Slaraffenland

hometapes: THE FOURTH DAY OF HOMETAPES… DOWNLOAD: Brad Laner...

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:52:11 -0500

THE FOURTH DAY OF HOMETAPES…

DOWNLOAD:

Brad Laner “It’s Christmas (But I Don’t Care)”

Brad’s Favorite Record of 2009:

“Dirty Projectors ‘Bitte Orca’ (but reading interviews with the main dude nearly ruined it for me).”

Brad’s Favorite Movie of 2009:

“Up”

Brad’s Favorite Discovery of 2009:

“My new WiFi streaming Netflix/Youtube/blu-ray box. I’ll never leave the house again.” *

Brad’s Favorite Show of 2009 (Played or Attended):

“Pattern is Movement at the El Rey Theater here in Los Angeles.”

Brad’s Favorite Moment of 2009:

“My son starting Kindergarten at a truly amazing local charter school. ‘No child left behind’ can eat it.”

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Learn more about Brad Laner, including his landmark album Neighbor Singing, here. Hometapes will release Natural Selections, Brad’s new album, in 2010.

* Check out this LA Times article about Brad and his house, which we would also not leave. Even if it were just equipped with a Betamax and an ice chest.

hometapes: THE THIRD DAY OF HOMETAPES… DOWNLOAD: Pattern Is...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:36:30 -0500

hometapes:

THE THIRD DAY OF HOMETAPES…

DOWNLOAD:

Pattern Is Movement “O Holy Night”

Andrew Thiboldeaux of Pattern Is Movement.

Chris Ward of Pattern Is Movement.

Pattern Is Movement’s Favorite Record of 2009:

CHRIS: I fell in love with so many different records this year - from St. Vincent’s Actor to Dirty Projector’s Bitte Orca - but one record sticks out for me - Bon Iver’s Blood Bank EP. Now, I’m not the biggest fan of EP’s and I love Bon Iver, but I would not have guessed that his record would have grabbed me so. Every time I put it on, I can hear winter — which, for me, is something I’ve never experienced with a record. On top of that, the song “Woods” is by far one of the most simple and beautiful songs to be song. I would place that song on repeat and listen to 10x in a row. God I love that song.

ANDREW: Bitte Orca. I know this is most of the modern world’s fav too but I can’t help it. I just love it.

Pattern Is Movement’s Favorite Movie of 2009:

CHRIS: I feel like I saw a lot of movies in 09, but not that many come to mind when I think of movies released in 09. I just recently saw The Fantastic Mr. Fox twice and I have to say that its by far of the best films I’ve ever seen. I was stunned at how flawless the dialogue was — it moved at such a rapid pace, but yet it was clear all the way through. I’ve always loved Wes Anderson, but I have a new found respect for him due to this movie.

ANDREW: The Wrestler. Haven’t sat in a theater and yearned liked that in a while.

Pattern Is Movmement’s Favorite Discovery of 2009:

CHRIS: I fell back in love w/ Starflyer 59. I could not believe how much I listened to their records when I was growing up until I found there records at my folks’ house. I love Jason Martin’s voice coupled with his crushing guitar tone .. its just magnificent.

ANDREW: Toy Camera app on the iphone. Woulda paid the same amount I paid for the phone for that app.

Pattern Is Movment’s Favorite Show of 2009 (Played or Attended):

CHRIS: I saw Glass Ghost play at Johnny Brenda’s a few weeks ago and I was blown away. I’ve never taken my iPhone out a show and taped anything - but I was so freaked out by the drummer — and how amazing he was - that I had to tape it. I then proceeded to gush about them to everyone for weeks straight. He is by far one of the best drummers I’ve ever seen in my life.

ANDREW: tUnE-YaRdS @ Bowery Ballroom. I think about it daily. Greatest singer on Mother Earth.

Pattern Is Movment’s Favorite Moment of 2009:

CHRIS: Playing with Questlove at Brooklyn Bowl in October. I’ve always been the hugest fan of his and to look behind me and watch him play Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love” — it was so amazing. Also, it sunk in the next day that he played with Jay-Z and Beyonce at Madison Square Garden — how crazy is that.

ANDREW: LA show with St. Vincent. I can’t remember anything not wonderful about it.

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Pattern Is Movement’s “O Holy Night” originally appeared on “Peace On Earth: A Charity Holiday Album, Vol. II,” released last year and available here.

hometapes: THE SECOND DAY OF HOMETAPES… DOWNLOAD: Shannon...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:36:12 -0500

hometapes:

THE SECOND DAY OF HOMETAPES…

DOWNLOAD:

Shannon Fields of Stars Like Fleas (featuring the Canizares family) “I’ll Be Home For Christmas (If Only In My Dreams)”

“I liked the idea that this could sound a bit like eavesdropping on a discarded cassette tape from someone’s family Christmas. I always wanted to have the sort of family that would sit around a piano during holidays and sing together jovially drinking eggnog or something.”

“This photo is me (second from left, with trusty pipe) during the making of a video for The Silent League. The cardboard photo figures are by Noah Kalina, this photo taken by Alexandra Marvar.”

Shannon’s Favorite Records to Listen to Consistently in 2009:

Records released in 2009:

These Are Powers - All Aboard Future
Echoes Still Singing Limbs - S/T
Glass Ghost - Idol Omen
Desire - II
Jensen Sportag - Jackie EP
Ariel Pink - Can’t Hear My Eyes single
Nite Jewel - Good Evening
Helado Negro - Awe Owe
Bear in Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth
Honne Wells - “What the lead told or said? The home recordings of Henri Honne Wells [2005-2007]”
Duane Pitre - Origin (well, not yet released, i think)

Records made in a time that was not 2009:

ABC - Lexicon of Love
Daryl Hall & Robert Fripp - Sacred Songs
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - S/T
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Architecture and Morality
Gary Numan - Dance
John Maus - Love is Real
Lansing-Dreiden - The Dividing Island
Microdisney - 82-84: Love Your Enemies
The Psychedelic Furs - All Of This & Nothing
Peter & The Wolf - Lightness
Cocteau Twins - ‘Love’s Easy Tears’ and ‘Tiny Dynamine’ EP’s
Hall & Oates - Ultimate Daryl Hall & John Oates
Scritti Politti - Provision
Sawako - Yours Gray
Miranda July - Binet-Simon Test
A whole heaping lot of cosmic/italo disco tracks downloaded from American Athlete and Bumrocks.com.

Shannon’s Favorite Movie of 2009:

This year I enjoyed but did not care about movies. Also, this year, I thought a bit about why I’ve maybe always enjoyed but perhaps never cared about movies. Fascinating (for me, not you). How about books? Kelly Link - Magic For Beginners. There you go (May not be 2009 though…damn, it’s not. oh well). But I don’t mind admitting that I caught myself crying during the first 15 minutes of “Up” on the plane back from Stars Like Fleas tour in Europe.

Shannon’s Favorite Discovery of 2009:

My favorite discovery of 2009 is narcissistic..you don’t get to hear it (but you might next year).

Shannon’s Favorite Show of 2009 (Played or Attended):

Attended

In February of 2009 I curated John Zorn’s new music space, The Stone, in NYC. I booked 2 different shows each night for a month. I can confidently claim to have produced the world’s first and largest festival ever devoted entirely to whatever the fuck shannon fields would like to hear. I went to every one. What else can i say? It was unreal. You can see the listing here: http://thestonenyc.com/calendar.php?month=-10

The MOST memorable shows outside of that include These Are Powers at SXSW, Light Asylum at Music Hall of Williamsburg, Glass Ghost at the Sycamore, Jason Ajemian with the High Life at some restaurant back room in Harlem that I forget, Tristan Perich at Issue Project Room, Luluc at the Sycamore, and Corridors/Byron Westbrook in some room next to Glasslands that I forget the name of, Nick Keupfer at Cagibi (Montreal, QC).

Played

* These all have stories but it would take too long to tell them so I’ll stick with physical inventory. I’ve hardly been home this year but it has been an awfully rewarding year spent traveling and playing music with my friends.

/with Stars Like Fleas at: The Attic (houseparty in Guelph, Ontario, with Echoes Still Singing Limbs), MoMA (NYC), P.S.1. Contemporary Art Museum, Centre George Pompidou (Paris), Salle Paul Fortes (Nantes, France), Cafe Credenza (Faenza, Italy)

/with Helado Negro: Knitting Factory (NYC), Lyndon Street Artworks (Greensboro, NC), houseparty at William Tyler’s place in Nashville, TN.

/with Duane Pitre ensemble: Roulette and at Issue Project Room…both a thrill for me.

/with Chris Schlarb ensemble at The Stone.

/with The Silent League: Music Hall of Williamsburg, and Wildfire (Ithaca, NYC), and at Union Pool with the calendar boys of Bear in Heaven.

Shannon’s Favorite Moment of 2009:

My favorite moments of 2009 are too numerous to mention. Spending the day lazing around the ancestral farmhome of Merriweather Lewis (Lewis & Clark), drinking and watching my Helado Negro comrades hit the zip line…that’s up there. As was playing in a storewindow on a small square in Faenza, Italy. As was hanging around Union Pool and catching up one by one with friends who live near me but whom i haven’t really spent time with in ages. As was a recent, indescribably meaningful and inspiring trip to Montreal to kick off one of several new projects. But my favorite moments of the year were probably the little stretches of time spent alone: in the early morning, waking up in a new town, walking around with my thoughts in search of coffee; walking around in an old town latenight coming down from whatever sensory overload i put myself through the day; or in the car, driving alone from one place to the next, a little anxiety and a little anticipation and a whole lot of singing along with Simple Minds or something. It’s a sappy self-absorbed rom-com I’ve just told you, and altogether true.

hometapes: THE FIRST DAY OF HOMETAPES… DOWNLOAD: Slaraffenland...

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:10:27 -0500

hometapes:

THE FIRST DAY OF HOMETAPES…

DOWNLOAD: Slaraffenland “Little Drummer Boy”

Slaraffenland’s Favorite Album of 2009:

“Dirty Projectors ‘Bitte Orca’

This one got 3 of 5 votes. Other candidates was Animal Collective and The XX.”

Slaraffenland’s Favorite Movie of 2009:

“‘Antichrist’ by Lars Von Trier

Niklas, Bjørn and Jeppe did not see this movie, but Christian and Mike persuaded the others because the movie really made a big impression on them. The movie has been very controversial, because of some people’s perception of the movie as being misogynist. Von Trier’s movies has always been controversial, but this one is by far the most beautiful and yet scary movie in a long time.”

Slaraffenland’s Favorite Discovery of 2009:

“Our best new discovery this year is a Laser Spirit Level! We used it to build the floor in our new studio. BIG HELP!

The studio is not finished yet, but we are working on the place when we’re not on tour. It will be awesome when it’s done.”

Slaraffenland’s Favorite Show of 2009 (Played or Attended):

“The best show we’ve played this year was a show we did @ Voxhall in Århus, Denmark in May at the Pop Revo Festival. The crowd was great and the venue was awesome.

Christian heard Faith No More on Roskilde Festival this year, and he really loved that show. Other great shows has been Eagles of Death Metal in Copenhagen.”

Slaraffenland’s Favorite Moment of 2009:
“The day where we did the Temporary Slaraffenland movie with Vincent Moon, was very special. It was a beautiful sunday in May, and it will be a day we will all remember. In November, the movie was screened at the CPH:DOX festival in Copenhagen. This was a special and memorable day as well.”

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Hometapes released Slaraffenland’s “We’re on Your Side” album on LP and CD this year, as well as a 7” single for the album track “Meet and Greet,” all featuring the magical art of Cody Hudson.

Tonight in Brooklyn! Come celebrate with us…

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:12:04 -0400

Tonight in Brooklyn! Come celebrate with us…

Video Blog #2

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:53:39 -0400

Video Blog #2

Video Blog from our tour #1

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:52:38 -0400

Video Blog from our tour #1

See more from our Tour on Flickr

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:50:53 -0400

See more from our Tour on Flickr

Backstage in Ithaca, NY. Dana from Akron/Family on stage in the...

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:26:52 -0400

Backstage in Ithaca, NY. Dana from Akron/Family on stage in the background.

We live the Web 2.0 life…. Live Twitting, Facebooking and...

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:13:15 -0400

We live the Web 2.0 life…. Live Twitting, Facebooking and Tumblr blogging ón the road.

hometapes: From the rural swirls of upstate New York and the...

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:02:03 -0400

hometapes:

From the rural swirls of upstate New York and the frenzy of the Akron/Family tour, Slaraffenland and Hometapes announce today the release of We’re on Your Side, the long-awaited followup to Private Cinema and the Sunshine EP from the Copenhagen five-piece.

We’re on Your Side is both sonically and visually majestic, recorded with care in Copenhagen to capture the energy of Slaraffenland’s smashing live show. To bring the sounds into the physical world, Cody Hudson designed both the CD and LP packaging - featuring everything from a newsprint poster to a sticker - and we decided to cut the sounds into transparent red vinyl. The act of holding this record is exquisite foreplay for your listening.

We’re shipping now! Order here. While supplies last, those who order the We’re on Your Side LP will also receive a copy of the Meet and Greet 7” (also designed by Cody and on blue vinyl). And, we STILL have copies available of the limited edition (of 100) Cody Hudson-signed-and-scribbled-on 7”s. If you order the 7” directly, you’ll receive one of these special versions.

Slaraffenland is on tour NOW with Akron/Family in the eastern US. This includes a special record release show in Brooklyn at Union Pool next Tuesday September 22.

9/14/09 Hudson, NY @ Jason’s Upstairs *
9/15/09 Williamsport, PA @ Site: B *
9/16/09 Ithaca, NY @ Castaways *
9/17/09 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place *
9/18/09 London, Ontario @ LOLA Fest *
9/19/09 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick *
9/20/09 Louisville, KY @ 21C Museum Atrium Gallery *
9/21/09 Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks **
9/22/09 Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool **

*with Akron/Family & Jeffrey Lewis
**Slaraffenland only

hometapes: Slaraffenland We’re on Your Side : The CD...

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:59:06 -0400

hometapes:

Slaraffenland We’re on Your Side : The CD package. Designed by Cody Hudson. Available now from the Hometapes Art & Utility Store.

Pic’s from our tour. Niklas and a Pink Limo.

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:27:33 -0400

Pic’s from our tour.

Niklas and a Pink Limo.

Pic’s from our tour. Brooklyn sunset.

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:23:43 -0400

Pic’s from our tour.

Brooklyn sunset.

Pitchfork Forkcast with 'Open Your Eyes'

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:19:48 -0400

Pitchfork Forkcast with 'Open Your Eyes'

New pic’s from our Studio #3. This is Bjørn and Christian...

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:03:43 -0400

New pic’s from our Studio #3. This is Bjørn and Christian aka the CMYK-workers.

New pic’s from our Studio #2. This is Bjørn and Christian...

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:03:00 -0400

New pic’s from our Studio #2. This is Bjørn and Christian aka the CMYK-workers.

New pic’s from our Studio #1.

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:58:40 -0400

New pic’s from our Studio #1.

Outside the studio. It’s probably gonna be named Malorka;)

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:38:57 -0400

Outside the studio. It’s probably gonna be named Malorka;)

The floor in our new studio is almost done. Soon it’s time...

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:37:14 -0400

The floor in our new studio is almost done. Soon it’s time to put up the new walls.