Bound Stems'The Family Afloat 01 Taking Tips from the Gallery Gang
02 Happens to Us All Otherwise
03 Passing Bell
04 The Palace Flophouse and Grill
05 Clear Water and Concrete
06 Cloak of Blue Sky
07 Only Clementine Knows
08 Winston
09 Crossed Off Together
10 Sugar City Magic
"The Family
Afloat" will be available July 11th, in 12-inch, and September 9th everywhere else. Handled exclusively and lovingly
by Flameshovel Records.
Bound Stems is Bobby, Dan, Janie, Radz, and Evan, and it's been that way for a while now. In 2006, they released a record called Appreciation Night, and all of their families were proud, and their friends came out and stomped and clapped.
Then, rather gracefully, people who were neither family nor friends also cheered – enough to convince Bobby, Dan, Janie, Radz, and Evan to quit their jobs and pile into a van for a year.
As they rumbled from coast to coast, all of the usual things happened. They played for no one, and then the next night, they played for everyone. They acquired parking tickets in 4 time zones. They sweated and shouted and sang, until they were tired and hoarse and broke. They ate peanut butter and drank champagne. Once, they stood beside their broken van in the desert, and decided they could make it to Texas – isn't that just perfect?
But sure enough, surely enough, they each got about a year older.
The usual signs weren't there – not a set of tell-tale laugh lines or love handles, or law degrees. But when they unloaded the van and stretched out their legs and started playing again, well, hell. Somewhere out there they found the best part about growing up.
Bound Stems' new record is called The Family Afloat.
If you are running down a checklist, here are the highlights: intricate male and female vocals, harmonies stacked to the rafters, layers of gifted instrumentation, charged rhythms, and crafted songwriting. It sounds exactly how it should.
The first song is called Taking Tips from the Gallery Gang; it might be about seeing old friends. It might be about that moment where the old friends turn new again.
Passing Bell sounds like if Bound Stems covered a Bound Stems song. A crisp, back-to-school morning chorus falls knee deep in a dance party. After the show, you will know which one was Passing Bell.
The Palace Flophouse and Grill seems to emit a silvery speaker haze. You haven't called home in a while.
Bound Stems are touring this summer, toting The Family Afloat on vinyl. Well, vinyl with a catch: you have to ask for one, in person.
So come on, then!
Bound Stems will bring the rousing choruses and their fierce, loud hearts.
And you! The neighborhood grins – the real character kids.
Bound Stems'Appreciation Night, 2006
01 Appreciation Night
02 Andover
03 Western Biographic
04 Wake Up, Ma and Pa are Gone
05 At What Point Did You Stop Believing Me?
06 Pulling on Pigtails
07 Excellent News, Colonel
08 This Is Grand
09 Fire, Burglary, Flood
10 Risking Life and Limb for the Coupon
11 Book of Baby Names
12 Refuse the Refuse
13 Walter Waters Addresses the Bonus Army
14 Rented a Tent (A Tent! A Tent!)
15 55 Cross St.
Hi guys! The new album is PHENOMENAL. The tracks I'm really into right now are Winston, Sugar City Magic, and Cloak of Blue Sky, although I love the entire album and I've been listening to it on repeat since getting hold of it. I hope your tour is coming along splendidly, and I can't wait to see you in Atlanta!
I am moving out of this dump to Chicago soon. Just in time to make it to your August 10th show. It's been well over two years since I first saw you guys play &I've loved you ever since.
you don't come to michigan, so I have to wait until september to hear your new record? I can already tell it is going to be one of my all time favorites. I don't think I can take the wait...but you guys are still amazing.
We (my brother and I) have determined that the new album is going to be even more exponentially brilliant than Cloak of Blue Sky, because there is more of it.
I am still frustrated beyond belief that you will be coming so close to me and I still won't be able to see you..
I also think the vinyl would be fantastic, but you won't be coming anywhere close to me on this tour. I think we should strike a deal of some sort; for God's sake, I'll be in Arkansas working my ass off for the man. Show pity, please!
darn you! that reccord release party, ill be 10 months too young, how will i get the vinyl reccord now? maybe if i see one a ya while im working on the north side, but then no one will just randomly have several coppies of of their vinyl reccord on them...
Are you guys going to add a second leg to this tour and come to Atlanta before September? I can't afford to travel to another show, so I need to know whether to have somebody in Chicago send me a copy. There is no part of me that is willing to wait until September to hear this album. :-)
Comment back and let me know if you like it or not...Even if you don’t like it, please just let me know and give me your honest opinion/feedback.
Also, I am trying to get a gig (anywhere) and haven’t been successful yet. If you know of any club near where you live or have connections to one (Especially in Chicago) please help me out. So far I have only been able to perform at a weekly open mic night and it is only 3 songs per time so it’s not like a real showcase, which is something I would like to try to do next.
