This biggest news of the season is some long-awaited distribution. The fine folks at Redeye will be distributing all btv cds to music stores all across the country, including your favorite independents, larger chains, and internet superstores. Finding our titles should be easier than ever and make you more willing to snatch them up. I'm definitely very excited for this.

Denison Witmer is one hard working young man. Next week, he begins recording his third full-length, Philadelphia Songs, with good friend and local Philadelphian, Scott French. Scott recorded the two bonus tracks on the btv version of Safe Away. These songs will be captured intimately at home on 8-track, which presents many challenges, but will hopefully allow for a stripped down beautiful recording. In March and April, Denison will be touring mostly the West, Southwest, and Midwest with Cleveland's The Six Parts Seven (Suicide Squeeze). They will be making an appearance together at Austin's South by Southwest showcase. After the tour, Denison is planning the big move to Seattle. Philadelphia Songs is a way to wrap up an era and hopefully be the gateway into a new era. I know I'll miss him being around so much. Starting in mid-February, Of Joy & Sorrow will be serviced to CMJ and AAA stations nationwide. Let you local station know that you would like to hear this record. In May or so, Denison's first cdep, River Bends, will be re-released on Burnt Toast Vinyl.

Ester Drang have been busy practicing up, getting some songs in order, and preparing for some recordings. Their 7" for Zeal Recordings is still looming in the near future and plans are to record later in the year, with no firm arrangements finalized. The Drang will be taking the West by storm in May, so look for them if you live in that part of the U.S.

In the Trouble with Sweeney camp, there are two upcoming marriages which is slowing down the live appearances for the time being. The Trouble have a new manager and Candy Gram booking will now be booking them. They will be playing several full-band dates with True Love Always in March and Joey will be taking the solo act to the road coast-to-coast in April. More information on these dates soon. Dear Life was listed as one of the top 10 albums of 2001 by a writer at rollingstone.com. I'm not the only one who thinks that this is an amazing record. This should be serviced to AAA stations in February or early March, so listen for it on a station near you. I believe in this record so much that it will be part of two special packages: get The Trouble with Sweeney : Dear Life with Damien Jurado : Four Songs for $16ppd or get The Trouble with Sweeney : Dear Life with Denison Witmer : Of Joy & Sorrow for $20ppd. There are plans to record an ep before their next full-length, more details as soon as they are available.

Jetenderpaul's new 7", A Casualty Too Serious To Afford, is still across the Atlantic waiting for a lazy and/or poor Norwegian to mail them to the U.S. Hopefully they will arrive before the spring or I'll die trying to get them.

Circle of Birds is still awaiting mixing, but plans are being made, changed, and re-made. Soon, very soon, this release will see the light as a cdep and 7".

The one-sided LP series is slowly lining up. The next releases will be from Yume Bitsu, Early Day Miners, and AM/FM if everything goes according to plan. More details on each release when they are more ready. Damien Jurado's Four Songs will be distributed by Secretly Canadian on 12 February, so look for this in all of the coolest vinyl-selling record shops near you. Or order direct and get it before your friends.

I'd like to say a final farewell to Ran Away to Sea. Due to busy schedules and too many other commitments, the band is no longer together. As a tribute to the band, their two fine records, the self-titled debut and the I Won't Tell a Soul Except the World follow-up, will both be on sale in the btv store during the entire month of February for $8ppd.

Reels of White Softly Flow are readying their debut release, the first live LP only release. The mixing has begun and should arrive in the springtime. The band isn't officially on the label, but many old and dear friends are in the band, so the news is noteworthy.

Just what if General Custer kept on living?

Notching our guitars until I can think up something better to say,
:::scott:::

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