7.16.2009

It's More Than A Sale Price It's A Chance

I’m going to quote a guy named Skwerl who writes for a music site we like very much called Antiquiet. This quote comes from a review he did of a band we also like very much called Portugal the Man, who along with RX Bandits are in the same situation. They are both hard working, honest, integrity-filled artists that have incredible records coming out on July 21st and who should both be in the Top 10 on Billboard the week they come out but sadly, most likely won’t. Let’s change this.

“While the 'evil' music industry can be left for dead, some of today’s best bands could be at the top of the charts if more people still applied at least some level of sanctity to the act of purchasing a record and showed their support with a ten dollar bill. One could take this scenario one step further and envision a NEW MOVEMENT, if it could just be proven that there’s substantial commercial demand for product of true quality." - Skwerl

Imagine if the mediocrity on the radio airwaves were to be replaced with great music? It could be, but it’s really up to us, because in the end it’s "follow the money” that makes stores stock records, venues book bands, radio play songs, etc. So, let’s spend our money on quality and no longer accept these iPod playing / fake, auto-tune, lip-syncing band scenarios.

I’m asking you all to help us make a dent. Let’s put these albums made by real musicians with integrity in their proper place at the top. This is a David and Goliath moment for all of us. We are hoping that RX Bandits new album Mandala, which we made available a week early via AmazonMP3 for only $2.99, is inexpensive enough to be able to contribute to our quest to show it can be done – good music can and must prevail! So besides this being an album we think is beautiful, creative, progressive and a work of art, and even if you don’t agree with us on RX Bandits, well then step away from that and think of the bigger picture –it is time for the music lovers' voices to be heard, it is up to you to help bands and labels like us who support and play non-traditional , non-commercial music to become the winners.

The state of the music industry feels to me like the state of the nation at the time of the last election. What did people do? Instead of complaining, we got off the couch and VOTED for the first time. Voted to change this country's course – we need to do the same – we need to rally to elect real musicians & great music to the office of #1 on Billboard. I’m not here to beg for money, I’m here to beg for music to be recognized, for real artists to be acknowledged. I hope that everyone that wants change in the music industry and on their radio dials will buy, or should I say contribute $2.99 toward a cause much bigger than one band's record. We couldn’t be happier to have teamed with Amazon to be able to offer the RX Bandits album Mandala, for a price less than a cup of designer coffee, because we want everyone to hear it. We want no one to have the often-valid excuse of “I don’t have the money." So, I hope you’ll vote, I hope you’ll contribute – I hope you will listen, It’s up to all of us that claim to love independent music. It really is.




Please buy albums by great bands. If not the new RX Bandits album then, please make a gesture today and purchase a hard working, true band's album today – let’s change things.

Much respect to you all, except the haters

from the little label that is trying to push boulders up that hill.

7.15.2009

RX Bandits - Dallas Observer Review


Rx Bandits, Dredg, Good Old War at Granada Theater
July 14, 2009


RX Bandits
They look unwashed, unshaven, lazy and listless.

They're wearing what looks like the same clothes they pulled on days ago.

They resemble Austin street-hippy people.

If you're looking to get your money's worth out of a 20+ dollar ticket, you can get discouraged pretty quickly, watching California's RX Bandits walk onstage.

If it's your first time.
'Cause then the band starts to play. Picture the Red Hot Chili Peppers before commercial fame tainted their concentrated, sweaty, songwriting intensity. The Rx Bandits, however, are much more progressive, creative, and cerebral than the guys who wrote "True Men Dont Kill Coyotes" ever were. And last night's Dallas audience couldn't stand still when the Bandits ignited their Bloc Party-ish riffs, and raw kinetic energy. To describe the room as vibrant is an impotent and underrated attempt; rather, the room jumps like drops of water added to a red hot pancake griddle. The melodies reach and explore far beyond the ska-pigeonhole the band was quickly stamped with four LPs ago, and the members reach for bending, twisted notes that only a skilled artist could pull off without sounding atrociously under-qualified.

At times (despite their scratchy bird-nest beards, dirty thrift store fashions, and generally unenthusiastic first impression appearance), the Rx Bandits literally seemed to be trying to jump out of their skin when they played. It helped that they were hammering, warping, and mangling a ton of onstage percussion instruments. And that they break things down into long, freeform progressive jams highlighted by guitarist Steve Choi's exceptional electric piano skills, racing turbo-tiptoe fingers up the scale and back again, accented with rhythm section sonic-booms, and crashes you can feel under your ribcage.

Unsurprisingly, they were consistently met with roars of approval loud enough to drown out any mundane, mouth-to-ear conversation.

This is not a band to be digested light-heartedly, or washed down with a fucking Fiji water. This is a band with an undefinable genre, and a force of prog rock chemistry to be reckoned with. You cant help but but drink something stronger, and shout out in between songs. Most importantly, you cant help but pay attention.

Essentially: The RX Bandits soared tonight at The Granada Theatre

7.14.2009

Zechs Marquise - Stereo Subversion CD Review

Zechs Marquise - "Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare" Review from StereoSubversion



RX Bandits Mandala - $2.99




Thanks to the folks at Amazon.com for working with us to be able to offer RX Bandits new album Mandala as a full album download a week early and for Only $2.99 for the next 3 days.

And if that's not enough! It comes with a bonus Acoustic Track - Hit That!

7.13.2009

Bands, Beer & Kurt Russel? Red Fang Interview


The What's Up! Magazine took a little quality time out to talk about the finer things with the absolute awesomeness we simply call RED FANG check it out HERE

RED FANG LIVE
July 17th – Rogue Hero – Bellingham, WA *
July 18th – KEXP 90.3 FM - Audioasis On Air – Seattle, WA
July 19th – Comet Tavern – Seattle, WA *
July 25th – PDX Pop Now Fest – Portland, OR
Aug 13 – East End – Portland, OR #
Aug 14 – The Sunset Tavern – Seattle, WA #
Sept 18th – Ash Street Saloon - Portland, OR for Music Fest Northwest

* =w/ Helms Alee, Black Eyes and Neck Ties
# = w/ Lions

Russian Circles Get Whirly Birded by Chunklet


Ouch the smell of Defeat Russian Circles did not beat Henry and the Chunklet Gang at Whirlybird

New Daughters!


I'm listening to the new Daughters album - first mixes and let's just say HOLY FUCK this album is AWESOME. Hydra Head is one lucky ass label for having this beauty to release

Decider Austin - Interviews RX Bandits - Matt Embree


Matthew Embree of RX Bandits tells it like it is to the Decider Austin and they get it right - well except for the old picture they used (not the one above) and the fact that Omar does not own Sargent House, to be clear Sargent House manages Omar's label, but that's neither here nor there, the interview is a good one and sheds light on the whole RXB ain't a ska band thing!

7.12.2009

RX Bandits - Acoustic Instores


RX Bandits will be playing a few Acoustic In Store sessions while out on Tour, we will post them as we get them for now here are two that are confirmed - they are Free and open to the public but check with store to confirm details of times and entry policy

July 20th @ 6:00pm Sharp at Park Avenue CDs - Orlando, FL
RSVP

July 25th @5:30pm Sharp at Criminal Records - Atlanta, GA
For Details

Russian Circles Play Dude Fest


Dave Turncrantz circa 1992

Is it any wonder his band is playing DUDEFEST? I mean come on look at that bad ass! Yes, Russian Circles will be playing the fest on July 18th in Indianapolis, IN

Click To Enlarge for Full Line Up

7.10.2009

Cast Spells New EP & July Tour



David Davison's Cast Spells debut EP Bright Works And Baton on Sargent House is now Available! Coming right off playing a June Tour and a bunch of Festivals with his other band Maps & Atlases Dave will take Cast Spells out for it's first tour ever with So Many Dynamos in July.

SO MANY DYNAMOS, CAST SPELLS TOUR
July 13 – Vera Project – Seattle, WA
July 14 – Backspace – Portland, OR
July 15 – Hemlock Tavern – San Francisco, CA
July 16 – Luigi’s Funhouse – Sacramento, CA
July 17- Veloria Records - Visalia, CA (AA Instore)
July 17 – Cellar Door – Visalia, CA 21+
July 18 – Spaceland – Los Angeles, CA
July 19 – Modified Arts – Phoenix, AZ
July 21 – Emo’s – Austin, TX
July 22 – Mangos – Houston, TX
July 23 – The Exchange – Hot Springs, AK
July 24- 529 – Atlanta, GA * also w/ Cinemechanica
July 25 – The Flatiron– Greensboro, NC
July 26 – DC9 – Washington DC
July 27 – Danger Danger – Philadelphia, PA
July 28 – Union Hall – Brooklyn, NY
July 29 – Great Scott - Allston, MA
July 30 – The Space – Hamden, CT
July 31 – TBA - NYC
Aug 1 – The Majestic- Detroit
Aug 2 – Beat Kitchen – Chicago, IL



Bright Works And Baton
1) Glamorous Glowing
2) War Story Hellos
3) Potted Plant
4) Pioneer Scalps
5) American Quilts
6) A Badge

BUY CD



LISTEN / OR BUY DOWNLOAD OF EP HERE

7.07.2009

Zechs Marquise Summer Tour

Zechs Marquise is taking it to the streets and Damn if we aren't flying in to NYC to see them kill it with the almighty RX Bandits !!


Check Out This Review just in from Subba Cultcha of Zechs Marquise new album Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare



ZECHS MARQUISE TOUR
Jul 17 Meridian Houston,TX *
Jul 18 House Of Blues New Orleans, LA *
Jul 20 Club Firestone Orlando, FL *
Jul 22 Culture Room Ft. Lauderdale, FL *
Jul 23 Fire Bird Jacksonville, FL *
Jul 24 Jannus Landing St. Petersburg, FL *
Jul 25 The Masquerade Atlanta, GA *
Jul 26 Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, NC *
Jul 28 Recher Theatre Towson, MD *
Jul 29 Theater of Living Arts Philadelphia, PA *
Jul 31 Bowery Ballroom New York, NY *
Aug 1 TBA
Aug 2 Your Inner Vagabond Pittsburgh, PA
Aug 3 Bernie’s Colombus, OH
Aug 4 Vollrath Indianapolis, IN
Aug 5 Reggie’s Chicago, IL
Aug 6 High Noon Saloon Madison, WI
Aug 7 Mixtapes Moline, IL
Aug 8 Vaudeville Mews Des Moines, IA
Aug 11 Vino’s Little Rock, AK
Aug 13 Walter’s on Washington Houston, TX w/ Motion Turns It On
Aug 15 The Rock Bottom San Antonio, TX

* w/ RX Bandits & Dredg

Download or just Listen to "Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare" At Zechs Digital Store

Russian Circles - Geneva

Russian Circles are set to release their new album Geneva on October 20th. The album will come out through Suicide Squeeze, with the Vinyl Release on Sargent House.

Check out a live clip of the Title Track- "Geneva" performed Live


Whilst you’re waiting for that, why not have a read of an interview the band did with the site The Only Thing I Know For Sure

You And Me And The Mountain Vinyl


Isn't it pretty? Maps & Atlases EP You And Me And The Mountain- 12" Vinyl with all 5 songs on side 1 and an etching on Side 2 - You see what we did there? We made it so you don't have to get up and flip the record! Always thinking about the listener, that's what we do. Sorry, does not come with framed Cat Painting but is available now at the Sargent House Store

Want to Hear or Download the EP in any File Size check out Maps & Atlases Digital Store

Boston Phoenix Hands us Oregon & Illinois

For the second year in a row, to celebrate July 4th, the Boston Phoenix has chosen their Best New Bands from each of the 50 States - and Sargent House bands take 2 of the 50 States! So let's hear it for Maps & Atlases taking Illinois and Red Fang taking Oregon !


Red Fang was chosen as best new band for Oregon

WHY THEM? Twenty years after thrash killed hair metal and 10 after stoner removed virtuosity from the mix, it’s heartening to see a band like Red Fang, which combines the fun, the chops, and the bulbous weight of all three. Looking like dorks but rocking with an admirably calculated abandon, they casually toss flaming firebird arpeggios and Mastodon-y turnarounds into an otherwise Fu Manchu–y boogie van. Bryan Giles’s Ozzy-like wail floats over the pro-ceedings when not stinging like a bee. Red Fang bring a beer-can-to-the-forehead glee and irreverence that is much needed in today’s metal vortex.


Maps & Atlases was chosen as best new band for Illinois

WHY THEM? Everybody has that one super-anal friend who keeps his apartment impossibly neat, arranges his furnishings according to some invisible geometry, folds each towel, and tucks every sheet with an aggres-sive sense of crispness. Now that guy has a new favorite band. If your hatred for Vampire Weekend has nothing to do with how they satisfied their multi-cultural credit hours, but rather how infuriatingly organized they are, run far from this blurb. If, on the other hand, you like your pop agile, fragile, nimble, wry, and, well, kind of WASP-y (that is, if when you think Chicago, you think of the lush ditties of the Sea and Cake, or the warm math of Sweater Weather or early Joan of Arc), their You, Me and the Mountain EP might make the perfect new housemate.




7.06.2009

Native - Wrestling Moves

Native Announce Debut Album, "Wrestling Moves," out this Fall 2009 on Sargent House



"It lands somewhere between a pissed off Minus The Bear and a caged up Botch" - Surfing Magazine

"To me, this is creativity incarnate. I think it goes without saying that their new record is highly, highly anticipated."- Absolutepunk

"Native, is making noise even before their first full-length. Their self-released debut EP, We Delete; Erase, has been recently unleashed and their fresh, confident sound is filling their listeners with hope for some great things to come." - CMJ

"For a band just a little more than a year old, Native play with the confidence and prowess of a group of lifers." - Alternative Press

The youngest addition to the Sargent House roster, Native, the band, was born in the summer of 2007. Since then, they've managed to self-release an acclaimed EP, 2008's We Delete; Erase (eventually re-released in the UK on Big Scary Monsters and Sargent House in the States), have toured non-stop building an admiral following in a short amount of time through their unforgettable live shows and well executed musicianship, and have also already landed themselves spotlights in high profile publications such as NME, Alternative Press, Surfing Magazine, CMJ and more.

In April 2009, Native began recording their debut full-length, "Wrestling Moves," with producer Chris Common (Pelican, Mammifer, These Arms Are Snakes) at Red Room Studios in Seattle, WA. The album will see the light of day this Fall and has already drawn comparisons to 90's post-hardcore acts The Van Pelt, Braid, At The Drive In, and more.

Tracklist for Wrestling Moves
1) Backseat Crew
2) Legoland
3) Mason Jars
4) Ponyboy
5) Five Year Payoff
6) Shirts and Skins
7) Pocket Jingle
8) Members List
9) Marco Polo
10) Wrestling Moves

NATIVE ON TOUR
Jul 6 Station 4 Saint Paul, Minnesota w/ Lungs
Jul 7 Red Raven Espresso Bar Fargo, ND w/ Tiny Moving Parts
Jul 9 Cretin Hop Spokane, WA
Jul 11 5116 NE 23rd Ave. Portland, OR
Jul 12 The Space Salem, OR w/ Oh No It's Birds
Jul 13 The Downtown Eatery Redding, CA
Jul 14 The Java Lounge Sacramento, CA
Jul 15 Retox Lounge San Francisco, CA
Jul 16 The Warehouse Clovis, CA
Jul 17 - X1 FM - Open Door Sessions San Diego, CA (free)
Jul 18 Modern Cultures Yuma, AZ
Jul 21 Modified Arts Phoenix, AZ
Jul 24 10713 Briarglen Circle Highlands Ranch, CO
Jul 25 The Mosaic Omaha, NB
Jul 26 Public Space, Iowa City, IA
Aug 12 Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center St. Louis, MO
Aug 13 Lindberg Springfield, MO
Aug 15 1919 Hemphill Fort Worth, TX w/ Lautrec
Aug 16 The Parlor Austin, AL
Aug 17 Dragon's Den New Orleans, LA w/ Lautrec
Aug 18 Atlantic Gainesville, FL w/ Lautrec
Aug 19 New World Brewery Tampa, FL w/ Lautrec
Aug 21 1008 1/2 House Melbourne, FL w/ Lautrec
Aug 22 Drunken Unicorn Atlanta, GA w/ Lautrec & Cinemechanica
Aug 23 1370 Grove st Greensboro, NC w/ Lautrec
Aug 24 The Blue Nile Harrisonburg, VA w/ Lautrec
Aug 25 Miracle on 34th College Park, MD w/ Lautrec
Aug 27 The Stomping Grounds Lancaster, PA
Aug 29 Cabana House South Bend, IN w/ Merchant Ships
Sep 12 Skull Alley Louisville, KY w/ Mountain Asleep &Antilles

7.05.2009

Summer Tour Of 2009

3 Of our bands up in this piece! RX BANDITS, GOOD OLD WAR, & ZECHS MARQUISE This Tour is not to be missed. Sargent House will be going large on this one, we will be spotted from the East Coast to West Coast at these shows I got plane tickets already - can't wait!






RX Bandits, Dredg & Good Old War
July 8 - House of Blues - Anaheim, CA
July 9 - SOMA - San Diego, CA
July 10- Marquee - Tempe, AZ
July 11 -Club Congress - Tuscon, AZ
July 12 -Club Congress - Tuscon, AZ
July 14 -Granada Theatre - Dallas, TX
July 15- Emo's - Austin, TX
July 16- The White Rabbit - San Antonio, TX

July 17- Meridian - Houston, TX
July 18- House of Blues - New Orleans, LA
July 20- Club Firestone - Orlando, FL
July 22- Culture Room - Ft Lauderdale, FL
July 23- Freebird - Jacksonville, FL
July 24 - Jannus Landing - St Petersburg, FL
July 25 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
July 26 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
July 28- Recher Theatre - Towson, MD
July 29- TLA - Philadelphia,PA
July 30 -Irving Plaza, New York, NY * w/As Tall As Lions
July 31- Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY * w/ Zechs Marquise

RX Bandits, Dredg & As Tall As Lions
Aug 1 - Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA
Aug 2 - Foufoune Electrique - Montreal, QU
Aug 4 - Opera House - Toronto, ON
Aug 5 - St Andrews Hall - Detroit, MI
Aug 6 - Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL

Aug 7 - Pop's - Sauget, IL
Aug 8 - People's Court - Des Moines, IA
Aug 9 - Station 4 - St Paul, MN
Aug 11 - Gothic Theatre - Englewood, CO
Aug 12 - Murray Theatre - Murray, UT
Aug 14 - Neumo's - Seattle, WA

Aug 15 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR
Aug 17 - Empire Event Center - Sacramento, CA
Aug 26 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
Aug 29 - Velvet Jones- Santa Barbara, CA
Aug 30 - El Rey - Los Angeles, CA
Aug 31 - El Rey - Los Angeles, CA

THIS IS A CO-HEADLINE TOUR
Both Bands will have Headline Length Sets

BOLD dates = RXB is Closing

7.02.2009

Omar Rodriguez Lopez - Genius Set Free


Wow, It's a big one and I have to give Aaron Kayce at Jambase a big round of applause for a great interview and feature about Omar who we also happen to like quite a bit over here