Collar City Records has been slightly absent from the radar for a while, but 2008 will see so much more action!

Our biggest news is the brand new WEXT “Local 518 Compilation #1″ that we assembled for this excellent new radio station in our area. The comp features some brand new and exclusive material from some of our favorite folks including Brent Gorton, Maggie Mayday, Empire State Troopers, Sean Rowe and much much more. Please visit WEXT’s webpage about the CD for more info about the tracklist and how to procure a copy.

Our first release for 2008 will be a digital-only version of Ben Karis-Nix‘s “We Are Giants Now” EP. Ben recorded this excellent handful of tunes at his home in the woods this past summer. While performing, composing and arranging most of the music on his own, Bob and Matthew from The Kamikaze Hearts added some bass, mandolin and banjo to the mix. Currently, the EP is available as a handmade limited edition poster / music series via Ben’s MySpace and clothing company, Run We Must. Our version of the EP will include a very special bonus track and will be available at all major download stores (iTunes, eMusic, Amazon, etc…) in early March….

Much more news to report soon… IKE SNOPES is next…

Visit Brent Gorton & The Tender Breasts on MySpace for a sneak listen of brand new song “Paula” from their forthcoming album Loud Ness. This marks the first appearance of The Tender Breasts on record! Enjoy!

Listen to Brent’s new song on MySpace now.

Collar City Records is proud to announce that Brent Gorton & The Tender Breasts will perform at this year’s POP Montreal Festival on Saturday, October 6th.

The band is in the throes of recording a new album with its current lineup including husband and wife team Brent and Kellie Gorton (vocals and bass respectively) along with Brooke “Dynamite in a Garbage Can” Degener on drums and Jason Hughes on lead guitar. This motley bunch will take a break from recording “I Hope You Feel Better in Heaven” to zip up the Northway to join in a festival that features some amazing acts such as The National, Patti Smith, Final Fantasy, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, Pere Ubu and much much more.

Brent Gorton & The Tender Breasts play at:

Barfly (4062A St. Laurent) at 11PM on Saturday, October 6th.

The “Loud Ness” LP will be released in 2008.

Reviews are trickling in and college radio is catching on quickly to The Kamikaze Hearts’ new album “Oneida Road”!

Check out:
JunkMedia 4 / 5!
Urban Pollution 8.5 / 10!!!
Hanx.net 4.5 / 5!!!!!

Radio:
For the week of 9/25 – “Oneida Road” was the #6 Most Added record on the CMJ charts! The album also tied for #3 on the AAA CMJ chart.. Witness:

#1 My Morning Jacket / 136 adds
#2 Lemonheads / 126 adds
#3 Beck / 118 adds
#4 Robyn Hitchcock / 83 adds
#5 Sparklehorse / 78 adds
#6 The Kamikaze Hearts / 77 adds
#7 Scissor Sisters / 65 adds
#8 Four Tet / 62 adds
#9 Saosin / 58 adds
#10 Lupe Fiasco / 54 adds

This week, “Oneida Road” debuted at #67 on the CMJ Top 200, beating any previous charting that the band has seen in its existence!

Buy Now!
Besides here in the Collar City Records store, “Oneida Road” is available to buy at the following locations:
Miles of Music (#4 Seller last week!)
Amazon
eMusic
Rhapsody
and insound and iTunes coming in a week or so!

More news on the way….

Here are two free MP3s from The Kamikaze Hearts’ Oneida Road album. Fretted over for four years by five fine gentlemen, this album is the band’s best work yet. Continue Reading

8/31 – Club Passim // Boston, MA w/Hot Day at the Zoo, Amity Front
9/07 – Skidmore College // Saratoga Springs, NY
9/08 – Castaway’s // Ithaca, NY
9/21 – Sportsmen’s Tavern // Buffalo, NY
9/22 – The Note // Chicago, IL
9/23 – Billiken Club // St. Louis, MO
9/24 – Radio Radio – Indianapolis, IN
9/29 – Iron Horse Music Hall // Northampton, MA w/Levelette
9/30 – Mo Pitkins // NYC

After nearly three years of toil and trouble, The Kamikaze Hearts return from the studio with a full length album entitled “Oneida Road”. We are talking four different re-records of the entire album, computer failures, near death experiences — the whole ten yards. What emerged from these sessions is the band’s most detailed, complete and stunning endeavor to date.

The recordings feature the band’s trademark infectious, yet thought-worthy tales of life, travel, sadness and joy supported by a new world of instruments and sound colors that have yet to be heard on a Kamikaze Hearts album. Joining the mandolin, banjo, dobro, guitar and the minimal drum set up are keyboards, electric guitars, drum sets, voice choirs and more.

To celebrate “Oneida Road”‘s release in September on Collar City Records, The Kamikaze Hearts are headlining a very special night at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA on Friday, September 29th at 10PM. The idea was suggested by the folks at IHEG who book the Iron Horse, Pearl Street, Calvin Theatre and a few other Northampton venues. The ‘Hearts were reluctant at first, as all CD release shows are doomed from the start, right? However, who could refuse the idea of a party in a room with such great sound, solid drink list and cordial staff? This special “one time only” performance will feature a complete live performance of “Oneida Road” from start to finish with an expanded Kamikaze Hearts lineup, adding two members to deliver the songs in a most realized presentation.

In order to make the 90 mile trip from Albany to Northampton more feasible and fun for Capitol District area fans, the band has chartered an Adirondack Trailways bus to take a limited amount of folks to the show and back. A special “one low price” deal has been worked out where bus-riders will receive the ride, the show ticket and the CD along with other pending surprises!

Indie-pop wunderkind Brent Gorton will hike up his boots & gather his guitar cords for a quick bolt up and down the east coast starting THIS weekend. Here are the dates and details:

Brent Gorton & the Tender Breasts:
Friday, Aug. 4 – Valentine’s // Albany, NY w/ Carter Tanton, Besties, Specific Heats
Sunday, Aug. 6 – The Khyber // Philadelphia, PA w/ Aaron MoDavis (of the Teeth), Mike Visser, Carter Tanton
Monday, Aug. 7 – Charm City Arts Space // Baltimore, MD w/ Carter Tanton
Wednesday, Aug. 9 – Starr Hill // Charlottesville, VA w/ Tom Rhodes
Thursday, Aug. 10 – Alley Katz // Richmond, VA w/ The Cheap Seats
Friday, Aug. 11 – Werehouse // Winston-Salem, NC w/ SNMNMNM
Saturday, Aug. 12 – The Cave // Chapel Hill, NC
Sunday, Aug. 13 – Galaxy Hut // Arlington, VA
Friday, Aug. 25 – Milky Way // Jamaica Plain, MA w/ Headband, Mittens

Head over and say hello to Brent and the ladies at myspace!
Next, head over to the CCR store and buy his record!

Coming soon — news about The Kamikaze Hearts’ new album – “Oneida Road”.

Here are two free MP3s from Mitch Elrod & CountrySoulHouse’s Roadhouse Nature album. Continue Reading

There aren’t enough rock pool parties anymore…