wampus launches specialty label foldback records

(CLIFTON, VA, May 23, 2006). Some record labels reissue familiar albums that have fallen out of fashion. Others specialize in repackaging old hits for new markets. Foldback Records, the new reissue imprint of U.S. independent label Wampus Multimedia, focuses on lost treasures and offbeat delights, eclectic records you might have missed the first time around. Like Rhino Records and Rykodisc, Foldback envisions a niche market for unique, high-quality music, regardless of its perceived shelf life or commercial positioning.

“When you play a record for the first time,” says Mark Doyon of Wampus Multimedia, “it’s new to you regardless of when it was made, and all you care about is if it’s good, if it’s engaging you. When you like what you hear, you discover more albums by the artist, and you’re surprised you didn’t know them before. It’s how casual listeners become fans.”

Rolling out the new imprint with five discs from alternative singer-songwriters, Foldback showcases literate artists who operate from distinctive points of view. U.K. transplants The Crowd Scene return with their too-good-to-miss-in-conscience debut, Turn Left at Greenland (CD Baby / Amazon), an urbane classic that includes a pair of tracks omitted from the original release. Alice Despard weighs in with Push Me Pull You (CD Baby / Amazon) and Samsara (CD Baby / Amazon), ringing touchstones that influenced the burgeoning 1990s indie scene. Johnny J Blair checks in with the Brian-Wilson-on-neo-soul masterwork, Fire (CD Baby / Amazon). The Simple Things unveil their irrepressible best-of, President Foushee (CD Baby / Amazon), including new material.

Foldback artists benefit from Wampus marketing, promotion, and distribution, and enjoy a partnership-based royalty structure that ignores industry norms. The Foldback titles join a Wampus Multimedia roster that includes Cafebar 401, tvfordogs, Casey Abrams, Arms of Kismet, Johnny J Blair, Alice Despard, and others, as well as Hurry Home Early: the Songs of Warren Zevon, After Hours: a Tribute to the Music of Lou Reed, and If I Were a Richman: a Tribute to the Music of Jonathan Richman.

Want to see the return of a great record that went out of print or never got its due? Think it's time for your favorite artist to resurface? Tell Foldback Records about it.

Foldback releases are available at Amazon, CD Baby, Tower Records, Borders, iTunes, and other fine stores.

 

http://foldbackrecords.com

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Your Alternate Universe: Food for the iPod

http://localmusicstore.com

The Crowd Scene / Turn Left at Greenland

Shimmering trans-Atlantic pop refracted through a lens of the Kinks, the Left Banke, Television, and Elliott Smith. "Absolutely worthwhile, and a good sign for the future of British pop." --Matthew Greenwald, All-Music Guide ///// CD Baby / Amazon.

Alice Despard / Samsara

The until-now rare first solo disc from the founder of Washington, D.C.'s Hyaa! "Beautiful." --The Doubtful Palace ///// CD Baby / Amazon.

Alice Despard / Push Me Pull You

The comeback album -- honored in the Village Voice "Pazz & Jop" poll, now to be honored by your stereo. "Lush, ethereal country-rock may seem a curious concept, but this local singer-songwriter manages to combine heaven and earth in 11 songs that are both mysterious and urgent." -- Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post ///// CD Baby / Amazon.

Johnny J Blair / Fire

Immaculately crafted pop 'n' roll with a streak of gospel-inflected, blue-eyed soul. "For anyone with a little imagination, intelligence, and a sense of humor, not to mention a taste for the exotic." --Brian Quincy Newcomb, CCM Magazine ///// CD Baby / Amazon.

The Simple Things / President Foushee

Virginia roots-pop outfit returns with a best-of as solid as a pop rock. "It's the upbeat tunes that catch you.... Nicely done." --Raw 42 ///// CD Baby / Amazon.

Various Artists / Hurry Home Early: the Songs of Warren Zevon

Emerging artists interpret the literate, modern songcraft of the poet of Gower Avenue. "This collection deserves space in the collection of any Zevon fan." --Ron Davies, Splendid ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

tvfordogs / Roller

Melodic, crunchy, and already under your skin. "Carries on the tradition of British power trios with a modern creativity and flair." --Laura Turner Lynch, Kweevak.com ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Alice Despard / Vessel

Patti Smith meets Neil Young -- with a little Mission of Burma to boot. "Like a stripped-down Velvet Underground." --J.R. Oliver, EarCandy ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Johnny J Blair / Treadmarks

Imagine Raymond Chandler and Sam Cooke as street musicians busking with David Bowie's beat-up 12-string guitar. "A solo record full of originality, guts, and feel." --Francesco Emmanuel, The Muse's Muse ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Arms of Kismet / Cutting Room Rug

Brooding and poppy, funny and foreboding, it's toe-tapping, tragicomic rock 'n' roll. "Witty, idiosyncratic indie-rock that is to a band like Maroon 5 what a film like Sideways is to one like Miss Congeniality 2." --Jason Warburg, The Daily Vault ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Casey Abrams / Like a Mirror

Reflecting folk, jazz, and the American songbook, it takes Paul Simon and Don McLean back to their roots. "Intelligently eclectic." --Kevan Breitinger, Indie-Music.com ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Cafebar 401

Brimming with darkly sweet pop hooks, it calls to mind Coldplay, Radiohead, and Queens of the Stone Age. "A great debut album from a band soon to be well known." --Brenna Krause, Left Off the Dial ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Arms of Kismet / Eponymous

Literate and insidiously catchy, it's postmodern pop for the savvy, ironic streetcrawler. "A classic, one of the first great discs of 2004." --Roy Opochinski, Groovevolt.com ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Various Artists / After Hours: a Tribute to the Music of Lou Reed

Emerging artists tell the story of an artist unencumbered by popular expectations, yet... popular. "A must-have for any fan of Reed, or for anyone who just likes quality, original music, smartly produced, played very, very well." --Fleabomb.com ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Various Artists / If I Were a Richman: a Tribute to the Music of Jonathan Richman

A wildly entertaining ride through the repertoire of one of rock's most original and eclectic songwriters. ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

tvfordogs / Heavy Denver

Definitive modern rock from London-based trio. "Shifts gears and blends songs in a way that not only puts the individual songs in best relief, but takes the listener on a journey." --Mark Kirby, MusicDish ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Kowtow Popof / Kowtow Drops the Pop Off

Powerfully nuanced postmodern rave-ups that set the car radio ablaze. "Preternaturally surrealist post-pop." --Eve Zibart, The Washington Post ///// CD Baby / iTunes.

Amateur God / Near Life Experience

Dark semi-vocal-ambient music in the tradition of Mylene Farmer, Art of Noise, and Voivod. "Fascinating." --Modern Dance UK ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Mitch Renault & Arms of Kismet / Ted's 12: Original Soundtrack

Snappy songs and snippets from the film. ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Various Artists / Glass Flesh 2: a Tribute to Robyn Hitchcock

Twenty-one great ways to skin Robyn Hitchcock's cat. ///// Backstage Commerce.

Wampeters / Murder Your Darlings

It's the end of the line... until the line starts again. "A great narrative album." --Heidi Drockelman, IndieMusic.com ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Mark Doyon / Bonneville Stories

Crisp fiction from Arms of Kismet's Mark Doyon that's as dark as optimism gets. "A brilliant collection of beautifully written stories that made me cringe, grimace, and laugh, while sometimes moving me to great pity.... There just aren't any flaws here, and I can't possibly do this book justice in a review. No one could, really...." --Laurie Edwards, CultureDose.net ///// Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1929763093/qid=1034199246/sr=8-7/ref=sr_8_7/102-8551637-2399362?v=glance&n=507846

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Listen to tracks from Wampus artists on the Wampus iPod.

Taste the Wampus Multimedia 2006 Sampler at iTunes.

Check out Wampus reissues at Foldback Records.

Prefer downloads to CDs? Wampus titles are available from Apple iTunes, Arvato, AudioLunchbox, Bitmunk, BurnLounge, BuyMusic, CatchMusic, Chondo, Destra, DigitalKiosk, Emusic, Great Indie Music, HearMusic, Inprodicon, Interia, Karma Download, Liquid Digital Media, LoudEye, Mouzika, MP3, MP3tunes, Mperia, MSN Music, MusicIsHere, MusicMatch, MusicNet/AOL, MusicNow, Napster, NewViews, NextRadio/BellSouth, PassAlong/eBay, PlayIndies, Puretracks, QTRnote, Rhapsody, Ruckus, RuleRadio, SonicGarden, Sony Connect, Tower, Tradebit, TreeTunes/Mperia, Virgin, WalMart, WrapFactory, WalMart, Yahoo!... and more!

Visit the Wampus stores at CD Baby and Backstage Commerce.

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Coming in 2006-07

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Dora Adeline Lockhart, 1913-2006: We love ya, sweetie.

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Wampus Multimedia values you as a supporter of independent music and will never share your contact information with anyone.  Contact us anytime at mail4@wampus.com.