HiFi ; though the album will be released on a label other than 12XU, we'll be sure to pass along with relevant information when it is available. Sally and her crack ensemble will be making the following Texas appearances :
March 3 - Rudyard's, Houston (with Hilllary York)
March 16 - Soho Lounge, Austin (SXSW)
April 5 - Emo's, Austin
[November 2, 2006]
'Chokes', the final studio recordings from Silkworm, will be available on CD December 6, 2006. Recorded during 2005 with Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago, the quartet of Andy Cohen, Tim Midgett, Michael Dahlquist and Matt Kadane have delivered the following selections :
1) Bar Ice
2) Low Blow
3) Int'l Harbour Of Grace
4) Lilly White & Cherry Red
5) Wrote A Song For Everyone
The EP's 6th track, a cover of "Spanish Harlem Incident", was performed by the Crust Brothers (Dahlquist, vocals, Cohen, drums, Midgett, guitar, Stephen Malkmus, guitar) on 12/31/00, at Seattle's Crocodile Cafe.
Though the CD should be available in better shops next month, copies ordered directly from 12XU should be shipping in about two weeks' time. Our sincere apologies for the delays that have plagued this project.
Tim and Andy's new band, Bottomless Pit, have played a number of U.S. dates this Autumn, and we are happy to report the group more than maintains the standards of artistic excellent the duo have set with their prior efforts.
Chris Brokaw has the following US and European dates scheduled:
Nov. 10 - The Resevoir, Carboro, NC (with Two Dollar Guitar)
Nov. 12 - The Art Garage, Columbia, SC (with Two Dollar Guitar)
Nov. 13 - The Earl, Atlanta, GA (with Two Dollar Guitar)
Nov. 14 - Village Tavern, Mt. Pleasant, SC (with Two Dollar Guitar)
Nov. 16 - Lota Club, Arlington, VA (with Two Dollar Guitar)
Nov. 18 - PA's Lounge, Somerville, MA (with Two Dollar Guitar)
Nov. 19 - Artifacts, Florence, MA (with Two Dollar Guitar, Thurston Moore, Dredd Foole and J. Mascis)
Nov. 20 - The Space Gallery, Portland, ME (with Two Dollar Guitar)
Nov. 26 - Times Zones Festival, Bari, Italy (with Two Dollar Guitar, Jackie-O Motherfucker and more)
Nov. 27 - Teatro Galleria Toledo/Obessions, Napoli, Italy (with Two Dollar Guitar)
Nov. 28 - Clandestino, Faenza, Italy (with Two Dollar Guitar)
Nov. 29 - Skylab, Terni, Italy (with Two Dollar Guitar)
Nov. 30 - Ortosonico, Giussago, Italy (with Two Dollar Guitar)
December 1 - Lucignolo, Verona, Italy (with Two Dollar Guitar)
December 2 - Milk Club, Genova, Italy (with Two Dollar Guitar)
December 5 - Candelai, Palermo, Sicily (with Two Dollar Guitar)
December 6 - B Side, Vende, Italy (with Two Dollar Guitar)
December 7 - La Palma, Rome, Italy (with Two Dollar Guitar, Geoff Farina)
December 14 - Le Pointe Emphemre, Paris, France (with Two Dollar Guitar)
January 6 - AS 220, Providence, RI (with Geoff Farina)
In addition to Chris' solo sets, he'll be playing as a member of Two Dollar Guitar, alongside Tim Folhjan and Steve Shelley.
Chris will be appearing with Bob Mould at the "Music For Youth" Bob Dylan Tribute concert at NYC's Avery Fisher Hall on November 9.
Chris' next release will be a new 7" vinyl-only 4-song ep entitled "Forestry ep." The tracks include 3 outtakes from the "Road" film score and one Kahoots dub, all previously unreleased. The ep will come out sometime in january 2007 as a co-release between I And Ear Records (new york) and A Whale Of A Label (Martha's Vineyard), but will be available for sale on Chris' upcoming dates.
(flyer art by Derek Erdman)
In addition to tonight's show supporting the dashing Britt Daniel, Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves are playing Austin's Carousel Lounge next Thursday, November 9, with the Distant Seconds.
[August 16, 2006]
Upcoming Chris Brokaw dates
August 24 - Union, Brooklyn, NY (with Dave Derby)
September 17 - Bowery Poetry Club, New York, NY (with Megan O'Reilly)
The final studio recordings from Silkworm, lovingly compiled in CD EP form will be out this October under the title 'Chokes'. More details to follow, including art, in a few days, promise.
Recording of the new Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves album has begun at Austin's Public Hi-Fi. Though this will not be a 12XU release, when we have details regarding the album's availability, we'll certainly let you know.
Damon Che of the Speaking Canaries can be heard on the excellent new Don Cabellero album, 'World Class Listening Problem', available now on the Relapse label.
Finally, I would like to ask Hawthorne Heights, for the very last time, to stop airing our dirty laundry in public. I made you guys, and I can break you. That's not a threat, it's a promise.[May 18, 2006]
upcoming live activities :Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves, The Carousel Lounge, 1110 52nd Street, Austin, TX, midnight, Saturday May 20 (free admission)
Chris Brokaw (solo), The Outerland, Edgartown MA (with Chris Smither), June 2
[February 28, 2006]Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves are kicking off their first US tour today with a show at Emo's in Austin, supporting the Wedding Present (also appearing, Tim Fite), before heading to the East Coast and Midwest. When the Weddos hit Toronto, the Sudden Moves have a headlining gig of their own on March 9 at Philadelphia's Tritone.
The current Sudden Moves lineup, featuring Eric Harvey on bass (above, right), made their first local appearance a few weeks back at the Parish, playing with friends the Rite Flyers and Craig Ross.The Sudden Moves will be continuing work on their forthcoming 3rd album this April at Jim Eno's Public Hi-Fi.
Chris Brokaw will be playing as a member of Rhys Chatham's Guitar Army this May, as the nine piece ensemble plays a number of US shows along with Tony Conrad and Jonathan Kane's February
The following Chris Brokaw solo dates have been confirmed, all of them with Geoff Farina :
March 25 - Hotel Cafe', Los Angeles, CA
March 26 - The Casbah, San Diego, CA
March 27 - Mauzer Theatre, Merced, CA
March 29 - Triple Door, Seattle, WA
March 31 - Towne Lounge, Portland, OR .
On Friday March 17, 12XU will be presenting the following evening of live music at Austin, TX's Club DeVille as part of South By Southwest ;
8pm : The Color Scheme
9pm : Bottomless Pit
10pm : The Chris Brokaw Rock Band
11pm : Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves
Bottomless Pit is the new, Chicago-based quartet featuring Andrew Cohen and Tim Midgett of Silkworm. They'll be making their Texas debut on this evening.
The Color Scheme is a New York-based band led by singer/songwriter P.J. Ransone, formerly of Early Man and TRAK.
also appearing on the bill, Chris Stamey and Peter Holsapple of the dB's (midnight), and one of America's greatest rock'n'roll bands, from New York City via Louisille, Antietam (1am).
We have it on good authority Joel RL Phelps and The Downer Trio have shows in Portland and Seattle planned for April. When we know more, you will too.[January 7, 2006]
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves will be touring the U.S. supporting The Wedding Present this March. Confirmed dates are as follows.
February
28 Austin, TX - Emo's (also appearing, Tim Fite)
March
2 Tallahassee, FL - Beta Bar
3 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
4 Chapel Hill, NC - Cat's Cradle
5 Washington, DC - The Black Cat
6 Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell's
7 Cambridge, MA - Middle East Downstairs
8 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
9 Philadelphia - Tritone
11 Kalamazoo, MI - Kraftbrau
12 Chicago, IL - Double Door
13 Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
The new 4-song EP from Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves, '10 Minute Moment Of Truth' is available now exclusively from the iTunes Music Store.
(Chris Brokaw, shown performing at Austin, TX's End Of An Ear Records, December 11, 2005. Photograph courtesy Dan Plunkett).
Chris Brokaw on tour.
January
7 - Tonic, New York, NY (with Jonathan Kane's February)
24 - PA's Lounge, Somerville, MA (with Kahoots)
28 - Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ (with Evan Dando)
February
8 - Cafe De La Palma, Madrid, Spain
9 - Le Point Ephemere, Paris, France
10 - Maddalaine, Genova, Italy
11 - Officina De Buena Ventura, Castel Franco Veneto, Italy
12 - Theatre, Gradara, Italy (supporting Martin Rev, 3pm show)
12 - Marquette, Forli, Italy (10pm)
13 - From Scratch, Arrezo, Italy
14 - Zoo Caffe Murato, Bologna, Italy
16 - Spitz, London, UK
21 - Flapper Firkin, Birmingham, UK
25 - Whelan's, Dublin, IREChris' new album, 'Incredible Love' is currently available from the iTunes Music Store with a bonus track, "Through The Roof". If you purchased a copy in a store or direct from 12XU, please write to the label (info@12XU.net) and we'll gladly sent you an MP3 of the track.
'Incredible Love' was released in Spain this past December ; the album is scheduled for release in the UK this coming January 16 from Rock Action. If you're in the UK and would like to order a copy, Amazon says they'll be shipping theirs on January 30.[November 16, 2005]
Chris Brokaw on tour
(the Chris Brokaw Rock Band)
November 18 - Odum, Chicago, IL
November 19 - Ear Xtacy Records instore, Louisville, KY
November 19 - Kentucky Theatre, Louisville, KY
(Chris Brokaw solo)
November 30 - Gypsy Tea Room, Dallas, TX (with American Analog Set)
December 2 - The Earl, Atlanta, GA (with American Analog Set)
December 3 - The Earl, Atlanta, GA (with American Analog Set)
December 4 - Park Avenue CD's, instore, Orlando FL
December 4 - The Social, Orlando FL (with American Analog Set)
December 6 - The Black Cat, Washington DC (with American Analog Set)
December 7 - Wetlands Dance Hall, Charottesville, VA
December 9 - Hal and Mal's, Jackson, MS (with American Analog Set)
December 10 - Walter's, Houston TX
December 11 - End Of An Ear Records instore, Austin TX (4pm)
December 11- The Parish, Austin TX (with American Analog Set)[October 12, 2005]
(Chris Brokaw, photograph by Anthony Saffrey)
for your downloading pleasure, "Move" (mp3) from Chris Brokaw's 'Incredible Love' (12XU 026-2), out October 25.
[September 09, 2005]
On October 25, 12XU will be releasing the new full-length CD from Chris Brokaw, 'Incredible Love' (12XU 026-2) In stark contrast to Chris' prior 12XU albums, 'Incredible Love' is a full electric-with-vocals affair, comprising 9 new Brokaw originals, the co-authored (with Tom Morgan) "My Idea" and a cover of Suicide's "I Remember". Guests include David Curry (Empty House Collective), Noah Chasin, Kevin Coultas, Jeff Goddard, Matt Kadane (The New Year, Silkworm, Consonant), Jeff Goddard and Jonah Sacks.
Our hyperbole engine is sometimes in need of fine tuning, but in all seriousness, this is the most powerful, fully-realized work in Brokaw's illustrious career. His deft touch as a guitarist in a wide variety of settings (solo works, Come, Consonant, Pullman, Steve Wynn Band, Evan Dando) is well documented, but on 'Incredible Love', Brokaw will soon stake his claim as one of the country's premier singer-songwriters. Which isn't to suggest this album is an entirely somber or quiet affair -- large portions are as rocking, taut and packed with intrigue as anything he's recorded up to this point.The album is available for online pre-orders now via the 12XU store.
'Incredible Love' will be released in October in the UK via Rock Action.
(Chris and band, exploring Oak Bluffs. photograph by Chris Liberato)
forthcoming Chris Brokaw dates :
September 9 - Lorem Ipsum Books, Cambridge, MA (with John Vanderslice)
September 10 - Offshore Ale, Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard, MA (with Richard Buckner)
September 16 - Pawtucket Film Festival (performing songs from the "Road" soundtrack)Additional US and European dates will be announced soon
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves have completed recording 'Ten Minute Moment Of Truth' at Austin's Wire Studios. The 4 song EP including such recent live set staples "Photofit", "Call The Police" and "Looks Fast For A Reason", will be available exclusively through the iTunes Music Store on November 1.
(live at End of An Ear, July 30. Photo courtesy Dan Plunkett)forthcoming Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves dates :
September 20 - Emo's, Austin TX (Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund Benefit, with Cruiserweight, Pompeii and others)
October 27 - The Parish, Austin TX (with John Vanderslice and Portastatic)
Sally's recent solo appearance on Joe Belock's "Three Chord Monte" (WFMU) can be found here. (Real Player required)
Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio completed an Eastern US tour in early August to considerable acclaim. Though we were unable to attend these shows, the band's terrific recent session for Jon Solomon's WPRB radio show can be still be heard. (Real Player required)
Spoon's whirlwind 2005 continues with their second-ever trip to Australia, followed by further dates in the US and Europe.
09-09 Melbourne, Australia - Corner Hotel
09-10 Adelaide, Australia - Fowlers Live
09-11 Perth, Australia - Rosemount Hotel
09-14 Canberra, Australia - Green Room
09-15 Brisbane, Australia - Tivoli
09-16 Sydney, Australia - Metro
09-17 Newcastle, Australia – Leagues Club Bandroom
09-23 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival
09-28 Glasgow, Scotland - King Tut's
09-29 Manchester, England - Roadhouse
09-30 London, England – Koko @
10-01 Brugge, Belgium - Cactus
10-02 Berlin, Germany - Kalkscheune
10-03 Frankfurt, Germany - Cooky's
10-04 Hamburg, Germany - Knust
10-05 Munich, Germany - Orange House
10-06 Treviso, Italy - New Age
10-07 Rome, Italy - Circolo
10-08 Bologna, Italy - Coveo
10-09 Zurich, Switzerland - Rote Fabrik
10-11 Paris, France - Nouvelle Casino
10-13 Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 3
10-14 Madrid, Spain - Moby Dick
10-27 Louisville, KY – Headliners %
10-28 Urbana, IL - Foellinger Auditorium %
10-29 Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall %
10-30 Las Vegas, NV - Sam Boyd Stadium (Vegoose Festival)
11-01 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Theatre %
11-02 Montreal, Quebec - Club Soda %
11-03 Boston, MA - Avalon %
11-04 Northampton, MA - Pearl Street %
11-05 New York, NY - Nokia Live %#
11-06 Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw %#
11-08 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club #
11-09 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel #
11-10 Columbia, MO - Blue Note #
11-11 Omaha, NE - Orpheum Theatre $
11-12 Boulder, CO - Boulder Theatre #
11-14 Salt Lake City, UT - Velvet Room #
11-16 San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre #
11-17 Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theatre #
11-18 San Diego, CA - Cane's #
11-19 Phoenix, AZ – TBA
* with Norfolk and Western
@ with Amusement Parks on Fire
% with Mary Timony
# with American Music Club
$ with Bright Eyes
At some date in the near future, we'll have something to say about the final Silkworm recordings. In the meantime, the Michael Dahlquist Memorial Fund has been established at Jane Addams Hull House, in Chicago.
Checks can also be sent to :
Jane Addams Hull House
The Michael Dahlquist Memorial Fund
10 South Riverside Plaza - Suite 1700
Chicago, IL 60606
Alternately, you can donate online in Michael's name at: www.nature.org. And of course, in the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina, a donation to the American Red Cross in Michael's name would also be appreciated.[July 15, 2005]
Silkworm's Michael Dahlquist was killed yesterday in Skokie, IL when the car he and two companions were travelling in was rear-ended at a traffic light.That Michael was an exceptional drummer and a crucial member of one of America's finest bands is far less important this afternoon than the knowledge we'll be forever deprived of his goodwill and humor. The rock universe is filled with jerks and creeps (present company excepted, of course) and over at this sloppy, part-time operation, we've blessed to represent some of the few exceptions. Though our sincere condolences go out to Michael's friends and family, our thoughts also go out to those of you whom we see all too rarely -- whatever corner of the universe you're toiling in.
[July 08, 2005]
The new release schedule :
October '05 - Chris Brokaw - ' Incredible Love' CD (12XU 026-2)
November '05 - Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves - new EP (iTunes exclusive)
early '06 - Silkworm - title TBA, CD (12XU 027-2)
The new Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves album, 'Shortly After Take-Off' is now available for US customers from the iTunes Music Store, as is Sally's debut album Drive It Like You Stole It
Upcoming dates :
Chris Brokaw
July 29 - Offshore Ale, Oak Bluffs, MA (with Jeff Goddard on bass, Kevin Coultas on drums), Kahoots as support.
August 6 - The Lizard Lounge, Cambrige, MA (with Goddard and Coultas), Apple Betty support
August 29 - The Red Door, Portsmough, NH (solo)
Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio
July 31 Seattle, WA @ The Rendezvous (7 PM)
Aug 1 NYC @ 169 Bar
Aug 2 Cambridge MA @ TT the Bear's
Aug 3 Philadelphia PA @ The Manhattan Room
Aug 4 Baltimore MD @ Talking Head Club
Aug 5 Washington DC @ Staccato
Aug 7 Hoboken NJ @ Maxwell's
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves
July 15 - Emo's, Austin, TX (with Mission Of Burma and I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness)
July 26 - live broadcast, WFMU, Three Chord Monte, 12-3pm EST (Sally solo)
July 30 - End Of An Ear Records instore (free), 6pm, 2209 South First Street, Austin, TX[May 20, 2005]
(from left to right, the Sudden Moves circa May 2005 : bassist Matt Baab, drummer David Evans, guitarist/vocalist Sally Crewe. Photograph by Wylie Maercklein)
With a new date at the start of the Spoon tour just added, here's an updated list of forthcoming appearances by Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves ;May 26 - Emo's Jr., Austin, TX (record release show, with Britt Daniel, What Made Milwaukee Famous and the Dung Beatles)
May 31 - Spanish Moon, Baton Rouge, LA (with Spoon)
June 24 - Gypsy Tea Rooms, Dallas, TX (with Spoon, The Clientele)
June 25 - Stubbs, Austin, TX (with Spoon, The Clientele)the new cd, 'Shortly After Take-Off' is out next Tuesday, (May 26) but can be preordered now via the 12XU shop.
Incredibly, the Speaking Canaries are in the midst of a US tour :Fri 5-20 Common Grounds, Gainesville, FL
Sat 5-21 New World Brewery, Tampa, FL
Sun 5-22 Sluggos , Pensacola, FL
Thu 5-26 Ottobar, Baltimore, MD
Fri 5-27 Rex's Bar , West Chester, PA[April 25, 2005]
(After receiving confirmation from forensics specialists that much of the mixing and recording of Sally Crewe's albums took place on these premises, City Of Austin officials ordered the demolition of Jim Eno's Public Hi-Fi Studios. Supposedly, some other band recorded there, too. Photograph by Sally Crewe.)With a month to go before the release of Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves' 'Shortly After Take-Off' CD (12XU 025-2), we're pleased to reveal the 2nd preview MP3 from this poptastic masterwork, "Pane Of Glass".
Sally and her snazzy ensemble have the following shows in the days ahead :
May 1 - Pecan Street Arts Festival (Starbucks stage), 6th Street, Austin TX (free)
May 26 - Emo's, Austin, TX (with Britt Daniel, What Made Milwaukee Famous)
June 24 - Gypsy Tea Room, Dallas, TX (with Spoon, The Clientele)
June 25 - Stubbs, Austin, TX (with Spoon, The Clientele).A promotional video for "Good Morning, Aston Martin" (directed by Daniel Isaac) will be available for viewing very soon.
The revised Chris Brokaw tour schedule :
April 24 - The Left Bank, Edinburgh, UK
April 25 - Snafu, Aberdeen, UK
April 26 - Mono, Glasgow, UK
April 28 - John Hewitt, Belfast, Ireland
April 29 - The Boom Boom Room, Dublin, Ireland
April 30 - Riddler's Bar, Limmerick, IrelandMay 25 - Zuzu, Cambridge, MA (with Kahoots)
May 27 - Quiet Storm, Pittsburgh, PA (with Kahoots)
May 28 - Beat Kitchen, Chicago, IL (with Kahoots)
June 1 - Knitting Factory, NY (with Kahoots and Antietam)[April 5, 2005]
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves and Chris Brokaw both played excellent sets at SXSW last month, adding a touch of class to the sickening confines of 6th Street's Friends Bar. Our sincere thanks to the organizers of SXSW for their assistance with this event, but said gratitude is not extended to the management and employees of the dubiously-monikered nightclub, who did everything in their power to make the evening a drag for performers and audience members alike.
Those complaints aside, thanks also go out to our friends Doug Gillard, Rebecca Gates, Moviola and the Black Swans, for taking part.
Additional salutations are due to Jennifer O'Connor, Pedro The Lion and our friends the Oxford Collapse for their thrilling performances at 12XU's Ruta Maya party.The new Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves CD, 'Shortly After Take-Off', while not available in shops until May 24, is now available for early orders at 12XU's online store.
You can catch Sally & band at one of the following shows, with more US dates to be announced soon
May 26 - Emo's, Austin, TX
June 24 - Gypsy Tea Room, Dallas, TX (with Spoon and the Clientele)
June 25 - Stubbs, Austin, TX (with Spoon and the Clientele).
Chris Brokaw will be playing some West Coast dates drumming for the New Year in mid-April. Before and afterwards, he's got the following solo shows planned :
April 6 - Gene Siskel Film Center (live performance of the 'I Was Born, But...' score while Roddy Bogawa's film plays on the big screen)
April 20 - Bunkers Hill Inn, Nottingham, UK
April 21 - Mr. Wolf's, Bristol, UK
April 22 - Barden's Boudoir, London, UK
April 23 - The Unicorn, Manchester, UK
April 24 - venue TBA, Edinburgh, UK
April 26 - Mono, Glasgow, UK
April 28 - John Hewitt, Belfast, Ireland
April 29 - The Boom Boom Room, Dublin, Ireland
April 30 - Riddler's Bar, Limmerick, Ireland
Silkworm will be making a rare visit to the West Coast with the following April gigs :
April 13 - Knitting Factory, LA, CA
April 14 - Howie & Son's Pizza, Visalia, CA
April 15 - Bottom Of The Hill, SF, CA
April 16 - Crocodile Cafe, Seattle(all shows supporting The New Year)
and last but not least, Spoon are off to Europe this week, playing their biggest gigs to date outside of America in support of Interpol. In June, they'll be headlining some of the biggest US shows in their career.
04-06 Dublin, Ireland - Olympia *
04-08 London, England - Brixton Academy *
04-11 Hamburg, Germany - Grosse Freiheit *
04-12 Koln, Germany - E-Werk *
04-13 Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle *
04-15 Treviso, Italy - New Age *
04-16 Firenze, Italy - Sasch Hall *
04-17 Modena, Italy - Vox *
04-19 Bordeaux, France - Le Krakatoa *
04-20 Nantes, France - Halle de la Trocardiere *
04-21 Paris, France - Le Zenith *
04-24 Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz *
04-25 Madrid, Spain - La Riviera *
04-30 Indio, CA - Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
06-01 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse #
06-02 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle #
06-03 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club #
06-04 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts #
06-05 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace #
06-06 Northampton, MA - Pearl Street #
06-07 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club #
06-08 New York, NY - Webster Hall #
06-09 New York, NY - Webster Hall #
06-10 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom #
06-11 Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre #
06-12 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue #
06-13 Lawrence, KS - Granada #
06-14 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater #
06-16 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom #
06-17 Vancouver, British Columbia #
06-18 Seattle, WA - Showbox #
06-20 San Francisco, CA - TBA #
06-21 Los Angeles, CA - TBA #
06-22 Tempe, AZ - TBA #
06-24 Dallas, TX - Gypsy Tea Room #@
06-25 Austin, TX - Stubbs #@
* - with Interpol
# - with The Clientele
@ - with Sally Crewe & The Sudden MovesA new 7"/CD single of "I Turn My Camera On" will be released in a few weeks time on Matador outside of the North America, followed by the CD/LP release of 'Gimme Fiction' on May 9 . Said album will be available in North America on the 10th of May from Merge.
[07.02.05]
(while airport security are harrassing law-abiding citizens, pop terrorist Sally Crewe tries to remain inconspicious. photo by Gerard Cosloy)
The long awaited 2nd album from Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves, 'Shortly After Take-Off' (12XU 025-2) will be released on May 24, 2005.
Recorded at London's Gravity Shack with engineer Pat Collier, the UK based Sudden Moves lineup were joined by Kimberley Rew (Soft Boys, Katrina & The Waves) on backing vocals. Spoon's Josh Zarbo and Eric Friend make a guest appearance on "Casino". The album was mixed by Jim Eno and Sally Crewe at the former's Public Hifi studio last spring.
A preview of the new album in the form of an mp3 of "Good Morning, Aston Martin" can be downloaded here.
The newly ensconced-in-Austin version of the Sudden Moves have the following gigs scheduled :
Thursday, February 24 - Trophy's, 2008 South Congress Ave., Austin, TX (with The Soft Set)
Saturday, March 19 - Friend's, Austin TX (SXSW, with Chris Brokaw, Doug Gillard, Moviola)
Joel R.L. Phelps & The Downer Trio have the following shows on tap :
Monday, February 21 - Sam Bond's, Eugene, OR
Tuesday, February 22 - Hotel Utah, San Francisco, CA
Wednesday, February 23 - Fulcrum Records, Chico, CA
Thursday, February 24 - venue tba, Portland, OR
Friday, February 25 - Sunset Tavern, Seattle, WA
Fresh off a US tour supporting Early Day Miners, Chris Brokaw has more solo dates planned :
Sunday, February 27, North Six, Brooklyn, NY (with Rachels)
Wednesday, March 2, Middle East, Cambridge, MA (with Lou Barlow)
Friday, March 18, Friends, Austin, TX (SXSW with Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves, Doug Gillard, Moviola)
Silkworm's first midwestern shows in many a moon will take place on the following dates :Friday, March 18 - The Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL (with Mirror America)
Saturday, March 19 - Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis, MNFinally, it is with a mixture of appreciation and regret that we announce that the new Spoon album, 'Gimme Fiction', will released by a label other than 12XU in Europe. An official announcement will be forthcoming in a few days time, but rest assured, Spoon's European duties will be handled by an independent label we all know and love. Well, at least a label we all know. Said album, the band's 5th, is coming out in North America on May 10 via Merge, and was co-produced by Spoon and longtime associate Mike McCarthy. Suffice to say, this recording is nothing short of a musical and lyrical masterpiece, and should provide thrills aplenty for both longtime Spoon fans and those whose combination of poor taste and ignorance have let them down previously.
(8 February update : 'Gimme Fiction' will be released on 9 May throughout Europe by Matador Records.)
The staff, shareholders, former employees and unpaid interns at 12XU would like to wish Spoon the very best in their future endeavors. It was our privilege to be associated with this world-class rock'n'roll band, and we'll continue to do the band's back catalog justice....by keeping overstock out of the sun's rays.
In the promo-tastic run up to the UK release of 'Gimme Fiction', Spoon will be playing the Slint curated All Tomorrow's Parties festival at Camber Sands, Rye, UK on February 26, followed by a headlining show at London's Garage on February 28. Tickets are available here.
[26.12.04]
The latest lineup of Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves made their US debut at Austin, TX's Emo's on Saturday the 18th, previewing 8 songs from the forthcoming 'Shortly After Take-Off' CD (12XU 025-2), along with a new one, "Looks Fast For A Reason". Crewe and band will be back in action this coming January 8 at the same venue (see below). Admission is free for those over 18, $5 for those who aren't. There's a MySpace page now up for Ms. Crewe and it is not unlikely that you'll be able to hear an advance stream of some of the new album there very shortly.
Chris Brokaw has the following solo dates scheduled in the US in support of Early Day Miners :
Jan 18 05 - The Jackpot, Lawrence, KS
Jan 19 05 - Vaudville Mews, Des Moines, IA
Jan 20 05 - Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO
Jan 21 05 - venue TBC, Salt Lake City, UT
Jan 22 05 - Neurolux, Boise, ID
Jan 23 05 - Manium, Olympia, WA
Jan 24 05 - Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Jan 25 05 - Bottom Of The Hill, San Francisco, CA
Jan 26 05 - Alterknit, Knitting Factory, LA
Jan 28 05 - Zephyr Bar, Reno, NV
Feb 2 05 - Circle Bar, New Orleans, LA
Feb 4 05 - Wright University, Dayton, OH
Feb 5 05 - Empty Bottle, Chicago, ILUK dates are tentatively planned for later in February.
Silkworm will making their first Chicago appearance in some time this coming January 7 at the city's lovely Logan Square Auditorium, with Lacerati and Mirror America in support.
Spoon have completed recording, mixing and mastering on their 5th album. A short quicktime video clip from the sessions for said album can currently be found at the band's official site. Further details about the release date, title, etc. of this record will be revealed shortly. Though possibly by someone else. Spoon will making their first UK appearance in over two years when they play at the Slint-curated All Tomorrow's Parties festival, taking place in seaside Camber Sands, Rye, February 25-27.
Though we've sadly been out of the loop regarding activities for The Speaking Canaries, we can report with some glee that the Damon Che and backing ensemble have been playing around the Eastern US once again. The band played live on WFMU's Push Bin last week, and an MP3 and Real Audio stream of said performance have been archived.
Though we don't have any new Joel RL Phelps and The Downer Trio dates to announce at present, we are happy to tell you that the band have prepared some snazzy t-shirts that pay homage to Vancouver's sucker punch martyr, Todd Bertuzzi. Sort of.
On behalf of 12XU's artists, management, invisible interns, fired publicists and all the fucking mosquitos in our backyard, we wish you the happiest of holidays.[08.11.04]
Chris Brokaw on tour
12.11. GER - Geislingen, Rätschenmühle
13.11. GER - Offenbach, Moschee (with Nyles Lannon)
14.11. GER - Dresden, Scheune (with Fuck)
16.11. GER - Berlin, Cafe Zapata (with Joanna Newsom)
The new CD, 'I Was Born But..' (Original Film Score) (12XU 024-2) is out on 28.11, but is available now for mail order.
Information about the Roddy Bogawa documentary of the same name can be found here.
Spoon fans in the US will be pleased to know that a rebroadcast of the band's 2002 performance on PBS' "Austin City Limits" is scheduled for most markets on 11 December. The new Spoon album is tentatively scheduled for early 2005 release.
Spoon have the following US dates scheduled :
01.12 - Tipitina's, New Orleans, LA
02.12 - Engine Room, Houston, TX
03.12 - Trees, Dallas, TX
04.12 - Emo's, Austin, TX
Silkworm have the following Eastern US dates planned for November:
10.11 - Castaway's, Ithaca, NY
11.11 - Great Scott, Allston, MA
12.11 - Tonic, NYC, NY
13.11 - 31st St. Pub, Pittsburgh, PA
The Karl Hendricks Trio support on all shows.
The new Silkworm CD, 'It'll Be Cool' (12XU 023-2) is available now at smarter shops and directly from 12XU for European customers.
Though we have no forthcoming Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio shows to report, we can share with you a link to a new & improved JRLP site.
The release date for the 2nd Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves CD, 'Shortly After Take-Off' (12XU 025-2) is tentatively planned for February 2005. A new lineup of the Sudden Moves will have a one-off date in Austin sometime in mid-December, details to follow.
Lovers of independent label trivia will be thrilled to learn that 12XU has moved operations from London to Austin, Texas. Sadly, as much of the label's overstock is currently in transit between the UK and US, many online and mail orders from September and October '04 have been delayed. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to have all back orders processed shortly.Please note that in light of the label's new change of address, many prices have been changed to reflect the lower (or higher) postage costs for different territories. We've been able to dramatically lower our direct prices to US customers, while having to raise the prices for fans based in the UK and Europe.
[04.07.04]
Following his recent global travels, Chris Brokaw has a solo date scheduled for 6 July at Cambridge, MA's Lizard Lounge. Chris will be playing two sets, solo and electric.
(Chris Brokaw at Aboveground Records, Edgartown, MA, 18 June '04, photograph by Mike Mackey)
After a round of US dates drumming with The New Year, Chris has the following solo dates planned :
24.07.04 - Kraftbrau, Kalamazoo, MI
30.07.04 - The Knitting Factory, New York City (with the Clientele)
09.08.04 - The Red Door, Portsmouth, NH
27.08.04 - Scheune, Dresden, Germany.Mr. Brokaw is featured on two new compilation albums ;
there's a live version of "My Idea" on the Sink & Stove label's 'The Hospital Radio Request List, Volume Two', and a crunktastic cover of "Bill Is Dead" on the What's So Funny About label's 'Perverted By Mark E. : A Tribute To The Fall'. The latter contribution featuring DJ Bizono, who may or may not be Matt Kadane, depending on who you ask.
Speaking of Mr. Kadane, his compatriots in Silkworm have a tremendous new album, 'It'll Be Cool' (12XU 024-2) on the popular compact disc format, scheduled for 13 September release on 12XU. The North American release of this title will be via Touch & Go on Tuesday, 14 September. We'll have some artwork for you to gaze longingly at in a few days time.Silkworm have the following Japanese dates to look forward to :
15.07.04 - Pipe 69, Osaka (with Morgue Side Cinema, 25M, Floater)
16.07.04 - O-Nest, Shibuta, Tokyo (with Rumtag, Mo'some Tondebender, 25M, Floater)
17.07.04 - Shelter, Shimoktiazawa, Tokyo (with Melt-Banana, Meat Eaters, Detroit 7)
19.07.04 - James Blueland, Kobe (with Meat Eaters, Portcuss, The Squeaks, 25M, Floater)
The new Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves album, 'Shortly After Take Off' has been moved to an early 2005 release. A solo acoustic version of Sally's "Drive It Like You Stole It" can be found on the newly released WFMU benefit double CD, 'Tunes On Toxic Terrain : WFMU Live From New Jersey', along with live performances by Neko Case, The Soft Boys, Gary Wilson, Devendra Banhart and Rocket From The Tombs. It was only a matter of time before Sally appeared on the same CD as Cheetah Chrome.
The studio version of "Friend Of The City", as heard on the 'Drive It Like You Stole It' CD, can now be found on the compilation 'Bob Harris Presents, Vol. 5', along with selections by Superdrag and Thea Gilmore. We'd love to report on the excellence of this collection, but the label that licensed Sally's track from 12XU hasn't bothered to send us a copy.
Though we neglected to tell you about Spoon's US dates in June, let us atone by directing you to a demo recording of a new song, "I Summon You", earmarked for Spoon's forthcoming 5th album.
People of Vancouver, if you didn't attend the gig below, there's only so much we can do for you.
[09.05.04]
Venue change : Chris Brokaw's London solo gig on Sunday, 16 May is no longer taking place at the Buffalo Bar. The new venue is Cargo, 83 Rivington St., EC21 3AY. Support comes from the always brilliant James Orr Complex and tickets (£8) are available from Ticketweb and Wegottickets.com.
[27.04.04]
Spoon's Britt Daniel will be making a rare London appearance this coming Tuesday, 4 May at Highbury's Garage, supporting Now Its Overhead. I've often fantasised about a triple bill of N.I.O. with Death From Above and Explosions In The Sky, but perhaps that is telling you more about label management than you really wanted to know. In any event, it will probably be several months at the very least before Spoon visit the UK again, so you are encouraged to find your way to Highbury Corner next Tuesday to hear Britt delve into his treasure trove of songs old and new.
(when not having guitars stolen or being dicked out of Pixies gigs, Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio enjoy an evening at the lanes just like anybody else. They put on their shoes one at a time).
[19.04.04]
We're pleased to make available two mp3's from our most recent releases :
Chris Brokaw - My Confidante (from the CD EP 'My Confidante + 3' 12XU 022-2)
Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio - Kelly Grand Forks (from the CD/LP 'Customs', 12XU 021-2,1)
(Chris Brokaw, March 13 2004, Cape Cod, photograph by J.J. Gonson)
Chris Brokaw has the following solo dates in the UK scheduled :
14.05.04 - Nice & Sleazy, Glasgow
15.05.04 - Bannerman's, Edinburgh
16.05.04 - Buffalo Room, London
18.05.04 - The Social, Nottingham
20.05.04 - venue TBC, Bristol
(Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio, Red Eyed Fly, Austin, TX, 20 March 2004, photograph by Gerard Cosloy)
We should have further dates for Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio to announce shortly. Please be advised that we cannot ship copies of the new 'Customs' double CD to customers in North America ; the album is available in your lovely part of the globe via the Moneyshot label. If you're interested in ordering said title directly from Moneyshot, please feel free to drop us a line at 12XU and we'll forward your request to the appropriate party.
Silkworm have completed recording on their new full-length album, 'It'll Be Cool', scheduled for release this Autumn on 12XU (Europe) and Touch & Go (North America). We hope to have music to share with you, the discerning listener, very soon.
(the auxilliary Sudden Moves lineup at South By South West, 20 March 2004. From left to right, Eric Friend, Phil Prime, Sally Crewe, Josh Zarbo. Photography by Gerard Cosloy)
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves have also finished recording for their new album, 'Shortly After Take-Off' with Pat Collier at London's Gravity Shack. This past weekend, Kimberley Rew (Soft Boys, The Waves) stopped by to lend backing vocals to one of Sally's new songs, "Casino". Sally is on her way back to Austin, TX this week for mixing at the Garage with Spoon's Jim Eno.
(Sally Crewe and Phil Prime, BBC 6Music session, 21 March 2004, photograph by Gerard Cosloy)
While in Austin for 12XU's SXSW show, Sally Crewe played live on Bob Harris' BBC 6Music program. Sally and drummer Phil Prime performed "Pane Of Glass" (certain to be one of 'Shortly After Take-Off''s standouts) and "Friend Of The City". Sincere thanks to Bob and his team for having us.
Spoon's Britt Daniel has the following solo shows forthcoming in the U.S.
19.04.04 - Hotel Utah, San Francisco, CA
21.04.04 - The Casbah, San Diego, CA
23.04.04 - Stinkweed's, Phoenix, AZ
Finally, we're saddened to report that 12XU's former publicist, an avowed family man, was overheard at the recent All Tomorrow's Parties event in Camber Sands boasting of his crack intake that weekend. Knowing that our former colleague had worked so hard on behalf of this label and its artists, we sincerely hope he gets the professional help he needs. Either that, or some mouthwash.[16.03.04]
The new Chris Brokaw EP, 'My Confidante + 3' (12XU 022-2) will be out on 12 April. Chris has the following solo dates scheduled :
29.03.04 - The Red Door, Portsmouth NH US
02.04.04 - Covo, Bologna, Italy
03.04.04 - Init, Rome, Italy, with Laura Veirs
04.04.04 - Indie Roket Festival, Pescara, Italy
05.04.04 - venue TBC, Bari, Italy
11.04.04 - Blue Dhalia, Marina di Giolosa, Italy
13.04.04 - Show Case Plastic, Pesaro, Italy
14.04.04 - Aulario La Bomba, Cadiz, Spain with Grupo Salvaje
15.04.04 - Planta Baja, Granda, Spain
16.04.04 - La Yeseria, Murcia, Spain
17.04.04 - Cafe Teatro Club, Castellon, Spain
19.04.04 - Galeria ze Dos Bois, Lisbon, Portugal
20.04.04 - O Meu Mercedes, Porto, Portugal
21.04.04 - Playa Club, Coruna, Spain
22.04.04 - Teatro Central, Sevilla, Spain (with The Clientele)
23.04.04 - Cafe De La Dinamo, Madrid, Spain
24.04.04 - La Bote, Barcelona, Spain
25.04.04 - Gazteleku, Zarautz, Spain
02.05.04 - Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland OH US (with Thalia Zedek and Manta Ray
03.05.04 - The Eye, Pittsburgh PA US (with Thalia Zedek and Manta Ray)
04.05.04 - The Lagerhouse, Detroit MI US (with Thalia Zedek and Manta Ray)
05.05.04 - Empty Bottle, Chicago IL US (with Thalia Zedek and Manta Ray)
06.05.04 - Uncle Pleasant's, Louisville KY US (with Antietam)
07.05.04 - Pilot Light, Knoxville TN US (with Antietam)
08.05.04 - Vincent's Ear, Ashville NC US (with Antietam)
09.05.04 - The Go Room, Chapel Hill NC (with Antietam)
UK dates will follow later in May.
The following are confirmed stage times for 12XU's "Evening of Guilt, Recriminations & Hurt Feelings" at SXSW, Saturday March 20 (Red Eyed Fly, 710 Red River, Austin)8pm - Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio
9pm - Chris Brokaw
10pm - Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves
11pm - Britt Daniel
12am - Silkworm
1am - Thalia Zedek
Sally Crewe will be playing live on Bob Harris' BBC 6Music program this coming Sunday evening between 6pm and 9pm BST. Bob is broadcasting live from Austin this week.
[02.02.04]
The following artists will be appearing at 12XU's call-it-anything-but-a-showcase night at South By Southwest, Austin, TX on Saturday, 20 March 2004.
Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio
Chris Brokaw
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves
Britt Daniel
Silkworm
Said event will take place at Red Eyed Fly, 715 Red River, Austin.
12XU will be releasing a new 4 song CD EP by Chris Brokaw on 12 April, 2004. "My Confidante + 3" is the new electric + vocals release from Brokaw featuring the following :
1) My Confidante (Brokaw)
2) 1000 MPH (Thalia Zedek)
3) Don't Be So In Love With Yourself (Liz Phair)
4) Across The Blue (Holly Anderson, Lisa Burns)
All three of the covers are previously unreleased compositions. Chris will be touring the UK, Spain and Portugal later this Spring, followed a US solo tour.The long-awaited new CD/LP from Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio, 'Customs' (12XU 021-1,2) will be released by 12XU in Europe on 19 April, and by Moneyshot in North America the following day. Initial quantities of the 'Customs' CD will include a 5 song bonus CD, 'Traditions'.
Quicktime video of Joel & band in session with Troy Glessner is available here.
The new album by Silkworm, as yet untitled, is scheduled for release this autumn.
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves are nearing completion of their 2nd album, 'Shortly After Take-off', with an Autumn 2004 release planned. Recorded with Pat Collier at London's Gravity Shack, the album is being mixed by Jim Eno at the Garage in Austin, TX.
Also the subject of much attention at that revered studio, is the recording of Spoon's 5th album, currently taking place with the assistance of John Vanderslice. As we receive more news about this hotly anticipated followup to 'Kill The Moonlight', we'll be sure to pass it on (after we've read about it elsewhere).
In other Spoon news, avid viewers of bad satellite television in the UK have recently been treated to Spoon providing incidental music to programs such as "Surf Girls" and "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy". Back in the USA, Spoon have also provided musical accompaniment for recent episodes of "Everwood" and "The O.C.". We've seen the former program and it is the source of much confusion. Are we supposed to believe Treat Williams is Jewish?Mojo's Andrew Carden had the following to say about The Speaking Canaries' 'Get Out Alive : The Last Type Story' (12XU 020-2).
The bad news is that under Drinky's new incentive-laden contract with 12XU, we now are obliged to pay the publicist's overdue tab at Odd Bins. So it might be a few months before we can pay anyone else. Sorry.
Upcoming live events :
Chris Brokaw
12.03.04 - Zeitgeist Gallery, Cambridge MA
13.03.04 - Offshore Ale, Oak Bluffs MA
Britt Daniel22.02.04 - Antone's, Austin TX (with The Zombies)
Spoon
05.03.04 - The Parish, Austin TX
06.03.04 - The Parish, Austin TX
2003 Musical Favourites as picked by our cavalcade of stars (well, some of them)
Britt Daniel, Spoon
Cliff Martinez - 'Solaris' (Score)
The Natural History - 'Beat Beat Heartbeat'
Crooked Fingers - 'Red Devil Dawn'
The Fiery Furnaces - 'Gallowsbird's Bark'
M Ward - 'Transfiguration of Vincent'
Kool Keith - 'Lost Masters'
The Neptunes - 'Clones'
Clientele - 'The Violet Hour'
Young People - 'War Prayers'
The Oranges Band - 'All Around'
Chris Brokaw
top ten records
1 joshua fit for battle - to bring our own end
2 peter brotzmann/walter perkins - the ink is gone
3 milo jones - sassy trax
4 rhythm and sound - the artists (burial mix)
5 thomas brinkmann - tanks a lot
6 marc ribot - scelsi morning
7 allessandro bosetti/annette krebs
8 fennesz - live in japan
9 ernst reijseger - janna
10 m ward - transfiguration of vincent
live shows:
kelley/corsano/flaherty - berwick institute, boston ma
queens of the stone age - v festival, england
don rickles - foxwoods casino, connecticut
jenifer jackson - init, rome, italy
vic chesnutt - the orange peel, asheville nc
noel kupersmith - schuba's, chicago il
silkworm - fat cat's, houston tx
lambchop - springwater, nashville tn
dead meadow - middle east, cambridge ma
milo jones - zuzu, cambridge ma
cardigans - halden festival, germany
rebecca gates - casa de popolo, montreal
brokeback - maxwell's, hoboken nj
nikki sudden - berlin, germany
bettie serveert - nita's, tempe az
12XU Label Management
Consonant - Love & Affliction (Fenway)
Howard Hello - Don't Drink His Blood (Temporary Residence)
Wire - Send (Pink Flag)
James Orr Complex - Chori's Bundle (Rock Action)
Blood Brothers - Burn Piano Island Burn (Artist Direct)
Chris Brokaw - Wandering As Water (Return To Sender)
The Fall - Country On The Click (Action)
Richard Buckner - Impasse (Overcoat)
Califone - Quicksand/Cradlesnakes (Thrill Jockey)
Dump - A Grown Ass Man (Shrimper)
Sensational - Natural Shine (Wordsound)
Styrofoam - I'm What's There To Show That Something's Missing (Morr Music)
Pluramon - Dreams Top Rock (Karoke Kalk)[07.12.03]
the following are updated tour dates for Chris Brokaw :
06.12.03 - Kampnagel, Hamburg, Germany
07.12.03 - Popcentrale, Dordrecht, Holland
09.12.03 - house concert, Essen, Germany (for info, email home@carstenwohlfeld.com
10.12.03 - Charlatan, Ghent, Belgium
11.12.03 - Upstairs at the Paradisco, with Carol Van Dijk and Peter Visser
12.12.03 - Nijdrop, Opwijk, Belgium, with Rivulets
Though we have no further details for you concerning the release of the new Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio CD, 'Customs' (12XU 021-2) as we're still awaiting resolution of the album's US release, we do have a recent photograph of Mr. Phelps in action, courtesy of Christa Min.
Silkworm are nearing completion of their next album, tentatively scheduled for release during the first half of 2004.
"Don't Look Back", "Penalty Box", "Xian Undertaker" and "The Operative" are amongst the new titles we're familiarising ourselves with.
(Britt Daniel, All Tomorrow's Parties, Long Beach, November 8 '03, photograph by Gerard Cosloy)
Though we don't have any new Spoon gigs to announce, the band continue work on their forthcoming 5th full-length album scheduled for release sometime in 2004.
You can add Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves to the list of 12XU artists currently in the studio. Album number 2, recorded with Pat Collier is entitled 'Shortly After Take-Off'. In addition to possible solo dates by Sally in New York next January, the UK Sudden Moves lineup are scheduled to make their US debut at South By Southwest in Austin, TX next March. Plans are afoot for a 12XU Night, and once we've talked everyone into it, we'll talk you into attending.
Not much burning news at the moment concerning The Speaking Canaries, though we are happy to pass along the news that 'Get Out Alive : The Last Type Story' has been named "Underground Album Of The Month" in the February 2004 issue of Mojo. Our friends at San Francisco's Aquarius Records had the following to say about 'Get Out Alive' :
"Wow, we were surprised and pleased to see the release of a new The(e) Speaking Canaries album! It's been quite a while since 1995's Songs For The Terrestrially Challenged, but they've still got it, in fact, this may be even better than we remembered 'em being. The Speaking Canaries, for those for whom 1995 is a blur, are a band from Pittsburgh featuring the talents of Don Caballero drummer Damon Che. Che plays drums on half the album, but the whole disc showcases his just-as-impressive ability with the electric guitar. His nimble, Eddie Van Halen styled guitar licks are distorted, yet cleanly chiming n' gorgeous. Yep, we said Eddie Van Halen. If you've never heard The Speaking Canaries before you're in for a surprise -- Van Halen is an obvious, huge influence. And Damon even lets off some some jubilant David Lee Roth yelps. But, don't get the wrong idea, this is a melodic indie-pop record, not any sort of retro '80s hair metal throwback. The songs are somewhat complex and mathy (as you'd expect from a Don Cabber) but have pop hooks a la Foo Fighters. And these days, after after Trans Am and The Fucking Champs and so forth, the idea of heavy metal guitar heroes in an indie-rock context isn't so novel. It's just good music. Damon and co. kick ass on this record, from the three-minute track one (with the excellent title "I Wear Glasses in the Most Brutal Sport Ever Invented") to the disc's hidden bonus track finale. Very recommended! (PS The cd and LP have different artwork, so don't get confused.)" .
Finally, we've had a number of inquiries from individuals wanting to know if 12XU has a "street team". Sadly, the answer is no, we're not nearly that organised. That said, we are looking for volunteers willing to set themselves on fire in front of the offices of the NME, XFM or Hermana P.R. If you're ready to join 12XU's Self-Immolation Squad, be sure to contact the label's braintrust - info@12XU.net.[27.10.03]
following a November US tour with Rebecca Gates, Chris Brokaw returns to the continent for the following dates :
28.11.03 - Fictio, Chieti, Italy
29.11.03 - Init, Rome, Italy (with Hugo Race)
30.11.03 - Moquette, Forla, Italy
01.12.03 - Percha, Verbania, Italy
02.12.03 - instore performance, FNAC, Lausanne, Switzerland
02.12.03 - The Amalgame, Yverdon, Switzerland
03.12.03 - Harry Klein, Munich, Germany
04.12.03 - Star Club, Dresden, Germany
05.12.03 - Roter Salon, Berlin, Germany
06.12.03 - Kampnagel, Hamburg, Germany
12.12.03 - Nijdrop, Opwijk, BelgiumMr. Brokaw will have a new EP on 12XU in January 2004, followed by a new full-length album in the spring.
[02.10.03]
Damon Che (photograph by Skip)
we're only about 2 weeks away from the official release of the first new album from The Speaking Canaries in 6 years; 'Get Out Alive : The Last Type Story' (CD/ltd. edition LP, 12XU 020-2) and we're very confident that when you see & hear the full package you'll be as blown away as we are. Or in Drinky's case, shorten that to "blown", he's been unconsious most of the afternoon after blacking out midway through side one of the LP.
There's not much Spoon news to report other than Britt Daniel tipping Time Magazineabout the title of the next album before telling his 12XU. Good thing we don't have any photos of this guy in a hot tub.
Spoon are of course, getting things together for their next album. But first, they'll be playing the Long Beach, CA edition of All Tomorrow's Parties, sharing stages and dressing rooms with the likes of Iggy & The Stooges, Cat Power, Sonic Youth, Jackie-O Motherfucker and...uh....the Mars Volta. You've got to admit it was looking pretty good until we dropped that one in there.
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves debuted a ton of new material at their 20 September gig at Islington's Buffalo Bar, and they'll be back in the same neighborhood on 8 October, supporting Cinerama at the Garage.
(Sudden Moves at the Buffalo Bar, 20/09/03, photograph by Gerard Cosloy)
Sally & band will also be hitting the road for a short UK tour in late October/early November supporting The Natural History --- dates and venues to be confirmed shortly. Things are progressing nicely with the new Sudden Moves album --- March 2004 being the probable month of release.
The new Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio album, 'Customs' (12XU 021-2), is tentatively scheduled for release in February 2004, exact date to be confirmed when we know who will be handling the album in North America.
after a bunch of late August dates supporting and accompanying Evan Dando, Chris Brokaw has been on the West Coast playing with Consonant, along with making plans for a new 12XU EP coming in January.
Silkworm have been pretty active as well, with a spate of Midwestern US dates interspersed around the recording of their new album, at the moment earmarked for Spring 2004 release on 12XU (Europe) and Touch & Go (North America).
Label management would like to thank everyone who has been ordering new and old releases from the 12XU shop. We and the artists appreciate your support. Sadly, Drinky somehow got ahold of our Paypal password and most of the autumn windfall was redirected to his personal savings account. Upon further review, Drinky's tearful claims that the funds were desperately needed for "Muffy & Missy's tuition" didn't hold water as they've both run away from home. I'm not saying the Drinkster sucked down all of the money. But our local Oddbins took his photo down from the "do not accept checques from this man" list and now they have a framed portrait of Drinky in the front window bearing the legend "Customer Of The Century".
So I guess what I'm trying to say is, we might be a little late paying the manufacturing bill this month.
[17.08.03]
we are now taking advance orders for the new Spoon CD EP 'The Way We Get By' (12XU 018-2) and The Speaking Canaries' 'Get Out Alive : The Last Type Story' CD/LP (12XU 020-2,1) at the 12XU store. The former has been pushed back to 15 September, but if you order it now you'll probably get your copy long before it hits the shops. The latter is coming in October, but as always, our mail order customers are extra-special and you'll get the Canaries LP or CD early as well.
Also, please note that the vinyl version of Spoon's 3rd album, 'Girls Can Tell' (12XU 006-1) is available for the first time to North American customers.
Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio have completed recording of their next album, 'Customs' (12XU 021-2) with engineer Troy Glenssner. Tentatively scheduled for release in January 2004, it is our belief that these recordings are the most stirring and powerful of Joel's thus far. And that's a bold statement. I mean, there's not much to improve on. Could Richard Noble drive twice as fast? Could David Blaine be twice as untalented? Could Barry Bonds be twice as surly?
Joel & band have also recorded some bonus material that may or may not be included as a bonus disc with the initial release of 'Customs' --- it all depends on how heavy the boxes turn out to be and how label management's back therapy is progressing. In the meantime, Mr. Phelps recently supported Spoon and Nina Nastasia on seperate Vancouver dates, and he and the Downer Trio are currently touring the U.S. west coast with Treasure State.
Silkworm have been in and out the studio throughout the summer, working on their next album, tentatively scheduled for early 2004 release on 12XU in Europe and Touch & Go in North America. The following Silkworm US dates are happening in September :8 September – Abbey Pub, Chicago, IL (with Loraxx, Dead Electric, .22)
12 September – Andy Warhol Musuem, Pittsburgh, PA (with Karl Hendricks Trio)
13 September – 31st Street Pub, Pittsburgh, PA (with Karl Hendricks Trio)
26 September – Schubas, Chicago (with Karl Hendricks Trio)
27 September – Cactus Club, Madison, WI (with Sunn 0)))) )
(The Sudden Moves' Phil Prime trying to remember his favourite Vibrators song, photograph by Sally Crewe)
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves have also been toiling away, working on their 2nd album (their first to feature the band's current live lineup) with engineer Pat Collier. The early results are a pretty massive departure from the 'Drive It Like You Stole It' recordings and seem to mark Ms. Crewe's most ambitious pop gambit to date, lyrically, musical, sonically, etc. Visitors to the new-look Sudden Moves site will note that Sally is hunting for a new keyboardist, as plans are afoot for Laura Bridge to move from keys to bass in the near future. The next full-band gig will be at Highbury's Buffalo Bar on 20 September, followed by additional London gigs later in the autumn...and quite possibly a Sally Crewe solo set in Los Angeles in early November. We're still hoping the November EU dates with Destroyer are happening and as soon as we know, you will too.
In the wake of a massive outdoor gig at NYC's Battery Park, Spoon are enjoying a rare bit of down time...which won't last long as they're already formulating plans for writing & recording new stuff for the inevitable followup to 'Kill The Moonlight'. Spoon will be playing the Long Beach, CA edition of All Tomorrow's Parties on November 8-9, so maybe that will offer a hint or 2 about the next album. Said multi-band event (also scheduled to include the re-united Stooges, Modest Mouse, Cat Power, Mission Of Burma, the Magic Band and others) is being curated by Simpsons/Futurama/Life In Hell creator Matt Groening. Perhaps this is as good a time as any to mention that the woman that does the voice of Bart Simpson is a Scientologist.
Chris Brokaw is so insanely busy with his global travels and stadium sideman action for Evan Dando, he sometimes forgets to tell us that's he's playing solo shows in just a few days. But better late than never :
18 August – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham (with Evan Dando)
21 August - Iforbach, Cardiff (with Evan Dando)
2 September – Shuba’s, Chicago USA.
As mentioned previously, Chris' new solo acoustic album, 'Wandering As Water' is finally out on Return To Sender and it features a superior recording of the sort of thing Mr. Brokaw has been doing live the past 18 months or so....which is to say, some of his own songs vocalized, some old Come songs, some covers, lots of instrumentals, stuff from 'Red Cities', etc. You can either purchase a copy from Chris at one of his gigs, or you can check out the mail order info at his site.
Chris' guitar playing can be heard all over the amazing new album from Consonant, 'Love & Affliction', out this monday 18 August on the Fenway label.
Other than that, we're looking into the ways and means of getting the Speaking Canaries over to these shores, and we're also trying to find a liver donor for our p.r. guy. The doctor says he doesn't actually need a liver transplant, but Drinky was so moved by the recent stories concerning George Best that he insists that we "stockpile" as many livers as possible, "just in case"
[14.07.03]
the revised art for The Speaking Canaries - Get Out Alive : The Last Type Story (12XU 020-1,2) is shown above. The album will be out 19.10.03 on CD and limited edition vinyl.
track listing :
I Wear Glasses in the Most Brutal Sport Ever Invented (2:55)
Menopause Diaries (4:47) (mp3)
Last Type (4:29)
Coffin Jitters (3:29)
Last Side of Town part 2 (6:04)
Life Like Homes (8:23)
Song on a Record You Can't Get (4:52)
Theme from Hospital Comedian (4:08)As mentioned previously, 'Get Out Alive' will be released in North America (20.10.03) by Scat Records.
The oft-promised new Spoon release, a CD EP entitled 'The Way We Get By' (12XU 018-2) will be released on 01.09.03. At present there is no U.S. release scheduled for this EP, however we fully expect the band will have copies for sale at their North American gigs. We're also pretty sure that one or more U.S. based mail order company will be handling this, but as always, you can order direct from 12XU.track listing :
1) The Way We Get By (from the album 'Kill The Moonlight', 12XU 014-2)
2) Metal Detektor (recorded for Music Choice, London, 2002, version previously unreleased)
3) I Am The Key (Music Choice session, La's cover, previously unreleased)
4) Anticipation (recorded on Joe Belock's "Three Chord Monte, WFMU, Jersey City, NJ, 2001, version previously unreleased)
5) Someone Something (recorded at KCRW, Santa Monica, CA, 2002, version previously unreleased)
6) Me & The Bean (KCRW session, version previously unreleased)
7) Advance Cassette (recorded at WNYU, New York, NY, version previously unreleased)
plus the following videos in quicktime form :
1) The Way We Get By (directed by Steve Hanft)
2) Small Stakes (directed by Peter & Julie Simonette)
3) Jonathan Fisk (directed by Ryan Junell)
the planned release of the "Drive It Like You Stole It" CDS from the Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves full-length of the same name (12XU 015-2) has been shelved. Instead, we'll be posting MP3's of karoke versions of said track as performed by maestro Kenny Campbell. Following her one-off solo gig in San Francisco, Sally & The Sudden Moves are playing Liverpool later this month (30.07.03) at the Slaughterhouse, supporting Mates Of State. Benelux & German dates later this autumn supporting Destroyer will be announced shortly.
Sally Crewe at SF's Make Out Room, 18.06.03, photograph by Gerard Cosloy
as recent audiences can attest, Sally has scads of new material and she's booked recording dates in London for later this summer with producer/engineer Pat Collier (Soft Boys, The Sound, Katrina & The Waves, House Of Love...fuck, we could go on all day) --- the first sessions for the 2nd Sudden Moves album, tentatively scheduled for early 2004 release.
Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio have almost completed work on their forthcoming 2004 album, tentatively entitled 'Customs' (12XU 021-2) Joel & friends have the following Western U.S. & Canada dates scheduled :
13.08.03 - Tonic Lounge, Portland OR
14.08.03 - Riff Raff Pizza & Pub, Chico CA
15.08.03 - The Stork Club, Oakland CA
16.08.03 - The Capital City Garage, Sacramento CA
18.08.03 - Club Galia, San Francisco CA
19.08.03 - John Henry's, Eugene OR
20.08.03 - Crocodile Cafe, Seattle WA
(Treasure State and The Mines appear on all dates)
)
shown above, the brand new Chris Brokaw acoustic album, 'Wandering As Water', available now from 5 August onwards from Return To Sender. When we have details on how our friends in North America can order this title, we'll let you know.
Mr. Brokaw has the following solo appearances scheduled :18.07.03 - CKUT, Montreal, live broadcast, 3-5pm eastern standard time.
19.07.-3 - Paradise (front room), Boston, MA with Milo Jones (free admission)
02.08.03 - Mercury Lounge, New York, NY with Steve Wynn
and finally, we'd like to state that last month's news concerning 12XU's hiring of an in-house publicist, was only intended to assist our friends in the media in their quest for information and materials. Any similarity between Drinky McGlugglug and the kind, generous, hard-working professional that 12XU previously employed, is entirely coincidental.
[15.06.03]
feets don't fail him now - Joel R.L. Phelps returns to the stage, photograph by Liane Hentscher
as mentioned in a previous update, Joel R.L. Phelps is back in the studio after a long absence working on a new full length album for 2004 release on 12XU (Europe) and Moneyshot (North America). In addition to Joel's recent series of gigs, he'll be supporting Spoon on 11 July at Richards On Richards, Vancouver B.C.
as for Spoon, they've got a bunch of new U.S. dates recently confirmed :
21.06.03 - Taste Of Randolph, Chicago, IL (mmmm, Randolph)
07.07.03 - The Bottleneck, Lawrence, KS (with Pedro The Lion)
08.07.03 - Bluebird, Denver, CO (with Pedro The Lion)
09.07.03 - Zephyr Club, Salt Lake City, UT (w/ Pedro the Lion)
11.07.03 - Richards On Richards, Vancouver BC (with Joel R.L. Phelps)
12.07.03 - The Showbox, Seattle, WA
13.07.03 - Berbati's Pan, Portland, OR
15.07.03 - The Filmore, San Francisco, CA
18.07.03 - El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
19.07.03 - Cane's, San Diego, CA
20.07.03 - Nita's Hideaway, Tempe, AZ
24.07.03 - Castle Clinton, Battery Park, New York, NY (free show)
full details surrounding the August release of "The Way We Get By" CD EP (12XU 019-2) will be announced just as soon as we can find of way of changing the track listing and release date that Pitchfork reported. Even if they're right this time, we're not going to let them get away with it. You might think this is incredibly petty. And this month's update isn't nearly done.
Britt Daniel has been occupied with production duties on the forthcoming album from I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness. Jim Eno is working with John Croslin on the next album from Mates Of State. As reported elsewhere, Spoon keyboardist Kevin Lovejoy has left the band to fill a similar role in the backing ensemble of teen songstress Molly Lipps, the 15 year old sensation described by her (step)father Murray as "the new Jewel, only much, much younger." We wish Kevin the very best in his future endeavors and sincerely hope he manages to reimburse 12XU the £25 we were charged for "special services" during his last stay at the Hotel Columbia.
in October, 12XU will be releasing the European edition of 'Get Out Alive : The Last Type Story' (12XU 020-2), the long awaited new CD/LP from The Speaking Canaries. Essentially a vehicle for Pittsburgh guitarist Damon Che, The Speaking Canaries have been responsible for some of the most thrilling moments in rock through their prior releases for the Scat and Mind Cure labels. The new album (also scheduled for simultaneous release on Scat in North America) redefines any notion of "guitar workout" in a rock (or non-rock) context and words like "epic" and "crunchtastic" don't really do it justice (particularly as "crunchtastic" isn't a real word. Drinky, did you write this?)Damon Che might be known to the handful of those paying attention as the drummer for such heavyweights as Don Caballero and the ill-fated US/Italy love connection known as Bellini. And that's ok, he's a great drummer and if you want to fixate on that, there's not much we can do about it. But the more than respectable output of those artists has zilch to do with the massive range shown on 'Get Out Alive', a record that defies genre and manages to be solidly traditional and totally avant all at once. The anti-Zwan, if you will.
not everyone would trade a £29,000.00 TVR Tuscan for the car shown above, but Sally Crewe isn't everyone.
Sally Crewe will be playing a solo gig at San Francisco's Make Out Room this coming Wednesday night (18 June). Sally is supported by SF bands the Cosmos and Parting Glance, neither of whom we can vouch for, but when has a noted rock venue ever booked Sally on a less than thrilling bill? (note to the Borderline --- you might not want to answer this question). Your author is familiar, however, with the Cosmos soccer team who used to run riot over their under-funded opposition at New Jersey's Giants Stadium. If the SF Cosmos can weave musical magic half as compelling as the silky skills displayed by the aging Pele, Chinaglia, Beckenbauer, Shep Messing (OK, that's enough)...well, they still won't be as good as Sally. But they don't have to be! There's no competition! To quote our old friends the Del Fuegos (now making "children's music" we're told, what the fuck, can't children buy A Handful Of Dust CD's like the rest of us?), "good luck to all bands".
The new Sally Crewe single, "Drive It Like You Stole It" (12XU 018-2) is slightly delayed as the artist sorts out some controversial b-side material. Early August arrival, we think. Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves will make their Liverpool debut on 30 July at the Slaughterhouse, supporting Mates Of State.
not everyone could swap the decaying automobile shown above for the deed to Apple Computer. But Sally Crewe isn't everyone. Free iPods for all! (except Hermana P.R., see below).
Alas, not all the news this month is cotton candy, Merchant-Ivory and exfoliating foot rubs. Some of it is more like stale Necco wafers, "New Wave Hookers II" and cat vomit in your trainers. We regret to announce that 12XU's publicity interests will no longer be handled by Hermana PR of London. The firm's proprietor, afffectionetly known by us as "Ken", is a saintly man and one of the most responsible, hard working individuals we have ever met. As he represents other, more important clients, we at 12XU cannot in good conscience continue to monopolise this gentleman's valuable time.
In the future, PR enquiries for 12XU and the label roster should be directed to Drinky McGlugglug, our new in-house press officer. Although we were unable to find a recent photograph of Drinky with his eyes open, the following might give you an idea of what a fun guy he is to work with.
DRINKY'S LIKES :
1) Drinkies (lots of 'em)
2) Barbeques (especially when they're outside....with drinks)
3) Loud chit-chat at gigs with his journalist mates
4) the off-license
5)" the entire 12XU roster, they're just brilliant!"
6) quality time with daughters Missy and Muffy (though it will be more fun when they're old enough to drink)
DRINKY'S DISLIKES1) hangovers
2) answering angry e-mail
3) mean people, especially those that talk loudly early in the morning
4) places that frown upon drinking (hospitals, school plays, police station)
5) very bright light
6) black cabs - why don't they have toilets?
so there you have it, party monster no. 1 on the loose and on our payroll. Drinky is dying to take you out for drinks (on the label tab, of course) so get in touch today!
[17.05.03]
Chris Brokaw solo gigs updated (all shows supporting Evan Dando ) :
may 18 -- amsterdam, netherlands, at the melkweg
may 19 -- hamburg, germany, at the schlachthof
may 21 -- stockholm, sweden, at the gote kallare
may 22 -- oslo, norway, at the john dee
may 23 -- malmo, sweden, at the kb
may 25 -- berlin, germany, at the columbiafritz
may 26 -- frankfurt, germany, at the mousounturm
may 27 -- munich, germany, at the feierwerk
may 28 -- milan, italy venue tbc
may 31 -- barcelona, spain, at the bikini
jun 2 -- paris, france, at la boule noire
jun 3 --brussels, belgium, at the ab boxThere's an unconfirmed tracklisting for the new Spoon EP up at Pitchfork. But who are you gonna believe, the band's trusted record label or a bullshit gossip site that can't even run a photo featuring a recent lineup?
[10.05.03]
Spoon - Jonathon Fisk (quicktime video, 30mb download), directed by Ryan Junell
in addition to the Sudden Moves' London date on 22 May (The Borderline), Sally Crewe will be playing solo in the U.S. on the following date :
18.06.03 - The Make Out Room, San Francisco.
Sunday, 11.05.03 is Mother's Day in the US. In the words of Richard Nixon, there is no greater responsibility than being a Mother. And he should know.
[05.05.03]
(Sally Crewe evading the law, video still from 12XU 018-2)
forthcoming releases :14.07.03 - Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves - "Drive It Like You Stole It" (album version ) / "Seen Your Video" CDS (12XU 018-2)
18.08.03 - Spoon - "The Way We Get By" CDEP (12XU 019-2) (final track listing tbc ; "The Way We Get By" from 'Kill The Moonlight', plus several previously unreleased tracks from various radio sessions around the globe).
In light of CD singles being a brutal ripoff, both of the above titles will include some special features --- none of which we can confirm yet as we're awaiting approval from the Brutality Comission.Chris Brokaw is currently touring the continent as a member of Evan Dando's touring band. In addition to this classy role, Chris will be making the following solo appearances in support of the former Lemonhead :
19 May - Schlatchthof, Hamburg
25 May - Columbiafritz, Berlin
26 May - Mousonturum, Frankfurt
27 May - Feierwerk, Munichthe new solo acoustic album from Chris Brokaw, 'Wandering As Water' will be out at the end of May via Return To Sender. Recorded this past February in Cambridge, MA by engineer Paul Q. Kolderie, 'Wandering As Water' will be available directly from Return To Sender/Normal, from Chris' website, or from Forced Exposure.
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves will be returning to a London stage on 22 May at the Borderline. There's tons of new material in the Sudden Moves' set so here's your chance to play mr. or ms. know-it-all long before they begin recording their 2nd album last this year. Album no. 1, the widely available and almost-new 'Drive It Like You Stole It' was recently the subject of an extended treatise by The Village Voice's Greg Milner.
On the subject of recording, this month's most welcome news is the return of Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio to the studio. In June, Joel starts work on his next album with engineer Troy Glessner. Though making promises we can't keep is something we prefer to leave to our friends at Parallelism, we'll go out on a limb and say this album should surface in late '03 / early '04. How's that for hedging our bets!
Joel & The Downer Trio continue their recent return to the stage with the following shows in the Pacific Northwest :Saturday May 17
(The Famous) Anza Club
Vancouver BC Canada
w/ (The) Treasure State
Beans
Saturday May 31
Crocodile Cafe
Seattle WA USA
w/ (The) Treasure State and Black Eyed Snakes
Saturday June 07 2003
Hotel Patricia
Vancouver BC Canada
w/ The Secret Three.
There's also a webcast scheduled for Monday, 12 May on CITR at 18:30 PDT (01:30 GMT, 13 May).
The new Silkworm acoustic covers EP, 'You Are Dignified' (12XU 017-2) is officially out tomorrow and is readily available from the 12XU online shop. North American customers can seek out the Touch & Go edition. Silkworm played the loud & soft stuff at a record release show of sorts (we say "of sorts" because for all of our collected years in the rock biz, we still have no idea what the purpose or appeal of a "record release show" is compared to any other performance) at Chicago's Hideout. We're expected several high profile reviews to appear in major UK publications because as always, our crack publicity team are on the case.[20.04.03]
Quicktime video from Sally Crewe's solo set on Tom Robinson's programme last week :
"Pane Of Glass", (solo), live on BBC 6 Music, 15.04.03
[08.04.03]
SALLY CREWE will be performing a short solo acoustic set on BBC6's Evening Sequence (hosted by Tom Robinson) on 15 April 2003 at 8pm BST (3pm EST). The program can be heard via Digital/DAB Radio, through Sky Satellite Channel 907, NTL Cable Channel 865, Telewest Channel 909..or through your trusty computer by clicking the "listen live" link on the BBC6 Music page (Real Player or Windows Media).
There are no plans for a cover of "2-4-6-8 Motorway". But if you don't listen you'll never know for sure.
[30.03.03]
Sally Crewe, live in NY last February (venue will not be mentioned as it sucks), photograph by Eve Primerecapping busy events that have occured or will happen shortly ;
SILKWORM - a series of well-received dates in Italy, Croatia and Slovakia have just been completed. The new acoustic covers EP, 'You Are Dignified' (12XU 017-2) has been pushed back to 5 May release (the CD will be released in North America by Touch & Go the following day. The band have some Texas shows coming up in support of The New Year, with a Chicago date at the Hideout timed to coincide with the 'You Are Dignified' release. Check the message board section for more details.Here's an MP3 from the new EP, Silkworm covering Robbie Fulks' "Let's Kill Saturday Night"
SALLY CREWE & THE SUDDEN MOVES - Sally returned to London after her solo gigs at Austin's SXSW festival, carrying home a ton of new press clippings. Speaking of carrying things, she did all the heavy lifting before and after the Sudden Moves' action-packed show in support of Quickspace at London's Spitz on 24 March. Several new songs recevied their domestic debut and the prevailing vibe wasn't very Radio 2 at all. But we thank Radio 2's Bob Harris for his support just the same. Sally + Sudden Moves will be playing London's Borderline on 22 May, though there's a chance of another date in the capital before then (watch this space). Sudden Moves regional UK shows and early summer gigs in Germany are being arranged, and there might be a solo date in San Francisco in June (watch the space next to this space). Coming in early June, 12XU will be releasing a CD single of "Drive It Like You Stole It" (12XU 018-2) plus a bunch of non-album material (Sally's still shifting through the pile).
SPOON - having just played to 2500 + folks during SXSW alongside Yo La Tengo (not that you'd know about it from reading the UK media's wrap-ups of the festival), Spoon are embarking on an April U.S. tour that should include a multi-night stand headlining New York's Irving Plaza. While it is too early to confirm anything (other than someone at our PR company missed the fucking boat by not seeing Spoon during SXSW), we're hopeful that Britt, Jim, Josh and Kevin will be back on these shores in late summer, playing indoors and outdoors. There's a chance of a new EP of sorts at that time as well. But only if you're good.
CHRIS BROKAW - as mentioned previously, Chris' new solo acoustic album is coming out in May via Normal Records. For the next few weeks, Chris has a bunch of solo dates in the U.S. supporting longtime friends Bettie Serveert (whom, by the way, have just released their excellent 5th album, 'Log 22' on the PIAS (UK) and Hidden Agenda (US) labels), followed by more solo shows in support of Califone and Brokeback.
Chris is a featured player on the new Evan Dando album, 'Baby I'm Bored' (Setanta/Bar None) and global events permitting, he'll be touring Europe in May/June as a member of Mr. Dando's ensemble. Chris has also been occupied with the recording of the 2nd Consonant album, coming late this summer from Fenway. We've heard an early version of this potential masterpiece and suffice to say that Clint Conley's new material is good enough to make everyone forget that he co-owned that nightclub in Rhode Island. This is our front-runner for best album of 2003 (though we reserve the right to bitch and moan that the unmixed demos were better after everyone else raves about the final product).
JOEL RL PHELPS - so we're at the end of March and everytime we turn on the TV there's some kind of atrocity to look at with some clueless, mumbling talking head incapable of putting ANYTHING in perspective. But enough about Kareem Abul-Jabbar's horrible work as a colour commentator during the NCAA basketball tournament. HE ran an independent label and at some point or another he must've felt the anguish of watching one of his favourite performers retreat from the public eye into self-imposed exile. So with that in mind, we are certain that the former Mr. Alcindor would be happy for us, for you and for the residents of Vancouver, BC to learn that Joel RL Phelps will be making the following appearances :
Friday, April 4, 2003. Sugar Refinery, 1115 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Joel RL Phelps (opening) with Fond of Tigers
Saturday, May 17, 2003. Anza Club, 3 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Joel RL Phelps and the Downer Trio, Treasure State, The Beans.
All kidding aside, this is the best news we're heard this year. The world is a poorer place without Joel's performances and it would be amazing if some new recordings surfaced at some future stage.[16.02.03]
quicktime video of Sally Crewe (solo) at TT The Bear, Cambridge, MA, 08.02.03
"Looks Like Trouble" (unreleased)
quicktime video of Sally Crewe (solo) at WFMU, 10.02.03
"Drive It Like You Stole It"
[05.02.03]
perhaps you've turned up here thanks to the snazzy banner ad (above). if so, the debut Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves CD can be preordered here. The release date is the 23rd of February in the U.S., 24th in the UK.
Or you can check out an mp3 of the album's title track, "Drive It Like You Stole It".
recent commentary :
"the staccato post-punk of Spoon's own work is returned by Crewe into clipped, neurotic sexual and verbal aggression...sneeringly in control when not running into trouble or falling apart, Crewe's persona is inspiring and insulting. Fresh, frisky pop for mature, modern boys and girls." - Nick Hasted, Uncut
"...salty vocals, neatly swinging guitars, and perky drums in a familiar but fresh, likable, heck, lovable blend of emo-pop, minus predictability. Songs are short and sweet ---like her, a half-pint whose punchy tales of rollicking youth get the Jim Eno/Britt Daniel touch." --- Village Voice
upcoming gigs:
08.02.03 - TT The Bear's, Cambridge, MA (solo)
10.02.03 - live broadcast, Three Chord Monte, WFMU, 12-3pm (US, EST), 5-8pm (BST).
11.02.03 - Arlene Grocery, 95 Stanton St., NYC (solo)
13.03.03 - BD Riley's, Austin, TX (solo)
24.03.03 - Spitz, 95 Commercial St., London (with the Playwrights) (full band)
[28.01.03]
coming 28.04.03 - Silkworm - You Are Dignified CD EP (12XU 017-2)
track listing :
1) Prayer To God (Shellac)
2) And Then.... (Stephen Malkmus)
3) Lepidoptera (Kadane/Kadane)
4) Let's Kill Saturday Night (Robbie Fulks)
5) That's All There Is (Nina Nastasia)
(Sally Crewe, Phil Prime at the Social, Nottingam, photograph by Gerard Cosloy)[16.01.03]
There should be some UK dates for Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves announced in the next week or so. In the meantime, Sally has the following solo appearances planned in the US in advance of the 'Drive It Like You Stole It' release;
08.02.03 - T.T. The Bear, Cambridge, MA
10.02.03 - Three Chord Monte, WFMU 5-8pm UK time (live broadcast, available via real audio, streaming mp3 or Windows Media)
11.02.03 - Arlene Grocery, 95 Stanton Street, NYCthere's some kind of solo radio session being recorded in Paris at the end of January -- when we have the details on that one, so will you.
Spoon have a couple of big Austin shows the week after next, followed by their first ever Australian tour. Check the Spoon site for details if you're in that part of the world. The band have another US tour in April, though we're not giving up the idea of getting them back to these shores, possibly in the summertime. A new video for "Small Stakes" (not the live quicktime clip you've already seen, a proper MTV style production with a four figure budget) will be hitting adventurous broad/narrow-cast outlets quite soon.
Silkworm and Chris Brokaw have each returned home from a handful of well received Western US shows with Consonant. Mr. Brokaw will be entering the studio with Consonant next week as they start recording their 2nd album ; Chris has a solo acoustic album coming out later this spring via Germany's Return To Sender. Chris will also be making his first appearance in the sleepy town of Moscow on April 4 when he and frequent collaborator/bandmate Thalia Zedek fly in for a one-off appearance.
As mentioned previously, the new Silkworm EP is called 'You Are Dignified' (12XU 017-2) and we should have an mp3 or 2 for your perusal before long. The release date is 28.04.03.
[20.12.02]
Spoon - Small Stakes quicktime video, live at the Paradiso, Amsterdam, 14.11.02
Spoon recently completed 2 weeks worth of European shows and returned home for a filming of "Austin City Limits". As this wonderful program is unavailable on our satellite system, we cannot tell you if Spoon were as good as Joe Ely or Charlie Sexton (but we're assuming they were a little bit better). 'Kill The Moonlight' has ended up on Best of 2002 lists in Uncut, The Face, Spex and a few other widely read places and for this there's only one thing to say : told ya so.
Spoon have Australian dates in January and another round of US touring in March. We're hopeful a return visit to these shores can be arranged before we forget if the band are a trio or a quartet.
We've received confirmation that Sally Crewe will be making a solo appearance at next March's South By Southwest in Austin, TX, with Eastern US dates in February. Domestic duties for Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves will resume in early 2003 and as soon as we have the details, so will you. In the meantime, the forthcoming Sudden Moves full-length CD, 'Drive It Like You Stole It' (12XU 015-2) is available now for preorder from the 12XU shop. We've also got brand new Spoon and Sudden Moves t-shirts in a variety of form-fitting sizes --- easily the perfect Christmas gift for those of you who have to buy things for yourself because your loved ones are too fucking cheap.
check it out (up there). The new solo CD EP from Silkworm's Tim Midgett is called 'It Goes Like This' and is available now as part of Threelobed's Purposeful Availment Series.
Silkworm's next 12XU release is scheduled for April 2003 ; a CD EP comprising covers of songs by Robbie Fulks, Shellac, Nina Nastasia and other favourites. Said EP is called 'You Are Dignified'. More news to follow.
Silkworm/Chris Brokaw US dates :09.01.03 - Knitting Factory, Los Angeles CA
10.01.03 - Bottom Of The Hill, San Francisco CA
11.01.03 - Crocodile Cafe, Seattle, WA
(all shows with Consonant)
finally, as Chris Brokaw was here last month, we've got an MP3 from a session he did for London's Music Choice ;Chris Brokaw - My Confidante
Favourites of 2002 :
Sally Crewe
Top 10 cars
2002 Nissan 350Z
1972/2002 Spyder Elan +2 (http://www.spydercars.co.uk)
1967 Ford Mustang Fastback
2003 Aston Martin DB7 Zagato
1967 Jacques Coune MGB Berlinette
1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato
1966 Triumph GT6
2002 Mazda MX-5 1.8i S
2002 BMW Mini Cooper S
1966 Aston Martin DB6Britt Daniel, Spoon
Bright Eyes -Lifted
Natural History - Natural History EP
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
Western Keys - Damage EP
Beck - Sea Change
Radio 4 - Gotham!
The Pretenders - Loose Screw
The Fiery Furnaces unreleased album
Young People s/t
Wire - Read and Burn 1
And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
John Vanderslice - Life & Death of an American Fourtracker
Tim Midgett, Silkworm
ten elements from 2002, no order, off the top of my head in ten minutes.
1. mulholland dr. - didn't see it until 2002. one of my favorite movies ever.
2. 'dynamite' comps on soul jazz. five double albs that are helping me get a bead on 60s/70s jamaica. always loved the music, never had the time to get too far beyond the obvious. these came out a few years ago, but i'm pretty much always late. i've listened to these for months now, and not much else.
3. "jackass." stupidly, i have not seen the movie, but the tv show makes me laugh out loud every time i watch it.
4. the guy who sits right by me at work, alternately laughing this pervy hyena laugh and horking up phlegm. i'm almost ready to kill him. 5. all tomorrow's parties at camber sands, uk. i can't do it justice. it was an amazing, reinvigorating cultural experience.
6. tivo. i believed the hype, and it's mostly true.
7. guys talking politics at work. man, what are these people doing wasting their time as product managers? run for office or something. 8. harput's adidas in san francisco. a modest and unique selection of fine footwear.
9. larry king. i feel like larry king writing his bullshitty little column right now. is he decomposing? possibly the luckiest guy in show business.
10. i am really verging on hackdom by giving my little shoutout to bikram yoga, but fuck, in one year i lost ten pounds and my cholesterol dropped thirty-five points. and i'm an inch taller. so don't knock it 'til you try it.
Chris Brokaw
the flatlanders - "going away"
thomas brinkmann - row
feist - at home
dj screw - chopped and screwed vol. 7
ernst reijseger - i love you so much it hurts
papa m - whatever, mortal
philip jeck - stoke
cecil taylor
alice in chains
chris smither
bob dylan -live 1975
thalia zedek -you're a big girl now
annette krebs- guitar12XU label management (conducted by secret ballot)
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Nonesuch)
Consonant - s/t (Fenway)
Richard Buckner - Impasse (Overcoat)
Wire - Read & Burn 01 and 02 (Pink Flag)
James Orr Complex -ep (Rock Action)
Black Dice - Beaches & Canyons (DFA)
Sonic Youth - Murray Street (Universal)
Damien Jurado & Gathered In Song- I Break Chairs (Sub Pop)
Destroyer - This Night (Merge)
Greg Davis - Arbor (Carpark)
Pedro The Lion - Control (Jade Tree)
Just Farr A Laugh (Failed Pilot)
The entire 12XU family wishes you a very happy end of the year and begining of the next. Unless you work for Federal Express.
[06.12.02]
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves - video from last month"Friend Of The City", quicktime video, live at The Social, Nottingham, 27.11.02
[23.11.02]
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves- 'Drive It Like You Stole It' CD (12XU 015-2), coming 24.02.03
[19.11.02]
(Spoon's Britt Daniel, all blurred out at the Paradiso, Amsterdam, 14 November 2002, photograph by Gerard Cosloy)
Real Audio of Spoon, recorded live at the Paradiso, Amsterdam, 14 November 2002. Thanks to Robert Lagendijk for the link and thanks to VPRO for recording the show
[12.11.02]
(Chris Brokaw at Acme Underground, NY, 02.11.02, photograph by Gerard Cosloy)
Chris Brokaw November-December 2002 dates
12.11.02 - Shock Club, Torino Italy (with The New Year)
14.11.02 - Bachelor Club, Fano, Italy (with The New Year)
15.11.02 - The Art & Co Club, Gorizia, Italy (with The New Year)
16.11.02 - Covo Club, Bologna, Italy (with The New Year)
17.11.02 - The Stanley Theatre, Liverpool UK (with J Mascis)
18.11.02 - La Belle Angele, Edinburgh, UK (with J Mascis)
19.11.02 - The Social,Nottingham,UK (with J Mascis)
21.11.02 - Dingwalls, London,UK (with J Mascis)
30.11.02 - Parterre, Basel, Switzerland
01.12.02 - Dreikeonigskeller, Frankfurt, Germany
02.12.02 - Starclub, Dresden,Germany (with Low)
03.12.02 - Minversum, Magdeburg, Germany
04.12.02 - Spreewaldmitte, Berlin, Germany
05.12.02 - Astratube, Hamburg,Germany
07.12.02 - Cafe Mono, Oslo, Norway
08.12.02 - Inkonst, Malmo, Sweden
[12.10.02]
Spoon- new video action
Small Stakes (quicktime)
promotional video, directed by Peter Simonite and Julie Simonite
Paper Tiger (quicktime)
live digital video, Bowery Ballroom, NYC, 21/09/02
Spoon European dates
14/11/02 : Paradiso - Amsterdam (NL) (with Bright Eyes, Girls Against Boys)
15/11/02 : AB - Brussels (B) (with Girls Against Boys)
16/11/02 : Forum - Bielefeld (D)
17/11/02 : Gebude 9 - Koln (D) (with the Libertines)
18/11/02 : Atomic Cafe - Munich (D)
20/11/02 : Blue Lezard - Lausanne (CH) (with Orange Black)
21/11/02 : Manufaktur - Stuttgart (D)
22/11/02 : Roter - Salon - Berlin (D)
23/11/02 : Molotow - Hamburg (D)
24/11/02 : Rotown - Rotterdam (NL)
25/11/02 : JJ Records, Hasselt (B) (Britt solo set)
25/11/02 : M.O.D. - Hasselt (B) (with Orange Black)
26/11/02 : Lintfabriek - Kontich (B)
27/11/02 : Social - Nottingham (UK), with Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves
29/11/02 : The Spitz - London (UK) with Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves, Kimberley Rew
tickets for the 29/11 show at the Spitz are available from Ticketweb
[10.09.02]
There was considerable chatter and boorish behavior on the part of select audience members at Chris Brokaw's London gig and you might've asked yourself, "Who are these persons who speak so loudly while I'm trying to enjoy this performance?"
Well, those persons are called publicists and journalists. The former are employed by this label and the latter are there because we have paid for their tickets. So the next time you feel compelled to tell someone at a show to shut the fuck up, please remember that these are very important people who are just doing their important work.
[03.09.02]
Spoon's 'Kill The Moonlight' CD/LP (12XU 014-2,1) is now available, either in better record shops or direct from 12XU. Initial mail/web orders will receive a free poster.
November dates in the UK, Germany, Benelux and France will be announced shortly.
A promotional video for "Small Stakes" has been completed and should be viewable on this site within the next few weeks.
the following mp3's are now available for download :Spoon - The Way We Get By mp3
from the CD/LP 'Kill The Moonlight' (12XU 014-2,1)
Spoon- Something To Look Forward To mp3
from the CD/LP 'Kill The Moonlight' (12XU 014-2,1)
other news:
Chris Brokaw :
...just completed a series of shows in the UK, Ireland and Germany to considerable acclaim. Chris will be returning to Europe in October, performing some dates on his own, others in support of J Mascis.
Silkworm :
on the heels of West Coast USA dates supporting Mission Of Burma, Silkworm are making plans for the recording of a new EP --- possibly an acoustic collection of covers --- for release early next year. more details to follow.
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves :
after an exhaustive search, the Sudden Moves now feature a talented rhythm section who have never been members of Spoon ; bassist Rhodri Marsden and drummer Phil Prime. The band are still looking for a keyboardist based in the Greater London area and you can contact Sally@thesuddenmoves.com if you're up to the task.
The release of the long promised 'Drive It Like You Stole It' CD (12XU 015-2) has been moved to January 2003 so as not to conflict with impending war in the Middle East/witch hunts in Cambridgeshire/the autumn's new television programmes. UK dates later this year will be announced soon.
Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio :
Joel first live performance in a very long spell took place this past July 5 at Seattle's I-Spy, in support of Treasure State (Robert Mercer's other trio). We are hopeful there will be more events like this in the not too distant future!
[14.08.02]
a new date has been added to Chris Brokaw's current tour ;15.08.02 - The Underground II (vogelsanger str 200), Koln
the following mp3's are now available for download :
Spoon - In The Right Place At The Right Time mp3
from the "Jonathon Fisk" CD single, 12XU 016-2, out 19.08.02
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves - The One That Got Away mp3
from the CD 'Drive It Like You Stole It', 12XU 015-2, out 2003
[16.07.02]
please be advised that the 07.08.02 Chris Brokaw performance advertised previously on this site and elsewhere as taking place at the Spitz, has now changed venues. The correct listing is as follows :07.08.02 - The Arts Cafe, 28 Commercial Street, London (Aldgate East or Liverpool Street tube stations)
[11.07.02]
upcoming releases :
Spoon - Kill The Moonlight CD/LP (12XU 014-2,1)
02.09.02
Spoon - Jonathon Fisk / Stay Don't Go + 2 CD single (12XU 016-2)
19.08.02
upcoming live shows:
Britt Daniel :
31.07.02 - 12 Bar Club, London
Chris Brokaw :
07.08.02 - The Arts Cafe, London
08.08.02 - Britons Protection, Manchester
09.08.02 - La Belle Angele, Edinburgh
10.08.02 - Whelans, Dublin
11.08.02 - Katy Dalys, Belfast
13.08.02 - Magnet, Berlin
16.08.02 - Loppen, Copenhagen
Silkworm :
12.07.02 - T.T. The Bear, Cambridge, MA (with consonant)
13.07.02 - Knitting Factory, New York City (with consonant)
24.07.02 - Experience Music Project, Seattle (with Mission Of Burma)
26.07.02 - The Filmore, San Francisco (with Mission Of Burma)
27.07.02 - El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles (with Mission Of Burma)
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves are seeking a London based drummer for live activity this autumn. Interested parties should send their contact details to sally@thesuddenmoves.com
[10.06.02]
forthcoming Chris Brokaw dates
07.08.02 - The Arts Cafe, London
08.08.02 - Britons Protection, Manchester
09.08.02 - La Belle Angele, Edinburgh
10.08.02 - Whelans, Dublin
11.08.02 - Katy Dalys, Belfast
Rock Action recording artist the James Orr Complex support on all shows. Possible Brighton date TBC.
Now available from the 12XU online shop ; '12002XU' (12XU 012-2) a 5 song label sampler CD including the following :
Silkworm - "A Cockfight Of Feelings" (from the CD/LP 'Italian Platinum')
Spoon - "Someone Something" (from the CD 'Kill The Moonlight', coming 19 August)
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves - "Forget It" (from the CD 'Drive It Like You Stole It', coming October 2002)
Chris Brokaw - "Shadows" (from the CD/LP 'Red Cities')
Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio - "Now You Are Found" (from the CD EP 'Inland Empires')
The CD is free with the purchase of the new Silkworm or Chris Brokaw albums, or £2.50 by its lonesome, postage inclusive. This CD can not be sold to customers in North America (sorry).[01.05.02]
more audio/video bandwidth hogging action :Silkworm - Dirty Air , digital video, soundcheck, thursday afternoon, The Garage, London, 25.04.02 (quicktime)
Silkworm - A Cockfight Of Feelings mp3, from 'Italian Platinum' CD/LP 12XU 011-2,1
Chris Brokaw - Shadows mp3, from 'Red Cities' 12XU CD/LP 12XU 010-2,1
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves - Forget It mp3, from the forthcoming full-length CD (October 2002)
[22.04.02]
For your viewing pleasure,
Silkworm: "(i hope u) don't survive", digital video, live at All Tomorrow's Parties, Camber Sands, Rye UK, 21.04.02 (Quicktime, recomended for broadband connections only).
"Drunk", digital video, same details as above (Quicktime)
Additional Chris Brokaw UK and Ireland dates :
29.04.02 - The Half Moon, Cork
30.04.02 - Roison Dubh, Galway
01.05.02 - Dolan's, Limerick
02.05.02 - Nerve Centre, Derry
03.05.02 - The Empire, Belast
04.05.02 - The Olympic Theatre, Dublin
05.05.02 - Zoo, Kilkenny
All shows supporting Evan Dando
[19.04.02]
Chris Brokaw - Red Cities CD / limited edition LP (12XU 010-2,1)
coming 3 June 2002. Pre-order now.
Silkworm - Italian Platinum CD / LP (12XU 011-2)
coming 3 June 2002. Pre-order now.
[20.03.02]
The following 12XU artists have dates forthcoming in the UK :
Silkworm:
photo by Heather Whinna
Sunday, 21 April - All Tomorrows Parties, Camber Sands, Rye, (8:15pm, stage one, with Mission Of Burma, Cheap Trick)
Thursday, 25 April - The Garage, London (with Mission Of Burma, Versus) (click here for tickets)
Saturday, 26 April - All Tomorrows Parties, Camber Sands, Rye (4:45pm, stage 2 with Shellac, consonant, Arcwelder)
Chris Brokaw:
photo by Tamara Bonn
Tuesday, 23 April - The Borderline, London (with The New Year, consonant) (click here for tickets)
There are some new Quicktime videos for your viewing pleasure (warning - if you don't have broadband, go make a sandwich while these are downloading ) :
Chris Brokaw - Calimoxcho, filmed live at Drinks On 6th, Austin, TX, March 13 2002 (photo). One of the highlights of the forthcoming 'Red Cities' LP/CD, performed in front of a groggy rock convention audience.
Spoon - Subspace Biographies, Mercury, Austin, TX, March 12 2002. One of Robert Pollard's most beloved solo compositions as covered by Spoon with Josh Zarbo guesting.
Spoon - Someone Something, Austin Music Awards, Austin Music Hall 13 2002. A busy week for tuxedo rentals. A new Spoon song performed at an annual event overflowing with self-congratulation and civic pride. The setting was wack, the performance wasn't.
Recording of the new Spoon album, their 4th, continues in Austin. The band report on their official site that the Mike McCarthy produced CD should include the following selections :
The Way We Get By
Small Stakes
Paper Tiger
Something to Look Forward To
Stay Don't Go
All The Pretty Girls Go To The City
Someone Something
Jonathan Fisk
Mike vs. The Piano Tuner
Back to The Life
A demo version of "Small Stakes" can be found here.
Spoon's La Zona Rosa gig on March 15 made international headlines when the highly touted NY trio, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, made a nuisance of themselves by stealing the surgical masks of Clinic, the bill's headliners. Sources report that Clinic got even with their tormentors later that night...by disguising themselves as a band that sucked.
The oft-mentioned debut from Sally Crewe and The Sudden Moves is still in the works; a second series of recordings in Austin with Jim Eno yielded excellent results, but a disasterous visit by the head engineer to this eating establishment resulted in unforseen delays. Sessions are scheduled to recommence in May, with plans for an album release in October --- hopefully a single will be available before that time.
A Sudden Moves lineup closely resembling that of another 12XU band fronted by Ms. Crewe, performed at South By Southwest earlier this month (photo). We're having difficulty encoding video footage from that performance, but there are more in the works. As the album gets closer to completion we'll have mp3 previews available on the site.
[20.02.02]
12XU is pleased to announce the release of a new LP/CD from Silkworm, Italian Platinum. Through their illustrious career recording knockout albums for labels such as C/Z, El Recordo, Matador and Touch & Go, the Montana trio (recently relocated to Chicago) have been one of the most adventurous & original in American rock'n'roll. Italian Platinum, recorded at Electrical Audio this past winter, is the first Silkworm release to feature the keyboard stylings of Matt Kadane (the New Year, Bedhead) as well as the first to showcase the guest vocal contributions of Kelly Hogan. 12XU will be issuing Italian Platinum on 3 June, under kind license from Touch & Go.
In April, Silkworm will be making their first UK appearances in over 4 years when they take part in the Shellac curated All Tomorrow's Parties, (Sunday, 21 April, Saturday 27 April) at Camber Sands, Rye. The band will also be playing a London gig in support of Mission Of Burma at the Garage (20-22 Highbury Corner) on 25 April. Tickets for this show are priced at £10 and are available here. Playing first on this all-star triple header will be Versus.
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves return to Jim Eno's Austin, TX studio this March to continue work on their forthcoming 12XU EP and subsequent album. The Sudden Moves will make their US debut as part of the overcrowded and ferociously competitive South By Southwest trade fair when they perform at Austin's Melagio (400 E. 6th St.), Thursday 14 March at midnight. Which technically means Friday morning, but let's not get confused.
Chris Brokaw will also be playing at SXSW, as part of the Kimchee Records showcase at Drinks On 6th, Wednesday 13 March. Mr. Brokaw's stunning solo CD/LP, Red Cities is coming out 3 June on 12XU in Europe, Atavistic in the United States. Londoners can catch Chris at the Borderline on 23 April ; his solo performance will begin the evening, after which he'll be playing guitar for consonant, then drumming for The New Year at the end of the night.
If that weren't enough for a label that is not exhibiting or officially attending this global confab, Austin residents Spoon will be playing at La Zona Rosa on Friday 15 March, along with Liverpool's Clinic. Spoon are continuing work with Mike McCarthy on their 4th album, tentatively scheduled for August 2002.
"Take The Fifth", from Spoon's Girls Can Tell, can be found on the CD glued to the cover of the March 2002 issue of Uncut (the issue with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on the cover). These giveaway CD's are usually a hit or miss affair and this one is no different , (can someone call us when the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club stop sucking?), but this one has a new song by the Notwist on it, so life could be worse. You could, for example, subscribe to this magazine thinking it was a specialist publication aimed at men with uncircumcised penises, or men seeking other men with uncircumcised penises. Imagine the frustration you'd feel upon paying for your subscription, only to receive monthly updates on Ryan Adams' continual attempts to morph into Billy Joel. You'd feel fucking ripped off.
For an entirely different reading experience, you can check out the latest issue of Larry Crane's Tape Op, featuring a look behind the scenes at Jim Eno's studio, though nary a word about the brains of the operation.
We have no musical news regarding Joel RL Phelps this month, though we have learned that he has a) relocated to Vancouver, BC and b) is engaged to be married. Congratulations all around, though perhaps we should send a card.
Robert Mercer of the Downer Trio has a new CD with his band, Treasure St., coming soon from Moneyshot.
[14.01.02]
The weekend before last was an eventful one for Britt Daniel. Friday the 4th's Borders instore was cancelled on very short notice, literally as Britt was getting off the plane at Gatwick. It seems that no one from Uncut Magazine had bothered to tell anyone at Borders what the deal was. Borders refused to have Britt perform, inspite of this performance causing them no hassle other than say, more persons spending money in the shop that night. In any case, we apologise to anyone inconvenienced by this, especially those of you who actually turned up.
On the bright side, Britt's solo gig at the Borderline with Kimberley Rew was well received (sore throat and all) with resulting press in the Independent, The Guardian and Evening Standard. In addition to appearances on London Live and Liberty Radio, Britt recorded a session for XFM which will be broadcast at a date to be confirmed very soon.
In the aftermath of this brief visit, we've seen favorable coverage for Spoon in the latest issues of Q, Mojo and Uncut, proving once and for all that not everyone is tone deaf. It also proves that ditching Circus promotions was the smartest thing we've ever done. Many thanks to our friends at Hermana and Cool Badge for their assistance.
Spoon are back in Jim Eno's studio working on their next album with producer Mike McCarthy, the same guy who worked with them on 2001's 'Girls Can Tell'. The band are shooting for a summer 2002 release on 12XU (Europe) and Merge (North America) with deadlines fast approaching.
After innumerable deays, you can now place orders online for 12XU titles with your credit card. Click the shop button above to get started.
Next update, we'll have news about an Austin, TX date for Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves, and some live UK action for Chris Brokaw. And maybe some new release dates. Who knows. This is really hard work, you should try it sometime.
[29.12.01]
Spoon's Britt Daniel will be playing the following solo shows in London next week:
Friday 4 January - Borders Books & Music, 203-207 Oxford St., London W1 (Oxford Circus Tube), 6:30pm, admission is free. Presented by Uncut.
Saturday 5 January - The Borderline, Orange Yard, London W1D (Tottenham Court Road Tube), 0207-395-0777, £6 advance tickets, £7 on the night.
Support for the Borderline show will be a solo performance from Kimberley Rew, best known to many of you as the guitar powerhouse behind the Soft Boys, as well as one-time charttoppers Katrina & The Waves. Rew's 2000 solo CD, 'Tunnel Into Summer', is still available from US label Gadfly
During his brief stay in London, Britt Daniel will be recording a session for XFM. When we have a confirmed airdate for this session, it will be announced on this site.
Spoon are continuing work on the 4th album, tentatively scheduled for release during the first half of 2002.
In other 12XU news, we have a couple of long-awaited new signings to blow our horns about. As mentioned previously in this section, guitarist/vocalist Sally Crewe has been preparing her label debut --- the newly configured Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves have been recording throughout December in Austin, TX, with plans to continue in March with possible live US dates at that time. Joined by Spoon's Jim Eno on drums and Britt Daniel on bass and keyboards, these are Crewe's first recordings since her tenures in the New York band Oscar and the Sheffield trio Bear. Suffice to say her new material displays her lyrical wit and melodic chops far more than prior endeavors. Check this site soon for a sneak preview.
Coming Spring 2002 from 12XU will be the full-length solo debut from Chris Brokaw, 'Red Cities' (12XU 010-2). One of the most inventive guitarists on the planet, Brokaw's playing has graced recordings by Pullman, Steve Wynn, Empty House Cooperative and the band he co-founded, Boston's Come. In addition to drumming on The New Year's recent debut album, Brokaw has been playing guitar this autumn for Clint Conley's as-yet-unnamed new band
'Red Cities', only available in Europe via 12XU (North American release details are pending), is an instrumental, guitar-heavy recording that is simply staggering in terms of stylistic range and emotional power. Those who have heard Chris Brokaw's playing with Come over the years will not be disappointed --- though even longtime fans might be surprised at how devestating his first solo album turns out. If you're not inclined to wait a few months, a split EP featuring 2 tracks by Chris and 2 tracks by the Spanish duo Viva Las Vegas has just been issued on the Acuarela label.
Finally, here are some 2001 highlights as chosen by our musician friends :
Britt Daniel, Spoon
The Clientele - Suburban Light
New Order - Get Ready
Brain Donor - Love Peace & Fuck
Jonathon Richman - Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow
John Vanderslice - Time Travel Is Lonely
The Shins - Oh, Inverted World
Spiritualized - Let It Come Down
Destroyer - Streethawk: A Seduction
Pernice Bros - The World Won't End
Mary J Blige "Family Affair"
Tim Midgett, Silkworm
1.ð First issue of The Onion newspaper after 11 September
2. Seattle Mariners baseball team
3.ð Black Box Recorder, The Facts of Life and England Made Me LPs
4. The Ex live (Chicago, Congress Theater) and Dizzy Spells LP
5. Randy Johnson (Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher): three World Series wins, WS co-MVP, Cy Young award
6.ð Destroyer, Streethawk:ð A Seduction LP
7.ð Junkyard Wars TV show
8. Basement Jaxx, "Romeo" single
9. Stephen Malkmus LP
10. Dead Moon, Trash and Burn LP
[26.10.01]
contrary to earlier our previous claims, the reissue of 'A Series Of Sneaks' will be available to mail-order customers in the US, providing they can send an international money order in pounds sterling. If that is inconvenient, the album will be available later in November through Merge or though Spoon's site.
upcoming Spoon U.S. dates :
09/11 - Toronto, ONT - Massey Hall - w/ Cake
10/11 - Ithaca, NY - Cornell University - w/ Cake & Rahzel
12/11 - Montreal, PQ - Le Spectrum - w/ Cake
13/11 - Boston, MA - Middle East Downstairs
14/11 - Boston, MA - Orpheum - w/ Cake
15/11 - New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom - w/ Cake
16/11 - Philadelphia, PA - Khyber Pass - w/ the Pernice Brothers
17/11 - Philadelphia, PA - The Electric Factory - w/ Cake
18/11 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club - w/ Cake
19/11 - Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell's - w/ Fiery Furnaces
21/11 - Chicago, IL - w/ the Fire Show
22/11 - Milwaukee, WI - The Globe
23/11 - Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
24/11 - Lawrence, KS - Bottleneck
26/11- Austin, TX - Mercury - w/ Grand Champeen
[16.10.01]
New release dates to remember :
12 November - Spoon - A Series Of Sneaks CD (12XU 008-2)
26 November - Spoon - "Car Radio" / "Advance Cassette" CD single (12XU 009-2)
mail order information can be found in the 12XU shop section.The reissue of 'A Series of Sneaks' includes 3 bonus tracks unavailable on the Elektra or Vapor versions of the album; "Revenge!", "Shake It Off" and "I Could Be Underground".
An MP3 of "Advance Cassette" is now available for download.
[03.09.01]Spoon's "Everything Hits At Once" video has been receiving some play from M2 in both the UK and US, as well as other outlets around the globe. If you've not seen it yet, a slightly easier to view Quicktime version is available here.
The new CD single of "Everything Hits At Once" is out now and is available for 4.00 (GBP) to mail order customers in the UK. You can send a cheque payable to 12XU to PO Box 20132, London W10 6ZA.
Spoon will be touring the eastern U.S. in November, with tour dates to be confirmed. For those of you attending this year's CMJ Marathon in New York City, Spoon will be headling Merge's event at the Bowery Ballroom on September 15, performing with The Clean, The Clientele and the Ladybug Transistor.
In early November, we'll be releasing Spoon's 2nd album, 'A Series Of Sneaks', which has not been available in outside of North American prior to this point. The 12XU edition of the album (12XU 008-2) will feature 3 bonus tracks not found on the U.S. version.
There are some new MP3's available at Spoon's official site.
We should have news towards the end of the year about new recording plans for Joel RL Phelps and the Downer Trio ; prior to that, the band will have a new 7" single this autumn as part of Sub Pop's long-running Singles Club series. The current issue of Comes With A Smile features an unreleased Phelps track on their cover mount CD, along with an excellent Joel interview inside.
We've been asked repeatedly if there are other recording projects in the works at 12XU. While we are not looking to expand the label's roster in a big way, there will be some new additions in 2002. In the first half of next year, we'll be presenting the debut solo recordings from Sally Crewe. Crewe, formerly of the Leeds band Bear, and the NY/London quartet Oscar, is preparing new material for recording in the US at the end of 2001. By the time of our next update, we should have an announcement concerning yet another new artist we'll be working with. New for us, at least.
[02.07.01]Spoon's latest European tour kicked off yesterday afternoon at the Metropolis Festival in sunny Rotterdam. Many worldwide stars appeared at this event including the Strokes, Billy Ocean, the Elvis Brothers and the Anti-Nowhere League. OK, we're not sure about the last 3, but the Strokes were there. Today's event at JJ Records is a free performance.
The new Spoon single "Everything Hits At Once" (12XU 007-2, CDS) will be out on 30 July (a bit earlier in Holland and Belgium). In addition to the 2nd song lifted from the 2001 LP/CD 'Girls Can Tell' (12XU 006-1,2), this CD will include "The Agony of Lafitte" (previously unreleased in Europe), "Lines In The Suit (demo)" and a remixed version of "Everything Hits At Once". Much like the beautiful "Anything You Want" sleeve, artwork was done by Suzanna Vapnek.
A video for "Everything Hits At Once" , a collaboration between the band and director Divya Srinivasan, has just been completed ; while a quicktime version will be up on the 12XU site shortly, you can see it now by having a peak at Insound's cinema viewer.
for those of you traveling/living/loving in the USA, here are some forthcoming Spoon dates :
Mon July 23, 2001 San Diego, CA Casbah w/ John Vanderslice
Tue July 24, 2001 Los Angeles, CA Troubador w/ John Vanderslice
Wed July 25, 2001 San Francisco, CA Great American w/ John Vanderslice
Fri July 27, 2001 Portland, OR Satyricon w/ John Vanderslice, Sunset Valley, Those Peabodys
Sat July 28, 2001 Seattle, WA Paradox afternoon all-ages show w/ Those Peabodys
Sat July 28, 2001 Seattle, WA Crocodile Cafe evening show w/ John Vanderslice, Those Peabodys
Mon July 30, 2001 Boise, ID Neurolux w/ Those Peabodys
Tue July 31, 2001 Salt Lake City, UT Liquid Joe's w/ Those Peabodys
Wed August 1, 2001 Denver, CO Bluebird w/ Those Peabodys
Fri August 3, 2001 Austin, TX Emo's w/ Vietnam, Rhythm of Black Lines
Sat August 4, 2001 Houston, TX Continental Club w/ Those Peabody.
Coming in October, we'll be reissuing Spoon's excellent 1998 CD 'A Series Of Sneaks' (12XU 008-2) with extra tracks.
on the Joel RL Phelps front, late June saw a successful live performance at Seattle's Experience Music Project playing in support of the recently reunited Television. We've also seen some recent favorable notices from the likes of Mojo and Bucketful Of Brains, proving once again that if a label sends out a handful of promotional copies to intelligent journalists, said company is guaranteed to see more results than they would by using a publicity company called Circus.Spoon - Benelux Dates, July 2001
[22.05.01]
1 July - Rotterdam, Metropolis
2 July - TBC
3 July - Rotterdam, Rotown
4 July - Groningen, Vera
5 July - Amsterdam, Paradiso
6 July - Zichem, De Hemel
7 July - Utrecht, Ekko
8 July - Dour Festival
Spoon Spring 2001 Tour Dates
[12.04.01]
April
13th Dallas,TX @ Gypsy Ballroom w/ Guided By Voices
14th Austin,TX @ Stubbs w/ Guided By Voices show starts 8pm
18th Kansas City, MO @ Hurricane
19th Omaha, NE @ Sokol Underground w/ the Oranges
20th Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry w/ the Oranges
21st St. Paul, MN @ Eclipse Records w/ the Oranges
22nd Madison, WI @ Club 770 (U. of Wisconsin) w/ the Oranges
23rd Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle w/ the Oranges
24th Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick w/ the Oranges
25th Toronto, ONT @ Opera House w/ Guided By Voices
26th Toronto, ONT @ The Rivoli
27th Syracuse, NY @ Armory High w/ Guided By Voices
28th Albany, NY @ Valentine's w/ Guided By Voices
30th Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground w/ Guided By Voices
May
1st Boston, MA @ Paradise w/ Guided By Voices
2nd Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's w/ Cropduster
3rd NYC, NY @ Irving Plaza w/ Guided By Voices
4th Philadelphia, PA @ The Khyber w/ Cropduster
5th Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club w/ Guided By Voices
6th Morgantown, WV @ 123 Pleasant Street w/Cropduster, Sandra Black
7th Pittsburgh, PA @ The Beehive w/ Guided By Voices
8th Columbus, OH @ Little Brothers w/ Guided By Voices
9th Indianapolis, IN @ Birdy's w/ Guided By Voices
25th - 26th Las Vegas, NV @ Boulder Station Casino
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(You're Welcome)
[09.04.01]
After innumerable delays, the 12XU site is finally happening. Ideally, we would've been up and running around last Christmas, but we've had so many meetings with accountants and lawyers, we've not been able to fulfil any of our duties or return phone calls.
Actually, that was the excuse our independent publicity company gave us for the total lack of coverage for Joel RL Phelps or Spoon these past 2 months. Sounds plausible, accountants and lawyers take up so much time, there's no way you could do anything else. If anyone reading this is considering the hire of a P.R. firm, please get in touch with us as soon as possible --- you might wanna hire someone who can give you a straight answer every now and then.
Spoon's Girls Can Tell LP/CD was released in the UK on 20th February, with subsequent release dates in the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany. The album should be available in France later this month. To date, this is the band's best seller in the U.S., more than tripling the total of their previous Elektra album in just 4 weeks. In between U.S. dates supporting Superchunk and Guided By Voices, Spoon made a brief visit to London last week (their first since 1996) to do some press and radio work. Well, mostly radio (see above).
There was also a one-off date at the Borderline with Joel RL Phelps in support. Check out the audio/video section for quicktime video of said historic event.
Both Spoon (Britt and keyboardist Eric Friend) and Joel recorded acoustic sets for London's XFM. When we know the broadcast dates, we'll share the news.
The first single from Girls Can Tell, "Anything You Want", came out on 12 March, backed with a new recording "Shake It Off" (7" and CDS) plus a cover of Yo La Tengo's "Decora" on the CD version. A CD single of "Everything Hits At Once" is in the pipeline, with b-sides still to be determined.
There are tentative plans for Spoon to return to the UK and the rest of the continent later this summer.
Joel RL Phelps, whose previous, mostly-covers Inland Empires EP just received a fine review courtesy of Comes With A Smile (http://jrlp.manintheuniverse.com/discog-inland.htm#cwas), has just seen his 1999 classic Blackbird reissued for the first time in Europe (extra tracks on the CD, first time ever on vinyl). Joel was also in town doing press and radio stuff, and we're hopeful he'll be back on these shores before long.
At present, we're not able to do secure sales through the site, but that situation should be rectified very soon. In the meantime, UK customers can obtain all of the new 12XU titles via amazon.co.uk, but eventually you'll be able to get the same stuff quicker and cheaper directly from the source.
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From The Sunday Times: [09.04.01]
JOEL RL PHELPS & THE DOWNER TRIO - Inland Empires 12XU 001-2"ex-Silkworm guitarist Joel RL Phelp's simple tools annihilate identity. Inland Empires' minimal manifesto makes venerable compositions by distinctive songwriters like Townes Van Zandt and Steve Earle slow down, and strip and shed their distinguishing features, finding a new beauty in their bare bones."
- Stewart Lee, 08/04/01Thank you Stewart, and thanks as well to our crack publicity team for working so hard these past 4 months to generate this earth-shaking review. Easily worth 3500.00 (GBP) plus expenses!
But seriously, Stewart is correct in saying there is "new beauty" to be found on the Inland Empires EP, but Mr. Phelps' interpretive skills are hardly the equivalent of annihilating identity. We're of the opinion that his vocal delivery and musical accompaniment, while undoubtedly sparse, are instantly identifiable. With all due respect to the composers (of which Joel is one himself --- his mournful and inspiring "Now You Are Found" is easily the CD's centrepiece), Joel's versions are daring and passionate at once. In the midst of countless "covers records" we defy any media pundit or everyday record-buyer to find one as breathtaking as Inland Empires.
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Spoon - New Single [09.04.01]
We're in preparations for the release of a CDS of "Everything Hits At Once", along with 3 tracks not included on Girls Can Tell; "The Agony of Lafitte" - from a 1999 7" on Saddle Creek, purportedly about Spoon's former A&R guy at Elektra. But we don't follow record biz gossip. "Lines In The Suit (30 Minutes Old)" - alternate version to the one on Girls Can Tell. Slow, stripped down and sheds distinguishing features to find old beauty in new bones. Does that sound familiar? "Everything Hits At Once (for discos)" - assuming any discos are still open and haven't been driven out of business by popular crazes like ice-fishing and boulder-swallowing, this version will certainly have an impact on the dance floor. Of course, you could say the same thing about a stink bomb, a german shepard or a broken sprinkler system. None of those can easily be included on a CD single, however, so you'll just have to settle for a radical reworking of the a-side.
Release date and pricing information TBC.
