Fanatic is a music marketing company established by Josh Bloom in 1997 to build fan-to-fan connections between artists and the media. For nearly 30 years, Fanatic has continued to help launch careers through the strategic advocacy of creative talent.
Like all of the songs on Pacifico’s upcoming “‘05/‘22” EP, the “Suddenly / Back At The Start” single was started in 2005 and
finished in 2022.
17 years is a (very, very) long time
for five songs, but Pacifico’s Matthew Schwartz has been busy with
other Pacifico projects during that
time. Turns out that the makings of the band’s debut album went missing on a
hard drive all those years ago (no cloud storage!) and weren’t found until
recently.
It’s a good thing that, despite the
release of three full-length Pacifico
albums, eight EPs, and more, that Schwartz
decided to continue to work on this material. The songs on the “‘05/‘22” EP were made with many of Schwartz’s heroes, including Jason Martin of Starflyer 59, Ronnie Martin
of Joy Electric, Peter Randall (bassist with The Kooks and Adele), and others.
“Suddenly / Back At The Start” (the song title configuration, like the title of
the EP itself, being another “how it started vs. how it’s going” reference) is
a high intensity tune with a catchy chorus about “a relationship at the end,
all due to my mistakes,” according to Schwartz.
It’s an insight he may not have been able to make if he had released this song
17 years ago.
Hear it at the links above or over
at New Noise Magazine and then scroll
down for the rest of the story!
+++
Pacifico “‘05/‘22” EP
(Pacifirecords) June 3rd, 2022
Track Listing: 01. The Time Has Come My Lover / Alone (STREAM) 02. Suddenly / Back At The Start (STREAM) 03. The Red Eye / We Won’t Go Back Here 04. Needing And Waiting / Carnival 05. Move On / V2 +++
Matthew Schwartz of Pacifico | Live
04/28/2022: Greenville, SC @ Velo Fellow (1 Augusta St, 8PM , $8/$10/$35, w/ Drew
Montgomery of Kick.Snare.Crash.)
04/30/2022: Atlanta, GA @ Bogg’s Social & Supply (1310 White St., 330PM, $10, w/ Zach
Marcusky of Isabelline)
+++
Pacifico | About
17 years is a long time to make an EP. Pacifico’s upcoming “‘05/‘22”
EP – the title being a literal nod to the how it started / how it’s going
nature of the record –arrives June 3,
2022 on the Atlanta-based artist’s own Pacifirecords. What was the artist-in-charge, Matthew Schwartz doing during the 17 years since beginning this Pacifico release in 2005 and completing
it in 2022? He was doing Pacifico. Huh? Indeed, this is the story of a lost hard drive.
Musicians don’t do back-ups, after all. Teamed with Jeremiah
Edmond, Schwartz’s musical
cohort in 2005 just prior to Edmond
joining Manchester Orchestra, the
recordings that have now been realized as the “‘05/‘22” EP were initially intended to become the debut Pacifico album. Schwartz was undeterred when the project was derailed. Quite
the opposite, he went on to release three full-length Pacifico albums and eight EPs, along with a handful of standalone
singles and compilation appearances. These high intensity, high production value recordings
were made with many of Schwartz’s
heroes, including Jason Martin of Starflyer 59, Ronnie Martin of Joy
Electric, Peter Randall (bassist
with The Kooks and Adele), and many more. Compelling
artwork during this time was beautifully rendered by Adult Swim’s Trey Wadsworth. Inspired by rock influences as beloved, popular, and
revered as Foo Fighters, Radiohead, and Weezer to songwriting powerhouses such as Jeff Buckley, Jeremy Enigk,
and Elliott Smith, it’s not surprising
that Pacifico songs found their way
into films, television, and video games. Unlike the “‘05/‘22”
EP, these recordings were backed up! But it’s okay, because in 2020, while everyone was
working on sourdough starter during lockdown, Schwartz’s collaborator from the beginning of this story, Jeremiah Edmond, found that missing
hard drive. Unintentionally, the “‘05/‘22” EP embodies the same conceit as the Richard Linklater film “Boyhood,”
in which the director got together with his actors every few years to shoot
more footage, resulting in a final film where we see the actual and realistic
aging and maturing of the characters within the story. Similarly, once Schwartz
was reunited with his technology, he wasted no time bringing in his current
band members, C Jason Mask (Guitar,
Vocals) and Wes Clifton (Bass,
Vocals) to pick up right where the previous recordings left off. The result is
a unique document where youthful exuberance and experienced professionalism
meet. The songs are melodic, addictive toe-tappers that say things that only
adults can say. As a visual representation that perfectly suits the
story, the two images comprising the photo collage of Schwartz that accompanies the release were both shot by
photographer Daniel Stabler, one in
2005 and the other in 2022. Even the song titles support the theme, each being
named for the placeholder title it was given in 2005 and the final title given
in 2022. “Suddenly /
Back At The Start” is the first
single taken from the “‘05/‘22” EP,
in which Schwartz sings, “All these
nothings they meant more than me than a million somethings ever could be.” “The song was lost for many years and only found
towards the beginning of the pandemic,” Schwartz
reminds us, true to form. Fortunately, what was apparently nothing for the last
17 years is very much something now. “‘05/‘22” is the upcoming EP by Pacifico (out June 3 via
Pacifirecords), to be preceded by
the singles “Suddenly / Back At The
Start” (April 15) and “Red Eye / We
Won’t Go Back Here” (May 6). Pacifico
is currently recoding its next full-length album, scheduled for a late 2022
release.
“Anxiety” is the latest and final single from the upcoming album
System
Update by Sloan Brothers,
the long-time-coming debut from Sloan
Simpson and many, many musical friends.
The project is a pandemic-inspired product. Simpson has spent many years as a recordist,
documenting the live performances in and around Athens and Atlanta, Georgia.
When COVID shut venues down, Simpson started to find his own voice as a
songwriter. When he was ready to record himself, his friends were there to lend
their talents.
Describing the origins of “Anxiety,”Simpsontells
music discovery websiteIt’s
Psychedelic Baby, “At age 20, I was a
passenger in a car that rolled over around sunrise when the driver fell asleep
at the wheel. I made it out with only a broken collarbone, but the incident
touched off what turned out to be a lifelong battle with anxiety and depression.
This song is about how I always imagine my car leaving the road while I’m
driving, how that anxiety extends to the rest of my life, and how medicines can
only do so much for it. I liked the idea of setting that bummer concept to a
dance beat.”
As for the performers on the track, Simpson explains, “I had been recording Kevin Sweeney and his band Hayride
in concert for years, as well as hanging out and bothering Kevin, so he was an
obvious choice for lead guitar. I couldn’t pull off the rhythm guitar part
myself, but I knew that Jason NeSmith
of Casper & The Cookies would be
able to, and he did.Derek Almstead
plays multiple instruments, but his bass playing in Faster Circuits was especially fine, so I wanted some of that here.
Carlton Owens of Cracker plays on the entire album, but
this one in particular is elevated by his presence.”
+++
Sloan Brothers | In The Press
“Simpson’s compositional ear is crafted by his
expansive tastes.” — Flagpole
“Punchy indie rock tunes with a touch of power pop...
begs to be played on repeat.” — Glide
“Infectiously fuzzy pop.” — Treble
“Beautiful melodies... Pleasant, sunny and energetic!”
— Indie For Bunnies
“Challenging psychedelic music.” — Last Day Deaf
“Hits perfectly.” — Closed Captioned +++ PLAY, POST & SHARE
Sloan Brothers | “Love You So Good”
[VIDEO]: https://youtu.be/MG10wOxXUT4 [STREAM]: https://fanatic.lnk.to/SloanBrothers-LoveYouSoGood “My mother would say ‘love you so good’ rather than
‘love you so much,’” explains Sloan
Simpson about the new Sloan Brothers
single, streaming now via The
Big Takeover. “Just as a family Southernism, and it stuck with me again
after my sister (a progressive Baptist minister in Michigan) mentioned it in
her eulogy at my mother’s funeral.” Simpson continues, “I decided to consider the phrase part of
my inheritance and built this song around it. All the singers on this choked up
when recording their parts.” Featured collaborators on “Love You So Good” include Patterson
Hood and Jay Gonzalez(Drive-By Truckers), Robert Schneider (The Apples In Stereo),
David Barbe (Sugar), and Carlton Walker Owens (Cracker). In its premiere coverage of the Erica Strout-directed video for the song, Treble calls the track “infectiously
fuzzy pop with a lot of warmth and sadness alike,” saying the video is “suitably
psychedelic” and “both heartbreaking and richly accessible, a loving tribute to
Simpson’s mother that’ll likely bring a tear to your eye.” +++ Sloan Brothers System
Update (Science Project Records) May 13th, 2022
Track Listing: 01. System Update 02. Cleopatra Echo (STREAM) 03. Cryin’ Shame 04. Anxiety 05. Songs Like This (STREAM) 06. Love You So Good (STREAM
| VIDEO) 07. So Good (Reprise) 08. Amplified 09. Coffee Black 10. Into My Mind 11. Mirrorball 12. Smile Down On Me +++ PLAY, POST & SHARE
Sloan Brothers | “Songs Like This”
[STREAM]: https://fanatic.lnk.to/SloanBrothers-SongsLikeThis “Punchy indie rock tunes with a touch of
power pop... begs to be played on repeat.” — Glide Magazine “The song finds Simpson
showcasing his penchant for writing punchy indie rock tunes with a touch of
power pop,” says Glide Magazine in its
premiere coverage of the Sloan
Brothers single “Songs Like This”.
“With its bouncy synth and uptempo beat, the song is a fun romp that begs to be
played on repeat. In true collaborative fashion, Simpson enlisted some of his favorite Athens musicians to join him
on the tune, and the result feels both communal and celebratory.” Simpson says, “I wrote this song after asking Andrew Rieger of Elf Power if he would sing on something, if I wrote one he liked.
He agreed. At that point, it seemed like something that was a slight nod to the
poppier side of Elephant 6 would be
appropriate. Andrew sings the high
part in the choruses. After recording basics, I realized it was perfect for Kevin Lane of local pop legends The Possibilities to sing in the verses
with me and add some rhythm guitar. I’ve been friends with Bryan J. Howard of Cracker
for nearly 20 years now, and he jumped in here on bass.” +++ Sloan Brothers | About
Sloan
Simpson has been recording for over
two decades. Until now, none of the music has been his own. This changes with the release of his debut album System
Update (May 13th,
2022, Science Project Records)
under the name Sloan Brothers. Though Sloan
Simpson says that while making his debut album he was “listening to mainly The Cure,” the album’s opening one-two
punch of the title track and the instrumental “Cleopatra Echo” feels like Daft Punk invited Herbie Hancock to form a trio jamming with The Grateful Dead during that band’s most spirited era of
ever-evolving journeyman collaboration. Wow, how did Simpson
get here?! The Athens, Georgia-based musician played rock and
jazz guitar growing up, but was frustrated by the hit his talents took when a
serious car accident sidelined him. Simpson
sold all of his guitars and quit the instrument. With music still in his blood, if not in his grasp, Simpson began to document, through live
taping, the local scene in his new hometown of Atlanta, eventually relocating
to nearby Athens after years spent driving between the two as part of his
recording endeavors. His new hobby had become a good habit. “I had a permanent recording setup installed and the
reality of losing my favorite venue really set in when I had to go remove it,” Simpson says of The Caledonia Lounge, a nationally-recognized Athens club that
closed in October of 2020, sidelining him again. Like the life-changing event that inspired his
recording career of recording others, the closing of the Caledonia was eerily fortuitous for Simpson. While live music was in shutdown, he wrote and recorded
his first song. “It was the first vocals I’d ever sung into a
microphone,” Simpson says. With his
friend, guitarist Kevin Sweeney contributing
solos, the first Sloan Brothers
single “For You” was released later that
month. Pleased with the experience, Simpson picked up a bass, more microphones, and drum software.
Though he returned to guitar, he says that even without formal training,
“playing keyboards is what allowed me to start writing songs.” He also started calling up more friends. Simpson explains, “I asked my friend Robert Schneider (co-founder of The Apples In Stereo and Elephant
Six Recording Co.) if he would record backing vocals on the song “Into My Mind,” and he agreed. As I
kept writing more songs, I would ask more friends I knew from recording shows
over the years to contribute guest parts.” In addition to Sweeney
and Schneider, some three-dozen or
more local luminaries also appear on System Update, including current and
former members of Maserati, Olivia Tremor Control, Japancakes, of Montreal, Drive-By
Truckers, Cracker, Casper & The Cookies, Camper Van Beethoven, Elf Power, and more. In fact, it was Elf
Power’s Andrew Rieger that
inspired Simpson’s songwriting on
the album’s first single, “Songs Like
This.” “I asked Andrew
if he would sing on something if I wrote one he liked,” Simpson jokes. “Andrew
sings the high part in the choruses and it was perfect for Kevin Lane of local pop legends The Possibilities to sing in the verses with me. I’ve been friends
with Bryan J. Howard of Cracker for nearly 20 years now, and he
jumped in on bass.” The tune has one the most relatable indie rock
crush-couplets you’ll ever hear and is a defining example of the quality of Simpson’s songwriting future. “I saw you buying records and I saw you at the coffee
shop I didn’t hear your order but I bought the same record
you got” These words provide a mere glimpse into Simpson’s ability to explore emotion
with the kind of candor that only comes from experience brought by age. “I had long been avoiding expressing feelings as some
sort of misguided version of the ‘cool’ that rock ‘n roll had taught me growing
up,” he admits. “Once I lost family, I realized that it’s okay to express pain,
trauma, and desires.” After half a lifetime taking home tapes of the
personal struggles of others in song, it’s about time that Simpson is giving us the same opportunity with his unexpected,
thrilling work. System Update, the debut album by Sloan
Brothers arrives on May 13th
via Science Project Records,
preceded by the singles “Songs Like
This” (Feb. 11th), “Love You So Good” (March 11th), and “Anxiety” (April 15th). Sloan Simpson is available for
interviews. Contact Josh Bloom
at Fanatic for more information. +++ Sloan Brothers | Links ASSETS : WEBSITE : FACEBOOK : INSTAGRAM : YOUTUBE : BANDCAMP : SPOTIFY : APPLE
: SCIENCE PROJECT RECORDS +++ Josh Bloom at Fanatic
Promotion | Contact WEBSITE
: FACEBOOK : TWITTER : INSTAGRAM : YOUTUBE : SOUNDCLOUD : SPOTIFY : BLOG : E-MAIL
Sidney chats with MAGNET about collective’s early days,
new video she created for psychedelic single “Fingers and Trees Are Only
Temporary.” +++
The High Water Marks (L-R): Logan
Miller, Hilarie Sidney, Per Ole Bratset, Øystein Megård. Photo credit: Self-Portraits, Illustration by Per Ole
Bratset. +++
The High Water Marks | “Fingers and
Trees Are Only Temporary”
[VIDEO]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHnAl1zE0OM [STREAM]: https://Fanatic.lnk.to/TheHighWaterMarks-FingersAndTreesAreOnlyTemporary +++ The recently released book “Endless Endless: A Lo-Fi History Of The Elephant 6 Mystery,”
written by Philadelphia-based journalist Adam
Clair, documents the elusive Elephant
6 collective co-founded by Hilarie
Sidney, who now leads The High Water
Marks. “I’ve read parts of it,” she recently
toldMAGNET Magazine. “This
sounds terrible, but it’s a little boring for me—because I was there.” MAGNET also recently
premieredSidney’s self-created
video for The High Water Marks
single “Fingers and Trees Are Only
Temporary,” which can be viewed at the link above. In its
earlier premiere coverage of the song, Beats Per Minute says, “Known as
the home of bands such as Neutral Milk
Hotel, The Apples in Stereo, The Olivia Tremor Control, and dozens
of others, the Elephant 6 Collective
was a refuge for popsters who enjoyed the more psychedelic aspects of the
genre. As one of the founders of this musical sanctuary (and of The Apples in Stereo), Hilarie Sidney has long spent time in
the company of musicians whose creativities were slightly askew from their
peers. “On ‘Fingers
and Trees are Only Temporary,’ the band digs
deeper into the psychedelic side of their work, bringing out some fuzzy
guitar theatrics, thumping percussion, and sweeping vocals that come at you
from all angles. The song feels like it’s drawing back to those early years
within the E6 hivemind... There’s
plenty of lovely nostalgia here, but that’s not why the song works so well.
This is its own thing.” +++ Proclaimer of Things album is the second full-length in less than two years
from The High Water Marks, following
a (too long!) 13-year hiatus. The Norway-based band fronted by Hilarie Sidney, the co-founder of the Elephant 6 Recording Co. and one of its
core bands The Apples In Stereo, maintains
and extends the high-energy fantastic fuzz of those sounds. +++ The High Water Marks | In The Press
“An earworm melody nestled in fuzzy indie rock
production.” — Brooklyn Vegan “Clock-stopping, pulse-raising mega-pop.” — UNCUT “Complex and considered arrangements... Sugar-coated
melodies to spare.” — Pitchfork “Beautifully warm, catchy, high-energy... garage pop
for the masses.” — PASTE “Potent melodies and propulsive hooks. An irresistible
power pop gem.” — Under The Radar “Giddy pop... Punchy songwriting... Undeniably sunny.”
— Westword (Denver) “Overtly tuneful, with hints of post-punk grit and
wistful psychedelia.” — MAGNET “Get a fix of the exquisitely crafted brand of lo-fi
rock.” — PopMatters +++ The High Water Marks Proclaimer
of Things (Minty Fresh Records) Out Now Streaming Link: STREAM FULL
LP
Track Listing: 01. The Best Day 02. Fantastic Machine (STREAM) 03. Jenny (STREAM | VIDEO) 04. I Told You Before 05. Fingers and Trees Are Only Temporary (STREAM
| VIDEO) 06. Proclaimer of Things (STREAM
| VIDEO) 07. Spectral Roommate 08. Origin of Names (STREAM) 09. Dust and Guitars 10. Devotee to The Chemist 11. Someones’s Song 12. Reason vs. Truth (STREAM) 13. We Are Going to Kentucky +++ The High Water Marks | More Songs
and Videos from Proclaimer of Things +++ The High Water Marks | “Proclaimer
of Things”
[VIDEO]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTBKF-9xq98 [STREAM]: https://Fanatic.lnk.to/TheHighWaterMarks-Proclaimer-Single +++ The “Proclaimer
of Things” single, featuring lead vocal by Sidney’s bandmate and husband, Per
Ole Bratsetis out now
and MXDWN has premiered
the video for the song, saying it “is catchy and upbeat and has the
potential to be on your favorite playlist on repeat.” Under
The Radar rings in with the premiere
of the track, calling “Proclaimer of
Things,” “an irresistible power pop gem.” Bratset says, “The title comes from an inside joke Hil and I always play around with. If
we catch ourselves being a little preachy or pompous, we add ‘I am the
proclaimer of things!’ at the end. We picture this guy with a crazy mustache
and top hat going around ‘proclaiming things,’ while holding up a scroll and
wearing a monocle. It always makes it weird and hilarious!” +++ The High Water Marks | “Fantastic
Machine”
