"we dig crystals"

Summer 2009

Things are revealing themselves this summer here in our Crystal Diggery, and we have some fine gems for you. We like to think of our musical offerings as "Diamonds in the Rough", shining ethereal light from under the rocks, amongst the trees, within the moss, bending and refracting prismatic sound into your parenthetical spaces, warming you just left of the sternum, and into the third eye. Here's an update of all the latest happenings in our camp. Enjoy!

Lewis & Clarke
L & C will Tour the US this summer with Caroline Weeks and Corridor, check out some of the dates here, more to come!

The searing Light Time EP has been the perfect elixer for some HEAVY spins, and have you seen it? It's 12 inches of wonderous Magnolia Blossom coloured vinyl! It's been discussed in several recent Interviews with Lou Rogai along with ressurection of weird, found photos, Tolkien, The Weel of Fifths, and Bread, as well as Leonard Cohen.

L & C recently opened a bunch of dates for the spellbinding Bat For Lashes, and the brief whirlwind is lovingly documented in a Mini-Tour Diary by Cellist Codd on our blog. There are a few photos here as well.

Strand of Oaks
As Leave Ruin permeates the hearts of anyone within earshot, Tim Showalter has recently tied the proverbial knot. Congrats, Tim and Sue! It was quite a party, Jason Anderson's All-Star Wedding Band blew the doors off (of the pavillion?) and rocked non-stop for three hours with hit after hit. And how's this for a Honeymoon: Mr. and Mrs. Showalter are taking Matt Bauer along, heading to New England, and calling it a tour. That's how we do it here in the La-Soc family, it's ALL in the family. Tim is also retiring from his position of Hebrew Day School Teacher and Zany Bus Driver to make even more music. Rumours amongst the pupils is that they hope it all backfires and he returns. Seriously, imagine if this dude was your teacher? Listen to the passion in which he speaks of the children in this audio interview.

Matt Bauer
Matt is back from tour in the Netherlands and France including two weeks in the woods with lots of deer, wild boars, and a great crew of folks creating a short film called "The Diamond Guitar" directed by Frank Beauvais. Matt wrote two new songs for the project, which he performs in the film. It will appear on France 3 and at film festivals later this year, hopefully near you, so keep it on your radar!

Next Thursday (June 25) Matt will be performing at Zebulon in Brooklyn with L & C. Matt will play to one of his original projections starring Melaena Cadiz called "Protect Me."

Mr. Bauer is also currently recording a collaboration with Elizabeth Butters. The songs are mostly about snakes, wolves, white lakes and braids nailed to fence posts. Rumour has it, they are taking suggestions for a band name, so drop us a line!

Moon & Moon
VII Acts of an Iron King is making waves in the sound-pond and beyond. If you are new to it, please feel free to stream it and follow the Libretto, right here. Alarm Press recently ran a feature, discussing such topics with Will Lemon as "smell-o-vision" and "goosing the audience". Here's another interview which mentions aquatic deer with Mr Lemon, as well as this interesting article regarding his viusal art. Speaking of, he's got a solo show at Fuse Gallery in NYC, opening July 11, here's the invitation.

Dragon Turtle
After eternal and patient cosmic winters in the works, the Turtle awakens with a quiver of teleportation devices: a 12" SPLIT w/ Goodnight Stars Goodnight Air, Upcoming Northeastern US Dates, and a completed Full Legnth due in September entitled Dragon Turtle Almanac. Complete Summer/Fall stargazing companions.

The Black Swans
Columbus, Ohio's darkest birds have a new split 7" with Alina Simone available from the Sunken Treasure imprint, new footage from their WFMU performance, and a patch of summer gigs including one at the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame (note: BS not eligible for induction until 2029).

The biggest news is that Black Swans frontman, Jerry DeCicca, produced an album by 70's singer-songwriter, Larry Jon Wilson, two summers ago that is finally seeing the light of day courtesy of Drag City. It also includes Black Swans violinist, Noel Sayre (R.I.P.) on several cuts. Buy it on June 23rd.

The Spring Time of Our Lives

Lewis & Clarke limited edition 12" vinyl EP and select dates with Bat For Lashes:
Light Time is the new 12" by Lewis & Clarke. It's unbearably heavy...or wait...perhaps it's unbearably light. Either way, we are dealing with concepts of both weight and illumination, the yin and yang...the music fills in the rest. For everyone who has been starving for new sounds from L & C, you can stream the record, as well as purchase it directly through us, right here. You'll want to do this, because it's a limited edition run on colored vinyl (and of course, digitally).

And yes, L & C eats it's own fruit with a new version of Dead & Gone (from 2005's Bare Bones and Branches) as well as boldly reinterpreting a most personal and influential song by Leonard Cohen.

But you surely can experience the latest L & C ensemble live, as they are opening select dates of Bat For Lashes US tour, including sold out shows at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC and Music Hall of Williamsburg. Once again, it's yin and yang, we are talking black and white, because Rogai and Co. are also playing a basement in Binghampton a week before. Bless them.
Check the full dates here.

Strand of Oaks tours the Northeast and Midwest:
While Leave Ruin is still making waves, Tim Showalter takes a break from his educational duties and brings it to the people. Our kind of people! You! In case you missed his "Top 10 Songs to Stare at His Velvet Pegasus Painting", you can check it out at When You Awake.
Most notably, and an exciting bit of news, is that Showalter returns to Goshen, IN for a hometown benefit show. A town that provides much of the backdrop to Leave Ruin, and is doing it's best to not emulate Flint, MI in the nineties. Calling all Hoosiers and helpers, all proceeds go towards "The Window" food pantry in downtown Goshen.
Check the full dates here.

Matt Bauer returns to Europe, vinyl release of The Island Moved In The Storm en route:
Matt's been playing everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Paris, France and it's only natural that we release The Island Moved In The Storm on vinyl.

Look for the pre-order link on our releases page when the showers turn to flowers.
France and the Netherlands in April and May, while June will bring a string of Northeast US
shows with Strand of Oaks and Lewis & Clarke. Check more here.

Vote Bauer! Matt Bauer has been nominated for the esteemed title of "Artist of the Month" at Deli Magazine. Show your support and cast your vote at Deli Magazine's site.

Also, since we make records, and record stores carry our records, we thought it important to mention National Record Store day!

April 18 is right around the corner, and we will all come together to celebrate at our favorite record store (which happens to be our local record store), the Main Street Jukebox in Stroudsburg, PA, with L & C, Strand of Oaks and Dream of Fire. More info right here.

Addendum: The Dragon Turtle / Goodnight Stars Goodnight Air Split 12" is in the mastering stage and will be your soundtrack to summertime stargazing.

Happy 2009!

"It's been a good year, much better than the last, and what can ruin a guy seems to move just as fast" - Strand of Oaks

We can surely relate - out with the old and in with the new...There's some wise proverb that claims you cannot dip your foot into the same river twice, and we agree as we roll up our pant legs for a dip in the river of Oaks nectar... It's been a long time coming, and the floodgates are open. Now before this metaphor is sent down the river, there is something you should know: Leave Ruin by Strand of Oaks is available now, directly from us and at finer retailers everywhere...it's the kind of album that will be your trusted companion, as you'll discover when you preview a track in the crystal player or download this mp3.

Catch Strand of Oaks live on January 22 with Matt Bauer @ Zebulon in Brooklyn, NY USA, and in Febuary with Lewis & Clarke for select East Coast US dates. Remember: It's never the same river, that's what keeps this crazy sphere interesting.

Addendum: New albums are in the works by The Black Swans and Lewis & Clarke, while Dragon Turtle and iDeath are nearing completion. Matt Bauer is gearing up for another European tour, and we should soon be receiving transmissions from Soltero's Tim Howard, who is on the lamb in Nicaragua...

It is still 2008

Moon & Moon's Epic Rock Opera, VII Acts of An Iron King, is available directly from us, right now. And if you are a discerning and involved music listener (we know you are), you'll want to access our "Companion Guide to Moon & Moon's VII Acts of an Iron King." You'll enjoy taking the time to lose yourself in this unreal and active listening experience...and don't forget to bear witness to the album release show on December 14 at Glasslands in Brooklyn, NY USA.

Matt Bauer returns to Europe for solo dates, as well as accompanying Alela Diane. From his recent cross-country US tour, we have a new live mp3 for you right here. Have you seen the brand new video for Don't Let Me Out? Well, you're probably in it, so have a look:

That was amazing, right? You looked different, but good nonetheless.

Lewis & Clarke contributed a haunting version of Disintegration to Manimal Vinyl's Perfect as Cats: A Tribute To The Cure. It's available now and all proceeds benefit Invisible Children. Check out tracks from Bat For Lashes, The Dandy Warhols, Mariee Sioux and Caroline Weeks as well!



RIP, Noel

Noel Sayre of The Black Swans has left this physical world. He will be remembered by most of us as a man of few words, his point coming across clearly with a murmer, a glance, and the sweep of his bow. Still waters run deep. Noel's contributions to our musical community will not be forgotten, and his soul lives on in the sound. Until we all meet again at that great gig in the sky: rest in peace, friend. Longtime bandmate and confidant Jerry DeCicca has posted this announcement.

The Columbus Music Co-Op has set up a non-profit account for us to deposit funds in order to help cover Noel's funeral expenses. All remaining money, and money earned in the future, will be used to set up a music scholarship at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio in Noel's name. Donate via Paypal at columbusmusiccoop@yahoo.com or by check made payable to "Noel Sayre Memorial Fund" and sent to:

Noel Sayre Memorial Fund
c/o Columbus Music Co-Op
2895 Neil Avenue #390a
Columbus, OH
43202


Be Here Now, 2008

Time's a wastin' and we have records to make, crystals to dig, and all sorts of other mysterious and interesting projects to tell you about. We don't mean to tease, it's just that these things take time and nurturing. Since you've inquired, we want to give you a taste. There are albums dangling before our very eyes like crystalline carrots...rays of light and waves of sound refracting and bending in prismatic wonder, a hall of mirrors in Timothy Leary's changing room. But we won't do that now.

We only have time for the hard facts, "bullet points" as they say in the biz. So let's get down to business:

Out now:
Soltero - You're No Dream (Read more here, and order direct from us! eMusic and iTunes too! And if you're lucky, catch Soltero live in France.)

Out soon:
Matt Bauer - The Island Moved In The Storm (Tune in on 6/9 to Irene Trudel's show on WFMU and see him live @ Joe's Pub NYC 6/18)

Out later:
Moon & Moon - VII Acts of an Iron King (preview in the crystal player!)

Strand of Oaks - Leave Ruin (yes, the crystal player!)

Check out:
The Media page for more mp3's, videos, podcasts, tour footage filmed by blind people on pogo sticks, and a Matt Bauer live session from Germany, and a Strand of Oaks "Secret Stereo" session!

Rumours:
What? Albums from iDeath? Dragon Turtle? New recordings in the works from The Black Swans and Lewis & Clarke?

Advice:
Look into the crystalline carrot and remember, the mirror won't lie to you. Set sail, shed scales, and let the music light the lamps...

March 2008

Tours and more tours.... This means Columbus, Ohio's darkest birds The Black Swans in the midst of a national tour, as well as Lewis & Clarke, Strand of Oaks, and Soltero coming soon to a town near you. And there's gentle giant Matt Bauer, currently in Europe backing Alela Diane and playing a string of solo dates. So click on the shows page, please. Then go see our artists live, while they still play their own instruments.

Records, too! We are delighted to announce May 20 for the release of You're No Dream, the latest from Soltero. Soltero's Tim Howard is as prolific as he is under-the-radar, until now...You be the judge, as there is indeed a new song in the player, Honey Say It, our favorite little gem of the album. Our friends Messie Murders will facilitate the release in France, hand-in-hand with select Soltero dates overseas. More soon....

Check out the new Lewis & Clarke video which reconstructs indie-folk-cum-performance-spandex-gesture-piece over at Stereogum. You'll like it. Also of note for the neo-baroque soul-benders, our friends at Manimal Vinyl have invited L & C to contribute to their latest benefit compilation, Perfect As Cats, A Tribute To The Cure.

At the moment, there are other treasures here at La-Soc HQ: finished masters of new records including a mythical epic from Moon & Moon, Strand of Oaks' hometown deathbed confession hymns and ghost-whisperer Matt Bauer. Are they amazing? Yes, and they will prove to accompany the floral and aural fauna of our early midsummer night's daydreams. Stay tuned, dreamers....

It's too damn cold in Pennsylvania to sit here and type about The Black Swans US Tours and Daytrotter Sessions, or year-end lists where The Onion makes statements about Lewis & Clarke like "Lou Rogai finally puts the lame-ass freak-folk label to rest by making an album that's as grounded in real life as it is sublimated in ether." There is no time for telling you, our rabid music freak, about videos that look like they have been filmed by a blind person on a pogo stick, or other such peripheral wankery. Sometimes reality is as plain as frostbite, the stove is out of coal, and it's time for Tom to chop some wood....So you may please click on some blue links or something, and check back soon, we'll tell you all about the upcoming Soltero, Moon & Moon, Strand of Oaks and Matt Bauer records! (pssst....there's a new song in the player) Stay warm....and thanks for a wonderful year.

Even our mom called last month "Rocktober," with Lewis & Clarke closing their North American tour with Bat For Lashes, The Black Swans beginning their pre-release wanderings, and all of La Société Expéditionnaire piling up in Brooklyn for CMJ at Union Pool on the 17th and at Sound Fix on the 18th, it looks like mother was right.

And since everyone loves nicknames, let's call this page of the calendar "Slow-vember" because the 6th is the day when The Black Swans present us with Change!, their new knotty dose of creaky truths that comes at you like a snail with a giant brain. It's already getting the big buzz with Pitchfork and Stereogum wetting appetites with news and music. Pre-Orders shipping now! Most importantly, please check out the "making of" video on The Black Swans' artist page. "Where's my buddy Jerry?"

Oh, and Lewis & Clarke just recorded a Daytrotter session in Rock Island, Illinois, and The Black Swans have one on the books before the month is out. Fine folks, over there in Rock Island...Rocktober? Hmmm....Once again, this makes La-Soc say, "Dig the crystals."

Coming in 2008: Moon & Moon delivers a seven-act performance/musical theater piece, an epic tale of angst, hunger, tragedy, failure, and ultimately, hope. Strand of Oaks prepares to Leave Ruin and we are invited along...in the meantime, check out an exclusive Oaks EP and interview at Secret Stereo! Full lengths from Dragon Turtle and iDeath all on the way.

Addendum: In case you exist only in an isolated bubble of contemporary popular sub-culture and music critique, unaware of our global political climate, please peek at the situation in Burma and spread the word! The word is powerful, and it starts with each of us.

Viva La Soc!

September 2007


Lewis & Clarke have announced North American fall dates, including a tour with Brighton UK's finest, Bat for Lashes. We could not be more pleased with the pairing of such enchanting and spellbinding beauty. Blasts of Holy Birth is now available digitally, as well as climbing the CMJ charts and warming the hearts and souls of music lovers everywhere. Also, Stereogum's Brandon Stosuy caught up with Lou to discuss the finer points of balance...read the interview here.

The La Société Expéditionnaire über-official CMJ Showcase:
Join us on October 17th at Union Pool in Williamsburg Brooklyn: Moon & Moon, The Black Swans, Lewis & Clarke, Strand of Oaks and Dragon Turtle...more here.

Change! is the new album by The Black Swans, coming November 6. This record has had us nailed to the floor with our jaws wide open, drooling, and is bound to tug your heartstrings, and then some...Click the crystal and have a listen for yourself, and catch them live all over the place this fall.

Spring/Summer 2007

Lewis & Clarke's Blasts of Holy Birth
Shipping now! Streaming here! The response has been overwhelming...alas, words alone can do no justice, it simply must be experienced in context. Get on it, celebrate spring with this wonder of aural yoga.
Info, mp3, tracklisting, and order info on the releases page.

Strand of Oaks on the radio
While working out details of the upcoming Leave Ruin, Tim and his special guests performed a live session from Simple Folk Radio out of Brighton, UK. Listen to it here, on our new iMeem player.

The Black Swans phone it in
Tune in to the sound of grown men clad in undergarments and other peculiar attire as they hijack an Ohio University dorm room, acquire a shirtless music student to accompany them on "lead guitar", and perform the finest and most surreal set in the history of the program. From the belly of the beast, amongst brazen co-eds, and under the radar of campus security, The Black Swans perform live on Phoning It In.
"He's on a scholarship."

Busters Magazine
"Looks good in a pocket, take it on the bus, cool your eyes on a Busters Magazine."



More soon, including upcoming releases (see below) , tourdates, and witticisms, now back to the gardening...

Winter 2006

Dig deep, friends. Our crystal cluster is growing, and the glowing oracle is forecasting the arrival of many treasures in the form of limited edition vinyl, digital releases, Busters Magazine, and some amazing albums on the way from Lewis & Clarke, Strand of Oaks, and Moon & Moon. Read on...

"I'll keep touching myself"
Strand of Oaks' Timothy Showalter reveals all in Sister Evangeline. Has he cracked and gone too far, or is he merely presenting a character narrative? Perhaps both. Leave Ruin is the wonderful new album in mixing stages at One Forest, It is a beauty of an album which will take them out of the basement and into the civic arena before anyone can cry "Judas!"... In the meantime, you can get your dose of Oaks nectar in the form of a sweet split 7" with Dragon Turtle.


"Two sons? I have two sons?"
The pleading voice of a distressed mother quivers in disbelief during Act II of the workings from Moon & Moon, referred to by one ill-advised music critic as "an acid burnout (not, as rumoured, Devendra Banhart) fronting three percussionists, three keyboardists and a bassist making shockingly listenable hippie jams." This is one of the more amusing descriptions we have heard, and there has been quite a lot of misinformation and rumour surrounding this outfit, so here's to keeping the fake-tasters guessing. Feel free to investigate the concept for yourself, click the crystal...

Coming soon: less language, more music, online store, photo album, free downloads, space. Check back with us.