Bygones album championed by iTunes, MySpace, LA Weekly... you?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 31, 2009

"Definitely not for the faint of heart or easily distracted." -- Sputnik Music

Hot on the heels of Bygones' album debut last week, the music mega-monoliths iTunes and MySpace Music have both championed the new power-duo featuring Zach Hill (drums, vocals) and Nick Reinhart (guitar, bass, vocals). iTunes featured the album on the front page of its Alternative Rock section, while MySpace showcased the band on its front page as well. Likewise, LA Weekly featured the band's deluxe vinyl edition in Chris Martins' Inches column.

Bygones is, to a certain degree, the optimal outcome of a musical marriage of Hill's band Hella and Reinhart's group Tera Melos. Considering that those bands don't need words to get their point across, logically, a project bred from their members is equally successful at rendering listeners speechless. Check out the MP3 for "Click On That (Smash The Plastic Death)" HERE.

Bygones' debut album by- will most certainly render even the most loquacious and easily-distracted dumbfounded. It's a sinewy, wired mass of riffs and rhythms tightly wound around a uniquely pop heart. The duo fits more riffs and ideas into one song than most bands fit into a whole album. It's tireless, and nearly infinite in the sheer quantity of ideas to unravel.

Most everyone familiar with Zach Hill knows he's an equally tireless collaborator. Just take a look at his impressive Wikipedia page. Along with Hella, he also performs with Marnie Stern and in El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez, Team Sleep (with Chino Moreno of Deftones), Goon Moon, Crime In Choir and a host of others. In a recent news story, Pitchfork quipped of his ridiculously busy schedule, "at this rate, Hill's probably going to need to clone himself."

Bygones debut album by- was released by Sargent House on August 25th on both CD and 12" Vinyl.

Artist: Bygones

Title: By-

Label: Sargent House

Release Date: August 25, 2009

01) Cold Reading

02) Click on That (Smash The Plastic Death) MP3

03) Not What It Is But What It’s Not

04) Nu Cringe
05) Fool Evolved

06) Spray You With Your Own Trip
07) Expelled
08) Up the Shakes

09) Ex-People
10) Error

Hi-Res Cover Art, Album Stream and more:
http://www.sargenthouse.com/2o3otj3d1.html

On the Web:
http://www.myspace.com/bygonesmusic
http://sargenthouse.com/bygones.html
http://www.myspace.com/zachhillmusic
http://www.myspace.com/teramelos

# # #

Bygones is available for interviews.

For more information, please contact Dave Clifford at dave@usthemgroup.com

Sargent House label offers free sampler courtesy of AmazonMP3

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 27th, 2009

The rapidly rising indie label Sargent House is offering a free sampler of its diverse roster of bands beginning this week via AmazonMP3. The 12-song compilation features tracks by RX Bandits, Bygones (Zach Hill & Nick Reinhart), Good Old War, Maps & Atlases, Tera Melos and Red Sparowes. The label sampler includes two singles currently at radio, "My Lonesome Only Friend" (MP3) by RX Bandits and "Looking For Shelter" (MP3) by Good Old War. See full track listing below.

Amazon is currently honoring the indie label on its front page, adding it to the ranks of the online retailer's other championed imprints. The entire free compilation is available HERE.

Sargent House is a Los Angeles based management company and record label. It was founded in June 2006 by Cathy Pellow who also owns music video production company and syndicated television show Refused TV. Pellow began managing the metamorphic rock outfit RX Bandits in 2006. The band needed to release its new album ...And The Battle Begun so Pellow decided to launch her own record label (largely out of interest in doing things differently from the traditional model of record labels.) From that point onward, Pellow continued to manage bands and release records, all under the Sargent House banner.

Listed chronologically from when Pellow first began working with them, Sargent House currently manages the RX Bandits, These Arms Are Snakes, Maps & Atlases, Russian Circles, Tera Melos, Daughters, Red Sparowes, Red Fang, Good Old War, Native, Bygones, Zechs Marquise and Zach Hill. Additionally, Pellow also helms the Rodriguez Lopez Productions imprint, founded by The Mars Volta guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. Sonny Kay came from the Gold Standard Labs label as art director for Rodriguez Lopez Productions (RLP) and Sargent House. RLP launched in March 2009, with its first release by El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez titled Cryptomnesia out in May 2009.

Currently, all Sargent House managed bands also have a release on the SH label. Drummer Zach Hill is the most recent management and label signing. His next solo album, Face Tat is slated for release on Sargent House.

Sargent House FREE sampler track listing:

01. Good Old War "Looking For Shelter" (MP3)

02. RX Bandits "My Lonesome Only Friend" (MP3)

03. Maps & Atlases "Ted Zancha"

04. Bygones "Click On That (Smash the Plastic Death)"

05. This Town Needs Guns "Chinchilla"

06. Tera Melos "A Spoonful of Slurry"

07. Fang Island "Vlad"

08. Native "Ride The Tide"

09. Red Fang "Sharks"

10. Love You Moon "David's Birthday"

11. Cast Spells "Glamorous Glowing"

12. Red Sparowes "The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer"

On the Web:

http://www.sargenthouse.com

http://sargenthouse.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000419861

Good Old War starts full US tour while Triple A radio embraces new single, "Looking For Shelter"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 24, 2009

“Good Old War charms with a genuine feel-goodness. The album has no posing or forced trickery.” – Phil Ramone, Huffington Post

“Together as Good Old War the trio have mastered the art of three part vocal harmonies and their lively and intricate songs are a throwback to the days when Crosby, Stills, & Nash ruled the rock world” – Alternative Press

Acoustic folk trio Good Old War launches yet another extensive US tour this week, this time with Brooklyn's lauded indie group, The Honorary Title. While the busy band has spent much of the summer on tour (including dates with RX Bandits & Dredg), it has also reigned large on the radio. Their recent performance on the nationally syndicated Acoustic Cafe program marked a high point in dozens of live on-air visits for Good Old War. See upcoming radio appearances and tour dates below.

Good Old War's tremendous three-part harmonies and flawless performances prove their deft musicianship, as evidenced in this recent on-air performance at WTMD in Baltimore.

Recently, Good Old War was among the top most added on the Triple A (Adult Album Alternative) radio charts for the new single, "Looking For Shelter" (MP3 HERE.) While the band's lulling harmonies have already caught fire with younger listeners, the Triple A commercial & non-commercial radio attention is glowing testament to Good Old War's vast appeal. In fact, many fans were so inspired by the Pennsylvania group's Sargent House debut, Only Way To Be Alone they've posted cover versions of Good Old War songs to YouTube. Alternately, check out the official video for "Weak Man" HERE.

Seldom do band members rebound gracefully after their main musical effort falls apart, but Keith Goodwin (vocals/guitar) and Tim Arnold (drums/vocals), members of the once up-and-coming progressive rock band Days Away have managed to do just that, pulling a 180 with their sound to a great degree of success in their new acoustic folk project Good Old War. Rounding out the trio is Dan Schwartz (guitar/vocals) from the Americana tinged six-piece band, Unlikely Cowboy.

Unlike the recent trend among indie rock artists who have visited the country/folk genre, Good Old War makes no attempt to assimilate its music for the sake of novelty. There’s no fake twang in Keith Goodwin’s soft vocals, nor does the band try to overindulge itself by adding sounds by the harmonica or mandolin just for the sake of having them. Instead, this trio from Pennsylvania retains the intimate storytelling nature of folk-song structure, playing music for those who desire an emotive, lyrical experience without having to wade through pretentious or unnecessary musical gimmicks to get it.

Only Way To Be Alone, Good Old War’s debut full length, was produced by Rick Parker (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Miranda Lee Richards) in Los Angeles in May 2008.

Good Old War tour:

Aug 26 Charlotte, NC @ The Milestone +

Aug 27 W.Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern +

Aug 28 Virginia Beach, VA @ ECSC - Hurley Free Festival

Aug 31 Tallahassee, FL @ Big Daddy's +

Sep 01 Metarie, LA @ The High Ground +

Sep 02 Little Rock, AR @ Sticky Fingers +

Sep 05 Tulsa, OK @ Marquee +

Sep 06 Dallas, TX @ The Prophet Bar +

Sep 07 San Antonio, TX @ The White Rabbit +

Sep 08 Austin, TX @ Emo's +

Sep 09 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad +

Sep 11 San Diego, CA @ Epicentre +

Sep 12 Los Angeles, CA @ Knitting Factory +

Sep 13 San Francisco,CA @ Bottom of the Hill +

Sep 14 Orangevale, CA @ The Boardwalk +

Sep 15 Portland, OR @ Satyricon +

Sep 16 Seattle, WA @ Studio 7 +

Sep 18 Boise, ID @ The Venue +

Sep 19 Salt Lake City, UT @ Avalon Theater +

Sep 20 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater +

Sep 22 Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck +

Sep 24 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock +

Sep 25 Dekalb, IL @ House Cafe +

Sep 26 Chicago, IL @ Reggie's +

Sep 27 Covington, KY @ The Mad Hatter +

Sep 28 Toledo, OH @ Frankie's Inner City +

Sep 29 Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot +

Sep 30 Akron, OH @ Musica +

Oct 02 Harrisburg, PA @ Whittaker Center +

Oct 03 Allston, MA @ Harpers Ferry +

Oct 04 Rockville Center, NY @ The Vibe Lounge +

Oct 06 Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's +

+ = w/ The Honorary Title & Cory Branan

Upcoming Radio Appearances:

KZMV in Breckenridge, CO

KSMT in Breckenridge, CO

WXRY in Columbia, SC

WNKU in Cincinatti, OH

WSGE in Charlotte, NC

KTGB in Kansas City, MO

Hi-res cover art, photos and bio:

http://www.sargenthouse.com/gow_assets.html

Cast Spells EP released today, hits iTunes "What's Hot" front page section

David Davison's Cast Spells released its debut EP Bright Works and Baton on Sargent House today. The Maps & Atlases frontman's side project immediately landed on iTunes' front page "What's Hot" section.

Bright Works and Baton has already garnered considerable critical praise, including this insightful review from Stereo Subversion.

Following extensive touring and a bunch of festivals with his band Maps & Atlases, Davison took Cast Spells out for its first tour ever with So Many Dynamos in July.

CLICK HERE TO STREAM ALBUM

ZIP files and CD copies available to press for review upon request.

Bright Works And Baton
1) Glamorous Glowing
2) War Story Hellos

3) Potted Plant
4) Pioneer Scalps
5) American Quilts
6) A Badge

Hi-Res Cover Art, Album Stream and more:

http://www.sargenthouse.com/d1r7ys0x.html

On the Web:

http://www.myspace.com/castspells

http://sargenthouse.com/cspells.html
http://www.myspace.com/mapsandatlases

# # #

Dave Davison is available for interviews.

For more information, please contact Dave Clifford at dave@usthemgroup.com

The Happy Hollows announce October release of highly-anticipated full length

“A killer hybrid of Kim Deal, PJ Harvey and Emily Haines. Negahdari has the guitar chops, explosive energy and winning sense of humor that should make The Happy Hollows one of the more interesting bands of our new millennium’s next decade.” -- Wired Magazine

"A pugilistic mix of stinging guitars, turbulent rhythms, and shouted vocals. Alternates between childlike experimentation and ferocious firestorm.” -- Los Angeles Times

Acclaimed Los Angeles trio The Happy Hollows have announced the release of their debut full length in October. The album, Spells is a culmination of their work with producer and former Mighty Lemon Drops guitarist David Newton (The Little Ones, The Blood Arm), who also produced the group’s 2008 EP Imaginary. The young group's infectious and irreverent noise-pop has earned considerable following up and down the west coast, with their energetic and charismatic performances. Vocalist/guitarist Sarah Negahdari wields ominous riffs and finger-tapped arpeggios while singing with a cherubic-yet-mischievous grin. Meanwhile, the agile rhythm section of Charles Mahoney (bass/vocals) and Chris Hernandez (drums/vocals) vault and lunge with precision. Listen to MP3s for "Faces" (HERE) and "Monster Room" (HERE). Stream the full album here.

Wired Magazine recently described Negahdari as “a killer hybrid of Kim Deal, PJ Harvey and Emily Haines” and added that “Negahdari has the guitar chops, explosive energy and winning sense of humor that should make The Happy Hollows one of the more interesting bands of our new millennium’s next decade.” The BBC picked them as a band to watch for 2009, the Los Angeles Times has described the group’s sound as a “pugilistic mix of stinging guitars, turbulent rhythms, and shouted vocals” that “alternates between childlike experimentation and ferocious firestorm.” AllMusic wrote that the band’s “appeal is immediate” and LAist has labeled them “a must see!”

The Happy Hollows' catchy yet dissonant sound is influenced by genres as disparate as 90's college rock, garage punk, art rock, and 80's pop. The band combines innovative song structures, surreal lyrics, and fiercely adept instrumentation to recreate reality into a jagged panorama of vibrant, kaleidoscopic collage. Listening to their music, one cannot help but see visions of a place oddly askew from the world we experience everyday, a parallel universe that is at once whimsical, demented, and ferocious.

Having born and bred their band in various corners of the L.A. music scene since forming 2006, The Happy Hollows played their first shows in Japanese restaurants, laundromats, and small local clubs. In their first year as a band, they snuck into a studio at night and, in two sessions, recorded Bunnies and Bombs, an EP that attracted the attention of the L.A.'s underground music scene. After seeing them play a show, established L.A. heroes Silversun Pickups asked The Happy Hollows to open for them at The Wiltern and The Fillmore. In 2008, fellow art-rock outfit Deerhoof invited the Hollows to open for them on their album release shows at The Avalon and The Great American Music Hall.

In October 2009, The Happy Hollows will release their debut album entitled Spells. The 14 tracks on Spells encompass the wide range of structures and musical ideas that The Happy Hollows bring to the table. The album’s opening track, “Faces”, begins with a crunchy guitar hook strummed by Ms. Negahdari on her Gibson SG. The song takes an unexpected twist with the introduction of the drums and bass, and yet another turn when Negahdari’s irresistible, chanteuse style vocals begin floating over the music. Track 3, “Silver”, is a gritty and danceable song that shows off Ms. Negahdari’s unconventional lead guitar technique. On track 5, “Lieutenant”, the band demonstrates their technical chops as well as their ability to compose songs with non-traditional structures. Two of the later songs on Spells, “Father Time” and “Turtle and Hare”, highlight the band’s more eerie and melodic side.

In summary, Spells is an album which is at once catchy and innovative. It is gritty, loud, and ambitious, while not shying away from the use of melody and the employment pop sensibility. Written and recorded over a period of two years, it will certainly stand as one of the definitive statements of the Los Angeles and indie rock music scenes in recent memory.

The Happy Hollows live:

Aug 08 San Diego, CA @ Kensington Club

Aug 28 Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place

Sep 04 Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland (Album Release Party)

Artist: The Happy Hollows

Album: Spells

Release Date: October 06, 2009

01. Faces (MP3)

02. Death To Vivek Kemp

03. Silver

04. We Will Find You

05. Lieutenant

06. Father Time

07. Monster Room (MP3)

08. High Wire

09. Turtle and Hare

10. DeLorean

11. The Stein

12. Tambourine

13. A Man, A Plan, A Canal

14. Second Lieutenant

On the web:

http://www.happyhollows.com

http://www.myspace.com/thehappyhollows

http://thehappyhollows.bandcamp.com/

http://twitter.com/happyhollows

# # #

The Happy Hollows are available for interviews. For more information, please contact Dave Clifford at dave@usthemgroup.com