it’s still dark when i wake up.

as the new year begins, we’re way too busy with day jobs & with getting records together for all of you. here’s a quick update on what’s shakin’ round these parts:

GOODWILL FALCON / RUGBY SPLIT SINGLE:
- you can stream it & buy it here
- this is ridiculous

HSAL #17 & #19
- coming back from the presses now

HSAL #16
- waiting for test presses now

UPCOMING HSAL COMPILATION 12″
- we’re curating a collection of jams from many HSAL artists & friends.
- this comp will be in the same tradition as HSAL #08 & HSAL #12, but will be released on vinyl as well!

did you say you felt that?

…some new virgineola material has begun to surface as the winds begin to blow cold. while these “source” tracks are tracked by nathan alone, he is working with a new core of musicians to flesh out these ideas after the first of the year. we look forward to more & more sounds being unleased from the virgineola camp as the summer & their work with endstation theatre‘s performance of “macbeth” draws near.

…we are in the home stretch for all the tracking & mixing of the maplewaves‘ debut album! 10 songs of lonely autumn strolls with only lost love to stir the soul (ok, there’s a few snappy ones thrown in for good measure). rumor has the band doing something pretty unique for the release. look for those tunes to be out & about around valentine’s day. in similar news, we are starting to receive inquiries from different groups interested in working with harding street in a tracking & mixing capacity. we are pretty booked up through january, but are always interested in interesting things (NOTE: it would help if what you’re doing sonically plays nice with records we have been involved with). hit us up with ideas you may have – our email is hardingstreet@gmail.com.

…test presses for HSAL #17 & HSAL #19 are currently on their way to the lab! we can not wait to get these records released, as we are quite sure they’re some of the best sounds we’ve been involved with yet.

…finally, joe morgan (TLVS, asentimentalsong) will be out on the west coast for a few weeks in january touring with “parties“. after laying down nearly 4 HOURS (!!!) of material, joe, along with pd wilder & andrew weathers
have mixed down the highlights to create a handful of slow burners. you can stream a couple of jams here & gear up for “monster mash” (their debut cassette), which will be available beginning with the aforementioned west coast dates.

is that your name or a doctor’s eye chart?

…it’s been what the kids would refer to as a “hott minute” since our last update. we’ve just been too busy getting things done ’round here! here’s a list of the things that are happening in the world of the harding street assembly lab:

- we’re STILL waiting on the shipment of HSAL #16 (split 10″ b/t TLVS & long division). the folks that are making the records for us are working to get these EP’s in our hands by the time our rescheduled release show takes place down in norfolk on the 15th. the day that we receive the copies, we plan to ship out all of our pre-orders (THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!!!)

- white laces are in the midst of a brief hiatus. with a 1/4 of the band currently trekking europe, the remainder are working on writing the band’s first full length album. plans for the group to, err, regroup in late october will coincide with rehearsal for more shows throughout the fall & winter, the first of which will be in NYC on 10th of november.

- herizon has finished tracking a rather dark, yet engaging collection of songs that we hope to release in the winter. a few songs from previous releases have been reworked (“cave drums”, “home again”) in an effort to sonically marry up to newer tracks (“tied to me” has become a classic here at the HSAL offices!). plans are still being worked through on the format of the release, but, rest assured, it will be one of HSAL’s finer moments!

- HSAL #17 (split 10″ b/t white laces & the snowy owls) has been turned in! 3 KILLER jams from white laces (including what was initially planned as the “hands in mexico” single) on the A side will be paired with 4 as of yet unreleased tunes from richmond newest fuzz merchants. the lead track, “could” features BGV’s from members of fellow RVA luminaries adah. HSAL #17 will be sent off to press this week & we are hoping for an early december release.

- HSAL #19 (split 10″ b/t asentimentalsong & brooklyn’s guilty ghosts) is also finally ready for press. this features a single 15 minute drone from j. morgan on the a side, with 3 slow burners (recorded in a single take) from one of NYC’s finest holding down the reverse side. our goal is to have this one off to press & back in time for a holiday release date. if you have ever heard either of these artists, you know to expect a headphone record extraordinaire! we are super jazzed to share this one with you all!

- TLVS is currently working on material for a follow-up to 2010′s “porcelain“. they have been demoing new jams, as well as fleshing them out on stage. one such jam is “eid mar”, which the two piece recently posted online here.

Let the rhythm hit’em…

so, a few updates on the comings & goings around the ol’ campfire:

- white laces have already begun the promotional campaign for their upcoming split 10″ with fellow RVA based pop group the snowy owls. the video for lead single “hands in mexico” debuted on YVYNYL earlier today & is already seeing good traffic. you can head over to the ever so hip blog to read their two cents & you can stream the video directly below…

- TLVS are finishing up a month of extended weekends on the road with a performance down in norfolk this saturday! they will be bringing new tunes & new visuals along with fellow HSAL comrades white laces in support of the final showing of the mighty long division. this show is doubling as the release party for HSAL #16, the split 10″ b/t long division & TLVS, which is due into the shop any day now! once we receive them, the pre-orders will be shipping out. both bands should have copies of the EP for sale at the show, so bring some extra coin. in related news, it has come to our knowledge that a small tropical disturbance is looking to steal the limelight this weekend. should you know any reliable weather controlling types, please encourage them to supply a high pressure system to blow in from the west. we’d love to breathe a sigh of relief as white laces take the stage to begin the evening…

- nathan from virgineola is working on a new project with another group from our neck of the woods. the maplewaves will be crashing at the assembly lab off & on in september to track their debut full length. we are excited to hear the outcome of this endeavor, as the waves’ live sound comes off like a 21st century retelling of “harvest”….real nice stuff (in our biased opinion). fingers crossed that these sessions produce something special!

it’s getting kinda hectic!

…now that we have crossed the unofficial threshold that is summer’s halfway point, your friendly neighborhood record label is getting into the thick of things! several things have been bubbling up both on & near our radar of late & we figured that it would make sense to sum them all up in one tidy presentation:

- white laces will be on the road more than they will be at home for the rest of the summer. they finish off this week/weekend in the northeast with philly’s arches, then will be spot dating it up throughout july & august, finishing off next month with TLVS. they are playing new material on all of these dates, including both sides of their new 7″ single, which is currently being shopped around. white laces are also finding time here & there to finish up tracking their half of HSAL #17, a split 10″ EP with fellow richmond rock outfit the snowy owls, which is due out later this fall.

- speaking of the snowy owls, matt, allen, & brandon have already turned in their homework for HSAL #17 (trust us, it’s their best sound to date!). while working on the 4 jams that will be on the 10″, they also put together another single, “yr eyes”, which is being released digitally next week. you can stream the title track here. the three piece is also gearing up for more of a live presence, sharing dates with the likes of the diamond center (whose most recent single has been hard-pressed to be torn from our turntable) & the no BS brass band.

- goodwill falcon & rugby are BOTH working on their next records. equally as great is that they are also working on their respective sides of HSAL #18 (you guessed it – another split 10″ EP on CLEAR WAX!!!). both groups are set to release an as of yet unreleased single on their sides. both groups are also planning on covering the other group! goodwill falcon will apply their pristine sound & casio-produced layers to a rugby classic. rugby, in turn, will dirty up a falcon tune with their spastic vocal delivery & sassy percussion. they’ve been tour mates a few times this year already, so HSAL #18 is the natural progression & we can’t wait to share this one with you all!

- virgineola is working on a phoenix like resurrection! being on somewhat of a hiatus since last fall, the ensemble is working towards a live score for another shakespeare production (you can download highlights from their work for endstation’s “hamlet” here). in the meantime, members of the group will be sitting in as accompaniment for other lynchburg based groups. as these different performances come to life, we will post them with the other live performances listings.

WHITE LACES & ARCHES on NE TOUR!

…our favorite richmond based quartet are making their way up to & around the big apple next week! they will be playing new material, including both sides of their new, as of yet unreleased 7″ (see cover art above). along for the ride are philadelphia based duo arches, who will be sporting material from their most recent album, “wide awake” (see cover art above). if you find yourself in the northeast next week, cancel all plans & get to one of these dates! no doubt you will walk away with a new favorite live act:

- 07/13: @ muthership, jamaica plains ny (w/ arches)
- 07/14: @ shea stadium, brooklyn ny (w/ arches)
- 07/15: @ moontower, new brunswick nj (w/ arches)
- 07/16: @ johnny brenda’s, philadelphia pa (w/ arches) ***
- 07/17: @ KA-CHUNK records, annapolis md (w/ arches)
*** – this show is a YVYNYL showcase which also includes holy spirits & gracie!!!

in case you missed out on the limited edition 12″ that we did with white laces earlier this year, the entire record, including over 30 minutes of additional sounds (b-sides, live tracks, & other exclusive material) is available digitally here.

LIVE JAMS! Rugby, 05/13/11 (lynchburg va)

we have been watching this duo grow into a right decent pop group in the past year or so. they have been touring the mid-atlantic in support of their self-released cassette for several months, & are getting material together an upcoming record (due out this fall). for now, check out these live tracks, bootlegged by joe & nathan (TLVS) back on mother’s day weekend! we think this is just enough to get the appetite up!

…her presence & her delta eyes.

…well, friends, it’s graduation weekend here in our hometown (we have four colleges within the city limits). what does that mean? simply put, we treat this weekend like we would a severe storm – don’t go out unless you have to. and, while we plan to tempt fate tonight with a trek to rivermont pizza later for alaska’s final show, we will most likely be barricaded inside the house spinning records & streaming netflix by dawn! we figured a news update wouldn’t be too much to get together before the evening’s festivities get underway…

- our 10″ series is taking longer to get underway than initially anticipated. not to fear, though! HSAL #16 (TLVS & long division) is already at the plant & HSAL #19 (asentimentalsong & guilty ghosts) should be ready to send off in the coming week! we are hoping to release both of these close to the same time this summer, which will probably mean package deals when they are ready to go. HSAL #17 & #18 are currently being worked out & we look forward to sharing the details on both of those EP’s soon!

- we have posted bunches of new photos from events including long division’s weekend tracking their side of HSAL #16, the recent TLVS spring tour, & our trip to last month’s MACRoCk! you can see where we’ve been here…

- be on the lookout for HSAL action in your town this summer! most of our groups are hard at work compiling extended weekends & regional tour dates in the coming weeks & months. as white laces, goodwill falcon, rugby, & TLVS land more dates, you will be able to get the details here.

…and this will be the last song I will ever sing.

…holy wow! april is shaping up to one of the wildest months in HSAL history. here’s all of our recent comings & goings:

- first off, our music groups have been taking on high marks of late:
TLVS: click here for a review of their 03/26/11 date in greenville nc!
white laces: click here for a review of their 03/24/11 show in richmond va!

- white laces will be wrapping up their spring gauntlet with a few dates around the commonwealth this month. information on shows in roanoke & lynchburg can be found here. from here, the laces are working out new material for upcoming releases through the lab (one of the split 10”s) & richmond based the acme thunderer (7”).

- joe morgan’s asentimentalsong has been showing up as the accompaniment piece to austin based duet more states as they work through the mid-atlantic portion of their tour. while the performances have been something special, the spirit of this new dynamic is being captured this week at joe’s house. lord willin’ & the creek don’t rise; we will be able to release some of this material in the coming months…

- fresh off their “spring fling” tour, TLVS are looking for any & all still shots & moving pictures of from their performances. if you or someone you know has any such material please get in contact with the group: thelatevirginiasummers@gmail.com. the band did some capturing of their own & will be editing/compiling/releasing those wares soon. they are also in the throes of working out summer dates with long division & white laces!

- alaska are calling it quits. in a very mercurial fashion, the lynchburg based trio came on the scene, burned bright & burned fast. they will be missed. a memorial service (read: final performance) has been scheduled for may 13th at our town’s late night haunt, rivermont pizza. they are also putting together a few more dates around town, which can be found here.

devil on the deep blue sea behind me…

no april fools pranks here! just wanted to share a few “up to the minute” items that we figured you may be into…

- white laces will be performing not once, but twice this weekend as part of this year’s MACRoCk festivities! friday night has the group on a bill at the clementine that includes the super vacations, pujol, & screaming females. saturday afternoon has landis doing a special acoustic set as part of the label expo at the blue nile! he’s set to play around 230P. we are jazzed for this opportunity to see a special showcase of white laces tunes…the always dreamy jonathan vassar will be performing at the acoustic show as well.

- as promised earlier, TLVS has some live jams up on the ol’ internets! they were able to include our good friend andrew weathers on acoustic guitar for the set. you can download 26 minutes of their set from their on-air performance at WUAG (03.28.11) here: