wampus multimedia signs the may bees

Wampus Multimedia has signed incendiary Dutch indie rockers The May Bees. Fueled by the anthemic vox and guitars of Gregory Orange and the distinctive, powerhouse drumming of Marzj, their spirited onslaught evokes a battalion more than a duo. Calling to mind Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, Guided By Voices, Sonic Youth, Grandaddy, and Pedro the Lion -- apocalyptic rock-club thrash with a maple-syrup coating -- the May Bees are a raging two-headed monster.

Gregory and Marzj (formerly of Rude Boy's League of XO Gentlemen, K's Choice, and Venus in Flames) share a love for pure and intense rock songs. This audible passion infuses unique and memorable music.

Riding the success of their independently released EPs, Fake Around and Blame It on the Other Ones, the May Bees will release a full-length CD, Drop Little Boy, on Wampus this summer.

Stay tuned.

http://wampus.com

http://themaybees.com

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Wampus Multimedia Songwriters Showcase: This Saturday

Check out the Wampus Multimedia Songwriters Showcase this Saturday, April 14, 9:00 p.m., at the Galaxy Hut in Arlington, Virginia. It features the label's Washington, D.C. artists -- Alice Despard, Kowtow Popof, Grahame Davies, and Arms of Kismet, with Evan Pollack on the drums.

Galaxy Hut, 2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201 / 703.525.8646

http://wampus.com/showcase.html

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FUZE Tickets Now on Sale

Tickets are now available online for the FUZE Battle of the Bands, taking place Saturday, April 28 at the Sportsplex in Winchester, Virginia. The show is being headlined by Parade the Day, recently signed by Walking City Records. Competing bands include The Season (Nashville, Tennessee), American Deluxe (Syracuse, New York), Somber (Hegins, Pennsylvania), Dice Fly High (Asheville, North Carolina), and Ajar (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania).

http://easytix.ticketforce.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=18

http://wampus.com/fuze

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Wampus News Feed

Kurt, we hardly knew ye:

http://wampus.com/news/feed.html

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Hungry iPod? Feed it.

http://localmusicstore.com

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.

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

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.

Neil Luckett / Radio for Cats

Stripped-down and immediate, chills up the spine. "Luckett creates an individual sound that looks more into his mind and soul rather than the minds of others." --Wes Barker, Amplifier ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Kowtow Popof / End of Greatness

The latest and greatest CD from Kowtow Popof. ///// CD Baby / iTunes.

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 / iTunes.

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 / iTunes.

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 / iTunes.

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 / iTunes.

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 / 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.

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.

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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Visit the Wampus stores at CD Baby and Backstage Commerce.

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Coming in 2007-08

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Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. died Wednesday at 84. So it goes. He was a humanist and an iconoclast and an incomparable literary artist. His prose was as clear and musical as a church bell.

The first Wampus Multimedia band, Wampeters, lifted its name from a term Vonnegut coined in Cat's Cradle. The Wampus fiction magazine, Friction Quasi-Quarterly, counted Vonnegut as a regular subscriber. Wampus' Arms of Kismet eulogized Vonnegut in "Cuckold of Titan," a song about artists and their place in the world.

From Vonnegut's Bluebeard (1987):

Who is more to be pitied, a writer bound and gagged by policemen or one living in perfect freedom who has nothing more to say?

Kurt Vonnegut: he never stopped.

RIP, KV.

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Wampus Multimedia is an independent music label run by artists, for artists. Its credo is simple: to introduce the world to the boldest new content rendered by visionary artists. It is home to a growing roster from a variety of genres, including pop, AAA, Americana, alternative, ambient, blues, and folk. Wampus Multimedia values you as a supporter of independent music and will never share your contact information with anyone.  Contact us anytime at mail3(at)wampus.com.