Former Friends of Young Americans CD Release FFOYA News -
04/04/2011
Former Friends of Young Americans are releasing their new CD Estas Diluculo at The FilmBar in downtown Phoenix on Saturday, April 14th at 8pm! This will be a free show. Also playing will be Mantle Sound Core from San Francisco, Wooden Indian, and Nicholas Villa.
Come hear the album that has been called:
"Groundbreaking sounds that afford no contrived comparisons or genre specifications, this is simply brilliant music designed for a darkened room and an open mind." - Mitchell L. Hillman, Java Magazine
And:
"One of the most enjoyable things about estas diluculo is that it is so obviously governed by an honest artistic spirit. Hip hip hooray for Former Friends of Young Americans – estas diluculo is another win for Arizona music." - Trevor Denton, Echo Cloud Productions
Former Friends of Young Americans Summer Tour! FFOYA News -
04/02/2011
Former Friends of Young Americans will be going on tour this summer to promote their new album! There are a lot of great dates, and hopefully one will be near you! Check it out:
April 13th @ Long Wongs w/ Wooden Indian, Colorstore, & Nicholas Villa - we'll be playing all new material.
April 14th @ FilmBar - estas diluculo release party w/ Mantle Sound Core, Wooden Indian and Nick Villa
May 15th @ Lost Leaf - solo set w/ Nick Villa
May 31st @ Lost Leaf - solo set w/ Satyr Comma
June 23rd @ Long Wongs
July 27th @ FilmBar
July 28th @ Monte V - Flagstaff
August 1 @ Long Wongs
August 2 @ Ruby Room - San Diego, CA
August 3 @ Claremont, CA w/ Goldenboy
August 4 @ San Francisco, CA w/ Zodiac Death Valley
August 5 @ Oakland, CA w/ Skeletons in the Coffin
August 6 @ El Rio - San Francisco, CA
August 7 @ Santa Cruz w/ Mantle Sound Core
August 8 @ Frog & Peach - San Luis Obispo, CA
August 9 @ Linnea's Cafe - San Luis Obispo, CA
August 10 @ Los Angeles, CA
August 11 @ Tin Can AleHouse - San Diego, CA
August 12 @ Lost Leaf - Phoenix, AZ
Midnight Vitals At The Crescent Ballroom on 4/4
Midnight Vitals News -
04/01/2012
Midnight Vitals will be playing the Crescent Ballroom this Wednesday! Show info is as follows:
"The show starts at 8pm, it's $7. we are playing with Field Tripp, Pale Face Sailor and Banana Gun. This will be a great show, it's our last AZ show before we hit the road for our north-east American tour (Utah and Flagstaff)."
Necronauts Go Nirvana On 4/20 Necronauts News -
03/18/2012
As part of the "Cover The Crescent" series of concerts, The Necronauts (along with Aaron Burke of the Minibosses) are going to be doing a full set of Nirvana songs on April 20th at The Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix.
This will be a special, one time only opportunity to see The Necronauts pay tribute to one of their musical muses, and is not to be missed. Preparations have been going great, and the gang have promised a set of Nirvana's deepest cuts. Come out and discover a new side of both bands for an unforgettable evening!
Former Friends of Young Americans on Echo Cloud FFOYA News -
01/16/2012
Echo Cloud has weighed in on Estas Diluculo, saying that it is "sure to set the bar for 2012 local albums nice and high for the rest," before adding:
"One of the most enjoyable things about estas diluculo is that it is so obviously governed by an honest artistic spirit. The musical explorations indulged here do not seem contrived as novelty. Listening to the album is a ride, and it is recommended that it be listened to from start to finish, since pinpointing a "best" song on the album is difficult to do without the context of the surrounding parts. Hip hip hooray for Former Friends of Young Americans – estas diluculo is another win for Arizona music."
Go To This: Four BCR Showcases in February
Black Cactus Records News -
01/10/2012
Black Cactus Records is proud to present four showcases in the month of February that will feature bands from the upcoming compilation. Each show will be at one of our favorite local venues, and all proceeds will go toward pressing the BCR Comp. Vol. II CDs. Details are as follows (or check it out on Facebook!):
Saturday, February 4th
LONG WONGS Tremulants, Factories, Midnight Vitals, PAWL
Free - 21+
Saturday, February 11th
LOST LEAF
Snow Songs, FFOYA, Fountain
Free - 21+ - 9pm
Friday, February 17th
YUCCA TAPROOM
Friends of Cezar Romeo. Monophonic Hillside, Source Victoria, Necronauts
Free - 21+
Friday, February 24th
THE SAIL INN Tremulants, High Horse, FFOYA, JJCNV, The Snuggies, Midnight Vitals
Two stages - Food - Booths - Art a Gogh Gogh!
Former Friends of Young Americans in JAVA FFOYA News -
01/09/2012
Mitchell Hillman, music editor for Java Magazine, recently took on the latest release from Former Friends of Young Americans, Estas Diluculo, and had quite a lot of great things to say about it. He especially liked the atmosphere of the album, saying that it is:
"...an album to get lost in, to fall into late night dreams with, to enjoy distant recorded company and feel a certain satisfaction in being literally drawn into the work, wondering where it will lead you next."
He then concluded by adding that "This album will carry on for me for the rest of the year, as it should with you. Groundbreaking sounds that afford no contrived comparisons or genre specifications, this is simply brilliant music designed for a darkened room and an open mind."
Tracks Are In For BCR Compilation Vol. 2!
Black Cactus Records News -
12/09/2011
We at Black Cactus Records have been hard at work putting together our next compilation album, and we are pleased to report that all of the tracks are in and ready for mastering.
We took a different approach this time, selecting bands from around town and around the country to participate - in addition to the fresh new tracks from each and every BCR artist - making this a release not to be missed.
Up next: A string of live showcases featuring the various compilation artists. Stay tuned for that, as well as a release date for the comp.
Former Friends of Young Americans In The Phoenix New Times: New Album Out! FFOYA News -
11/23/2011
The new Former Friends of Young Americans album Estas Diluculo is now available on CD and online at the FFOYA website and bandcamp. You can read all about it at the New Times article, which gives some great background about what the band has been up to, what the story is behind the song "Planned History," and what the band has planned for the future.
Also, FFOYA will be playing tonight (10/23) at the Trunkspace, tomorrow (Thanksgiving) at Lost Leaf, and (black) Friday at Long Wong's if you would like to get a CD... Or, if you are looking for something further out (time or distance-wise), check out the post below this one for a full list of the band's December dates.
Former Friends of Young Americans December Tour FFOYA News -
11/20/2011
Former Friends of Young Americans have completed recording their new album, and are celebrating with a string of tour dates in a town near you! Check it out:
Dec. 3rd - Phoenix @ Trunkspace w/ The Hunting Accident
Dec. 9th - Mesa @ Hollywood Alley w/ Fatigo, Terra Firma, and The Blacksmiths
Dec. 10th - Scottsdale @ Coffee Plantation (7pm-10pm)
Dec. 14th - Phoenix @ Lost Leaf
Dec. 15th - Hollywood @ Beauty is Pain
Dec. 16th - Bakersfield @ Riley's Tavern
Dec. 17th - San Francisco @ Lipo Lounge
Dec. 18th - Ventura @ Practice Space
Dec. 19th - San Diego @ Tin Can Ale House
Evil Tents CD Release TONIGHT at Midnight
Black Cactus Records News -
10/31/2011
Evil Tents, a great band with a unique acoustic sound and friends of BCR out of Champaign/Urbana, Illinois are releasing their album Night Air on the Midway tonight at midnight. Should you find yourself coming home from your various halloween festivities late this evening, looking for some nice, dark music to chill out to, this album will be a sure bet for you!
Midnight Vitals Opening For Kathryn Calder
Black Cactus Records News -
10/30/2011
Stateside Presents Kathryn Calder of The New Pornographers for a show on November 5th, and have brought on the Midnight Vitals (featuring Isaac of the Tremulants) to open the show. This event will be all ages, and will take place at Venue 104 (on the NE corner of University and Rural) at 7:30pm.
Tickets are available ONLINE or at the box office on the day of show.
FFOYA & High Horse - Upcoming Shows FFOYA & High Horse News -
10/20/2011
Mark your calendars, folks, we've got some great shows coming up!
First on Friday, October 28th we've got: ***High Horse - At the Icehouse Tavern in Phoenix with JJCNV, Schitzophonics, & Odds + Sods. This is a 21+ show ***Former Friends of Young Americans At TRiP in Santa Monica with Goldenboy for a 21+ show.
Meanwhile, for you Flagstaff folks, Nov. 5th brings both bands to The Green Room in Flagstaff for a free, 21+ show at 9pm with Tonsil Yeti and Moonlight Howlers.
Metromix Turns to Necronauts for Best Venue Feature Necronauts News -
09/23/2011
National news source for all things nightlife Metromix recently decided to put together a feature on the best live music venues across the nation. Many notable bands and artists were tapped to contribute (Blink 182, TV on the Radio, etc.), to include Phoenix's own Necronauts. We at BCR are excited both to see the Necronauts counted as the great and influential band that they are, as well as to see Phoenix getting getting its due as a town with great places to see great live music.
You can see the Phoenix section HERE, and view the complete national story HERE.
FFOYA Headed Back to LA, High Horse in Phoenix FFOYA & High Horse News -
09/20/2011
If you happen to find yourself in Los Angeles on October 28th, you would be well advised to take yourself to TRiP in Santa Monica (2101 Lincoln Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90405) to catch Former Friends of Young Americans playing with Goldenboy (a pairing that absolutely killed the last time they were together).
If, on the other hand, you are in the Phoenix area that night, why not come on down to the Ice House Tavern (3855 East Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ 85008), where High Horse will be joining BCR buddies JJCnV for what should be an excellent show.
Either way, the 28th is shaping up to be one hell of a night.
FFOYA and High Horse Headed to Flagstaff, Nov. 5th FFOYA & High Horse News -
09/18/2011
Former Friends of Young Americans and High Horse are headed to Flagstaff for some musical madness early this November. Details are as follows:
What: Former Friends of Young Americans, Moonlight Howlers, High Horse, & Tonsil Yeti
Where: The Green Room - 15 N Agassiz St, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
When: Saturday, November 5th
Gauche et Droite Review in Antimusic Necronauts News -
09/10/2011
Antimusic recently gave Gauche et Droite a spin, and summed the sprawling double LP up nicely by saying:
"Not unlike Arizona's beloved Meat Puppets, the Necronauts are tough to categorize. This 2-CD set finds the duo channeling the Pixies and other bands of that ilk on the generous helping of 21 cuts on the Gauche disc (gauche et droite is French for left and right) while the Droite sides are a little wonkier, reminding of everything from British synth bands to the Velvet Underground to surf-y garage rock. Probably the important thing here is not to worry about comparisons; Gauche et Droite goes through as many enjoyable twists and turns as a MGMT album and you won't regret the couple of hours spent finding that out for yourself."
Black Cactus Records in The State Press
Black Cactus Records News -
09/08/2011
Toby, Leslie, and Dan recently sat down with State Press reporter Taylor Brooks to discuss what BCR is up to - as well as what the future holds - resulting in a rather comprehensive write-up of the Black Cactus goings-on in the latest issue. If you've ever wondered what BCR is all about but didn't know where to start, this would be a good place.
Black Cactus Bands Join Forces For 20 Sided Records Compilation Vol. 2 Tremulants & Necronauts News -
09/03/2011
San Francisco-based 20 Sided Records, another small label like our own near and dear Black Cactus Records, recently put out their own second compilation and decided to include tracks from BCR bands Tremulants and Necronauts. We have been sharing a lot of shows and other resources with one another lately, and 20 Sided have proven to be some great friends to have up in Northern California.
We look forward to continuing to work with these fine folks in the future, and we strongly urge you to check the compilation out (copies of which will be available at upcoming Tremulants and Necronauts shows) to get a taste of the great artists that the NorCal underground scene has to offer.
Three Upcoming High Horse Shows High Horse News -
09/01/2011
High Horse currently has three shows on the calendar that we thought we'd share. They are:
October 28th - Ice House Tavern /w JJCNV & Schitzophonics (San Diego)
December 2nd - The Hut (Tucson) /w The Dollyrots & Apocalipstick December 3rd - Sail Inn /w The Dollyrots & Apocalipstick
Black Cactus Records Vol. 2 is On The Way
Black Cactus Records News -
08/30/2011
The second Black Cactus Records compilation is currently being assembled with a planned release in either Q4 2011 or Q1 2012. The Volume 2 compilation will feature one new track from each of the active Black Cactus bands, as well as tracks from local and national artists that we have worked with over the last couple of years, for a grand total of approximately 16 songs.
The final lineup has not been made public yet, but expect to see artists from San Francisco, Tucson, Austin, and of course, the Valley of the Sun contributing.
Former Friends of Young Americans Announce New Tour, Album, Website FFOYA News -
08/25/2011
Former Friends of Young Americans have finally finished putting together the new album that they've been working on for close to a year, and plan to bring it out into the world by way of a national tour, culminating in an album release show back here in Phoenix on April 14th 2012.
Below is a list of dates that the band is booking now, which you can stay updated on at the band's freshly revamped website as information becomes available.
Oct. 28th @ Trip - Santa Monica, CA
Nov. 26th @ Long Wongs - Tempe, AZ.
Dec. 16th - Los Angeles, CA
Dec. 17th - San Francisco, CA
Mar. 23rd - Los Angles, CA
Mar. 24th - San Francisco, CA
Mar. 25th - Bend, OR
Mar. 26th - Portland, OR
Mar. 27th - Seattle, WA
Mar. 28th - Boise, ID
Mar. 29th - Salt Lake City, UT
Mar. 30th - Denver, CO
Mar. 31st - Kansas City, MO
April 1st - Chicago, IL
April 2nd - Cleveland, OH
April 3rd - Syracuse, NY
April 4th - Providence, RI
April 5th - Boston, MA
April 6th - New York, NY
April 7th - Philadelphia, PA
April 8th - Washington, D.C.
April 9th - Athens, GA
April 10th - New Orleans, LA
April 11th - Austin, TX
April 12th - El Paso, TX
April 13th - Tucson, AZ
April 14th - Phoenix, AZ
Antennae Moves Into Mixing Premiere News -
08/20/2011
Antennae, The Premiere's much anticipated follow-up to their critically acclaimed first LP London, Paris, New York, has finished principal recording and is moving into the mixing phase. Our excitement for this album and the great potential that it represents continues to grow as we hear each new development.
Meanwhile, the band has been doing a lot of work behind the scenes with Dan Somers and Nick Gortari of Lisa Savidge - along with the entire Black Cactus crew - in order to ensure that this fantastic album gets ample opportunity to shine in the public eye. Expect the unexpected.
Tremulants Working on New Material Tremulants News -
08/17/2011
Never known for standing still, Tremulants are reexamining their current lineup and are taking this opportunity to expand their ever-widening catalogia of material. In every spare moment, Marco has been hard at work jamming out new tunes for the band - whatever form it may take - to play live and possibly even record in the near future.
Each iteration of the band has brought one exciting development after another, year after year, so we are - to say the very least - intrigued to hear what comes next. If the past is any indication, it is sure to please and surprise in equal measure.
Necronauts to Debut New Lineup Necronauts News -
08/15/2011
The Necronauts recently went back on the hunt for a new bass player, with several strong candidates emerging. Billy and Dale will be remaining on guitar and drums, respectively, as has been the case for nearly a decade now.
The band has set a deadline of December 9th to conclude the shake up, at which point they will debut the new lineup at The Hut in Tucson, followed by a Tempe date at Sail Inn on the 10th. Both shows will feature Phoenix-natives Green Lady Killers (recently transplanted to LA), Tempe locals Source Victoria, and Mission Creeps.
Notes From The Underground
Friends of BCR News -
08/12/2011
A few of our friends out there in the wide world of independent music have some Phoenix-related news that we'd like to share:
First of all, Black Cactus Showcase alums Goldenboy will be returning to the valley to play the Lost Leaf on October 20th. If you missed them back when they joined forces with BCR at the Goathead Saloon, we highly recommend that you give these guys a serious look for your evening plans. They absolutely killed last time, and did so with the kind of ease that made it obvious that they only run at the one speed. As always for the Lost Leaf, the show will be free and 21+.
Also, our friends at 20 Sided Records (San Francisco) will be sending out one of their bands - Yeah Great Fine - for three back-to-back valley shows, kicking off at The Trunkspace on October 17th with Street Eaters & Fountain. Get the rest of the details at the band's website.
