HERE COME THE HOLIDAYS
Ready or not, here they come! And what could be better stuffing for your various and sundry stockings than the many different kinds of Drag City contemporary lifestyle products? Sure, we’re known for LPs and CDs  but we also offer books, magazines, a comic book, a video cassette, different kinds of t-shirts, and even a coin! And there’s a DVD up around the bend, as well. That muddies the picture quite a bit, don’t it? Now you don’t know which way to turn, do you? Solve the problem with flair – and turn towards our catalog, credit card in hand. The suggestions you’ll find there will satiate you and yours in the times to come.

WHAT’S NEW!
New in November? That’s easy — Mick Turner, Neil Hamburger and (Smog) — they’re what’s new on the Drag City side of your new releases shelf this month. What’s new in clubs all over the US is Scene Creamers, Mick Turner, Cynthia Dall, The Suntanama, Brother JT and (Smog)!  What’s new in Europe is Edith Frost — she’s live in Italy, Sweden and Norway for the next fortnight or so.

Yeah, all these things are definitely happening! So now you have to ask yourself – which side are you on?

NEW RELEASES!
On both LP and CD, (Smog) and Mick Turner are making waves all around the world with their new product, have you heard?

Mick Turner, he’s a mysterious one. Every couple years, we get a package, wrapped up in old grocery bags and leaves and other things of that nature. Inside are the master tapes for Mick’s latest record. This time around, the package was sparser than ever. And inside, the truth was leaner and meaner than had previously been known. We wept a bit and had to admit, Moth is a beautiful stunner! Spread out in parts one through nineteen, it tinkles and rattles in ways adrift from the principles of songwriting as we know them. They’re lyrical little bits of things you’d never think to call songs. Moth feels a bit like it was recorded in an empty room — you know, an entirely empty room, one that absolutely nothing is going on in? Nothing except the wind passing over the instruments. It takes a special kind of genius to get that out on a record. And all nineteen passages of Moth are suffused with just that kind of beautiful genius. Be a collector — and get Moth. 

(Smog), he’s another mysterious one. He doesn’t wrap his masters in leaves or anything like that, but that doesn’t mean he's normal — not by a long shot! On account of just how strange he really is, we were kind of surprised when we heard that (Smog) had decided to release a singles comp — it seems like such an average, everyday idea for a genius like (Smog). We should have known better of course — but who could have seen the mutated plans of (Smog) in advance? OF COURSE the record is way-out-there. OF COURSE the early ‘at home with (Smog)’ material still kicks ass. OF COURSE “A Hit” still destroys your speakers every time you play it  even more so now that it can be heard in all-powerful CD format for the first time ever. And OF COURSE (Smog)’s songs make you bust out laughing right when you thought you’d be busting out with tears (or tears of puke) instead. What we didn’t see coming was the way that all these diverse patches of (Smog) have been sewn together in such a continuitous fashion. Maybe we’re just record fags, but we’ve got to marvel at the ease with which ten years of songs on the run sit together after all this time. It’s really quite something. So yes — the (Smog) singles comp in question is Accumulation: None. It’s available on LP and CD — buy the format that brings the most beauty into your life. Yeah, you’re gonna get it. You’re gonna get it good.

It’s been awhile hasn’t it? Don’t you think it’s time for...another Hamburger? Neil Hamburger, that is. The reason we ask is, there’s a new Neil Hamburger CD, and we thought that, if you haven’t heard, you might be interested to buy one. In case you are, it’s called Laugh Out Lord. It’s worth the price of admission for anyone wishing to hear a plausible reason why God created Fleetwood Mac. Lord, it’s funny. As this is Neil’s fourth full-length comedy album, we’re all feeling the pressure to get a big hit out of Laugh Out Lord — which is why we’ll be petitioning the Grammys this year to get Neil nominated in the “Best Comedy Album” category. If his only competition is the Jimmy Fallon record, we’re doing great – Neil shits bigger than Jimmy before breakfast most days.

In anticipation of the Hamburger boom to come, we’re also pleased to announce a full line of customized Neil Hamburger souvenir items. Your source for not only Neil Hamburger dress apparel, but also sports gear (a Frisbee), a tote bag, and even an X-Mas tree ornament! Purchase them all for the year of Hamburger to come! The day after he wins his grammy, you can barbeque with pride - in the Neil Hamburger BBQ apron! With your illegitimate child all swaddled up in his Neil Hamburger snap-bib. That's right, fun for the whole family! Ride this link right here to Hamburger Heaven!  http://www.cafepress.com/neilhamburger

Also, there’s the “Seven Elevens” video to help us promote. And if you didn’t notice on the way in, the whole darn thing is now available to download from this very site. Videos always increase sales —  so watch Hamburger fly on the wings of the “Seven Elevens” video, featuring Today’s Sounds. Neil's visibility is going through the roof. And “America’s Funnyman” just got a little funnier. Laugh Out Lord, anyone?

THE CLUB SCENE
So, yeah — that’s our November roster. Those of you who can’t wait — you don’t have to, it’s already out there, check into your local shoppe today and see. Unless the locals have cultivated some sort of nest of cluelessness, that is. In which case, they’re kind of busy with ‘head-up-ass’ disease and you should probably try them back later. Like, never. Yeah just call us if you want to know what’s going on and where. We’ll do our best to tell you not only where to go, but also where not to go as well. Straight!

So that’s what’s not happening his month — but what else is really going on in November? There’s live shows all over the highway! (Smog) is taking to the road as we speak — a U.S. run from Midwest to Northeast, with a side trip down through the South. He’s celebrating his new singles, etc comp Accumulation: None — as we just told you mere seconds ago — so expect to hear tunes from there. And lots of other things — our boy is hot, hot, HOT! (Smog)’s going to be delivering another new LP before too long, so it wouldn’t be out of order to expect to hear sneak previews on that as well! Get your bootlegger’s rig together and let’s GO — to the (Smog) show.

Mick Turner is working the other side of the street from (Smog) — quite literally, in some towns! They’ll be shadowing each other out east by just a few days in some municipalities. Fans of interesting implied chemistry, would you please join the Mick Turner punters who’ll be making it out to see the Mick mellowness all on their lonesome? Two is not a crowd — so put yourselves together and see what happens.

Brother JT will be joining (Smog) for a week of dates out east, then playing some dates of his own out west. JT is one of the modern wizards of psychedelia, which implies folk and garage equally, along with free jazz. To miss JT is sort of like missing out on thirty years of freedom — so don’t get all high and forget to go to the show, eh?

Cynthia Dall is out and about also. Celebrating her riveting second LP release (Sound Restores Young Men hit the streets in September), Cynthia’s playing shows in Berkeley, in Los Angeles, in San Luis Obispo, in Seattle and more! Catch the Dall and her merry band out west, in November and December.

On the other side of the continent, The Suntanama will be rolling outside of the filthy confines of New York City  in order to entertain in the filthy confines of Philly and America’s own Washington, DC! Oh, they’re be more dates too — The Suntanama are our candidate for Band on the Never-Ending Road — so you folkers keep your eyes on this folking space. Their magical medicine show may be playing on the other side of town coming up sometime soon.

Then there’s Edith. She’s been over in Spain and Italy these last couple weeks and she’s getting ready to finish up in Italy and go up to Sweden and Norway. Reports from already played shows say that Edith is in fine voice and that she and her longtime bassist Ryan Hembrey are knocking ‘em dead everywhere they go. Euro-Edith fans, don’t be denied.

Scene Creamers — heard that name before?  — are running all the way around America. Their record doesn’t even come out until January of next year — but they can’t sit still, they’re juiced to move. And moving is what they’re doing – fanning out from their Washington DC base, touching on points westward, taking the northern road, playing the coast. Despite their fledgling status in the eyes of some, they’re already getting established all over the place – and have been playing super-hot rock and roll shows everywhere they go. Catch ‘em out west, down south, or back home.

Also on the docket for January and the equally-hitherto-unheard-of super combo, Loose Fur. Comprised of three men named Kotche, O’Rourke and Tweedy, Loose Fur is a fur-ious (ouch!) combination of folk, pop, rock and free riffage…profusely illustrated…and designed to thrill all y’all. Anyway, that happens later — but buy your tickets now for the Loose Fur live experience, occurring in Brooklyn, NY at St. Anne’s on December 6th and 7th. Two nights only!

Yeah, and if you’re at all like ol' Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, you’ll try Turkey for Thanksgiving this year — the country, that is! Yeah, ol’ Bonnie’ll be gracing a TBA stage in Instanbul coming up on the 24th. Dare to be there.

U.S. TRIUMPHS OVER ITALY
U.S. Maple, that is! Speaking of touring, they're just back from the road wars - in faraway Italy. Our doughboys marched off to serve several weeks back, and to hear the tale, it was a long, bloody campaign. The road was lined with hungry Italian eyes - the boys felt that the gauntlet had been thrown. It was up to them to respond. The journey was dotted with whistle stops in Italian backwaters  like Brescia, Massa, and Bari. And all along the way, the Maple knocked em out with their powerful yet touching display. The whole thing culminated on the island of Sicily on the last day of October. As the band pulled into the town of Catania, the ground was covered with volcanic ash. Mt. Etna was rumbling and burping and erupting a bit, which concerned everybody because...their hotel was located on Mt. Etna! The locals assuaged their concerns, they checked in to the hotel and everything went smoothly until the show that evening. Perhaps it was the strange elemental forced in the air, it was hard to say. Or maybe it was just some drunken Italian asshole heckler. Anyway, repeated violent outbursts in front of the stage from the besotten fan led to...you guessed it, a pummeling from U.S. Maple's stage left guitarist, Todd Rittman. Once they'd been pulled apart, Todd rejoined the group onstage, his good cheer obviously a little in jeapordy. Soon however, it became apparent that the lusty Italian crowd was up for a bit more of the old ultraviolence! Fortunately, that was confined to the stage for the remainder of the show. Or the audience — it depends on whose story you want to believe. Another high point came later on, when a girl on crutches was headbutted not once, but twice, by her enraged, drunken former boyfriend — who had also been the recipient of the Todd Rittman signature thrashing during the set! Then Mark Shippy got in the middle of a few more bust-ups...strictly as a peacekeeper, of course...

And then in the morning, there was an earthquake. As drummer Adam Vida, aka The Kid, told us,  "That's when we all knew that we wanted to move to Sicily." Sadly, the Maple took their money and boarded the planes. Victory over Italy was assured — and they returned to America, with more conquering to be done on home soil.

TO THE REAR
Have you forgotten what a summer into fall it was? Let us count the ways — David Grubbs, Fucking Champs, The Suntanama, Phill Niblock, Weird War, Cynthia Dall, Royal Trux, Continental OP, Warm Voices Rearranged. And a splendid time was had by all. Catch up, catch up! These records (and book) have an incredible shelf-life. But that doesn’t mean you have to wait ten years to get them. Buy them today, ‘get’ them later. It’ll be a growing experience.

Loose Fur, Scene Creamers, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Azita, Slitch DVD, Imitation Electric Piano, (Smog), Neil Michael Hagerty, Monade, Appendix Out, High Llamas, Papa M…don’t you ever get tired? We’re about ready to collapse from exhaustion just writing about all this. Expect to see something from everybody on this list before the summer comes along — sweet Jesu!

But yeah, it’s all going to start with a bang (how else could it start?) on January 28th. On that day in history, we’ll be unveiling three really exciting new records, all at once. As we’ve mentioned, Scene Creamers make their LP/CD debut on this day. Their album is called I Suck on That Emotion and it’s a breathtaking dash of psychedelic revolutionary pop. Anything else we could say would be gratuitous. Those of you who’ve seen their show, you know what I’m saying, right? More on this next young monster coming up next month. In the meantime, those that can should see the show, on the road in America today.

Also debuting on LP/CD, Loose Fur. This is Kotche, O’Rourke and Tweedy, all rolled together in one enormous bomber! Once you’ve been turned on to their intoxicating odour, you too will get Loose. Loose Fur, that is. Yeah!

Then there’s Bonnie. Also on January 28th, the world should prepare to hear a LP/CDs worth of fresh Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy. His third album, and first since 2001's Ease Down the Road is entitled Master and Everyone. A hushed and intimate collection of moments, it is also Bonnie’s bestest, most searing album yet. Almost more than a record, really. But fortunately for you, not!

Yeah, that’s January. It’s gonna be big. And this time, we absolutely refuse to stop there. After that comes February and all the rest and they’re gonna be big too. We’ve got not one but two members of Stereolab stepping out on their own — Laeticia Sadier with her band Monade and Simon Johns with his, Imitation Electric Piano. Neil Michael Hagerty will ring in with his biggest record to date. In the new artists category, there's a new girl in town — AZITA! The former Scissor Girl and Bride of No No frontgirl has cut an album of scintillating piano pop. And then there’s the next (Smog) opus, of course. Plus, the Slitch DVD+CD and…well let’s not spoil everything yet, shall we? Stick around…you’ll see.

In the meantime, have yourself a Merry little Thanksgiving. We'll see you on the other side…

Rian Murphy
Drag City Inc.
November, 2002