Discography
Adventures - Supersonic Home LP
Released: February 13th, 2015 · RFC111
Supersonic Home, the anticipated debut LP from Pittsburgh’s resident musical wunderkinds Adventures, is an ambitious blend of powerhouse influences: these ten songs reimagine of the best parts of 90’s alt-rock and emo and infuse them with the cathartic energy of punk. However, Adventures delivers much more than just the sum of these parts. Throughout upbeat anthems like opener “Dream Blue Haze” and pensive, melancholic retreats like “Tension and “Long Hair,” the constant vocal tandem of Reba Meyers and Kimi Hanauer radiates above every infectious poprock riffs and the warm, rhythmic backbone of bass and keyboard. No matter what draws you in to listen to Adventures, there is something undeniably relatable in these songs about honestly dealing with self-doubt, troubled hearts, and the everyday struggle to feel content that will make you keep coming back to Supersonic Home.
Camera Shy - Jack-O-Lantern 10"
Released: June 20th, 2014 · RFC:099
Camera Shy is a new project from Nick Basset, guitarist and lead songwriter of San Francisco shoegaze act Whirr, and bass player of Nothing. The new band sees Bassett also at the writing helm, accompanied by Whirr vocalist Alexandra Morte, who's radiant vocals can be heard on Whirr's acclaimed 2012 full length, Pipe Dreams, as well their 'June' and 'Part Time Punks' EP's. As Whirr's sound divulges down a slightly foreign path, Camera Shy exists to serve the poppier end of a similar spectrum. Now, the vocals are up front and at times even carry the songs, creating a relaxing dream pop soundscape perfect for summer days outside.
Camera Shy - Crystal Clear 7"
Released: April 18th, 2015 · RFC:124
Crystal Clear, the new EP from Camera Shy, is a collection of three songs to be released on Record Store Day 2015. With their debut self-titled LP due out later this year, the band teases with the same sound that they offered on their first release, 2013’s Jack-O-Lantern EP. The sim- ple, delicate guitar playing of Nick Bassett paired with the angelic voice of Alexandra Morte are songs made for the spring. Lush and inviting on songs such as the title track and “Deep Blue,” Camera Shy provides an alternate reality than the one defined by Bassett’s other projects, wheth- er it be the dreary nihilism of Nothing or the mumbling apathy of Whirr. Rather, Crystal Clear sounds as if it was a field recording of songs composed inside a dream - the band’s unadorned song formula and the hazy, atmospheric background noise make this record sound nothing less than ethereal.
Captain, We're Sinking - The Future is Cancelled CD/LP
Released: May 4th, 2013 · RFC:070
The Future Is Cancelled is the highly anticipated debut full-length from Scranton, PA's Captain, We're Sinking. This stunning display of gritty punk and gut wrenching storytelling sees CWS stepping into place their alongside contemporaries The Menzingers and Tigers Jaw while challenging boundaries set forth by genre greats like Against Me! and Alkaline Trio.
Every aspect of The Future Is Cancelled is rife with a frazzled desperation, each element trying to make sense of a modern existence. Pensive, but emotional and always meandering, the vocals spin half-yelled melodies around half-broken characters. Â Buzzing and jangly guitars, pounding bass and dynamic drums guide the journey perfectly - at times controlled and at others completely reckless.
On The Future Is Cancelled, Captain, We're Sinking offer no answers and make no promises. Instead the band offers a crystal clear view into a confusing and foggy time where one grapples with the horrors and uncertainties of impending adulthood.
Tracklist:
1. Adultery
2. Brother
3. Annina, We Will Miss You
4. The Future Is Cancelled Pt 1
5. Montreal
6. More Tequila, Less Joe
7. Beer Can
8. You Have Flaws
9. Lake
10. A Bitter Divorce
11. Here's To Forever
12. Shoddy Workmanship
Captain, We're Sinking - Montreal 7"
Released: December 18th, 2012 · RFC:062
This 7" serves are a precursor to the stunning forthcoming full length from Scranton PA's Captain, We're Sinking. The a-side features the single from the upcoming LP, "Montreal", with the b-side being exclusive to this 7". Both songs are about going crazy. Limited to 500 copies total.
Tracklist:
1. Montreal
2. Let's Play Kill the Humans
Citizen - Silo 7"
Released: September 9th, 2014 · RFC:113
A single released by Citizen in 2014, available only on their fall headlining tour.
Tracklist:
1. Silo
Pressing Information:
500 Camouflage
Citizen - Everybody Is Going to Heaven CD/LP
Released: June 23rd, 2015 · RFC:131
Almost two years to the date of the release of their breakthrough album, Citizen return with their highly anticipated follow-up full-length, Everybody is Going to Heaven. Haunting these ten songs is a foreboding, dark atmosphere masterfully crafted by producer Will Yip, and an immediate, intense energy is palpable from even the first grimy seconds of the opener, “Cement.” As with every one of Citizen’s releases, Mat Kerekes’ signature vocal delivery here is a trademark feature, demonstrating the emotional tension that boils over on this release. As cathartic as ever, he duels between a soft croon and a haunting scream, confronting his demons on tracks like “My Favorite Color” echoing the tormented refrain, “my heart still beats for nothing”. And while most of the record is an intense and noisy onslaught, songs like “Heaviside” and “Yellow Love” act as armistices, each aching in reverb-drenched consonance. Everybody is Going to Heaven is a turning point for Citizen: once regarded as newcomers with undeniable potential, the band shows here that they have matured both abruptly and uniquely, with no end to their upward trajectory in sight.
Tracklist:
1. Cement
2. Dive Into My Sun
3. Numb Yourself
4. Heaviside
5. My Favorite Color
6. Weave Me (Into Yr Sin)
7. Stain
8. Ten
9. Yellow Love
10. Ring of Chain
Citizen - Youth CD/LP
Released: June 11th, 2013 · RFC:088
Since first meeting as midwestern high-schoolers in 2009, Citizen have emerged as one of the most promising young bands in the alternative underground today. The band signed to Run For Cover Records in early 2012, releasing their EP Young States that year as well as a split with labelmates Turnover. In February of 2013, Citizen entered Studio 4 with producer Will Yip (Title Fight, Circa Survive, Daylight) to record Youth, their debut full-length. From the first note of album opener "Roam The Room", the fuzzy, guitar-driven rock songs bleed emotion straight through to closer "Drawn Out". Citizen have called on the ghosts of Brand New and early Nirvana, creating a sound that is familiar but immediately all its own.
Tracklist:
1. Roam The Room
2. Figure You Out
3. The Summer
4. Sleep
5. How Does It Feel
6. The Night I Drove Alone
7. Speaking With A Ghost
8. Your Head Got Misplaced
9. Sick and Impatient
10. Drawn Out
Citizen / Turnover - Split 7"
Released: December 1st, 2013 · RFC:054
Michigan's Citizen and Virginia Beach's Turnover each follow up acclaimed debut EPs by contributing two new songs apiece to this impressive split 7". Both bands' first recordings for Run For Cover, this split marks growth and maturity for each band as they transition from up-and-coming locals to established national artists. Citizen opens the split with two crunchy post-hardcore emo songs. The band effortlessly blurs lines from crashing Foo Fighters-esque drums and and loud guitars to quiet, emotive twinkling breaks akin to peers Basement and Title Fight but with their own midwestern personality. Turnover opens up side B with rumbling, jumpy toms and a sad, shimmering guitar line before soaring vocals dart in, tugging at the heartstrings and begging for a singalong. Relatable lyrics coupled with infectious vocal melodies make Turnover one of the catchiest bands making punk music. This split comes out one month before these two bands embark on a 7-week national tour, driving home what is sure to be a can't miss summer release.
Tracklist:
1. Citizen - Drown
2. Citizen - I'm Sick Of Waiting
3. Turnover - Permanent
4. Turnover - No Sun
5. Citizen - I Still Shut My Eyes (Digital Only)
6. Turnover - Waiting (Digital Only)
Pressing Information
First Press:
300 Milky Clear W/ Oxblood Haze
400 Baby Blue/Magenta W/ Black Splatter
800 Sea Blue
Second Press:
200 White, Grey And Mint Tri-Color
300 A-Side/B-Side Oxblood And Mustard
500 Bone
Third Press:
200 Oxblood/Orange Split W/ Black Splatter
300 Electic Blue/Hot Pink Split
500 Ultra Clear
Fourth Press:
2000 Sea Blue / Oxblood
Citizen - Young States CD/7"
Released: December 1st, 2013 · RFC056
2012 is the year Michigan's Citizen went from an underground midwest band to an explosive nationwide force to be reckoned with. Young States is Citizen's debut EP, pressed on vinyl for the first time, showcasing this young quintet's penchant for writing heartrending yet impossibly catchy songs.
Tracklist:
01. Untitled
02. Young States
03. I Still Shut My Eyes
04. Detached
05. Right Through
First Press:
200 Black/Gold Marble
300 Teal Blue (Band Exclusive)
300 Clear
500 White
Second Press:
300 Red/Black Marble
700 Green/Gold Marble
1000 Black
Third Press:
1100 Transparent Purple
Cloakroom - Further Out 2xLP
Released: January 16th, 2015 · RFC:107
Further Out, the anticipated debut full length from the reclusive Indiana trio Cloakroom, can be defined best as an exploratory sonic mission. From the album’s opener, “Paperweight,” the crushing force of a wall of distorted bass and pounding drumming collapses to uncover the airy, reverb-soaked vocals of guitarist Doyle Martin, who’s carrying a sullen burden that seems just as weighed down. From the headbanging heaviness of “Moon Funeral” to the ethereal moments of songs like “Starchild Skull” and Mesmer,” Cloakroom’s output is the end result of researching seemingly dissimilar elements like atmospheric post-rock, punishingly slow stoner metal, and cathartic emo and how their best qualities can work into a final, organic sound, masterfully navigated by the expert and completely analog production of Matt Talbot. Further Out boasts the timelessness of a classic record: it is expansive and exploratory while still reflective and referential to the astral tendencies of predecessors like Hum and Jesu. Further Out, available now in two easy volumes.
Tracklist:
1. Paperweight
2. Outta Spite
3. Moon Funeral
4. Lossed Over
5. Mesmer
6. Starchild Skull
7. Asymmetrical
8. Clean Moon
9. Sylph
10. Deep Sea Station
Pressing Information:
300 Clear
700 Gold
1000 Black
Cloakroom - Lossed Over 7"
Released: November 14th, 2014 · RFC:115
Earlier this fall we shared the news that the new Cloakroom double LP was going to be delayed until 2015. This delay brought with it the opportunity to deliver a new Cloakroom 7". The 7" contains the song 'Lossed Over' from their forthcoming LP as well as b-side 'Dream Warden' which is sung by the legendary Matt Talbott of Hum. 'Dream Warden' channels the spirit of "You'd Prefer an Astronaut' era Hum, while staying true to Cloakrooms spacey, rumbling noise. Talbott engineered both the 7" and forthcoming LP, which were recorded, mixed and mastered 100% analog at his Illinois-based Earth Analog studio.
Tracklist:
1. Lossed Over
2. Dream Warden
Pressing Information:
219 Aqua Blue inside Olive Green (Color in Color)
319 Sea Blue / Easter Yellow (A-Side/B-Side)
524 Black
Cloakroom - Infinity 12"EP
Released: June 8th, 2013 · RFC:076
Cloakroom is a brand new musical entity conceived in the harsh rurals of north west Indiana. Doyle Martin, of disbanded pop punkers Grown Ups collaborated with drummer buddy Brian Busch and fellow Region native Robert Merkof. Despite the frantic, fast paced nature of their other acts, Cloakroom rarely touches on its member’s previous work. Instead they are found channeling the visceral vocals of David Bazan, laid over quiet ethereal guitar hums that slowly grow into pounding walls of sound, at times bringing to mind a more stoned, yet delicate Jesu. Undoubtedly, comparisons will be made spanning an array of genres from stoner metal to 90′s emo, but what Cloakroom have created with is a flawless conglomeration of sound that until now has yet to be heard.
Tracklist:
01. Sedimentary
02. E
03. Dream Journal
04. Bendin
05. Mind Funeral
Pressing Information:
First Press:
200 Green with screen-printed covers
300 Black
Creative Adult - Psychic Mess LP
Released: February 25th, 2015 · RFC:101
Creative Adult's style of fuzzed out, dark, noisy psychedelic post-punk led them to to Montreal, QC where they recorded their debut full-length /Psychic Mess'. Engineered and produced by Efrim Menuck of Godspeed You! Black Emperor at Hotel 2 Tango Studios in Montreal, the band returned with a dramatic punk rock record. Infused with psychedelic haze and dark goth-rock calling to mind bands like Bauhaus, Fugazi, Sonic Youth and Scratch Acid. Not for the faint of heart, Psychic Mess is a reminder things can still be crazy and nothing is ever chill.
Tracklist:
1. Control My Eyes
2. Charismatic Leader
3. Flash
4. Far Out
5. Half Way
6. Hyper Aware
7. Public Transit
8. Psychic Message
9. Deep End
10. Everyone Knows Everyone
11. Exposed
Pressing Information:
300 Clear
500 Red / Black
700 Black
Creative Adult - Deep End 7"
Released: January 28th, 2014 · RFC:097
Creative Adult comes from the diverse musical breeding ground of California’s North Bay Punk scene. The band’s sonic blast careens between the harsh, noisy punk of Scratch Acid and Gang of Four while carrying the brooding emotion of Joy Division’s darkest moments. This new 7” single previews darker depths explored on their forthcoming LP, engineered and produced by Efrim Menuck of Godspeed You! Black Emperor at Hotel 2 Tango Studios in Montreal.
Tracklist:
1. Deep End
2. Momentary Lapse
Pressing Information:
100 White
400 Black
Creative Adult - Bulls In the Yard 7"
Released: December 1st, 2013 · RFC:080
Bulls In The Yard is Creative Adult's follow up to last year's acclaimed Dead Air EP. Bulls takes the Bay Area band further down the vibing, manic path of their debut and wanders further into flourishes of contemplative effects laden post punk. These four writhing bursts are akin to an acid-fueled paranoia grafted together with the spastic energy of garage greats like MC5 and Murder City Devils.
Tracklist:
1. Bulls In The Yard
2. Consumes Itself
3. Chemical Glow
4. Rushing Toward The Cemetery
Pressing Information:
200 Red
300 Clear
500 Black
Creative Adult / Self Defense Family - Split 7"
Released: March 6th, 2015 · RFC:114
Creative Adult comes from the diverse musical breeding ground of California's North Bay Punk scene. With hardcore roots, they explore noisy, sometimes psychedelic sounds with an undeniable Dischord styled edge. Their song “Americans” meanders and builds as if were an ’85 era Punk anthem. Using musical repetition and biting social commentary to create a dark, infectious atmosphere.
Self Defense Family are one of the most prolific Punk bands out there today. Through countless releases and as many musical contributors (they have had more than ten active members at any given time), the collective has grown in both sound and vision. Their song here, “Somertron” is the band at their best. An experimental tangle of guitar melody swirls as Patrick Kindlon’s unmistakable story telling swells into a beautiful, fracturing crescendo.
Tracklist:
1. Creative Adult - Americans
2. Self Defense Family - Somerton
Pressing Information:
300 Bone (Band Exclusive)
300 Transparent Green (RFC Exclusive)
300 Transparent Red (DW Exclusive)
2100 Clear
Crying - Get Olde / Second Wind LP
Released: November 14th, 2014 · RFC:110
Biography
The Crying formula is simple: drench an entry-level Motown song in creamy distortion, completely flip the vocal dynamics without losing any of the juicy flavor, and squirt in a few too many twisted melodies played out of a programmed Game Boy. Mixing regal riffs and tasty beats with soft vocals, intimate lyrics (oftentimes crushingly so), and harsh but sparkling synth lines, the New York power trio strikes a stylistic balance between decades and genres, each song bearing the gifts of timelessness and formal disrespect. "Get Olde Second Wind," Crying's first Run For Cover release, works as both an anthology and a cohesive work, compiling the critically acclaimed self-released EP, "Get Olde," and its brand new, darker and danker sequel, "Second Wind."
Tracklist:
1. Open
2. Bloom
3. Bodega Run
4. Rat Baby
5. Vacation
6. Olde World
7. ES
8. Easy Flight
9. Sick
10. Batang Killjoy
11. Emblem
12. War of Attrition
13. Close
Pressing Information:
300 Blue
500 Pink
500 White
700 Blue / Pink Starburst
Elvis Depressedly - New Alhambra CD/LP
Released: May 12th, 2015 · RFC:117
In many ways, new alhambra is an auditory homage to what has shaped lead singer Mathew Lee Cothran’s life. Its title, as any hardcore pro-wrestling fan will recognize, credits the Philadelphia arena that birthed its most legendary and extreme version of it, and the use of samples from wrestling shows and late night televangelists serve as a reference to his upbringing. The album was characteristically made with outdated equipment and limited by only one microphone, with Mike “Dr. Vink” Roberts playing an essential role on bass that enriches the rockier resonation in comparison to elvis depressedly’s previous releases. Cothran and Delaney were constantly on the move during the recording process thanks to their new found career freedom, but none of it takes away from new alhambra fully texturized shift toward brightly melancholic noise-pop inspired by Cothran’s favorite un- sung heroes such as Waterboys, Prefab Sprout and Emperor X.
Tracklist:
1. Thou Shall Not Murder
2. N.M.S.S.
3. New Alhambra
4. Bruises
5. Rock n’ Roll
6. Big Break
7. Ease
8. New heaven, New Earth
9. Wastes of Time
Pressing Information:
500 Dark Red w/ Orange and Yellow Starburst
1000 Black w/ Purple Starburst
1500 Translucent Blue/Green
GDP - Holla 12" EP
Released: July 16th, 2013 · RFC:072
New Jersey's GDP takes a step back from the pulsing, futuristic grime of 2011's 'Useless Eaters' and answers with a contemplative, intimate story of young love told over an assemblage of jazzy, serene samples and cinematic, orchestral interludes produced entirely by The Wrong Address. Peppered with GDP's barbed couplets and brash vignettes, Holla plays as a stream of consciousness navigating through the uncertainty of interpersonal relationships. Mature yet impulsive, obscure yet focused, GDP's latest is a testament to his versatility as one of today's most daring and innovative hip hop artists.
Tracklist:
1. The Second Song on the Tape You Make Her
2. Catatonia
3. The Art of Blowing Glass vs The Act of Breaking It
4. Mascara Feat. Wiccaphase
5. Friends That Fuck
6. All Roads Lead You Here
7. Placeholder
Pressing Information:
500 Black
GDP - Useless Eaters
Released: May 3rd. 2011 · RFC:028
West Orange, New Jersey's GDP has proven himself one of the hardest working acts in hip hop. His upcoming sophomore full-length, "Useless Eaters," was recorded by himself in various locations throughout the tri-state area, and mixed and mastered while on an independently booked 52-date national tour. Combining futuristic grime with homage to hip hop's past, "Useless Eaters" is GDP's most focused effort as well as his darkest.
Tracklist:
1. Neural Circuitry
2. Quintuplets
3. Carbon Footprint
4. Little Boxes
5. Don't Worry About The Government
6. Oxypolycontin
7. Social Enema
8. Holy Grail
9. All My Friends Are On Meds
10. Biathanatos
11. Someday When Things Are Good
Pressing Information:
200 Red
300 Black
Little Big League - Tropical Jinx CD/LP
Released: October, 10th 2014 · RFC:112
From the very start of Little Big League’s LP Tropical Jinx, it’s clear that there is nothing little about the band or their second full-length album. In fact, there is an unmistakable depth in these ten indie rock gems that makes each song fulfilling in a dozen different ways. The brutally honest lyrics of guitarist/vocalist Michelle Zauner are one of the album’s undeniable high points: the confessions and confrontations about dealing with family life, relationships and personal failures are both relatable
and cathartic. Little Big League have created something special on Tropical Jinx. It is an homage to the best moments of alternative rock with the unmistakable spirit of Philadelphia DIY, blended in a way that demands your immediate attention.
Tracklist:
1. Tropical Jinx
2. Sucker
3. Deer Head
4. Dixie Gun
5. Property Line
6. Miss AC
7. Old Time Fun
8. Take It To A Weird Sad Place
9. Boyish
10. In Air
Makthaverskan - II CD/LP
Released: February 8th, 2014 · RFC:102
Gothenburg, Sweden’s Makthaverskan layer aspects of noise, jangle and dream pop on a foundation of rambling, garage-punk energy. Distorted, uptempo riffs ebb and flow with laid back, atmospheric post punk throughout the tracks that make up the band’s sophomore LP ‘II’. Sonic bursts of anthemic pop are accentuated and brought to life by front-woman Maja Milner’s sharp and soaring delivery, cutting through layers of reverb to air out her dirty laundry. “Fuck you for fucking me when I was seventeen,” Maja howls on the climactic track, “No Mercy”, cursing the lover who shattered her youth. “You never loved me / You wanted to own me / Your time will come, my friend.”
Tracklist:
1. Antabus
2. Asleep
3. Slowly Sinking
4. Something More
5. Outshine
6. Drömland
7. No Mercy
8. Distance
9. Volga
Pressing Information:
First Press
200 Clear Gold
300 Solid White
500 Clear Red
Second Press
1000 Silver
mewithoutYou - Pale Horses CD/LP
Released: June 16th, 2015 · RFC:132
It’s impossible to imagine modern underground music without mewithoutYou: the influence of their fifteen-year legacy has been nothing less than seismic. Pale Horses, mewithoutYou’s sixth album, continues their unwavering artistic vision, while at the same time reinvents the band as uniquely as any of their fans would expect it to. Aaron Weiss has again produced a work of genius with his nonpareil poetic voice, rivaled only by the soundtrack the rest of his band has forced him to compete against through these eleven songs. The end result is a beautiful fusion not unlike the music found on the band’s most revered releases. The guitar work is precise: delicately soft and tender during lulling moments like the opener “Pale Horse” and fiercely riff-centric on the Brother, Sister reminiscent “Mexican War Streets.” Complimenting it is the constant combination of the catchiest bass lines you’ve ever heard and tasteful, steady drum grooves that harken back to Catch For Us the Foxes, the band’s revered second album. Epic in scope, Pale Horses is an emotional journey as captivating as any of their classic releases - referential to the best parts of their catalog with a distinguished vitality, captured in the band’s signature hauntingly iconic way.
Tracklist:
1. Pale Horse
2. Watermelon Ascot
3. D-Minor
4. Mexican War Streets
5. Red Crow
6. Dorothy
7. Blue Hen
8. Lilac Queen
9. Magic Lantern Days
10. Birnam Wood
11. Rainbow Signs
Modern Baseball - You're Gonna Miss It All CD/LP
Released: February 11th, 2014 · RFC:096
Modern Baseball was formed in 2011 by friends and guitarists Jacob Ewald and Brendan Lukens, who were soon joined by Ian Farmer on bass and Sean Huber on drums. The band self-released their first EP The Nameless Ranger in 2011 while still in high school. Shortly after the members relocated to Philadelphia to attend college and quickly gained a strong following in the Philadelphia music community, teaming up with locals Marietta to release the Couples Therapy split in the spring of 2012. Modern Baseball released their debut full-length Sports later that year on Lame-O Records, which they self-recorded and produced. After spending the summer of 2013 touring heavily across the US, the band headed into Studio A in Philadelphia to self-record You're Going to Miss It All. Mixed by Jonathan Low at Minor Street Recordings and mastered by Will Yip, You're Going to Miss It All features 12 tracks that showcase the band's signature witty indie-pop.
Tracklist:
1. Fine, Great
2. Broken Cash Machine
3. Rock Bottom
4. Apartment
5. The Old Gospel Choir
6. Notes
7. Charlie Black
8. Timmy Bowers
9. Going To Bed Now
10. Your Graduation
11. Two Good Things
12. Pothole
Modern Baseball - Sports LP
RFC:079
'Sports' is a uniquely modern record, capturing the sort of love and loneliness that could only occur in the second decade of the second millennium. Recorded over a series of late nights at Drexel University's free studio and released by Lame-O Records at the end of 2012, Sports conveys how it feels to be young and hopeless in modern America's cracked cellphone clutched in one's hand, subconsciously refreshing social media, hoping to get noticed by that girl at the party and ignored by the ghosts from high school past. Calling on Say Anything's bravado, the Front Bottoms' tongue-in-cheek quirk and the Weakerthans' literary misery, Modern Baseball have made a record with remarkable depth and relatability.
Tracklist:
1. Re-Do
2. Tears Over Beers
3. The Weekend
4. @chl03k
5. Hours Outside In The Snow
6. I Think You Were In My Profile Picture Once
7. Re-Done
8. Cooke
9. See Ya, Sucker
10. Look Out
11. Play Ball!
12. Coals
Petal - Scout 7"
Released: November 19th, 2013 · RFC:095
Kiley Lotz formed Petal in 2012 in her hometown of Scranton, PA. Petal currently has a rotating line up that includes members of Tigers Jaw, Three Man Cannon, Halfling, Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, and Captain We’re Sinking. In 2013 Petal released their first EP, Scout, which features Ben Walsh and Brianna Collins and was recorded by Matt Schimelfenig. Combining a wide array of influences, Petal falls somewhere between Cat Power and Lemuria while still creating their own distinct sound. Crunchy guitars juxtaposed with clean vocals and earnest lyrics help define Petal as a voice, strong and unwavering, rising out of a chaotic world to assert its place. The repetition of “I was born” in Left A Mark further establishes this idea of presence and purpose, moving away from idle absorption into the masses. With Scout, Petal announced their presence, ready to be heard.
Tracklist:
1. Comeback
2. Troubled Heart
3. Left A Mark
4. When I See You
Pressing Information:
200 Blue
300 Pink
500 Clear Red
Pity Sex - Feast Of Love LP
Released: June 25th, 2014 · RFC:090
Walking the razor's edge between overdriven navel gazing bliss and perfect pop sensibility, Ann Arbor's Pity Sex have crafted a breathtaking debut LP in 'Feast of Love' that's both awesomely beautiful and deftly evocative. Massive, harmonically distorted guitars and airy dual male/female vocals are hallmarks of Feast of Love, all drenched in warm, dreamy reverb. Most impressive however, is how the band utilizes pop conventions - both vocal and instrumental melody, and a strong and pounding rhythm section - while delving deep into the ethereal power of textured soundscapes. Guitars fuzz and flange, weaving between distinct, identifiable parts and simple brushes of colored noise. The voices similarly drift between carrying delicate melodies and delivering evocative feeling. Calling on the infectious, hooky inclinations of the Pixies, dreary melodies of the Breeders and sonic mass of My Bloody Valentine, Pity Sex's Feast of Love twists and churns with these beautiful yet fleeting vignettes captured in sound.
Tracklist:
1. Wind-Up
2. Keep
3. Drown Me Out
4. Smoke Screen
5. Hollow Body
6. Sedated
7. Honey Pot
8. Drawstring
9. St.John's Wort
10. Fold
Pressing Information:
First Press
1000 Pressed Clear Green
600 Clear W/ White Haze
500 Light Green
400 Peach W/ Red Haze (Hot Topic Exclusive)
400 Lilac
*Note: The first press colors and qty's were wildly inaccurate compared to what we ordered, but they came assembled, sealed, and labeled incorrectly, so there was no way to know the correct amounts.
Second Press
1000 Black
1000 White w/Sky blue Sunburst
Third Press
749 Honey Gold with Cream Starburst
Pity Sex - Dark World 12"EP
Released: December 1st, 213 · RFC:063
Pity Sex specialize in foggy, lo-fi noise pop and fuzzed-out, blown-speaker walls of sound, all with their own midwestern emo subtleties. Situated somewhere at the convergence of Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth and Hum, the bands quietest moments are defeated reflections with plaintive instrumentals. It’s loudest are desperate cries washed in searing, reverby overdrive.
Tracklist:
1. When You're Around
2. Dogwalk
3. Hole Away
4. Coca Cola
5. Glue
6. Flower Girl
Pressing Information:
First Press
200 Pink
300 Cream
Second Press
300 Forest Green W/ Cream Marble
700 Pastel Green W/ Pink Marble
Third Press
1000 Gold/White
1000 Clear
Fourth Press
1000 Red/White Starburst
Petal - Shame CD/LP
October 23rd, 2015 · RFC:138
This record is kind of the apology, the confession and the acceptance of the ways I've felt shame in my life and trying to share it with others,” explains Petal lead singer, Kiley Lotz, of their new album, Shame. The melodically driven, indie rock record draws influence from Death Cab For Cutie and Pedro The Lion. Each song has its own sound but with tight drums and forward vocals, the album is cohesive in a beautifully textured way. Though Petal has stayed true to the sound fans have come to appreciate from the previous released EP, Scout, in 2013, this record shows growth with heaviness in both sound and content.
Lotz took three years to write the songs on this record and wrote them all with the underlying theme of dealing with her mental illness and seeing how it affected those around her. Discovering through her writing that everyone has shame and guilt, she started to wonder if the world might be different if everyone were more open and willing to accept help. Camera Lens is the first song on the record and deals with just that, her acknowledgment and apology for not asking for help when she needed it most. But the record isn’t just a sad experience from beginning to end. Heaven and Photo Booth are both honest declarations of love and compassion for another person. Lotz shines with her ability to express her feelings in such real ways.
It comes as no surprise that Lotz is able to express her emotions being that she comes from a theatre background. She moved to New York City after graduating college in Scranton, Pennsylvania to pursue a life on stage. She made her Off-Broadway debut last spring and even wrote a song from the perspective of a character she once played. “It triggered a lot of things for me personally that I wouldn’t change or regret. But it definitely made me write from a more honest, less scared perspective,” she says of her time since moving to the city. Luckily for Lotz, she’s also been helped by her friends and fellow musicians that make up Petal. Ben Walsh plays guitar and drums and Brianna Collins plays bass and co-wrote The Fire for the album. Collins also offers incredible harmonies on the record, which is a major draw for listeners of Petal.
Shame is the culmination of everything Kiley Lotz has experienced and learned over the course of the last three years. Though the title of the record is Shame, it seems that Petal should be anything but when it comes to how they should feel about what they have accomplished as a band.
