Bottle Rockets

Today the Bottle Rockets new album hits the shelves, or "drops" as we say in the biz.  (Personally, I hate that term, as dropping something, other than a toxic boy/girlfriend, is rarely a good thing, but that's a discussion for another day).

Anyway,  thanks to all the folks who pre-ordered the record.  The first 40 of you got an autographed poster, and everyone was entered in a random drawing for a couple of nifty things for the inner BROX geek in all of us.

The winners are: Tammy Stowe of Union MO won the autographed pick guard from Brian's Telecaster, and Brian Leahy of Georgetown MA won the autographed snare drum head.  Congratulations.  I am sure they will be worthy additions to the shrines you have in your basement and/or garage.

Finally, here's a release day review from their St Louis hometown.

CNN stopped by a Bottle Rockets show in Atlanta recently in an attempt to tell the masses that which we already know:  that nobody writes and performs music about the regular guy like the Rockets.

Check it out HERE for an interview, watch live performances, and pat yourself on the back for knowing about them before all the CNN folks who are usually more interested in the Lady Gagas of the world.

The Bottle Rockets will release a new live 7-inch single through Euclid Records store on Dec. 15. Recorded during the band’s in-store performance on Record Store Day this past April 18, the release, like all the 6 previous in the series, will be strictly limited to 300 copies.

The 45s are sold exclusively at Euclid Records for $9.99….

A nice long interview in Americana UK with the Rockets' Brian Henneman.  Here he talks about life on the road, staying around for 15 years and why can't they just be called a ROCK band, dammit?

The Bottle Rockets new album Lean Forward (released on August 11th) topped the AIMS sales chart for both CD and LP in its first week!  That's right, both came in NUMERO UNO!

AIMS (Alliance of Independent Media stores) are the hip, independent stores that we all like to see thriving in our communities.  Support them!

And goooooooo Rockets!

Greetings from the home of the Bloodshot Birthist Movement!  We here firmly believe that all of our own birth certificates are forgeries, that we were all born in Malta, and thus we are not allowed to ever be President of these United States.  All those pictures of us on the web drinking too much prolly wouldn't have helped anyway...

Here are some tidbits for your weekend:

• Early word from the Justin Townes Earle/Big Surprise Tour is that it is one helluva good time for audiences and performers alike.  Take a gander at THIS clip from the Boston show.  Don't fret if you missed seeing JTE and Cory, they'll be on the road with Dan Auerbach all November

• A few months ago Mark Pickerel stopped into an upstart website's studio in Chicago called Coach House Sounds and hung out and played some songs, tuned their drums and drank their beer.  Here be the results.

• 15th ANNIVERSARY PARTY NEWS! Our lineups in Austin and Brooklyn have been confirmed, and tickets are on sale for Chicago, Boston, Minneapolis and Philly.  More news to come soon, but get the latest skinny here

• BOTTLE ROCKETS RELEASE DATE NIGH! Just a few more days (August 11th) and you can still pre-order the LP/CD and have your name thrown into a drawing for a special Bottle Rockets prize package put together by the boys themselves.  We sincerely hope it will NOT include an old sandwich, which might be odoriferous by the time it reaches you.  I suspect not however.  Check out the poster for Vintage Vinyl's hometown show on release day.

• Were you at the Bloodshot/Taste of Chicago Day Party in Downtown Chicago?  Yeah, well, you weren't alone.  Anyway, the great Kids Dance Party Show Chic-A-Go-Go filmed it.  They're showing it on cable access show Channel 19 Tuesday, August 11th at 8:30 and Wednesday August 12th at 3:30 pm.  See Andre, Dollar Store, Langford, Deadstring Brothers and more!

• In a new segment we're calling "Get To Know Your Bloodshot Staffer", I asked Radio Promotions/Tour Support Master Joe Swank a few questions.  Hopefully, these segments will soothe you as you realize the music on Bloodshot you have come to love is in the hands of genuine lunatics....I mean.... caring, thoughtful hard working mavens of music.
• 1) Your hometown: Marion, Illinois
• 2) Your first concert: Waylon Jennings on a Wednesday, Willie Nelson on a Thursday.
• 3)What was the first album purchased with your own money: A Million Or More in '76 as performed by the Kings Road Players
• 4) What is your favorite album OF ALL TIME: Willie Nelson - Willie And Family Live
• 5) What was your first job in the "Music industry" (how ever you want to define that):  Working overnights at WDDD Radio in Marion, IL
• 6) Fill in the blank: "If I could get in the secret NASA Wayback Machine(you know they have one), and see any band, it would be_________":  Jimi Hendrix
• 7) Fill in the blank: "If I were on a desert island and the jukebox had only Who Let the Dogs Out and Journey's Don't Stop Believing I would___________": Break off the button for "Who Let The Dogs Out" so no one could accidentally play it, then learn the most wicked air guitar solo to "Don't Stop Believing" ever.
• 8) Number of tattoos: 5
• 9)  Wildcard: Let's have a humorous tidbit about yourself: "Roughly 90 percent of all TV I watch is/are cartoons,"

I hope this has helped.  I know i feel better.

Pray for us in Chicago as we endure Lollapalooza in town this weekend.

June? Already?  How did that happen?

• The Bottle Rockets are ready to roll!  The album will be released on August 11th. Check out some songs, the cover and read all about it here.

• The love for the upcoming Ha Ha Tonka album is already rolling in.  Check out this review in Spin.com and pre-order the album now.

• Heading to Bonnaroo?  Yeah, fine.  Have fun.  We're stuck here, but don't forget to catch Justin Townes Earle's performance on Friday, June 12th.  Tell him we said "hi!" and we are all busy working to keep him in fancy cowboy boots.
• Rob's Recommendation of the Week: Having slept about 5 hours in the past two nights (a sinister combination of a killer sinus headache and loud, Polish roofers next door), I am recommending SLEEP! It's a wonderful thing and you don't really miss it until you ain't gettin' any.  Heed my word.

Bloodshot Records celebrates its 15th anniversary of bringing you top shelf music with a nationwide series of fan appreciation Beer-B-Qs through the summer! Sponsored by Rolling Rock.

Saturday July 4, 2009
Pittsburgh, PA
Smiling Moose
1306 E. Carson Street Pittsburgh, PA 
FREE ADMISSION, 21+
Free food and inexpensive Rolling Rock
4pm doors / 5pm show
featuring:
Bottle Rockets
Bobby Bare Jr
Deadstring Brothers
Ha Ha Tonka
Dex Romweber Duo
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir

More Beer-B-Qs coming to:
Madison
Minneapolis
Boston
Philadelphia
Chicago
Austin
Tempe
Brooklyn
Baltimore/DC
Trenton/Princeton
Seattle

Check back here for more details!

Shovel ready Bloodshot tidbits for a stimulus-seeking appetite:

• Andre Williams (with guitar help from Jon Langford) tore up the local PBS TV studio this week and brought some welcome bluster to a show more known for CTA fare hike stories. It's archived here

• Champing at the bit for the new BOTTLE ROCKETS album? Us too. August 11th, but here's a first peek at the killer cover art. Now, just imagine how it's going to sound.

• Sitting at home this Sunday the 17th with no one to talk to? Why not ask the ever chatty Justin Townes Earle some questions on the No Depression community blog. Talk music, his new mustache, or why Leadbelly should be carved into Mount Rushmore.

• Scott H Biram's new release "hits the streets" next Tuesday, but the raves are already rolling in. Here's one, and another. Pre-order and get some free goodies.

• Ever wonder what might be on a jukebox owned by an owner of Bloodshot? Us neither, but the Beechwood Reporter thought it might be interesting. Read about it here.

• Rob's Recommendation of the Week: If smoking a pork roast, I suggest a rub of paprika, cayenne powder, ground black pepper, and sugar. Leave overnight. Smoke over apple wood at 185 degrees, basting every hour with a mixture of the above mixed with some apple cider vinegar. After 6 hours (for a two pound roast), you will enter a heaven of porky delight. ENJOY!

Semi-weekly, quick links to interesting Bloodshot things

• Here's some more entries in the flood of love Justin Earle is getting these days, includes links to some performances and some download action at Muzzle of Bees and Brooklyn Vegan

• Ha Ha Tonka begin their pre-album release tour with a limited edition 7" in hand for a lucky few of you. Act fast! Check out the early huzzahs for their new album from Gaper's Block.

• Ben Weaver's playing a just announced special show in NYC on May 7th at the Small Beast Showcase. A noteworthy event and a good cause. If you're in the 'hood, check it out.

• Rob suggests you go see the documentary Anvil: The Story of Anvil. If you ain't rooting for this band by the end, you have a heart of tar.

• Scott H. Biram's new album is up for pre-sale. Get some free goodies if you order before the May 19th street date.

• Check with Brian of the Bottle Rockets about this weekend's DVD filming in Champaign and their upcoming album

• Due to the Glacier-like speed of some of our foreign distributors, we JUST received some VERY limited quantities of CDs that have been out of print for a long time. We've put them up for sale, but they won't last long.

Have a pleasant and productive weekend. Enjoy your May Day festivities, o downtrodden masses!