In the latest installment of our massively overwhelming string of late-2011 releases, we present you with “Understanding,” the latest single from Shirk Circus.
The band’s album _This Band Will Destroy Your Life_ will be released digitally on November 1, and on CD November 15.
Check out the latest video from The Mommyheads, for the single “Hello Friends.” This song really harkens back to _Coming Into Beauty_-era Mommyheads (to us it recalls “I Started Breathing” in a lot of ways.
“Hello Friends” is taken from the forthcoming CD _Delicate Friction_, to be released on Dromedary October 18!
Two days after Hurricane Irene made its way up the East Coast, newsmedia pundits are debating whether or not the media’s extensive coverage of the storm was “overhyped.” Critics citing the nonstop weekend coverage on the 24-hour news channels say that the media went overboard; one called it a “media hyped non-catastrophe.”
Meanwhile, here in New Jersey it is Wednesday and there are still entire towns underwater. Businesses are drowning, homes have been flooded, roads have collapsed, trees have rendered travel a hazard. This “media hyped non-catastrophe” certainly seems pretty catastrophic to the thousands of displaced New Jersey residents that are still suffering, still trying to piece their lives and businesses back together after this non-event whipped through their lives and pounded them with 12 hours of wind and water.
And that’s not to mention what’s going on in Vermont, Upstate New York, and parts of every state that Irene blew through on her way north.
TV Newscrews set up their cameras in Manhattan, waiting for the 100-year storm that was going to destroy buildings and flood entire neighborhoods. When they didn’t get it, many of them packed their shit and went home, shaking their heads over the non-event.
Meanwhile, in suburban and rural towns, and even in some of New Jersey’s more urban areas, trees fell and waters rose, slowly picking up strength and swallowing downtowns in every corner of the state. Even today, nearly 200,000 people are without power and 10,000 evacuees have been unable to return to their homes. Many others are faced with the herculean task of rebuilding.
These aren’t big, corporate losses. These are human ones; folks like you and me. These are small houses and small businesses in small towns that just aren’t equipped to handle this kind of destruction. This is going to take a long time, and it’s going to be expensive.
We need to help.
If you’ve ever considered buying one of our records, now is the time. Beginning at midnight tonight and extending right through September 30, for every full-album download or CD purchase you make directly from our website (www.dromedary-records.com), we will donate $5 to the American Red Cross of Northern New Jersey. The money we donate will be used to provide relief to those who are dealing with the effects of this natural disaster.
I have no idea how many records we’ll sell. I hope it’s a lot. But even if it’s not, every little bit makes a difference. Here’s what the Red Cross says:
• Every $25 (5 CDs or downloads sold) buys five blankets.
• Every $100 (20 CDs or downloads sold) feeds and shelters a person for one day and one night in a local motel.
• Every $500 (100 CDs or downloads sold) feeds and shelters 75 people for one night in a mass care unit
Every little bit helps.
If you don’t want to buy a CD or a download, that’s fine. Go here and make a donation on your own: http://www.redcrossnnj.org/general_calltoaction.asp?CTA=5&SN=1900&IDCapitulo=KQO9J7H3L2
And if you don’t have money to buy a CD or download, that’s fine too – you can still help. Just share this post on your Facebook wall, or point people directly to the Red Cross website. We need to help our neighbors. That’s what we do. We’re human beings.
Thanks,
Al / Dromedary
Please note that this includes every release in our catalog EXCEPT “Shine” by Speed the Plough (we’re already donating a portion of the proceeds from “Shine” to Roots & Wings of NJ) or the compilation “Make The Load Lighter: Indie Rock For Haiti” (proceeds of which we accumulate and donate to Vwa Ayiti in Haiti). Also, please remember – this drive only applies to music you buy directly from dromedary-records.com – not from the other online music services or record stores.
Signing a new band is always fun, and announcing it is always exciting. But in this case, we’re literally jumping out of our skin.
*The 65’s* are a group of musicians that we’ve been listening to individually for _years_, and we’ve been watching them develop as a band since we relaunched the label in early 2010. Springing out of the ashes of the defunct alt-country band the Dark Brothers, singer/guitarist Joe Vocaturo and drummer John Steele (also ex-Electric Frankenstein) teamed with guitarist Dan Smith (ex-Shirk Circus and acoustic performer) and bassist Cindi Merklee (ex-Balloon Squad and longtime singer/songwriter) and immediately began writing and recording. Occasionally, Joe would feed us some demos just to whet our appetite, and we’d find ourselves listening over and over. And driving really, really fast.
How do I describe this band?
Well, first, they’re *loud*. Usually. But sometimes, they’re quiet.
And their songs are hard-driving pop songs. But with gritty, gruff vocals. Except when Dan or Cindi are singing, in which case the vocals are gentle and melodic. And the rhythm section is powerful and propulsive, driving the song forward like a bullet train. Except when they’re not playing at all, in which case they’re a quiet coffee house band.
Fuck it; there’s no way to describe this band. But man, when you hear them, their songs will ring in your head for _days_.
Stay tuned. _Strike Hard!_, their debut CD, will be out this winter. And before then, you’ll be able to hear their single “Walk On Selfishly” if you search a bit, because some impatient indie label guy might just leak it because he can’t wait for you to hear it.
*CAMELFEST MUSIC FESTIVAL AUG. 12-13 TO BENEFIT ROOTS & WINGS*
*_Dromedary Records Will Bring 12 Bands Together at Maxwell’s in Hoboken in Support of Former Foster Youth*_
GREAT MEADOWS, N.J., July 25, 2011 – Members of the New Jersey and regional music scene are coming together to support young adults who have aged out of the child welfare system in the Garden State, announced Dromedary Records, a Great Meadows-based independent record label. The effort will launch with “Camelfest”:http://www.camelfest.com 2011, a two-day music festival to be held Friday and Saturday, August 12 and 13, at “Maxwell’s”:http://www.maxwellsnj.com, the legendary club in Hoboken, N.J.
Proceeds from Camelfest will benefit “Roots & Wings”:http://www.rootsandwingsnj.org, a nonprofit organization based in Mountain Lakes, N.J. Founded in 1999, Roots & Wings provides safe housing, educational support and practical life skills to youth who have “aged-out” of the child welfare system; for many, services are discontinued at age 18. Roots & Wings assists this high-risk population of disadvantaged young adults, helping them replace dependency with self-sufficiency.
Twelve bands will perform during three shows at Camelfest. On Friday night, beginning at 8 p.m., *Richard Barone*, *Robbers on High Street*, *The Mommyheads* and *Readymade Breakup* will take the stage. Saturday afternoon, Camelfest will kick off at 3 p.m. with *Charlotte Sometimes*, *Wild Carnation*, *Speed the Plough* and *Yung Wu*. And, on Saturday night, again beginning at 8 p.m., the lineup features *The 65s*, *The Library is On Fire*, *Varsity Drag* and *Stuyvesant*. Admission is $10 per person for each show, with tickets available online at http://maxwellsnj.com and at the door. Maxwell’s is located at 1039 Washington Street in Hoboken.
“We’re thrilled to have assembled such a great lineup of bands for this worthy cause,” said Dromedary Records owner Al Crisafulli. “New Jersey has a rich history of indie rock music, and young people have always been a huge part of keeping it going. It’s great to be working with bands that are so willing to donate their time and talent to give something back, and to be bringing them together at one of the state’s best music venues.”
“Because Roots & Wings is funded almost entirely by private donations and special events, support from individuals and organizations that work hard to put on events like this one are critical to our sustainability,” explained Kim Spangenberg, executive director of Roots & Wings.
“Often becoming suddenly homeless with no plan for the future, youth who phase out of foster care can find themselves alone with no one to depend on, leaving them at disturbingly high risk for dependence on welfare and unemployment, homelessness, unplanned pregnancy and incarceration,” she added. “Roots & Wings provides these young people the support they need to become successful, contributing members of society. Without the generosity of groups like Dromedary Records and its bands, Roots & Wings could not exist.”
For more information, visit the Dromedary Records website at www.dromedary-records.com or the Camelfest website at www.camelfest.com.
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It is our pleasure to present for you the latest single from Shirk Circus, “Desperate Time.” This single comes from the forthcoming CD This Band Will Destroy Your Life, which is due out this fall on Dromedary. It will also be available on Small But Mighty II, the FREE sampler we’ll be releasing on Thursday, August 11.
Sadly, Shirk Circus will not be performing at Camelfest this weekend, because singer/guitarist Josh Silverman passed away this past February. However, by all accounts, Josh was a loving father, husband and teacher, and surely the idea of helping kids in need would have been near and dear to him. That’s why it’s a no brainer that we’ll be donating a portion of the proceeds from This Band Will Destroy Your Life to Roots & Wings.
Please sit back and listen to “Desperate Time,” which, after more than a decade in storage, is finally seeing the light of day.