First, Warren Franklin filmed an amazing video for his song You Get Weary from his album  Your Heart Belongs to the Midwest, which can be ordered here.  Watch the video here, and for those of you with sharp eyes, you might recognize some other CYLS notables in the crowd:

Second, we added a whole bunch of new items in our distro, including both Snowing 7″ records- Pump Fake 7″ and Fuck Your Emotional Bullshit (in lots of colors!).  While you are picking up the Snowing 7 inches, pick up the new pressing of their full length and their split with 1994!, Alfgernon Cadwallader, and Boys&sex!  Also added, 1994! LP Fckyrhed, Paramedic!/Spraynard split 7″, the Literature 7″, and the Antilles/The Juniper Wait split CD.

Go get ‘em all here!

Let’s get to it!  First, please give a warm welcome to Certain People I Know!

If you don’t already know this band, perhaps you are familiar with their previous works, which include Braid, Hey Mercedes, The City on Film, and The Bomb.  If bands were a linear path, this band picks up where Hey Mercedes left off, while still bringing their own sound to the table.  Lets face it, any band fronted by the legendary Bob Nanna is amazing, and this is no exception.  The rest of the band is rounded out by equally stellar musicians Damon Atkinson, Jeff Dean, Lauren LoPiccolo, and Matt Schuessler.  We will be releasing their self-titled LP on CD & LP this Spring, and it will absolutely blow you away.  In the meantime, you can head over to our Facebook, click on the Free Downloads section, “like” our page, and download the new CYLS Sampler #4, to get the new track from Certain People I Know (called Make It Up) , as well as a bunch of awesome tunes from our other Count Your Lucky Stars bands!

Which brings us neatly to our second news item: Our SXSW Showcase this year.  Last year was a blast, but this year is looking to top it!  Here are the details for our event:

6 pm – 1 am
Wednesday, March 14th, 2012
@ the Mellow Mushroom
2426 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78705

Featuring:
Jack & Ace (Bob Nanna & Lauren LoPiccoo- Certain People I Know, Braid, Hey Mercedes)
Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate)
Zookeeper (Chris Simpson- Mineral, Gloria Record)
Football, etc.
Innards
Two Knights
Dowsing
Mountains for Clouds
Parker (Joie De Vivre, Warren Franklin)

You can check out the Facebook Event here!  We have a poster being worked on as we speak by the amazing Edagr McHerly (http://www.invisiblehairsuit.com), which will be available at the show.  We will also have physical copies of CYLS Sampler #4, which will be giving away like candy.

Finally, we are proud to release the newest CYLS Sampler for free download!  All you have to do it “like” us on Facebook!  Here is the direct link to that.  It’s the only way to get that new  Certain People I Know track, as well as 20 other tracks from our releases, such as Empire! Empire!, Into It. Over It., Moving Mountains, Snowing, Dowsing, and more!

The first one is someone CYLS fans should be already familiar with- Lindsay Minton!

Lindsay is the lead singer of the wonderful band, Football, etc., and she has recorded quite an incredible solo release entitled Past is Prelude.  If you aren’t familiar with her work, now is the time to get on board!  You can download or stream Spill for free over at our Bandcamp, and expect a cassette tape release in the near future.  In the meantime, you can get the entire Football, etc. discography for one low price here.

The second new artist we are welcoming to the family is another Texas band (seriously, how much do we love Texas right now?), called Innards.

This band kills it live, time after time.  Seriously, you need to see them.  They are busy at work writing their CYLS full length debut, but until then, go listen to their split with The Reptilian, which was put out by our good buddies who run Carucage Records.  Order a bunch of Carucage releases while you are there (hint: there is also a Innards/Two Knights split).

We are sadly coming to a close of signing week, but all good things must come to an end!  Stay tuned for tomorrow’s final announcement, as well as the details for our SXSW Showcase. See you tomorrow!

For those of you who don’t already know Ape Up!, they have been kicking out the jams since 2009 (that’s long for them to have a relevant profile on Myspace), so this full length has been a long time coming.  You might also recognize Nick as the original drummer of the fabled Algernon Cadwallader.  But what you may not know is that this band kicks serious ass.  They come at you hard and fast and don’t let up.  But take my word for it- download a new track from their full length, Kemosabe on our Bandcamp.  Then listen to another new jam they posted over at their Bandcamp.  Then  repeat!

For those of you lucky enough to live overseas, you can catch Ape Up! on a seriously long trek across Europe with the incredible Prawn from May 21st-June 29th.  We will be posting those dates next week.  In the meantime, get stoked on Kemosabe, which will be out in time for their super long tour, if not sooner.

For the very observant webpage viewers, you may have noticed that our upcoming releases column [on your right] swelling up like Violet Beauregarde from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  If not, check them out.  This is going to be a good year!

Two Knights hail from the Ft. Worth/Denton area in the grand state of Texas, and are two of the most gifted musicians we have ever had the pleasure of working with.  Remember I said two, because you will have a hard time believing that there are only two people in their band creating all that beautiful noise.

The first CYLS release Two Knights will appear on is the second 4-way split 7″ with label-mates Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate), Mountains for Clouds, and Driving on City Sidewalks.  Following that, expect a 10″ named A Lot of Bad Things Have Happened, But We’re Still Here.  You can stream an unmastered version of A Dime is a Titan on our Bandcamp right here, but we doubt it will hold you over until the official release date.

Actually, all of their 4-way split mates are very active on future CYLS releases:  Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) is currently writing their sophomore LP, which you can expect out due this fall, while both  Mountains for Clouds and Driving on City Sidewalks are hard at work on their debut LP’s.

Now go tell all your friends about Two Knights and have a wonderful Hallmark Holiday! <3

So without further adieu, ladies and gentlemen, I give you our first signing: Parker.

This may be an entirely new band, but it features members from the Count your Lucky Stars family that you already know and love- Brandon Lutmer from Joie De Vivre and Warren Franklin from Warren Franklin, both splitting vocal duties.  Rounding out the line-up is guitar whiz, Brain Jaworowski and the loudest live drummer of all time, Stewart Oakes.  Their first release is a split 7″, where they will be sharing wax with labelmates Dowsing.  You can download a free Parker song at our bandcamp here: countyourluckystars.bandcamp.com.  Expect the release in mid-March.  They are also touring with Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) on the first leg of the tour in March on the way down to CYLS SXSW Showcase.  You can view the tour dates here.

Speaking of Joie De Vivre, they are very close to wrapping up their second full length titled We’re All Better Than This before they wing off to Europe for an extensive tour.  Warren Franklin is staying busy as well, currently in the midst of recording his first full band endeavor, tentatively named Every Letter And Souvenir.  The EP will feature full version songs from his catalog, with the full band take painting each song in an impressive new light.

Go download the new song, and we will see you tomorrow for the second signing!  Like Parker on Facebook, and while you are at it, also like us!

In the meantime, we’ve restocked some rare items, as well as added some new items to our distro.  Empire! Empire!‘s Home After Three Months Away is available in very, very limited stock, and I’m guessing within 10 minutes, it will be gone again.  Get on it!  There are also 4 copies left of the Annabel/Empire! Empire!/Joie De Vivre/The Reptilian first pressing, and it will be a bit before the second pressing comes.

We have also added the new repress of the Snowing LP, available in Green!  Grab their 4-Way split with Algernon Cadwallader, 1994, and boysandsex while you are at it.  We also restocked both Algernon records.  Finally, we added a limited number of The Sidekicks/Tigers Jaw split 7″.

Finally, check out two new Empire! Empire! acoustic videos, featured on the Village Basement Sessions and Oh No I’m Late for School, respectively:

Football, etc. “First Down” Cassette tape

Football, etc. “The Draft” Second pressing! Now available in Baby Pink and Coke Bottle Green with updated art! 

Snowing ”I Could Do Whatever I Want If I Wanted” LIMITED EDITION LP made exclusively for their last show.  

and, as many of you have already discovered, Algernon Cadwallader‘s “Parrot Files” and “Some Kind of Cadwallader” on LP.

We have also updated the new Football, etc. combo deal to include the “First Down” Cassette tape, so you now get The Draft, First Down, the S/T 7″, and the split with Empire! Empire! for just $20!

The Annabel/Empire! Empire!/Joie De Vivre/The Reptilian 4-way split 7″ are getting in very short supply, so be sure to get one of those before they are gone!

Happy new year!  Spend all your hard earned monies here! <3

Annabel/Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate)/Joie De Vivre/The Reptilian 4-Way split 7″

Boris Smile- Beathtooh EP

Boyfriends- S/T 7″

Dowsing- All I Could Find Was You

Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate)- When the Sea Became a Giant

Into It. Over It./Pswingset- split 7″

Football, etc.- S/T 7″

Merchant Ships- For Cameron

Perfect Future- S/T

Sirdidymous- Mount Your Noble Steed

The Reptilian- Full Health

Now go find those puppies!

Also, totally awesome shirt Erik!  Get excited for the full length next year!

They are also going on tour with Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) in January:

1/2 Chicago, IL @ Panchos
http://www.facebook.com/events/153205624779017/

1/3 Belleville, IL @ Illegal Tone Recordings
http://www.facebook.com/events/228084460597352/

1/4 Louisville, KY @ Chestnut

1/5 Bowling Green, KY @ 1537 Chestnut St
http://www.facebook.com/events/124927530955118/

1/6 Greenville, SC @ Mills Avenue Liquid Highway

1/7 Atlanta, GA @ TBA

1/8 Birmingham, AL @ Spring Street Firehouse
http://www.facebook.com/events/166444086782509/

1/9 Hattiesburg, MS @ The Crowbar
http://www.facebook.com/events/278537042192933/

1/10 Houston, TX @ Vinyl Junkie
http://www.facebook.com/events/183580825067898/

1/11 Austin, TX @ The Annex at 1808

1/12 Fort Worth, TX @ 1919 Hemphill

1/13 Kansas City, MO @ Shane’s House
http://www.facebook.com/events/232216270178632/

1/14 Rock Island, IL @ Rozz-Tox
http://www.facebook.com/events/247553058629318/

1/15 Milwaukee, WI @ The Paper Trail
http://www.facebook.com/events/149538938481512/