Got this email from VBM today… HOLY CRAP WHAT A DEAL!

Here’s an added bonus, let Jeff know you were referred by me and I’ll send you something too!

THE BUY ONE GET ONE FREE – Recession Buster !

We are insanely proud of our last 4 full length releases. And to be honest, we’d like more people to be listening to them + we’d like to sell more of them ! So from now until midnight on Mon. (10/12) purchase any one of the below releases and get one of the others for FREE !

MAP ‘Speechless’
TELEGRAPH CANYON ‘The Tide and The Current’
KISSING COUSINS ‘Pillar of Salt’
FRANK LENZ ‘Strictly Background’

Order online at www.velvetbluemusic.com , and just type the title of your free cd in the comments section of the order. Or email me at velvet.blue@verizon.net with your order and I’ll email you a link to pay via PayPal.

Cheers,

VBM.

This music video premiered a few days ago on Magnet Magazine. For those of you who haven’t gotten a chance to check it out yet, here is the new Kissing Cousins video featuring Eric Stoltz.

Some news from two of TPM’s favorite music labels: Velvet Blue Music and Saddle Creek Records.

What’s going on at VBM?

-VBM has a new family member, Telegraph Canyon. The Texas 7 piece is releasing The Tide and the Current on VBM and Spune next month, the 18th to be exact.

-Map’s Speechless will be available on August 25th. Jeff from VBM calls the album, “basically like 10 songs you wish you’d written”.

-Pillar of Salt being released on vinyl in August. Details to come.

-Ronnie Martin of Joy Electric is working on a Doug Burr remix as you read this. Anything by Ronnie is worth a listen, so check back for more on that.

-And, remember, VBM has a great sampler out now for only $0.99. So skip one 5 piece chicken nugget order at Wendy’s and get a copy.

How about Saddle Creek?

-RAA and UUVVWWZ out now!

-RAA on tour, including some East Coast dates (Yay!) Philly on August 3rd, if I wasn’t on vacation I’d be there… what’s your excuse?

-UUVVWWZ will be hosting a record release party in Omaha, NE tomorrow night. Since there is very little to do in Omaha anyway… AND, it’s a Wednesday night… you have nothing better to do than catch a great show. All you Cornhuskers need to get your asses out to support great local music.

-Looks like Azure Ray has added some dates. Be one of the first to see this band in years!

July 10, Portland, OR, Mississippi Studios

Jul 11, Bellingham, WA, The Nightlight

July 12, Seattle, WA, Neumos

July 14, San Jose, CA, Nickel City Arcade

July 16, San Francisco, CA, Great American Music Hall

July 17, Santa Barbara, CA, Velvet Jones

July 18, Pomona, CA, Glasshouse

July 24, Omaha, NE, Wild About Omaha at Slowdown/Film Streams

-Fall releases beginning to take shape. Orenda Fink and Old Canes due out in October.

So that’s just some of what’s going on at two of the best indie labels around today. Check out their websites for more info on all of this and more.

A few updates from everyone’s favorite indie label, Velvet Blue Music.

There are a few new releases to check out:

-Kissing Cousins “Pillar of Salt” (Check out the TPM review here)

-$0.99 6 Song CD (featuring Doug Burr, Kissing Cousins, Frank Lenz, Ronald of Orange, Gary Murray, and LN)

-Frank Lenz “Strictly Background” (Check out the TPM review here)

-Ronald of Orange “Brush Away the Cobwebs”

Other news from VBM:

-Map just finished recording their new album. It’s set to release in August and it’s entitled Speechless.

-Kissing Cousins just shot a video for their first single from Pillar of Salt, “Don’t Look Back”. Expect more info on that once it’s done.

-Doug Burr is just entering the studio again. Expect more news about his upcoming album soon.

-If you are in the Los Angeles area, Strictly Background is screening for free on July 17th at The Screen Actor’s Guild.

-Speaking of Frank Lenz, he’s still on tour as the drummer for Richard Swift. Swift is opening up for The Fray. For dates, click here.

No need for an intro… without further ado, here’s Heather from Kissing Cousins…

Hi Heather, thanks for doing this interview for my readers. Let’s start out simple. Can you tell us about yourself a bit?

I have lived in Los Angeles for 9 years, originally from Birmingham, AL. I also play bass in Summer Darling with my husband. I like chocolate and red lipstick.

How about the rest of the band, like who does what?

If you mean instruments then: Beth plays drums, Kara plays flute/keys/bgv, Melissa plays bass, Alexis plays glock/keys, I play guitar and sing. If you mean hobbies, then that list would be way too long.

How long have you gals been rocking together? Did you know each other before becoming a band?

We have been a band since late 2005. Beth, Rhea, Kara, and I. Alexis is an unofficial member, which basically means she plays with us when she can. Melissa joined last year after Rhea moved away. We are all very close friends. I have known Beth and Alexis the longest going on 9 years. Kara married my former bandmate of Summer Darling/Map and Rhea is his best friend. We met Melissa last year watching her band Shiloe.

I’ve reviewed all of your releases for one site or another. I have compared your sound to bands like Portishead and The Breeders at different points, as well as the obvious comparison to PJ Harvey. While I think these comparisons are of merit, I’d rather ask you where you think your sounds comes from… influences, bands you like, etc?

Well, I love all of those gals! PJ is one of my favorites and of course Blonde Redhead, Radiohead, but I really like 60’s and 70’s rock. New music faves include: Deerhunter, Tweak Bird, and Restavrant.

Your sound has been pretty consistent, but I think this newest release shows a bit more raw power and can be a bit harder than the other stuff, if I remember correctly… would you agree? And, if so, what brought on this harsher edge?

I definitely agree. We have always been a loud band live and I think it finally just seeped into the writing style. A natural progression.

Ok, so, at this point in my interview I usually veer away from music a bit, so I won’t break my trend. Besides music, what other types of things do you occupy your time doing?

Dodgers baseball and other girlie stuff.

Excited about any of the Summer movies that have come out or are on their way?

I am so stoked for Harry Potter that I have entered several contests trying to see an early screening or the IMAX premiere. Public Enemies and Moon.

I am also very stoked on the new Potter flick. Speaking of fun “kids” movies, I have a son, his name is Cash Hendrix. I also have a dog named Strummer. Do you ever find yourself naming pets or children, or anything for that matter, after favorite musicians?

My girl cat is named Polly Jean, my boy cat Marley, and my dog is named Penelope (Pinback).

Ok, so here’s where I usually bring it back into music and start to wrap up the interview. Is that ok with you?

Sure.

Well, here’s a question I haven’t had the chance to ask anyone at VBM before despite working in some manner with Jeff for some time on reviews or shows or whathaveyou: What is Jeff like?

Cloud is RAD! and tall. He loves having a good time, can talk to anyone, and is very generous. We love him!

He always comes off as super supportive of his musicians, do you find that he is always behind you with what you are trying to do in your music?

He definitely gets excited for us.

Who do you think is his favorite member of your band and why?

Me, of course! No explanation needed!

Ha. Well, I guess the wrap up starts now. Plug your new album in 10 words or less.

Shang-ri-las meets Black Sabbath with killer flute solos!

Coming out to the east coast at all? We’d love to catch a show out this way sometime.

We will get there!

Keep in touch with us here at TPM, looking forward to more from you and the other gals. How about leaving the readers with one final profound moment or perhaps some words to live by?

Tater tots.

This week, I decided not to layout what was getting published on the site when… because last week I was incredibly off. I can say that you can expect an interview with Heather from Kissing Cousins and a VBM update tomorrow. I have a whole bunch of reviews in the works, I’d expect UUVVWWZ to hit the site by the end of the week, maybe another one as well.

On the horizon: RAA review, The Young Werewolves interview, NSN review, JustMe review, and Culted review. Also, some great beers should hit the site, including Labatt’s Honey Lager, the newest in Troegs scratch beer series, and (per Harry “The Kid” Henderson’s request) Miller Lite.

For now, I leave you with this great joke that my father forwarded to me. It’s actually from Christianity Today’s daily joke email.

When Jerry Garcia died, he woke up and found himself on a stage on which a number of instruments were set up. A door offstage opened and in walked Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, John Lennon, Otis Redding and Buddy Holly.

Each musician picked up his favorite instrument and began tuning up.

Jerry walked up to Jimi and said, “Man, so this is what heaven is like.”

Jimi looked at him and said, “Heaven? You think this is heaven?”

At that moment, Karen Carpenter walked in, took her seat behind the drums, and called out, “Okay guys, ‘Close to You.’ One, two, three, four!”

For starters, here is a clip from Michael Jackson’s classic film Moonwalker:

Now, here’s what is coming up in the next few days on the site:

-Tomorrow, the first of two great interviews on TPM this week will be posted… an introduction to everyone’s favorite nerd rapper, Beefy.

-On Tuesday, the review of the Skylife EP scheduled for last week will be posted. Sorry for the delay.

-Later this week, expect an interview with Heather of Kissing Cousins, a review of Ultrachrist!, a look at the Purplish Rain, and some beer for good measure (the new Troegs Scratch Beer to be exact).

Looks like the CookBook album has dropped a bit early. You can get it today at Sphere of Hip-Hop. You can read a full length interview with Jason “CookBook” Soto here tomorrow.

And… while you’re at it, download some more free music:

“Flamethrower” by Peter James

Nerdrap Entertainment System by YTCracker

“You Can’t Help Yourself” by Frank Lenz

“In Too Deep” by Kissing Cousins

thepaintedman rates this:

After a handful of EPs, Kissing Cousins release their full length debut, Pillar of Salt, this week. As in their previous releases, the band rocks their brand of tenacious girl-fronted garage rock for fans of PJ Harvey, The White Stripes, The Breeders, and early Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

In previous reviews I likened the band to Portishead at times, but on this release that comparisons seems a bit off. The raw power and fierceness of Pillar pushes the sound entirely out of any trip-hop comparisons… yet, the sultry vocals that initially brought upon the comparison have not gone anywhere. That said, the sound is really not much different than of the 4 EPs release previously on VBM, but the songs just seem to slap me across the face a bit more than I remember.

What is different about this release? Two things that stand out immediately. The first (and most obvious) is that the band proved they are able to put together a solid full length, something they had previously never done. The second big thing is the acappella choral track “Snake Handler” which impresses with it’s live church choir feel and odd title.

The was a wonderfully interesting bit in their presskit that I am sharing with all of you because of how much it says about the band and Pillar of Salt:

The band’s music is largely influenced by Heywood’s complications growing up in the home of her step-dad, a southern Pentecostal preacher in Alabama. The congregation was predominantly poor and black and Heywood was imprinted with the musical aesthetics of desperation and sorrow. Heywood was influenced by soulful and woeful music in addition to witnessing some most confusing situations like exorcisms, speaking in tongues, and parishioners being “slain in the spirit.” Heywood was tormented as she grew older and realized her normal life wasn’t so normal and that there were a myriad of ways to understand life. This wounded spirituality was her muse as she crafted the Cousin’s songs. Tracks like “First in the Fire” and “Snake Handler” are prime examples of this. ‘Pillar of Salt’ is both a haunting and hopeful exploration of music.

Overall, a solid outing that breaks the mold. You see, I have always found that Velvet Blue’s EP releases have been more solid than the LPs… but here is where I have been forced to reevaluate that. Kissing Cousins have put together a very strong debut album that highlights the dual female voice, both brutal and beautiful… gutt wrenching and torso ripping, all the while wooing you into submission with the a cool, calm sexiness. While chick rock is admittedly not my forte, I know what I like and I do like this album.

Download Free Track: “In Too Deep”