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Happy Holidays From Team Clermont!

Casiotone For The Painfully Alone Winter Tour

Owen Ashworth, aka Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, cannot be stopped. In 2009 alone, CFTPA released the fantastic singles, b-sides, and rarities collection, Advance Base Battery Life, a stellar new full-length, Vs. Children, and extensively toured North America and Europe. And he’s not done yet.

Get your Casiotone For The Painfully Alone requests ready, because Owen will be bringing his stacks of keyboards, bass-heavy beats, and wry stage banter to both sides of the pond in the next two months.

CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE IN EUROPE

Dec 16, 2009: Istanbul, Turkey @ Indigo

Dec 18, 2009: London, UK @ Lexington

Dec 19, 2009: Leeds, UK @ Nation Of Shopkeepers

Dec 20, 2009: Cambridge, UK @ Portland Arms

Dec 21, 2009: Oxford, UK @ Jericho

Dec 22, 2009: Brighton, UK @ Freebutt

CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Jan 06, 2010: Portland, OR @ Backspace

Jan 07, 2010: Seattle, WA @ Vera Project

Jan 08, 2010: Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret

Jan 09, 2010: Anacortes, WA @ Department of Safety

Jan 10, 2020: Victoria, BC @ James Bay United Church

CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE IN FLORIDA

Jan 20, 2010: Lake Worth, FL @ Propaganda

Jan 22, 2010: Miami, FL @ Electric Pickle

Jan 23, 2010: Tampa, FL @ New World Brewery

Jan 24, 2010: Orlando, FL @ Backbooth

Jan 26, 2010: Gainesville, FL @ Common Grounds

Jan 28, 2010: Tallahassee, FL @ Club Downunder

deVries Plays Benefit at Union Hall Tomorrow

New York’s (via Seattle) deVries will play a benefit for St. Christopher’s Inn Drug Rehabilitation Center with Xylos, Zambri, and Team Genius at Park Slope’s Union Hall. Doors are at 7:30PM and tickets are $10 (pony up guys, it’s a benefit.) deVries are on first so show up early!

deVries’ Death To God is out now via Noise on Noise.

MP3: Darkest Summer
MP3: Slowing Down

Check out what The Deli has to say about deVries.

Vote for Chris Ward for Philly's Sexiest Dude Alive

Chris Ward, drummer for Philadelphia’s Pattern Is Movement, has been nominated for Philly’s Sexiest Dude Alive. We would like to congratulate him and his beard because not only is he one of the sexiest dudes in Philadelphia, he’s the sexiest dude in our hearts. If you agree with us, please go to http://shmittenkitten.com and vote for Chris Ward!

Karl Blau "Dark Sedan" featured on Pitchfork TV

Pitchfork TV featured a video of K Records artist Karl Blau performing Dark Sedan, from his newest release Zebra. The video features label mates LAKE, who frequently perform with Blau.

LAKE will be performing on December 18th at The Crocodile in Seattle, Washington.

You can read Karl Blau’s blog, Karl Blaug at http://klapsdaily.blogspot.com/

Singing Saw Caroling Tour: Take Two

The Music Tapes‘ Julian Koster is embarking on yet another holiday caroling adventure, and you, too, can be a part of the fun! Merge has just announced the carolers’ confirmed path, and invitations are still being accepted for Nashville, Louisville, Indianapolis, Champaign, Cleveland, Providence, Baltimore, D.C., Chapel Hill, and Durham.

If you’d like to invite the carolers to your home, or if you’d just like to know who’s already hosting them in your area, send an email to musictapescaroling@gmail.com – but make haste!

Check out the itinerary below, as well as Thrifty Saw’s rendition of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”

Confirmed Caroling Path
12.05 • Atlanta / Rome, GA
12.06 • Nashville, TN (early) / Louisville, KY
12.07 • Indianapolis, IN (early) / Campaign, IL
12.08 • Chicago, IL
12.09 • Kalamazoo, MI (early) / Detroit, MI (and area)
12.10 • Toledo, OH (early) / Cleveland, OH
12.11 • Buffalo, NY (early) / Geneseo, NY
12.12 • Ithaca, NY (early) / Monterrey, MA / Easthampton & Northampton, MA (late-night)
12.13 • Boston, MA (and area)
12.14 • Providence, RI (and area)
12.15 • Riverside, CT / Purchase, NY / Marlboro, NY
12.16 • New York City, NY
12.17 • New York City, NY (and area)
12.18 • Manalapan, NJ (early) / Philadelphia, PA
12.19 • Baltimore, MD (early) / Washington, DC
12.20 • Eagle Rock, VA (early) / Lynchburg, VA
12.21 • Chapel Hill, NC / Raleigh, NC
12.22 • Athens, GA

Venice is Sinking "Compass"

It’s been a busy year for Athens-based group, Venice is Sinking. Earlier this spring, the quintet released its second full-length, the Scott Solter-produced ambient-pop gem, AZAR. This fall, the group returned with The Okay EP – a maxi-single of sorts – composed of alternate versions of AZAR songs, album cuts “Ryan’s Song” and “Okay”, and two covers of songs written by the Bay-Area one-man pop machine, Marty Anderson (who plays under the name, Okay). Phew, that’s a lot of Okays.

One of the Okay covers, “Compass,” has been getting a lot of love over at The Hype Machine

Head on over there and see what all the buzz is about.

Jookabox Premiere "Don't Go Phantom" Video!

Team Clermont was in attendance for last weeks Athens Jookabox show, and what an amazing evening it was! One of our favorite tracks from the Asthmatic Kitty stars is “Don’t Go Phantom”! They recently released a video for this track, the fifth video from their latest release Dead Zone Boys. This animated adventure features colored ghosts, random thievery, and mad scientistry!

Check it out below!

911-Blog Interviews Bear in Heaven

Will at WDUB interviewed Adam Wills, bass player for Bear in Heaven for their station blog, www.911-blog.com

“911-Blog was fortunate enough to score an email interview with Adam Wills of Bear In Heaven, recent recipient of Pitchfork’s “Best New Music” honor for their new album, Beast Rest Forth Mouth. If you haven’t gotten around to listening to Bear In Heaven yet, their sound treads a unique path between electronica, prog, and southern rock. Look for downloads of their tracks “Wholehearted Mess” and “Lovesick Teenagers” (my new favorite song) after the interview.

Q: You have a pretty unique sound. There’s definitely influences of psychedelic rock and electronica, but it’s more than that. What are your biggest influences and how did your sound develop?

A: We get asked this question a lot, and I wish there was an answer.. It would be much easier to say, oh.. we are referencing this and we always wanted to sound like that, but honestly, this is not a topic of discussion amongst the band. We talk about beer and girls and life, spirituality and football… We tell jokes and of course listen to music and share new discoveries and old favorites… I’m sure it’s happened, but I certainly can’t recall any specific conversations on what we wanted to sound like..I will say, I think we have pretty deep and robust listening habits. We circumnavigate every genre.. We love it all, that being said, we sure hate a lot too.. That’s the magical thing about music, there’s SO much of it. I will say, we get the most excited when people compare us to This Heat.. that’s one of our shared favorite bands, and it’s cool when people drop that name, though, to my ears, we don’t sound a thing like them. I saw a tweet recently that described us as “Moroder mixed with Toto” hahah, I love it, I kinda think that nailed it.. As far as how we got to that “sound”… You tell me.. Mix all of the ingredients of 4 really good friends, 6 years of busting our ass, lots of mistakes, lots of bad shows, alienated crowds, mushrooms, late nights, thrown drumsticks, hugs, laughs, hours and hours and hours and hours of practice space recordings, editing editing editing, not a lot of talking and a whole lot of doing.. And now we’re here.. Wanna make a bet? The next record will sound completely different.

Q: What’s your mission in music? What do you all want to accomplish with Bear In Heaven?

A: Personally, my favorite aspect that comes with playing music, is new friends. I love how you can pull into a town on tour on a Tuesday night meet 10 new people, go to their house after the show, drink some beers, talk laugh, next thing you know it, it’s 5am and you’re in the middle of a “friendship pyramid with 15 people” and you’ve got new best friends in a town you’ve never been to. And how did that happen? Our band happening to have a show was the impetus for the entire evening, how rad is that.. I think we just wanna tour, make music, have people like it, make new friends, make our label some money, and write our memoirs. But all in all, there is no goal.. We have a strong desire to see this project through.. the door seems to be wide open right now, and it’s thrilling to know, we have no idea where it’s going or how it’ll end, we’re just all smiles for the ride.

Q: How does it feel to be considered “Best New Music” by Pitchfork standards? Is this a big deal in the industry? Have there been any immediate repercussions from receiving this title?

A: It feels great. It’s a bizarre phenomenon most certainly. But any sort of confirmation/affirmation that we made a good record, whether it’s my dad telling me how much he plays the album at home, a 16 year old on myspace leaving a comment or Pitchfork giving us their seal of approval.. It all feels really nice. My dad’s personal tastes don’t open as many doors for us in the music world as Pitchfork does of course, kinda wish it did!

Q: What’s next for Bear In Heaven? Any tours, collaborations, remixes, new records on the horizon?

A: Tour tour tour.. Sorting it all now. 2010 should be nice and crazy, we are hoping. USA, Europe, Japan and Australia, all being sorted out. Get stoked. Remixes are being pumped out now.. Tons of friends are coming forth wanting to remix certain tracks, we are really excited about that.

Q: Where did the name Bear In Heaven come from?

A: We named it after a painting, many, many years ago. Funny how things have worked out in the world of band names, but what can ya do… We wouldn’t change a thing.”
-Will Buckingham

New Tour Dates from Strange Boys

Strange Boys are on the road this month. Check them out if you’re on the west coast!

11-18 Calexico, CA – La Hamaca
11-20 Los Angeles, CA – Palace Theatre *
11-21 Oakland, CA – Ghost Town Gallery
11-22 Seattle, WA – Showbox *
11-23 Vancouver, British Columbia – Commodore *
11-24 Olympia, WA – Northern
11-25 Portland, OR – East End
11-28 San Diego, CA – Tower Bar