Finally, all the free records I’ve been sending out to radio stations, publications and other label owners have paid off (sort-of): Lemon Session has made quite a media splash.

A quick Google search show the label name popping up in radio playlists all over the nation, including KDVS (Davis, CA), WUSB (Stony Brook, NY) and KEXP (Seattle, WA). One DJ named Jared who has a show called “What We Do Is Secret” (Tuesdays from 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. on KRCL in Salt Lake City, UT) even wrote a great article about the first four releases on the club.

You can read the article here: http://krclblog.org/krcl/?p=562.

A personal highlight for me was listening to The Best Show On WFMU on May 4 and hearing Rib Cages’ “Lock Horns” in the beginning of the show. Being a huge fan of Tom Scharpling, the fact that I got some props from him on my show made this whole spending-thousands-of-dollars-to release-records-no-one-buys thing worth it. (Go to WFMU’s archives and click on the May 4 pop-up player to hear the entire show.)

But one radio show went above and beyond all others: The World Is A Drag, an online show on Rainy Dawg Radio, actually recorded a live set from Rib Cages. And because Jeremy is so rad, he even let me post the recording on this here website for you to download!

So, here is a live set from Rib Cages, who now feature the bass player from Octagon Control and who will be touring the Midwest this summer.

If you didn’t notice, the band has a bunch of new songs, which will appear on their upcoming album that they are currently recording. Keep coming to here to learn more details.

In other great news: this Monday I will be recording the X/A Frames/Hank IV show at the Hemlock, S.F. IN ITS ENTIRETY! The mp3s will show up on this here website for free download soon afterward, so keep checking the website for updates!

I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do this, but it just has to happen: The next 4 singles in the club (AKE, Steeples, Unnatural Helpers, Blowtops) will have smaller pressings; instead of pressing 600 of each, I will only press 300.

I want to put out more records and pressing 600 of each record is making that more difficult by being so expensive, as well as taking up the little room I have in my apartment. At some point I’d like to press all the records at amounts that don’t make them so “exclusive,” but at this point it’s just not possible.

I’m also going to shore up the number of possible subscriptions, from 475 to 210, so if you haven’t subscribed yet, you should do so now. I’m guessing that since we’re already close to reaching 210 that it won’t be long until I’m announcing that there are no more subscriptions.

You can still subscribe using the payment plan — you only need to put down $12 initially — and now I will send all those who pay off their plans with one big payment the next two records (Terrible Twos and Butcher Cover.) That means you won’t have to wait until June, when they would be sent to you. Awesome!

To sign up, click here: http://www.lemon-session.com/releases/

And remember, if you are on the payment plan and don’t know when to send in the next payment: now would be good. Again, the next package goes out in June, unless you A. Are on plan #1 or B. Pay off the plan with a big ‘ol payment. If you’re in either of these categories, you’ll get records in May.

I’d also like the add that the Bundle Of Fags bonus still stands (the cover is above): if you’re one of the 200 wait, 210 subscribers, you’ll get the Bundle Of Fags single too. Basically the club is now 9 records instead of 8 FOR ALL SUBSCRIBERS.

And for those of you who have received promo copies of the first 4 records — because the pressings are being cut in half, I won’t necessarily be sending you the next 5. Please sign up for the club if you really want those records.

If you haven’t signed up for the email group, please do so by entering your email address into the little Yahoo thing on the left.

Thanks again for coming on the site. For an added bonus, below is an attempt at a music video for the Intelligence’s “Boyfriends And Girlfriends,” where I took a bunch of shaky video from a 2002 show (with the almighty Dean of the Unnatural Helpers on drums) and make it much more exciting. I plan to do a post on the Intelligence sometime in the near future as I am sitting on a bunch of recordings from this era.

From this idea’s inception it took me 11 months to get to this point. Personally, I don’t think that’s too long of a time to get eight records ready to sell, but if it is, I would love to know.

In theory it shouldn’t be that hard to send a CDR to someone in a different part of the country and have them turn it into a record. Yet it is, because:

A. You actually have to talk to two or three people;
B. You have to have the grip of money that’s required to be sent with it.

Oh, and one quick note: I’m doing this so I can start a label and put out more records you’d want. So, to make yourself feel better when you’re buying this, you can tell yourself you’re helping start a non-profit.

Lemon Session Singles Club 2010

Subscription options

Option 1 - 8 Shipments $65.00 Option 2 - 4 Shipments $55.00 Option 3 - Local $45.00 Option 4 - Payment plan $12.00

Email list

After months of compiling this, here it is, the Lemon Session Singles Club 2010. Only eight records, but all previously unreleased material.

The 2010 lineup:
Rib Cages
Teenage Nightwar
Terrible Twos
Butcher Cover
Unnatural Helpers
Blowtops
Steeples
Aluminum Knot Eye

Cover art provided by the most talented Rob Vertigo, singer for Butcher Cover.

There are no real restrictions, but for those outside the US will have to pay the difference in shipping costs.

Option 1: 8 Packages:
For $65, you’ll receive a single every month of 2010, except for January, April, July and October.

Option 2: 4 Packages:
For $55, you’ll receive two singles each package, mailed out in February, May, August and November.

Option 3: Local pickup (for Bay Area residents only):
For $45, you’ll be able to pickup records on an almost monthly basis at 1234 Go! Records.

419 40th Street
Oakland, CA 94609-2508
(510) 985-0325

You’ll need to sign up for the mailing list above to find out when the new records have been dropped off.

NEW Option 4: Payment Plan:
For 5 payments of $12, you get all the records, but the packages only come after you pay.

So you won’t feel surprised or gypped by what you receive, here’s a sampler of all the bands, including 3 songs that will be on three of the singles in the club.