A.K.A. BELLE RELEASE PARTY JUNE 23; FREE PAYETTE BREWING CO. BEER!

I Hear It Now EP cover squareThe Record Exchange (1105 W. Idaho St.) is honored to host the a.k.a. Belle “I Hear It Now” Release Party at 6:30pm Thursday, June 23. “I Hear It Now” will be available for purchase at the party. Free Payette Brewing Co. will be served beginning at 6pm. As always, this Record Exchange in-store event is free and all ages.

In March, a.k.a. Belle released the “I Hear It Now” track “Mustangs” as a benefit single for Wild Love Preserve, a 501(C)3 nonprofit whose mission is to rescue, protect and preserve Idaho’s wild horses. “I Hear It Now” features a guest appearance from Snakes/Caustic Resin/Built to Spill/Earth guitarist and wizard Brett Netson.

ABOUT A.K.A. BELLE

Belle Treefort main pica.k.a. Belle ride fiercely in a no man’s land where intimate vocals sneak into bed with wild guitar serenades and wrestle with beats from a bygone era.

The seedlings of a.k.a. Belle began in a land far, far away called Los Angeles, where Sam and Catherine Crooks Merrick, Boise, Idaho, natives, found themselves sharing a flat in pursuit of musical greatness. They didn’t know it then, but their paths would cross many times over subsequent decades and eventually their lives would converge in a very personal and musically magical way. In 2008, after Catherine returned home to Boise from living and performing under the moniker of Belle of Les Bois in Manchester, England, she reunited with her former roomie (and soon to be husband). a.k.a. Belle was born.

Catherine grew up in Boise amongst some major musical talents. She played alongside Doug Martsch (Built to Spill) in Suiciety and in the B-sides with Curtis Stigers. Merrick’s overflowing with instrumental chops and is most often seen wailing on guitar or banjo, but it’s her voice that audiences find most captivating:

“… When you are blessed with a vocalist like Catherine Merrick, you’re light years ahead of the game. The singer and multi-instrumentalist for a.k.a. Belle has an alluring, lovely voice – the kind that stands out in any genre.” – Michael Deeds, The Idaho Statesman

Between L.A. and 2008, Sam was met with major musical success. He toured the US and Europe with The Leaving Trains (SST Records) and signed a multimillion dollar contract in blood with L.A. band The Nymphs (Geffen Records). He’s also played badass guitar and lent vocals to a variety of musical projects based in the US.

a.k.a. Belle’s eclectic sound is elevated by the creative musical minds of Johnny “Bongos” Townsend (percussion) and Shlomo Kostenko (standup bass), who hear and interpret Merrick’s songs intuitively.

The band have released two albums – Disappearing Night (2012) was in the Top Ten Best Selling Local Albums at independent record store The Record Exchange, coming in a sweet #6; and The Devil Loves You, released in February 2014, entered the Top Ten Best Sellers at #3 and remained in the top twenty several weeks after its release. Tracks from The Devil Loves You are particular favorites of local radio stations KRBX and KBSU (“Mess You Up,” “HG Wells is Alive and Well” and “Collecting Songbirds” being the most played).

The band are highly championed by DJ Tim Johnstone of 94.9FM The River, as well as being favorites of Carl Scheider, DJ at (NPR affiliated) KBSU. Living Room Radio, a Friday afternoon show on 89.9FM Radio Boise, listed Disappearing Night as one of their top albums of 2014.

a.k.a. Belle is a rock band that’s not afraid to play with different genres to get the desired effect in creating well-crafted, thoughtfully constructed songs. Collectively, these four musicians, playfully coined “The Magic Four,” have collaborated with and supported some big names in music, including: John Doe and Exene Cervenka from L.A. band X, Iggy Pop, Elizabeth Cook, Holly Golightly, Lydia Loveless, Curtis Stigers, Bill Kirchen, Doug Martsch from Built to Spill and many more.

NOTHING ACOUSTIC SET AND ALBUM SIGNING THURSDAY, JUNE 16 (5:30PM)

NOTHING_01Nothing will appear at The Record Exchange (1105 W. Idaho St., Downtown Boise) for an acoustic set and album signing at 5:30pm Thursday, June 16. Nothing is performing later that evening at Neurolux and we have tickets for sale at the store. As always, this Record Exchange in-store event is free and all ages!

Pick up Nothing’s new album Tired of Tomorrow on a specially-priced $9.99 indie-only CD or indie-exclusive olive green vinyl!

ABOUT NOTHING

418457405154Nothing frontman Domenic “Nicky Money” Palermo got his start as the brains behind the late-90s/early-2000s hardcore/punk act Horror Show in the crime-riddled neighborhoods of Frankford and Kensington in North Philadelphia. Unfortunately, Horror Show’s existence was cut short in 2002 when Palermo was incarcerated for an aggravated assault charge (to which he pleaded self-defense) and subsequently served a 2-year prison sentence. After getting out of prison and working the next five years under watch of Pennsylvania parole board, Palermo took a lengthy hiatus from music, entering a period of personal reflection that led him through a maze of death, negativity and uncertainty. Nicky returned to music in 2010 and founded Nothing with the release of the demo Poshlost (named for an intense and quintessentially Russian form of spiritual banality). Following the release of Poshlost, Palermo met Brandon Setta, who would bring lush, rich soundscapes and a fresh approach to Palermo’s vision for Nothing and to the band’s next two EPs, Suns And Lovers (Big Love, 2011) and Downward Years To Come (A389, 2012).

Nothing then signed to Relapse for their debut 2014 full-length Guilty Of Everything, which was inspired by the events surrounding Palermo’s prison sentence. The album’s genuineness and widespread critical acclaim (from publications such as Rolling Stone, NPR, Stereogum, Spin, Noisey, and many others) seemed to forecast a new, more positive chapter for Nothing. The band toured Europe and North America extensively in support of Guilty and performed at festivals including Osheaga, Roadburn, Firefly, Budweiser Made In America and SXSW, but this period was unfortunately brief. In summer 2015, while on the eighth consecutive month of a non-stop tour that had seen the band performing with the likes of DIIV, Merchandise, Torche, Failure, Hum and more, Palermo was mugged and badly injured in Oakland. The assault ultimately left Palermo with a fractured skull and orbital, 19 staples and a drastically re-shaped perspective about his music and life in a larger sense.

That new mindset, which the band hadn’t been able to realize until Palermo’s injury, forced them to come up for air from the endless touring – “Like when you’re in a car going 100 miles per hour and connect with an oak tree and everything behind you comes smashing forward,” Palermo said. That was the basis for the band’s new record Tired Of Tomorrow, which was recorded over the course of a month at Studio 4 with Will Yip (Title Fight, Superheaven, Touche Amore, etc) this past October. Even since the completion of Tired Of Tomorrow, Nothing have faced new challenges and difficulties that would certainly have sunk a lesser band. As Nothing were gearing up to release Tired Of Tomorrow via Collect Records, the band discovered that the label had been funded by the now-infamous hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli. After Collect Records and their entire roster eventually dissolved under the weight of the controversy, Nothing were left adrift. Former partner Relapse Records got on board with releasing the new album, but Nothing were not finished with their trials – just this past November, Palermo’s father unexpectedly passed away in a tragic accident, heaping the band with further personal difficulties on top of their professional ones.

Yet throughout all this, the band has always managed to maintained a unique stoicism alongside its apathy, one that extends beyond mere riffs and reverb. All the band’s music, especially Tired of Tomorrow and Guilty Of Everything, have managed to work past, present and future simultaneously into their approach, both musically and thematically. Borrowing from personal memoir and external works alike, Nothing have worked the deepest influences of their youth and maturation into a package that’s ultimately at its most relevant in the present day. Case in point: Tired Of Tomorrow was written before the Shkreli debacle, but as Palermo sees it, those events only served to strengthen the sentiments and ideas behind Tired Of Tomorrow rather than confuse its message. It’s a mess to think about, but as always, the contradictions and paradoxes of the kind Nothing harnesses ultimately lead to the greatest revelations, and the band’s personal and tragic path has nonetheless led Nothing to produce deeply heartfelt and inspiring music. Whichever way you want to look at it, you can’t deny that Nothing feels good.

Nothing is:
Domenic Palermo
Brandon Setta
Nick Bassett
Kyle Kimball

MEGA RAN FREE, ALL-AGES IN-STORE SET WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8 (6:30PM)

MEGARAN-001-600x480Video-game inspired rapper Mega Ran will visit The Record Exchange (1105 W. Idaho St.) for a special all-ages performance at 6:30pm Wednesday, June 8. As always, this Record Exchange in-store event is free. Mega Ran is performing a free 21+ show at the Olympic later in the evening.

ABOUT MEGA RAN

a1971747789_16“One of the most prolific and innovative rappers of the 21st Century.” -Phoenix New Times.

“Random’s proven he can excel in storytelling, punchlines, poignancy, freestyling and, well, pretty much any other way you can measure an MC.” – LA Weekly

Mega Ran, aka Raheem Jarbo of Philadelphia, is arguably the world’s most well known video-game influenced performance artist. Since signing an unprecedented licensing deal with international developer Capcom, the former teacher’s high-energy shows and fun, nerdy persona have led to world tours, festival and video game tournament performances, and a legion of smart art fans he calls “Team Mega.”

When LA Weekly said that Ran’s “fanbase and niche audiences are growing at a rate not seen since Tech N9ne,” they meant it. A former middle school teacher, Mega Ran (formerly Random) blends education, hip-hop and gaming in amazing new ways, penetrating the farthest reaches of the galaxy with his unique rhyme style and electric performances.

Ran cut his teeth in the city of Philadelphia as a moonlighting emcee and producer, performing, freestyle rapping, producing and later engineering at a studio. After relocating to Phoenix, competing in the Scribble Jam emcee battle championships and taking an early exit, Ran almost quit before he was even started, when a creative lightning bolt struck, and a fire was lit.

Retro video games were the catalyst. Random began the transformation into Mega Ran, his alter-ego, an ode to the classic video game character Mega Man. After creating a tribute album and receiving an unprecedented level of support and blessing from Capcom to continue, Ran was reborn and became a trailblazer in the budding nerdcore and chiptune subgenres, while coining his own term to describe what he had done Chip-Hop.

Mega Ran’s newest release RNDM debuted at #2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart, and ended the year 11th on CMJ’s Year End Hip Hop Chart, above Dr. Dre’s “Compton” and several other notable releases.

Various video game developer co-signs and admiration from the genre’s toughest critics have led to placements in TV, movies, university coursework and, of course, games. Random’s music and story have been shared on stages across the world, on television (ABC/NBC News, ESPN, Portlandia, Tosh.O, WWE Wrestling) and in leading music, gaming and tech publications, print and online.

Today, Random is no longer a teacher by title, but maintains a rigorous touring and recording schedule, traveling the world to entertain and educate through the gift of rhyme. With over 3 million YouTube views and “Team Mega” beside him, the future looks brighter than ever.

WORLD VILLAGE FESTIVAL JUNE 10-12!

12573785_1693563937569278_1569311764607596079_nThe World Village Festival returns to Capitol Park for the second year Friday-Sunday, June 10-12! This amazing three-day festival in Downtown Boise includes participants representing our Mexican, Basque, Native American, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Bosnian, African, North and South America, Middle Eastern, Indian and Greek communities.

VIEW THE SCHEDULE HERE

ABOUT THE WORLD VILLAGE FESTIVAL

The World Village Festival is a three day arts and humanities event that will be host to several multi-national performing groups representing Idaho’s variety of cultures. This dance, music, storytelling, poetry, film and food event showcases our community’s expanding blend of cultural arts and literature, and invites every resident to connect with their neighbors through a rich celebration of the many traditions and arts around us. World Village, a lively interactive event, bridges communities, raises awareness and enhances cultural sensitivity while promoting diversity.

Growing together as a community requires understanding and validation of our unique experiences and backgrounds. The ability to share one’s cultural heritage builds a sense of pride and belonging. Feeling welcome and having a mechanism to share strengthens individuals and families and builds a confident, strong and inclusive society. The collaborative nature of art, music, film, dance and culture creates the environment needed to open doors between ethnic groups in a vibrant and welcoming way. Through discovery of differences in art and culture, we also discover the many ways we are alike in our human experiences and values.

World Village gives people an opportunity to listen, watch, learn, feel and interact while learning and teaching cultural aspects of Idaho’s diverse heritage. Through art workshops, people will learn characters, words and symbols that reflect cultural heritage. Through dance workshops, people will learn elements of movement that symbolize important events in other cultures, such as weddings, rites of passage, cultural celebrations and more. In the creation of music, people will first learn the purpose and history of the instruments and rhythms that enlist call and response interactions of musicians and also draw people together to listen, dance or play as they have done for thousands of years. These hands-on activities help us to transcend language barriers and more quickly integrate newer members of the community, especially those who have relocated from other countries.

IDYLTIME ALBUM RELEASE PARTY 5/26!

FullSizeRenderThe Record Exchange (1105 W. Idaho St.) is honored to host the Idyltime “Rimrock Country” Album Release Party at 6pm Thursday, May 26. “Rimrock Country” will be available for purchase at the party. As always, this Record Exchange in-store event is free and all ages.

Rimrock Country, Idyltime’s second album, consists of 11 original and four traditional songs delving into the time and space of love lost and found. Driven by fiddle and banjo, tied together through harmony, and energized by the bass fiddle, Idyltime’s new album is a toe tapping retrospect. It was recorded at AudioLab by Steve Fulton and Pat Storey in December 2015.

ABOUT IDYLTIME

cover onlyMost people can hear a certain song and it will take them back to a prior experience, maybe to a feeling had and relived through a melody. Idyltime is comprised of four souls eternally searching for the source of this nostalgia. People often say that their music takes them back to a memory and reminds them of the good in the world.

Idyltime, a band originally playing bluegrass out of southern Oregon, reformed in 2011 when Beth and Tate Mason moved to Boise, Idaho. There they joined with Dave Daley and Ava Honey, who were hosting the weekly old-time jam at Pengilly’s Saloon. Delving into their common love for acoustic roots music, Idyltime’s sound is at once traditional and original.

Instrumentation:

Ava Honey – Guitar, upright bass and vocals
Beth Mason – Upright bass, guitar and vocals
Dave Daley – Fiddle and vocals
Tate Mason – Banjo, dobro and vocals