WORLD PREMIERE VIDEO - CRYSTAL ANTLERS

Leading up to the April 7th release of their anticipated debut full-length album entitled "Tentacles", Crystal Antlers have released a new music video for the song "Andrew." The effort was directed by Michael Reich (Videothing.com) and will tie-in to a feature film that the band will be releasing later this year. Everything here was shot using a Canon 5D Mark 2 still Camera while the band and crew were just recently on tour in Europe. The video is also currently being premiered at Pitchfork.tv.


Crystal Antlers - "Andrew" from Touch and Go/Quarterstick on Vimeo.

TOUCH AND GONE

When is it going to stop? This economy is SHIT and it's killing us all! The music industry has felt a pinch for awhile now, so it's no big surprise when it hits us in the notes, so to speak. Touch and Go Records has just announced it will be laying off a number of it's employees.

"The current state of the economy has reached the point where we can no longer afford" to provide manufacturing and distribution services for the labels, including stalwarts such as Chicago-based Drag City, All Natural, Overcoat. Flameshovel and Atavistic Records; Delaware's Jade Tree; and Kill Rock Stars in the Pacific Northwest, said Touch and Go founder Corey Rusk.

Touch and Go will continue to operate as a label; it has released more than 400 records in the last 28 years including more than 100 on its Quarterstick subsidiary. But the decision to cut distribution will force Rusk to shrink his staff of about 25 people. He would not give specifics in a phone interview Wednesday, but said the decision was "painful for everybody involved." Several employees reported being "blindsided" by the announcement.

Mac McCaughan, cofounder of North Carolina independent label Merge Records, called the announcement "a sad day for music, independent music and punk rock in particular, and the music business as we know it in the real world."

"Corey Rusk is the most meticulous, cautious, thoughtful business person I know, which is what makes this whole thing so unbelievable and such a bad portent for the rest of the independent music business," McCaughan said. "If a company that did everything the right way can't survive in this environment ... then who can?"

Here is the complete text of Rusk's statement:

"It is with great sadness that we are reporting some major changes here at Touch and Go Records. Many of you may not be aware, but for nearly 2 decades, Touch and Go has provided manufacturing and distribution services for a select yet diverse group of other important independent record labels. Titles from these other labels populate the shelves of our warehouse alongside the titles on our own two labels, Touch and Go Records, and Quarterstick Records.

"Unfortunately, as much as we love all of these labels, the current state of the economy has reached the point where we can no longer afford to continue this lesser known, yet important part of Touch and Go’s operations. Over the years, these labels have become part of our family, and it pains us to see them go. We wish them all the very best and we will be doing everything we can to help make the transition as easy as possible.

"Touch and Go will be returning to its roots and focusing solely on being an independent record label. We’ll be busy for a few months working closely with the departing labels and scaling our company to an appropriate smaller size after their departure. It is the end of a grand chapter in Touch and Go’s history, but we also know that good things can come from new beginnings."

Touch and Go celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2006. It had grown from a bedroom operation designed expressly to put out a 7-inch single by the teenage Rusk’s hardcore band the Necros to a multimillion-dollar-a-year operation housed in a three-story 18,000-square-foot Ravenswood warehouse with 25 employees.Among the revered bands who have recorded for the label are Big Black, the Jesus Lizard, the Butthole Surfers, the Mekons, Slint, Calexico and TV on the Radio – virtually a Who’s Who of underground, punk and postpunk of the last three decades.

"It’s not coming to an end," Rusk said, "but it won’t be the same company it has been for the last 20 years."

WELCOME TO MI AMI

Quarterstick Records, Touch and Go's partner label for the last 17-plus years, is pleased to welcome San Francisco-based drum punk trio Mi Ami to the folds. Featuring two key members of Dischord's hyper-percussive Black Eyes (Daniel Martin-McCormick on vocals and guitar, and Jacob Long on bass) as well as Damon Palermo on drums, Mi Ami builds on the promise of Black Eyes' spastic energy and renowned live performances, but steers it into a more focused, volatile, and personal direction

Mi Ami's first single on Quarterstick, Echononecho, will be released as a 12" and digitally January 27, 2009, with the follow-up full length, Watersports, out February 17, 2009. The band fully takes flight and thrives in the live setting, with shows turning into all-out pulsating rhythmic throwdowns, so save up some energy and be sure to catch them on their extensive tours throughout 2009.

FOOD NOT BOMBS

You might of heard that there were some protests at the recent RNC in Minnesota. Well, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are responding to the police brutality by releasing an EP, and giving back to the people involved. Just $4 for this EP will help the people that were arrested that day and also go directly to Food Not Bombs. If you feel strongly about what happened in Minnesota, I urge you to give up your Starbucks for a day and purchase this EP.


TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS RELEASE NEW EP IN RESPONSE TO MINNESOTA POLICE BRUTALITY

Outraged by the police activity in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area surrounding the recent RNC convention, Ted Leo and his band The Pharmacists were drawn to action. From Ted:

“…Real people were hurt in St. Paul, and real people have bills to pay, and real people need funding to continue their good works. We (the band and I) were all feeling these events as deeply as we could from our 1200 mile remove, and so as not to feel entirely powerless, and in an attempt to contribute SOMETHING to that continuation of those good works, we wrote a song and recorded it…”*

Last week, Ted and the band went into his home studio and recorded two new songs, "Paranoia: Never Enough"and "Mourning In America", plus two cover tunes, "I Got Your Number" (originally by Cock Sparrer) and "Nobody's Driving" (Amebix). These four tracks comprise Rapid Response, an EP, recorded quickly, with the intent to bring awareness and financial aid to the people affected by the police brutality in Minnesota.

Rapid Response is available now for an exclusive two-week window via Touch and Go Records www.touchandgoreords.com for $4.00, with other donation options available for those who would like to contribute an additional amount.

After the two week period, Rapid Response will be available for single track purchase at online retailers (Itunes, Amazon et al), as well as the Touch and Go Records website.

All proceeds from this EP will go directly to Food Not Bombs Minneapolis and Democracy Now and the legal fees for those who have been arrested.

“This isn't meant to be some grand sweeping statement on our part - it's just a way for us to contribute SOMETHING real to the lives of real human beings, and show our material support for those whose actions and thoughts we value in this ideological struggle.”

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are about to embark on a 25 date tour supporting the like-minded, socially conscious punk band Against Me!. After that, TLRX headlines a string of dates, mainly in swing states across the US. Of special note, on the eve of election night 2008, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists will play a show at Buskirk Chumley Theater in Bloomington, Indiana. Here’s hoping we’ve got even more to celebrate that evening.
--
A complete explanation from Ted Leo about this project can be found here in the lower right box. <http://www.touchandgorecords.com/bands/album.php?id=478>

THE SAINTS GO MARCHNG IN

It has just been announced that ALL THE SAINTS have just signed to Touch And Go Records. Find out what's in store for these boys in the upcoming months, and check out their album that was just released this past Tuesday.

We could not be happier to announce that All the Saints have joined the roster here at Touch and Go Records! The band's scorching debut album Fire On Corridor X will be released in North America digitally on September 9th and on wax November 4th (all formats available in Europe November 3/UK November 17). The CD version of Fire On Corridor X is available now on Killer Pimp Records.

Climbing a wall of sound imbued with equal amounts of noise and melody, All the Saints' Fire On Corridor X rains down in sonic sheets. The debut full length from this crew may be steeped in a heavy psych/drone tradition, but under the din lay songs that contradict the cacophony.

Comprised of singer/guitarist Matt Lambert, bassist/co-vocalist Titus Brown, and drummer Jim Crook, All the Saints is an Atlanta-by-way-of-Alabama behemoth, a power trio with wattage to spare. All the Saints will go out on the road with A Place To Bury Strangers for a handful of shows in late October, including a stop at CMJ New Music Marathon.

Psychedelic yet direct, raging but tuneful, expect to hear plenty more from All the Saints in the coming months.

To share our excitement, we wanted to offer a free MP3 of the track "Sheffield" from Fire On Corridor X.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD!

FRESH NEWS: CRYSTAL ANTLERS INK A DEAL

I'm a huge fan of Touch And Go Records and the artists they represent. Today I want you to meet the new addition to the Touch And Go Family!


CRYSTAL ANTLERS SIGN TO TOUCH AND GO RECORDS

Crystal Antlers have been surrounded by beautiful energy lately. The
days of summer have been filled with the punk rock mischief of touring
cross-country on a vegetable oil-powered school bus as part of the
widely publicized F Yeah Fest (F Yeah Fest, New York Times),
filling massive orders for their self-released EP through their myspace page
(Crystal Antlers Myspace), and on downtime, drinking beers in
percussionist Damian's empty pool.

So as it happens, we’ve been caught under the spell of that energy and
floored by the burst of raw, soulful punk that is the Antlers debut EP
and live show. With that, we couldn’t be happier to announce that Touch
and Go Records will be reissuing the Crystal Antlers EP on compact disc
in October, with its first-ever pressing on vinyl to follow in November.
We’ll also be releasing a full-length album once the guys finish work
on it, so look for that in the first part of 2009.

Until then, you can tide yourselves over by catching the Antlers live as
they continue to spread their magic around the continent with Fucked Up
and The Strange Boys in September and later in October when they hit the
CMJ Music Festival.

DATES:

8/12 Los Angeles, California - 6th St. Warehouse - Fuck Yeah Fest Benefit

8/20 Los Angeles, California - Low End Theory @ The Airliner

8/30 Echo Park, California - Fuck Yeah Fest 5 w/ No Age, Negative Approach, High Places, Glass Candy, Two Gallants + More

8/31 Berkeley, California - 924 Gilman St. w/ Fucked Up, The Strange Boys

9/1 San Francisco, California - Hemlock Tavern w/ Fucked Up, The Strange Boys

9/4 Olympia, Washington - Eagle’s Hall w/ Fucked Up, The Strange Boys

9/5 Seattle, Washington - Vera Project w/ Fucked Up, The Strange Boys

9/6 Portland, Oregon - Satyricon w/ Fucked Up, The Strange Boys, Sex/Vid, Past Lives

9/7 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard on Richards w/ Fucked Up

9/9 San Francisco, California - The Knockout Bar w/ The Strange Boys

9/11 San Diego, California - TBD w/ The Strange Boys

10/4 Eagle Rock, California - Eagle Rock Music Festival

10/5 Long Beach, California - University by the Sea Festival

10/11 San Francisco, California - Frisco Freakout at Thee Parkside w/ Wooden Ships


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