Kindercore returns after 3 years of mystery & confusion - “We aren’t dead,
we were just resting.”
ATHENS, Ga., July 2, 2007–Kindercore, the influential underground boutique
record label has been reborn as an independent media label–its new roster
expanded to include bands, comic book artists, analysts, premier t-shirt
designers, and humorists from Athens, GA and beyond. The Athens based
information and entertainment syndicate will unleash its first release since
2003 in August with the comic book and music anthology The Trouble
Revolution, quickly followed by releases from pop outfit King of Prussia and
electro rockers Ruby Isle.
The effort is being orchestrated by Dan Geller (I Am the World Trade Center,
USSR, Ruby Isle) and Ryan Lewis (The Four Corners, The Agenda), who founded
the company in 1996 to document the fertile Athens indie music scene and
together put out over 70 releases in seven years. Before entering into a
financial partnership that would eventually bring about the temporary death
of Kindercore, the label released records from rising indie stars like Of
Montreal, Masters of the Hemisphere, Maserati, The Essex Green, The Sunshine
Fix, Dressy Bessy and Kings of Convenience, and in 2000, was named the
year’s “Indie Label to Watch” by Spin Magazine.
Kindercore grew beyond everyone’s expectations until 2003 when the label was
thought to have been killed by a bad business deal. The label went into a
dormant state in the New York State Supreme Court system for years until a
judgment was finally received, once again granting Lewis and Geller control
over the name, catalog and their once human bodies.
Much changed in the 3 years that Kindercore was dormant, leading the
founders to reevaluate the way they want to run the reemerging company. “At
a time when major labels are becoming increasingly irrelevant and the once
strong network of traditional record stores is in disarray, we really want
to connect directly with our audience, giving fans the most complete and
satisfying experience possible for the lowest viable price” said Lewis.
Geller, who splits time between Kindercore and his job as a Biofuels
research engineer and Lewis have made additional adjustments to the
Kindercore plan that take into account global issues beyond the
entertainment world. “We will be making every effort to raise awareness
about important climate and energy issues while doing everything we can to
ensure that the company makes as small a negative impact on the planet as
possible. We will also be using environmentally friendly processes whenever
they are available” explains Geller. To this end Kindercore is shifting
focus from manufacturing CDs - a process which is not easy on the
environment - to digital distribution through a strategic partnership with
IODA, the Independent Online Distribution Alliance. As part of this
arrangement, the entire Kindercore catalog is now available from iTunes,
Emusic and other digital download services.
The company’s new expanded focus continues Geller and Lewis’ original goal
of bringing together talented people and presenting them to a discerning
audience, thereby creating a community of like minded artists and fans that
redefines the relationship between the two. Serving as the hub of this new
Kindercore universe is Kindercore.com, an expansive webspace featuring
music, comics, film projects, forums, writing, clothing and more as it
continues to grow and evolve with Geller and Lewis, the artists and the
audience. “Our priority is to help progressive artists - be they musicians,
illustrators, animators, film makers, fashion designers or writers - to
create and deliver their inventions directly to the people, providing a
place for people to come together and dig on art, music, science, fashion,
politics and life in general” said Lewis.
Kicking off the new era of Kindercore is The Trouble Revolution, an
anthology comic featuring artists and writers from across the country.
Contributors include 2007 Eisner Award nominee Josh Cotter; Kansas City Star
cartoonist Travis Fox; Adult Swim animation director Adam Fuchs; the
Kangaroo Alliance animation and illustration house; Kindercore’s Ryan Lewis
and his brothers Jesse Lockwood and Mat Lewis (The Agenda); members of Athens’
heroes Je Suis France; Man or Astroman and Woggles artist Devlin Thompson;
acclaimed illustrator Rama Hughes; as well as a handful of talented
newcomers, continuing Kindercore’s tradition of seeking out and supporting
talented folks from all corners of the globe. Packaged with the comic is a
download card which unlocks a 15 track compilation featuring songs from past
label releases as well as offerings from new members of the family.
On the heels of The Trouble Revolution will be Save the Scene, the debut
offering from grandiose Athens pop outfit King of Prussia. Harkening back to
the golden age of the label, the seven song E.P. reminded Lewis and Geller
of why they started the label in the first place and helped spark the
label’s resurrection.
Following shortly after King of Prussia’s debut will be Miracles, the second
EP from electronic pop combo Ruby Isle, featuring Kindercore founder Dan
Geller’s retro beats and the glam influence of his longtime friend,
Minneapolis’ Mark Mallman. The unholy fusion of these two talents takes
electronica to hooky new heights.
In celebration of the reanimation, Kindercore is hosting a throwdown at the
Caledonia Lounge in Athens, GA on August 18th. The new roster will be
featured along with DJs, an art show and some surprises from the past. In
addition, both King of Prussia and Ruby Isle are taking to the streets
throughout the balance of 2007 and into 2008 in support of their new
Kindercore Releases. Preliminary dates are listed below.
King Of Prussia
19 Jul 2007 The Khyber w/ Bottom of the Hudson Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
20 Jul 2007 The Tiger Bar w/ Bottom of the Hudson Toronto
21 Jul 2007 The Mo Pitkins w/ Bottom of the Hudson New York City, New York
22 Jul 2007 The Luna Lounge Brooklyn, New York
23 Jul 2007 The Red and the Black w/ Bottom of the Hudson & The Visitations Washington, Washington DC
24 Jul 2007 The Starr Hill w/ Bottom of the Hudson Charlottesville, Virginia
25 Jul 2007 SPAZZATORIUM w/ Bottom of the Hudson Greenville, North Carolina
26 Jul 2007 The Caledonia Lounge w/ Bottom of the Hudson Athens, Georgia
27 Jul 2007 The Bella Festa w/ Bottom of the Hudson Wilmington, North Carolina
28 Jul 2007 The Pirate’s Cove w/ Bottom of the Hudson Myrtle Beach, SC
Ruby Isle
11 Jul 2007 Drunken Unicorn - MJQ Atlanta
12 Jul 2007 The 5 spot Nashville, Tennessee
13 Jul 2007 Abbey Pub Chicago
14 Jul 2007 Mad Planet Milwaukee, Wisconsin
15 Jul 2007 Barbette - Bastille Day Minneapolis, Minnesota
18 Aug 2007 Caledonia Lounge Athens, Georgia
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Posted by ryan on 02 Jul 2007 at 10:17 am
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