White Vinyl, New Scrabbel, Q&A with ALK, and More!
V is for Vinyl!
Three Ring Records is set to blast off this month of music celebrations with Society of Rockets. The San Francisco-based melodic madmen have emerged from their laboratory to produce "Future Factory" - a double-length LP cut on limited edition white vinyl! Singer/cosmonaut leader Joshua Babcock has pronounced the album as being "designed to function as an hour-long sonic map of utopias that never were and have yet to be..." Although the official release will be March of 2010 the stars will align for a space and time for those eager to get an early copy when the Society of Rockets record release show on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at San Francisco's Elbo Room. The Conspiracy of Beards and Lotus Feet open the show. "Your presence in the congregation is kindly requested," says Babcock.
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Songs to Learn and Steal
Scrabbel's lead singer Dan Lee has been known to hide under the covers of his bed for un-quantified periods of time. But on the band's Hijacked Tunes, Mr. Lee and company can do little to keep the soulful Scrabbel sound from reflecting right through this E.P. of cover songs that includes a hella haunting version of My Bloody Valentine's "Sometimes" and an indignantly ironic take on the "M.A.S.H. Theme Song." A limited number of CDs have been floating around Scrabbel shows for a while, but is now available to all Scrabbel song players through your favorite digital retailer, or directly from Three Ring Records!
PURCHASE DIGITAL
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Q&A With ALK
It's always opposite day in the mind of singer Daniel Phifer, whose band Aim Low Kid only knows how to reach for the stars, man. The San Francisco band leader who likes to turn sad songs on their happy heads has done it again, with their "Music Ruined My Life EP," now out on Three Ring Records. Below are some more oxymoronic thoughts from Mr. Phifer.
1. Where did the title idea come from?
The title is of course a little tongue in cheek, however, there is a deeper theme working there. Playing and writing music is one the great joys in my life. More often than not though I feel like the business of being a band is running me ragged. The title really comes from the idea that no matter how great something is, the day to day minutiae of getting the simplest things done can suck the joy right out of anything. It also refers to the feeling you get when you pour your heart and soul into something and it feels like no one really gives a damn. So yeah, everything in this world is bittersweet, that's what it's really all about.
2. Which song was the easiest to write and record and why? Which was the most difficult and why?
The easiest song to write was probably Happiness is Little Moments. It was one of those songs that just seemed to write itself. I feel like Year of the Dog was the easiest to record although I don't feel like any of the songs were particularly difficult to write or record. I love writing and recording and every minute we're in the studio is pure pleasure for me.
3. Where was the E.P. recorded? Any particular reason this place or atmosphere was chosen?
The EP was recorded at Moon Dog Studios in Alameda. The producer we worked with, Andrew Leavitt, is friends with the owner and makes Moon Dog his home away from home when visiting from Ireland. We had recorded a demo song with Andrew at Moon Dog and we loved the home-like atmosphere of the studio and working with Andrew. So much so that it was a natural choice when we decided to do the EP. We'll be headed back there in January to start recording a full length.
4. What sort of energy (instruments/ideas/new directions) would you say is on this E.P. that hasn't been tapped into by Aim Low Kid before?
We had been playing these songs live for a while before we ever brought them into the studio. So while the instrumentation and song writing had been previously cemented, I'd have to say that working with Andrew really expanded our sound as far as layering and arrangements. That's why I really enjoy working with Andrew. He adds an extra element to the music. He listens to each song objectively and then says, 'Hey, you should try playing that part this way' or 'I think it would sound better if you did this'.
5. Is this E.P. foreshadowing anything we should be looking for. Or, in other words, what has the band got coming up next?
Honestly, if the time and money had been available to us this would have been a full length album. So, yes, I'd say this is a great foreshadowing of things to come. Everything we couldn't commit to tape on this EP as well as a great deal of new material will be on the next record. I think it will be interesting to see how the next one comes out considering we've been playing some of the songs slated for recording for a year or more and some of them will be brand new. Not to mention the effect time has on the individual members perspective, ability and general outlook. I'm looking forward to another opportunity to make something shiny, stalwart and highly personal. In other words, another aim low kid record.
PURCHASE CD - $7 PURCHASE DIGITAL
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Exclusive FREE Three Ring Sampler!
The nice folks at ThinkIndie have issued a promotional sampler by Three Ring Records!
ThinkIndie is a national Digital Music Store offering music expertly curated by real record stores, in DRM free MP3 format, and backed by years of quality service.
You can download the sampler here!
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And Coming Up Next!
Coming up in December, Scrabbel will be back in the news and on the stage at Café Du Nord in San Francisco on Thursday, December 17, when they perform with new Three Ring recording artists Amores Vigilantes who will unveil the world of their debut album "West Coast Kingdom". Longtime friends Seventeen Evergreen from Pacific Radio Fire Records are also on the bill.
UPCOMING SHOWS
11/18/09, The Society of Rockets (RECORD RELEASE!)@ Elbo Room (SF)
11/18/09, Love is Chemicals @ Bottom of the Hill
12/17/09, Three Ring Records and SMiLE! Presents: An Evening with Scrabbel, Seventeen Evergreen, and Amores Vigilantes (CD RELEASE!) @ Cafe Du Nord (SF)
Three Ring Records is set to blast off this month of music celebrations with Society of Rockets. The San Francisco-based melodic madmen have emerged from their laboratory to produce "Future Factory" - a double-length LP cut on limited edition white vinyl! Singer/cosmonaut leader Joshua Babcock has pronounced the album as being "designed to function as an hour-long sonic map of utopias that never were and have yet to be..." Although the official release will be March of 2010 the stars will align for a space and time for those eager to get an early copy when the Society of Rockets record release show on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at San Francisco's Elbo Room. The Conspiracy of Beards and Lotus Feet open the show. "Your presence in the congregation is kindly requested," says Babcock.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Songs to Learn and Steal
Scrabbel's lead singer Dan Lee has been known to hide under the covers of his bed for un-quantified periods of time. But on the band's Hijacked Tunes, Mr. Lee and company can do little to keep the soulful Scrabbel sound from reflecting right through this E.P. of cover songs that includes a hella haunting version of My Bloody Valentine's "Sometimes" and an indignantly ironic take on the "M.A.S.H. Theme Song." A limited number of CDs have been floating around Scrabbel shows for a while, but is now available to all Scrabbel song players through your favorite digital retailer, or directly from Three Ring Records!
PURCHASE DIGITAL
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Q&A With ALK
It's always opposite day in the mind of singer Daniel Phifer, whose band Aim Low Kid only knows how to reach for the stars, man. The San Francisco band leader who likes to turn sad songs on their happy heads has done it again, with their "Music Ruined My Life EP," now out on Three Ring Records. Below are some more oxymoronic thoughts from Mr. Phifer.
1. Where did the title idea come from?
The title is of course a little tongue in cheek, however, there is a deeper theme working there. Playing and writing music is one the great joys in my life. More often than not though I feel like the business of being a band is running me ragged. The title really comes from the idea that no matter how great something is, the day to day minutiae of getting the simplest things done can suck the joy right out of anything. It also refers to the feeling you get when you pour your heart and soul into something and it feels like no one really gives a damn. So yeah, everything in this world is bittersweet, that's what it's really all about.
2. Which song was the easiest to write and record and why? Which was the most difficult and why?
The easiest song to write was probably Happiness is Little Moments. It was one of those songs that just seemed to write itself. I feel like Year of the Dog was the easiest to record although I don't feel like any of the songs were particularly difficult to write or record. I love writing and recording and every minute we're in the studio is pure pleasure for me.
3. Where was the E.P. recorded? Any particular reason this place or atmosphere was chosen?
The EP was recorded at Moon Dog Studios in Alameda. The producer we worked with, Andrew Leavitt, is friends with the owner and makes Moon Dog his home away from home when visiting from Ireland. We had recorded a demo song with Andrew at Moon Dog and we loved the home-like atmosphere of the studio and working with Andrew. So much so that it was a natural choice when we decided to do the EP. We'll be headed back there in January to start recording a full length.
4. What sort of energy (instruments/ideas/new directions) would you say is on this E.P. that hasn't been tapped into by Aim Low Kid before?
We had been playing these songs live for a while before we ever brought them into the studio. So while the instrumentation and song writing had been previously cemented, I'd have to say that working with Andrew really expanded our sound as far as layering and arrangements. That's why I really enjoy working with Andrew. He adds an extra element to the music. He listens to each song objectively and then says, 'Hey, you should try playing that part this way' or 'I think it would sound better if you did this'.
5. Is this E.P. foreshadowing anything we should be looking for. Or, in other words, what has the band got coming up next?
Honestly, if the time and money had been available to us this would have been a full length album. So, yes, I'd say this is a great foreshadowing of things to come. Everything we couldn't commit to tape on this EP as well as a great deal of new material will be on the next record. I think it will be interesting to see how the next one comes out considering we've been playing some of the songs slated for recording for a year or more and some of them will be brand new. Not to mention the effect time has on the individual members perspective, ability and general outlook. I'm looking forward to another opportunity to make something shiny, stalwart and highly personal. In other words, another aim low kid record.
PURCHASE CD - $7 PURCHASE DIGITAL
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Exclusive FREE Three Ring Sampler!
The nice folks at ThinkIndie have issued a promotional sampler by Three Ring Records!
ThinkIndie is a national Digital Music Store offering music expertly curated by real record stores, in DRM free MP3 format, and backed by years of quality service.
You can download the sampler here!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And Coming Up Next!
Coming up in December, Scrabbel will be back in the news and on the stage at Café Du Nord in San Francisco on Thursday, December 17, when they perform with new Three Ring recording artists Amores Vigilantes who will unveil the world of their debut album "West Coast Kingdom". Longtime friends Seventeen Evergreen from Pacific Radio Fire Records are also on the bill.
UPCOMING SHOWS
11/18/09, The Society of Rockets (RECORD RELEASE!)@ Elbo Room (SF)
11/18/09, Love is Chemicals @ Bottom of the Hill
12/17/09, Three Ring Records and SMiLE! Presents: An Evening with Scrabbel, Seventeen Evergreen, and Amores Vigilantes (CD RELEASE!) @ Cafe Du Nord (SF)
posted by Three Ring Records at
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