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GUILT BY ASSOCIATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: GUILT BY ASSOCIATION COMPILATION TO BE RELEASED AUGUST 28TH DEVENDRA COVERS OASIS, SUPERCHUNK DOES DESTINY’S CHILD, Bridging the gap between TRL and Pitchfork, bringing together the indie with the irreverent, Engine Room Recordings is thrilled to announce the release of a unique compilation album, which is the result of inviting some of today’s most respected underground artists to cover their favorite guilty pleasure songs. The result is GUILT BY ASSOCIATION, set for an August 28th release date, and featuring the likes of Luna, Devendra Banhart, Superchunk and Jim O’Rourke, covering songs by Oasis, Shania Twain, Mariah Carey and the Spice Girls, among many others. GUILT BY ASSOCIATION was the concept of Engine Room Recording’s co-founder Peter Block, who first began toying around with the idea with various bands about five years ago. Acclaimed music supervisors Randall Poster and Jim Dunbar, whose combined credits include Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The School of Rock and ABC’s Lost, got involved soon after. Engine Room’s general manager, Wes Verhoeve was also a key player in making the album happen. He recalls “A lot of really great bands were being dropped from the major labels at that time, and we thought it would be a cool idea to have bands like that cover some of the acts that were actually being supported by the majors.” Verhoeve adds, “The bands that were approached were all very enthused by the whole concept, and many of them even had a song in mind right away. I think it's a perfect example of a good song appealing to everyone with a love for music, even if the original packaging of the song might not be one’s cup of tea.” In conjunction with the release, Engine Room Recordings has set up a contest to create a music video for one of three selected tracks off the record (Petra Haden’s acapella version of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’”; Devendra Banhart’s rendition of Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and Will Oldham’s cover of Mariah Carey’s “Can’t Take That Away”). The public is encouraged to pick one or more songs and send in a concept for the video. Five semi-finalists will be selected to create full videos for their selected song(s), with one winner chosen, whose work will be promoted with full credit as the official video. More details and official rules are available on the album’s myspace page (see links below.) Various events are in the works to support the album release, including listening parties throughout the country. In addition, the folks over at Engine Room Recordings are hard at work putting together a follow-up compilation with new artists and songs. More info to come! The tracklisting for GUILT BY ASSOCIATION is as follows: 1. Petra Haden: ”Don't Stop Believin’” (Journey) LINKS:
***** PETRA HADEN sings ”Don't Stop Believin’” by Journey Noted solo artist Petra Haden, one of the triplet daughters of
legendary jazz bassist Charlie Haden, has performed with some of
the biggest names of alternative jazz and rock for the last fifteen
years. Having accompanied artists such as the Foo Fighters, Green
Day, Bette Midler, Sean Lennon, Victoria Williams and, most recently,
The Decemberists, Petra has become best known for her incredible
a-cappella skills. Petra's love of instruments enabled her to provide
unique voices to the notes she sang, re-creating the sounds of
the instruments with her own voice, in pop, classical, jazz, blues,
or any other idiom or genre one cares to name. She developed complex
arrangements in her head and could interpret a wide variety of
eclectic sounding music. The Los Angeles-based artist is currently
working on solo a-cappella record and various collaborations. For
more info, please visit: http://petrahadenmusic.com. DEVENDRA BANHART AND NOAH GEORGESON sing “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis Few can contest Devendra’s position as one of the most fascinating, unpredictable and inspiring artists of his generation. Devendra began making waves in underground music circles in 2002 with his debut album Oh Me Oh My The Way The Day Goes By The Sun Is Setting Dogs Are Dreaming Lovesongs Of The Christmas Spirit on Young God Records. The album was compiled by Young God owner Michael Gira from a voluminous collection of audio Post-It notes of songs Banhart had accumulated whilst hoboing around the world. These song-sketches had been recorded on sundry answering machines and a cassette machine borrowed from Noah Georgeson during several years of international vagrancy. Oh Me Oh My… went on to became a grass roots sensation, attracting a passionate and rapidly growing audience as well as abundant praise from the press. Following the release of his 2004 albums Rejoicing In The Hands and Nino Rojo, Devendra set off on two headlining across the country and overseas, helping to expand his following on an even larger scale. Currently on his largest tour to date, supporting album Cripple Crow, Devendra continues to surprise and delight an ever-increasing audience of fans and critics alike. For more info, please visit: www.devendrabanhart.com.
MARK MULCAHY sings ”From This Moment On” by Shania Twain Mark Mulcahy was the front-man for the New Haven, CT-based Miracle
Legion in the 1980s to mid 1990s. The band earned modest renown,
especially in their native New England region, but disbanded after
a sad turn of events with their record label, Morgan Creek. Mark
soon formed Polaris; a house band for the early ‘90s alternative
television series The Adventures of Pete & Pete (1993-1996).
They are perhaps best remembered for the song "Hey Sandy" as
it was featured in the opening credits of each show, and for nostalgic
tunes such as, "Waiting for October" and "Saturnine".
Following the cancellation of Pete & Pete, Mulcahy
found himself playing his own shows in New York City, and building
up his career from a shadowy past. Mulcahy has opened up for many
notable artists including Oasis and Jeff Buckley, and received
homage from Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, who dedicated a song
to Mulcahy at a Boston show. Mark is still working on his solo
career today on Loose Records.
LUNA performs “Straight Up” by Paula Abdul In the wake of the rather acrimonious breakup of his previous band, Galaxie 500, singer/guitarist Dean Wareham formed Luna in the early ‘90’s. The band became something of an alternative pop supergroup that included former Chills bassist Justin Harwood and ex-Feelies drummer Stanley Demeski. After signing with Elektra, they debuted with the LP Lunapark, which earned comparison to Wareham's Galaxie 500 output for his continued reliance on laconic, Lou Reed/Tom Verlaine-inspired vocals and minimalist songcraft. In truth, however, Luna employed more uptempo rhythms and sharper melodies than its predecessor, a point further driven home by the 1994 masterpiece Bewitched. Just prior to releasing their fifth full-length, The Days of Our Nights, Elektra dropped the band. Ben Lee/Ultrababyfat bassist Britta Phillips replaced Harwood after touring with Luna during a spring 2000 tour. In 2004, after announcing their impending retirement, the group released Rendezvous, their seventh and final record. For more info, please visit: www.fuzzywuzzy.com.
THE CONCRETES perform “Back For Good” by Take That Three girls formed The Concretes in the summer of 1995. Victoria
Bergsman, Lisa Milberg and Maria Eriksson came together through
a love of pop music from every era and urban architecture (hence
the name). After making a glorious racket for a few years, their
numbers swelled, first six, then eight, (and now, occasionally
more onstage or in the studio) . The band started their own label,
Licking Fingers, to release a series of EPs and play gigs. Their
first album proper was recorded in 2003, and after a frantic label
scramble, the band signed to EMI Records. The album fired off a
couple of shimmering pop classics in the form of singles Say
Something New and You Can’t Hurry Love, both
of which managed to sound like a wedding band made up of various
members of The Shangri-Las and Jesus And Mary Chain. In 2005, the
band released a compilation of B sides and studio outtakes; Lisa & Maria
promoted their own club night in Stockholm called Ooh La La; and
Victoria co-directed and starred in a video for the New Order classic “Temptation” (as
seen on the recent DVD release, Item). All the while though,
the band was busy writing and recording album In Colour,
out now.
JIM O’ROURKE performs “Viva Forever” by the Spice Girls Over the past 20 years, Chicago native Jim O’Rourke has been a key player in the experimental music world, from jazz and rock to ambient and electro-acoustic, often blurring the lines between genres. Though O’Rourke released quite a bit of material as a solo artist, he has become best known in recent years for his studio work, producing albums by the likes of Wilco, Joanna Newsom, Stereolab and Beth Orton, and collaborating with everyone from Sonic Youth (in which he played bass and guitar, from 2000-2005) to Jeff Tweedy. Over the past few years. O’Rouke has also been pursuing work in film — both on the music end (scoring and consulting) and also behind the camera, as director.
GOAT performs “Sugar We’re Going Down” by Fall Out Boy Goat relocated to New York City from Cleveland to actualize his musical ambitions. He quickly picked up a gig at the famed Power Station recording studio, which led to playing on Nils Lofgren’a song “Oh Baltimore.” Soon, he began his performing career in earnest, joining local rockabilly revivalist Will Rambeaus Band, pausing only to become the aide-de-camp to Otis Blackwell, writer of “Great Balls of Fire” and “Don’t Be Cruel.” Goat released his critically-acclaimed debut, Great Life (Ruffhouse/Columbia) in 1998 and scored a hit with the title track. A follow-up was released in 2002 through Warner Bothers, and several songs were placed in high-profile movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Supercop. Goat’s songs also found placement on TV, including a national Kia commercial, shows like CSI, as well as various programs on MTV, ESPN, UPN, and TNT. In 2006, Goat reached a top 5 spot among indie artists in the AAA radio charts with single "Two Sides To Love" from album Twisted Heart. For more info, please visit: www.goatrocks.com.
WILL OLDHAM/BONNIE 'PRINCE' BILLY” performs “Can't Take That Away” by Mariah Carey. Brooding singer-songwriter Will Oldham launched his music career in 1992 after finding modest success as an actor. Performing under the titles Palace, Palace Brothers, Palace Songs and Palace Music, Oldham settled upon the moniker Bonnie “Prince” Billy, which he claims draws inspiration from Bonnie Prince Charles and Billy the Kid. Regardless of the name he used to release his music or the musicians supporting him, Oldham's style remained largely the same; country-tinged indie rock, with his world-weary voice and literate lyrics backed by sparse instrumentation. Since 1992, Oldham has released a large library of material under his various names – nearly an album a year.
WOODY JACKSON ORCHESTRA FEATURING MONEY MARK perform “Love's Theme” by the Love Unlimited Orchestra Money Mark is the alias of Mark Ramos-Nishita, a keyboardist whose
funky, retro-flavored riffs earned him the unofficial title of
the fourth Beastie Boy. Born in Detroit to a Japanese-Hawaiian
father and a Chicano mother, Nishita moved to the West Coast when
he was six; some years later, he hooked up with the Dust Brothers
production team, and began overdubbing keyboards for the Delicious
Vinyl label. While working as a handyman, Nishita accepted a job
repairing the Beastie Boys' Silverlake, CA, home. Soon, he became
a pivotal member of the group's Grand Royal posse, and performed
on both 1992's Check Your Head and 1994's Ill Communication.
Recorded at his home studio, Money Mark's solo debut, Mark's
Keyboard Repair — a loose, infectious collection of
fuzzy organ noodlings performed on vintage equipment — appeared
in 1995 as a set of three 10" records issued on the Los Angeles-based
label Love Kit. Although the small pressing sold out almost instantly,
the first record in the series found its way to Britain and the
offices of Mo'Wax founder James Lavelle, who quickly flew to L.A.
to meet with Nishita; a deal was struck, and Mark's Keyboard
Repair was reissued in late 1995. Nishita continues to release
albums (his newest work, Brand New by Tomorrow came out
earlier this year) and tour the world.
PORTER BLOCK performs “Breaking Free” from High School Musical Peter Block and Caleb Sherman grew up just blocks apart on New York City's upper east side, but never met each other until 2003, when their musical worlds collided. Finding that they resonated as songwriting partners, together they created the acoustic quartet Porter Block. Suburban Sprawl is their first full-length effort: thirteen tracks spotlighting Porter Block's infectious indie pop smarts. Laced with stacked vocal harmonies amid acoustic arrangements (mandolin, Dobro slide guitar and stand up bass), Porter Block's songwriting owes much to a previous generation’s worth of talented tunesmiths; their music boasts the kind of hummable melodies and hook-laden lines which seem to stay with you. In the past, Peter collaborated with ADM from the Lordz of Brooklyn, as well as Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips of Luna. Caleb Sherman made his band's first record with legendary producer Bernard Edwards. He then went on to lend his production talents to artists in Nashville to New York. (Her and Kings County, The New Black). For more info, please visit http://porterblockmusic.com.
THE MOONEY SUZUKI performs “Just Like Jesse James” by Cher Formed in the late 90’s, this New York four-piece’s high-energy, mod-influenced rock quickly helped to bring the band a huge buzz at home and beyond. By 1999, without the help of management, agent, label, or publicist, The Mooney Suzuki put out a self-titled EP and were selling out rooms from DC to Chicago. The band soon signed to Estrus Records, where they caught the attention of the mainstream media — appearing everywhere from MTV’s You Hear it First to Late Night With Conan O’Brien. They were even dubbed the “It Garage Band” on Entertainment Weekly’s “It List” for 2002. After signing to Columbia Records in 2003, the band relocated to Los Angeles, where they worked with in-demand producers The Matrix. While on the west coast, the band had the exciting opportunity to write and record the title track for the Jack Black film "School of Rock." Currently, The Mooney Suzuki are looking forward to the release of their fifth album. For more info, please visit: www.myspace.com/themooneysuzuki.
GEOFF FARINA sings “Two Tickets To Paradise” by Eddie Money. Geoff Farina is probably best known for the abstract lyrics and genre-flouting guitar style he developed over the past 12 years with his band Karate, or as one-half of The Secret Stars, the seminal early-90s duo that passed around home-made cassettes of songs now covered by the likes of Ida and Death Cab for Cutie. More recently Geoff has composed original film music for Cinamazero's annual Schermo Sonoro festival in Pordenone Italy, and is currently part of the Roman punk/folk group called Ardecore, or "Burning Heart," a theme taken from one of the traditional Roman folk songs they perform. Geoff has collaborated with many musicians and groups including Michael Zerang, Zu, Chris Brokaw, Dan Littleton, Luther Gray, Nathan McBride, Allan Chase, Taylor Ho Bynum, Rebecca Gates, performance artist Jed Speare, visual artist Jodi Buonanno, and dancer Alissa Cardone. His music has also appeared in films such as Staccato Purr of the Exhaust, a film featured in the 1996 Sundance Film Festival, and Andrew Gillis' 2000 film Security, Colorado — the 24th film produced under the constraints of the Danish Dogme 95 Manifesto. Geoff is currently involved in a Clarkson University project to preserve an archive of concert recordings engineered by Juma Sultan, one-time percussionist with Jimmy Hendrix. The project recently won a National Endowment for the Arts "Access to Artistic Excellence" grant, and will preserve concert recordings of Sam Rivers, Albert Ayler, Pharoh Sanders, Sonny Murray, James Ulmer, and other now-legendary improvising musicians of the late-60s and early-70s. Eddie Money’s “Two Ticket’s to Paradise” was permanently tattooed on Geoff’s brain during the hundreds of Friday nights in the early 80s that he spent ice skating in circles at the Skatium in Harrisburg PA. He mastered the air guitar 25 years ago, and making this recording was just a matter of inserting a real guitar. For more info, please visit: www.geofffarina.com
CASEY SHEA sings : “Chop Suey” by System of a Down Casey Shea is the enigmatic front man of NYC's lower east side's sensation The Undisputed Heavyweights. As a true gemini he displays a delicate and melancholic side with his solo material that has been dubbed "happy music for somewhat depressed people." With cascading melodies and thoughtful lyrics, Casey's calling is writing compelling, interesting, and entertaining songs filled with catchy choruses that are both meaningful and unforced. For more info, please visit: www.caseysheamusic.com.
SUPERCHUNK performs “Say My Name” by Destiny’s Child Perhaps no band is more emblematic of the true spirit of American indie rock during the 1990s than Superchunk, the pride of Chapel Hill, NC. Following the D.I.Y. ethic to the letter, the group operated solely by their own rules, ignoring all passing trends by sticking to their trademark sound — typified by the buzzing guitars and high, impassioned vocals of frontman Mac McCaughan — and rejecting all major-label advances in favor of the unlimited freedom afforded by owning their own company, the highly successful Merge Records. As the success of acts like Nirvana and Pearl Jam made their hometown of Seattle the early-'90s music scene du jour, label heads scrambled to locate the next alternative rock hotbed; Chapel Hill became the consensus choice, and Superchunk was tapped as the Next Big Thing. Their prolific career includes such critically-acclaimed albums as the Steve Albini-produced No Pocky for Kitty and singles collection Tossing Seeds. For more information, go to www.superchunk.com.
MIKE WATT performs “Burning For You” (Blue Oyster Cult) Mike Watt has spent an incalculable percentage of the past quarter
century touring in numerous ensembles and configurations. Beginning
with the Minutemen in the early 1980s, Watt helped define the "econo-tour," a
road warrior-style approach to touring that involved performing
the most gigs possible in the fewest days with the lowest possible
overhead. Sharing a van with SST labelmates Black Flag, the Minutemen
unknowingly created the roadmap of national club routes that the
budding Punk Rock Nation would later adopt as its own. Finally,
after four years of watching the tour van odometer flip over to
zeros, the Minutemen came to an end on December 23, 1985 when a
tragic van accident took bandmate D. Boon's life. Watt retreated
from music after the loss, though not for long. An avid Ohio-based
Minutemen fan named Ed "fROMOHIO" Crawford found Watt's
number in the phone book and announced that he was moving to San
Pedro to start a new band with Watt and drummer George Hurley.
Ever the enthusiast of the path-less-traveled, Watt conceded, and
the trio launched fIREHOSE in June 1986, going on to create five
studio albums and a live EP, indulging in seven-and-a-half years
of non-stop econo-touring (without ever taking label tour support).
fIREHOSE signed to Columbia Records, who released the group's final
three records before they dissolved in January 1994. In the
spring of 1995, Columbia Records released the first Mike Watt solo
album, Ball-Hog or Tugboat?. The album enlisted no less
than 48 different participants including members of Nirvana, Pearl
Jam, the Beastie Boys, Soul Asylum, the Lemonheads, and the Screaming
Trees. In 1997, Watt recorded the punk opera Contemplating
The Engine Room. In addition to his primary efforts,
Watt's yearnings for creative output have resulted in numerous
side projects, included the Wylde Rattz with the Stooges' Ron Asheton,
Mudhoney's Mark Arm, Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Steve Shelley
to cover the Stooges' classic "TV Eye" for the soundtrack
to the Todd Haynes film Velvet Goldmine. Watt also stays
busy with a weekly web radio program, “The Watt From Pedro
Show” (www.twfps.com), and his own site, hootpage.com, both
of which provide outlets for his many political interests, including
the fight against FFC regulations on low power FM stations and
web radio channels. For more info, please visit: www.hootpage.com. *****
For more information on Guilt By Association, please contact
Sophie Smith at Big Hassle Media:
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