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CURSIVE IN-STORE WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15; BUY NEW ALBUM BEFORE STREET DATE!

February 15, 2012 - Live Shows , Live@RX - by - No Comments

Cursive will perform live at The Record Exchange (1105 W. Idaho St., Downtown Boise) at 6:30 p.m. (new time) Wednesday, Feb. 15. As always, this Record Exchange in-store performance is free and all ages. Cursive is playing Neurolux later that night and we have tickets for sale at the store!

Cursive’s new album I Am Gemini comes out on Tuesday, Feb. 21, but as a special treat for our customers, the album will be available for purchase at the in-store six days before street date! (If you don’t come to the in-store, you won’t get to buy it at the RX until the 21st like everyone else.)

ABOUT CURSIVE

Cursive (cursivearmy.com) is the longtime trio of Tim Kasher (vocals, guitar), Matt Maginn (bass) and Ted Stevens (guitar, vocals), with Patrick Newbery (keys) and Cully Symington (drums). I Am Gemini, the band’s seventh LP, is the follow-up to 2009’s critically praised Mama, I’m Swollen, which caught the attention of publications including Alternative Press, Billboard, Playboy, Rolling Stone and Time Out New York, among others, and earned the band their network television debut on The Late Show with David Letterman. Cursive has released six full-length albums — including the heralded Cursive’s Domestica (2000), The Ugly Organ (2003) and Happy Hollow (2006) — two EPs, a disc of rarities and numerous singles since the band’s 1995 inception.

The band is also known for their vital, magnetic live show, earning rave reviews from outlets including the Cleveland Scene’s C-Note music blog (“[Tim Kasher’s] effect on the crowd was chilling last night… Cursive was focused and on-spot, composed and gripping”), Nuvo Weekly (“…the five-piece slashed through a near-perfect set of songs from their last nine years of albums”) and the Orlando Sentinel’s Soundboard blog (“…the band still knows how to rock on stage… [Cursive] thrashed away with an abandon that heightened the passion of Kasher’s dense, emotionally charged wordplay”).

I Am Gemini is the surreal and powerful musical tale of Cassius and Pollock, twin brothers separated at birth. One good and one evil, their unexpected reunion in a house that is not a home ignites a classic struggle for the soul, played out with a cast of supporting characters that includes a chorus of angels and devils and twin sisters conjoined at the head.

Recorded in the summer/fall of 2011 at Omaha’s ARC Studios and mixed at Red Room in Seattle with producer Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Minus The Bear, Isis), I Am Gemini marks the first time front man Tim Kasher, holding the completed story already in mind, wrote album lyrics in a linear fashion, in order, from song 1 to song 13. The result is thirteen singularly cohesive song chapters that blend effortlessly into one unique narrative. The moody and playfully sinister I Am Gemini is Cursive’s musically heaviest in years, with alternately muscular and angular guitars, pounding drums and driving bass. From the eerie introductory sounds of epic barnstormer “This House Alive” and the irresistibly catchy, insistent “The Sun and Moon,” to the searing “Double Dead” and the split personality prog-pop of “Twin Dragon/Hello Skeleton,” to the roaring, mournful closing track “Eulogy for No Name,” the album is a dynamic, mind-bending and imaginative ride.

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MUTEMATH IN-STORE SUNDAY, FEB. 12!

February 11, 2012 - Live Shows , Live@RX - by - No Comments

MUTEMATH will perform live at The Record Exchange (1105 W. Idaho St., Downtown Boise) at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12. As always, this Record Exchange in-store performance is free and all ages. MUTEMATH is playing Knitting Factory later that night and we have tickets for sale at the store!

ABOUT MUTEMATH

Primarily written and recorded at singer/keyboardist’s Paul Meany’s New Orleans, Louisiana home, MUTEMATH’s new album Odd Soul is the band’s third studio release and their first self-produced effort.  After the departure of longtime guitarist Greg Hill, Meany, bassist Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas and drummer Darren King were staring at a crossroad as they pondered how to move forward. “As we began to work on songs, we quickly realized that having fewer people in the creative process was better. Roy’s a great guitar player, and we all started feeding off of this new inspiration for the kind of record we could make … all we needed was to be left alone until we got there.”

There’s a spontaneity and spark to all of the songs on Odd Soul that’s unmistakable, something Meany credits to the fact of starting the recording process right after working on their 2010 DVD Armistice Live. “We really wanted to just cut to the chase on this album and compose music that would work for us on stage. We were craving more high-spirited music for this album, so any song idea that came close to depressing got nixed,” he continues. “We’re not good at being dark so we wanted to see how far we could go into creating something glaringly bright.”

That uplifting nature permeates all thirteen tracks on Odd Soul, however each song has its own distinct musical feel. From the bombastic Zeppelin-esque groove of “Allies” to the syncopated soul of “Blood Pressure” and electro-ambience of the ballad “In No Time,” Odd Soul showcases how much the band has grown over the past few years, most notably when it comes to Meany’s vocals. “I’ve certainly never pushed my voice as hard as I did on this record,” he adds, “We all pushed ourselves to the brink of our ability on this record … we recorded it as if this would be the last record we’d ever make.”

Despite the fact that many of the songs on Odd Soul—such as the garage-inflected title track—will inevitably make bodies move, the album simultaneously addresses some deeper themes hovering around all of the head nodding. “The lyrical idea of this record is loosely based on our upbringing in what I guess you could call eccentric Christianity,” Meany explains, adding that this is also the first album where Meany and King fully collaborated on lyrics. “We wanted to address a lot of the stories we’ve gathered over the years in what is an admittedly odd culture,” he continues. “And not only that, it’s our culture, and we know it well… I think writing this record certainly gave us a new appreciation for it, and it gave us a chance to be much more up front about ourselves.”

“I learned through these years to treasure my hyper-literal, overly-ambitious, loose wire adolescent adventures in attempting to out-Jesus even Jesus,” King adds. “We wanted to celebrate, up front and center, what we used to think was best kept in the shadows, our weird religious roots. The challenge we took on with this record was to become more lyrically honest, vulnerable, and specific than before, with music that was as exhilarating as some of the most charged up shows we had done up to that point. I am proud to have been raised in an environment that valued intensity, that felt it was important to have something to get all worked up over, that allowed music to be spontaneous and loud and innocent (aka youthful). So this record is the start of us telling the stories that surrounded all of that.”

Artistically, MUTEMATH has made a rock album that is unmistakably and inherently their own. Rooted in New Orleans rhythm and blues, fusing elements from psychedelia to traditional gospel to modern electronica, Odd Soul is constructed to live up to its title. “I think the title describes this record in every context.” Meany summarizes, “It’s who we are, where we’ve been, and what we incidentally sound like when set to music.”

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TWIN SISTER IN-STORE FRIDAY (6PM)!

February 10, 2012 - Live Shows , Live@RX - by - No Comments

Twin Sister will perform live at The Record Exchange (1105 W. Idaho St., Downtown Boise) at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10. As always, this Record Exchange in-store performance is free and all ages. Twin Sister is playing Neurolux later that night and we have tickets for sale at the store!

ABOUT TWIN SISTER

After having spent last winter recording In Heaven and spending this past summer and fall touring relentlessly, opening for the likes of Beirut, Explosions in the Sky, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Wild Beasts and Real Estate, Twin Sister (twinsistermusic.com) are currently on their first headlining U.S./Canada tour.

Twin Sister create the kind of hypnotic pop you’ve been dreaming about since Galaxie 500 fizzled, cut with Tusk-era Fleetwood Mac thump and a shot of Lynchian weirdness for good measure. They’re slack yet focused, a spark in the dark distance on a desert highway where speed is relative. Formed in Long Island two years ago, Twin Sister want to make music that you could feel comfortable cheating on someone to.

As might be implied by the title, In Heaven improves on 2010‘s critical darling Color Your Life EP in every possible way, showcasing Twin Sister’s wildly imaginative songwriting paired with flawless execution, by way of intense dedication to both musicianship and recording. While that record is a beautiful struggle against the realities of recording in apartments and between day jobs, In Heaven is the band unfettered by limitations — it is them streaking across a highwire under complete and total control.

As this is a debut, a little background is in order — having met while playing in various bands across both coasts of Long Island throughout their teenage years, each spied on one another covetously, while Andrea Estella (vocals) and Eric Cardona (guitar, vocals) formed an intense songwriting bond, around which the core of the band’s lyrics and imagery are built. Gabel D’Amico, Bryan Ujueta and Udbhav Gupta were friends and impressive songwriters and musicians themselves (all play keys, Gabe bass and guitar, Bryan drums and guitar, Dev a talented sampler/engineer). When their other projects fizzled, Twin Sister inevitably formed, and the band began posting demos and ideas freely to their website with remarkable consistency (100+ over a two year period, still up on the site). Polishing their favorites, they released Color Your Life and toured relentlessly, earning praise for their raucous live show in equal measure with a torrent of fawning record reviews.

To the core, Twin Sister is a capital-P Pop band. The songs on In Heaven radiate and glow, a firework show set against a broad black canvas; youthful exuberance echoes throughout. Taken as a whole, In Heaven proves itself a document of endless preparation and excited execution, the fulfilled promise of bliss.

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A.K.A. BELLE ALBUM RELEASE PARTY (WITH FREE PAYETTE BREWING CO. BEER!) FIRST THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, PLUS MARK LANEGAN LISTENING PARTY

February 2, 2012 - Live Shows , Live@RX - by - No Comments

a.k.a. Belle will perform a special Album Release Party set live at The Record Exchange (1105 W. Idaho St., Downtown Boise) at 6 p.m. First Thursday, Feb. 2. As always, this Record Exchange in-store performance is free and all ages.

a.k.a. Belle‘s debut CD Disappearing Night will be available for purchase at the Album Release Party, and we will be serving free craft beer (21 and older with I.D.) courtesy of our partners Payette Brewing Co.!

Before a.k.a. Belle’s set, the RX will be holding a Mark Lanegan Listening Party at 5 p.m. Lanegan’s new album Blues Funeral comes out Tuesday, Feb. 7, and 4AD sent us a vinyl test pressing to play for our customers — and to give to one lucky duck once we’re done spinning it! 4AD also sent a few signed 7-inches to hand out with pre-orders of Blues Funeral.

We’re also debuting our new monthly First Thursday specials, which include:

• Buy 2 get 1 free used CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray and vinyl!
• Buy 2 get 1 free select gift shop items — this month ALL gift items are eligible!
• Buy 2 get 1 free coffee and espresso drinks!

ABOUT A.K.A. BELLE AND DISAPPEARING NIGHT

Out of the studio after months of hard work, a.k.a. Belle (facebook.com/akaBelleBoise) brings you their debut album Disappearing Night, produced and mastered at Audio Lab. The 9-song CD, released December 2011, has ranked in the top 20 best sellers at The Record Exchange five weeks in a row, with tracks such as “Austin Calling” getting airtime on 94.9 FM The River, and selected tracks being played on KRBX (Radio Boise 89.9 FM). Guest appearances include Steve Fulton, Brenton Viertel, Michael Rundle, Jason Flores and Todd Chavez.

Melding influences ranging from Neil Young, Leonard Cohen and The Clash to Wanda Jackson and Phil Spector’s girl groups, the Boise foursome delivers a distinctive, rich and dusty take on indie folk-rock, with frontwoman Catherine Merrick’s smooth yet pleasantly twangy voice providing an emotional complement to the rootsy, desert-noir of the arrangements.

It’s easy to see a.k.a. Belle have fun with their music, too, as evident on songs such as their bonus track “I’m Giving Mice Elf (To You)” (a new Christmas classic) and “At Least I’m Stupid” (sung by guitarist Sam Merrick).

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WORKIN' ON FIRE ALBUM RELEASE PARTY TUESDAY, JANUARY 31 (6PM)

January 31, 2012 - Live Shows , Live@RX - by - No Comments

Workin’ On Fire will perform a special Album Release Party set live at The Record Exchange (1105 W. Idaho St., Downtown Boise) at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31. As always, this Record Exchange in-store performance is free and all ages. Workin’ on Fire’s new album Metaphoria will be available for purchase at the in-store.

Recorded as Workin’ On Fire‘s last (of three) underage CDs as a band (all of them age 17 at time of recording), Metaphoria spends half its diverse journey sampling the acoustic guitar and half studying its electric guitar brethren. This 12-song original LP (two songs re-recorded from their sophomore CD) represents the beginning of a senior year victory lap for this Southeast Boise alternative rock power trio.

ABOUT WORKIN’ ON FIRE

Workin’ On Fire (workinonfire.com, facebook.com/workinonfire), a teen (12th-graders) alternative rock power trio, played their first gig August 1, 2009 at The Venue. Since then, they’ve recorded three CDs (EP: Exit; LP/Album: Mike Smith; LP/Album: Metaphoria). With over 150 gigs together (including in Portland and Seattle), this 2011 Boise’s Got Talent Grand Champion has headlined at the CenturyLink Arena (formerly Qwest) and is a regular at the Knitting Factory Concert House.

In the media they’ve been featured on TV (KTVB Channel 7, FOX 12 News), in print (Idaho Statesman, Argus Observer, Emmett Messenger-Index, Boise Weekly) and on radio (The X, The River). They have performed for one of their now raving fans, Chef Duff Goldman (Food Network’s Ace of Cakes and Sugar High), played with All Time Low and opened for Middle Class Rut.

AUSTIN WILLIAMSON: Band co-founder and the lead guitarist, vocalist and writer, Austin is a singer-songwriter whose passion since picking up the guitar (classically trained) at age six is music. One of the top all-around high school guitarists in the Pacific Northwest, Austin began being noticed at age 13, first for his guitar play when pulled on stage by Tommy Castro and Kenny Neal (BB King R&B Champ) and also that same year for recording a Dunlop Crybaby guitar foot pedal video demo in his bedroom and receiving hundreds of thousands of hits on YouTube for its creativity. In ninth grade, he won first prize in the ArtsWest Guitar-off (with a perfect score) and recorded his first original scratch-track. A committed poet and lyricist, Austin is currently enrolled at the Berklee College of Music (Boston), simultaneous to his high school studies.

ZACH BONAMINIO: Zach is a self-taught drummer and co-founder of Workin’ On Fire. A grade school friend of Austin, Zach is an avid biker, photographer and snowboarder (Bonaminio Sausage family). He is currently a music theory student, and many of the band’s photos are his handiwork. Zach is known to play gigs with a broken arm (broken from snowboarding, of course).

PETER MAGUIRE: Peter is a thoroughbred slap bassist who also contributes backing vocals for Workin’ On Fire. Known to tinker on the drums and keyboard, Peter is also the 2011 5A state track and field 110 hurdles state champion (and a varsity letterman in soccer). Interestingly, Peter’s grandfather (Walt Maguire) was the executive vice president for London Records, with his famed productions including “Monster Mash” and the signing of ZZ Top.

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