tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1041387681349970852012-03-15T21:54:10.446-07:00ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.comBlogger421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-24295703863013079912012-03-15T21:00:00.003-07:002012-03-15T21:54:10.459-07:00

[click the image to be whisked away to another place.] The eleventh installment of our series picks up a thread that has been dormant since 3-Way Singles Club Vol. 2 way back in June of 2011 – that of transportive ambient sound; consciousness-erasing, mood-altering sonic terrain. In this case it unfolds over the course of nearly a half hour of music, effectively transforming Vol. 11 into a

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-487040992017348362012-03-14T10:17:00.005-07:002012-03-14T11:40:59.137-07:00

March 21st!  With special guests Joshua Barton (of Fields Of Industry) and Malls.  ALL AGES. Details and RSVP here!   doors at 7:00 PM, music at 8:00 PM, listen to 88.9 FM The Impact for chances to win tickets, only $6 at the door!

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-74411213248835730892012-03-03T08:16:00.004-08:002012-03-06T16:40:31.052-08:00

We're excited to present our first ever album review/preview, from a fellow independent label The Epiphysis Foundation!  Full disclosure: we've been eagerly awaiting this album since we met Brendon in 2010 at a show with Stargrazer and Doby Watson held at Lansing's own Basement 414.  We'll try to remain objective, but all disclaimers apply. On March 13th, the Epiphysis Foundation will release

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-33899094588500870492012-03-01T07:09:00.015-08:002012-03-01T07:37:18.020-08:00

Brooklyn NY-based musician and producer Rioux is set to release Re: You in April, a 5-song E.P. he has described as "a mix tape of sorts."  On February 17, prefixmag.com unveiled the first song from Re: You, "Unison (feat. Björk)."  Featuring subtle pitch shifts of Björk's vocals and a geometrically bewitching beat, the song also featured cover art by ITAV founder Peter Richards (me!), a painting

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-12672920186789597522012-02-21T13:46:00.000-08:002012-02-21T13:46:33.432-08:00

Click the image above to be transported directly to Volume 10 of our monthly series, this time out featuring Small Houses and Pioneer collaborating on a Paleo song, Sunil Sawani and his uncanny popcraft, and chamber blues from acoustic guitar/tenor sax duo Teag & PK. Coming up in March: Tin Window, Benoit Pioulard, and Brooks Mosher!

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-76779086082829578222012-02-01T16:14:00.000-08:002012-02-01T16:15:43.959-08:00

Featuring brand-new (and we mean less than 48 hours old, in some cases) tracks from Steve Leaf, Seth Bernard, and CrookedSound.  You can download or stream it here: http://music.itavrecords.com/album/3-way-singles-club-volume-nine-2 And, as always, your purchase benefits the Independent Musicians Fund.  It also makes us extremely grateful.  We're quite excited for the slate of songs we'll be

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-6861314044711925732012-01-25T06:31:00.000-08:002012-01-25T08:48:02.768-08:00

ITAV will be finishing off January with the latest volume of our 3-Way Singles Club (#9) and some exciting announcements about upcoming artists in the series! January can be, in many ways, the spillover month from the holidays.  I know this, I was born in early January and my birthday can often seem like an afterthought when you've had a string of powerhouse holidays like Halloween,

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-23539830547973084552012-01-16T04:19:00.000-08:002012-01-16T13:34:43.152-08:00

Bandcamp is the way that we promulgate our very own 3-Way Singles Club.  In addition, it provides a roof for the following six releases I've stumbled across while trawling its waters.  A good number of these artists have cropped up on ITAV-related projects, too.  With the exception of Photographers, my own solo project Stargrazer has also had the pleasure of performing with all of the below, and

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-8962177386469119592012-01-11T11:45:00.000-08:002012-01-11T11:50:35.933-08:00

...Announcing the second Stargrazer show of 2012 (following this Saturday's show at Gone Wired w/ Teag & PK and Delicious Bass -- see the previous post):    Stargrazer, Concepticons, Hampshire, and Confusing Sarah will perform at The Loft (414 E. Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933) Thursday, January 26!  Doors are at 8:00 PM, showtime is 9:00 PM.  This is an 18+ show, and there is a $5 cover. 

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-43158871862708728872012-01-04T18:20:00.000-08:002012-01-04T18:20:58.548-08:00

...and this is the first of them: ...this is a FREE show at Gone Wired Cafe, 2021 E. Michigan Avenue  Lansing MI, Saturday January 14th.  Music starts at 7:30.  Also appearing will be Teag & PK and Delicious Bass.  The second Stargrazer gig will be at the Loft on the 26th.  More about that later...

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-27238069088088771672011-12-18T22:11:00.000-08:002011-12-19T10:40:42.017-08:00

Featuring an alternate, exclusive version of The People's Temple's sunburnt "Jim Jones," which originally appeared on the Make You Understand 7-inch EP on HoZac Records, 3-Way Singles Club Volume Nine is the blasting cap on the musical stick of dynamite that ITAV attempted to contain in 2011!  Click on the pretty picture or the link below it to immerse yourself in three breathtaking tracks from

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-16073896552298411632011-12-14T14:29:00.000-08:002011-12-14T14:46:57.657-08:00

For a long time, I've been having conversations with musicians and promoters around mid-Michigan about nurturing and incubating talent.  As we've watched many local venues struggle (and in some cases, shutter) and seen our friends pour their hearts into recordings, live gigs, and tours only to find that their expenses are outrunning their gains; as we've been supported by a dedicated core of

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-63511136993372572072011-11-28T15:03:00.000-08:002011-11-28T15:04:39.753-08:00

Whoah!  Didn't mean to sneak up on you with this one... why, they said it was daft to release something two days after you released something else! Well, going by the book is great for the egos of "the book's" authors -- but we do things in a more intuitive way at ITAV; and as a one-man operation "we" also need to navigate the holidays and the obligations of "our" day job(s) along with the

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-46785832678604956072011-11-26T23:02:00.000-08:002011-11-26T23:04:17.529-08:00

We've been hinting at this tribute, recorded 2009-2010 by Bryan Kay at Shoeshine Studio, for over a year now!  Here it is, for a free stream -- all the verbiage accompanies the stream itself.  We look forward to this becoming flesh as ITAV's first vinyl release during calendar year 2012! [click on the image for the goods!]

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-57312815608340621272011-10-30T18:45:00.000-07:002011-10-30T20:43:16.175-07:00

Rather than yet another post of blah blah blah my music/my art blah blah blah, I thought I'd close out the month with a collection of links to some great music by ITAV's extended network of friends, collaborators, and just some other musicians we admire.  The mission here has always been bigger than self-promotion, but a feeling can set in that if you don't blow your own horn, no one will -- so

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-22625070569754991572011-10-24T05:54:00.000-07:002011-10-24T06:05:38.180-07:00

In a little bit of a departure from your usual ITAV blog post, this week's takes a detour into the strictly visual realm.  Lacking a proper official online outlet for my art right now, I wanted to share the first five pieces of an ongoing digital collage/photo-illustration series I've been working on for the last couple weeks.  You can click the images for a larger view, if you are inclined.

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-90864498352037159012011-10-19T16:29:00.000-07:002011-10-19T16:29:04.364-07:00

Stream/Download 3-Way Singles Club Volume 6 HERE. As the air turns crisp, and the leaves curl and color and pool on the ground; as the last note of New Venice's "Breathers" (from Volume 5) still hangs in the air, 3-Way Singles Club Volume 6 arrives, featuring brand new, unreleased songs by Drunken Barn Dance, Flatfoot, and Sleeping Timmy & Aly Rose! Flatfoot and DBD easily took the "best

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-74223512484679078272011-10-15T06:57:00.000-07:002011-10-15T06:57:27.090-07:00

Ushering in the season of crunchy yellow and red leaves, ITAV will release one of our most awaited singles of the series right when you, the listener, just might need a little pick-me-up:  midweek (Wednesday) October 19th. Featuring unreleased music from Drunken Barn Dance, Sleeping Timmy with Aly Rose, and Flatfoot, Volume 6 channels its songcraft in 3 interesting directions destined for

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-44011426152725068492011-09-19T20:21:00.000-07:002011-09-19T20:21:32.064-07:00

  http://music.itavrecords.com/album/3-way-singles-club-volume-five

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-13579142857796104782011-09-18T22:37:00.000-07:002011-09-18T22:39:36.663-07:00

The 5th Installment of the 3-Way Singles Club contains quite a few firsts.  The fist F-bomb of the series, for instance.  The first non-Michigan artist.  The first Frank And Earnest song to break the 5-minute mark. Featuring Indiana's Jet Lag Superstar alongside Lansing stalwarts Frank And Earnest and post hardcore relative newcomers New Venice, 3- Way Singles Club Volume 5 will drop into the

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-16646008432415376272011-08-29T21:00:00.000-07:002011-08-29T21:04:58.824-07:00

It's finally here!  3-Way Singles Club Volume 4, featuring Cavalcade, The Plurals, and Terminal Girls.  Mastered by Alex Hug. If you are inclined to download this barnstormer of a 3-sided single, type in the discount code "moodring" when you go to check out for a nice surprise.  This code is valid until September 30. My sincere thanks once again to the bands for all the hard work, songwriting,

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-8491662351167248622011-08-23T10:30:00.000-07:002011-08-28T21:12:10.318-07:00

Rock and roll is not about adherence to schedules, flight plans, or even expectations: some of the best records I've ever heard frustrated my expectations (or exceeded them) on first listen.  Such has been the case with the fabled 4th volume of the 3-Way Singles Club, which will see the light August 30th! Originally slated to drop the first day of each new month, starting this past May, the

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-62495626765138910162011-08-17T21:56:00.000-07:002011-08-17T21:56:34.366-07:00

Tomorrow night, ITAV's Peter Richards will be appearing on 88.9 FM The Impact's local music specialty show "The Basement" to discuss the 3-Way Singles Series, preview some tunes from the forthcoming Volume 4 of the series, give out some download codes, talk a bit about the Independent Musicians Fund (IMF), and maybe some other freebies and fun stuff.  Tune in between 8-10 PM, if you're outside

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-91247400097638436562011-07-30T20:17:00.000-07:002011-08-23T13:59:19.743-07:00

Beginning tomorrow (that's today -- July 31 -- for many of you reading this) at 4:00 PM and closing out the month of July with a full afternoon of music, Lansing recording collective GTG has pulled together a line-up of raw and raucous sounds with a vicious habit for pop hooks, infectious discord and/or uncanny melody, and real deal songs: Jack Pine Snag Narc Out the Reds Calliope Stargrazer (

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-8425887913460171162011-07-19T17:42:00.000-07:002011-07-19T17:42:47.454-07:00

Coming out hot-on-the-heels of their new single for ITAV, Narc Out The Reds will be releasing a new double single on inky-black 7-inch vinyl Thursday, July 21st at Mac's Bar before immediately departing on an east coast tour with The Hat Madder. I had the honor of working on the cover art for all-of-the-above.  In fact, in many ways I've been preparing to do the Pawnmower artwork for over a

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-30116114485583599612011-07-15T16:06:00.000-07:002011-07-15T16:45:14.181-07:00

First of all, thanks to our brothers-from-another-mother and sisters-from-another-mister over at GTG Recordings for the shout outs to the 3-Way Singles Club's third volume, featuring The Hat Madder, The Playback, and Narc Out The Reds.     Download/Stream 3-Way Singles Club, Volume Three HERE.   ...And don't miss the great show TONIGHT at the GTG House, featuring Cavalcade, Josh David & The

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-61681756365862830362011-07-11T21:23:00.000-07:002011-07-11T21:23:35.226-07:00

The show starts at 9:00 PM -- a Mid-Summer Night's musical extravaganza!  Check out the Facebook Event for details, and please share and invite people to the event!  Looking forward to seeing everyone at this, as a new Stargrazer song or two will be unveiled, plus there will be pandas and penguins.

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-76264248927286494602011-06-14T12:59:00.000-07:002011-07-15T16:30:38.443-07:00

Here's the cover art for the first five singles (Vols. 1 and 2 of which are already out).  This provides a neat synopsis of what's coming up in the next few months! You can listen to/download/purchase all that's been released thus far at music.itavrecords.com  

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-82774747263130796652011-05-31T17:15:00.000-07:002011-06-20T18:30:44.612-07:00

The second installment of the much ballyhooed "3-Way Singles Club" will arrive digitally June 1st.  This 3 song/3 artist outing will travel the fringes of indie songwriting, electronica, and ambience with a textural disposition that belies the buried hooks and deeply memorable passages contained therein.  Yeah!  That's right! Featuring Detroit vocalist Rachel Yezbick (co-producing an original

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-10370857355950469042011-05-16T12:59:00.000-07:002011-05-16T12:59:54.104-07:00

ITAV is extremely pleased to announce the release of the full-length debut from The Nanobots, "Pink Circuits," on May 17th. Whatever you were expecting after the droning deconstructions of the foreward-looking "Enlarged To Show Texture" E.P., "Pink Circuits" will both frustrate and exceed those expectations.  Willfully obtuse sonic incidents pop through the fizzy, technicolor circuit's-eye-view

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-89853014568544261712011-05-01T00:00:00.000-07:002011-06-22T17:01:57.542-07:00

Download it for FREE here! The first 3-sided digital single of our monthly series hits the internet today:  3 songs by 3 different artists. For our inaugural edition of the series, we chose a theme, and that theme was covers of songs by Low.  This was not a capricious decision -- ITAV will be releasing a full-length tribute to Low later this year -- however these three tracks are exclusive to

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-61340809837425108882011-04-22T08:23:00.000-07:002011-05-02T08:25:58.469-07:00

3-Way Singles Club, Vol. 1 Available May 1, 2011 3 artists tackle unique cover versions of songs by beloved indierock/slowcore band Low.  These 3 songs will be unique to this single -- they won't appear on the full-length Low tribute we're planning for release later this year!  So this will be a companion mini-tribute, and as the inaugural release of the singles series it will also be FREE.

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-47477982873209010192011-04-06T12:24:00.000-07:002011-05-02T08:18:55.270-07:00

Nestled at the end of an unassuming alley that also contains the landmark, lugnut-topped brick chimney that looms over the intersection of Michigan Avenue and southbound Cedar Street, Basement 414 combines all the best attributes of an intimate live setting with the unassuming decor of a DIY art space and/or bicycle co-op. ITAV is excited to present eternally-touring songwriter Paleo, best known

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-7489682216115380332011-03-29T12:49:00.000-07:002011-03-29T16:34:09.122-07:00

The Nanobots' full-length debut Pink Circuits, due out March 29 (today), has been delayed.  PETERBOT, 1/2 of the tiny duo, was flush with excitement over the clamorous finished product -- which flirts with ambient soundscapes as much as with white noise, drone, and passages that sound like a gamelan being kicked down a flight of steps -- and decided it would be a good idea to take the master

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-50068293429952150832011-03-14T21:01:00.000-07:002011-03-14T21:01:19.152-07:00

ITAV's "3-Way Singles Club," hearkening to all those great singles series of the distant (and recent) past where you would receive a 45 RPM record in the mail every month, will launch May 1st with a very special 3-song/3-artist tribute, in miniature, to beloved indie rock/slowcore band Low. Envisioned as a monthly series of digital triple-A side singles, each volume of the 3-Way Singles Club

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-64380961206736093262011-03-08T09:45:00.000-08:002011-05-03T07:08:17.336-07:00

Sunday March 13, Stargrazer (my solo project) will have the distinct honor of opening for Bellaire, MI-based singer/songwriter Fiona Dickinson, who is making her first Lansing appearance at the free-thinking art spot Basement 414.  Here's a map to B414.  You can get there by walking to the end of Jay Street, a half-block long street that runs off of southbound Cedar St., behind The Nuthouse Bar.

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-55040294987655572462011-02-22T09:21:00.000-08:002011-02-22T09:21:06.523-08:00

LANSING, MI -- Whitney Spotts, lead singer of 80s cover band Starfarm and former chanteuse of indie-punk shredders Bit, uncovered a rare stash of 12 original pressings of ITAV's first official release while on an expedition to clean her desk.  Spotts, realizing the rarity of these mini-LP sleeved CDs (catalog numbered ITAV 004), brought them to ITAV's world headquarters, eliciting yelps of

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-51403467532490855962011-02-05T19:48:00.000-08:002011-02-07T08:24:24.107-08:00

For the past few years, Earthwork Music has been teaming up with the like-minded arts promotion organization Fox On A Hill and downtown East Lansing art gallery/performance space (SCENE) Metrospace to put on a two-day mid-winter folk festival.  Organized by musician Brandon Foote (of Gifts Or Creatures), the event is centered around the prolific Michigan independent singer/songwriter community,

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-47183426108422658542011-02-04T07:17:00.000-08:002011-02-04T11:37:54.515-08:00

During the process of gathering tracks and sequencing the compilation album that would become In The Orchard Of Osiris, I was acutely aware of the power of music to inspire more music. From the start, I knew what kind of feel I wanted the album to have, and the word that keeps coming to mind is "autumnal."  I've always really loved Autumn.  It may be my favorite time of year, especially the

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-68197391951920842952011-01-28T06:45:00.000-08:002011-01-28T06:52:00.947-08:00

Whatever your political persuasions, and whatever you think of the particular content that Wikileaks has unveiled, I think we can all agree that a movement toward transparency in the dealings of governments and corporations is necessary.  Orwell's doublespeak is here, loopholes are the lingua franca, and diplomacy has become the art of placation and duplicity. C.J. Boyd, a bassist/

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-71725123291486559252011-01-25T20:57:00.000-08:002011-01-26T11:30:20.323-08:00

It Takes A Village To Make Records, despite what its name suggests, is not all about making records. It all started with a broken arm.  Well, actually, a broken arm and four broken fingers.  Not exactly an auspicious beginning for a budding bass-player/graphic designer -- but, there I was, drugged up, in a cast, and officially unable to work for about a 4-month period. It was boring.  Oh, I

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104138768134997085.post-32768465095212482262011-01-18T22:52:00.000-08:002011-01-31T21:35:04.078-08:00

Formerly existing only on MySpace (deleted) and Facebook, It Takes A Village To Make Records (ITAV) has now established a foothold in the blogosphere!  This is all a prelude to our dedicated website, which is under construction and slated for launch in late February -- more on that later. Perhaps a brief history is in order? ITAV was launched in 2006 with the release of a free compilation

ITAV Recordshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08897463399801593218noreply@blogger.com3