New Butterflies song on Cicada Summer compilation

Butterflies were recently asked by Special Passenger Records to write and record a song during the Great Cicada Infestation of 2011, which struck the South this Spring with an incessant whirring and a clutter of discarded exoskeletons. What came out was a stripped down, hyper literal account of a conversation with Special Passenger Records owner Amanda Rainey, and lead Butterfly Josh Kimbrough's subsequent internet search on the Cicada flavored ice cream of Columbia, Missouri. Listen below and download for free:

Midtown Dickens tours with The Mountain Goats, joins Trekky Records

We're excited to officially announce that we'll be joining forces with Durham folk group Midtown Dickens, releasing their upcoming third album and continuing a musical journey that began three years ago. We admired Midtown Dickens from afar for a while before Trekky Records' Will Hackney spontaneously joined the band for a benefit show in Durham, NC. That inviting and communal nature is why we love working with the band, and why we're excited to be a part of their next chapter. The untitled new album, a follow-up to the band's 2009 self-released Lanterns, is currently being recorded by acclaimed producer Scott Solter (The Mountain Goats, Superchunk, Spoon) and will be released in early 2012. In the meantime, fellow Durhamite John Darnielle has invited Midtown Dickens to join The Mountain Goats on a string of West Coast dates. Parties below:

06-16 Seattle, WA - The Showbox
06-17 Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore
06-18 Portland, OR - Aladdin
06-20 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
06-21 Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar
06-23 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey
06-24 Santa Barbara, CA - Soho

TRKfest 2011 lineup and details announced!

Trekky Records is proud to announce the return of TRKfest, our annual Summertime blissfest, on Saturday, August 13th at Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro, NC. This year's festival will build upon the framework of the last three years, growing from a fledgling annual event to an essential expression of the North Carolina music scene, as well as the broader underground community.

This will be the fourth annual TRKfest. The event began as a one-off fundraiser for the Trekky Records Collective in 2008, but has transformed into an annual event, returning each year by popular demand. As always, the festival will take place at Piedmont Biofuels, a charming industrial biodiesel plant and organic farm nestled into the beautiful Pittsboro countryside. With the help of Piedmont Biofuels and The Abundance Foundation, we will attempt to minimize the ecological impact of the festival, reducing waste and emphasizing local and sustainable foods and drinks.

In addition to the music, the day will be bursting with other activities. Attendees will be able to play games, cool off under the sprinklers, vibe out in the Bliss Tent, purchase local clothing and crafts, tour the biodiesel facility and dance til they collapse, all while listening to some of the finest music North Carolina has to offer.

Admission will be a $10 suggested donation. No person will be turned away. This is a family friendly event! The rain date is Sunday, August 14th, but, c'mon, its not going to rain on TRKfest!

Performers:
Bowerbirds
Mount Moriah
Midtown Dickens
Hammer No More The Fingers
Embarrassing Fruits
Ryan Gustafson
Yardwork
Brice Randall Bickford
Butterflies
Vibrant Green
and more to be announced!

Other Attractions:
Local art, crafts and clothing for sale
Pants-off Dance-off
Coffee Sack Race
Musical Chairs Cake Walk
Make Yr Own Tie-Dye TRKfest Shirt
Sprinklers and Water Things
Tour of Piedmont Biofuels
Free Haircuts
Shadow Puppets
Bliss Tent
...and probably more!

Video: LIVE! from Trekky House II: Brice Randall Bickford

We continue our LIVE! From Trekky House video series today with a performance by Brice Randall Bickford. Bickford chose to play in the garden at Trekky House, strumming his electric guitar amidst the burgeoning tomoto plants and kale sprouts. Bickford's powerful voice pierces through the hypnotic wave of highway noise and the busy chatter of chirping birds as he plays "Songstress", the first single from his upcoming self titled album. The album will be out June 14, but if you're in NC, you can join us for the album release show this Saturday, and get your copy early!

MP3: Brice Randall Bickford - Songstress [from the Brice Randall Bickford LP]

Lost in the Trees selected for Jeff Mangum's All Tomorrow's Parties Festival

We're very excited to finally announce that our resident folk orchestra, Lost in the Trees, has been selected to play this year's All Tomorrow's Parties Festival, curated by Neutral Milk Hotel legend Jeff Mangum. The UK music festival was able to pry Mangum from his well-known reclusion to personally curate 3 days of music this December, and we're honored that he deemed Lost in the Trees worthy. The band will be sharing the stage with Fleet Foxes, Low, Superchunk and Jeff Mangum himself, in a rare solo performance. Tickets are on sale now, and you can go ahead and wish the band luck on their first trip across the pond!