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News: Pernice Brothers The World Won't End is officially out today! (aka "Every day is ...

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Today is the official street date for the first-ever vinyl release of the Pernice Brothers' classic, The World Won't End. The album has been remastered for vinyl and the early reports give it high marks for the sound quality and presentation (Thanks, early reports!) This is the first in a planned series of Pernice Brothers vinyl releases, so please help spread the word.

Order your copy here.

The album is housed in a beautiful reverse-board jacket with a lyric insert and download card. The original artwork has been modified for this release.

The World Won't End remains a master stroke of pop songwriting. The album has been universally hailed for its elite-level literate pop and the overall marriage of pathos-laden lyrical content with shimmering sonics.

Joe Pernice's exquisite voice (a mix of Colin Blunstone's raspy croon and Elliott Smith's breathy whisper) and his keen, evocative, storytelling turn tales of love, romantic frustration, and depression into celebrations of real human moments.

Featuring classics songs such as "Working Girls," "Our Time Has Passed," "Flaming Wreck," "Endless Supply" and production which displays a genuine appreciation for the soft-rock textures pioneered by Todd Rundgren, ELO, and 70's era Beach Boys, the album is widely regarded as a high-water mark for Americana and progressive power pop.

"...bringing instruments and melodies together in (remarkably lush) harmony" - NME

"Pernice Brothers could best be deemed a power-pop group, but singer-songwriter Joe Pernice delivers his dark tales with such an overwhelming sense of heartbreak and resignation that the word "pop" sounds inappropriate." - AV club

News: Pernice Brothers' The World Won't End: First ever vinyl release of a power pop masterpiece

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0800

On November 20th, American Dust will be releasing the Pernice Brothers' The World Won't End on vinyl for the first time ever. This is the first in a planned series of Pernice Brothers vinyl releases.

Pre-order your copy here.

The album has been remastered specifically for this vinyl release and will come housed in a beautiful reverse-board jacket with a lyric insert and download card. The original artwork has been modified for this release.

The World Won't End remains a master stroke of pop songwriting. The album has been universally hailed for its elite-level literate pop and the overall marriage of pathos-laden lyrical content with shimmering sonics.

Joe Pernice's exquisite voice (a mix of Colin Blunstone's raspy croon and Elliott Smith's breathy whisper) and his keen, evocative, storytelling turn tales of love, romantic frustration, and depression into celebrations of real human moments.

Featuring classics songs such as "Working Girls," "Our Time Has Passed," "Flaming Wreck," "Endless Supply" and production which displays a genuine appreciation for the soft-rock textures pioneered by Todd Rundgren, ELO, and 70's era Beach Boys, the album is widely regarded as a high-water mark for Americana and progressive power pop.

"...bringing instruments and melodies together in (remarkably lush) harmony" - NME

"Pernice Brothers could best be deemed a power-pop group, but singer-songwriter Joe Pernice delivers his dark tales with such an overwhelming sense of heartbreak and resignation that the word "pop" sounds inappropriate." - AV club

News: On the road: Matt Baldwin is touring

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Matt Baldwin is doing a short tour with stops in Jerusalem and various cities in Europe over the next few weeks.

Here are the dates and venues (sorry, you're on your own for other details!):

March 4th Club Uganda, Jerusalem
March 5th Noon Lecture on New Music at Musrara Art School, Jerusalem
March 6th Levontin, Tel Aviv
March 7th Cave 12, Geneva
March 9th La Chaise, Paris,
March 10th Kunstencentrum Belgium, Hasselt
March 12th Birthday, London
March 16th, The Joinery, Dublin
March 18th, Plugg'd Records, Dublin

Matt's latest record, Night in the Triangle, is available now..

News: Matt Baldwin: New album from the visionary wildcard of modern solo guitar scene.

Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Night In The Triangle is the new double album by acclaimed guitarist Matt Baldwin, and his second release for American Dust. The project was conceived as a soundtrack for a science fiction film and is Matt’s first extended study for electric guitar and other non-acoustic instruments. Driven by a darker, rawer form of energy than that used in his acoustic work, Night In The Triangle aspires to trance and atmospherics.

Listen to two tracks from the album:

"Sketch for Winter"

"After The Gene Wars"

You can purchase the album over on the Store page or from iTunes.

Upon release in 2008, Matt Baldwin's debut album, Paths of Ignition, was anointed by Julian Cope as Album of the Month on his Head Heritage website. In his review, Cope predicted the evolution that is heard now on Night In The Triangle: "From the very first moment I dragged the vinyl out of its too-tight shrink-wrap cut-and-paste sub-sub-MIND GAMES cover, I knew Matt Baldwin’s take on his role as new Guitar God was gonna be way different to the approach of his acoustic-driven contemporaries. Hell, even the accompanying 24” x 12” poster that fell out with the record was a statement in itself, Matt standing there – all 6’ 4” of him – long-haired, open-mouthed, hands-on-hips, glowering and gormless as Ozzy’s ‘What The?’ pose on the inner gatefold of PARANOID. Sure, the iTunes on my iBook stated ‘Folk’ but the 12” vinyl – in every way – screamed out ‘ROCK!’"

In Matt's work, his role as interpreter is just as crucial as his role as originator. His bold 10-minute cover of Neu’s ‘Weissensee’ and his epic dobro-driven and feedback-overloaded version of Judas Priest’s ‘Winter’ from Paths of Ignition were game changers for a man that felt stifled by association with the solo-guitar purists. On Night in the Triangle, Matt once again expands on the visions of his forebears with daring treatments of songs by The Durutti Column and Conrad Schnitzler.

The visionary wildcard of today's solo guitar music scene, Matt continues to make music that is at once verdant and threatening, comforting yet unsettling. To quote Cope once again, "this so-called folkie Matt Baldwin druid is nothing less than a one-man Heavy Metal Band!...Brothers’n’sisters, it’s fucking heroic. These Great Fists of Matt make Ben Chasny sound like Marge Proops in comparison."

You can find out more about Matt via his website: www.imaginarypsychology.blogspot.com/

News: Garotas Suecas score preparation of blood sausage

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0800

This video is awesome. Our very own Garotas Suecas - hot on the heels of their performance at the Primavera Sound Festival - with blood sausage. The song sounds great, and we're hungry.

Garotas Suecas' debut album, Escaldante Banda, is available now.

News: Three years in the making, the Shalants finally present their brilliant new album.

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800

After three years, the Northern California based four-piece, Shalants, have just released their ornate and heartbreaking new self-titled album.

Here's a stream of the track "The Mercury Twins":

You can purchase the album over on the Store page or from iTunes.

Emerging from the same Bay Area psychedelic, garage pop scene that has produced The Fresh & Onlys, Sonny & The Sunsets and Girls, Shalants (pronounced like "nonchalant") produce a distinctly Californian sound. It's a mash-up of Mexican, Native American, Chinese, settler culture and pioneer spirits. The band split their time between San Francisco and the alpine wilderness of Shasta County, and their music is informed by everything between the Delta and the Bay. They recall a bygone era, but their music is not retro.

Miller Carr, Shalants’ chief singer and songwriter, comes descended from the original pioneers that founded San Francisco and the Jefferson State area. His family were gold rush chancers, his great-grandfather a county judge, his grandfather a District Attorney, and his father a liberal free-spirited lawyer turned brandy drinking river rat. The songs on Shalants trace Carr’s own lineage and his bloodline’s collected experience: from sailors and explorers to prospectors and religious asylum seekers; immigrants and ballroom piano players to whores and gunslingers; opium smokers and bohemians to anarchists and the beats; John Muir, Gary Snyder, Kerouac and Emperor Norton.

The band receives inspiration from California’s terrain and topography. Their darkness emerges from the fog and the forests. Their playfulness and curiosity comes from the giants in the Shasta Cascades, their friends in the Sierras, and the rivers and meadows that wind around the canyons. The sea informs their longing and wanderlust. The music they make blows up their journeys and experiences, movie size: the dreamy foggy soundtrack to a lost Terrence Malick film.

But ultimately what makes the band so intriguing, whether it be by their live show or recorded work, is their subtle dynamics, voodoo telepathy, and warlike approach to performing. They will cut you down, but they’ll also bury you afterwards, and make a little cross. The sound they make, like all honest things, is beautiful, meaningful, and harmonious, yet vulgar and dark. And they can play circles around anyone. You’ll have trouble finding another group of guys so young that can play a Cole Porter-like ballad and then swing right into a minimalist Cramps-esque burner at the drop of the dime.

The new album's highlights include the dub-influenced, lyrically dense “Riverbanking,” the urgent propulsive plea of “When It Comes,” the swinging, shimmering voodoo of “The Mercury Twins,” the forlorn waltz of “Black Jewels,” and the gentle melancholy of “The Deserter.” It's an album-length dose of mania and wonder via a cocktail of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Tom Waits, The Walkmen, The Kinks and Neil Young.

The band will be performing up and down the West Coast throughout 2011.

News: Garotas Suecas! Album special offer! Press recap!

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0800

We really hope you got to see Garotas Suecas live during there US tour last month. All reports point to the whole enterprise being a great success and we look forward to them coming back very soon. As a good friend of ours said about the band's live show, "They are the best Brazilian Brit-pop/60's soul hybrid band around!"

Now, just because the band has returned to their beloved Brazil, it doesn't mean that we can't share in some continued celebration ourselves.

If you order the band's recently released debut album, Escaldante Banda, right here through the American Dust website, you'll receive a free copy of their single "Codinome Dinamite" and a limited edition poster featuring the amazing album cover. This offer applies to either a purchase of a CD or LP (the LP version also includes a copy of the album on CD). The 7" and poster are both limited, so be sure to order soon.

The band also received a ton of great press during their tour. Here are some of the highlights:

- NPR First Listen

- KEXP blog Bumbershoot live review

- insightful review from the Chicago Reader

- NJ.com interview

- Time Out Chicago

- Spin magazine

News: Pitchfork Raves Over Archive

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Pitchfork gave Department of Eagles' Archive 2003-2006 a glowing 8.1 review. Featuring tracks recorded between the band's debut The Cold Nose and their breakthrough In Ear Park, and around the time member Daniel Rossen recorded the classic Yellow House with his other band Grizzly Bear, Archive is, in Pitchfork's words, "a document rich with revelatory moments and educatory touchstones-- but as an album, it functions even better." They got it just right in our estimation, and again in the review's conclusory statement: "Even when they don't mean to, Rossen and Nicolaus come off as impeccably having their shit together."

Archive 2003-2006 is available now.

News: Department of Eagles' Archive 2003-2006 Out Today!

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Department of Eagles' awesome collection of lost recordings, Archive 2003-2006, is out today! Consisting of recordings from incomplete album and other recording sessions pre-dating the band's tour de force album In Ear Park, as well as member Daniel Rossen's work with Grizzly Bear, Archive offers a glipse at a brilliant act in its lean, formative stage. Available everywhere, including here.

News: Garotas Suecas debut album set for release on 9/7/10 + tour dates

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0800

We are extremely pleased to announce the release of the debut album by Garotas Suecas, Escaldante Banda.

The album sees its release on September 7th, 2010 on the popular CD, vinyl and mp3 formats. You can preorder it right here on the American Dust website!

Escaldante Banda offers a brew of Otis Redding soul grooves and Os Mutantes craziness. The group’s most accomplished recording to date and the ideal Stateside introduction to Brazil’s best-kept secret, the record bursts with fuzz guitars, polyrhythms, scorching female backing vocals, big horn sections, and heavy psychedelia. Its grooves are thick, and it comes to make America shake. The perfect late-summer dance record.

Here is the track listing:

1. Tudo Bem
2. Banho de Bucha
3. Ela
4. Não Se Perca Por Ai
5. Você Não é Tudo Isso Meu Bem
6. Mercado Roque Santerio
7. Ninguém Mandou
8. Alma
9. Olhos da Cara
10. Sunday Night Blues

Sweaty, funky, exotic, committed. Garotas Suecas (Swedish Girls, in Portuguese) hail from Sao Paolo, Brazil and offer up a hearty, full-throated stew combining the best elements of their country’s homegrown Tropicalia with Anglo-American soul and freakbeat. The six members of the group met as teenagers at an open mic night and promptly formed a band, hijacking the home of an area poet for their rehearsals. They self funded three EPs, toured Brazil, and outlandishly landed an MTV video music award.

But what psychs the band more than anything is launching their Brazilian Invasion of the States. In the wake of their second smash appearance at SXSW in Austin and subsequent two week US tour (and just in time for the release of Escaldante Banda), the band is heading out for another month-long tour in September. The band looks forward to blazing a smoldering trail across the country. “We’ve played some college shows in the US where kids got super wild,” they say. “We are down for playing anywhere where the crowd is down for shaking very hard to our music.”

Here is the list of the band's upcoming tour dates:

Jul 08 James Bar Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
Jul 09 1007 Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
Sep 01 Spaceland Los Angeles, CA (w/ Grass Widow, Ty Segall)
Sep 02 Bar Pink Elephant San Diego, CA (w/ Black Diamond Riders)
Sep 03 Elbow Room San Franscisco, CA
Sep 04 Uptown Oakland, California
Sep 06 Bumbershoot Festival Fisher Green Stage Seattle, WA
Sep 07 Northern Olympia, Washington (w/ Arrington De Dionyso's Malaikat Dan Singa)
Sep 08 The Cultch Vancouver B.C., British Co (w/ Calvin Johnson and The Hive Dwellers)
Sep 09 Music Fest NW @ Ash Street Portland, Oregon
Sep 10 Asbury Lanes Asbury Park, NJ
Sep 11 Space Gallery Block Party Portland, ME
Sep 12 Le Divan Orange Montréal, QC, CANADA
Sep 13 Silver Dollar Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
Sep 14 Schubas Tavern Chicago, Illinois
Sep 15 horn gallery @ KENYON COLLEGE gambier, Ohio
Sep 16 Bug Jar Rochester, New York
Sep 19 U St. Music Hall Washington, Washington (w/ Kid Congo Powers and DJ Neal)
Sep 22 Knitting Factorey Brooklyn, NY (w/ Ava Luna)
Sep 23 Kung Fu Neck Tie Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sep 24 Cake Shop New York, NY
Sep 28 Snug Harbor Charlotte, North Caro
Sep 29 The Earl Atlanta, GA (w/ Gaye Blades and Selmanaires)
Sep 30 Next Big Nashville Nashville, TN
Oct 01 Roots N Blues Festival Columbia, MO

“Garotas Suecas shouldn't merely be listened to or witnessed; they should be absorbed.”
-Carrie Brownstein, Sleater-Kinney

“Garotas Suecas has honed a slice of garage-rock-influenced soul music of which the Daptone folks should be jealous.”
-The New York Times

“Thunderous organ, drums in overdrive and group vocals to make any fan of harmony proud.”
-Aquarium Drunkard

News: Pitchfork "Best New Music" for Department of Eagles' "While We're Young"

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Pitchfork gave their "Best New Music" tag to a track off our forthcoming Department of Eagles release, Archive 2003-2006.

The review is great and spot on. Archive, which collects assorted tracks the band worked on between their debut, The Cold Nose, and their magnum opus, In Ear Park, isn't your typical release, but the music it contains is inspired and vital. From the looks of the early reviews coming in, it seems like people are getting what makes it such an intriguing listen.

Archive 2003-2006, released July 20th, can be pre-ordered here: http://www.americandust.net/discography?id=1142

News: Sibylle Baier and Jeff Mangum vinyl reissues out today!

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0800

The vinyl reissues of Jeff Mangum's Live At Jittery Joe's and Sibylle Baier's Colour Green are both out today. Please visit your favorite independent record store and pick one up. If they don't carry it , ask them to order one for you (and a couple extras for the store!)

Both LPs were given a very limited vinyl issue several years ago and have been out of print ever since.

Jeff Mangum is the visionary behind Neutral Milk Hotel. His breathtaking solo performance on Live At Jittery Joe's includes several song from NMH albums In The Aeroplane Over The Sea and On Avery Island, Phil Spector's "I Love How You Love Me," and the never officially released original "I Will Bury You In Time."

Sibylle Baier's Colour Green was recorded in the early seventies in her home on a reel-to-reel recording device. It's an incredible collection of intimate portraits of life's sad and fragile beauty.

You can order both lps on the Store page.

News: June 22nd brings Jeff Mangum and Sibylle Baier vinyl reissues

Sat, 15 May 2010 00:00:00 -0800

On June 22nd, we will be reissuing two amazing albums on vinyl: Jeff Mangum's Live At Jittery Joe's and Sibylle Baier's Colour Green. Both were given a very limited vinyl issue several years ago and have been out of print ever since.

You can preorder both lps on the Store page.

News: Shalants West Coast shows, forthcoming album, 7" single

Sun, 16 May 2010 00:00:00 -0800

If you don't know already, The Shalants really are the best band. You'll be able to confirm this with your own eyes and ears later this month when the band plays a handful of west coast dates. The dates are as follows:

May 16 2010    Valentine's     Portland, OR
May 17 2010     Lil' Red Lion     Eureka, CA
May 19 2010     Crepe Place     Santa Cruz, California, US
May 20 2010     Sophia’s     Davis, California, US
May 21 2010     Chief Crazy Horse Inn Saloon     Nevada City, California, US
May 24 2010     Knockout     San Francisco, California, US

The next Shalants album is in the can, but release details are still being worked out. We'll have more info in the next month or two, so keep checking back.

In the meantime, the band is prepping a self-released 7" single that will be available sometime in the summer. It will be a taster for the upcoming album, featuring two songs from the sessions.

Please check out the album, Passage Through Wilderness Vol. 2, it's a remarkable collection of songs.

You can listen to their contribution to our Judee Sill Tribute below:

The Shalants - Lopin' Along Through The Cosmos

News: Stream Department of Eagles' "Brightest Minds" from their forthcoming Archive ...

Sat, 15 May 2010 00:00:00 -0800

In anticipation of Department of Eagles' forthcoming Archive 2003-2006, we thought you might like to hear a track from the release.

We give you "Brightest Minds".

The record is due out July 20 and will see worldwide release via a partnership with Bella Union. Including some of the bands best songs, this waggish and at times breathtakingly intimate collection will delight fans of Department of Eagles and Grizzly Bear, and anyone else with ears.

Department of Eagles is the acclaimed duo featuring Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear and his long-time songwriting partner and musical ally Fred Nicolaus.

Preorder the cd or vinyl.

Find out more about the band.

News: New release: Department of Eagles Archive 2003-2006 available for pre-order now

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0800

American Dust is thrilled to announce the release of Department of Eagles' Archive 2003-2006, comprising sessions originally intended for the band's second album, alongside additional material recorded during, well, 2003-2006. The record is due out July 20 and will see worldwide release via a partnership with the mighty Bella Union label.

Department of Eagles is the acclaimed duo featuring Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear and his long-time songwriting partner and musical ally Fred Nicolaus. The band released their masterpiece, In Ear Park, in 2008, but many people are unaware that the two had recorded and scrapped an entire album's worth of sessions prior to the recording of that album. The sessions have gained a feverish notoriety among the few that have heard them, and we're proud to be giving these recordings their official release.

Including some of the bands best songs, this waggish and at times breathtakingly intimate collection will delight fans of Department of Eagles and Grizzly Bear, and anyone else with ears.

Preorder the cd or vinyl.

Find out more about the band.

News: Garotas Suecas 7" is available now!

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

The debut US release by our favorite tropicalia/garage outfit, Garotas Suecas, has finally arrived.

If you happened to catch the band at one of their SXSW performances you may have already found yourself walking out of a dank, Austin club clutching one of these hot pink pieces of goodness pictured below. Until now that would be the only instance in which you'd find yourself in possession of one. That's all changed.

The young Brazilian group's 7" single won't be available in stores until the first week of April, but you can purchase it right here through your trusted American Dust website and we'll ship it out immediately. Think of your jealous friends and their jealous faces! Envy!

The Carrie Brownstein endorsed band is still in the midst of their US mini tour, so be sure to catch them when they come to your town.

News: Moore Brothers opening for Joanna Newsom East Coast dates!

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

The Moore Brothers will be the opening act for Joanna Newsom on four upcoming East Coast tour dates.

Catch the sibling magic!

March 19th and 20th
First Unitarian Church - Sanctuary
Philadelphia, PA
(more info)

March 22nd and 23rd
Sixth & Historic Synagogue
Washington, DC
(more info)

Available now: the Moore Brothers latest masterpiece, Aptos, featuring a musical contribution from Joanna herself

News: New Artist Excitement: Garotas Suecas!

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

American Dust is very excited to announce the arrival of our latest artist, Brazilian psych-garage-pop combo Garotas Suecas. These guys are amazing. Their songs pop and fizz with so much musicality, it'll make you dizzy if you don't dance.

In March we will be releasing a taste of the band's wicked prowess with the cracking Codinome Dinamite/Ghostwriter single on sweet 7" vinyl. The a-side is streaming now on the player to your left, but don't disregard the benefit of snapping up one of these limited 7" singles. If ever there was a band whose music fit the crackling old-school garage rock format of the wax single, Garotas Suecas is it.

(And stay tuned for information on a full-length of all new material to be released in the fall.)

The band will also be touring the US in March, bringing their can't-miss, knock-'em-dead South American fire to northern ears. Dates below.

03.18.10 Thu	Austin, Texas. SXSW
03.19.10 Fri	Austin, Texas. Beauty Bar (Austin) Panache SXSW Showcase w/ Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Givers, Carrots, So Cow, Japanese Motors
03.20.10 Sat	Austin, Texas. SXSW
03.23.10 Tue	Palm Springs, California. Space 120
03.24.10 Wed	Los Angeles, California. Spaceland w/ Think About Life, Thee Makeout Party
03.25.10 Thu	San Francisco, California. Rickshaw Stop w/ Lumerians, Greg Ashley
03.26.10 Fri	Portland, Oregon. East End w/ The Nice Boys, Coconut Coolouts
03.27.10 Sat	Seattle, Washington. Comet Tavern w/ Hornet Leg, Fucking Eagles
03.29.10 Mon	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kung Fu Necktie
03.30.10 Tue	Grantham, Pennsylvania. Messiah College
03.31.10 Wed	Middletown, Connecticut. Wesleyan College
04.01.10 Thu	New York City, New York. Knitting Factory w/ Rev Vince Anderson, Golden Triangle, Jonathan Toubin
04.02.10 Fri	Manhattan, New York. Cake Shop
04.03.10 Sat	Princeton, New Jersey. Princeton University - Terrace Club w/ So Cow

News: miller carr gets track of the year

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Thanks to the right-on Totam blog supersite, who included our own Miller Carr & the Shalants' wildly terrific "Hey" among their tracks of the year.

Scribe Aileen Tat calls the band's music a "seamless blend of surf, psychedelia, and soul." Well put, Ms. Tat.

Sample "Hey" and other songs off Miller Carr & the Shalants' Passage Through Wilderness, Vol. 2 right here.

News: bye bye blackbirds all-night rager

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Bye Bye Blackbirds are no slouches. For proof, head to Peri's Silver Dollar in Fairfax, CA this Tuesday, Feb 17. The band begins at 9:30 and plans to power through every song they know - or until the bar kicks them out! That's the kind of rock n' roll dedication we love here at American Dust. Don't miss it! (Also, there's no cover - perfect for these pre-stimulus times.)

Sample tracks and order The Bye Bye Blackbird's debut full-length, Houses & Homes (pictured) right here.

News: moore brothers album out 3/3!

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

American Dust is proud to announce the return of the fabulous Moore Brothers. March 3 sees the release of their latest harmony-drenched folk-pop song cycle, Aptos. The album features the brothers strongest set of songs to date, their dreamiest, spaciest harmonies yet, and even a guest appearance from Moore Brothers superfan Joanna Newsom. (That's her harp lending aural dewdrops to "Good Heart, Money and Rain.")

"The brothers funnel a path that's directly from the school of '70s folk-pop… Lovely."
-All Music Guide

"I love me some Moore Brothers."
-Joanna Newsom

Sample tracks and pre-order the album here.

News: matt baldwin live!

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Axe-man extraordinaire (seriously) Matt Baldwin plays San Francisco's Cafe du Nord March 3 with the excellent Birds of America and David Pajo. If you're in the area, and you enjoy awesome, mind-melding guitar work - don't miss it!

Matt Baldwin's much-feted Paths of Igntion is out now.

News: moore brothers well dusted

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The sharp-eared Dusted Magazine reviews The Moore Brothers' Aptos today, and they have nothing but fine, deserving platitudes for our favorite Nevada City boys. Among their kind words:

"compelling from start to finish"

"flawless harmonies"

"at once effortless and masterful"

and even:

"a Californian version of The Clientele"

Check out the review here, and sample tracks from Aptos over here. Go Moores!

News: matt baldwin can't stop won't stop

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Our man on the axe, the incredible Matt Baldwin, just keeps on keeping on. In addition to beginning preparations for his follow-up to the masterful Paths of Ignition (pictured), he's also scheduled to appear at Folk Yeah's Tonalism festival at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur, CA, May 28. It's an all-night affair, so pack all the s'mores fixins you can fit in your rucksack.

Paths of Ignition is available now.

News: moore brothers takeover... and podcast!

Mon, 04 May 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The comprehensive Big Takeover has just posted an excellent and kind review of The Moore Brothers' Aptos, as fine a folk-pop record as you'll find all year. But don't take our word for it, listen to the BT:

"Wickedly funny lyrics slither through airy arrangements; tenderness meets cynicism over warm bath melodies. "

Nice!

Also be sure to check out the bros performance on the Phoning It In podcast. These boys are getting around!

Aptos is available now.

News: Judee Sill tribute album, feat. Beth Orton, Bill Callahan, more

Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 -0800

American Dust is proud to announce the fall 2009 release of CRAYON ANGEL: A TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC OF JUDEE SILL, featuring new recordings by Beth Orton, Bill Callahan, Ron Sexsmith, Final Fantasy, Nicolai Dunger, Marisa Nadler & Black Hole Infinity, Colossal Yes (with members of Six Organs of Admittance and Comets on Fire), Meg Baird, Frida Hyvönen, Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear and Department of Eagles, P.G. Six, Trembling Blue Stars, Princeton, plus our very own Bye Bye Blackbirds and Shalants.

Judee Sill was the first artist signed to David Geffen's Asylum Records and released two cherished cult LPs, 1971's Judee Sill and 1973's Heart Food, before vanishing from the music scene and eventually dying of a drug overdose in North Hollywood, California. Though forgotten for years, her music has enjoyed a period of rediscovery since her two studio albums were reissued on CD in 2005.

In addition to cover versions of songs from Judee's modest recorded output, Crayon Angel also features TWO NEW JUDEE SILL-PENNED SONGS, for which sheet music, but no known original recordings, survive. BETH ORTON brings to life the complex and lovely "Reach for the Sky," while BILL CALLAHAN records the epic slow-burn number "Like a Rainbow," a co-write with Judee's onetime boyfriend Lal Baum (great-grandson of Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum – how about that?).

CRAYON ANGEL: A TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC OF JUDEE SILL is released September 22.

Track list:

01 Ron Sexsmith: “Crayon Angel”

02 Beth Orton: “Reach for the Sky”

03 Daniel Rossen: “Waterfall”

04 Frida Hyvönen: “Jesus Was a Cross Maker”

05 Shalants: “Lopin Along Thru the Cosmos”

06 Final Fantasy: “The Donor”

07 Nicolai Dunger: “Soldier of the Heart”

08 Trembling Blue Stars: “Lady-O”

09 Colossal Yes: “The Phoenix”

10 Marissa Nadler & Black Hole Infinity: “The Kiss”

11 Princeton: “Down Where the Valleys Are Low”

12 The Bye Bye Blackbirds: “There’s a Rugged Road”

13 Meg Baird: “When the Bridegroom Comes”

14 Bill Callahan: “For a Rainbow”

15 P.G. Six: “Til Dreams Come True”

News: Pitchfork premier Daniel Rossen's cover of "Waterfall"

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Check it out here:

http://pitchfork.com/news/35638-premiere-grizzly-bears-daniel-rossen-covers-judee-sill-mp3stream/

Click here for more info on Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill. You can also listen to the track and preorder the album.

News: Matt Baldwin up and down California

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0800

If you live in California be sure to catch the incredible Matt Baldwin - our favorite man on the axe - performing with a variety of ensembles:

Thurs. June 25 @ Cinefamily in Los Angeles - performing as Inner Beauty for the Festival In The Forest film sneak preview

Fri. June 26 @ Slim's in San Francisco - performing with Sam Flax & Higher Color - with Fool's Gold and Rodriguez

Sat. June 27 @ The Uptown in Oakland - with Howlin' Rain

Thurs. July 9 @ The Crepe Place in Santa Cruz - with Howlin Rain

Matt Baldwin's mind-melting psych-folk debut, Paths of Ignition, is available now.

News: Bye Bye Blackbirds Examined

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The awesome Bye Bye Blackbirds were recently featured in the San Francisco Examiner. Kind words, highlighting the group's rich musical palette, pulling inspiration "from 60’s British bands, 70’s pop bands, 80’s underground bands, country rock, folk, and more." And even a mention for our upcoming Judee Sill tribute album! Nice one.

The Bye Bye Blackbirds' debut full-length, Houses and Homes, is available now.

News: Frida Hyvönen's Judee Sill Cover Lauded

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Pitchfork has named Frida Hyvönen's recording of "Jesus Was a Cross Maker," off our own Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill, as one of 2009's greatest tracks. Check out the list and listen to Frida's recording right here. (She's at 77, a number the numerologically inclined Judee would probably love.)

Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill, featuring exclusive recordings from Beth Orton, Bill Callahan, Final Fantasy, Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear and many others, is available now.

News: New video: Moore Brothers, "Henry Alexander"

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0800

We're really into this great new Moore Brothers video for the regal "Henry Alexander", one of our favorite tracks from the band's latest album Aptos.

Click here for more info and to purchase Aptos.

Also, catch the brothers on their current tour, including upcoming dates with Why?. Check the band's website for more info.

News: Judee Sill tribute album set free!

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Our long-awaited, New York Times Critics' Choice-selected Judee Sill tribute album, Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill, is now available! Crayon Angel features original recordings by Beth Orton, Bill Callahan, Final Fantasy, Frida Hyvonen, Marissa Nadler, Ron Sexsmith, Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear and Department of Eagles, and many more, all covering songs by the inestimable Ms. Sill, including two compositions never before heard.

Various tracks can be streamed here, here and here.

Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill is available through iTunes, Amazon, our own online store and fine retailers everywhere.

News: Beth Orton covers Judee Sill!

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Streaming now at Beth Orton's official site is "Reach for the Sky," a track off our upcoming compilation album Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill. Judee Sill never recorded "Reach for the Sky" in her own lifetime but she did leave behind sheet music, from which the inimitibale Ms. Orton brings to life this beautiful song for the very first time. Thanks, Beth!

Crayon Angel, released September 22, features another never-before-heard Judee composition, "For a Rainbow," recorded for the first time by the awesome Bill Callahan, as well as contributions by Frida Hyvonen, Daniel Rossen (of Grizzly Bear and Department of Eagles)and many more. More information and pre-orders are available here.

News: Frida Hyvönen covers Judee Sill

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The standard-bearing Stereogum blog recently premiered a new track off our upcoming Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill. Frida Hyvönen's breathtaking version of Judee's classic "Jesus Was a Cross Maker" is available here for stream and download, along with a short interview with the Swedish chanteuse.

You may also remember Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear and Department of Eagles' awesome version of Judee's "Waterfall", premiered earlier on Pitchfork.

Crayon Angel, also featuring Beth Orton, Bill Callahan and Final Fantasy, among many others, is released September 22. Pre-orders available now.

News: Moore Brothers tour!

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The incredible, harmonizing Moore Brothers head out on the road next week, hitting more American cities than most of us have ever been to. Check out the incredible list right here, and if you're in the San Francisco area be sure to check the boys' tour-opening date this Sunday, August 23, with J. Tillman of Fleet Foxes, at the Cafe du Nord.

The Moore Brothers' swoon-worthy new album, Aptos, is available now.

News: Port O'Brien Record, Tour, Repeat

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The hard-working, ever-touring Port O'Brien have a new album and a new tour on the near-horizon. Threadbare is released Oct 6 through the estimable TBD Records. Congrats, dudes! New track "My Will Is Good" is premiering now on Stereogum.

Also, if you live basically anywhere in Western Europe or the States, you should be able to catch POB on tour in the coming months. Check the band's myspace page for all the details.

Port O'Brien's remarkable debut, The Wind and the Swell, is available now.

News: Moore Brothers Romance Recognized

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The wry Outside Left magazine has just posted a fine piece on the Top 5 Love Songs of 2009 (So Far), and included are our very own Moore Brothers, with keen album-opener "Daughter Feather."

"When they finish," Alex V. Cook writes, "you are left with something marvelous and unique, a thing that reveals its making while soaring above it."

Pick up the Moores' awesome Aptos LP, featuring "Daughter Feather," right here.

News: Bye Bye Blackbird Blog Out With Their Demos Out

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Bye Bye Blackbirds manage an extremely well-written and thoughtful blog called For As Many As Will. The band documents their creative progress, pitch philosophies regarding the band's own existence, and talks a little about some of the artists that have influenced them. What else would you expect from a bunch self-trained rock scholars?

The latest post describes the recording of a recent set of demos for their next album. They've even linked to one for your listening pleasure.

The band has also contributed a track to Crayon Angel, American Dust's forthcoming tribute to Judee Sill. You can find out more about the album and preorder it here.

Or, you can purchase the band's assured debut album, Houses and Homes, here.

You'll also be able to catch them live over the next couple of weeks as they play a few festivals in California (info below).

friday july 31st
audie's olympic club http://www.myspace.com/clubfredmusic
1426 n. van ness ave
fresno, ca 93728
9pm
w/ the parties, blue skies for black hearts, sleepover disaster

saturday august 1st
the elks lodge http://www.myspace.com/thetempleventura
11 s. ash
ventura, ca 93001
4pm-12am $8 adv $12 atd
indie fest w/ franklin for short
and many, many more (we go on at 4:30pm)

sunday august 2nd
fais do do http://www.faisdodo.com/
5257 west adams blvd.
los angeles, ca 90016
8:30pm $8
12th annual IPO festival http://www.internationalpopoverthrow.com/