From Andrew W.K.’s divorce album to the return of punk legends Face To Face, there is something for everyone among this week’s best new music.
We love our clients. Over the last decade in business, Haulix has played a small part in helping thousands of records reach tastemakers worldwide. Watching artists reach and even surpass their dreams is immensely humbling. We take no credit for anyone’s success, but we do want to highlight a few clients whose recent new music releases are currently on repeat in our offices. Check it out:
Andrew W.K. – God Is Partying (Napalm Records)
Most of us think of Andrew W.K. as the party guard, but what about the human underneath? God Is Partying, the latest album and Andrews catalog is the enigmatic songwriter’s most diverse and challenging album to date. Fueled by a combination of apocalyptic anxiety and rumination on divorce, the 12 tracks on this record offer a bold and engaging exploration of the human experience at one of the strangest points in history. You will want to dance and cry simultaneously, but that’s kind of the point. Life is hell, but this life is all we have, and Andrew W.K. wants us to make the most of it.
It’s hard to find new ways to tell people about the intergalactic charm of Gwar, the wildest rock band in the universe. Nobody in music is doing anything like GWAR, and nobody ever will. From the lyrical content to the theatricality present in both songs and performances, these extraterrestrial rockstars are blazing a path for themselves that no one can follow. Scumdogs XXX Live! captures a live recording of the band’s biggest songs as well as any release can. It’s got the rough around the edges feel of a gig, but with the crystal-clear production of a studio. The result is a listening experience that comes as close to replicating the chaotic energy of the band’s live show as anyone could hope. It’s not quite like being there, but it’s the next best thing.
Face To Face – No Way Out But Through (Fat Wreck Chords)
California’s Face To Face are living legends in the punk community. For over a quarter-century, Face To Face has been writing material that inspires generations of young artists to pick up guitars or drumsticks and process their complicated emotions through songs. As adults with families, the men of Face To Face are experiencing an entirely new set of life experiences, each just as challenging and exciting as before. Rather than rest on their laurels, the band challenges themselves to find ways to address these situations and emotions through the style that made them famous. Not many punk bands are writing songs about what it’s like to be over 30, but when you hear how well Face To Face does it, it’s easy to understand why others may get scared. No Way Out But Through is not just the soundtrack to the rest of your life but the guiding rule. Come what may, the only way out is through.
The Dead Deads – Tell Your Girls It’s Alright (Rumble Records)
The Dead Deads are writing songs that challenge industry norms, and in doing so, they’ve become an emerging force of nature in the rock community. The three-piece isn’t afraid to combine their rock and metal chops with pop and soul elements to create something that feels new despite being deeply rooted in genre history. Tell Your Girls It’s Alright channels the boundless possibilities that exist within us into a record that combines spectacle with heart. The final product is a taste of what the future may hold for rock, and if you ask us, the genre has never been this exciting.
New Music Friday recommendations feature a collection of new releases from Haulix clients chosen by the company staff. Join Haulix today and gain immediate access to the industry’s leading digital promotional distribution platform: http://haulix.com/signup.
From the crushing new EP by Of Mice & Men to unexpected and unplugged Gwar recordings, there is something for everyone among this week’s new music releases.
Life will probably never be the same as it was before the COVID pandemic took the world by storm. Mourning the loss of the world we knew is normal, but it’s important to recognize all the good that continues to exist. Each new week brings us music that has the potential to change countless lives, and this week’s batch of new releases is no exception. There are too many good records for us to mention, but here are four we believe everyone should experience. This is the best new music of the week.
Of Mice & Men – Bloom EP (Sharptone)
Few bands successfully transition from Warped Tour headliners to mainstream rock phenoms. Even less undergo this evolution without losing the sound that made fans love them in the first place. Of Mice & Men have accomplished both, and they’ve done so while releasing the best music of their career. 2021 marks a new experiment in how the band releases music. They no longer think about their songs as being contained to albums. Instead, they’re giving fans new music as regularly as possible, and this latest batch of tracks is nothing short of exceptional. Come for the crushing heaviness and stay for the urgent, heartfelt lyricism. You won’t regret it.
Gwar – Disc With No Name (Pit Records)
Anyone who tells you they are coming out of the last year unchanged is probably lying. Every last one of us spent the last year longing for things we took for granted and regretting things we chose not to do. We often wondered if we would ever get to do the things we love again, and thankfully, it looks like we will. Gwar is no exception. The aliens that are hell-bent on ruling us pathetic humans are sharing something unexpected on Disc With No Name. It’s a collection of unplugged and fully reimagined performances that capture the beauty of the brutality that makes Gwar unique. You’ve never heard of death threat sound as beautiful as it does on this recording, and the fact it arrives just before the band can return to the road and slay audiences everywhere is the icing on an already great cake.
Alestorm – Live In Tilburg (Napalm Records)
It takes a very skilled group of musicians to take a concept as silly as drunken pirate metal and make audiences view it as a legit art form. Alestorm is the only band up to the challenge. After a year without concerts, the band celebrates their return to touring with a live record that captures their performative madness. Consider this a drinking album for people who aren’t ready to return to crowds but deeply desire to be amongst metalheads again. It also works as a perfect marketing tool for the band’s upcoming tour dates. We’ll see you in the pit.
Chris Campbell – Orison (Innova Recordings)
Most music is trying to sell you an idea or lifestyle. The songs you hear on the radio or recommended through algorithmic playlists try to figure out what you want and then sell it to you. It’s a good racket if you can manage to write things that are both catchy and vague enough to be twisted into an auditory sales funnel, but it’s not for everyone. Chris Campbell, for example, has almost nothing to sell. His music asks that we take a look within. He’s writing meditative arrangements meant to deepen your understanding of self. Orison is a seven-track exploration of consciousness and awareness that pleads with us to break from society and focus — at least momentarily — on our well-being as individuals. Campbell understands that we need one another to get by, but first, we must learn to love ourselves. Orison is the soundtrack for overdue self-care and healing. Please don’t take it for granted.
New Music Friday recommendations feature a collection of new releases from Haulix clients chosen by the company staff. Join Haulix today and gain immediate access to the industry’s leading digital promotional distribution platform: http://haulix.com/signup.
In what is easily our most explicit and offensive episode to date, GWAR stops by Inside Music to share their perspective on the human condition.
Recently, a Facebook page went viral for suggesting people gather in rural Nevada to raid Area 51, a secretive military base that allegedly houses alien life. Most wrote the page off as a joke, which it was, but several dozen people did meet to celebrate their mutual interest in extraterrestrial life. After all, wouldn’t it be great to know that we are not alone in the universe?
What many failed to realize during this craze was that aliens are already among us. GWAR has been decimating human beings around the world for decades with their unique take on rock and an unbelievable live show. The group is here on Earth to share their knowledge of the universe and cut mankind down to size. They are the judge and jury, the protectors of the heavens, and the ones we were made to worship.
Fans of GWAR find solace in the band’s ruthless approach to satire. Many followers have been doused in blood and other fluids, which often are projected from the corpses of political and cultural figures who are murdered during the group’s performances, and most would tell you such experiences are a right of passage. There is simply no show like a GWAR show.
During a recent stop in Grand Rapids, one member of GWAR sat down with Inside Music host James Shotwell to share his latest insights on the human condition. For nearly twenty minutes, the mysteries of the world’s most outrageous band are revealed in extremely graphic detail. From political leanings to new music, as well as sex, drugs, and the state of rock today, nothing is off-limits in this wild conversation. Enjoy!
Today is March 28, which means we have reached the last Friday of the month. It’s currently the early afternoon on the East Coast, and if you are anything like our friends in the industry then you have probably checked the time on you laptop and phone about a dozen times since lunch in hopes 4:55 would appear. Yes, the weekend is so close you can practically taste the overpriced alcohol and okay-but-could-have-been-better pub food awaiting on the other side of the office doors. Before we get there, however, we need to reflect.
Each and every Friday afternoon we like to pause our normal routine of interviews and advice columns to provide an update on everything in development here at Haulix HQ. We may run a music industry blog, but that is certainly not all we do. Music security is our top priority, and in recent weeks we have been working hard to develop cutting-edge technology that take our servicing platform to a whole new level. Let’s dive in.
The biggest change at Haulix HQ this week came in the form of a brand new anti-spam policy, which we want to encourage all of clients to familiarize themselves with as soon as possible (you can find our policy here). All contacts on your mailing list need to be individuals you know or people who have opted to receive messaging from you in the past. If a customer sends out a large number of invitations where the majority of them bounce, their outbound email functionality will risk being suspended to prevent their reputation from getting harmed.
As far as the blog is concerned, the final week of the month has proven to be one of the most interesting in recent memory. We furthered our exploration into the mind of a music pirate, offered advice to artists whose creation fall victim to early leaks, and spoke with the man who literally created The A.V. Club. If you missed any of the content ran in recent days, please use the following links to catch up before another post goes live:
Next week we have features planned with Tiny Mix Tapes and High Times Magazine, as well as a look at bitcoin and whether or not it’s a currency musicians should embrace.
Before we say farewell we wanted to take one more moment and wish a fond farewell to our recently departed industry brother Dave Brockie – aka Oderus Urungus of Gwar. He did more than write songs and play shows. Dave Brockie changed lives and open minds to the possibilities of rock and what it could become in a live setting. We will miss him for a long time to come, but we are glad to have helped Gwar distribute several releases while Brockie was still with us and look forward to enjoying his creations for many years to come.
Now, to say goodbye, let us reflect on the time Gwar appeared in a major motion picture:
Good afternoon, everyone Unless you have been living under a rock this week you have no doubt learned about the passing of Gwar frontman Dave Brockie. He was one of the most creative, unique, and driven musicians to ever grace the stage, and even though he is longer with us there is no doubt his art will continue to change lives for decades to come.
We talk about Dave Brockie and his impact on one specific individual’s life a lot in the following feature, and it felt only right that we begin by taking a moment to recognize his lasting impact on art and culture as well. Rest easy, Dave. We miss you.
Jon Freeman began his journey towards a life in the music industry with the goal of becoming a successful radio DJ. His parents warned him that radio was no place for people looking to make money, but he pushed ahead anyways and even managed to find work at a local radio station in North Carolina not long after his college graduation. Life was good and Jon was happy, but his true adventure in music was still waiting to begin.
Cut to a CMJ trip short time later that takes Jon from the quiet countryside of North Carolina to the bright lights of New York City. He applies for several jobs on a whim, and not long after receives a call inviting him to move to NYC and pursue a new career in publicity. Jon considers the offer, recognizing that he will need to move on in his career if he ever wants to grow, and ultimately decides that the world’s largest concrete jungle is the place for him.
Turns out, PR life suits Jon even better than his various role at radio ever did, and in no time he’s building a database of influential voices. Seasons change, opportunities arise, and in March 2010 he stepped out on his own with the launch of Freeman Promotions. Today, for the first time anywhere, Jon tells the world how it all came together.
I have been fortunate enough to work with Jon Freeman for as long as Freeman Promotions has been in existence and know him to be nothing short of a music industry lifer. He lives and breathes music the way world’s finest artists obsess over color or design, and always puts his client first. It’s an honor to share his story, and I certainly hope it inspires others to take control of their future in this business.
If you would like to learn more about Jon Freeman and Freeman Promotions, make sure you follow him on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: Go ahead and introduce yourself to everyone.
J: My name is Jonathan Freeman, but everyone calls me Jon. I am the owner/operator/whatever you want to call it of Freeman Promotions.
H: Thanks again for joining us, Jon. It’s great to have you.
J: It’s great to do this, man. Haulix has done a lot for me over the years and I am happy to help you guys with your blog.
H: That’s a great place to start. You have used Haulix for a while. When did you discover our platform?
J: This will be the fourth year of my company, so it had to be during the first year of my career. I was working a release for Paula Hogan and she introduced me to the whole Haulix promo system. Before then, I had known about and used iPool. I had also worked for a label that allowed people to download music with only a password and no watermark, which I thought was a little crazy. Paula introduced me to Haulix and it changed everything.
When I first started the company I had one client and that was a record label. Other clients came a bit later. The record label eventually got their own Haulix because I told them to get it, but for independent bands or other projects I created an account for Freeman Promotions that I could utilize whenever needed.
H: We know there are competitors out there. What keeps you at Haulix?
J: There are almost never any issues. If you guys are do happen to go down, which again is not very often, you make sure that everyone knows what is happening and you keep us updating until everything is back.
One thing I will say, is that if I ever run into any problems I can email your support and get a response within twenty minutes or so. For a lot of companies that is unreal. I use other companies for press releases and whatnot, and a lot of their support services can take a day or more to get back. You guys are on the ball, and you always come through whenever people need something.
H: Let’s take a step back and look at your history. When you think of your earliest memories of music, what comes to mind?
J: My dad playing Yes on vinyl for me. He is a big Yes fan and I remember him playing their music for me all the time. The first tour I ever attended was a Yes tour, but my dad was out of town so I went with my mom.
So it was my dad that really got me into music, and from there I got my first cassette player and started building my own collection. When I was old enough I started to go to my own shows, all the time, and it’s probably why I think I’m partially deaf now. (laughs). I’ll never forget going to see Gwar on Easter Sunday when I was sixteen. I had no idea what I was in for, but I had the time of my life, got shot and spit on.
…And who would have thought – fourteen years later I am doing their (Gwar) publicity.
H: Would you say that was one of the key moments in life that steered you toward a career in music?
J: When I got shot with fake splooge in the face at a Gwar show?
H: Yes, that.
J: [Laughs] I don’t know if that was exactly it. I will say though, one thing that has always stuck with me is when my family moved from New Jersey to North Carolina in my youth. I listened to the radio all the time because I didn’t have any friends, and I ended up calling in the time. Eventually I became friends with one of the DJS there, and I realized I had an interest in pursuing radio.
I went to college and started majoring in Business, but once I got into econ and accounting I realized I should be doing something else with my time that I was passionate about, but my parents kept telling me that there was no money radio and blah, blah blah. I eventually thought “Screw it,” and went on to work at my college radio station. From there, I moved to a local station in North Carolina, did a metal show, and then came up north for CMJ. I submitted my resume to a couple places and landed a job at a record label, which brought me back up north.
H: Did you have a mentor in the world of PR, or did you learn through doing? Tell us about getting your start in the world of publicity.
J: John Paris showed me a lot, as well as a lot of people at my first PR job (SPV). Also, and it sounds a little strange, but just doing it. Getting out there, picking things up, learning, creating relationships, building your database, etc. In a way you just have to feel how you want to do it and get into it. You can take advice and learn from others, yes, but in the end you have to develop your own way to do it that works for you.
H: When people come to you now and ask for advice on getting a start in the music industry, what advice do you offer?
J: I tell them to go to college and do all that, and then keep their ear to the ground, gain as much experience as possible, and just keep doing it. It’s really, really hard to find work in the music industry, and even those with years of experience can find it hard to gain employment from time to time. If you want to do this for a living, you have to give it your all. It’s hard, man. It’s really hard.
H: Going back to your journey, you had a job at a PR company before stepping out on your own. What lead you to decide starting your own business was the best move for you?
J: SPV had some financial issues in Germany (where they’re from), and the company essentially shuttered so I went to work for Adrenaline PR for nine months. It was Maria Ouellette who brought up the idea of me taking on spv as a client. It’s Maria Ouellette that is responsible for the start of Freeman Promotions.
I filled out all the paperwork and came up with a name for the company, made sure SPV was on board, and the put in my notice to leave my job at Adrenaline.
It was a scary time. I didn’t know what was going to happen at first, but I knew I wasn’t going to be making any less than I was at the other job. That, and during this time – and for the first year-and-a-half of Freeman Promotions – I was working a side-gig at a bagel shop to cover rent and have health insurance. So I would work there on nights and weekends between everything else. It was a very interesting time in my life.
Once I got through it, however, things really took off. I got Gwar, and then subsequently Cluth, and later other Relapse bands. Word of mouth brought in more clients over time, and eventually I was able to quit the bagel job to focus solely my company.
H: Post-SPV, who was the first client you brought on?
J: While at Adrenaline I was fortunate enough to work with Gwar, and I was able to form such a great relationship with their singer – Dave – and their management that when their contract was up with the other company they decided to work with me. That was the first big name I got.
And still to this day, I have a great relationship with Gwar. They’re a client, and they always have been, but we have reached a point of friendship where I feel like I can call on them if I need help with anything.
H: What career goals do you have?
J: Keep making money. (laughs) Keep making the clients happy. I really want to get more bands on TV, and that is something I have been working on a lot recently.
I want to keep growing, but I don’t know if I want the company to become a huge thing. There is one guy that helps me now and he is great, but I don’t know if I want to bring on a bunch of employees or anything like that just yet, but who knows? My goal is to keep making money, paying bills, and hopefully set a little aside for retirement. I want to keep having fun. Not everyone can say they spend their days talking to bands and going to shows. I just feel lucky, and heck even honored to be in the position that I am. I never thought I would be running my own thing. I thought I would be working for the man, and now I guess I kind of am the man.
H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
J: I don’t want to say the internet, but there are aspects of the internet I do not like. I hate how many people still steal music and everything, but I am into services like Rdio and Spotify. I do wish radio would be a little more friendly towards metal, but I get that will probably never happen. I also wish generic bands would not be able to get as popular as they are. Not that they’re not talented, they certainly are, but I would like to see a little more diversity in what’s popular. It would be great if people were more open minded.
H: That covers everything I have. Before we depart, are there any final thoughts or observations you would like to share with our readers?
J: Thanks for letting me do this. Like I said above, Haulix has helped me a lot and I am really into what you’re doing with these interviews. I have a lot of projects coming up on the horizon, so feel free to follow us on our networks to stay on top of all our announcements.
