Go to This Show

KURT VILE, EGYPTR, PINK DRAPES + more at Sang House from Mike Anderson on Vimeo.

Basically, you need to go to this show if you're anywhere near Arkansas. November 1st at the Sang House with Kurt Vile, Egyptr, Pink Drapes, and more. If you need futher aural convincing, go here. That's all I'm gonna say.

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Friday Round-Up

Happy Friday to all the folks out there. It's bright and sunny here in the Bay Area, and we're ready to head out for a weekend of music and horseshoes and general shenanigans. Couple of links for pre-weekend reading:

+ The totally excellent website Birds Sometimes Dance recently reviewed Björn Kleinhenz's new album B.U.R.M.A. and not only gave it a 9/10 but had this to say: "Am I impressed? Very much so. This is the best album I’ve heard in quite a while and it’s easily one of the best to be released in 2009 so far." Read the full article here.

+ Aria is keeping a Railcars tour blog on tumblr which is quite enjoyable. Happy to see that my homeland of Arkansas welcomed him with open arms. Currently in NYC, catch one of his many shows there if you can. Filthy Beats is the latest to say some kind words about the new release.

+ Seamonster is previewing some new songs over on myspace. Rumor has it that you might find some of them on an upcoming vinyl record in the not-so-distant future.

+ Copy along with Atole and E*Rock are playing a Halloween show up in Portland which is where I'd be if I was an Oregonian. Oh, and did you see FADER said some nice things about Copy's track on the Designed Entropy I vinyl?

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GRR on TWITTER

Ok, ok, we've made the jump. So you can now follow all things GRR related on twitter using our handle @goldrobot. We'll post news, freebies, discounts, and all kinds of other things as we get a handle on this newfangled social media contraption. If you've got any rad feeds we need to e aware of then send 'em along. Thanks for following.

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Revisiting Lady Genius

It's hard to pick a favorite GRR record in terms of album art, but any argument would have to include this Lady Genius 10" EP. Sweet design by Jason Byers (who has a show opening next Saturday Nov 7 at Zza's in Oakland, coincidentally) coating a candy red piece of wax. These six songs continue to amaze me, so I thought I'd share the joy today. First person to email goldrobotrecords (at) gmail (dot) com will receive a FREE COPY of our only 10" release. Be sure to include "Hey I Want That Vinyl" in the subject line and your mailing address in the email. Oh, and a free MP3 right here to boot.

::: Lady Genius - New York Through York

Also, listen to another favorite track here.

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Kleinhenz Video

At Night We Die - Björn Kleinhenz from she goes on Vimeo.

Thought I'd share this video (came out last year) from Björn Kleinhenz since it's such a beautiful piece of art. "At Night We Die" is a track released by Devil Duck (Germany) and Tomt Recordings (Sweden); the video is directed by Sarah Gossner and Julia Schliewe. Pick up a copy of the brand new full length 12" vinyl record B.U.R.M.A., it's a gorgeous collection of songs. Alternatively, you can catch Björn live on his current/extensive European tour.

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REVISITING PANTHER

Wow, I had forgotten just how interesting the alternate take of Panther's "How Well Can You Swim", the b-side start of the amazing 7" shown above, was until this morning. A couple of spins later and we're in the giving mood. First person to email goldrobotrecords (at) gmail (dot) com will receive a FREE COPY of the record. Make sure to include "I Want That Vinyl" in the subject line and your name and address for shipping purposes. Oh, and you can listen to the aforementioned track right here.

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New Man/Miracle Album

The fine boys of Man/Miracle will be releasing a new full-length album titled "The Shape of Things" on November 1st. It's a sprawling, bouncy affair with album art by Josh Minkus (seen above). You can pre-order the album from the band for only $10 including shipping and handling. Check the tracklist:

1. Above the Salon
2. Hot Sprawl
3. Up
4. Dayglo
5. Multitudes
6. Always, Just
7. Back of the Card
8. Pushing and Shoving
9. Other People
10. Ghost Tongue

They've also lined up some shows, which you should go see if you're in the Bay Area.

Nov 05 - Rickshaw Stop (San Francisco, CA)
Nov 12 - The Crepe Place (Santa Cruz, CA)
Nov 14 - Lobot Gallery (Oakland, CA) [release party]

You might recall that they released a wonderful little 7" record last year, which you can purchase on vinyl (only $3!) or digitally.

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Revisiting The Parish

This wonderful little EP, titled Storm Driven Bird, was GRR's first foray into colored vinyl. The translucent pilsner colored 7" is a perfect accompaniment to the 4 song collection of raucous indie/americana, while the artwork rounded out a gorgeous little package. As a token of our love for this record, we thought we'd give away a few copies for free. First two people to email goldrobotrecords (at) gmail (dot) com will soon receive the vinyl FOR ABSOLUTELY FREE. Be sure to include your mailing address. Because everyone loves some free stuff, right?

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Railcars US Tour

Fresh off this week's proper release of Cathedral With No Eyes, Railcars is in the midst of a pretty extensive US tour (European dates to come later). Before we get to those dates, let's check out an excerpt from a recent CWNE review:

Cathedral With No Eyes is a rarity — it’s an album that would be ideal from start to finish in a live setting. In a way, this is an EP, chiming in at just under 20 minutes. On the other hand, it’s a glorified single with three feature tracks: “Castles”, “Passion Of St. Edmunds (Rebirth)” and the title track, “Cathedral With No Eyes”. The rest is highly sophisticated noise filler, songs that act as brilliant transitions without which this album would not be whole. Railcars chooses an unlikely format for an album ripe with religion; St. Edmund is mostly known (based on a limited amount of research) as a martyr through the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. But, as religion goes, it’s certainly not for everyone and neither is Cathedral With No Eyes. But for those who can tolerate — or better yet enjoy — noise pop, it’s an absolute masterpiece. - FensePost

Alright, onto the tour dates, all of which will be excellent.

Oct 09 2009 - Meow Wolf (Santa Fe, New Mexico)
Oct 10 2009 - Burt’s Tiki (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Oct 13 2009 - Soundpony (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Oct 13 2009 - House Show, 2251 East 10th Street (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Oct 14 2009 - Good Records (Dallas, Texas)
Oct 14 2009 - Majestic Dwelling of Doom (Denton, Texas)
Oct 15 2009 - The Mohawk (Austin, Texas)
Oct 16 2009 - Ameroplace (Fayetteville, Arkansas)
Oct 17 2009 - Rad Haus (Little Rock, Arkansas)
Oct 18 2009 - Little Hamilton (Nashville, Tennessee)
Oct 19 2009 - Go Bar (Athens, Georgia)
Oct 20 2009 - Maya Gallery (Greensboro, North Carolina)
Oct 21 2009 - The Triple (Richmond, Virginia)
Oct 22 2009 - Shea Stadium w/ Holiday Shores (Brooklyn, New York)
Oct 25 2009 - Danger Danger Gallery (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Oct 26 2009 - Market Hotel (Brooklyn, New York)
Oct 28 2009 - TBA (Boston, Massachusetts)
Oct 31 2009 - Death By Audio (Brooklyn, New York)
Nov 01 2009 - Monkeytown (Brooklyn, New York)
Nov 02 2009 - Now That’s Class (Cleveland, Ohio)
Nov 05 2009 - Garrison (Toronto, Ontario)
Nov 06 2009 - Weirder Park (Chicago, Illinois)
Nov 07 2009 - Pangea House (Minot, North Dakota)
Nov 08 2009 - The Laboratory (Missoula, Montana
Nov 10 2009 - The Shed (Vancouver, British Columbia)
Nov 11 2009 - Logan’s (Victoria, British Columbia)
Nov 12 2009 - Basement w/ ALASKAS (Seattle, Washington)
Nov 13 2009 - Le Voyeur w/ Batrider (Olympia, Washington)
Nov 14 2009 - The Artistery (Portland, Oregon)
Nov 18 2009 - Fungarden (Sacramento, California)
Nov 19 2009 - Thee Parkside (San Francisco, California)
Nov 20 2009 - Flux 53 Gallery (Oakland, California)
Nov 23 2009 - Synchronicity (Los Angeles, California)
Nov 24 2009 - Acrobatics Everyday (Irvine, California)

Download the CWNE Remixes for FREE here and pick up the 7" Cities vs Submarines while you're at it.

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B.U.R.M.A. has arrived

Just got in these beautiful 12" records of Björn Kleinhenz's amazing album. Already shipped out the pre-orders of this super limited (only 50 for distribution in the US/Canada). The reviews are slowly trickling in, and there's some good ones!

Björn Kleinhenz may hail from Sweden, but Peter, Bjorn and John/Long Blondes-style pop isn’t quite his game. Rather, if we must compare Kleinhenz to his countrymen, let’s go with Jens Lekman and Lonely, Dear. Both trade in soft-spoken quirkiness, although Kleinhenz doesn’t go in for big production numbers the way Lekman does. With a few notable exceptions (”Bodilla” comes to mind), the whispery, strummy B.U.R.M.A. seems to owe more to American singer-songwriters like Mark Kozelek and Alex Chilton (at his quieter moments). English may not be Kleinhenz’s first language, but he sure does have a way with words. His images are gorgeous, distant, and fragile. “Dry your feet in the morning,” he sings on “Poets of the Senseless Warnings.” “In your pocket, cash to last till dawn.” One of Kleinhenz’s stranger fixations seems to be stillbirth, which comes up on at least two tracks. And as for Kleinhenz’s seemingly political album title? Well, it doesn’t seem to come up in the songs themselves. B.U.R.M.A. is just another sweet, gorgeous album about love. But, as Built to Spill once eloquently put it, there’s nothing wrong with love. - LimeWire Music Blog

Order the album for only $12 plus shipping, it's a beautiful piece of art. You can also get some free MP3's of the digital single Black Water b/w The Mountain Pt 2 here.

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MMC & Designed Entropy Press

The excellent LA Weekly column INCHES recently had some kind words to say about our 7" compilation Designed Entropy I (along with the wonderful picture of the vinyl seen above).

San Francisco upstart Gold Robot Records has already played host to a surprising spate of talent, from Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, who dropped a likewise limited 7-inch there last year, to promising L.A. transplants Railcars. The label's first compilation showcases its more beat-oriented side. The "A" features a slow-burbler from Anticon associate/ Restiform Bodies beatsmith Bomarr alongside a more upbeat electro number by PDX mixtapist and Audio Dregs recording artist Copy. On the flip, their grooves visible through that rich pumpkin-orange wax, are this set's true gems: a moody psychedelic rap piece by Meanest Man Contest (whose Eriksolo is L.A.-based), and a warm instrumental jam from Roman Ruins, who moonlights as Beach House's touring drummer.

In other Meanest Man Contest news, they've got a track on a new compilation released by the Briefcase Rockers label. It also includes tracks from Lazer Sword, Small Is Beautiful (Jamie from Islands), Debruit, and a host of other amazing acts. Hear the track here:

Don't forget that you can purchase the MMC 7" "Throwing Away Broken Electronics" and download their remix EP "We Blame You", both of which are extremely rewarding.

And, last but not least, CASH Music is currently doing a fundraiser with the help of some amazing artists: MGMT, Sunset Rubdown, Deerfoof, and many others. For a raffle entry of $20, the winner will receive a customized diss rap!

Why tell someone off when you can have Meanest Man Contest do it for you. Talk to them, give them some ideas, and MMC will supply you with a fresh made diss rap. No exes, bosses, or children under three.

An awesome prize for an awesome cause, if I do say so myself. CASH Music is a nonprofit organization building open tools and services to benefit artists and music organizations. It’s our belief that the need for technology should never get in the way of promotion, distribution, or support of great music.

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Railcars Remixes

The second release by Railcars, Cathedral With No Eyes, gets a proper remix treatment by LA's very own Danny NO/FI. You might recall that the construct of CWNE is such that it plays like one long track, with sounds and themes bleeding into each other throughout the album. This collection of remixes tackles the album in a similar fashion, resulting in a 16 minute remix. The remix is broken into 4 Parts (A-D) for the first 4 tracks while the full version (complete with interludes and transitions) is provided as the fifth track. We think you'll find it a perfect accompaniment to the real deal.

Tracklist

01. Railcars - CWNE Danny NO/FI Remix (Part A) [mp3]
02. Railcars - CWNE Danny NO/FI Remix (Part B) [mp3]
03. Railcars - CWNE Danny NO/FI Remix (Part C) [mp3]
04. Railcars - CWNE Danny NO/FI Remix (Part D) [mp3]
05. Railcars - CWNE Danny NO/FI Remix (FULL VERSION) [mp3]

Download all files as a zipped folder here.

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