Poster Children’s Rick Valentin readies debut album as Thoughts Detecting Machines. Hear “Night For Day” via Brooklyn Vegan now.

LP copies of “Work The Circuits” packaged in custom sleeves created by hacked pen plotter programmed using album’s audio waveforms.

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Rick Valentin as photographed by Gilman Chatsworth.

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“Night For Day” is the latest single by Thoughts Detecting Machines. Hear it via Brooklyn Vegan or the links below!

[SOUNDCLOUD]: https://soundcloud.com/fanaticpro/thoughts-detecting-machines-night-for-day

[DOWNLOAD]: https://soundcloud.com/fanaticpro/thoughts-detecting-machines-night-for-day/download

[MP3]: http://www.fanaticpromotion.com/projects/thoughts-detecting-machines/mp3/thoughts-detecting-machines-night-for-day.mp3

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Each copy of the Work The Circuits LP jacket took 30 minutes to create utilizing a pen plotter hacked and programmed by Rick Valentin.  See it in action here.

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“I’ve always been suspicious of Ben Franklin’s maxim ‘Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise,’” says Rick Valentin, the musician behind 90s-era alt-rock stalwarts, Poster Children and his current solo project Thoughts Detecting Machines.

Valentin is discussing “Night For Day,” the latest single from the debut Thoughts Detecting Machines album Work The Circuits, arriving via the artist’s own Twelve Inch Records label on March 16^th. The song was recently premiered via Brooklyn Vegan and can be heard here.

“I find it hard to believe that someone who frequented the Hellfire Club and was a writer and inventor was in bed by nightfall and up at the crack of dawn,” he continues. Ultimately, Valentin explains that the song is “about the kind of schedule musicians and coders share outside the normal cycle of day and night.”

Valentin should know as he is both.

For example, the cover art for Work The Circuits literally explores the connection between art and technology, having been created by a pen plotter that Valentin wrote new software to control. The result is each vinyl copy of the album being housed in a subtly unique jacket.

“I love the pen plotter,” Valentin explains. “It has the exactitude of a computer with uniform curves and lines but there are also imperfections. Blobs of color where the pen first sets down, ink bleeding into the paper and gaps and overlaps where the servos don’t quite guide the pen to the right location on the page. It’s like the music – a collision of digital and analog, the perfect and imperfect.”

It took about 30 minutes to print each album cover, about the amount of time it takes to listen to the record itself, which unlike the complicated explanation of the art creation (something about converting audio waveforms into Bezier curves, transforming them in 3D space, converted them into G-code, sending them to a Shapeoko 2 CNC router modified to hold pens and so on), can be summed up with “it rocks.”

Work The Circuits, the debut album from Thoughts Detecting Machines, arrives on March 16^th.  Rick Valentin is available for interviews. Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic for more information.

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Thoughts Detecting Machines

Work The Circuits

(Twelve Inch Records)

March 16^th, 2015

  

Track Listing:

01. New Day (STREAM | DOWNLOAD | MP3)

02. In the Right

03. The Call

04. The City

05. Bully

06. Fine

07. White Lies

08. Shine Me On

09. Night for Day (STREAM | DOWNLOAD | MP3)

10. Say You Will

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Thoughts Detecting Machines Links

ASSETS : WEBSITE (TDM) : WEBSITE (RICK VALENTIN) : FACEBOOK : TWITTER : YOUTUBE

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Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic Promotion

WEBSITE : FACEBOOK : TWITTER : YOUTUBE : TUMBLR : SOUNDCLOUD : SPOTIFY : LAST.FM : BLOG : E-MAIL

SLINGSHOT adds DJ Windows 98 (Win Butler of Arcade Fire) to evening featuring DJ set from James Murphy (DFA / LCD Soundsystem.)

Comedy headliners Kyle Kinane, Ron Funches, Kurt Braunohler announced. Third annual Athens, GA fest takes place March 26^th-28^th.

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“Welcome to ATH 2015 – the curve just changed again with SLINGSHOT.” – Michael Stipe

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Early bird SLINGSHOT passes for Music, Music + Comedy, and Comedy-only are available now.

The third annual SLINGSHOT festival, a celebration of the intersection of music, electronic art, tech and comedy in Athens, Georgia, today announced the addition of DJ Windows 98 (Win Butler of Arcade Fire) to its lineup.  Butler’s DJ set will take place just before a headlining DJ set from James Murphy (DFA / LCD Soundsystem.)

Additionally, SLINGSHOT has announced its Comedy Night headliners which include Kyle Kinane (“@midnight”), Ron Funches (“Kroll Show”), and Kurt Braunohler (“Bob’s Burgers”.)  Other featured performers and events throughout the weekend include Jamie XX, Nosaj Thing, CLARK, Skylar Spence, Reptar, Peelander-Z, a DJ set from Washed Out, a screening of the DC punk documentary “Salad Days,” and label showcases from Elephant 6 and New West among many other local, national, and international performers.

The many spring and summer festivals taking place throughout the country rarely throw the spotlight on the towns that host them.  Not so of SLINGSHOT.  Besides being recognized throughout the world as the birthplace of REM, The B-52s, and Neutral Milk Hotel, among many others, Athens maintains a near-mythological status for its ability to foster emerging artists, embrace experimentation, and push boundaries.

SLINGSHOT founder Kai Riedl elaborates, “Over the last 40 years, Athens has been that rare place where musicians can comfortably collaborate with each other and perform for audiences that approach music with open minds and open ears.  Athens is a creative epicenter, and SLINGSHOT is a natural outgrowth of that.”  As such, the historic college town of Athens, Georgia is the backdrop for the three-day SLINGSHOT event, which in addition to live music, DJ sets, and comedy, dives deep into an eclectic and diverse lineup of next generation electronic art and technology-related happenings.

This year’s electronic art offerings at SLINGSHOT include new work by designer Kyle McDonald, video artist Andy Thomas, filmmaker and artist Keith Willson, as well as exhibits including a walk-in interactive synthesizer, and a performance by Mikromedas utilizing live astrophysical satellite data.

SLINGSHOT’s tech dimension is highlighted by “Sensory Overload,” a two-day “big data perceptualization” conference featuring JoAnn Kuchera-Morin, inventor of The AlloSphere, a three-story immersive scientific visualization and sonification environment.  In addition to workshops in algorithmic music, SLINGSHOT is also excited to welcome synthesizer giant Moog, which will install a sonic lab for the public to experiment with.

With several world-class venues within a few blocks of one another (a SLINGSHOT app will be available to help visitors navigate the town), SLINGSHOT benefits from this physical concentration of artists and audience, allowing festival attendees to experience the small-town atmosphere and creative freedom that is the lifeblood of Athens, Georgia.

The third annual SLINGSHOT festival takes place in Athens, Georgia from March 26^th-28^th. Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic for more information.

This year’s SLINGSHOT sponsors and partners include MailChimp, Dust To Digital, Uberprints, The Willson Center at UGA, and Urban Outfitters.

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SLINGSHOT Links

ASSETS : WEBSITE : FACEBOOK : TWITTER

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Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic Promotion

WEBSITE : FACEBOOK : TWITTER : YOUTUBE : TUMBLR : SOUNDCLOUD : SPOTIFY : LAST.FM : BLOG : E-MAIL

Austin-based teen trio Charlie Belle emerges with debut EP of breezy tunes recalling the best moments of 90’s-era UK alternapop.

One of NPR’s “Musicians You’ll Tell Your Friends About In 2015,” The Guardian names Charlie Belle “New Band of The Week.”

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Charlie Belle (L-R): Gyasi Bonds, Jendayi Bonds, Zoe Czarnecki. Photo Credit: Barclay Ice & Coal.

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See the video for “Get To Know” by Charlie Belle streaming now via NYLON or at the link below!

[VIDEO]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-17PixTseYc

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Charlie Belle – In The Press

“More interested in wordplay than in showing off.” – NPR

“New Band of The Week” – The Guardian (UK)

“To put it simply, these are some of the raddest kids around.” – NYLON

“There’s a lot that’s powerful about Charlie Belle.” – Texas Monthly

“Yup, she rocks.” – Austin Chronicle

“Everybody is getting to know Charlie Belle.” – MTV IGGY

“Super-melodic, toe-tapping guitar-pop.” – ROOKIE

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Hear “Get To Know” by Charlie Belle streaming now via Rookie or at the links below!

[STREAM]: https://soundcloud.com/charliebellemusic/get-to-know

[DOWNLOAD]: https://soundcloud.com/charliebellemusic/get-to-know/download

[MP3]: http://www.fanaticpromotion.com/projects/charliebelle/mp3/charliebelle-gettoknow.mp3

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In its “New Band of The Week” feature on Austin-based teen trio Charlie Belle, the UK newspaper The Guardian said that the “Texan mid-teens make melodic indie-pop feel like a viable option for the first time in eons,” perfectly summing up the breezy tunes on the band’s debut EP “Get To Know,” out now.

Back in the US, Charlie Belle, armed with songs written by 16-year-old vocalist and guitarist Jendayi Bonds, is making a similar impact among those seeking out tunes that can stand the test of time, but are also fun to sing along to.

The five tracks on “Get The Know” bring to mind the English “alternapop” sound of 90’s – bands such as The Sundays, Belly, and The Lemonheads (more popular in the UK than its native Boston, after all) to name a few.  Charlie Belle – named for the Bonds siblings’ great-grandmother – further sites Esperanza Spalding, The Strokes, and Arctic Monkeys as more contemporary influences.

At 16-years-old, Jendayi is the elder in Charlie Belle. After picking up the guitar at seven-years-old, she quickly began writing her own songs, and at the age of ten, formed Charlie Belle with her brother Gyasi (who was only four when he began drum lessons.)

In 2011, the then-duo covered “Strange Powers” (dang, these kids are cool!) for a series of videos related to the promotion of the documentary of the same name about The Magnetic Fields.  Shot in Gyasi’s bedroom when he was just eight-years-old, the clip later landed them in USA Today.  Soon after, Jendayi was interviewed by Amy Poehler as part of the comedienne’s “Smart Girls” web series.

Now, as Charlie Belle begins down the road towards increased recognition with the national release of “Get To Know,” the band is continuing to get noticed at home.  Just this past fall, the Austin Chronicle named Jendayi the “Best ‘It’ Girl” in the paper’s annual “Best of Austin” issue, summing up their coverage with a simple statement: “Yup, she rocks.”

See Charlie Belle in Austin this spring at South By Southwest, and look out for a series of cover song videos featuring the band doing some of their favorite songs by Dr. Dog, Beyoncé, Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, Young The Giant, and more!

Jendayi Bonds of Charlie Belle is available for interviews.  Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic for more information.

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Charlie Belle

“Get To Know” EP

(S/R – Out Now)

  

Track Listing:

01. Get To Know (STREAM | DOWNLOAD | MP3 | VIDEO)

02. Shake You Off

03. Metaphorically Speaking

04. Key To My Heart

05. Under The Rug (STREAM | DOWNLOAD | MP3)

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Charlie Belle Links

ASSETS : WEBSITE : FACEBOOK : TWITTER : YOUTUBE : INSTAGRAM

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Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic Promotion

WEBSITE : FACEBOOK : TWITTER : YOUTUBE : TUMBLR : SOUNDCLOUD : SPOTIFY : LAST.FM : BLOG : E-MAIL

Inspired by blissed-out-slash-strung-out club kids, Tree Machines tune with NSFW title is “best new rock song of the year so far.”

Hear Lawrence, Kansas-based duo’s ultimate anthem about apathy, streaming now.  Upcoming debut EP arrives March 31^st.

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Tree Machines (L-R): Douglas Wooldridge & Patrick Aubry. Photo by Phil Peterson.

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“Fucking Off Today” is the first single from Tree Machines. Hear it now via BULLETT or at the links below!

[STREAM]: https://soundcloud.com/treemachines/fucking-off-today-1

[DOWNLOAD]: https://soundcloud.com/treemachines/fucking-off-today-1/download

[MP3]: http://www.fanaticpromotion.com/projects/tree-machines/mp3/tree-machines-fucking-off-today.mp3

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“My favorite new rock song I’ve heard so far this year.” – Luke O’Neil, BULLETT

Lawrence, Kansas-based duo, Tree Machines, comprised of Patrick Aubry and Douglas Wooldridge, are set to release their debut self-titled EP on March 31^st, preceded by the provocatively titled single “Fucking Off Today,” which has just made its premiere exclusively via BULLETT, which proclaims the tune song is the “best new rock song of the year so far.”

The new EP opens with this giant-sounding track, running without the bother of learning to crawl, and lyrically capturing the idea of not caring in a way no artist has before.  “With open mouths to feed, we’re fucking off today,” Wooldridge sings with ultimate conviction, adding an ironic touch that gives the song even more potency.

The anthemic aspects of this message were borne of Wooldridge and Aubry’s observations of the on-off, blissed-out-but-strung-out club kids they’d see during their gigs as lighting designers.

Capturing these confusing feelings of youth, and longing for something so much bigger than what they refer to as “this Midwest lifestyle,” is in the band’s DNA, which could be why we haven’t heard a song about apathy delivered in such blunt terms until now.  For it to work, it’d have to be a tune with a melody and hook as strong as found here to be believable, especially for a debut single with “fucking” in the title!

Tree Machines pulls it off.

Patrick Aubry and Douglas Wooldridge of Tree Machines are available for interviews. Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic for more information.

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Tree Machines

S/T EP

(Self-Released)

March 31^st, 2015

  

Track Listing:

01. Fucking Off Today (STREAM | DOWNLOAD | MP3)

02. Late Snow

03. Misunderstood

04. At the Wheel

05. The Fire

06. Black and Blue

07. Man at the Door

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Tree Machines Links

ASSETS : WEBSITE : FACEBOOK : TWITTER : YOUTUBE : INSTAGRAM : SOUNDCLOUD  

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Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic Promotion

WEBSITE : FACEBOOK : TWITTER : YOUTUBE : TUMBLR : SOUNDCLOUD : SPOTIFY : LAST.FM : BLOG : E-MAIL

Dallas-based songwriter returns home from Los Angeles, overcomes addiction, writes the most powerful song of his career.

Taking its title from a New Year’s resolution of Woody Guthrie’s, Gaston Light’s “Wake Up and Fight” single out Feb. 17^th.

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Jason Corcoran of Gaston Light as photographed by Dustin Bath. Cover art by Tim Rogers.

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“Wake Up and Fight” is the latest song from Gaston Light. Hear it now via Diffuser or at the links below!

[STREAM]: https://soundcloud.com/idolrecords/gaston-light-wake-up-and-fight

[DOWNLOAD]: https://soundcloud.com/idolrecords/gaston-light-wake-up-and-fight/download

[MP3]: http://www.fanaticpromotion.com/projects/gaston-light/mp3/gastonlight-wakeupandfight.mp3

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“An amazingly powerful track.” – Diffuser

“Vulnerable. Compelling. Corcoran writes as though he’s felt the ebbs and flows of a man twice his age.” – Dallas Observer

Dallas-based artist Jason Corcoran started writing his new single “Wake Up and Fight” with nothing more than the song title in mind. “It’s taken from a list of Woody Guthrie’s New Year’s resolutions,” he explains. “As a song title, it felt ridiculously huge to me. I thought that with such an overtly optimistic sentiment, I might be setting myself up to fail.”

He didn’t.

As Corcoran explains it, the challenge of rising to meet the hugeness of the sentiment actually brought him some much needed salvation.

“I wanted to write a self–fulfilling prophecy,” he says. “I wanted to force hope into my life. I wanted a good life, or at least a better one. The song is me telling myself that I have things to be grateful for and to just keep going.” As it plays, “Wake Up and Fight” goes from a personal affirmation to an unforgettable rallying cry.

“Forcing hope into one’s life,” as Corcoran’s puts it, sounds like an action taken by someone who has played too many losing hands for too damn long. With lyrics as world-weary but authentically wise as Corcoran’s, it’s surprising to learn that he’s only 26-years-old, which leads one to believe he’s ether full of it, he’s oversensitive, or maybe he’s the real deal.

We’d only be talking about him here if the latter were true, of course. So, what’s up? Corcoran started writing songs on a daily basis at the age of 13, was performing in clubs at 15, and had signed with a manager and hit the studio by 17. Then his progress towards a promising career came to an abrupt stop.

“By the time I was 18 I was in the throes of a serious drug and alcohol addiction,” Corcoran confesses. He moved to L.A. to get professional help, but was unable to get clean. Psych wards, county jail, and a revolving door of treatment centers left him an even bigger mess than when he got there. Through the blinders of addition, Corcoran managed to keep writing and recording, and eventually headed back to Dallas with the woman who is now his wife. Unfortunately, Corcoran’s problems followed him.

Dallas-based label, Idol Records, released a batch of his L.A. recordings as the debut Gaston Light album, and suddenly, Corcoran was getting noticed by the local press and establishing a regional fan base. Demons die hard, however, and even with another chance to put a career together in the offing, Corcoran’s drug and alcohol use raged on. “On tour, at home, all the time,” he says, painting an ugly picture with just a few words.

Then, as things we’re getting even darker, Corcoran’s girlfriend announced she was pregnant. It was news that began to bring about changes for the better.

“It saved my life,” Corcoran says. “I got clean, and became a husband and a father.” Now, back in the game and healthy, Corcoran is recording the more than 40 songs he wrote while getting his life in order. The latest, “Wake Up and Fight” is streaming now.

Jason Corcoran of Gaston Light is available for interviews.  Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic for more information.

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Gaston Light Links

ASSETS : WEBSITE : FACEBOOK : TWITTER : INSTAGRAM : IDOL RECORDS

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Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic Promotion

WEBSITE : FACEBOOK : TWITTER : YOUTUBE : TUMBLR : SOUNDCLOUD : SPOTIFY : LAST.FM : BLOG : E-MAIL