Healthy Animal split on Arachnidiscs

It's out. Pretty limited quantities, so act soon if you're a fan, which you probably are if you're keeping up with Lazy Roar. Can't wait till my copy shows up in the mail.

As an aside, I finally got around to watching the Major Organ and the Adding Machine movie today. It was seriously great. Definitely a must-watch for Elephant 6 fans. If you're in the music-buying mood, go support this release. It's been a long time coming.

Releases on Lazy Roar for this year are still coming together. I'm afraid to say anything in case something should fall through for whatever reason. But I think it will be interesting, to say the least.

Oh, also, Ashtapes is a good music blog. Check them out.

Until next time,
--Rob

Read my Sun City Girls interview on Artist Advocacy!

Hey all, the Jailhouse Fuck LP and a new Healthy Animal tape will both be out within the next week or so, but for now please check out my SCG interview that FINALLY went up on Artist Advocacy! It came out really well, and Alan gave some really funny responses. Hope you enjoy it!

--Rob

Listen Now To The Sound Of The Things That Are Found Underground

Hey all,

Just wanted to give an update here, since things may seem a little slow around here as of late. This is mostly due to the fact that the most of my energies, as well as the energies of Clan Destine Records, are being poured into the new Jailhouse Fuck 12". There won't be any new releases from now until then, but I've got some awesome stuff cookin' for afterwards. Stay tuned.

Also, if you're wondering what I've been doing with the other smidgen of my energy that isn't going into the 12", I'm now writing for a sick new site called Artist Advocacy. This truly is a new kind of music website, one that aims to connect fans to the people who inspire them directly, and I'm super excited to be a part of it. So far I've interviewed both Sun City Girls and Abe Vigoda, and those interviews will be up within the coming weeks, as well as a total revamp of the site, so keep yr eye on it.

See ya next time, hopefully with JF 12" in hand!
--Rob

Let's All Be Special Art Rebels Together: Obligatory End of 2009 Post

Every bloody blog in my RSS reader has been posting stupid "best of 2009" lists and it's pathetic. Not because it's pointless to try to arbitrarily rank and quantify your tastes, but because the vast majority of these lists are completely devoid of any explaination beyond the list itself, making them completely self-serving. Because God forbid you actually become interested in the releases enough to want to listen to them.

So, with that, I'd like to highlight three releases I've enjoyed this past year that may have slipped through your radar. Yes, just three, because I know you already know that Animal Collective is amazing. But first, a few news-y items:

-Want to check out the new Dead Baron album? It's now available for streaming on Last.fm. I'll be uploading more Lazy Roar related releases on that page in the future for streaming and download.

-Cop that Rebel Magazine, yo. A few of my friends are writing for this new, LA-based web publication. There's some totally sick articles in this first issue about Why? and Sun Araw, check them out. I hear the next issue is going to have the stellarest interview with Lucky Dragons ever.

Robedoor: Raiders [Not Not Fun]


As incredible as Monoliths & Dimensions was, who could have thought that any other album released in the same year could even touch Sunn O)))'s beautifully orchestrated offering? Dark, sludgy, and occationally funky, Raiders is a postivitely viceral experience. Anyone who has either never heard Robedoor or has been turned off by the abstractness of previous Robedoor material should forge a new start here.

Bomb the Music Industry!: Scrambles [Quote Unquote Records/Asian Man]


BtMI! represents everything that punk rock should be about. The band is fun, friendly, and deeply invested in DIY eithic. I would call Scrambles their most blatantly artistic offering. The songs are as zany, riffy, and 8-bit-y as ever, but are an evolution beyond their previous work in terms of complexity and how the album flows together as a whole. Luckily for all of us, the best things in life are, indeed, free.

Totally Nebular: Boat Boat [Family Friends Records]


Most of us can only dream of ever being part of a band half as wonderful as Totally Nebular is. Existing somewhere in the sonic territory between Skeleton and Strawberry Jam, their first album Boat Boat (free download) absolutely sweeps me off my feet. I don't think that there is anyone who has downloaded and listened to this album who hasn't enjoyed it. And yes, I am daring you to prove me wrong.

--Rob

Making Plans, The Kind That Go Awry

Hey fellas,

Had a bit of a craziness in terms of LR stuff today, but the short story is that there will be a bit more of a gap before the next release. I was planning on opening up orders for The Dead Baron album this week, but circumstances have changed. Preorders for The Dead Baron's first full-length LP, Pour le Merite, will not be up until sometime next week.

HOWEVER: This week, Obeast Tapes will be releasing DB's second EP, Rawhide Majestyk, to satiate your appetite for noise. The EP will be part of an awesome bundle combo with the Sea Lions/Handglops split, which you can be sure that any self-respecting cassette enthusiast will be picking up.

TDB and I are hoping to put together a CD release show of sorts here in LA sometime in November that will coincide with the delivery of the preorders. In the meantime, I'm working hard to make sure that the Discovery tape is done as soon as physically possible. Apologies for all the madness.

Now, some other stuff:

-Shhhh... Don't tell anybody, but Lazy Roar artists Healthy Animal, Spreaders, Kleptocephalus, and The Dead Baron are going to be invading this compilation tape experiment on Free Thinkers Union Records. Each artist gets one minute's worth of tape to make their mark, so that's a guaranteed four minutes of all-new LR material. We'll let you know of developments as they happen.

-Later this year, Lazy Roar is upping the punx with the distribution of releases from bands like Batalj, Jailhouse Fuck, and Love Pork. All these bands are totally rad, so get excited!

-Fanzines are awesome. Electric Annihilation is awesome. Niche Homo is awesome. The Raccoon Chronicles: awesome. If anyone knows of any other 'zines I should check out, let me know. If anyone wants their 'zine distributed through LR, let me know. DIY at its finest, people.

That's all for now,

--Rob

Down Under Rays, Down There You Can't Be Saved

No time for a full post right now, but I just found out the worst news ever.

Local legends Mika Miko are breaking up.

At such a seemingly odd time, too: After almost six years of being together and after having only released their second full-length LP a few months ago.

At the same time though, it seems reasonable. The girls have grown up a lot since they started the band and are ready to to now start their lives. The news is unfortunate, but I think that Mika Miko will always be remembered as the band that sparked and spearheaded, not just the efforts of The Smell, but a new creativity and energy to the Los Angeles punk and DIY scene. They will be missed.

See you all in 30 years at the reunion show,

--Rob

All My Best Friends Are Droneheads

We've finished our first release! Triumph!

Thanks to all who have supported this label by buying the Healthy Animal tape. As is apparent from when you hold it in your hand, I worked very hard on the packaging for this tape and Healthy Animal worked equally as hard on the sounds on it. It is truly a special release and I am glad to have made it my first.

Some stuff:

-Eagle Rock Music Festival was positively awesome. I met so many great people and saw some awesome performances. It was a truly stellar night. Speaking of people I met...

-I ended up meeting and trading tapes with Doug and Justin from Psychedelicate Records who, as I found out, are very local to my area. Go browse their releases if you like lo-fi, psychedelic, black metal, or all of the above.

-Speaking of cool labels, Lazy Roar is enjoying the best Canada has to offer from the excellent label Scotch Tapes. Feel free to grab your maple syrup and hockey stick, but just be sure to grab some sick tapes while you're at it.

-Is anyone else addicted to No Age's Losing Feeling EP? I finally got by physical copy in the mail today and got-damn is it gorgeous. Gorgeous packaging, artwork, music, and price to boot. Go No Age and Sub Pop.

-I've got two releases planned for October. The first is The Dead Baron's Pour le Merite, the packaging of which is coming along well and looking quite classy. The second will be a compilation tape from the talented folks over at CA. I've passed the compiled tracks around to a few people and have received overwhelmingly good feedback, so I think I've stumbled upon something very special with this one. Also in October I expect to be distributing a CD from Asian Woman On The Telephone, the wait for which will be well worth it, I assure you. In November, Lazy Roar takes its first forays into vinyl with a Dead Baron/Spreaders 10" and the Al Qaeda/AC Way 7".

Let's get something straight, here. I started Lazy Roar to release noise and punk rock music. So far I've been doing fantastic on getting the noise out there, but have had hardly and punk rock on my queue. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I want to make it a point to find one more punk release to plan for December/January besides the Kleptocephalus EP. If you or someone you know someone interested, hit me up with the demos.

That's all for now, see you sometime within the next few weeks with the Dead Baron CD in hand.

--Rob

"Anyone who is even remotely involved with music should read this." and other games

Anyone who is even remotely involved in the creation of music needs to read this article written by noise rock legend, Steve Albini. It's called "The Problem With Music" and it's filled with insight into what goes on the major label music industry. Some of the situations he described hit very close to home in that I've seen these sorts of things happen to people I've known. It really is a testament to how daily an occurrence this sort of bullshit is. Please take the time to read this and you will not regret it.

I also must recommend a lecture that Mr. Albini did at Middle Tennessee State University. The main purpose of the lecture is for him to discuss his views on analog versus digital recording(which has nothing to do with the argument of supposed vinyl superiority, audiophiles) but he also discusses the industry and his philosophies of studio work from both an artist perspective and engineer perspective. Really fascinating stuff.

Now, for some news bits:

- I have the masters for the Healthy Animal tape in my possession, and they kick raw ass. The next post on this blog will be for this release. Expect it in about two weeks.

- Spreaders has regained a long-lost member of the band and are playing five shows in the next few months. If you're a New Yorker, I implore upon you that you check one out.

- I've been turning down a lot of projects lately just because of the sheer amount of work I have accumulated already, but I couldn't let this one opportunity pass me by. I'm going to be releasing a split 7" in a few months with the bands al Qaeda and A.C. Way and I couldn't be more pleased. Both are touring, San Franciso-based acts, so check their show schedule and make it out to see them.

- Speaking of al Qaeda, who had the privilege of practicing their living room, the dear people of the Hickey Underworld have been evicted. For those who don't know, HU was the name of the punk house in Long Beach that frequently put on shows in their living room. They had a solid two year run but, tragically, the powers that be finally had their way and put an end to the fun. Even more fucked up than that was that their eviction notice only gave them one week to move out. Truly an injustice to not just the music scene here in southern California but to the good people who lived there. R.I.P. fun.

- The Obeast compilation tape is ill as fuck. It's only $4 and that price includes shipping. The J-card folds out into a gorgeous print poster. It's also got tracks from The Dead Baron and Al Qaeda. You really can't go wrong here. Also be sure to keep up with what our friends over at Woven Tones are doing. Those first two releases are guaranteed to be classics.

- Lazy Roar has been given the honor of distributing Russia's Asian Women On The Telephone's newest album in the states. So bomb.

- I've got a new Klepto song up on the 'space, but you should probably just nab it on Tindeck. This will be the intro track to the eventual LR release.

- Lastly, you should friend Lazy Roar on everything ever. I've got the link to the Myspace already on the right of this page and the Facebook link will work when I have the page ready. Also, I've commissioned my good friend and artist Elise Inferrera to prepare a proper logo for the label which I hope to debut with the Healthy Animal tape. Here's her DeviantArt since I don't know what else to link to.

See you when the tape is done. Don't go selling out in the meantime, kids.

--Rob

Forecast (Facist Future)

Just some miscellaneous information of what you can expect soon here in the future.

The first release will be a self-titled tape by Healthy Animal, who is a good buddy and former bandmate of mine. He's informed me that the tape is approaching completion and, from what I've heard so far, it's progressing quite nicely. This thing is going to be an attention grabber both on your shelf and in your tape deck, so set a few bucks aside for it now, because this is something you're really going to want.

"LAZ002" is supposed to be something of mine released under my musical pseudonym, Kleptocephalus, but the recording process has been slow-going. Which is why, sooner than that will come out, you'll be seeing something from The Dead Baron. Don't let his Myspace deceive you, musical eclecticism is his strongest suit. I've heard the Baron produce not only drum and bass noise rock but also superb sampled melodies, hip-hop beats, and jazz guitar solos. Rest assured, you'll find a lot of unexpected sounds on this record. In fact, I've got two of his albums that he's given me permission to release, so get ready for a lot of DB here in the future.

There's a themed compilation tape in the works that I'm hoping will come to fruition made up of tracks by individual members of a certain internet community. The place is filled with talented musicians and I'm quite excited to be putting this release together. If you want a taste of what they can do, check out this release put for preorder on the awesome new label Woven Tones. I've heard the whole thing and I can assure you that the sample on the website really does it no justice. I highly recommend picking it up.

Much more to come that I'm itching to talk about, but I'll leave it here for now. Keep in touch.

--Rob

[Update] Spreaders, self-proclaimed "black metal surf" band, has just been added to the Lazy Roar family. Get excited.

"Write a song without a hook, remember why you wrote songs in the first place. Let's start a band, we've got nothing else to do."

I can't exactly remember when it was that it hit me. Was it at that one house show? Was it when I went to that matinee at The Smell? Was it when I saw Bomb the Music Industry! in the Rotary Club building? I'm not sure when it was, exactly, but somewhere along the line I was in a crowded room with very poor ventilation, standing enthralled with the ruckus in the surrounding area, when it hit me.

This is where music happens.

Music doesn't happen in a stadium filled with a hundred thousand people. Music doesn't happen in a multi-billion dollar recording studio.

Music happens right the fuck here.

Music happens when a band plays for a handful of people in the old police station auditorium. Music happens when some kid is sitting alone in his bedroom recording himself playing the guitar.

And that's not at all to say that big shows and hi-fi sound are illegitimate. To a great number of people, that is what music is. Something to appreciate from afar, from the back row of a stadium or the speaker side of the stereo.

But what I enjoy about music the most is being a part of it. I am a musician who listens to musicians and I am a showgoer who puts on shows. And now, I suppose I'm a record label manager who loves records.

Think of Lazy Roar as Fat Wreck Chords in a Not Not Fun shell. Any profits earned will always go right back to running the label, putting out new releases, and putting on more shows. All releases will be hand-crafted, individually numbered, and creatively packaged. All shows will be all-ages, alcohol-free, and charge the smallest admittance fee possible. The word "promote" is used in the mission statement on the right side of this page for a reason. Lazy Roar Records exists to do everything it can to advance noisey music and DIY ethic and, goddammit, we're gonna do it.

Rad shit will be goin' down. Stay tuned.

--Rob