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Free Download: Gasoline from Twelve Winds

tHE POLES post tour:

Pix/Vids from tHE POLES tour up. Click here. More to come.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the shows last weekend. Special thanks to Josh Manis, Longbranch Saloon, Steve Seagal/Quenchers, In Case of Capture, nonagon, Becka, Ryan Meismer, Monica Jankowski, His Mischief, Brian/Uptown Bar, self-evident, Dana, Joe, and Jake @ Radio K, Dart Gun Radio, Kristen, Andrew Johnson & the Oshkosh crew for representing, The Willis, Drop Dead Giants (love the SY cover), Rick McCarty/Southgate House, Knife the Symphony. I apologize for forgetting anyone.

Everything is on sale!
Almost every album in the catalog is available for $5. Want to hear the origins of tHE POLES and Happy. h.Chinaski's Smaller-Sized Jar with an Idea features both frontmen in one band. Never heard The Means? You should and with both of their amazing records at $5/each, you have no excuses. If you're a fan of any of the bands on the label, I guarantee there's an album here you like that you haven't heard. To make it even sweeter, for every 4 albums you purchase, I'll throw in an additional album of my choosing. Feel free to message me in your order if you already have certain titles.

The Willis conquer Late Night with Jimmy Fallon!

Let's just say it was 48 hours of pure insanity. A trip we will never forget. Everyone at the show was great. The band nailed their performance. Rosie O'Donnell and SNL cast member, Michaela Watkins were the guests. The Roots were amazing as his house band. Jeff Mitchell took a bus from New Hampshire. We hooked up with their buddy, Patrick Salt Ryan, aka Salty, the connection & basis for the song Jimmy Fallon: The Plan. I believe Patrick is the mayor of the Lower East Side, as he knows everyone. It was like an Oshkosh reunion. Video of their performance may or may not be allowed to be posted, since the taping was for a test show, which won't air. It's really up to NBC. I did, however, film one of the bands sound check version of the song and again, have to clear it with NBC before I can post. The band also played a raucous set at Bar Nine later that night. Videos of that will be up shortly. Crossing our fingers for a return trip. I think they earned it.

The Willis to appear on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Thurs Feb 26th, 2009!

Oshkosh, Wisconsin band The Willis has been invited to perform on a
pilot episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The performance will
take place in Fallon's new studio, which was Johnny Carson's original
studio, in Rockefeller Center. The episode will be filmed in front of
a live studio audience and may result in a return visit from The
Willis on a future show.

The story behind the song The Willis will perform is perhaps the most
interesting element of the tale. It's called "Jimmy Fallon: The
Plan". The lyrics tell of a band with tenuous connections to a famous
person (Jimmy Fallon) who decide to write, record, mix, and finally
"burn a cd-r" to send to said famous person with the hopes of getting
their big break. The unlikely notion of "being discovered" by knowing
someone, who knows "someone" has become kind of a cliché success
storyline for small local rock bands that rarely ends in triumph.

Actually, most of the lyrics are factual, although The Willis never
really intended to send a CD-R through backchannels to get Jimmy
Fallon to listen to it. Somehow, though, fate or luck intervened and
the song's story has come true. Jimmy Fallon heard the song and liked
it enough to ask the band to fly to New York City and perform it on a
pilot for his brand new late night talk show, The Late Show with Jimmy
Fallon.

Naturally, to actually be asked to go to New York to play is about as
perfect a way for this song's story to end. The song "Jimmy Fallon:
The Plan" was released on The Willis's debut album,
"Bathtub.Lightbulb.Heartattack." available on Doubleplusgood Records
(www.doubleplusgoodrecords.com). The band is currently writing music
for a follow-up.

Jimmy Fallon, who began his television career at the Weekend Update
host on Saturday Night Live is taking over the 12:30 (Eastern Standard
Time) slot for television veteran Conan O'Brien, who moves to Jay
Leno's 11:30 slot. Jay Leno will reportedly move to the 10pm prime
time slot with a show format similar to the Tonight Show.

The Willis is a small Midwestern local rock band made up of longtime
friends Dean Hoffman (pianos, guitars), Eric Blumreich (bass), Todd
Farber (drums), Stephen McCabe (vocals, guitar), and Eric Van Thiel
(guitar, vocals). The band has been on hiatus for the last year and a
half as the band's singer Stephen finishes his PhD in
literature/writing a la Rivers Cuomo (from Weezer) and the other guys
continue to make great music and enjoy their families and lives. The
band has done a few Midwestern tours and played with some of the
coolest regional and nationally-known indie rock bands around.

self-evident - Billions EP now available!

This brand new 5 song EP import was released over in Japan by our friends at StiffSlack records. This is a limited run of 200. Get them now while they're still here! Click here to purchase.

New dpg address
We've moved. New address is 3817 Clinton Ave Mpls, MN 55409

The Poles full-length due this fall!
The album is recorded. Just needs to be mixed and mastered. Shooting for an October release with a tour to follow. Stay tuned.

Tour was a smashing success.
Four guys in a minivan. What couldn't be more fun? Except for the need of a new transmission on Day 4, it was by far the band's best experience on the road. 8 new cities and 8 tried and true. We got to see Traindodge's 500th Show in Wichita, eat Cheese Steaks in Philly (still not a fan), meet 12 very eager Danish girls who were in the US for 2 weeks to teach, see The Poles rock it for the first time with Matt on bass (wait till you hear the new stuff), and Ben punch an old lady in the face for lipping off to him. Thank you to everyone that came out to see the band. A special thanks to the following folks for all their help:

Peabody's (R.I.P., self-evident unknowingly played it's last show), Attack Octopus, DropDeadGiants, Andrew Johnson, Quencher's, Bearclaw, Rick McCarty & Southgate House, PANTZ PARTY, Trash Bar, No Aloha, {{{sunset}}}, Laura Matson, Mike, Ale, Adam of Kill You in the Face, Frede @ Punk Rock Payroll, the 12 Danish girls who rolled into The Fire after the show was over and wanted to talk politics, Dangerbird, The Company Corvette, Adam & The New Hawaii, We Versus the Shark, Taco Bell, Taco John's, Taco Mayo (sorry we missed you this time around, but your still in our hearts), Urban Burrito (you seeing a pattern here?), Joe & Slim's Downtown, Hammer No More the Fingers, Waffle House, The Rocket Club, Todd & Kelly Lemiesz, The Poles, Heather, King Tut, Greenlife (Tom reluctantly drank his first & last shot of wheatgrass), Fobebo, Garmin Navigational System, The Earl, Dropsonic, 13 Day Mission, Mike @ The Longbranch Saloon, Chris Rusk, Josh & Brandon of Gamenight, This Photograph, Matt & Josh @ Castle Sunshine, Human Cargo, Over the Atlantic, Stop Don't Stop, The Bluebird, Riddle of Steel (our touring bros for the last 4 nights), Victoria, The Conservatory, Skies Fallen, Jake (thanks for all the comedy albums, we laughed our asses off all the way to KC) & Mel, Ross & his girlfriend whose name escapes me (thank you for the Thai buffet), The Record Bar, Mr. History, TJ & Ryan, Barleycorn's, Traindodge, The Black Gasoline guys, O'Leaver's, fromanhole (the new stuff was awesome), Landing on the Moon, and last but not least, Bleachy. If I left anyone out, it's because you already know how much I appreciate you, and it would be selfish of you to expect me to publish my thanks. I thought we were friends, man?

self-evident Spring Tour starts next Friday!
The finishing touches have been put on a 16 date tour starting May 9th. This is the longest stretch the boys have undertaken in their 10 years and includes their first ever East Coast dates. So if you're in these towns, you should come out and support the band.

5-9       @ Peabody’s Oshkosh, WI w/ Attack Octopus, Drop Dead Giants
5-10     @ Quencher’s Chicago, IL w/ Bearclaw , Quatre Tete
5-11     @ Southgate House Newport, KY w/ Swear Jar, PANTz PARTY
5-12     @ Trash Bar Brooklyn, NY w/ No Aloha, {{{Sunset}}} Set time 10pm
5-13     @ The Fire Philadelphia, PA w/ Kill You in the Face, The Company Corvette , Dangerbird All-Ages 7pm
5-14     @ The New Hawaii (House Show) Southington, CT w/ We Vs The Shark, Florida=Death
5-15     @ Slim’s Downtown Raleigh, NC w/ Hammer No More the Fingers
5-16     @ Rocket Club Asheville, NC w/ The Poles, King Tut
5-17     @ The Earl Atlanta, GA w/ Dropsonic, 13 Day Mission
5-18     @ Long Branch Saloon Knoxville, TN w/ Gamenight, This Photograph
5-19     @ Castle Sunshine (House Show) Bowling Green, OH w/ Big Fat Japan, Stop Don't Stop
5-20     @ The Bluebird St. Louis, MO w/ Riddle of Steel, Lye by Mistake
5-21     @ The Conservatory Oklahoma City, OK w/ Riddle of Steel , Skies Fallen
5-22     @ The Record Bar Kansas City, MO w/ Riddle of Steel, Mr. History
5-23     @ Barleycorn’s Witchita, KS w/ Riddle of Steel, Traindodge
5-24     @ O’Leaver’s Omaha, NE w/ fromanhole, Landing on the Moon

Happy R.I.P.
I guess calling your long delayed 2nd album The Completed Death of is a bad omen. After close to a 3 year hiatus that saw multiple drummers come and go, the band has decided to it's better to start anew than beat the dead horse. The split is amicable and they will be playing together in a new form very soon. I'm told to expect multiple drummers and another guitar player and sounds that will puzzle. A sad day when both Brett Favre and Happy retire.

New Happy live videos added from CD Release Show
Bunch of new stuff from the band with new drummer Steve McCabe. Click here

Happy-The Completed Death of Happy now available!
Don't let the title fool you. This is the long overdue 2nd album from Happy and the last to feature Tim Snow on drums. I just saw Happy play for the first time with new drummer Steve McCabe and this is only a taste of things to come from the band. This album is the perfect bridge between their debut and what lies ahead. Go ahead and preview it to the right. Only $10, just click on the Catalog button or purchase a digital download of it through SnoCap.

Steve McCabe records as Attack Octopus!
Playing every instrument live and then orchestrating a one man band, Steve McCabe (ex-Willis, current Happy drummer) just finished up recording with Justin Perkins in July. This has to be seen to be believed. Your next chance is in Oshkosh on Oct 19th at Peabody's with Dallas Orbiter.

Happy to release long overdue record
Almost 4 years after their debut Sincerely, Without Wax, the band will be releasing their long delayed follow up on October 27th at Peabody's in Oshkosh, WI with self-evident & Traindodge. Recorded while Tim Snow was still drumming with the band, the record was delayed as Tim left the band, babies were had, potential drummers did not work out, and finally the fabulous Steve McCabe took over the duties. This is a great album and you should hear it! Now that Steve is in the fold the band has been writing for the last few months and is getting ready to record this winter. So waiting for waiting 4 years, you're going to get a double dose of Happy this year.

self-evident tour in October with Traindodge!
The tour kicks off at in Minneapolis on Friday October 26th at the Triple Rock Social Club with self-evident's 10th Anniversary Show. Lots of surprises in store that night. Then it's off to Oshkosh to celebrate Happy's CD release. Dropsonic is joining the boys on the last few dates, so there are going to be killer lineups The rest of the dates are below or on the band's page here

Friday, October 26 2007
Triple Rock Social Club - Our Ten Year Anniversary Show!
Minneapolis, MN
w/ Traindodge & Story of the Sea
21+ | $7 | 9PM

Saturday, October 27 2007
Peabody’s Ale House
Oshkosh, WI
w/ Happy (CD Release!),
Traindodge & Sunday Flood
21+ | FREE | 9PM

Sunday, October 28 2007
Quencher’s
Chicago, IL
w/ Traindodge, Bear Claw
21+ | FREE | 9PM

Monday, October 29 2007
Record Bar
Kansas City, MO
w/ Traindodge , Akierima
21+ | $5 | 9PM

Tuesday, October 30 2007
The Conservatory
Oklahoma City, OK
w/ Traindodge & TBA
21+ | $5 | 9PM

Wednesday, October 31 2007
The Bluebird
St. Louis, MO
Traindodge & TBA
21+ | $5 | 9PM

Thursday, November 1 2007
Wallstreet
Murfreesboro, TN
w/ Traindodge, The Firing Order
21+ | $5 | 9PM

Friday, November 2 2007
Old City Java
Knoxville, TN
w/ Dropsonic, Traindodge
& Mouth Movements
All Ages | $5 | 8PM

Saturday, November 3 2007
Lenny’s
Atlanta, GA
w/ Dropsonic, Traindodge
21+ | $5 | 9PM

Jeff Mitchell's Batteries and Blankets and The Poles As Above, So Below available for download at iTunes (US, Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada), eMusic, Rhapsody, MusicNet, and Napster!

Epistemology and SELF-EVIDENT available for download at iTunes (US, Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada), eMusic, Rhapsody, MusicNet, and Napster!