Essentially finished with school for the semester and moving back home to California for the summer which is exciting. If you are sending any demos//goodies my way be sure you send them to the new updated address which can be found in the ‘about’ section or whatever it is called.
The Lil Daggers and The Lawds tapes will be up for pre-order within the next week or so, so keep your eyes peeled for track drops and an all new Early Summer cassette special to accompany their release. Releases are gonna flow continually throughout the summer and the tapes lined up are nothing short of brilliant. There will be also be new distro stuff soon! The more you buy the more gemz I can get my hands on for ya’!
Got 6 tracks I wanna share that have been blasting heavy for the past couple of days around here.
Almost time for me to move back to the golden state for summer. Hitting the road for all sorts of road trip action, including a visit to the amazing Henry Miller Library for the Woodsist Fest in June. It’ll be a real bong voyage for sure. Not only will I be living easy, LNA is about to get major. Well, not too major. Got a couple vids to give y’all a taster of some upcoming stuff.
I’ve only got three weeks of school left. I’m ecstatic to say the least. There are going to be really beautiful things happening here at LNA once school stops being a nuisance and I’m kickin’ it domestic back in California. Tons of delicious tapes and one or two delicious vinyl records. I blabbed about the first record from Soft Cat in an earlier post and this morning I was motivated to whip up a film collage for one of the tracks off of the record which is below.
Been shipping orders like mad round here and I hope to have ‘em all out by today which happens to be 4/20. It is only appropriate that I got the tracks for the upcoming Weed Diamond tape today as well as the track for the upcoming Tangles tape yesterday. Time to zone on the astral plane for surrre but not until everyone’s goodies are off in the post! I’m gonna be zoning with that guy up there. We are gonna play bocce and listen to Julian Lynch in the sun.
There are plenty of new distro goods for y’all to sink your teeth into and they will be up on the site shortly. A grip of tapes from Lost Sound which Jon hooked me up with when he came my way for an awesome show featuring his band Sandy City (their 7″ will be in the distro soon too!), Bare Wires (Kinda LNA alums via Matthew Melton demo), pe-rad (LNA alums), and one of the more recent additions to the LNA fam the ever so psychedelic jam-kings of Spokane The Soul and the Machine. It was a really ridiculously fun show. Thanks to everyone who came out.
I’m really stoked on Mountain Man Fest and I’m gonna try to wrangle myself a booth to sell tapes at it this summer. So everyone needs to go and pledge to the kickstarter so this ridiculously awesome showcase can go down! It is basically every band you could ever want to see in a single day.
If you are lurkin’ hard in CA you should probably already have tickets to the Woodsist Fest at Henry Miller Library in Big Sur. I literally cannot wait. I get antsy just thinking about it.
I’m pretty swamped with school right now so a stockpile of superb tapes is piling up. Like these releases are gonna blow your mind. Since you are patient with me like this dad and I’m unconditionally loving like this child I’m gonna share some tracks that are making my week super boss. Probs already got ‘em, but just in case…
If Your Girl by Forest Swords (this delish channeling of Aaliyah can be found on the Forest Swords LP on OESB. It is a hands down absolute must buy. Not just because Matt and I go way back but because it is the shit.)
Suffering Season by Woods (from their new album At Echo Lake. Nothing like the daytrotter version but even more spectacular.)
Right Thurr by Chingy (I drank beer at a bro party and heard this song and I remembered how much I liked it.)
Requiem for O.M.M. by Of Montreal (I smoked hooka and rediscovered an album that soundtracked some really good times in my life. This song is capturing the way I feel right now BIG time.)
So, I’ve gotten way behind on my life. I’m sorry to everyone who has ordered in the past couple of weeks but your goods are going out today//tomorrow. Sometimes I just can’t handle all my shit and then all that shit just hits the fan and then all I do is watch dark cerebral dramas//WWII movies on netflix instant and skate around like I’m hesh. Stuff around here won’t move the speed of light all the time.
Those in Spokane should come to this tomorrow night. It’ll be delish so come lurk with us.
I’m obsessed with Brule’s Rules currently. Dr. Steve Brule has a lot of simple life lessons that are really valuable. Like if you milk tastes sour just check the expiration date dummy. Or, if you could have a girl or a jetpack.. take the jetback because then you could just fly to the girls. Or, if you have a vag-ana you don’t need a new one because you’ve already got one and if you have a pe-nus don’t cut it off just keep on it. I especially like it when he solicits bones for Richard Dunn because he is a wobbly old guy. Dr. Brule is a genius of or time and he has a cool uncle.
If I had the choice between a pretty girl and a motorcycle + sidecar, I’d take the motorcycle because then I could just ride to the girls and they would get in my sidecar. Or, I could just drive my cool uncle around like the above dude.
My Second Year Here Has Been Worse Than The First. 30. March 2010
I’m having a pretty crap time in school right now so summer and tapes are all I really care about. Got two massive tapes out within the next couple of weeks, one from Lil’ Daggers bringing the surf punk stank to tape and one from The Lawds who are bringing some of the most delicious early rock n’ roll//garage vibes that I’ve ever heard to tape. Both could seriously be bands I found on an obscure regional garage comp from 1964. I couldn’t be more stoked considering my current obsession with rock n’ roll roots and proto-punk (if I may use that term). Be excited!
There are like a million new and exciting things in the distro, so get at it. Also the current Spring Break themed cassette special won’t last forever (because Spring Break doesn’t last forever) so get at it while its still around.
Attention Spokane people! You can basically buy everything on this site from Unified Groove! This includes tapes and many of the things in the distro. So, don’t have me ship stuff 5 miles away! Go support our radical local record store, we are very lucky to have ‘em. Also, LNA is putting on a show featuring BARE WIRES, SANDY CITY, THE SOUL AND THE MACHINE, and PARADE! April 14th @ The Empyrean 7pm and only $5! The money you save could be spent on all the tapes and distro stuff I’m bringing. It’ll be the cheapest of the cheap since it is in person with no shipping.
This Abe Vigoda song (a partial cover of a Stevie Nicks song) is brilliant and Matt from Forest Swords who made this video is brilliant. Buy his new LP on OESB like now.
Triple Tape Drop. Drop It Down To The Floor. 15. March 2010
Yo kids!
Three new tapes are officially out and about, flaunting their stuff all over the town. Kevin Greenspon, Carter Mullin, and Junior Low drinkin’ Maker’s Mark and on the prowl for ears. Check ‘em out on the tapes page. Pictures will be up as soon as I can track down my digital camera queen Caroline (who has dated multiple members of Young Prisms for the record ((her claim to fame besides taking all the tape pictures))).
Four more tapes are more or less on their way from The Lawds, Lil Daggers, John K., and a split betwixt Jeans Wilder and Deep Sht. Doesn’t get better than that. Wait! It does! There is also one most premium vinyl record in the oven from Soft Cat. Delish!
I’m also stoked to announce LNA’s first “Special Project”. I approached the splendid Teenage Cool Kids about a cassingle a while back and they replied with this bomb of a project. A three issue Tape//Zine//Gifty fanklub doodad dubbed ‘Wild Style.’ It was so premium I couldn’t possibly pass it up. The first issue is in planning stages, but we are hoping to have it out by mid-April. The tapes will feature primarily new songs that will end up on the next Teenage Cool Kids LP. These badboyz are gonna be limited to 100, so when you see it around (in Maximum Rock and Roll, on the LNA site, or the various T.C.K. outlets) make like a cheetah and order up. But, don’t worry I’ll give a big heads up when its about that time to scramble.
Enough rambling. But this comic is making me sad.
Heart,
Alex//LNA
P.S. Buy that GD Eternal Summers 10″ (either from Chimney Sweep or right here), it is phenomenal.
P.S. II This is in my top 5 music videos of all time. Serious. Its magic.
Got three new tapes up for pre-order! One from Junior Low, another from Carter Mullin, and another from Kevin Greenspon! They will ship on or before March 15th! Dope. Got releases from Boneless, Lil Daggers, Jeans Wilder, Deep Sht, and John K. coming up soon. Oh boy.
I would like introduce everyone to a very special project by the name of Soft Cat. This is one of the most gorgeous, atmospheric folk projects I’ve ever heard complete with a fresh, unique voice. Soft Cat will be releasing their debut vinyl on LNA near the end of April. I’m ecstatic. Originally Neil, of Soft Cat, and I talked about a tape but when he sent me the final tracks I had to put it on hold until I could gather the funds to put it out on vinyl. I couldn’t hold in the secret any longer, so here I am blurting. The digital (and possibly CD version) will be released by Waaga Records, with whom I am stoked to be working with.
There are new goodies in the distro with more always coming! An Active Child restock is immanent as well as a stocking of the new Transparent single from Perfume Genius. Be sure to check out the 7″+Tape deals with both Campfires and Bare Wires.
Thanks to everyone who has ordered recently, as always it means the world to me. There will be a new special for March in the coming days, so keep your eyes peeeeeled. The Kevin Greenspon, Junior Low, and Carter Mullin tapes will all be up for pre-order in a week or so. The dubber is whirling, the paint is out, and records are spinning. Plus, there are a ton of splendid tapes coming up for the spring so be excited.
If you didn’t see, tapes got some major love on Pitchfork. It is a really splendid piece of journalism and it was great to see all the tape-nerds gettin’ their two cents in the article. Some really genuine (uncensored on my part) comments. Thank-you Marc for doing tapes justice.
My other venture Hazed Nostalgia is off the ground and stuff is happening. There are a number of exciting VHS projects ranging from super 8 short films to soundtracked archive footage. There are also a number of zines that need submissions, so check the site if you are interested in contributing to the zine projects. Excitement!
Always fun stuff going on here at LNA.
I’ve been having a really super week. Can’t really pinpoint why. There are a bunch of contributing factors I suppose. Maybe it was the Domino’s 555 binge last night with my buds or my generally awesome classes this semester or the letters I got from dear friends, but I was inspired to do a good ol’ blog post. Share some goofy pictures (as always), some videos I’m extra stoked on, some tracks that have been bombarding me all week with awesomeness, and some general LNA news.
Above is a fantastic video directed by Martin Anderson for my favourite Olympians (Like from Olympia, WA not like in the winter olympics winning medals in women’s hockey) Pill Wonder. I’m ecstatic to say that their out of print tape on Wild Animal KingdomJungle/Surf has been re-released on vinyl and is essentially out now on the splendid Underwater Peoples. We will have some copies here in the distro a.s.a.p. but I encourage you strongly to grab it from UP. Probably the most listened to tape in my entire collection. They crank the fun up to eleven.
That is a picture of the Balboa Ballroom. Where all the surf bands from Southern CA threw crazy parties that I missed out on by 40 or so years. Bummer. But, if it was still around I’d wanna book in King Tuff. I’ve listened to the King for a while now and near wore out their tape ‘Was Dead’, but it wasn’t until Sunday that I realized how truly phenomenal they were. It is February right now in Washington state and where everywhere else in the country (and state) seem to be getting tons of freezing snow we have none. Last year feet and feet of snow + subzero was commonplace, but on Sunday I wore cutoffs and a yellow t-shirt and played bocce ball in the grass. I also wore a beaded Native American medallion which I now call my ‘Sun Medallion’ named after the King Tuff song. King Tuff soundtracked the glorious day and I’m thankful. If you haven’t already checked them out, below are a couple of songs. “I can’t go anywhere without my sun medalllliooonn”
I’ve been in love with Pure Ecstasy for some time now and their tape on LNA is sadly out of print (some distros still have it though!) which means I need to start up work on another project with these dudes. Up there be a live video of their new track ‘Alexandria’ that is off an upcoming 7 on Acephale. Continually melting my mind guys, keep it up and I’ll be a puddle for life. Every Thursday after my radio show, I go over to my buddy Dylan’s with my roommate Curtis and we smoke hooka, drink good beer housed in koozies, and listen to tapes//records. Pure X always finds their way into that mix somehow. Let me tell you… cosmic.
In LNA news: there are going to be a ton of new distro adds over the coming weeks. Gotta keep it fresh and delicious. Thank you to all of you who order goodies from the distro! It really means a lot. In the tapes world, pictures of the Legionnaires and Campfires tapes will be up asap. I don’t actually own a digital camera (a little bit of a film purist) so it always takes me a couple weeks to nail down a buddy to take the glamour shots. Thanks to everyone who has been ordering tapes! Be sure to check the ‘SPECIALS’ page for the February tape special, $16 for 5 tapes of choice. It is a really top drawer deal. Don’t need five? We always have the classic “Triple Threat.” Just a heads up, the Cat Killer tapes are running low so if you desire the bedroom pop bombshell better get at it A.S.A.P. The Boneless release has been pushed back a little bit, so the next tapes to mesmerize your ears and minds will be courtesy of Kevin Greenspon, Carter Mullin, and Junior Low. Be stoked!!!
To finish off, I’m gonna share three tracks with y’all that have made my week. You may have ‘em, but in case you don’t get at ‘em!
Real Estate’s ‘Younger Than Yesterday’ is so damn good. Here is the version off their ‘Live on the Radio’ LP released by Underwater Peoples
Harlem’s new album ‘Hippies’ is really awesome. I was a big fan of their first ‘Free Drugs’ (Own the tape and the vinyl yo!) and this sophomore effort is just a legit.
I stumbled on this gem on Awesome Tapes from Africa. Who knew that a motherly African woman could produce such a jam (pictured below)!!! Dedicated to my bestie Nicole who is studying in Ghana right now. Make me a batik headband woman!
