DIGGING IT!
Euuck. What an awful time it is out in the world these days! Everywhere we turn it seems there’s some kind of exception to the rule that’s making it hard for people to get by anymore, no matter what garden path they find themselves going down. Let’s face it, with all the problems these days, this world is a tough atmosphere to be laying fresh sounds into. But release we must! Whether the world loves us today or not. And them’s just the big picture problems. Take for instance, this real and literal dilemma: a swiftly approaching mini-drought for Drag City releases this summertime — which may actually be a blessing in disguise to our parched and embittered marketplace. You’ll have to forgive us if we slip into the panic room — this releasing records thing, it’s all we know! How does one not put out records?

It’s a dilly of a pickle, right? Well, at the end of the day, we just had to dig a little deeper to find a few things to place on the drawing board of the new releases. And relax, we found some. We’ll get into what’s coming in just a minute — but first, let’s trip back from the future and talk about what’s exciting right now.

THE HOWLING HEX TAKES OFF!
With a volley of promotional explosions, including a series of personal appearances underway as we speak, Neil Michael Hagerty and The Howling Hex are off to a running start! The record hit streets everywhere on May 20th and is insinuating itself accordingly. The window box at New York’s famous Other Music was secured. A series of print ads were deployed in such far-flung localities as San Francisco, Denver, Portland, Seattle, Austin, Madison (WI), London (UK), NY(C) and of course good old Chicago, to help raise awareness about this fantastic new album of rock and roll.

Then there’s the television commercial — a 30 second spot running amok on cable networks after midnight. If you’ve seen it, you know — if not, check it out on the front page of this very website. And if you can’t download a file of its size, take it from us, the spot is sweet! It boils the album down to it’s verbal and visual essentials (answering the musical question, if an album is only thirty seconds long, what do you need to know?) and invites the consumer to attend them in the best possible fashion. Meanwhile, Neil is beating the bushes, playing gigs in towns like Detroit, Columbus, Toledo, Pittsburgh, Dayton...and oh yeah, New York city as well. The culturally over-stimulated deserve a little something real too, don’t you think?

The real truth behind all this hoopla is that The Howling Hex is an album that deserves the coverage! Ever since they halcyon days of old Royal Trux, we’re used to getting our minds blown upon receipt of a new album from the house of ideas known as Neil Michael Hagerty. His “thing” has grown and changed over the course of the years — that's part of the fun — but he on TThe Howling Hex he can be found exploring a certain kind of solo-career zenith in terms of composition, execution and production of The Product. The Howling Hex is a detailed, penetrating spin around the world today with all moments of coherence and inchoate wisdom strung together into an extended mix, laden with hit singles, Hagerty-style. The shit’s musical, man! Therefore, we say that fans of music and of recorded art should definitely check out The Howling Hex, which is destined to bring a lot of its experience into your own life, thus creating something else different in the times to come.

Or if music ain’t your thing, get it for the beefcake! The Howling Hex, contains a giveaway image of Neil Michael suitable for pinning up on your wall! Or in your locker etc…

For folk from all walks of life — Neil Michael Hagerty and the Howling Hex.

HAM-DAMN-TASTIC!
Did you see it? Did you? On Monday, May 5, Neil Hamburger took the national airwaves by storm. His four minutes of standup at the end of Jimmy Kimmel Live! that night were electrifying. Howard Stern was playing the jokes back on his show the next morning, puzzling over the ultimate perversities of the man who dares to be America’s Funnyman. The remaining dates of the Neil Hamburger Wednesday night residency at the LA Knitting Factory were quickly sold out. The show has already been rerun once! And now, Hamburger is back on the highway, touring this great American country of ours! Don’t miss this opportunity to bring some laughter into your life.

True fans of Neil Hamburger should stop by our Special Orders page for a chance at the rarest of Hamburger apparel — the “I Saw Neil Hamburger at Phoenix Grayhound Park” adjustable baseball cap!

More TV appearances  are being sorted out right now. As are the live dates. But the point is, “America’s Funnyman” is back, and better than ever. This summer, don’t miss Neil Hamburger  somewhere near you.

BEFORE THE MOON FALLS
On June 17th comes the sixth Drag City release date in the year 2003. We’re just like the moon that way — you get your dose of weird cosmic energy once a month, after which comes the waning and the waxing…

We bring this up because of the mystical nature of our June 17th release date participants — Papa M and The Suntanama.

The Suntanama release with great pride their second album, Another. This record is another in so many ways. Another The Suntanama record. Another second record from a promising new band. Another record with the word ‘another’ in the title. It’s all happened before. Every time but this. For when has a band ever released their second effort to the world so effortlessly? And when have the changes but so natural, so justified, and yet…so intense? Another tells the tale — and presents The Suntanama in another natural setting, this one a bit more rough-edged and real than the cosmic plane they occupied on their self-titled first album. On Another, The Suntanama crank it up and rock it in their own inimitable folk-plus-rock fashion, layering acoustic and electric guitars along with keyboards, vocals and percussion all on top of their gangly rhythm section. Then there’s Catfish! The Suntanama’s lead voice keeps breaking it down throughout Another, a silver tongue in cheek as he tells you the news, making it up as he goes when the facts don’t spring to mind. Over top of the band's cracked reels and whirling din, it’s the sounds of a music-fest from an alternative ‘verse. So get your floppy hat and make it on down to The Suntanama. You’re just in time — for Another. 

Meanwhile, the Papa M singles collection rolls on. Installment “Three” will accompany The Suntanama down to the marketplace, taking its bow on June 17th also. If you somehow haven’t noticed, Papa M has been putting forth with a series of singles here in the 2003. This latest one is number “Three” in the series — and as with the two previous, it features three songs, a combination of covers and originals. “Three” turns out to be the rock and roll single of the series, featuring Little Feat’s “Truck Stop Girl,” and “Wild Mountain Thyme,” covered memorably by the Byrds way back in goode olde daze. The third song is a corking Papa M original called “Who Knows” that may soon become your favorite Papa M song ever! It’s just that good.

Check them out and see — and hear — in June…

FROM THE DALLHOUSE
Moving through the shadows of our eastern states, Cynthia Dall played a fortnight of live shows for the first time in many a fortnight. Playing favorites from Sound Restores Young Men as well as her debut album, Untitled, Cynthia entertained and unsettled we the audience everywhere she went. Her personal brand of pop is really a bit much — the word cathartic comes to mind, but everything is so subsumed, you just end up wondering why — and before it’s over, this sweet, trembling young girl in front of you has transformed your whole world. It’s upsetting, but in an utterly compelling way. Anyway  the tour went well. Crowds were intimate, Cindy and band had fun...and now she's back home, writing new songs and hoping to play more shows again soon. So keep your eyes out — for Cynthia Dall.

OTHER KINDS OF LOVE
As previously mentioned, his summer is shaking down to have precious little in the way of new music — which is only superficially a good idea. That’s why we’re going to be releasing records anyway! You gotta stimulate the market with fresh releases if you ever want it to recover. So, sometime in July or August, we’re coming forth with Silver Jews’ frontman David Berman’s poetry debut! What’s that, you say you’ve had this so-called debut for years? Nobody’s arguing that, asshole! You didn’t let us finish — jerk! See, when Actual Air first came out, the publishers were so hungry to get at the target market for the book, they just went straight to paperback, skipping the hardcover experience entirely — and shortchanging the book and the artist the heavy gravity that the hardcover edition brings. You know, with the dust jacket and all…that stuff can be kind of nice. It'll look good in libraries. Anyway, we’ve been thinking about it and we talked to David and he agrees, so that’s what we’re gonna do. This summer, look for Actual Air — the hardcover edition. Strictly limited, of course.

There’s also the Wayne Rogers release, Constant Displacement. For many years we've been fans of the heavy rock of Wayne's various outfits: Magic Hour, Major Stars and Crystallized Movements, plus his solo records. Constant Displacement was issued on vinyl back in 1997 is now going to get the CD treatment on Drag City. It's been described as a "tribute to rock formalism," and fans of the heavy rock of Brother JT3, Neil Michael Hagerty, Ghost, The Fucking Champs and/or FSA are going to find friends and neighbors on this record, if they haven't already found it. We don't have the date on the release yet, but we will — farther along.

Finally, if you'll follow us off the new release board entirely — summertime is for (Smog)! Seriously, Bill "(Smog)" Callahan is going to be lighting up those dark freezing summer nights with his equally dark and freezing songs and stories — the combined effect of which will leave you with a new appreciation for the warmth you are feeling. That's (Smog) on ya! The Supper US Tour commences at the end of June — and doesn't end until the beginning of August! What a feast it shall be. No eating until then...

THE END OF THE TUNNEL
Ultimately, this summer will be a quiet affair, punctuated with the occasional release here and there. It’s a tunnel of doom, it is! But wait — there’s a light at the long end, there is! Praise be!

Yes, at the other end of the tunnel is the Fall, that time in which it is universally understood that  records will classically sell. In preparation for that time, we’ve got the following projects on the boil — new releases from High Llamas, U.S Maple and Ghost! Archival releases from Silver Jews and Red Krayola! A Palace Brothers Greatest Hits collection (featuring selections voted on by actual Palace fans!)! Tours from Alasdair Roberts, Monade, Imitation Electric Piano, High Llamas and Neil Michael Hagerty! And more of course. 

More on which when it finally warms up.

Until then —

Rian Murphy
Drag City Inc.
June 2003