Orchid Collective Blog

OCR-018: Ruthless Antarctic Empire - You Know Better EP

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:44:00 -0500

You Know Better is the first release by Ruthless Antarctic Empire, and it is a wonderful introduction. Soft guitars, drums, piano, vague electronics and a voice that possesses the confidence of a songwriter who has been singing for years. There is nothing hip or trendy about this. No genres with “wave” in the name, no neon. But there are three well-written, honest songs that are an enticing snapshot of a band who will surely please us in the near future. Until then…

Listen to the song “Dim Orange”, and check out the EP in the catalog.

NEW RELEASE! Ganges / Famous Laughs split cassette now available...

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 09:04:00 -0500

NEW RELEASE! Ganges / Famous Laughs split cassette now available in the catalog. For those of you near Chicago, be sure to check out the tape release show happening on June 24th at The Box Social. For more info on that, visit the bands’ myspace pages.

Quistum - Involved EP

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:23:12 -0500

Good news! Quistum’s EP Involved is finally out and available through the Orchid catalog, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. These six songs are hot summer jams, funky and fresh as a kumquat salad. Devour this. It’s a strange trip. Sorry for the slight delay on this post and availability. Orchid is on tour and sometimes it’s hard to find the internet. But here we are! And if you’re in Chicago looking for a physical copy of this, you can pick one up at Reckless in Wicker Park.

Spring Thaw, Things Are Blooming

Wed, 12 May 2010 12:17:00 -0500

Boy, it sure has been awhile.

Don’t worry! We’re still here, and coming out of our winter hibernation, we’re loaded with SO MUCH TO DO THIS SUMMER. In theory, we’re going to be sending the catalog numbers into the 20s, which is very exciting.

The first thing on the agenda is a long overdue release of Quistum’s Involved EP, which has been floating around Chicago and the internet for awhile now, but will for the first time be available here on June 8th.

After that, we have a split cassette release (our first foray into tape!) by Famous Laughs and Ganges. Handmade, full of excellent tunes. In the next few days we’re going to be throwing up the dry wall for their artist pages, so you’ll be able to find out a bit more on both bands soon. This tape is going to rule though. 30 minutes per side. This one comes out June 22nd, with a release show featuring both bands on June 24th in Chicago at The Box Social.

If those two releases aren’t enough, we are very excited to announce the release of a whole slew of things from fellow Chicagoans The Midwest Hackers. Primarily a vehicle for Danny Hynds’ songwriting, The Midwest Hackers have been writing and recording for at least the last five years, combining shoegaze-pop with ambient patience, and often mesmerizing visual art, courtesy of Jeph Porter. We are going to be releasing a bunch of older material that hasn’t been readily available anywhere, as well as an upcoming full-length, Dream Response, and an album paired with photos Danny has taken - the details are emerging piece by piece, and soon this puzzle will be complete, upon which you will revel in its beauty and complexity.

On top of that, local Orchid comrade Sea Priest will be making their debut in the form of a cassette tape. Robert Wyatt melodies, Talk Talk vocals, mixed with a good dose of beats and synthesizers, this is sure to be a real head-ripper. Even beyond that release, Sea Priest and Famous Laughs are doing a split later on down the road.

Of course, how could I forget to mention that on July 14, Bastille Day, we will be releasing a digital EP called You Know Better from Ruthless Antarctic Empire. As with all digital releases, this will be available for a donation of your choice. This EP is a succint introduction to a band I can only hope will continue to record music.

Thanks for sticking around. We promise, its going to be a lovely summer.

Matt Dill - Lila Rasa Review on Love Shack, Baby

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:00:10 -0600

Matt Dill - Lila Rasa Review on Love Shack, Baby:

“…The structure of it is just so folksy, in that way that people make up songs, in the way that’s not pretentious nor geared for an audience save oneself. These are songs you hum to yourself while you do something else. And listening to Matt Dill I feel like I’m sneaking an ear into the inside of his head while he’s walking down the road on his way somewhere…”

New video for “Pay No Mind”, by Matt Dill, from his...

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:29:25 -0500

New video for “Pay No Mind”, by Matt Dill, from his fabulous album Lila Rasa, which is still available for a donation of your choice!

Directed, Shot, Edited by Zac Eubank
Production Assistant Alex Niedt
Hair by Jenny Thomas thelasttangle.com/
Starring:
Lauren Harrell
Sarah Sutherland
Lindsey Voetsch
Christina Ceballos

NEW RELEASE: The Awful Truth - Object Permanence

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:58:00 -0500

Today is a good day, because it marks the long-awaited release of Object Permanence, the excellent new full-length from The Awful Truth. Back in July, a review from Indie Rock Reviews called this album the “best record I’ve heard all year”. Some great albums have come out since July, but this still has staying power! The songs are well-written, intelligent pop songs with an unmistakable voice narrating a story that actually holds meaning. In today’s modern pop world, this is a nice change of pace.

Check it out in the store! It is available for a donation of your choice.

Introductions Review on Common Folk Meadow

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:22:00 -0500

Introductions Review on Common Folk Meadow:

“…Hold Up Your Hands is completely leavened by a magical athmosphere that is created by the beautiful and glimmering voice of Emily Jane Powers and the brilliant guitar and bass work. Alltogether they made an outstanding album where everything fits just fine. Definitely one of the best non acoustic folk records of the year…”

NEW RELEASE: Introductions - Hold Up Your Hands

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:52:00 -0500

Hello!

Welcome to the new and improved Orchid Collective site. This is our blog, and our first post is about how we have a new album out today!

Introductions give us their debut album, Hold Up Your Hands, and it is a pop gem. Romantic, antiquated production styles matched with catchy, witty and touching songwriting… We can’t wait for you to hear it. The physical release is limited to 100 copies, and each one of them is hand-painted and lettered - they are gorgeous!

Physical copies are a $5 minimum donation, and digital MP3s are available for a donation of your choice. Head over to the new catalog page and check it out!