Bourbon Princess frontwoman MONIQUE ORTIZ releases her solo debut, Reclining Female, October 3 on her own Obskur Vudu label. The singer/bassist says it was recorded at home, “without the use of computers or fancy equipment, and with all instruments played by me.” Meanwhile, the C.O.3, Ortiz’s project with ex-Morphine/Twinemen saxophonist Dana Colley, are at work on an album at Hi-N-Dry studios. “It’s much louder, heavier and more raw than Bourbon Princess or Twinemen,” reports Ortiz. “It’s more stripped down, and nasty as hell.”
In other Hi-N-Dry news: mandolin whiz JIMMY RYAN, singer-songwriter royalty DENNIS BRENNAN, juke-joint blues noisemakers SCISSORMEN (led by Phoenix contributor Ted Drozdowski), and the shape-shifting roots collective SESSION AMERICANA all have albums due. Those from Ryan and Brennan will include both studio and live tracks. (The second half of Brennan’s two-disc package will be all live.) The Scissormen celebrate the release of When the Devil Calls . . . with an October 13 show at the Lizard Lounge. In a departure from his alt-country outfit, DAVID CHAMPAGNE (half of the wisecracking husband-wife roots duo the Heygoods) is releasing a download-only EP of indie-electronica pop through Hi-N-Dry.
MUCK & THE MIRES’ latest, 1-2-3-4, has been picked up for national release by the California-based Dionysus Records. They celebrate at the Abbey Lounge October 6 with RADIO KNIVES, who’ve also just been signed to Dionysus and are releasing Cursed, their debut CD, the same night. Both bands play Jake’s Bar in Providence October 7. The countrified chamber-pop outfit VINYL SKYWAY have finished sessions in San Francisco and are mixing their sophomore album for an October/November release.
Now I Understand, CLUB D’ELF’s debut studio album, is set for release this month on Accurate Records, and Mike “Micro” Rivard and company will play a CD-release show October 12 show at the Lizard Lounge. The disc includes contributions from John Medeski, Duke Levine, David Tronzo, and Reeves Gabrels. Beatings singer/guitarist ELDRIDGE RODRIGUEZ is aiming for a late-October/early-November release of his debut solo CD, This Conspiracy Against Us, on the band’s Midriff Records. The as-yet-untitled debut from the noise-pop outfit LA FACCIA BRUTTA, who include members of the Beatings and Pending Disappointment, is also due out on Midriff in November.
LOVEWHIP are set to release their fourth CD, Totally Hott Traxx!, on their own Juicy JuJu Records. And Lovewhip lead singer and guitar player ERIN HARPE will release Country Blues Duets (also Juicy JuJu), with accompaniment by her father, blues guitarist/vocalist Neil Harpe. A father-daughter fall tour is planned.
The DENTS, now at work on the full-length follow-up to 2005’s Time for Biting (Abbey Lounge Records) at Q Division, are issuing a four-song split single with the Colorado alt-country outfit DRAG THE RIVER, each band covering the other’s tunes. The Boston hardcore band the TASTE OF SILVER head into the studio next month to record their upcoming Narcimalion (Hold True), which is due in late fall.
Somerville’s Red Car Records will release the debut full-length CD by Michigan-based garage-rockers the ESPERANTOS. Meanwhile, Red Car’s flagship band, the CHARMS, have finished recording the follow-up to 2005’s Pussycat with former White Stripes/Von Bondies engineer Jim Diamond in Detroit. Dance-pop new-wavers PROTOKOLL release their homonymous debut EP on the Los Angeles–based IHEARTCOMIX label in October. Look for a US tour later this fall. Winged Wolves is the title of the forthcoming album by goth-metal kids the HIDDEN; it’s planned for late fall/early winter.
