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Recycled News

02.18.09

Sad News: Chicago’s Touch and Go To Restructure, Layoffs (UPDATED) Recycled News (0)

The Chicago Tribune reports today that Chicago’s 28 year old distributor/label Touch And Go is cutting both their staff and distribution. The move will see the distributor ceasing manufacturing for 20 smaller labels including: Kill Rock Stars, Chicago locals Flameshovel, and Merge.

Touch and Go will lay off an unspecified number of workers and continue on functioning as a label.

The statement from Touch and Go founder Corey Rusk:

“It is with great sadness that we are reporting some major changes here at Touch and Go Records. Many of you may not be aware, but for nearly 2 decades, Touch and Go has provided manufacturing and distribution services for a select yet diverse group of other important independent record labels. Titles from these other labels populate the shelves of our warehouse alongside the titles on our own two labels, Touch and Go Records, and Quarterstick Records.

“Unfortunately, as much as we love all of these labels, the current state of the economy has reached the point where we can no longer afford to continue this lesser known, yet important part of Touch and Go’s operations. Over the years, these labels have become part of our family, and it pains us to see them go. We wish them all the very best and we will be doing everything we can to help make the transition as easy as possible.

“Touch and Go will be returning to its roots and focusing solely on being an independent record label. We’ll be busy for a few months working closely with the departing labels and scaling our company to an appropriate smaller size after their departure. It is the end of a grand chapter in Touch and Go’s history, but we also know that good things can come from new beginnings.”

On a personal note, I’ve worked in the warehouses of two indie distributors over the years and been laid off from both of them. Both of those jobs were held in far less wobbly economic times (2001 & 2006) and the struggles of this of business model were evident then. It’s a transitive time for the industry, hell…most industries that ship a physical product, and it’s even tougher to continue to while the economic rug is being yanked out from beneath you.

It’s tough, because on one hand Taking Tiger Mountain is an MP3 blog and admittedly, I consume much of my music in the gray market, digital way. Everyone’s pockets are getting smaller by the day, but we should do what we can to support this industry. Click the iTunes & Insound links on the posts here. Try to go see a show and pick up a shirt or print.

Good luck to those who found themselves without a job today…
02.12.09

‘Around The Well’ & Small Tour Coming – Iron and Wine (Postal Service Cover Included!) Recycled News, Singles (1)

To support the upcoming release of Around The Well, a 2CD/3LP collection of rarities, Sam Beam is taking to the road for a small U.S. tour. Each of the city’s sets will be determined by the fans, as voted on at his website. Shortly after each show, you’ll be able to purchase the show recordings at Played Last Night.

Tourdates:

May 4: Seattle (Vera Project)
May 5: Seattle (Triple Door)
May 6-7: San Francisco (Swedish American Hall)
May 8: Los Angeles (Masonic Hall)
May 9: Los Angeles (Troubadour)
May 12: Chicago (Lakeshore Theatre)
May 13: Chicago (Schuba’s)
May 17-18: New York (Abrons Arts Center)

Additionally, proceeding the NYC dates Iron and Wine will be performing along with Flight Of The Conchords for a one-off show at Red Rocks on May 16.

Around The Well will feature songs that span the length of Iron and Wine’s career. To quote Sam Beam…well his webmaster, anyway…“The double-disc collection is broken up into two sections. The first half is an assortment of hushed home recordings, unedited and raw, and the second highlights moments captured in the confines of proper studios with the help of other musicians, friends and engineers.” A few covers will be on the collection, including Flaming Lips’ “Waitin’ for a Superman” and New Order’s “Love Vigilantes”.

If the above graphic from the main page of ironandwine.com, I’m hoping that he’s going to reinvent himself as some kind of hobo hip-hop artist ala Joaquin Phoenix’s recent odd turn.

Maybe not….actually, hopefully not.

Finally, Iron and Wine’s cover of The Postal Service’s ‘Such Great Heights’ will be featured on Around The Well and is a touching and brilliant reinventing of an already fantastic track.

Iron and Wine – Such Great Heights (Postal Service Cover)
01.30.09

The Sad Passing of Telefon Tel Aviv’s Charlie Cooper Recycled News (0)

Nothing is sadder than a young passing. The electronic duo Telefon Tel Aviv lost a member recently, just two days shy of the release of their third album Immolate Yourself. Cooper was just 31 and in my opinion, in the midst of what would have been a long, fruitful career. You can read a small, but touching bit written by Joshua Eustis, the other half of the group on their myspace blog.

Here is my favorite track of theirs, the title track from 2001’s Fahrenheit Fair Enough. It’s a calming instrumental, skittering with polite blips and beeps that sing like lead vocals.

Telefon Tel Aviv – Fahrenheit Fair Enough

HIT THE JUMP TO SEE THE LEAD VIDEO OFF ‘IMMOLATE YOURSELF’
06.28.08

Help Save The Best Magazine You’ve Never Read – Arthur Recycled News (0)

Arthur Magazine is a fantastically bizarre blip of a free publication. Nothing else really exists like it and at the moment the fate of the magazine is in jeopardy. When Jay Babcock, present manager of the mag, bought out the magazine from his ex-partner, he landed himself in a tough financial place. The magazine is looking to collect $20,000 by the first of July, in order to have enough funds to resume publication. At the time of posting, they’re close — just $317.00 away from the final goal. Scrape together a few bucks to give to them via Paypal.Though they’re close to the desired goal, anything above the line can and will help.

Arthur is a geologic sample from far below the surface of any scene. Reading the magazine brings on a grand sugar rush reminder that a million bands will spend their lives intensely focused on music that will fly below the collective radar. I have to tip my hat to any mag that’ll devote as many words as they do to noise music, doom metal, and all things on the periphery.

One of the key features that is worth reading each and every issue is Bull Tongue, a column by Sonic Youth grand master Thurston Moore and Byron Coley (contributor to another great publication Wire Magazine). Each month they dig through and discuss piles of strange records in the most charmingly relaxed manner. A lot of times people are forced to wax pretentious about the obscure and the weird, but Bull Tongue always does so in an breezy manner.

Arthur keeps an archive of recent issues up on the site in PDF form. Go poke through and read some of the fantastic words they’ve assembled over the years. If you like, give a little money to keep a unique entity afloat.
06.27.08

Sigur Rós & Björk Show To Be Webcast By National Geographic Recycled News (0)

An update to earlier post regarding the tantalizingly ‘free’ Sigur Rós & Björk show to be held in Reykjavik this weekend (June 28th). The good folks at National Geographic will be webcasting the show for all to see.

Tune into National Geographic Music from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET (begins at 8 p.m. BST/London or 7 p.m. GMT/Reykjavik) to see, as they put it on their site…”some Björkage“.

National Geographic was never good at jokes.

And, please, don’t make Sigur Rós into a verb.