News:

Bloodshot Digest: New release edition!

• Ha Ha Tonka released their newest longplayer, Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South, on Tuesday! The boys had a whirlwind day on Monday in Chicago, as they appeared live on WGN, appeared on-air at Q101, and then played to a sold-out crowd at Schubas. Catch the band on tour all this summer!

• Rhett Miller guest edited Magnet Magazine last week, but had all his friends do his dirty work. Jon Langford submitted a list of some of his favorite things, including Walter Salas-Humara's adorable dog paintings. Hey, my birthday is coming up real soon -- who wants to get me one of Walter's dogs as a present? Pretty please?

• Finally, is with a stunned and heavy heart that we report on the passing of stalwart Chicago soundman Gary Rogers. An interesting cast of characters populates the local music scene, and I’m confident that other area musicians will agree with me when I say that Gary was one of the most original, sincere, and nicest of the bunch. He loved his work, and we always shared a story and a laugh (and usually a Guinness) whenever he manned the knobs for my band. At our most recent show, at the Bottom Lounge, I joked one on one with him from the stage, and I’m grateful we recorded that night’s performance, and hence that exchange, so that I can always remember him laughing. He was an authentically good person, he was good at his job, and he will be missed. The Bottom lounge will host a benefit for his family on Tuesday 6/30. - Scott Schaefer, Bloodshot Records

Bloodshot Digest: The "Where's mah summer?" Edition

• The New Times weekly newspaper of Broward-Palm Beach, FL named Charlie Pickett its BEST Male Rock Vocalist of 2009 in this year's Best Of poll! Congrats, Charlie!

• Sweet Home New Orleans, an organization dedicated to supporting the NOLA's unique and cultural music community, has teamed up with LeMieux Galleries to raise money for the cause. You can support the organization when you buy this BEAUTIFUL print of Danny Barker by Jon Langford.

• Neko Case will be performing on the revamped Tonight Show with Conan O'Brian on Thursday night. Joining Neko will be Bloodshot babes Kelly Hogan and Nora O'Connor. Set yr TIVO!

• Justin Townes Earle will take part in the BIG SUPRISE TOUR this summer with The Felice Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show and Dave Rawlings Machine (featuring Gillian Welch). Check out the tour dates here.

• Finally, here's a picture of Mary from Scotland Yard Gospel Choir with Justin after his performance at Chicago's Metronome Fest. Sez Mary, "My only requirement is some sort of caption about us battling it out for the title of skinniest Bloodshot artist." Ok, Mary. If you see these two on tour, bring them some mac-n-cheese (or vegan mac for Mary), eh?
  
  

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!

It's yr Bloodshot digest for June 2!

• That's right, kids, the highly anticipated sophomore album from HA HA TONKA is on PRE-SALE! When you pre-order Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South, we'll throw in a couple of goods -- including a full-color tour poster and a pair of adorable Ha Ha Tonka friendship buttons (one says, "Ha Ha," the other says, "Tonka" -- share one w/ a buddy!). Go HERE to buy now!
  

• Justin Townes Earle just wrapped up a West Coast tour, and photographer Joshua Black Wilkins (JBW is the man behind the art on JTE's past two albums) joined him for the journey, photographing their stops down the California coast.
  

• In more JTE news, NPR has archived Justin's session with the venerable radio program World Cafe. Justin plays this weekend in Chicago at the first Metronome Festival -- he and Cory hit the stage at 8pm on Sunday.

• And finally, Perfect Sound Forever features the Dex Romweber Duo, who are on tour now w/ the Detroit Cobras.

Ciao fer now! BSHQ!

Today marks third annual Record Store Day -- the celebration of independently-owned record stores which continue to thrive amongst Bit Torrents and Big Box retailers. To honor them, here's some of our favorite indie record stores as picked by Bloodshot staff and artists. Thank you to all the independent records stores that have supported our artists throughout the years -- it's impossible to list all the stores (still thriving and dearly departed) that have made it possible to celebrate our 15th anniversary. Feel free to tell us about your favorite record store in the comments below. And be sure to visit your favorite record store today (Bloodshot's also got a few goodies at these participating retailers).

Here Bloodshot co-founders Nan and Rob interviewed on NPR in their natural element, a bar, as they prepare for SXSW and their 15th anniversary as a business.

Archived here

Love indie music? Love the local emporium dedicated to it?

OF COURSE YOU DO! So do we!

That's why we are taking part in RECORD STORE DAY on April 18th!

READ ON to see where you can get some free goodies, see some free music AND support the little guy!

Keep up with us while we're in Austin this week! We'll be posting SXSW pictures, updates and more to our Twitter feed:

We've got a whole heckuva lot of bands headed to SXSW this year (in fact, SXSW informed us we have the most bands showcasing this year of any indie label). Here's the low-down on our Friday Day Party and our official showcase on Saturday:

COME CELEBRATE BLOODSHOT RECORDS' UNLIKELY 15TH ANNIVERSARY
Bloodshot Records SXSW Day Party at Yard Dog (1510 S Congress)
Friday, March 20 / starts at the crack of noon
No invite or badge required!
12:15 Walter Salas-Humara / I'm Not Jim
12:45 Andre Williams
1:15 Charlie Pickett
1:45 Dex Romweber Duo
2:15 Ha Ha Tonka
2:45 Exene Cervenka
3:30 Deadstring Brothers
4:15 The Meat Purveyors
4:45 Justin Townes Earle
5:15 Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
5:45 Waco Brothers w/ Rosie Flores
Sponsored by: Shiner, Blurt, Busy Beaver, HearYa and Beer Nuts

Bloodshot Records SXSW showcase
Red Eyed Fly (715 Red River by 7th Street)
Saturday, March 21
8p Exene Cervenka
9p Deadstring Brothers
10p Ha Ha Tonka
11p Dex Romweber Duo
Mid Justin Townes Earle
1am Waco Brothers
Sponsored by: Time Out Chicago

For a FULL-LIST of our bands' appearances at SXSW, please go here:
http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/bloodshot-sxsw-schedule

On Feb 6th, the great frontman of the Cramps died. Check out BS co-owner Rob Miller's obituary in Blurt.

Lux Interior, the singer, showman, shaman, rock and rock archeologist, thinking and fucking man's Elvis by way of Vincent Price, huffing, puffing, grinding leather-panted and stiletto-healed leader of the Cramps died on February 4th. They were/are my favorite band. Ever. Lux, guitarist Poison Ivy and the rest messed me up but good and I never really got to thank them for it.