TRK 2012 Year-End Lists

Martin Anderson (Trekky Records)

1. Hiss Golden Messenger- Poor Moon
2. Lambchop- Mr. M
3. Bowerbirds- The Clearing
4. Matthew E. White- Big Inner
5. Tift Merritt- Traveling Alone
6. Patterson Hood- Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance
7. Sharon Van Etten- Tramp
8. The Human Eyes- Guiding Eyes for the Blind
9. Frank Ocean- Channel Orange
10. Menomena- Moms
11. The Tallest Man on Earth- There's No Leaving Now
12. The Bad Plus- Made Possible
13. Damien Jurado- Maraqopa
14. Horseback- Half Blood
15. David Byrne & St Vincent- Love This Giant

Thomas Costello (The Human Eyes, Embarrassing Fruits)

Wymond Miles- Under The Pale Moon
Mac Demarco- Rock N Roll Nightclub
Thee Oh Sees- Putrifiers II
Lotus Plaza- Spooky Action At A Distance
Gunn-Truscinski Duo- Ocean Parkway
Spider Bags- Shake My Head
The Men- Open Your Heart
Jessica Bailiff - At the Down-turned Jagged Rim of the Sky
Andy Stott- Luxury Problems
Grimes- Visions

Will Hackney (Trekky Records, Midtown Dickens)

1. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
2. The Weather Station - All Of It Was Mine
3. Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
4. Beach House - Bloom
5. Bowerbirds - The Clearing
6. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
7. Mount Eerie - Clear Moon
8. Bill Fay - Life Is People
9. Hammer No More The Fingers - Pink Worm
10. Lambchop - Mr. M
11. Grizzly Bear - Shields

Josh Kimbrough (Butterflies)

1. Joe Norkus "Park Ave." and Bowerbirds "The Clearing"

2. Twin Shadow "Confess"

3. The Human Eyes "Guiding Eyes For The Blind"

4. Jenny Besetzt "Only"

5. Lost in the Trees "A Church That Fits Our Needs"

6. Squarepusher "Ufabulum"

7. Wood Ear "Steeple Vultures"

8. Dinosaur Jr. "I Bet On Sky"

9. The Sea and Cake "Runner"

10. Hi Ho Silver Oh "Big Rocks"

Comedy albums:

Tim Heidecker "Titanic And Other Songs"

Kreayshawn "Somethin' 'Bout Kreay"

Lovable creations:

Travis Diehl's "Prism of Reality"

Katie Zickefoose's "New Work"

Catherine Edgerton's "fall tour hoodie" (no link available)

Joey Shanks' "Sci-Fly project"

TJ Maiani

New Releases

Tame Impala- Lonerism

Useless Eaters- C'est Bon!

White Fence- Family Perfume 2

OFF!- OFF!

Sic Alps- Sic Alps

Action Bronson- Blue Chips

Frank Ocean- Channel Orange

Thee Oh Sees- Putrifiers II

Ty Segall & White Fence- Hair

DIIV- Oshin

Ariel Pink- Mature Themes

Reissues

GZA- Liquid Swords

Sleep- Dopesmoker

Blue Note 1960's series

Joe Norkus (Joe Norkus, Embarrassing Fruits)

New Music 
Ty Segall &White Fence -  Hair
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes
Lotus Plaza - Spooky Action at a Distance 
Hiss Golden Messenger - Poor Moon
Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet on Sky
Guided By Voices - Let's Go Eat the Factory
Mac Demarco - Rock n Roll Nightclub EP
Wild Nothing - Nocturne
Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

Reissues:
Archers of Loaf  - Vee Vee (best album to ever come out of Chapel Hill?)
My Bloody Valentine -  Isn't Anything/Loveless/EPs 1988-1991

Best Discoveries/Rediscoveries: 
The Wipers (how had I not heard these dudes yet?)
Early Faces (right when Rod joined...basically the best drinking music a man could ask for) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xHBjeiqzkQ
Larry & The Blue Notes (sweet early 60s Texas garage band) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83kYS1bEmjk
Pentagram (FUUUCK Yeah. Better than Sabbath?) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7JTD_73kpI


Best movies I saw this year:
The Comedy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSrh7o-Ia_U
Last Days Here (insane doc about the singer for pentagram and his struggles with drugs and subsequent triumphant return) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aUf_F5Lc_k&feature=fvwrel
Teen A Go Go (documentary about the Fort Worth/Dallas 60s garage band scene) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJRw7icZa-M 


Notables:
The Best Show on WFMU was playing in my earbuds almost every day.
The First song on the new Neil Young and Crazy Horse album is literally 30 min long (I got through about 20)
Tim Heidecker's "Titanic" BOB DYLAN song is 15 min long (I got through all 15).

Ari Picker (Lost in the Trees)

Midtown Dickens: Home

Lambchop: Mr M 

Grizzly Bear: Shields 

Dirty Projectors: Swing Lo Magellan

Bowerbirds: The Clearing

Sean Rowe: The Salesman and the Shark

Kym Register (Midtown Dickens)

1. Downton Abbey

2. Lost in the Trees - A Church That Fits Our Needs

3. Hope For Agoldensummer - Life Inside the Body 

4. Bowerbirds - The Clearing

5. Sharon Van Etten - Tramp

6. Menomena - Moms 

7. Imperial Teen - Feel The Sound 

8. Your Heart Breaks - Harsh Tokes & Bong Jokes 

9. Spider Bags - Shake My Head 

10. Matthew E. White - Big Inner 

11.  Tame Impala - Lonerism 

12. The Weather Station - All of it Was Mine 

Rusty Sutton (Lost in the Trees live sound engineer)

1. Hiss Golden Messenger - Poor Moon

2. Lambchop - Mr. M

3. Lost in the Trees - A Church That Fits Our Needs

4. Matthew E. White - Big Inner

5. Joe Pug - The Great Despiser

6. Bowerbirds - The Clearing

7. Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory

8. Sarah Jaffe - The Body Wins

9. American Aquarium - Burn. Flicker. Die.

10. The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth

Honorable Mention:

The Human Eyes - Guiding Eyes for the Blind

Cody Chesnutt - Landing on a Hundred

Stephen Tunnell (Vibrant Green)

PJ Harvey- Let England shake

Sharon Van Etten- Tramp
Neil Young- Psychedelic Pill ("I used too walk like a giant across this land")
Santigold- Master of My Make-believe

What I'm listening to now:
Eels- Souljacker
Eels- The Man- Tomorrow Morning
Bob Marley- The Anthalogy
Ryan Adams and the Cardinals- III/IV
The National- "Thirsty" for the next National album... no joke

Lost in the Trees debuts new song on KCRW

Lost in the Trees visited the KCRW studios a few days ago while on tour and spontaneously decided to debut a brand new, unreleased song. The new track, titled "Glass Harp", is a gorgeous, polyrhythmic composition that foretells a very exciting direction for new Lost in the Trees material. Watch the video above, and make sure to catch the band on the rest of their US tour dates with Midtown Dickens:

11-01 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon*
11-02 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks*
11-03 Atlanta, GA - The Earl*
11-05 Washington DC - Black Cat*
11-06 Ithaca, NY - The Haunt*
11-07 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall*
11-08 Stony Brook, NY - University Cafe*
11-09 York, PA - Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center*

* with Midtown Dickens

Phil Cook & His Feat Announce November Tour Dates

Never one to sit still for long, Phil Cook & His Feat is hitting the road in November for select dates in the Midwest with The Be Good Tanyas and a special NC show with Hiss Golden Messenger. Check the full dates below, as well as a special performance of "Frazee, Minnesota" and "Scorned" that Phil recently taped for The Independent's Simple Music Video Series.

11-10 Stoughton, WI - Stoughton Opera House*
11-11 Chicago, IL - Old Town School of Folk Music* SOLD OUT
11-12 Iowa City, IA - The Englert Theater*
11-13 Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center*
11-15 Raleigh, NC - Tir Na Nog
11-16 Durham, NC - The Pinhook#
11-30 Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theater^

* with The Be Good Tanyas
# with Hiss Golden Messenger
^ with Bombadil

IFC debuts new Lost in the Trees music video

IFC debuted the new Lost in the Trees music video: a somber, symbolic clip for "Villain (I'll Stick Around)", one of the most beautiful tracks on the band's latest album, A Church That Fits Our Needs. Watch the video above, or visit IFC for some insight into the process and inspiration of the video. This clip, along with the recent reissue of Lost in the Trees' Time Taunts Me, commemorate the beginning of a full US tour with Midtown Dickens, beginning next week. Dates below:

10-09 Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light*
10-10 Bloomington, IN - The Bishop*
10-11 St. Louis, MO - The Duck Room*
10-12 Madison, WI - Der Rathskeller*
10-13 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall*
10-14 Minneapolis, MN - First Ave. 7th Street Entry*
10-16 Omaha, NE - Slowdown*
10-17 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive*
10-18 Salt Lake City, UT - The State Room*
10-19 Boise, ID - Neurolux*
10-20 Seattle, WA - Crocodile (City Arts Festival)*#
10-21 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge*#
10-23 Arcata, CA - Arcata Playhouse*#
10-24 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill*#
10-26 Los Angeles, CA - First Unitarian Church*#
10-27 San Diego, CA - Soda Bar*
10-28 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress*
10-30 Austin, TX - Mohawk*
11-01 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon*
11-02 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks*
11-03 Atlanta, GA - The Earl*
11-05 Washington DC - Black Cat*
11-06 Ithaca, NY - The Haunt*
11-07 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall*
11-08 Stony Brook, NY - University Cafe*
11-09 York, PA - Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center*

* with Midtown Dickens
# with Dana Buoy

Midtown Dickens add more tour dates

Midtown Dickens will hit the road this Fall in support of their new record, Home. For the majority of the dates, they'll be supporting Trekky labelmates Lost in the Trees, but they've also added a few special North Carolina shows, including a stop at UNC-Asheville and a special hometown show at Haw River Ballroom with Matthew E. White, who is receiving enthused praise for his new album Big Inner, and will be returning to NC for the first time since his historic performance at the 2012 Hopscotch Music Festival. Check the full dates below:

10-09 Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light*
10-10 Bloomington, IN - The Bishop*
10-11 St. Louis, MO - The Duck Room*
10-12 Madison, WI - Der Rathskeller*
10-13 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall*
10-14 Minneapolis, MN - First Ave. 7th Street Entry*
10-16 Omaha, NE - Slowdown*
10-17 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive*
10-18 Salt Lake City, UT - The State Room*
10-19 Boise, ID - Neurolux*
10-20 Seattle, WA - Crocodile (City Arts Festival)*#~
10-21 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge*#
10-23 Arcata, CA - Arcata Playhouse*#
10-24 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill*#
10-26 Los Angeles, CA - First Unitarian Church*#
10-27 San Diego, CA - Soda Bar*
10-28 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress*
10-30 Austin, TX - Mohawk*
11-01 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon*
11-02 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks*
11-03 Atlanta, GA - The Earl*
11-05 Washington DC - Black Cat*
11-06 Ithaca, NY - The Haunt*
11-07 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall*
11-08 Stony Brook, NY - University Cafe*
11-09 York, PA - Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center*
11-15 Asheville, NC - UNC-Asheville
11-17 Saxapahaw, NC - Haw River Ballroom^

* with Lost in the Trees
# with Dana Buoy
~ with Horse Feathers
^ with Matthew E. White

TRK Tape Sale! Cassette tapes for cheap.

Its time to dust off the old Walkman, remove the tape adapter from your car, and put new batteries in the boombox. That's right, its time to listen to some tapes. We're having a cassette tape sale over in the Trekky Records Online Store, and you can pick up these analog wonders for mere dollars now. In addition to Trekky Records' Amalgam mixtape compilation, check out the newly available Phil Cook & His Feat split cassette and Midtown Dickens' Home, now available on tape. Happy spinning!

Lost in the Trees & Midtown Dickens announce Fall tour

Labelmates Lost in the Trees and Midtown Dickens have just announced a full US tour for the Fall. Both bands released stunning records this year, and will be bringing those records to life in a town near you. The tour includes a stop at the City Arts Festival in Seattle, and the West Coast shows will also include Dana Buoy, the new solo project from Dana Janssen of Akron/Family. Check the dates below, and mark your calendars!

10-09 Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light
10-10 Bloomington, IN - The Bishop
10-11 St. Louis, MO - The Duck Room
10-12 Madison, WI - Der Rathskeller
10-13 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
10-14 Minneapolis, MN - First Ave. 7th Street Entry
10-16 Omaha, NE - Slowdown
10-17 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
10-18 Salt Lake City, UT - The State Room
10-19 Boise, ID - Neurolux
10-20 Seattle, WA - Crocodile (City Arts Festival)*
10-21 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge*
10-23 Arcata, CA - Arcata Playhouse*
10-24 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill*
10-26 Los Angeles, CA - First Unitarian Church*
10-27 San Diego, CA - Soda Bar
10-28 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
10-30 Austin, TX - Mohawk
11-01 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon
11-02 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks
11-03 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
11-05 Washington DC - Black Cat
11-06 Ithaca, NY - The Haunt
11-07 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
11-08 Stony Brook, NY - University Cafe
11-09 York, PA - Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center

* with Dana Buoy

Video: Midtown Dickens - "Only Brother" (KEXP Session)

Midtown Dickens just played the excellent Pickathon Festival in Portland, OR. They took a break from the hot sun to record this stripped down, acoustic version of "Only Brother" in the Bunny Glade on the grounds of Pendarvis Farm. The good folks at KEXP were good enough to catch the moment, and you can watch it above.

Midtown Dickens & The Mountain Goats record Weeds them song

John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats was asked to cover Malvina Reynolds' "Little Boxes" for the opening titles of Showtime's Weeds. In turn, he invited Midtown Dickens to help him interpret the song. The result airs on tonight's episode of Weeds. If you want to just hear the song, you can stream it here.

Praise for Joe Norkus EP from Shuffle Magazine

EP, the new release from Embarrassing Fruits frontman Joe Norkus, is out now.  The excellent new collection of Norkus solo material just received a glowing review from Shuffle Magazine.  We could agree more:

Joe Norkus — EP (Trekky)
Every once in a while, a record comes along that redefines an artist by simply refining and highlighting the things that made them great. The debut solo effort from Embarrassing Fruits guitarist Joe Norkus is such an album. Norkus has always written catchy indie rock songs replete with clever wordplay and ironic detachment. But EP strips back the thick-as-Pavement distortion, allowing Norkus’ words and melodies to shine through. Guitars tangle and unravel with remarkable nuance as Norkus drops his typically mumbling delivery for a warmingly dry croon. “I’m tired of writing songs that no one will hear,” Norkus sings on the Buddy Holly-esque “Last Night.” With the right exposure, EP may well allay his concerns. (JL)

Order your copy of the limited-edition CD here
Or download the album via Joe's bandcamp

Joe Norkus Live:
6/29 - Chapel Hill, NC @ The Cave

Lost in the Trees begin Summer Tour

Lost in the Trees are hitting the Southeast with our old friends Daytona and then the Northeast and Midwest with new friends The Head and the Heart! Come hang in a town near you:

06-14 Jacksonville, FL - Underbelly*
06-15 Orlando, FL - The Social*
06-16 Tampa, FL - Crowbar*
06-18 Atlanta, GA - The Earl*
06-19 Birmingham, AL - The Bottletree*
06-20 Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone Cafe*
06-21 Jackson, MS - Duling Hall*
06-22 Hot Springs, AR - The Art Church*
06-23 Nashville, TN - 12th and Porter*
06-24 Lexington, KY - Cosmic Charlie's*
06-26 Charlottesville, VA - The Southern*
06-27 Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle*
06-28 Charlotte, NC - Visulite Theatre*
07-27 Brooklyn, NY - Celebrate Brooklyn!#
07-28 Northampton, MA - Calvin Theatre#
07-30 New Haven, CT - Toad's Place#
07-31 Cleveland, OH - House of Blues#
08-01 Millvale, PA - Mr. Small's Theatre#
08-02 Grand Rapids, MI - Meijer Gardens#
08-03 Greensboro, NC - Center City Park

* with Daytona
# with The Head and the Heart

Joe Norkus EP Out Now!

Embarrassing Fruits' Joe Norkus has been quietly assembling an EP of solo tunes in various bedrooms and home studios over the past few months, and the collection is out now on Trekky Records. Long known for his love of guitar-based "slacker rock", Norkus here lets many more influences shine through, harnessing more atmosphere and space to let his songs breathe. Collaborating with Josh Kimbrough and Peter Lewis of Butterflies, Norkus creates biting, sad and dryly hilarious jangle pop anthems that explore the struggles of balancing artistic ambition with the seemingly inescapable weight of "real life". These are feelings that ring true for anyone who punches the clock but doesn't feel defined by their 9-to-5.

Listen to the first track from the EP, "Call You Up" below:

MP3: Joe Norkus - Call You Up [from the EP EP]

Pick up your copy of the limited edition CD from the Trekky Online Store here.
Or, if you're digitally inclined, stream and download the EP here.

Midtown Dickens announce US tour dates

Midtown Dickens just released their new LP, Home and now they're excited to bring it to your doorstep. The band will hit the road this Summer in support of their stunning new record, hitting every corner of the US that they can drive to. Watch their new music video, order your LP+CD+MP3 copy of Home, and check the dates below for your closest show!

05-31 Charleston, SC - Tin Roof
06-01 Columbia, SC - Columbia Museum of Art
06-19 Richmond, VA - The Camel
06-20 Washington DC - Black Cat
06-21 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
06-22 New York, NY - Cake Shop
06-23 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg*
06-24 Ithaca, NY - Lot 10
06-25 Thomas, WV - Purple Fiddle
06-26 Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups
06-29 Madison, WI - The Frequency~
06-30 Minneapolis, MN - 1st Ave 7th St Entry
07-01 Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club~
07-02 Bloomington, IN - The Bishop
07-03 Lexington, KY - Al's Bar%
07-05 Knoxville, TN - The Pilot Light
07-06 Asheville, NC - The Get Down
07-18 Durham, NC - Duke Gardens
07-29 Denver, CO - Hi Dive#
08-04 Portland, OR - Pickathon^
08-05 Portland, OR - Pickathon^
08-07 Arcata, CA - Arcata Playhouse+
08-08 Petrolia, CA - Petrolia Community Center
08-09 Davis, CA - Sophia's Thai Kitchen+
08-12 Los Angeles, CA - Bootleg Theater

* with Bowerbirds, Basia Bulat
~ with The Daredevil Christopher Wright
% with Wooden Wand
# with Southeast Engine
^ with Neko Case, Blitzen Trapper, Bowerbirds, Phosphorescent, etc
+ with Shovels & Rope

TRKfest 2012 date announced!

Trekky Records is proud to announce the return of TRKfest, our annual Summertime blissfest, on Saturday, July 21 at Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro, NC. This year's festival will continue its reputation as an essential expression of the North Carolina music scene, as well as include some special, one-time-only performances and collaborations from some of the states finest musicians.

This will be the fifth 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! In the event of rain, the festival will be moved indoors to the Haw River Ballroom. Performers to be announced in the coming weeks!

Joe Norkus of Embarrassing Fruits to release solo EP

Embarrassing Fruits' Joe Norkus has been quietly assembling an EP of solo tunes in various bedrooms and home studios over the past few months, and the collection will be released on Trekky Records on May 22, 2012. Long known for his love of guitar-based "slacker rock", Norkus here lets many more influences shine through, harnessing more atmosphere and space to let his songs breathe. Collaborating with Josh Kimbrough and Peter Lewis of Butterflies, Norkus creates biting, sad and dryly hilarious jangle pop anthems that explore the struggles of balancing artistic ambition with the seemingly inescapable weight of "real life". These are feelings that ring true for anyone who punches the clock but doesn't feel defined by their 9-to-5. You can listen to the EP, simply titled EP, now and limited edition CD copies will be available on May 22. Joe Norkus will also appear live, with a full band featuring members of Midtown Dickens, Butterflies and Jenny Besetzt, this Sunday at Nightlight in Chapel Hill. You can ALSO download the first single from the EP, "Call You Up" below:

MP3: Joe Norkus - Call You Up [from the EP EP]