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Tar
Hut News Brief, January 22, 1999
We're
very proud to announce the release of "It's Heartbreak That Sells,"
a collection of songs in tribute to the legendary godfather of the New
England music scene, Ray Mason. The album, which will be available in
stores on April 20, boasts heavy-hitter names such as the Ass Pony's,
Cheri Knight, Eric Ambel, and Steve Westfield & The Slow Band. Our
very own Angry Johnny & The Killbillies and King Radio make appearances
also! In addition, countless numbers of local musicians who consider
Ray Mason a mentor and a special friend make appearances: The Incredible
Casuals, The Gutterbirds (including Ray's Lonesome Brothers bandmate
Jim Armenti), Jim Weeks, The Bamboo Steamers, and Pete Weiss & The
Rock Band all pay tribute. We're truly honored to be a part of this,
and we hope that you'll enjoy the album. If you're interested in hearing
any of Ray Mason's music, you can check out Wormco
Records or just check out our listening
station and click on any Lonesome Brothers clip.
January
13, 1999
Happy
New Year! We hope your holiday season was great! Here in Boston, we're
pretty much right smack-dab in the middle of winter. It's cold, everyone's
huddled in their houses, drinking hot chocolate and buried underneath
5 or 6 layers of blankets. Here at Tar Hut Records headquarters we've
got the space heater on high, the jacuzzi covered for the winter, and
the heliport on top of our building is inactive at the time, but ready
to be put to use in case of an emergency trip to a high climate area.
You see, since we're label tycoons, we pretty much have offices in all
four corners of the world.
Anyway…..
So what the heck are we doing, you ask? We're planning 1999! We've got
quite a year on deck for you all - and let us tell you about it. We're
pretty darn proud to announce that we'll be releasing a record sometime
this summer by a fantastic power pop band called Mission Orange. Mission
Orange features Frank Padellaro and David Trenholm from King Radio,
Steve Desaulniers (a Scud Mountain Boys alum) and even the great Joe
Pernice (Pernice Brothers, Scud Mountain Boys) will be singing and playing
on a track or two. What we've heard so far has completely knocked us
senseless. If you're a fan of pop music, you must hear this.
Speaking
of cold, let's not forget "Man, It's Cold," our next release by Martin's
Folly, who were just voted the "Best Band of 1999" by the Mayor of Williamsburg,
NY, Bernard Starfy. They were also voted "Most Likely to Admire Mott
the Hoople" by Jimmy Bollea, second-in-charge to Mayor Starfy. If you're
a fan of Wurlitzer laced pop with a tiny twist of Neil Young influence,
"Man, It's Cold" will destroy and stomp on your winter blues. The masterpiece
will be released on February 9th, so go ahead and look for it in your
local store (or you can get it from us on our mail
order page).
Look
for Martin's Folly at our Nashville Extravaganza showcase on February
12 at Robert's Western Wear (the Ex-Husbands and King Radio also share
the bill!).
Among
other things, we've got super-secret stuff we're working on, too; we
just can't tell you about any of it yet because the legal people would
get mad at us. We don't mind the "mad" part too much, it's just when
they come to the office and begin using words over 10 letters long and
we're not really sure what they're talking about, but it sounds like
they're upset and could, at the drop of a hat, legally dispatch us to
the northernmost point of Canada for the rest of our lives. So trust
us, there's a lot of other stuff going on, and we'll let you know as
soon as we're allowed.
Looking
for an update on our other pop darlings King Radio? OK. They're on their
way out to California for a few shows, and will be criss-crossing the
United States of America over the next few months, proving to all what
everyone in Boston already knows - Frank Padellaro is one of the finest
singers around. Trained as an opera singer, Frank turned to rock 'n'
roll when one day he walked out onto the doorstep of his home and found
that every last Kinks record (on vinyl, no less) was left on his doorstep.
The vinyl had been orphaned by some clueless music hack who probably
thought the Kinks were a Calypso band from the 1930s or something. From
there, it was all over for Frank. As soon as he heard "Picture Book,"
he began building his first guitar and the rest is history. Along with
being the front man for King Radio, he owns and operates his own guitar
shop in Northampton, MA - Downtown Sounds and King Radio still covers
"Picture Book."
In
other news for the upcoming year, look for the re-issue of Angry Johnny
& The Killbillies first album, "Hankenstein," sometime in the spring.
We've received so many requests for the album since their second one
("What's So Funny?") was released in 1998 that we ran out - so we're
getting more. Don't forget, too, that these boys are more or less always
on the road and deliver some of the most powerful live performances
you'll see. Check our tour
page for info on their whereabouts.
Geez,
guess that's all. If you ever have any questions, there's a million
ways to find us, so feel free to get in touch with us anytime via email
at info or phone. In the meantime, we're going to go light
a fire and heat up the hot cider. Thanks for all of your support as
we enter our third year, it's been a wild and unforgettable ride. See
you next time!
Best
to all - Jeff, Dave and Leo
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