Territories – “The Lockdown”
Spend your Friday relaxing with our RECORD OF THE WEEK Blog!!!
Calgary punks TERRITORIES are among the most passionate bands you’re likely to see these days. Alongside their infectious and catchy riffs are lyrics that come straight from the heart, processing their experience of life & the world around them. These qualities are all front and center on what is, sadly, perhaps their most relevant release yet, “THE LOCKDOWN.”
Kyle was moved to write these lyrics when his young children described the lockdown drills that had become a part of the routine at their school. A lockdown drill trains children for what to do when an active shooter enters their school. The message of the song demands answers about how we as a culture have gotten to the point where training kids what to do in the case of a shooter has become the new normal. Further, it demands ACTION, stating that training kids for the worst case scenario while doing nothing to address the root problem is an unsustainable and unacceptable course of (in)action.
TERRITORIES & PIRATES PRESS RECORDS (the in-house label of PIRATES PRESS) are pioneers in the picture flexi format, which combines great artwork with a massively reproducible playable vinyl record. PPR released the first TERRITORIES LP as a set of 12 picture flexis, each with unique artwork. Now, the band and label return to the format not just to showcase great music & art, but for its potential to spread awareness on a wide scale.
To this end, thanks in part to our team in the Czech Republic matching our financial contribution to this project, “THE LOCKDOWN” picture flexi has been pressed in a run of FIFTY THOUSAND records, and they are being made available FREE OF CHARGE to anyone in any school or community in North America who would like to distribute them, with the goal of sparking dialogue on the deadly crisis of gun violence. This follows last year’s campaign to raise funds for activism around this same issue via the release of the “MASS APATHY” single by Tacoma, WA’s NOi!SE. Please visit piratespressrecords.com/ttv for the complete info on how YOU can get involved with TERRITORIES’ campaign, and to sign up to receive FREE flexis and stickers to hand out in your community!
If you would like to take advantage of this format’s potential to spread messages far and wide, get in touch with PIRATES PRESS today. We are always looking to work with and amplify the voices of passionate artists, organizations, and individuals who are trying to make a difference, and we would love to work with you.
BAND NAME: Territories (Store / Bandcamp / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube)
ALBUM TITLE: The Lockdown
LABEL NAME: Pirates Press Records (Website / Store / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / YouTube)
———————————— Honorable Mentions ———————————————
Magic City Ska! THE BIG SKANDAL is a Miami-based band drawing influences from both traditional and contemporary Ska stylings. From a surf-rock zombie love ballad to a reggae western, their debut, self-titled release is eclectic enough to meet all of your immediate ska needs! THE BIG SKANDAL will be hitting the road for several dates in California this November with more dates to be announced so be sure to check out the interwebs and catch these guys in a town near you!
BAND NAME: The Big Skandal
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JSM (JULIUS SUMNER MILLER) was formed in Calgary, Canada in 2016 by five punk-rock-party-loving pals. Most likely over several beers. “We Teach Nothing” is another old-school, relentless delivery of two-and-a-half-minute headbutts from the JSM boys But, yes, the distance they’ve travelled from their debut to now is one that is notable on a number of fronts. Hell, they’ve even progressed from eight songs on that 2016 original album “Why Is It So?” to 10 on 2017’s “Rock Around the Radius” and now 12. JSM is playing in Vancouver with Invasives and ATD on November 15, 2019, or grab one from METER RECORDS, their label that was formed in 1998 as a means for a collective of punk rock influenced bands in western Canada to share resources.
BAND NAME: Julius Sumner Miller (Website / Facebook / Twitter)
ALBUM TITLE: We Teach Nothing
LABEL NAME: Meter Records
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After writing three albums in the band Mrs Magician (Swami Records) and touring quite a bit with bands like Rocket From The Crypt, Hot Snakes, Metz, Cults, etc JACOB TURNBLOOM finally decided to venture out alone and make an album where he could write/record and play everything from beginning to end. Inspired by Mark Kozelek’s label Caldo Verde which focuses primarily on his own releases, thus started the mini label CHEDDAR GOBLIN to make records. GO check his record release show is this Saturday opening for Cults, then he head out on tour next week supporting The Aquabats!
BAND NAME: Jacob Turnbloom (Facebook / Instagram)
ALBUM TITLE: Cemetery Luau
LABEL NAME: Cheddar Goblin Records (Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter)
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KYLE CARROZZA (TV’S KYLE) is an American animator, musician, songwriter, comedian, writer and voice actor who is the creator of the animated series Mighty Magiswords on Cartoon Network, billed as the network’s first online digital series. Prior to Mighty Magiswords, he was also the creator of MooBeard the Cow Pirate; an animated short from Nickelodeon’s Random! Cartoons. Besides animating and cartooning, Kyle is also an accordionist and singer in which he performs songs under the name “TV’S KYLE.” He has a new album of catchy pop-rock on NEEDLEJUICE RECORDS. This is his 9th album as TV’S KYLE, available on CD, cassette, and his first vinyl release— on a blue splattered LP!
BAND NAME: TV’s Kyle
ALBUM TITLE: Commodore Touchdown
LABEL NAME: Needlejuice Records
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Set your clocks back this weekend!