2009 – Page 2 – Styrofoam Drone

Hello! How are we all this afternoon? Today at the Styrofoam Drone, I have a band that some of you may have already had the pleasure of listening to. That band is known as Javelin. Javelin hails from Providence, Rhode Island via Brooklyn, New York. The group is made up of two cousins, Thomas van Buskirk and George Langford, who have been making this music together since 2004. The first release that Javelin put out, Jamz n Jemz, received some much deserved praise over the summer of 2009, and that’s when Javelin began to get the ball rolling. Since that release, things have been looking up for Javelin, because they landed a multiple record deal with Thrill Jockey and then another record deal with David Byrne’s Luaka Bop.

Recently, one of those records was put out by Thrill Jockey, and the title is simple enough: Javelin. They released it about a month ago on vinyl format only, and they only pressed 500 of them. If you’re looking to get one of those now, it’s a bit too late, because they’re all sold out, but all is well, because that is the album I have for you today! With this release, they recycled old “dollar-bin” record sleeves, screen-printed the name “Javelin” on the front, pasted a track list on the back, and then sent them out to their loyal fans.

With their next release from Thrill Jockey, they’re getting even more creative with the record sleeve recycling. Check out this idea here. Instead of just having the new Javelin record inserted into and old, random, record sleeve, this time, you have the opportunity to pick your very own record sleeve for the Javelin record. That’s right, you can pick your own album art. Here’s what you need to do if you want to participate:
1.) Find an old record jacket.
2.) Mail it to Thrill Jockey by January 18th with your address written on the inside (Thrill Jockey address here)
3.) Place your order at Thrill Jockey when the album is released (February 16th, 2010) and write “MY JACKET” in the order message.
4.) Throw in 5$ and a blank shirt/hoodie and they’ll print you your very own piece of Javelin merchandise along with your record. Cool!

So the record will be released on Feb. 16th from Thrill Jockey, and it’s titled “Number Two”, and as for the custom record sleeves, I will be participating. I encourage you all to do the same. Thanks for reading and check back tomorrow…or even later today.

Javelin Tracklist:
1.) Lindsey Brohan
2.) Unforgettable Super Lady
3.) Soda Popinski
4.) Radio
5.) TWYCE

Javelin: MYSPACE
Copies of the 12″ record still available at Insound: BUY

Hello! To start things off here at the Styrofoam Drone, I’m going to pick an album that I feel is extremely appropriate right now. The boys from Glen Rock, New Jersey who make up Titus Andronicus, have just revealed some of the details about their new album. What better way to celebrate this amazing news than to talk about their past efforts?

The Airing of Grievances came out back in April of 2008 on it’s original label, Troubleman Unlimited. After the initial release, the album began to pick up all sorts of positive reviews, from places like Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, amongst many others. A few months went by while the album continued to gain popularity, and before Titus Andronicus knew it, they were signing to heavy-weight label XL Recordings. This was certainly a major change for Titus Andronicus, and it’s looking like a change for the best. Since they joined the roster at XL, there has not been much talk about a new album, until now…

The announcement for their new album was posted on their blog just a few days ago, on Sunday, December 13th to be exact. Some of the most interesting details about the album would be the fact that it has a Civil War theme. Even more intriguing is that it has even been said to be “more or less” of a concept album about the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865. The cover art and the track list have so far been revealed, as well as one of the tracks! The track is called “Four Score and Seven” and it clocks in at over 8 minutes, and you can find it right on their myspace. If you’re looking for even more details, you probably want to check out their blogspot (link above) or this Pitchfork article, which gives even more wonderful insight to the album. According to that Pitchfork article, the Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn makes an appearance for a spoken word interlude that’s on the album, as well as Vivian Girls Cassie Ramone, and Double Daggers Nolen Strals. Things just keep getting better. Now, all we have to do is wait, because this certainly won’t come soon enough.

In the meantime, we can continue to play the wonderful masterpiece known as “The Airing of Grievances”, and also a few other gems that the band has managed to give us over time. There are a plethora of 7 inch singles that the band has released throughout their existence, and there is also a fantastic live album (on vinyl only) titled “The Innocents Abroad: Live in London”. You can check out that vinyl only album through the link below. You may even want to snatch your own actual copy, because they’re only pressing 300! Thanks for reading and check back real soon!

The Innocents Abroad – Tracklist
1.) Joset of Nazareth’s Blues
2.) Every Time I See the Light, Part 2
3.) Titus Andronicus Forever
4.) Wipeout (Surfaris cover)
5.) Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ
6.) No Future Part One
7.) No Future Part Two
8.) Roadrunner (Jonathan Richman cover)

The Innocents Abroad: BUY
The Airing of Grievances: BUY
Titus Andronicus 7inch Singles & More: Here