[news]
August 22, 2008
For Against will make its first ever performance in the deep South since its formation in 1984 in a one-off show in Atlanta, Georgia on November 8, 2008. Tickets for the show, which will be held at The Earl, are available at www.badearl.com or www.ticketalternative.com. Twin Tigers will be the opening act.
July 1, 2008
Kabluey, an independent feature film featuring Magic Bullets' "Heatstroke" during its closing credits, is opening in select theaters this month. The film, winner for "Best Narrative Feature" at the Austin Film Festival, stars Lisa Kudrow, Scott Prendergast, Christine Taylor, Teri Garr, Conchata Ferrell, Chris Parnell, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. It opens on July 4th in New York City, followed by Los Angeles (July 11), Austin (July 25), and San Francisco (August 1).
June 23, 2008
The Meeting Places will be playing their first show since 2006 in Silver Lake, California on July 24th. Guitarist Scott McDonald recently returned to the band after a year-long hiatus. See the shows page for more details.
May 28, 2008
Magic Bullets have announced a dozen tour dates for the summer, including the BFD Festival in Mountain View, California (with The Kooks, Cypress Hill) and the American Eagle Outfitters New American Music Union Festival in Pittsburgh (with Bob Dylan, The Raconteurs, The Roots). The band will also be playing two shows in California in June with Andy Rourke (The Smiths) DJ-ing. See the shows page for more details and other dates.
May 26, 2008
Seminal independent music magazine The Big Takeover has weighed in on the new For Against record, Shade Side Sunny Side, and calls it the 'Album Of The Year' so far: "This is just a fabulous work, one of the most unnerving and yet often resplendently gorgeous records I've heard in some time. Every time I play it, it unfolds new layers of feeling, unlocking new mysteries of the clash between head and heart, and digs in harder with the simple clarity of its musical force. Album of the year? So far it sure as hell is." - Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover
April 22, 2008
The Meeting Places announce guitarist Scott McDonald has returned to the group and that the Los Angeles quartet is rehearsing once again. McDonald had been on indefinite hiatus from the band since late 2006.
April 8, 2008
Shade Side Sunny Side, the 7th studio album by the Lincoln, Nebraska trio For Against, is released today! Critics are already celebrating the the band's first record in six years. All Music Guide writes: "It's a pleasure to hear a group that has constantly defied the odds still sound fresh and vibrant. Far from returning to the days of December and earlier, this is very much a For Against of now rather than of then, the sweet melancholia of the past turned both more haunted and more angry. Runnings' seemingly deathless voice retains its light, clear quality, as all the group's albums have always shown, but matched again with Dingman's powerful playing, it just seems all that much more right."
April 7, 2008
Watch CBS's The Ghost Whisperer this Friday and you'll hear "Wide Awake," from The Meeting Places' debut record, Find Yourself Along The Way.
March 4, 2008
Words On Music is now shipping orders for Shade Side Sunny Side, For Against's seventh full-length record and first studio album since 2002. As the Lincoln, Nebraska trio approaches their 25th anniversary on the independent music scene, For Against has reemerged with an exclamation point: Shade Side Sunny Side is a landmark record, boasting For Against's darkest (and loudest) material to date. The post-punk roots of For Against's early years are firmly in place, but presented throughout nine new songs with a more expansive and atmospheric sonic palette. The album marks the return of original guitarist Harry Dingman, in his first recordings with the band since the 1988 seminal dream pop record, December.
February 28, 2008
Magic Bullets perform at San Francisco's annual Noise Pop Festival tonight at Mezzanine (with MTV's Human Giant and Voxhaul Broadcast).
February 4, 2008
Magic Bullets' video "Yesterday's Seen Better Days" has been accepted to the Noise Pop Film Festival.
January 3, 2008
Words On Music's latest official For Against t-shirt (WMT-03) is now available! This is a limited edition shirt documenting For Against's first European festival appearance at Tanned Tin, Castellon, Spain in November 2007. The design is light blue printing on a dark choloclate shirt, 7.4" wide x 9.6" tall. Designed by For Against guitarist Harry Dingman III. Sizes S, M, and L are available.
January 2, 2008
On January 18th, Magic Bullets will embark on a month long West Coast tour alongside Seattle's The Blakes. The San Francisco sextet will be performing 22 dates plus some additional radio appearances along the way. Check out our shows page for details.
January 1, 2008
"Hall of Fame," a standout track from The Meeting Places' 2006 album Numbered Days, will be included on CBS' The Ghost Whisperer on Friday, January 4, 2008. The song will play during a scene in which Jennifer Love Hewitt's character is in an antique store reading a blog in the first quarter of the show.
November 20, 2007
Words On Music now has small and medium sizes back in stock (in addition to large and extra-large) for both designs of our For Against t-shirts. The "Trees" and "December" t-shirts were designed by For Against guitarist, Harry Dingman.
November 9, 2007
For Against played the Tanned Tin Festival last weekend in Castellón, Spain. Other bands appearing at the annual festival include The Sea and Cake, Dolorean, Wolf Eyes, Xiu Xiu, Deerhunter, and Asobi Seksu.
October 1, 2007
Magic Bullets open for Perry Farrell's Satellite Party! On Tuesday, October 2nd, Magic Bullets will open for Perry Farrell's new band Satellite Party at an event curated by SPIN and Gen Art at Bloomingdale's in San Francisco. The event will include a silent auction featuring collectors edition photographs of John Varvatos' iconic rock and roll ad campaign to benefit VH1 Save The Music.
August 27, 2007
Words On Music is now shipping orders for In The Marshes - our third For Against reissue. In The Marshes has never before been released on CD, and it is reissued in a six-panel digipak designed by Bruce Licher. In The Marshes was recorded in 1986 and reflects For Against's darkest and most experimental material, bringing to mind the ethereal sounds of 4AD (This Mortal Coil) and Factory Records (New Order). This CD reissue includes two exclusive bonus tracks: a studio version of "Amnesia" and the original version of the fan favorite "Amen Yves" (both with Greg Hill on live drums).
July 21, 2007
Magic Bullets launch their 2007 West Coast tour this week in support of their debut album, a CHILD but in life yet a DOCTOR in love. The tour begins July 22 in Los Angeles at The Echo, then heads to Seattle, Portland, Boise, Salt Lake City, Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Reno, and culminates in their hometown of San Francisco, in a show sponsored by Filter magazine. Visit our shows page for more details.
May 29, 2007
a CHILD but in life yet a DOCTOR in love, the debut album by the San Francisco sextet Magic Bullets, was released today by Words On Music and is available on our order page. The band was SPIN.com's Artist of the Day, and critics are lauding Magic Bullets' sound: "A band that can pull off sounding simultaneously like The Feelies and Joy Division is one that bears watching. Recommended." (All Music Guide). "Drawing influences from U.K. post-punk outfits like Gang of Four and Joy Division, Magic Bullets' recipe for success is powerful precision and impressive musicianship. The final ingredient is Benson's chameleon-like voice, evoking similarities to Band of Horses' Ben Bridwell" (SPIN.com).
May 14, 2007
Magic Bullets are Spin.com's Band of the Day today. Spin describes the ingredients for the band's recipie for success as, "Powerful precision, impressive musicianship, and Benson's chameleon-like voice."
April 27, 2007
a CHILD but in life yet a DOCTOR in love, the debut album by the San Francisco sextet Magic Bullets, is available for purchase and is shipping now exclusively through Words On Music's website, in advance of its May 29, 2007 official worldwide release. The 10-song record makes friends with the rich traditions of post-punk (Gang of Four), new wave (early Talking Heads) and C86 (The Wedding Present), whilst introducing themselves to contemporaries influenced by these scenes (The Walkmen, French Kicks) with their own secret handshake. Singer Philip Benson boasts a poised, dynamic croon, yet does not overshadow the band's intricate musicianship — a crafty layering of Felt-esque melodies onto Bizarro-era chords. Already gaining a huge buzz in the Bay area, Magic Bullets' debut record is one of the breakthrough albums of 2007.
March 7, 2007
Words On Music now offers t-shirts for sale in our on-line shop. The first shirts are a pair of lovely For Against designs, both created by For Against guitarist Harry Dingman III. The "Trees" t-shirt resurrects the cover image of For Against's ultra-rare Autocrat / It's a Lie 7" single, released in 1985. The "December" shirt is a modified reprint of For Against's first official t-shirt from 1988 from the legendary December record. All shirts are available in men's sizes M, L, and XL. To order t-shirts and see close-up images of the designs, please visit here.
February 25, 2007
Magic Bullets will be performing at the 2007 Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco, opening for French Kicks on March 1st at Slim's. An official release date of the band's debut album a CHILD but in life yet a DOCTOR in love will be announced by Words On Music very shortly.
December 25, 2006
Words On Music would like to thank everyone for making 2006 its best year yet! We are quite excited for the coming year as 2007 will be our busiest year to date: new releases on the horizon include the debut record by San Francisco's Magic Bullets, the third record by Nottingham's Lorna, the seventh studio album by Nebraska's For Against, as well as a Lucy Show rarities double-CD and a reissue of For Against's In The Marshes. Thanks once again to all Words On Music fans across the globe for your continued support of our label!
December 24, 2006
For Against, starting its 24th year as one of America's most beloved trios, is now officially in the studio recording their as yet untitled 7th album to be released by Words On Music in 2007. The band has worked up more than a dozen songs over the past two years with original guitarist Harry Dingman rejoining the group in 2004 - sixteen years after his departure. Dingman joins original singer/bassist Jeffrey Runnings and drummer Paul Engelhard who has played in For Against since 1990. For Against will be playing two shows in Athens, Greece in mid-March which include some of this new material.
November 7, 2006
Fiel Garvie has just released a video to "Airsong," the second single from their new album, Caught Laughing. You can view it at You Tube here.
October 2, 2006
Numbered Days, the second album of luminious, infectious noise-pop by Los Angeles' The Meeting Places, is released this week worldwide by Words On Music. With Numbered Days the quartet has written ten new songs that craftily combine melodic indie-pop with the tremulous soundscapes first explored on their 2003 debut Find Yourself Along The Way. Numbered Days was recorded at The Ship by Jim Fairchild (Grandaddy, Earlimart).
September 27, 2006
Words On Music is delighted to announce the signing of the San Francisco sextet Magic Bullets. The band's debut album, a CHILD but in life yet a DOCTOR in love, will be released by Words On Music in early 2007. The record's 10 songs make friends with the rich traditions of post-punk (Gang of Four), new wave (early Talking Heads) and C86 (The Wedding Present), but introduce themselves to these scenes with their own secret handshake. Singer Philip Benson's poised, dynamic croon towers over his contemporaries, yet does not overshadow his own band's intricate musicianship — a layering of Felt-esque melodies onto Bizarro-era chords. Already gaining a huge buzz in the Bay area, Magic Bullets will drop one of the breakthrough albums of 2007.
August 7, 2006
Caught Laughing, the third album by the Norwich, England quintet Fiel Garvie, is released this week in North America (UK and European releases to follow in mid-September). Caught Laughing continues Fiel Garvie's reformulation of pop music through nine spellbinding new songs that suggest the work of Low, Stereolab, Sigur Ros, and Mercury Rev. Rather than abandoning the pop form altogether, Fiel Garvie cunningly sidesteps its conventions with a distinctive flair and ambience that does not cloud the quintet's fluency in melodies and hooks. Caught Laughing was mixed by Geoff Allen (Camera Obscura, Teenage Fanclub, Belle & Sebastian, Mogwai).
June 18, 2006
The release of Numbered Days, the second album by Los Angeles' The Meeting Places, has been set for October 3, 2006. For their sophomore record the quartet has written ten new songs that craftily combine melodic indie-pop with the tremulous soundscapes first explored on their debut Find Yourself Along The Way (Words On Music, 2003). Numbered Days was recorded at The Ship by Jim Fairchild (Grandaddy, Earlimart).
June 17, 2006
Lucy Show fans take note! Birdsnest, the second album by Typewriter (the new project by Lucy Show singer Mark Bandola), was released this month on Moineaux Internationaux Records. On Birdsnest, Typewriter fashions a majestic tapestry guided by the hands of The Beatles, Brian Eno, Captain Beefheart, Spacemen 3, and Bandola's old 1980s post-punk London outfit, The Lucy Show. Bandola's voice is unmistakable and he employs it to great effect throughout the record, venturing into bittersweet ballads, upbeat Roxy Music romanticism, and Eastern-influenced Beatles. The album also includes eleven instrumentals that serve not only as stylistic bridges to the vocal compositions, but also as a creative outlet feeding Typewriter's more experimental appetite. For more information and to purchase a copy of this record, please visit: www.typewriter-music.com
January 6, 2006
Words On Music announces the launch of the For Against Archive. For Against has one of the longest tenures on America's independent music scene - dating back to 1984. For the thousands of For Against fans, especially those throughout the world that have never had the opportunity to see the band perform in person, we have created the Archive to document the band's history through photographs, flyers, and other historical information. This Archive will be updated as Words On Music locates and identifies more original source material. If you have any For Against archival documents that you would like to see posted here, please contact Words On Music.
November 15, 2005
Words On Music's reissue of Mania, the second album by London's The Lucy Show, is released this week in the USA, Canada, and Germany! The album will be released on December 5, 2005 in France and January 30, 2006 in the UK.
November 9, 2005
The Meeting Places have completed a video to "On Our Own," one of the standout tracks to their debut album Find Yourself Along The Way. The video is available for download at the bands website here: www.themeetingplaces.com/video/.
September 27, 2005
Words On Music is now shipping orders for Mania, the long out-of-print second album by London's The Lucy Show. First released in 1986, Mania is a classic post-punk album, along side the best recordings of the era by The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Jesus and Mary Chain. The album injects gorgeous, poignant melodies onto a textured soundscape, ricocheting with shimmering guitars from the production of the legendary John Leckie (New Order, Stone Roses, Radiohead, Trashcan Sinatras, Felt). Words On Music's re-release of Mania remasters all 10 album tracks, plus seven additional bonus tracks (five of which have never been commercially released). The re-release also includes the video to their MTV hit "A Million Things" and liner notes written by The Big Takeover editor Jack Rabid. The album will be released across the US on November 15, 2005, but is available now exclusively through Words On Music's mail order.
September 26, 2005
December, For Against's long out-of-print second album, was officially released this week across the USA. Orders are shipping now from Words On Music. The December reissue has been remastered and is issued in a new six-panel digipak design by Bruce Licher. The CD also includes two RARE videos for "Autocrat" and "Echelons" from their Echelons album. These videos were shot in 1987 but have never previously been released to the public. December is the rare album that doubles as both a post-punk and dream pop masterpiece. "One of the finest dream pop records made." - All Music Guide
September 24, 2005
Fiel Garvie has nearly completed the mixing of their third album in Scotland with Geoff Allen (Camera Obscura, Teenage Fanclub, Belle & Sebastian, Mogwai, The Proclaimers, Arab Strap). Look for a 2006 release.
August 20, 2005
Orders are shipping now for Words On Music's reissue of December, For Against's long out-of-print second album from 1988. The December reissue has been remastered and is issued in a new six-panel digipak design by Bruce Licher. The CD will also include two RARE videos for "Autocrat" and "Echelons" from their Echelons album. These videos were shot in 1987 but have never previously been released to the public. December is a fan favorite and the album is now considered by critics to be a forerunner of the dream pop scene popularized in England just a year or two later. "One of the best dream pop records made." - All Music Guide
July 21, 2005
Words On Music announces the forthcoming release of the long out of print second album by London's The Lucy Show. Mania, first released in 1986, is a classic post-punk album, along side the best recordings of the era by The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Jesus and Mary Chain. The album injects gorgeous, poignant melodies onto a textured soundscape, ricocheting with shimmering guitars from the production of the legendary John Leckie (New Order, Stone Roses, Radiohead, Trashcan Sinatras, Felt). Words On Music's re-release of Mania remasters all 10 album tracks, plus seven additional bonus tracks (five of which have never been commercially released). The re-release also includes the video to their MTV hit "A Million Things" and liner notes written by The Big Takeover editor Jack Rabid. Look for a late Autumn 2005 release.
July 15, 2005
Lorna's new record, Static Patterns and Souvenirs, was released this week in the UK. MOJO heralds the album as: "Languid indie beauty from Nottingham. A languorous intoxication decanted from torch tradition, the Velvet's third album, and the delicate end of '90s shoegazing, Static Patterns and Souvenirs owes almost nothing to contemporary musical fashion." The album was released in France in June and in April in the USA.
March 19, 2005
Static Patterns and Souvenirs, the second album of beautifully orchestrated songwriting by Nottingham England's Lorna, is exclusively available from Words On Music ahead of its release date and is shipping now. Fans of Coastal, Mojave 3, Camera Obscura, Mazzy Star, Lambchop, and Angelo Badalamenti take note!
March 11, 2005
The Meeting Places perform at SXSW! Austin, Texas residents please come out to see a grand show courtesy of The Meeting Places as they return to play South By Southwest for the second time in three years. This year they will perform at the SoHo Lounge, 217 E. 6th Street on Saturday, March 19th at 8:00 P.M. Club #: 512-472-1916.
February 20, 2005
Words On Music is delighted to announce that Nottingham, England's Lorna has signed to Words On Music for the worldwide release of their second album, Static Patterns and Souvenirs. The album is tentatively scheduled for a late April/early May 2005 release in the United States, with UK, French, and Spanish releases dates shortly thereafter. Static Patterns and Souvenirs showcases eleven highly orchestrated songs led by the vocal teaming of Mark Rolfe, Sharon Cohen, and James Allen that alternately embraces Scottish pop, postrock, folk, and dream pop. An official release date will be set shortly.
February 18, 2005
Words On Music is profiled in the latest print issue of Emoragei magazine from Quebec. Read the on-line edition (in French) here.
February 10, 2005
France, Spain, and the United Kingdom have all seen recent release dates of new Words On Music albums. A Houseguest's Wish was released in the United Kingdom through Shellshock on January 31st. For Against's Echelons, Coastal's Halfway To You, and A Houseguest's Wish were released in Spain on February 2nd through Dock. Echelons and Halfway To You were released in France through Rock Revolution on January 10, whereas A Houseguest's Wish was released last December 15.
February 1, 2005
Words On Music releases are making several Best of 2004 album lists. Jack Rabid, editor of The Big Takeover, recently named For Against's Echelons and A Houseguest's Wish: Translations of Wire's 'Outdoor Miner' among his top albums of 2004. Somewhere Cold (Canada) ranked A Houseguest's Wish as the #1 compilation album of the year and Coastal's Halfway To You as the #4 album of the year. England's Whisperin' and Hollerin' ranked A Houseguest's Wish #13 and Echelons #17 in their top reissues and compilations list. Emoragei Magazine's Sophie de Lisio (Canada) ranked Echelons the #3 album of the year. Music critic Piero Scaruffi ranked Halfway To You among his Top 20 albums of 2004. La Magic Box (France) named A Houseguest's Wish as the #18 album of 2004.
October 24, 2004
Words On Music announces it will re-release For Against's long out-of-print and highly sought after second album December in Spring 2005. The album will be remastered with Bruce Licher contributing a new six-panel digipack design. Thanks to Independent Project Records for making this re-release possible!
October 5, 2004
A Houseguest's Wish: Translations of Wire's 'Outdoor Miner' will be released by Words On Music on November 9, 2004. The album is available now exclusively through Words On Music. A Houseguest's Wish is Words On Music's 25th Anniversary tribute to the Wire's seminal pop song, "Outdoor Miner." Words On Music has assembled interpretations by 19 artists from five countries into one stunning and diverse collection — including versions by Adam Franklin (Swervedriver), Typewriter (Mark Bandola of The Lucy Show), Lush, Flying Saucer Attack, and Kick On The Floods (Carlos Forster of For Stars). It also includes renditions by three Words On Music artists — The Meeting Places, Fiel Garvie, and Should.
September 9, 2004
For Against reforms for its first live show in years! For Against announces it has reformed with original guitarist Harry Dingman III (from the Echelons and December albums). The band is currently writing new material and is also rehearsing many of the old songs — the latter will be on display at their first live show in years on September 24, 2004 at Knickerbockers in Lincoln, Nebraska. To Jeff, Paul, and Harry: thank you!
July 2, 2004
We are now shipping orders for Echelons, the re-release of For Against's debut album from 1987 — available for the first time on CD! The album will be available in stores on August 10th, but is available now exclusively from Words On Music. The album has been remastered with an original 6-panel digipack design by Bruce Licher (Scenic).
June 27, 2004
We are now shipping orders for Coastal's new album, Halfway To You, available exclusively through Words On Music. The album will be available in stores on August 10th. Halfway To You is the most sophisticated and stunning collection of Coastal songs to date. The album features nine new songs that retain the fragile beauty of the band's debut album, but evoke a more textured ambiance, owing in part to the wider array of instrumentation employed — such as cello, viola, acoustic guitar, and found samples.
April 15, 2004
Words On Music announces the addition of Adam Franklin to our "Outdoor Miner" tribute album, A Houseguest's Wish. Franklin is the talented songwriter behind Toshack Highway and the seminal and wholly unique 1990s English band Swervedriver. Words On Music are lifelong admirers of Adam's music and are celebrating this wonderful addition to the project!
February 29, 2004
Three more artists are confirmed to appear on A Houseguest's Wish, our "Outdoor Miner" tribute album: a newly recorded version by New York City's The Sems (Audraglint Records), plus previously recorded versions by Lush (4AD Records), and Flying Saucer Attack (Domino Records).
February 23, 2004
Fiel Garvie recently shot a video in Italy for their current single "I Didn't Say," also found on the group's Leave Me Out Of This album. The video is currently being edited. In the meantime use this link to view a RealMedia live version of another album track, "Doortime."
February 4, 2004
Words On Music is delighted to announce the re-release Echelons, the stunning debut album by For Against from 1987, previously unavailable on CD! The album will be remastered, with design by Bruce Licher (Scenic). Words On Music greatly appreciates the support of Independent Project Records to make this re-release possible. No official release date has been set, but we are aiming for May/June 2004.
Recent Words On Music releases have appeared on a number of Best-Of-2003 lists from across the globe. The Meeting Places debut CD, Find Yourself Along The Way, was named Album Of The Year by Sense (Greece), and also listed by Indieville (Canada), Whisperin and Hollerin (UK), and Italian critic Maurizio Marino (Rockerilla) as one of 2003's top releases. Fiel Garvie's new album, Leave Me Out Of This, was listed by Bodyspace (Portugal), Whisperin and Hollerin (UK), and Canadian critic David Antrobus (Flak Magazine).