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MAY 2012 NEWSLETTER     

    

Hey guys!

 

Hope everyone's May is kicking butt so far! Things have been a little nutty around here as of late as we got all the Aeges preorders mailed out, launched the preorder for If These Trees Could Talk's self titled 12" repress, and prepare to get preorders rolling for the new Constants album Pasiflora in the near future, gotta love summer! 

 

We've been feeling a little reflective the past few weeks. It's hard to believe that it was almost five years ago to the day when we started taking preorders for our first release! Normally during times like this, we like to step back for a second and take a look around, just to be certain of our steps moving forward. It's been wild to meet all the amazing people and build relationships with people we never would have met and come to know otherwise.  Since the beginning of all this, our hopes have been to build community between the bands that we thought deserved to be heard and the fans who shared the same enthusiasm for music as us all. We feel that we've accomplished this on some level and that's amazing that we've all been able to build this together. But it's not without a few lessons to be learned. 
 
One thing we've had to learn is that each band, and even more importantly, each individual within each band, has different wants, needs, and aspirations as to what they hope to accomplish with their music. So it becomes quite an elaborate jigsaw puzzle when you factor in all these elements! And let's not even get into all the other individuals who are joining and supporting the journey with all of us and the task of trying to keep a level of concern for their thoughts mixed in with the whole thing! So learning to balance not only our own needs as a label (and a business!), but the needs of each band on the label and their individual members, and maintaining the mission from day one - to keep the integrity of the music community we all reside in intact, has been both humbling and extremely gratifying.

 

Sometimes, unfortunately, what we need to accomplish with the label does not line up perfectly with what a band needs to accomplish with their music, and parting ways for a release is inevitable. This is probably the hardest thing to accept since we've all worked so hard together for so long, and really built something that we all feel is special. The past year or so has been challenging in this regard, in learning this reality. Some of the bands we started this whole thing with are trying new things with how they release their music, and likewise there's also times where we simply can't release bands material that we wish we could. Sometimes it just doesn't line up. So the fragile element of timing has really been a learning experience, you can't control a lot of the things that you wish you could, and time will dictate a lot of decision making, whether you like it or not. But this is something that you have to find peace with. Luckily most of the time we've built very close, personal relationships with the bands and there's open communication and understanding in these situations, so we're fortunate in that regard :) But it doesn't change the fact that it hurts to part ways with your family sometimes! But when one door closes (even if temporarily), another one opens. You can walk through the door that just opened, or you can beat on the one that just closed, hoping it will open back up. We should walk through the open door and embrace with excitement what may be on the other side, even if it's scary that you don't know for sure. The other door will open back up if time dictates it to. The future can be scary because you don't know what it holds and at some point you realize that you don't have total control of it, but isn't that the exciting part? Lets embrace the change, learn to grow within the change, and be open to new and different things. Lets walk through the door :)
 
Just thought we'd share some of the thoughts we've been feeling around here with all of you, since we're all somewhat partners in this deal, and let you know what page we're on before we turn it.Ok, lets get news-y up in heahhh!
   

 

In anticipation of their upcoming album Pasiflora (out July 24th), the dudes in Constants are giving away a FREE DOWNLOAD of a new cover song they did, exclusively at RCRDLBL.com! The song is Strangefruit by 90's alt-shoegazers Catherine Wheel and you can download it RIGHT HERE! And remember that you can also check out the premier track off the album exclusively over at the MTV blog RIGHT HERE. We're so excited about this new Constants album that we pee our pants a little each time we listen to it. In true Constants fashion, they have once again taken a giant step in evolution between albums, the kind of step that it takes most bands their entire career to make. We wouldn't call it a "reinvention" of their sound, but as a reference, if you are cool and you remember the step that Cave In made between Until Your Heart Stops and Jupiter, then it's that type of transition; brave, confident and seamless. We feel completely justified in saying that this is Constants best material to date, but don't take our word for it (even though you should!), just go check it out :) Preorders will take place in June, record in stores July 24th (with a retail exclusive vinyl color). Get ready to get awesome!And keep up with Constants on Facebook HERE and Twitter HERE!

 

 

If These Trees Could Talk s/t Preorder Update  
 

Just a quick update on the repress of If These Trees Could Talk's self titled 12". It's looking like we'll have these in-house in mid-June, at which point we will blast off all of the preorders to everyone :) We are sold out of the orange copies, but still have some of the half orange/half black copies available HERE. Mega thanx to everyone that has picked up a copy, we'll keep everyone posted as these start shipping!  

 

 

 Aeges Update

Aeges press photo 

The dudes in Aeges have been a busy bunch since the release of The Bridge last month. Be sure to keep tabs on the group by 'liking' their Facebook page HERE as they're really good at keeping everything up to date for everyone (Twitter HERE). Currently we're all working on getting the band on the road and also readying an upcoming 7" taht will feature Southern Comfort off the album and an unreleased B-side called Stars (which actually aired on the radio last night if you were listening to the band guest DJ on the Children of the Sun show). Lots of good stuff coming from these guys, so be sure to get in the loop! If you're still wet behind the ears on the band, you can stream the whole thing at Guitar World HERE or Bandcamp HERE, and here's what people have been saying about the latest offering:

  

"a burly, churning collection that drenches the classic 90's post-hardcore of Hum, Handsome and Quicksand in a Deftones-esque sheen..." - Decibel   

 

"churning, emotive, groove-treading post-hardcore..." - Alternative Press

 

"one of the most promising debuts in recent memory..." - Ghettoblaster Magazine  

 

"Metal doesn't need to ignore hooks and melodies like the plague. And Aeges mixes great melodies with heavy, aggressive stuff we all love..." - MetalSucks

 

"ĘGES is the way post-hardcore is supposed to sound: abrasive, anthemic and face-melting..." - CMJ

 

"10 tracks packed with infectious, righteous groove and deceptively weighty melody..." - Rock Sound

 

Thanks again to everyone that ordered The Bridge, everyone should have received their package by now, get in touch if you have any questions about your order or anything :) Last available copies are HERE :)

 

 

  Herra Terra Prepare New EP

ht promo 

Everyones favorite cuties in Herra Terra are putting some finishing touches on their upcoming EP which we'll be releasing this fall! The band has made some demos of the tracks available for your listening pleasure on their Sound Cloud page HERE. Jam 'em loud, jam 'em proud, and don't be scared to dance in the mirror and sing into the brush. We're tentatively planning this one for a September release, with a fall tour to support. More on this one in the coming months, and to hear to from the band be sure to follow them on Facebook HERE and Twitter HERE! Also be sure to bang the video below of them performing Buried Youth (from the upcoming EP) on the Presskit.to Bus at SXSW 2012: 

 

This is definitely going to be all the biz kid, so get ready for this one. As Outburn Magazine said of the band, "destined to be the next big thing... so why not hop on now so you can say you were there when it all started?". Good question! Hop on! Hop on!

 

 

Supah Sale In The Webstore Yo!

 

We're selling a bunch of stuff for MEGA cheap over in the webstore! We're moving warehouses and need to lighten the load a bit to make the move more manageable, so we've got jams priced as much as 50% off in some cases :) You can check it all out over HERE. Most CDs are $4.99, LPs are at $9.99, and 2xLPs are at $16.49, so if you be shoppin' on dat budget, we gotchu. 

 

 

Message Board Caption Contest! 

 

You think this picture is funny? No shit, that's because it's freakin' hilarious. So what we're doing on the message board is having people write a quick caption about the photo. We'll take a few of our favorite captions and then vote on the funniest one. The winner will get a copy of Aeges "The Bridge" LP on hot pink vinyl, limited to 100 copies and long sold out! So tap into the powers of your funny bone and get witty for a chance to win some limited edition bangerz! There's the pic, post a funny caption OVER HERE!

 

 

Upcoming Jammage 

This fall is going to be full of some brand spankin' new stuff by some brand spankin' new bands. After the new Herra Terra EP drops we'll have some new and exciting stuff from some new bands that have been blowing us away. We can't really get much more into than that, but look for some official announcements over the next couple months and as always... GET STOKED! 

 

 

 

Wrap Up

That's all we got for this months newsletter yo! One final note; as we're all well aware and continuously learning to adapt to, changes in technology have created an environment where music consumption is instantaneous and over-saturated, the options are endless. We're all trying to jump into the same pool. Some just fight to keep their head above the water while others commit to diving in head first as hard as they can and giving it everything they've got. This music is all that a lot of us have. Sink or swim. This idea of community, family, and unity - it's all built from revolutions which occurred previously through the humble beginnings of such inspirational musical movements as blues, jazz, rock and roll, punk rock, hardcore, etc and things were much different even then (though with their own sets of challenges for sure). It seems these days it's beyond a rat race, and more like a flood that you hope to stay afloat in. But with love, support, partnership, and the hard work of the bands and the team, there is a very real community that we've all been able to use to help each other float during the flood, and that's beautiful. We're going to keep moving, let the forces we cannot control dictate the current, and continue fighting for this community. Please continue to be a part of the journey with us, embrace those that come to join, and continue to love the ones that part ways; lets let change bring us closer together. 

 

See you in June!!

 

xoxo,

Lindsay & Joel