Serious Business Records : News

The Homosexuals play TONIGH...

2008-07-21T07:51:00Z

The Homosexuals play TONIGHT with James Chance @ the Secret Santo Party. 100 Lafayette NYC.

10PM-4AM. RSVP to mailinglist@newyorknighttrain.com anytime before 6PM today for half price admission. $10/$5 with RSVP. Monday, July 21: Secret Santos' Party w/James Chance, The Homosexuals, DJ Mr. Jonathan Toubin, dancer Anna Copacabana, and projectionist Spencer Bewley, Santos' Party House (100 Lafayette).

New Jack and the Pulpits vi...

2008-07-17T09:23:00Z

New Jack and the Pulpits video on the YouTube. Kaufman and Nero singing "Dance Area"

Take a moment to soak in the sweet sweet sights and sounds below. It is a little video of Josh Kaufman and Annie Nero, sometimes known as Jack and the Pulpits doing a stripped down live version of "Dance Area," one of the year's most beloved big hits here at Serious Business. This was shot in Memphis while Josh and Annie were on tour doing double-duty, playing with the mighty Balthrop, Alabama and the lovely Dawn Landes.

"Dance Area" comes from this excellent 3 song self-titled digital-only EP:

Buy the JACK AND THE PULPITS EP digitally on iTunes and eMusic and Amazon.

Also, Josh and Annie are performing LIVE this Sunday at the Mercury Lounge, but not as Jack and the Pulpits. Annie is joining Josh and the boys on upright bass as part Rocketship Park. They're playing a quasi-experimental acoustic-ish set this Sunday July 20. Be there! 8PM. Also on the bill: Taxi Taxi.

2MGB - Never ending tour. W...

2008-07-16T06:53:00Z

2MGB - Never ending tour. West coast swing right now. Plus! Photo essay from THE ROAD

The Two Man Gentlemen Band are men of the road, traveling minstrels earning their livings by spreading unknown joy to delighted strangers from Cherry Hill to Cherokee, from Texas to Memphis to Bethlehem and back. If you happen to live on the west coast and feel a burning need to witness some world-class two-man novelty-banjo music, this week you're in luck! Fill yourselves in on all the details by visiting the Gents' MySpace page. Here's a quick overview of July.
Jul 16 2008 Bellingham, Washington
Jul 17 2008 Anacortes, Washington
Jul 18 2008 Seattle, Washington
Jul 19 2008 Port Townsend, Washington
Jul 21 2008 Portland, Oregon
Jul 22 2008 Eugene, Oregon
Jul 23 2008 Cottage Grove, Oregon
Jul 24 2008 Davis, California
Jul 25 2008 Santa Rosa, California
Jul 27 2008 San Francisco, California
Jul 28 2008 Oakland, California
Seriously, visit the Gentlemen's MySpace or the SBR events page and find out when the Gents are coming to your town! The rest of 2008 is booked solid. Kazoo along to their unique brand of sophisticated silliness!

For those of you who sit around asking yourselves, "what is it like to be a Gentleman?" I offer this humble photo essay from the road. The author of these posts also doubles as third Gentleman from time to time and on two recent trips I snapped a honey bucket's worth of revealing shots of love from the ROAD. Behold.

1. Andy Bean and the Councilman collect their belongings after performing at a Vermont wedding in an enormous old mansion. Bean becomes enraptured with his man-friend's hind quarters:

2. Andy Bean and the Councilman enjoy the thrill of stiff competition. Watch as they work out their differences on the table tennis court.

3. If you've ever asked yourself "what do the Gentlemen do on their days off?" then you'll be excited by this next segment. They find a local T.G.I. Friday's and shove lots of stuff in their mouths. Behold this remarkable progression of events:
BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Buy the Two Man Gentlemen Band's latest record Heavy Petting right here
. Here's an MP3: DOWNLOAD: "On the Badminton Court" [MP3]

Sweet NYC SBR shows this su...

2008-07-08T08:06:00Z

Sweet NYC SBR shows this summer. First one: Looker, Higgins, The Homosexuals @ Public Assembly (ex-Galapagos Art Space) in Williamsburg

Its summer. Its music time. We've got a number of full-on excellent Serious Business events coming atchya during the hot months, the first of which we'll tell you all about below. Check it. The legendary Bruno Wizard and his Homosexuals share the stage with the power-packed pop perfection of Higgins and Looker.

Friday night
July 18th
Public Assembly formerly Galapagos
70 North 6th St, btwn Kent and Wythe
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Starring...
LOOKER
HIGGINS
THE HOMOSEXUALS

with super special surprise guest DJs
The party starts at 10PM and continues to 4AM.
PS there was a little confusion about the venue. at first we thought we'd booked the show at galapagos' new space in dumbo but the we realized that the show is actually going to happen at the old galapagos locale on good old north 6th st in wiiliamsburg

Today Looker guests on Prod...

2008-07-03T06:42:00Z

Today Looker guests on ProductShopNYC Sirius radio show.

Today at noon, Thursday July 3, tune in to Sirius satellite radio's Left of Center channel to hear a two hour show focused on our favorite lady power-popsters Looker. The group makes an extended appearance on ProductShopNYC's Blog Radio show, granting blogger/DJ Jason an in depth interview and performing two brand new songs, "Animal Dreams" and "Stand Back," full-on live in the studio. The show was taped at Serious Business Music recording studio in Soho, NYC. P.S. Looker are the cutest interviewees in history, just so you know.

The band just wrapped production on their second full length album, their first for Serious Business. Six of the selections have already been released as 3 separate singles over the past few months.

Looker has a series of excellent NYC area summer shows for you enjoy:
7/17 - Maxwell's: Hoboken, NJ. with the Orion Experience
7/18 - Galapogos Art Space: Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY with Higgins, the Homosexuals
7/25 - Mercury Lounge: NY, NY with the Damnwells
8/22 - Union Hall: Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY. with the Unsacred Hearts, the Homosexuals.

DOWNLOAD: "Spit for Your Shine" [MP3]

New Higgins album done. Tit...

2008-06-30T22:31:00Z

New Higgins album done. Title, cover, tracklist.

The 60s and 70s styled power-pop-n-classic-rock man force known as Higgins has finally sealed the deal on their third album entitled Z's. Mixes by Halsey Quemere and Travis Harrison were completed last week, Richard Morris mastered it yesterday, and now the artwork designed by Bridget Lanigan is done. These are the final steps in the record making process. We're happy to announce that this thing is done and also that it rules. Z's is the long awaited follow up to Dear Higgins (2006, Maggadee Records). The record was tracked by Travis and Halsey at Serious Business' studios over the course of the past year and a half. Kevin Fish's songs are elegant, eloquent, one-of-a-kind slices of delectable pop perfection. I swear. The band that is Higgins plays these songs like men on a mission from the Almighty. The busiest man in show-biz Josh Kaufman (Rocketship Park, Jack and the Pulpits, Caithlin DeMarrais, Dawn Landes, Balthrop Alabama, Benji Cossa) contributes inspired guitar playing throughout and delivers a classic string arrangement on "Write It Down." And in case you were wondering, drummer Brian Kantor can officially stake his claim as the bad-assest rock drummer in the world of rock-drummers, especially with his performances on the "Charly" suite. No release date is officially set yet but our sights are set the fall.

HIGGINS
Z's
Tracklist:
1. There He Is
2. Always Something
3. Wall of Dumb
4. Jamy
5. Roy G. Business
6. Yes I Know
7. Write It Down
8. OK
9. Prelude to a Charly
10. Charly
11. Everybody (Thunder Mountain)
Cat# SBR27

DOWNLOAD: "Yes I Know" [MP3]

Man In Gray going out with ...

2008-06-19T10:41:00Z

Man In Gray going out with a BANG tonight! Penultimate gig was Brooklyn Vegan party with the Futureheads
So tonight is the end for now. Come to the Delancey and see the NYC juggernaut that is Man In Gray go down swinging. If you're just tuning in, catch up here.

For those of us that thought that tonight at the Delancey was the last chance to witness their legendarily loud and lovely rock-splosion, a delightful surprise was announced yesterday. Man In Gray would perform one super-special surprise penultimate rock show, on the night before their fabled last hurrah, and they'd be opening for The Futureheads at Pianos! If you're not tuned into the NYC music blogosphere or on the band's personal list you probably didn't know about this and that sucks for you because its too late now, the penultimate party-down is over, and there's only the last chapter to look forward to tonight. Last night at Pianos it was packed to the rafters, thanks to the very popular blog Brooklyn Vegan who threw the event (Rock n ROFL) and invited MiG to play. Check out BV's MiG post from yesterday and the comment stream that grew from it. Damn. We'll miss these dudes.

Man In Gray have gone out there and given it 110% every day for more than five years now. They've left a trail of gorgeous wreckage. I'm getting a little misty-eyed just writing this. Ugh. I'm verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic. OK. Come out tonight for one final ear-pummeling. Raise a glass to Jeremiah, Jared, Jeremy, Bryan and Tina. NYC rules. Man In Gray is why.
Tonight. Thursday. June 19.
The Delancey
168 Delancey St, NYC
with three other excellent bands too: Zero Spanish, Gold Streets, Mancino.
MiG @ 10ish

Buy MiG records like I Can't Sleep Unless I Hear You Breathing (SBR11) here.
DOWNLOAD: "If You Ride It To the End, You'll Get What You Came For" [MP3]

New Secret Dakota Ring reco...

2008-06-16T15:53:00Z

New Secret Dakota Ring record. Title, cover, tracklist.
Serious Business co-founder and OK Go guitarist Andy Ross has finally wrapped his second record as Secret Dakota Ring. The long awaited follow up to 2004's Do Not Leave Baggage All the Way should reach your hands, eyeballs and ear-holes by October 2008 but a firm release date isn't set yet. The title of the record is Cantarell. Andy collaborated with drummer/producer/mixer/SBR-main-man Travis Harrison throughout the record. Josh Kaufman (Rocketship Park) produced three tracks and Assaf Spector produced two. There's no MP3 for you yet but good things come to those who wait. The cover art, made by Worcester, MA artist Jacob Berendes, can be seen below.

Tracklist:
1. They Got the Wrong Guy
2. The Fade to Black
3. Losing Eyeballs
4. I Blew Myself Up Over You
5. I Don’t Wanna Know About My City
6. Sell Us a Spaceship
7. Red Light
8. Elephants
9. Still Awake
cat #: SBR26

DOWNLOAD: "Keep It Down" from The Year In Business: 2007 free SBR digital sampler

More hot press for Rocketsh...

2008-06-12T11:22:00Z

More hot press for Rocketship Park, this time from AM New York and the blog Big Diction
Oh man, the 'ship is taking flight. The debut record Off and Away is hot like hot fire!

Earlier this week New York #1 free daily newspaper AM New York ran a little blurbie about the record. They called it "perfect chillin' in the summer music." Hell yeah! And they put it in there right next to the hotly anticipated new Silver Jews record so that alone is exciting.

And here's a sweet write up from an excellent music blog called Big Dic-tion. Read the wonderful words John Michael Cassetta wrote about Rocketship Park, and the song "Birthday Death Wish" in particular. Here's a quick excerpt: "I thought I’d heard some of the best string arrangements of the year on Shearwater’s new album Rook, but Rocketship Park have been equally impressive, if in a different way... The strings aren’t this song’s only qualities. “Birthday Death Wish,” off Off and Away (which came out earlier this year on Serious Business Records), is a soft melodic sampling of Josh Kaufman’s songwriting. Kaufman, who heads up the project, has a voice that compliments the style well, rising up out of the atmospheric tones of the strings and pedal steel to croon a few melancholy lyrics, like the one that leads the song: “In a little while no voice is recognized / We struggle with ‘Hello’ mingle and say goodbyes.” On top of that, the whole song reverberates with the air of good old country rock, a quality that rarely leads a listener astray." Read the whole big hot wonderful piece right here. Well said. Thanks! Way to focus on the strings. That is Karen Waltuch playing the viola on that track. She's completely incredible. Her hands are the same ones who played all the stings on Wilco's "Jesus Etc." and lots of other Jim O'Rourke productions. Support her work because it is amazing. Fans of the strings on the Rocketship Park record can look forward to hearing the lovely Ms. Waltuch playing Mr. Kaufman's arrangements on future SBR releases from Higgins and Secret Dakota Ring.

DOWNLOAD: "Birthday Death Wish" [MP3]
Buy the record here.

New Looker interview. Plus,...

2008-06-12T09:48:00Z

New Looker interview. Plus, studio update.
Anyone who knows Boshra, Nicole, Robbie and AJ of Looker will attest that they are four of the smartest, funniest, cutest and most genuinely joyful people in the whole wide world. Beyond that, they are a real band, in it to win it. They actually like one another and buy each other gifts and they hang out all the time and they make lots and lots of crazy good pop music. Its weird! Its wonderful! Its love!

Also, they make for stellar interviewees. The brothers behind WalrusComix.com did them serious justice in a recent extended query. The band is probed deeply and they respond with wit, candor and plentiful insight. Read the whole interview here.

And a studio update? With three excellent singles in the bag, Looker has now entered album-finishing stage. Two new jams, "Animal Dreams" and "Stand Back" are waxed and done. A final crop of luscious tunage is set to be captured at the end of June. And then an album we will have. Prepare your tender earholes.

DOWNLOAD: Gates of the Old City [MP3]

Looker's MySpace

Man In Gray's "final show" ...

2008-06-09T10:45:00Z

Man In Gray's "final show" going down at the Delancey June 19
If You Ride It to the End You'll Get What You Came For
Since 2002, Man In Gray has been poised in attack mode, annihilating audience after audience with their cathartic loud-soft, fast-slow, whisper-scream rock-shows. They have played every venue of note in NYC, sharing stages with dozens of fancy bands, setting the blogosphere alight and accumulating legions of sweaty devotees in the process.

But alas, we grow up we move on and all good things must come to an end. In this case the band insists they aren't officially breaking up or saying they'll never play together again, but rather they are going to enter an indefinite hibernation phase. So for the foreseeable future, this is it folks. June 19. The Delancey. Get your socks rocked off.

THURSDAY, JUNE 19 - NYC, NY
-- MiG's LAST SHOW! ---
@ the Delancey
168 Delancey St, NYC
w/ Zero Spanish, Gold Streets, Mancino
8pm, $6

Man In Gray has one album, one EP and one split 7" release here on Serious Business. Explore the world of MiG here.

DOWNLOAD: "If You Ride It to the End, You'll Get What You Came For" [MP3} from I Can't Sleep Unless I Hear You Breathing
DOWNLOAD: "Stranded" [MP3] from I Can't Sleep Unless I Hear You Breathing (SBR11)

Rocketship Park's "Run Away...

2008-06-06T16:00:00Z

Rocketship Park's "Run Away" reviewed, championed by NPR Music
This afternoon, National Public Radio's web only Second Stage show included Rocketship Park's "Run Away," and posted a glowing review of the track and the record it comes from, the softly dazzling Off and Away. You can read the whole review on NPR's excellent website right here or just scroll down and read it below.

Be sure to download the NPR podcast which has the radio-ready man voice of host Robin Hilton intoning about the band's sweet rootsy sound before spinning our favorite jam-of-jams "Run Away" which we all already know is the stuff of legend.

This handsome photo was snapped by Bryan Bruchman at Rocketship Park's recent record release party at Sound Fix Records in Brooklyn.

Here are the words contained in that review:
Whoever said Americana had to come from the heartland? Brooklyn-based Rocketship Park, headed by the talented (yet unassuming) lead singer and instrumentalist Josh Kaufman, fleshes out smooth, folky songs about life and loss, family and friendship, while harnessing a simple, seemingly effortless beauty. The group's debut record, Off & Away, offers a sense of peace and nostalgia that grounds even the most anxious of listeners.

Off & Away plays like a comfortable living room jam session, which isn't too far from the truth. Kaufman originally played every instrument and recorded many of the record's soft, acoustic, feel-good sing-alongs and catchy folk-pop ballads himself for what was to be an obsessively overdubbed solo album. Ultimately, though, he wound up inviting long-time friends to record the album with him live as Rocketship Park. The result is an organic sound that thrives on group performance. "Why?" Kaufman asks, "Because it's fun and we like each others company."

"Run Away," easily the album's catchiest track, features an eclectic arrangement including pump organ, glockenspiel, coronet and trombone surrounding Kaufman's signature twangy croon. The short and sweet two-minute pop song showcases the band's ability to craft musically unique tracks that sport catchy melodies and strong lyrics, while still showing off the band's relaxed approach.

The cast has played together for years, and their success, Kaufman says, comes because they all happen to be "unpretentious and extremely talented." The band consists of five members at its core, but Off & Away features work by many in the band's "extended family," including piano work from Rob Burger (Calexico), percussion from Bryan Devendorf (The National) and violin help from Karen Waltuch (Wilco).

Touring is off the table for now, with the group's members working on separate projects. However, the songs for Rocketship Park's next album are already written, with studio time to be found when its members aren't busy with other acts.

Support Rocketship Park. Buy the CD here from our store. Or, get it on iTunes, eMusic, or Amazon.

DOWNLOAD: "Run Away" [MP3]

Rocketship Park celebrates ...

2008-05-23T08:20:00Z

Rocketship Park celebrates Off & Away tomorrow night at Sound Fix in Williamsburg
Join us in celebrating the release of Off and Away, the debut album from Rocketship Park. This record contains ten of the finest, classiest, most in-focus indie pop songs you'll hear all year. This performance will feature the five core members of the group along with a heavy-hitting line-up of guest stars who contributed to the record: Rob Burger on piano, Karen Waltuch on viola, Annie Nero on backing vocals, Travis Harrison on hot, low tambo. This is an event not-to-be-missed! If celebrating the release of a brilliant and as-of-yet uncelebrated album is not enough for you, we will also be celebrating the birthday of 'Ship main-man Josh Kaufman (and his younger brother too!).

Saturday, May 24, 2008
ROCKETSHIP PARK
Live @ Sound Fix Records
music begins @ 7:30
110 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211

DOWNLOAD: Run Away [MP3]
DOWNLOAD: Seasons [MP3]

Watch the 'ship take flight right here at a show from last year. They re playing Seasons:

Sweet new review of Benji C...

2008-05-16T14:24:00Z

Sweet new review of Benji Cossa's Between the Blue and the Green from AllMusic.
Here's what All Music Guide said about Benji's Between the Blue and the Green which came out last year. This review is pretty much right on. Very flattering. Thanks AMG.

After years of doing the low-fi home recording thing all by himself, Benji Cossa has moved up in the world -- the liner notes to Between The Blue and the Green inform us that most of the album was recorded at other people's houses for a change, and one was cut in an honest-to-goodness recording studio in New York. Cossa also has a band on most of these thirteen songs, though thankfully the results tend to enhance rather than dilute the charm of Cossa's playful but engaging songs, sunny melodies and joyous vocals. Most of the Between the Blue and the Green still sounds like the work of an inspired amateur, not because the craft is faulty (it isn't) but because of the guilelessness of Cossa's musical personality and the open honesty of his music; this doesn't sound like the work of someone who has given any thought to creating a persona for the stage, but of a musician who is just being himself before the microphone and happens to be having a grand time doing it. Even the relatively somber songs like "Tonight", "Alone" and "Have You Seen" aren't so dark that they don't let a bit of light shine though, and the tinkling chimes and huffing-puffing accordion of "Streets To Streams" add a warm pastoral undertow to a song that could pass for Village Green Preservation Society-era Ray Davies in dim light. On Between the Blue and the Green, Benji Cossa manages the rare feat of sounding sweet but not cloying, playful but not willfully naïve, and it's a simple, satisfying joy to hear.

Check out the official All Music review page here.

Benji is currently finishing up his next album which should come out on Serious Business by the end of '08. It'll be his fourth record in less than two years for SBR.

Below, help yourself to two MPfrees from Blue and the Green. Buy the CD at our store.
DOWNLOAD: "A Rainbow" [MP3]
DOWNLOAD: "Sunset" [MP3]

The Two Man Gentlemen Band ...

2008-05-14T15:41:00Z

The Two Man Gentlemen Band bring hot banjo fire to the Mercury Lounge this Sunday
Below you'll find the message that the Two Man Gentlemen Band has just sent to their email list.

Dear Friends,
Greetings from The Two Man Gentlemen Band! It is with great delight that we announce our appearance at one of NYC's finest music venues. Please join us:

This Sunday, May 18th
The Mercury Lounge
217 E Houston St, New York City
Gents at 8pm sharp!
$8 Admission, FREE KAZOOs!
w/ our NC pals The New Familiars (9pm)

See the two-man show that has wowed audiences from Paonia, CO to Montpelier, VT!

We'd be honored to entertain you in person.

Yours very truly, etc.
Andy Bean & Fuller Condon
The Two Man Gentlemen Band
www.two-man-gentlemen-band.com
www.myspace.com/twomangentlemenband

P.S. We are also pleased to announce that our first music video, William Howard Taft, is now YouTube's "Most-Viewed William Howard Taft-Related Video."

P.P.S. If you'd like to be removed from the list, please reply with "Banjo music isn't for me, Sir!" in the subject line.

The Unsacred Hearts return ...

2008-05-13T05:46:00Z

The Unsacred Hearts return this Friday with a show at the Delancey. Plus --- new album update.
The Unsacred Hearts, who haven't played a show since the Serious Business Christmas party in December, will return to the NYC stage this Friday night at the Delancey. It's a late one. The Hearts' set is at 12:30 AM right in the middle of the Delancey's 2-for-1 drink special hour (12-1). Show details below.

In studio update news, the Hearts have been slowly but surely constructing their full length follow up to In Defense of Fort Useless. We're hoping to get this baby into your ear-holes by the end of October.

The Unsacred Hearts
Live at the The Delancey
Friday, May 16
Hearts @ midnight
with Superfortress, Blip Blip Bleep, The Picture, The Diggs.
168 Delancey St (btwn Clinton and Attorney)

In case you forgot, watch the Hearts rock it at the Delancey one year ago in the YouTube clip below:

And go ahead and download these classic Hearts jams below if you don't already have them.
DOWNLOAD: "Stuck Inside a Mobile Home With the Mansion Blues Again" [MP3] from Unsacred Hearts EP
DOWNLOAD: "Point of Pride" [MP3] from In Defense of Fort Useless
DOWNLOAD: "I Am Joe" [MP3] from the forthcoming album.

Dave and Travis (Unsacred H...

2008-05-08T13:12:00Z

Dave and Travis (Unsacred Hearts) play with The Homosexuals this Sunday at the Knitting Factory with John Zorn and Bill Laswell, Martin Bisi, Susu etc.
If you're out and about this Mother's Day (I love you, mom!) be sure to get tickets to this big big show at the Knitting Factory.

Sunday, May 11th.
The Knitting Factory Main Stage.
Doors @ 7:00 PM
Martin Bisi record release show with performances by John Zorn & Bill Laswell, Martin Bisi, The Homosexuals, SUSU & Walter Sickert and The Army Of Broken Toys
Click here to buy advance tickets.
All event details here (set details, performer info, etc. etc)

Who are the Homosexuals? Tsk tsk. Bruno Wizard, Anton Hayman and Jim Welton were legendary late-70s UK D.I.Y. cult heroes. Read this, this, this, this and this. In the wake of two recent reissues, singer and auteur Bruno Wizard has been performing under the name again with various bands, most recently the mighty Remarkable Man, an outfit made of Dave and Travis from The Unsacred Hearts and Mike DosSantos (ex. Realistics) and Phil Aceto (ex. Blue Sparks) both of Apache Beat. Thr Homosexuals recently played two very well received shows at SXSW.
Here's a little taste of what you are in for --- The Homosexuals playing "Neutron Lover" live at the Beauty Bar ... Austin TX SXSW 2008. enjoy:

Rocketship Park celebrates ...

2008-05-07T11:30:00Z

Rocketship Park celebrates the release of Off and Away (SBR16) with big show at Sound Fix Records in Williamsburg
.
If you haven't heard Off and Away yet, you must quit the dilly-dally, get a glove and get in the game because this is the record to beat in '08, without a doubt. Join us on Saturday, May 24th in celebrating its release at Sound Fix Records in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Yes its a record store and an excellent one at that, but its also a cozy, great sounding venue and an ideal environment to hear a band that's been lauded as "friggin' awesome," "so the real-deal" and "completely un-sucky," mostly by me, your humble news-poster. But other very nice and far more articulate things are being said too we're sure, as the record oozes through the internet into the hearts and minds of music lovers like you. Please help yourself to the free MP3s posted below.

SBR16 - Rocketship Park : Off and Away
DOWNLOAD: "Seasons" [MP3]
DOWNLOAD: "Run Away" [MP3]
Buy the record at the show, at our store, or from your favorite digital retailer.

Saturday, May 24th
Rocketship Park
Record release party for Off and Away
at Sound Fix Records
110 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn NY

HIGGINS album update, biogr...

2008-05-02T08:22:00Z

HIGGINS album update, biographical video, KP's ode to the world's most flavorful potato chip.
The musical man force that is Higgins have found themselves ass-deep in the final stages of record making. Their forthcoming full length platter, a magnum opus begun in the twilight of '06, is finally nearing completion. No word yet on release date or any of that stuff. But if you're a Higgins freak (or a Hig-aholic, or El Higgerino if you're not into the whole brevity thing) then you'll be pleased to know you can watch the video embedded below:
The fine folks at Vimby.com stopped by the Serious Business recording studio to capture some of this joyous but painstaking process on film. Interview footage gives you a portal to biographical details on the Higgins that you might not have known. That's SB engineer Halsey Quemere on the knobs as the dudes add shakers to "Charlie" and tweak the mix of "Jamy." Not all of the song titles on the record evoke the names of dudes but these two do.

So now that you've gazed into a session at Serious Business, its time you understand the importance of our most cherished of fuels. No we're not talking about alcohol or drugs, or sandwiches or pizza, we're talking about the finest of chips, the Kettle Chips Cheddar Beer potato chip, the most flavorful chip in the known universe, a product that has been an indispensable accoutrement at nearly every Serious Business Higgins session. Head Hig Kevin Fish (aka KP) wrote a song in honor of these holy chips. You can hear it by heading over to his KP My Space page. This page is a good spot if you want to hear his synth 'speriments, Higgins demos, and buckets of sweet, juicy melody. Of course, there's always the My Space page too.

So for those of you waiting with baited breath for Higgins to unveil their masterpiece, you'll have to settle for this audio snack in the meantime, their digital single for "Yes I Know" which we put out back in January. Mmmm. So crunchy and flavorful.

SBR21
HIGGINS - 'Yes I Know' / 'Slap or Pinch'
Buy it on iTunes, eMusic, Amazon or your favorite digital retailer.

P.S. To the fine folks at Kettle Chips: If you happen to be reading this please understand the sincerity of our enthusiasm about your product. We'd be happy to fly your flag in exchange for cases and cases of bags of free flavor.

Bluegrass Journal gushes ov...

2008-04-30T11:03:00Z

Bluegrass Journal gushes over Heavy Petting. Of course! Plus, the Gentlemen's return to NYC
I know there are thousands of you out there who religiously check Bluegrass Journal everyday for the latest news in the world of hot pickin'. So this news-post won't bring a revelation to those multitudes. For the rest of us, allow us to direct you to their gushing review of the Two Man Gentlemen Band's latest album Heavy Petting. Read the whole thing here. The whole thing is pasted below as well.

In other Gentlemen news, the group has been on the road spreading hot banjo fire across the great United States for many many months now. May brings our heroes home to NYC for much needed relaxation. But don't think they're lazily resting on their laurels! On May 18th the Gentlemen make their Mercury Lounge debut. Click here for details about the show.

And now for that review...
THE TWO MAN GENTLEMEN BAND - Heavy Petting The Two Man Gentlemen Band is comprised of Andy Bean ( Vocals, Banjo, & Foot Tambourine, Piano) and Fuller Condon (Vocals & Bass) who got there start spending two years as street musicians in New York’s Central Park. The CD also includes Travis Harrison on percussion and Justin Smith on “violin.”

“Heavy Petting,” the Gentlemen’s 3rd record on Serious Business Records, features a batch of songs that are chock full of humor, heavy innuendo, wit, energy and some raucous grooves. Bean and Condon’s music is a veritable melting pot of influences seasoned with vaudeville, swing, jazz, blues and old time country. The pace on the CD runs from a trot to absolutely frenetic with some of the haughtiest kazoo solos you’ve ever heard.

The CD kicks off in high gear and sets the tone for what’s to come with a tongue in cheek ode to the United State’s largest President, “William Howard Taft,” touting “you can’t sneak nothing past William Howard Taft.” The Gentlemen have also released a video for “William Howard Taft.”

“The Square Root of Two” is an upbeat geeky romantic serenade for those who are more mathematically inclined. The wit of Andy Bean proclaiming “My love is like the square root of two written as a decimal” will surely come to be the “pop the big question” theme song for mathematicians everywhere. After one listen you’ll agree, how could it not?

“Heavy Petting” is one of the funnest albums I’ve listened to in a long time. On the first, second, heck even the third listen, the Gentlemen’s songwriting leaves you on the edge of your seat throughout the album wondering what hilarity or subtle twisted lyric is coming down the pipe. Andy Bean, the group’s main songwriter, writes lyrics so off the beaten path they are virtually cliche free.

The Two Man Gentlemen Band , at the very least, should go down in the history books as the duo who made the kazoo hip again.

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