Denison Witmer is currently on tour with Cleveland's The Six Parts Seven (Suicide Squeeze). Denison has been 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. Most of the initial tracks have been constructed, but Denison is perfecting some lyrics on his tour using the high technology of an Apple Powerbook, MiniDisc player, and mp3s to let him play back his songs. The album will be finished in April with Philadelphia producer Edan Cohen (Songs:Ohia, The Trouble with Sweeney) accompanying he and Scott French. Of Joy & Sorrow has been serviced to CMJ and AAA stations nationwide and was the #20 most added to CMJ radio last week. 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.

Unwed Sailor's Firecracker has been pressed as a cdep in a special digipak and is en route from the factory, hopefully arriving in the next day or so. Firecracker will be released to stores on 23 April. Johnathon Ford has been very busy since re-locating to Seattle. He is currently on tour with Seldom (Casa Records, dates at www.seldomsongs.com) and will be on tour later in the spring with Pedro the Lion (Jade Tree). He has also re-ignited Roadside Monument with Doug Lorig and Matt Johnson. Also, Circle of Birds (Johnathon Ford with members of Ester Drang and Lasso) is still awaiting final mixing for its release on Burnt Toast Vinyl, but plans are being made, changed, and re-made. Soon, very soon, this release will see the light as a cdep and 10".

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 being made to record a new full-length in the fall or so. 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. There are plans being made for some summer European dates. More information on this soon.

The Trouble with Sweeney will be playing several full-band dates with True Love Always in March and Joey will be taking the solo act to the road with friend Bill Riccini coast-to-coast in late April. More information on these dates soon. A seven song ep has been recorded and will be released on basement-life records, the new label from basement-life.com. Joey will be playing several of these new songs on the month-long solo tour.

Supposedly Jetenderpaul's new 7", A Casualty Too Serious To Afford, is on its across the Atlantic to the U.S. from Norway. Hopefully they will arrive before the spring or I'll die trying to get them. These songs are some amazing indie pop treasures.

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. Additional confirmations include Brother Danielson, The Good Life, T.W. Walsh, Brandtson, Kind of Like Spitting, Adam Voith, Aspera, and Neil Halstead. More details on each release when they are more ready. Damien Jurado's Four Songs has been distributed by Secretly Canadian and is nearly sold out, so look for this in all of the coolest vinyl-selling record shops near you. Or order direct and get it before it's too late.

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. I'll be in Florida for five days to see two of Denison's shows, as well as some spring training baseball games. Mail orders will be slightly delayed, but not by much.

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

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