Empty Cellar & Secret Seven on KUSF 90.3 – listen to the Archives
Wednesday March 31st 2010, 12:23 pm
Filed under: Bric-O-Brac,Empty Cellar

If you missed Arvel (Empty Cellar) and Greg’s (Secret Seven) ten (60) minutes of fame on DJ Mashi Mashi’s show on KUSF 90.3, and are dying to hear the sneak preview of the unreleased track “Song of Songs” from the Sandwitches upcoming Duck Duck Goose EP, then you can listen to the radio show on the KUSF archives. Our spot is the third hour of the show, but you should listen to the whole thing because DJ Mashi Mashi rules. Hopefully we didn’t sound like nervous fools. Also, the real stars are Goose, Dottie, and Esme (featured above). Oh, and major props to David from Ukiah who sang the Grateful Dead’s “Standing on the Moon” to me over the phone to win a copy of Secret Seven’s In a Cloud compilation.

Listen to the show on the KUSF archives



Bonnie “Prince” Billy & The Cairo Gang Tour “Wondershow of the World”
Wednesday March 31st 2010, 10:07 am
Filed under: Live Music


Bonnie “Prince” Billy and The Cairo Gang are hitting the road on a one of a kind tour. They will be playing their Wondershow of the World (Drag City) jams where they get all bi- with each other (Emmett and Will wrote these songs together). This tour is the sh*t! Two intimate electricity-free concerts each night. There will be surprises. In the mean time… check out some old vids of the two performing Bonnie “Prince” Billy tunes at this post.

Bonnie “Prince” Billy & The Cairo Gang
TOUR DATES:




Empty Cellar and Secret Seven guest DJ on KUSF today!
Tuesday March 30th 2010, 10:15 am
Filed under: Empty Cellar,Vinyl Releases


If you live in the Bay Area, then tune in to KUSF 90.3 today (Tuesday) at 5:00 pm (PST). Arvel from Empty Cellar and Greg from Secret Seven will be spinning our releases on the Air. We will be playing some unreleased jams from The Sandwitches, Sonny & The Sunsets, Joseph Childress, Wymond Miles, and Sword & Sandals! Tune in early (starting at 3:00) to catch the beginning of our Host’s (DJ Mashi Mashi’s) weekly show.

Listen to a live stream HERE



Praise for Pillars & Tongues – Lay of Pilgrim Park
Monday March 22nd 2010, 7:33 am
Filed under: Empty Cellar,Vinyl Releases

Pillars and TonguesPillars and Tongues

“With just three members, Pillars and Tongues manages to craft powerful folk abstractions and interwoven, trance-inducing vocal dynamics. Both composed and improvisational, these shifting forms evoke spiritual vibes in their soulful essence, heavenly harmonies, and repeated patterns.”
- Alarm Magazine, “This Weeks Best Albums”

“Recording much of their material live, their antecedents are as modern as drone and as old as early American folk, though with the latter they’re often stretching the definition of the genre. . . . it’s hard to believe Lay of Pilgrim Park is the work of just three people in the same room, and their roles are so fluid it’s hard to pick out where one member’s contributions start and another ends. The album’s abrupt changes, deliberate silences, and movements rather than verses and choruses feel almost more classical than folk (or jazz, or indie, or anything else they might be considered). . . . a tightly focused album-length piece”
- Jason Crock, Pitchfork

“The energy that emanates from this album, is enormous. Not massive, huge, but magnificent and powerful, brilliant and wise.”
- Das Klienicum

“Is it too early to name an album the best of the year? Ok, I’ll slow down, but the new album from Pillars and Tongues is something special.”
- The Deli Magazine (Chicago)

“Filled with lush strings, improvised vocals, and a chamber-folk core, the latest album from Chicago’s Pillars and Tongues, Lay of Pilgrim Park is impressively beautiful.”
- This Zine Will Change Your Life

“This is definitely for Dead Can Dance fans. Very interesting listen all together. While listening to this you can actually picture the singing moment on Brendan Perry from DCD. “The Center of” and “Park Saint and Folly” really lift up this whole title. Give it go…”
- The Sirens Sound

“With the magic that I thought their Daytrotter session was, as well as the album Protection . . . , I had pretty high expectations for the new release, and I most certainly wasn’t disappointed. Pillars and Tongues have their craft finely tuned, and Lay of Pilgrim Park is the perfect evidence for it.”
- Satellite for Entropy

“Lay of Pilgrim Park is one kickass album. Beautiful packaging”
- BabySue

Purchase at the Endless Nest Store



The Cairo Gang – Holy Clover 7″ EP: OUT NOW!!!
Wednesday March 17th 2010, 8:47 am
Filed under: Empty Cellar,Vinyl Releases

the Cairo Gang - Holy Cloverthe Cairo Gang - Holy Clover

Empty Cellar is proud to announce the release of The Cairo Gang – Holy Clover 7″ EP… yesterday (March 16th)! We LOVE this one.

HOLY CLOVER” new EP by THE CAIRO GANG. features four NEW songs recorded in a risen cornfield in shelby county, kentucky. A departure from previous cerebral and primarily acoustic efforts, this record is tight and electric with choruses and vocal harmonies all supported by an enforced bass and drums set. One mic at a time and brought to you in 33 rpms on glorious 7 inch vinyl! Limited copies made available by Empty Cellar and Tin Angel in the USA and Europe, respectively. Includes freed downloadable version.

“Jesus…with angels.”
- Jason Dean, 7 Inches

Purchase at the Endless Nest Store



Empty Cellar Artists at SxSW
Tuesday March 16th 2010, 11:59 am
Filed under: Empty Cellar,Live Music


If you are at SxSW then make your way to one of the many shows that the Sandwitches and Sonny Smith are playing and show them some love. Empty Cellar artists Tim Cohen & Wymond Miles will also be playing several shows in the Fresh & Onlys, and Mark Trecka of Pillars and Tongues will be playing drums for Dark Dark Dark.

Oh yeah, and our entire catalog is available at Waterloo Records in Austin.


The Sandwitches SxSW Dates

Sonny Smith SxSW Dates

The Fresh & Onlys SxSW Dates



Indian Summer Presents: Joseph Childress, Lazarus, Elephant Micah, Soft Shells, & Peace Lovin’!!!!!
Wednesday March 03rd 2010, 11:04 pm
Filed under: Empty Cellar,Indian Summer Music,Live Music


Check out this amazing image of Joseph Performing to an art-bus full of people. If you look through the bus windshield, you might notice that the bus is traveling. This was taken at one of many incredibly incredibly rad events curated by our dear friend David Wilson at Ribbons Publications.

Joseph is playing once again this Thursday (3/4)… tomorrow (sorry for the short notice). He will be part of a righteous line-up put together by Indian Summer with the help of the The Seaweed Sway and Invisible Ocean. It is taking place at a great new space in the Mission. It will have a nice mellow party vibe… couches, a treehouse, beer & wine, an organ… and it is FREE (suggested donation).


In no particular order:
Joseph Childress
Lazarus
Elephant Micah
Soft Shells
Peace, Loving

Thursday March 4th
8:00 – 11:00PM
Free (suggested $5 donation)

Crowdflower
455 Valencia St.
(Between 15th & 16th)
San Francisco



Bonnie “Prince” Billy & The Cairo Gang – “The Wonder Show of the World”
Monday March 01st 2010, 9:42 am
Filed under: Empty Cellar

bonnie-prince-billy-play-guitar-play-608x374 (2)

Our boy Emmett Kelly (The Cairo Gang) has been contributing guitar and voice to Bonnie “Prince” Billy recordings for the better part of the last decade. This Valentine’s day, Drag City announced the first official collaboration between Bonnie “Prince” Billy and The Cairo Gang. The newest full length featuring Bonnie “Prince” Billy or The Cairo Gang, The Wonder Show of the World (out march 22th on Drag City) is co-written between Emmett and Will… we are talking about the bee’s knees, the cat’s pajamas, the snake’s elbow. This is going to be rad. You can pre-order it from Drag City… and check out this atmospheric (non-LP) cover of Conway Twitty’s “Play Guitar Play”:

Play, Guitar Play:

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Watch the commercial:

…and here are some dope vids of Emmett Kelly (The Cairo Gang) and Will Oldham performing Bonnie “Prince” Billy songs: