Summer’s here and the time is right to check out what is happening at Midriff Records.  We know it’s hot and just absorbing information can make you sweat so we will be brief.

The digital only Ep by Eldridge Rodriguez titled, There’s No Gray Area, No Middle Ground … You Are a Thief is available now at I-tunes, Cd-Baby, Rhapsody, and wherever you legally download music.  There’s No Gray Area, No Middle Ground… You Are a Thief is Eldridge Rodriguez’s 9th studio album (6 with his band The Beatings, 3 solo including this one) and covers a lot of ground for a 4 song Ep.  On There’s No Gray Area…, Rodriguez explores classic themes such as man vs. nature, religion and race, entitlement vs. theft, willful ignorance, aggressive stupidity, forgiveness and redemption in a smart mouthed, sometimes vulgar and irreverent way.  The album’s tone swings from indie pop to ballad to gospel… a little something for those who like everything.  The album will be available on the Midriff Records Digital Store (www.midriffrecords.com) when the newly redesigned store is up and running next week.  If you find a site that you frequently go to does not have it, request it, or let us know and we’ll get it in their digital store.  In other E.R. news, the long overdue full length titled You Are Released is near completion and in the mastering stage.  We expect a release to coincide w/ SXSW 2011.  We will have details soon.

As mentioned before, the Midriff Records Store will be back, up and running and fully operational next week.  You’ll still have time to buy the best beach party music around before summer ends.  Check back in next week and fill your cart.

And now… Shows.

The Beatings – Sat. Aug. 14 @ House of Blues Front Room, Boston MA:  FREE SHOW

Eldridge Rodriguez – Fri. Aug. 20 @ PA’s Lounge in Somerville MA

Hands and Knees – Mon. Aug. 23 @ Zuzu , Cambridge MA w/ Doomstar

Ian Adams and the Ashes (featuring, Members of Roadsaw, Antler, Quintaine Americana) – Fri. Sept 17 @ O’Briens, Allston, MA

If you are Press/Media/Radio and would like an advance copy of the new digital only Ep by Eldridge Rodriguez titled, There’s No Gray Area, No Middle Ground … You Are a Thief please shoot us an email and we will make the arrangements.

As always, you can find more info on our bands and/or buy any of our albums at www.midriffrecords.com.  Or if you like the big guys, Itunes, Amazon, CD Baby, Rhapsody, etc. and your regular old walk in music store will have it (and if they don’t have it, ask for it at the counter and we’ll get it there).  Coolest beach wear this season?  A Midriff Records T-Shirt.  You can get them on our site – www.midriffrecords.com.  If you know some one who may be interested in our newsletter please pass it along and/or send us an email.  If you’d like an old newsletter for some reason, let us know and we’ll send ya one.  Be our friend on Facebook at Midriff on Facebook .  DIY/Indie since the get-go, we rely on your support.  Thanks.  We will love you forever.

It’s the unofficial start of summer and with the pleasant weather comes tons…Tons…TONS of Midriff related happenings a-goin’ on.  But let us start with an apology.

The digital only Ep by Eldridge Rodriguez titled, There’s No Gray Area, No Middle Ground … You Are a Thief which we had previously announced would be available by the end of May now has a June-ish release date.  The date push is due to technical issues on our side, not yours… you guys have been great.  There’s No Gray Area, No Middle Ground… You Are a Thief is Eldridge Rodriguez’s 9th studio album (6 with his band The Beatings, 3 solo including this one) and covers a lot of ground for a 4 song Ep.  On There’s No Gray Area…, Rodriguez explores classic themes such as man vs. nature, religion and race, entitlement vs. theft, willful ignorance, aggressive stupidity, forgiveness and redemption in a smart mouthed, sometimes vulgar and irreverent way.  The album’s tone swings from indie pop to ballad to gospel… a little something for those who like everything.  The album will be available on the Midriff Records Digital Store (www.midriffrecords.com), I-tunes, Cd-Baby, Rhapsody, etc. by the end of the month.  Be sure that we will let you know the second it is available for consumption… expect it.

Congrats to Hands and Knees, who have been nominated in the “Best Garage Act” category in The Boston Phoenix’s Best of Boston Poll.  The band has been playing regularly in support of last years Midriff release Et Tu, Fluffy?.  Thanks to everyone who went online and voted for them and thanks those in Bloggy-land for supporting them.  Wanna see what all the hub-bub is about?  Hands and Knees will be playing Tuesday,  June 8th in Boston’s Downtown Crossing sometime between 5 – 8 as part of The  Boston Phoenix Summer Party Best of Boston Thingy (pretty sure that’s not the official title).  It’s sure to be a fun time.

Huuuuuuge show happening this month.  The Massachusetts indie legends and handsome fellas in Wheat have invited The Beatings (www.thebeatings.com) to share a bill.  The show will be at Great Scott in Allston, MA on Sat. June 26th.  The show is 21+ and expected to sell out.  Also on the bill are Foredoes Me Quite and Joe Touchette III.  Taunton represent!  This is going to be one of the best shows of the year.  That’s a promise.  Advanced tickets can be purchased and further info can be found at this link: Wheat/The Beatings

And now some more upcoming shows…

Ian Adams : June 20th 9PM @ All Asia, Mass Ave., Cambridge, MA  w/ Kimberly Bomba (Eldridge Rodriguez may be added to bill)

Hands and Kness: July 16 @ Somerville ArtBeat in Davis Sq, Somervillle, MA

Thanks to Carl and Kerry Lavin and all the bands and DJ’s who participated in the Eldridge Rodriguez Residency at O’Briens in Allston, MA last month.  We had a great time and we hope you did as well.

If you are Press/Media/Radio and would like an advance copy of the new digital only Ep by Eldridge Rodriguez titled, There’s No Gray Area, No Middle Ground … You Are a Thief please shoot us an email and we will make the arrangements.

The weather is balmy and we know that our MA friends would like to get back to their refreshing glass of boiled water so we’ll be brief.

The Massachusetts indie legends and all around swell guys in Wheat have invited The Beatings to share a bill in June.  The show will be at Great Scott in Allston, MA, Sat. June 26th.  The show is 21+ and expected to sell out.  Further info can be found and advanced tickets can be purchased at this link: Wheat/Beatings June Show

We will be releasing a digital only Ep by Eldridge Rodriguez titled, There’s No Gray Area, No Middle Ground… You Are a Thief at the end of this month. The Ep contains 4 new studio tracks and will  be available exclusively through the Midriff Records Digital Store (http://midriffrecords.com) at first, starting May 25th. The Ep is intended to work as a companion piece to the upcoming E.R. full length, You Are Released (expected release- Fall 2010).   Expect it.

Would you like a preview of You Are Released.  Then check out this weeks 100.7 WZXL- Boston Emissions Podcast at Boston Emissions Podcast , where host Anngelle Wood played two new studio tracks from the album, E.R. played two more tracks from the album live and all kinds of Beatings and solo info was revelaed during the interview portion of the program.  A fun time had by all.

The month of May not only marks E.R.’s birthday (5/13 for those who’d like to ship presents to the Midriff offices), but also the super, fantastic, too big to fail Eldridge Rodriguez Residency at O’Briens in Allston, MA.  All our friends are gonna be there.  DJ’s, bands and solo acts descend on Allston every Wednesday  in May for a series of great shows.  It all starts on  Hump Day.  Details are at our “Shows” page.

Hope you’ll come out to one or more of the shows.   Fancy a Midriff Records T-shirt?  It’s available on our site; again, for your fancy pageant walkin’.  If you know some one who may be interested in our newsletter please pass it along.  If you’d like an old newsletter for some reason, let us know and we’ll send ya one.  Be our friend on Facebook at Midriff on Facebook .  DIY/Indie since the get-go, we rely on your support.

It’s Spring again… yea!!!!  We know it’s beautiful outside and you have walks to take and friends to meet in the comfort of the warm sun and cool breezes of the season, so we will be brief.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Midriff Records Party and Eldridge Rodriguez performance down in Austin last month for SXSW.  If you have been checking in at the Midriff Records Facebook page then you have already seen the videos and pics of what was a wonderful week.  Special thanks to Joe Santandrea and Mona Minjarez for hosting us and the Midriff party, and to James Taylor at Thunderbird Coffee for hosting and Aaron Sinclair for help in booking the E.R. performance down there.  Can’t wait to see you all next year.

Here are your upcoming shows of note:

Hands and Knees @ Middle East Downstairs Cambridge, MA Tuesday 4/20  w/ Quasi and Let’s Wrestle (Merge Rec.)

5/19   The Beatings (acoustic set)

St. Claire

Ted Billings (Hot Protestants/ Age Rings)

5/26    Ian Adams
Eldridge Rodriguez

Audrey Ryan
Greg Lyon
Dave Grabowski (of Scuba)

On a final note, we received an email recently from Kudgel/Bullpen Catcher front man and man for all seasons, Mark Erdody informing us that he was officially retiring from the scene to focus on his family and enjoying life.  While we are saddened by the news of Mark getting out of the game and the very real possibility of never hearing him perform his songs live again makes us weep in our pillows, we want to wish him the best and let him know that he’ll always have a home with us.  On a personal note, no band has had as profound effect on me and my work as Kudgel.  I was star stuck and at a loss for words when mutual friend and ex- Kudgel bassist Zack Lazar introduced us at the Middle East one evening.  I just stood there staring at Mark’s out stretched hand, stuttering and drooling on my shirt.  Mark has consistently been one of the nicest guys I know and it was an honor and a dream of mine fulfilled when Midriff re-released the Kudgel album “Sea Monkey + Seven” a few years back.
Some day Mark is going to demand royalties on every Beatings song where I lifted one of his guitar riffs or screamed at the top of my lungs trying to match the intensity of his performances… I’ve never gotten close.  So, thanks Mark… sorry to see you cut and run, but thanks for allowing Midriff to be a part of what I consider, the greatest noise-rock band ever.  If you’d like to see Mark off or wish him well, shoot us an email and we will forward it directly to him.

….. And now I’m crying… April showers and all that, I guess.  Keep an eye out for a Wheat/Beatings show in upcoming months… shit is gonna be tight.  As always, thanks for the support.

It’s snowing one minute, it’s 50 degrees the next. Who can figure out the wacky whims of March. If you’re feeling particularly grim about the prospect of a confused Spring, we have the stuff to get you through this month of teases.

SXSW is almost here and we are super excited to see everyone in Austin. Currently there are two Midriff related events that we hope you will try and fit into your itinerary. The first is a solo performance by The Beatings front man Eldridge Rodriguez. He will be playing songs from his upcoming solo album titled You Are Released as well as tracks from last year’s critically lauded Beatings collection, Late Season Kids. He is playing right before our friend and former Bostonian, Frank Smith. Here are the details.

Giant Steps Productions / Thunderbird Coffee unofficial SXSW shows DAY TWO
Friday March 19th @ Thunderbird Coffee on Manor Road w/
Coyote Kolb 11:00
Crooks 10:00
At Any Speed 9:00
The Makeout Party 8:00
Frank Smith 7:00
Eldridge Rodriguez 6:00
Jacob Jones 5:00
Ashley Gold 4:00
TypeFighter 3:00

In addition, there will be a Midriff Records Unofficial SXSW Party. It will be taking place at the residence of an Austin artist who we are very fond of. Beer will be made available and the pool will be ripe for lounging by. Along with the obligatory Eldridge Rodriguez performance you can look forward to performances by some of our close friends. Plus, free discs by Midriff artists. The party is invite only and space is becoming increasingly limited w/ each returned RSVP. Secret parties, everyone loves them. Things are gonna be casual, acoustic, and just outside of the crowds and puke of the night’s downtown scene. We are winding down the week. Please email us if you’d like to attend and based on space we will do our best to accommodate you. Feel free to email or call us with questions or concerns. Details are below.

Midriff Records Unofficial SXSW Party
Sat. March 20th starting at 7PM – performances begin around 8 PM

Performances by
Eldridge Rodriguez (of The Beatings/ Midriff Records) 10-ish
Black Helicopter (Ecstatic Peace) 9- ish
Robby Catholic (of These United States/ The Fanged Robot) 8-ish
possibly more TBA

In the future… The Eldridge Rodriguez Residency @ O’Briens in Allston, MA, every Wednesday in May. Surprise guests… mix-matched bills… acts doing stuff they’re not known for… theme sets. These are just some of the shanangans that will be had. Now you have a reason to live passed Tuesday in May. just wanted to stick it in the back of your head for later. Already confirmed- The Beatings… Semi- Acoustic/Lounge Style?!?!?! (Say what?)

Heyyyy, everybody!!!! It’s our first newsletter of the new decade. 2009 was a wonderful year for us. Last year we released super albums, got our digital store up and running, began making live digital albums by our artists available on our site, made new Midriff t-shirts available, followed our bands as they toured the country and along with our artists, we were fortunate enough to land on a bevy of “Best of 2009″ lists. Not bad for a DIY label that’s been operating independently of almost a decade. Take notice… this is how it’s done.

First off… it’s nice to be recognized. We are humbled and appreciative to the writers and broadcasters who included our label and bands in their “Best of 2009″ lists. In an effort to not only toot our own horn, but to inform the general public, here are some links to a sampling of what was said (sorry about any scrolling that needs to be done)…

SOME BEST OF 2009 LISTS
http://www.rslblog.com/2010/01/best-albums-of-2009.html
http://ryanssmashinglife.blogspot.com/2010/01/us-record-label-of-year-2009.html
http://jbreitling.blogspot.com/2009/12/clicky-clickys-top-albums-of-2009.html
http://jbreitling.blogspot.com/2009/12/clicky-clickys-top-songs-of-2009.html
http://www.bradleysalmanac.com/2009/12/some-09-faves-my-bazaar-bizarre-boston.htm
http://www.bostonbandcrush.com/2009/12/best-of-09-crush-ashleys-favorite-songs.html
http://wzlx.com/pages/4962009?itmBlogDomainUrl=http://anngelle-wbcn.itmblog.com/2009/12/28/playlist-year-end-best-of-2009-in-boston-rock/
http://www.bostonbandcrush.com/2009/12/best-of-09-crush-jen-andys-favorite.html
http://www.bostonbandcrush.com/2009/12/best-of-09-crush-nick-balkins-top-ten.html
http://audiosport.blogspot.com/2010/01/feestelijke-vijftig-2009.html

So congrats to The Beatings, Hands and Knees and Ian Adams for their albums making some lists. We’re proud of you, kids.

We are also excited to let everybody know that The Beatings latest album Late Season Kids has remained on the regional radio charts since it’s September release, reaching as high as the #3 spot… and that excites us. Here is a link to the latest chart… http://politizine.blogspot.com/2010/01/february-2010-top-30-chart.html

Get Help, Tony Skalicky of Beatings fame’s other project, is back in the studio this month recording the follow-up to their 2008 Midriff release, End of the New Country. They are tracking at Liberty and Union Studios in Taunton, MA with Ray Andrew Jeffrey at the helm. We will have more details on the album as they develop, but check out their blog at http://www.gethelpmusic.com/ to find out more in the band.

Subsequently, Beatings co-frontman Eldridge Rodriguez will finish up his second solo full length and followup to his 2007 critically acclaimed solo debut, This Conspiracy Against Us at the end of this month at Liberty and Union Studios as well. The new album titled You Are Released was also engineered by Randrew and produced by E.R. and R.A.J.. We are expecting a Fall 2010 release date. Can wait? Check out details on one or more the upcoming E.R. shows below, including his SXSW date in March. P.S. – If you have a SXSW bill that you’d like to add Eldridge Rodriguez to, let us know… we’ll be down there for days and days.

Greg Lyon (Pending Disappointment, The Beatings) has just finished a solo full length. Details are scares at the moment, but we plan for a 2010 release and will have title and details as they come to us.

Need a gift for Valentines Day? On Feb. 14th we will be posting two new live sets on our Midriff Records Digital Store page on our site. The first is drunken Eldridge Rodriguez set in Somerville, MA in 2008 and the other is an inspired Hands and Knees live set from Allston, MA in 2009. If we have the time, we’ll try and get a Beatings set from Allston, MA 2009 up as well. Keep checking the site. We try and make new things available to you often.

The Holiday Season is here!!!! (yippie)… I know you have pies to bake and lists to attend to, so I’ll make it brief and save some of the really exciting news and info for our End of the Year Spectacular Newsletter that will arrive in a few weeks. Let’s start with shows, shall we…

Hands and Knees have a few shows on the horizon of note. The band is playing out in support of their very excellent collection Et Tu, Fluffy? which was released on Midriff this past Spring. The album continues to garner the band well deserved praise and I’m betting it will end up on some Best of ’09 lists. The band is currently holed up recording their next album and we will have details on that as they develop. You can get Et Tu, Fluffy? now at the Midriff Records site (www.midriffrecords.com), Itunes, CD Baby and/or where ever fine music is sold. Feel you have to check them out live first before you commit to a purchase? Here are your next chances (one show is w/ The Fiery Furnaces – ohhhh, ahhhhh).

12/4 @ Bertlesman Campus Center at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York w/ Fiery Furnaces
12/11 @ PA’s Lounge Somerville, MA

Ian Adams has been having a super year. He’s been playing out in support of his album Stay Up Late which Midriff released this past summer. The album was produced by The Beatings’ Eldridge Rodriguez and has been receiving a ton of airplay this year (particularly the bittersweet/spooky ballad “Oh, Dracula”) and we couldn’t be happier. He has a show coming up that you shouldn’t miss w/ former Husker Du guy Grant Hart. Here are the details.

12/16 @ Middle East Upstairs, Cambridge, MA w/ Grant Hart (Husker Du co-founder, Nova Mob)

Beatings co-front person Eldridge Rodriguez will be playing a solo set mid-Dec. The performance will include songs off his critically acclaimed release This Conspiracy Against Us as well as from his upcoming Midriff release, You Are Released. If you haven’t been introduced to the dark and beautiful song styling of Mr. Rodriguez yet, this intimate performance will be a suitable primer. Like all great misunderstood artist, someday E.R. will achieve cult status and the guy who your high school aged son and daughter buy drugs off of will talk of his genius. Here your chance to catch him before he inevitably become a recluse (Rodriguez that is, not your kid’s dealer).

12/16 @ O’Briens Pub, Allston, MA

The Beatings are taking a month off after a busy Summer and Fall supporting their latest release Late Season Kids. The new album has been showered with near unanimous positive praise from the blogs and papers and has charted respectably nationwide (high as #3 spot regionally). So after almost 10 years, 6 albums, 8 national tours, hundreds of pages of press, countless shows, a bunch of Best of Lists and 0 Boston Music Award nominations (way to keep your ears to the street BMAs… you should feel a little embarrassed… what?!? no Weezer nods this year?) the band is taking the month of Dec. off to take care of some personal business. But shows are scheduled for Jan and Feb including some NYC dates. We’ll let you know the whens and the wheres.

In getting with the holiday season, Midriff has prepared some cheap down loadable gifts for you and yours. Starting Dec. 14th we will begin making recordings of live performances by your favorite Midriff bands available for download on our Midriff Records Digital Store (at www.midriffrecords.com). Collect them, trade them, cherish them. These will be no frills live performances, many recorded by David Grabowski of Scuba fame. We will get them up as quickly as we can and in no particular chronological order. We can tell you the first couple up will be The Beatings in Cambridge, MA and Allston, MA in Spring and Summer 2009, as well as their Mobilize the Militia I and II albums recorded in Montana years ago. In addition we’ll have ready Eldridge Rodriguez in Somerville in Winter 2009. Maybe some Hands and Knees and Scuba to follow… we’ll see. It’s going to be just like those live Dead recording you used to pass around. Not enough giving you say. Well, every time you buy an hardcopy album directly from us through the Midriff Records Store on our web site we will throw in an additional album by another great Midriff band of our choice. We want you to sample our wares. You like The Beatings… maybe you’ll like Pending Disappointment. You a fan of Hands and Knees, you may get a kick out of The Autumn Rhythm. This offer is while supplies last. So order…… today.

In in-studio news…
Greg Lyon, formally of Kipper Tim w/ Sarah Borges and more recently front man for Pending Disappointment, The Spanish Armada, and The Beatings will release his a new album on Midriff Records next year. The album features many folks from the Midriff family and will be Lyon’s 4th studio album and first solo release. Release date and details will follow shortly.

Get Help (Tony Skalicky of Beatings fame’s project) will soon return to the studio to record their follow up to 2008′s The End of the New Country. As reported last month Get Help will have two songs featured in the PBS series, “Gourmet’s Adventures with Ruth”. The songs, “Carne Asada” and “SPF 45″ will appear in the episodes “Mexico” and “Seattle”, we assume respectively.

The aforementioned Eldridge Rodriguez album You Are Released which was to be released in early 2009, was pushed to late 2009 and then pushed again to early 2010… has been pushed yet again to Fall 2010. E.R. will return to Liberty and Union Studios in Tauton, MA with co-producer Ray Jeffrey to record some new tracks to be included in the collection and to give the album that “Tayor Swift-y” feel that the boys were going for… lets hope they don’t succeed.

What can one say about November. It brings us Thanksgiving’s overdone sentimentality and the cheap bastard month only throws us thirty days. On the other hand, it is quite common for males in Australia and New Zealand to sport a moustache during the month of November. The custom is known as Movember, which is a amalgam of the words ‘Moustache’ and ‘November’, ya see. So, hipsters of the world rejoice as we give you a reprieve of snarky insults behind your back about your choice in facial hair as long as you fake an Australian accent until next month, when we project the new trend in hipster-dom to be sporting an ironic Australian accent. It’s a hell of a month. Together we can quietly rake leaves and bear it as we wait for December’s icy embrace. In the meantime, here is some Midriff news and events to kick around…

Hands and Knees have a Halloween show coming up at the end of this week. It’s on Halloween, so you are expected to dress up and rumor has it that PA’s Lounge may have a food menu that night…. SPOOKY!!! See our Shows page for the details.

The Beatings have two shows coming up in November. The first is in support of their new album, Late Season Kids, and the second is in support of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Again, please see our Shows page for the details.

These two shows represent the last couple of shows of the Late Season Kids show cycle before the band takes a short recess. You wanna see them, you’ll have to catch them at these shows. Also, Late Season Kids is now available on iTunes. So quit illegally downloading it, you humps. It should be available in your Amazons, etc. very, very soon. October was a big month for Late Season Kids. It charted in the #3 spot on the regional radio charts and had some very nice things written about it. Here are some new links for your perusal…
Politzine
Blogcritics
Teaparty Boston

So, buy the album, play the album and come out to a show before The Beatings go into winter hibernation and you wind up missing them… again.

Get Help will have two, count ‘em, two songs featured in the PBS series, “Gourmet’s Adventures with Ruth“. The songs, “Carne Asada”
and “SPF 45″ will appear in the episodes “Mexico” and “Seattle”, we assume respectively.

Scuba has contributed a previously unreleased track to the Project 2: A Benefit for the National Association to Protect Children album. The album is being put out by Geykido Comet Records and Scissor Press/Verbicide Magazine and also features Greg Ginn and a load of other bands. The name of the Scuba track is “2 Cars” and is super. To pre-order the album and/or for more info on the Project program and its supporters visit their site. It’s a good cause and you should support it.

Welcome to August, the bastard month.  Hot, sticky and oppressive, but we have some stuff going on that will be sure to get your mind off the heat.  Starting with…

The Beatings and all things Beatings related.  You may have heard about this already, but on Sept. 15, 2009 Boston, MA’s The Beatings will release their sixth studio album titled Late Season Kids.  Late Season Kids is the follow up to their critically acclaimed album Holding on to Hand Grenades.  Late Seasons Kids displays the bands more pop leanings without losing the noise and weird structures that The Beatings have been known to employ in the past.  We will be letting you know more about the album in the weeks to come, but swing over to the newly overhauled and redesigned Beatings website for more info and to listen to a track from the new album.  Too lazy to click your mouse multiple times in the name of hearing new music?  Fair enough, here is the track “Bury You” off of Late Season Kids and you only have to click once. First one’s free… anymore is gonna cost ya.

FREE MP3
Bury You

The Beatings will be on a short tour of the Northeast and Southeast that starts this week.  They will be trying out the new material as well as playing songs from their other five albums.  Come out to a show and make a request and they will do their best to accommodate you (offer only valid for Beatings songs).  Tour dates are below.
* Aug 12:  Brooklyn, NY – Death By Audio
* Aug 13: Wilmington, DE – Mojo 13
* Aug 14: Morgantown, WV – 123 Pleasant Street
* Aug 16: Chapel Hill, NC – Nightlight Bar
* Aug 18: Raleigh, NC – Pour House
* Aug 19: Athens, GA – Calendonia Lounge
* Aug 20: Knoxville, TN – The Pilot Light
* Aug 21: Lexington, KY – Green Lantern Bar
* Sept. 12: Boston, MA – Great Scott; “Late Season Kids” Record Release Show w/ Hands and Knees

Can’t wait till September to have your very own hardcopy version of Late Season Kids?  Then you are in luck.  A limited amount of copies of the new album will be available at the above-mentioned shows.  So, come out to a show and get a copy a month before the street date.  If you needed more of a reason to come out to a Beatings show, well, there it is.  Just for the record, The Beatings are now a five piece.  Greg Lyon (Pending Disappointment, Spanish Armada) has joined the band bringing his classically trained piano playing and yet another layer of guitar to the outfit.  Welcome him when you see him touring with the band over these next few weeks.

On a final Beatings note, if you haven’t already, please swing by the Midriff Records website and download the new Midriff Records Digital Sampler.  It’s free and features several Beatings songs including their cover of the Beat Happening classic “Indian Summer”.

It’s June… again.  Summer’s here and the time is right for new and exciting happenings from your friends at Midriff Records.  As so not to waste any of your precious sunning time I’ll get right to it.

The new solo disc by Boston’s creepy crooner Ian Adams, titled Stay Up Late is set to drop on June 23, 2009. The driving force behind legendary Boston motor-punk bands 8 Ball Shifter and Rock City Crime Wave sets a new course with his debut Midriff release.  Adams uses his untrained emotive voice and his 1950’s inspired song writing and surf guitar style to explore quieter, yet nonetheless, nocturnal and creepy places. The songs on Stay Up Late are songs of love at its most dark, romantic, desperate, hopeful, and doomed. The album’s influences swing from late 1970’s NYC street jangle and pop, to mid 1960’s lush crooning, to Adams’ trademark swamp stomp-surf Americana.  Stay Up Late is 12 tracks of Adams’ trademark weirdness, backed by lush arrangements and peculiar instrumentation. It was engineered and co-produced by Eldridge Rodriguez (The Beatings) and Ray Jeffrey (E.R., Wheat, Dropkick Murphy’s board-man) partially at Jeffrey’s Liberty and Union Recording Studio in Taunton, MA.  The album has guest performances aplenty including Eldridge Rodriguez and Dennis Grabowski (The Beatings), and Greg Lyon and Will Scales (both of The Spanish Armada).  Stay Up Late can be ordered or preordered in hardcopy  format and will ship two days before the release date.

Looking to be first on the block to own a copy of Stay Up Late? Then you’ll need to be at the record release party at TT the Bears Place on Brookline St. in Cambridge MA where a limited amount of advanced copies will be available for sale.  Headlining the night will be everybody’s best friends, The Beatings. Check out our Shows page for all the info.

Also keep an ear to la radio for in studio appearances by Ian Adams.  He will be on WBCN FM’s Boston Emissions program on June 14th and will be playing live in the WAAF FM studios on June 21st.   He currently accepting offers from AM as well.

In other Beatings news, the band has completed work on their 6th studio album. The new collection is titled Late Season Kids and is set to be released on Sept. 15, 2009. Late Season Kids highlights the bands more pop leanings and should please fans of the bands earlier albums. The album was recorder by Ray Jeffrey at his Liberty and Union Recording Studios in Taunton, MA and mastered by Eric Baird (Half Son of Audio Mastering).  The album is co-produced by Jeffrey and The Beatings.  An east/southeast coast tour in being planed for mid-August.  We will keep you updated as updates develop.  Peek at their website periodically to whet your appetite.

But wait…there’s more! The Midriff Records 2009 Sampler will be available for free download starting June 12. The digital album comes complete with downloadable artwork and features tracks by all your favorite Midriff bands.  The Midriff Records 2009 Sampler includes unreleased tracks by The Beatings and Eldridge Rodriguez, covers and songs you can’t (or shouldn’t) be able to get anywhere else for free.  And to drive the point home… IT’S FREE!!!! The Midriff Sampler will only be available for a short time.

In our Shows listing this month we want to make a special mention of an upcoming rare appearance by the elusive Kudgel.  The Kudgel only appears once every 5th new moon in the dead of night and if spotted will usually spray or drop it’s pants in an effort to distract as it flees to higher ground.  More details here.