News
The Snails – Worth The Wait
Baltimore’s answer to the California Raisins, The Snails, are ready to come out of their shells for long enough to swoon a turntable and dance hall near you. Fronted by Samuel T. Herring of Future Islands, these mollusks are no longer native to only Baltimore.
We’re proud to present the long-awaited debut from The Snails, Worth The Wait. The five song EP will be released via a limited double 7″ pressed to purple and green vinyl and enclosed in gatefold packaging.
More info on the EP is here.
Art Lord & the Self-Portraits
Locke Ernstfrost & his Self-Portraits are coming out of retirement… for one night. Art Lord & the Self-Portraits played their first show on Valentine’s Day 2003, and exactly 10 years later they will play their only reunion show at Kings in Raleigh, NC on February 14, 2013.
Friends will release a double LP retrospective compiling material from Art Lord & the Self-Portraits’ four original albums, Searching for a Complement, In Your Boombox, Ideas For Housecrafts and Snail, plus live recordings from the band’s formative years. Each LP will come with a download code for all 4 original albums, live shows, and rare demos.
More info on the 2xLP retrospective is here.
Secret Mountains – Rainer
Friends presents the debut LP from Secret Mountains, recorded by Chris and Mickey Freeland at Beat Babies just outside of Baltimore.
Rainer is the dark answer to each band member’s storm, prompting listeners to roar through their own tempestuous experiences.
More info on the debut LP is here.
Oxes ft. Will Oldham & Microkingdom ft. Sam Herring
Friends Records is excited to announce FR018, a limited vinyl 7″ featuring Oxes with Will Oldham and Bob Weston covering “Strong Enough” (Baerwald, Botrell, Crow, MacLeod, Riketts) on the A side.
For the B side of this star-studded 7″, Microkingdom enlists Sam Herring of Future Islands to sing a cover of “I’m On Fire” (Springsteen).
More details on this historic 7″ are here.
Height with Friends – Rock and Roll
Dan Keech is back with a revolving cast in the new Height with Friends album, Rock and Roll. Height leads another charge through the backwoods of the beat-up music industry with a blend of lazer-focused rhymes, infectious hooks, sonic-driven beats, and the simple truth.
Rock and Roll is now available right here.
Bamboo & Chester Endersby Gwazda
Freshly dubbed cassettes by Chester Endersby Gwazda and Bamboo are now available in our shop or out on tour with the bands.
Above is “Globe,” a gem you’ll find on Chester Endersby Gwazda’s Shroud. Streaming below is “Red Flag,” a taste from Bamboo’s Jams.
Coming soon from Baltimore: releases from Height with Friends, Teen Suicide, Oxes, Microkingdom, and some very special surprises.
Jason Urick / Co La split 7″
Two storied avant alchemists collide on this split 7″ as Jason Urick offers his first new sounds since the I Love You LP on Thrill Jockey and Co La pours out his first since his LP with NNA Tapes.
Pre-order this limited seven inch right here.
Flock of Dimes – Prison Bride 7″
We are proud to announce the debut vinyl release from Flock of Dimes, the solo project by Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak. The single is called “Prison Bride“, and will be backed with “I Can’t Tell You Why (screwed mix)”.
The release will be limited to 500 copies on orange vinyl, with packaging design by Rose MF Chase featuring photos by Jana Hunter. More details, including a tour with Sharon Van Etten, are right here.
