crossbillrecords.com

Sea of Bees to release “Song For Ravens” on Crossbill!

Crossbill Records — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:06:27 +0000

Crossbill is super excited to announce that we will be releasing the debut LP, ‘Song For Ravens’ from Sacramento’s Sea of Bees . This is a record that we can’t stop listening to and are absolutely honored to be a part of. More info soon!

Sea of Bees - Willis - Luxury Wafers Sessions from Luxury Wafers on Vimeo.

previous press from the Bee Eee Pee:

“This is a phenom in the making.”

“The songs feel pure and unforced, as if filled with light.”

“Baenziger has a quality in her voice and her arrangements that suggests she has too much integrity to get covered in gloss.”

“I can’t stop listening to this album to save my life.”

Garrett Pierce Embarks on New Recording Session

Crossbill Records — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 22:57:22 +0000

Garrett Pierce is currently up in the Sonoma Mountains to record his latest record. This album will be more stripped down than ‘All Masks”, will feature the production talents of Eric Ruud (Sholi) and frequent collaborators and friends Timothy Wright (lap steel, guitar, percussion) and Jen Grady (cello) will also contribute their wizardry. Look for this record to be available in the early summer.

You can hear many of these new songs at an upcoming Garrett Pierce show.

Upcoming GP Shows:
March 15th at Luigi’s Fun Garden, Sacramento w/ Pat Hull
March 30th House Show in Davis w/ Laura Gibson
March 31st at Rickshaw Stop w/ Laura Gibson, Emily Jane White
April 9th at Sophia’s Opening Weekend w/ Sea Of Bees

“All Masks” named in best of 2009 list by The Bay Bridged

Crossbill Records — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:56:46 +0000

The Bay Bridged came out with their Top 32 SF/Bay Area records of the year and Garrett Pierce’s Crossbill release “All Masks” made the cut. Thanks to the Bay Bridged for their continued support, we are so fortunate to have an excellent local blog that features the diverse talents of such a talented and often overlooked scene.

Garrett Pierce NW Tour Recap

Crossbill Records — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:33:21 +0000

Garrett Pierce reports on his recent tour up north…I saw the first snow fall in Olympia. I saw the whole great state of Oregon shut down for the College Football Civil War (Ducks vs. Beavers for Rose Bowl Honors…Ducks win). I saw the inside of a small art gallery taken up by a grand piano. These are some of the memories I recall of my brief tour through the northwest. This was my forth time playing shows up there and I’ve often found myself caught in the knee-shaking, colder months. I dread it, but never forget it.

I had the honor of starting the tour off at my favorite Portland venue, The Woods, run by my comrade Ritchie of Loch Lomond. This old funeral-parlor-cum-venue is so exquisite and comfortable despite the many ghosts that have wandered through there. I opened for Portland’s own Weinland, who blew me away as usual. Those guys represent everything musical and friendly that make PDX my favorite West Coast City.

Next show was in Seattle where I played with Johanna Kunin. What a pleasure it was to hear her on a grand piano…she reminds me of Regina Spektor if she abandoned all her newest pop foibles and returned to a more pristine and truer sound. Then off to Olympia, where I shared a five band bill of tremendous songwriters and a pre-show soup cook-off that evoked the Olympian D.I.Y nature that we have all come to know and love. And that was that…just three shows and one more night of libations with my buddy Dan Glendenning (an amazing artist and poet that y’all should all discover).

For this trip I took a plane, car, train and taxi to get around - the benefit of traveling light. But I couldn’t have done it without the help of all my friends up there…you know who you are. Thank you. And thank you to Michael Leahy for previously transporting me through the NW, and for inspiring me to write this passage. I love this music thing.

-Garrett Pierce

Jake Mann and the Upper Hand prep new release

Crossbill Records — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:54:32 +0000

Jake writes in with the Upper Hand goings on as of late…We’ve taken a break from live shows this fall to finish up our new full-length with Max Hart producing. (He mixed Daytime Ghost.) Recording in San Francisco, Brooklyn, an abandoned theater in the North Bay… a great cohesion of band takes (with co-engineering by Eric Ruud), experimental overdubs, stripped-down trio, quartet, sextet, pedal steel and B3 organ (Max), string sections (Jen Grady and Carey Lamprecht), trumpet (Aaron Bellamy), radios, noise, power pop, soul, dreamy western… all stuff we’ve been dabbling in with our live sets and last summer’s Valdez EP (http://www.jakemann.org/valdez_ep.zip), now taken a few steps further out on the trajectory. This record is sunny and southern-facing… it’s been a good time working on it. Today we tromped around Bernal Hill shooting a video for the lead single and laughing our heads off. (editing in the works by drummer man Dan Baber) Look out for some first-hit transmissions in January 2010.

http://www.jakemann.org

Silver Darling on Luxury Wafers Sessions

Crossbill Records — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 23:37:31 +0000

Silver Darling was featured on a Luxury Wafers
live session. Here are the boys premiering an
unreleased jam, “Brick and Mortar”. Thanks to Luxury Wafers
for asking Silver D to take part. Sounds good, looks good.

Jake Mann and the Upper Hand play Cafe DuNord and release FREE Valdez EP

Crossbill Records — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:09:47 +0000

Jake, Dan and Aaron will be kicking off a not-to-be-missed night of music at Cafe Du Nord on Monday July 27th. Jake Mann + the Upper Hand will be opening for two fine representatives from the talented Park the Van Records stable of stars (home of Dr. Dog): Floating Action and Generationals.

As a bonus to your summer soundtrack, we’re offering up a new digital-only EP to the dedicated listeners. Featuring full-band redux takes of a couple favorites and some experimental jams, the Valdez EP offers a taste of new sounds they’ve been recording with Max Hart (We Are Scientists, High Speed Scene) on the way to their next full-length album. Aaron Bellamy is on guitar and trumpet, Dan Baber on drums, percussion, and vocals, Jake on bass, some guitar, and vocals. Max joins in with pedal steel and tape delay manipulations on ” Lie Like and Actor”, and sings backup on “First Assumptions”. Sonic consultations as always with our man on the scene, Eric Ruud.

http://www.jakemann.org/valdez_ep.zip (25Mb zip file, itunes-ready)

Don’t miss the group live at Du Nord. Get there at 7:30 to catch all the action. $10, 21+

Garrett Pierce @ The Rickshaw June 3rd in SF + “All Masks” reviews

Crossbill Records — Sat, 30 May 2009 19:29:50 +0000

We’d love to see you out at the next show, Garrett Pierce back in San Francico-it’s a big one!
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Garrett Pierce w/Jake Mann + Tim Wright @ The Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell St.

Wednesday June 3rd 8 pm, $10

+ Conspiracy of Venus and The Devotionals (Tyson from Two Gallants and Anton from Judgement Day
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Thanks to these fine folks for taking time to review “All Masks”

“Another great singer/songwriter from San Francisco. Powerful with a light touch, Garrett will rip your heart out one moment and have you dancing the next.” - Tony DuShane, SF Gate
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“Garrett’s talents as a performer and a songwriter are undeniable.”
-The Bay Bridged
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“Loving the beautifully recorded, moodily mythic tunes on the SF songsmith’s new All Masks” - Kimberly Chun SF Guardian
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“Wow! Bay Area troubadour Mr. Garrett Pierce has continued to nurture and refine his songcraft in a big big way. All Masks blossoms and flourishes onwards from his previous two releases… Some of the songs on his latest album verge on the epic yet still maintain his intimate earthy heart.” - Aquarius Records
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“Garrett Pierce has great songwriting, a cohesive album and simply something you find yourself singing along to, or at least humming in my case. Pierce is releasing his third album and second with Crossbill Records and I have been lucky enough to be listening for a bit now.

While I can get lost in “Sad Bastard Music” and don’t mind when an artist can display this theme through an entire album, many have a hard time being bombarded by the uber mellow. “All Masks” doesn’t fall victim to something like this, while you do have your aching ballads, you still have range through almost bluesy inspiration (see “Lioness & Lion”) while still having the down-tempo (see “Can I Stop Breathing?” - beauty) and even have a bit of Southern rock influences on a song like “All Through The Night”. There is a bit of a whole package here, either that or he is still formulating if he wants to be an “at dusk troubadour” or a “late night crooner”. For those in the know, they can be two different beasts. Either way, Pierce has the chops and talent to do either.”
-SlowAcoustic.com

Jake Mann plays 3 shows with fav band The Spires, May 15-17 in Santa Rosa, Davis and San Francisco

Crossbill Records — Thu, 14 May 2009 05:53:16 +0000

May 15th @ The Phantom Gallery w/ That Ghost (Jake solo) in Santa Rosa, 7pm, $5 All Ages

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May 16 @ Sophia’s w/ The Dazzling Strangers in Davis, 10 pm, $3, 21+ in the bar, -21 on balcony B

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May 17th @ the Knockout w/ Love Is Chemicals, Drummer Dan’s Birthday Bash in SF, EARLY 5 pm

Garrett Pierce “All Masks” Record Release Tour

Crossbill Records — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:02:28 +0000

4/16 in Sacramento @ Luigi’s Fun Garden w/Sholi and Odawas

4/19 in Los Angeles @ HOME w/Evan Way of the Parson Red Heads

4/20 in San Diego @ Soda Bar

4/21 in Santa Barbara @ Muddy Waters w/Franklin For Short

4/22 in Monterey @ Monterey Live w/Greg Ginn (Black Flag)

4/23 in Healdsburg @ Ravenous

4/24 in Davis @ Sophia’s

5/3 in SF @ Cafe DuNord w/Window Twins (Black Fiction) and Agent Ribbons

“All Masks” will be available on itunes, emusic and in these stores; Aquarius Records and Amoeba Records in SF, Armadillo Records in Davis, R5 Records in Sacramento. If you purchase a copy of the record from the Crossbill Store we’ll throw in a FREE Crossbill Records sampler.