9-18-07
Well it been a little over a year ago that I became self-employed and let me tell you, it is very
gratifying but absolutely insane. Due to this increase level of madness in my life I have had less
and less time and money to support Hungry Ghosts Rec. but I work everyday to change that so don’t count HG
out yet. I do have the new Angry for Life CDs in that HG co-released. The distro list has been
updated and I also created a myspace account for the label so I can make updates easier and more often.
Please visit www.myspace.com/hungryghostsrecords and if you have an account add me so you can receive
updates, also it would also help the success of the label if you post this on you top friends. Yeah,
it’s pretty punk, but it is a free resource and when you don’t have any money to spare, you do what you
can.
4-6-07
Updated the shows section with the Lost Issues shows
with Angry for Life in April. The new Angry for Life
CD should be out soon.
12-14-06
The distro list has been updated and I have slashed
prices even further. My new business (Madison Music
Foundry) is taking longer then expected to get on its
feet and as a result of that, I'm running very low on money so I would greatly appreciate any orders. I
realize the distro list isn't very consumer friendly
so until I can afford to update it, I figured I'd at least make it cheap to make it worth your time to go through.
This winter I will be joining forces with Vine Hell
Records to help release the new ANGRY FOR LIFE CD.
I'm extremely excited about this since this band has
members from one of my favorite bands, KPF (Krupted
Peasant Farmerz) Check out www.vinehell.com for more
info on those bands and other great releases.
My new band LOST ISSUES has been practicing and
working on new material. WEAVING THE DEATHBAG hasn't
even practiced since last year due to new jobs,
moving, crazy schedules etc. We have discussed the
future of the band and we have agreed not to give up
so once our schedules allow we will hopefully get the
reaper off our back.
8-24-06
Things are going full force with the new studio business (www.madisonmusicfoundry.com) so once I get that in full swing in a couple months I'll be able to give the label more time. Today is my last day of being employed by the man and after that I'm 100% self-employed which is a great feeling but at thesame time scary. The distro is still current since I haven't had more then 3 orders in the last 2 months. It will take a couple months before I see any income again, so help a guy out and by some records from a person that will truly appreciate every extra dollar.
6-19-06
I finally got everything finished for the LOST ISSUES-left behind 7". All of the covers are screen printed with different colors of inks on different colors of paper. I put some pictures from the LOST ISSUES show with Tragedy on the Photo section, and in case you wondered what I look like, check out the good looking guitar player of Lost Issues. The distro and shows links have also been updated. The
label has been put on the back burner for the last couple months so I can focus on the new rehearsal studio I’ll be opening this fall. I’ll be leasing out a 7000 sq/ft warehouse and building 16 practice rooms and a recording studio. This expansion will be the beginning of being fully self-employed which I’m really excited about and little bit nervous.
5-1-06
The LOST ISSUES-left behind 7"s are in, although I have yet to finish the layout. I plan to have everything ready by the end of May. I haven't had very many orders from the distro so that list is basically current. I've been side tracked from the label over the last couple months due to work and the rehearsal studio business. I've been working on expanding the rehearsal studio to enable me to be fully self-employed. Hopefully everything works out and I'll get this label whipped back into serious action. Until then, any and all orders are greatly appreciated to keep the label afloat.
3-2-06
The LOST ISSUES recording turned out great. I'm sending it in to get pressed this week. The LOST ISSUES-left behind 7" should be available in early April. I'll get some MP3s and cover art posted to the
site in a week or so. The distro and show sections
have been updated, check it out!!
2-3-06
Not much happening with the label. The distro has
been updated so the list is current. I've been
spending all my free time working on a new band called "Lost Issues" with Jake from Defacto Oppression on drums. We plan to record the weekend of Feb. 17th at Simple Studios in Green Bay, WI. Weaving the Deathbag has been on hiatus for a couple months but will be getting back in to action in March, working on new songs and a show on March 24th. I'm working on some new releases, but that all depends on finances so any and all support/orders is appreciated.
1-12-06
The Distro section is updated so everything is current. The Weaving the Deathbag tour started out with us in my van ready to pull out of my driveway only to have the transmission drop out so we had to scramble and rent a van to get back on track. It was one thing after another but we pulled it together and made all but two of the shows. Thanks to everyone who
showed up and helped us out. I just got a new van so
I'm officially broke as a joke so please help out and order some records, everything is discounted as much
as possible so the prices are right. With any luck
I'll have the High on Crime CD out in March, as soon as the layout is finished I'll get this pressed.
Asschapel will be on tour in Europe in Feb and March.
12-6-05
Not much news besides cold weather and the Weaving the
Deathbag tour which is posted in the shows section.
It's been a slow month for orders so bring them on and I'll send you them tunes.
11-02-05
After a month of almost no distro sales, last week proved to be fruitful with almost $300 of sales, thanks to everyone who has supported Hungry Ghosts Rec. & distro. I'm still in debt so no matter what size the order I greatly appreciate the business. I spent more than $300 just for zine ads last month so I'm not getting rich anytime soon. I realize that I don't have the most user friendly distro. page in this age of slick web pages, but I simply don't have the time or money to fix it up right now, but I will hopefully get to that this winter. I've got a full time job, a rehearsal studio business and two bands so that leaves little time left at the end of the day, although I will do everything in my power to get your orders out the same day that I get the payment. Anyway, I got the distro updated with new releases and some titles I didn't get a chance to add before. The show section is updated with the latest news on the Weaving the Deathbag tour. Asschapel came and destroyed Wisconsin once again, if you missed them, do everything in your power to check them out in the future, their live shows kill. Now that Dave is all done putting on Milwaukee Fest, he will be working on the High on Crime CD layout which will have the LP + 7" so keep an eye out for that.
10-3-05
The distro and show section has been updated. I've
been getting smoked with work so I apologize if I have been slow with replies. I just noticed that a person requesting an order had their e-mail sent to my bulk mail box in my yahoo account and I usually don't look at that so if you don't hear back from me about an order, please try again.
9-7-05
The Distro has been updated so everything is current.
Weaving the Deathbag has a new shirt design which you can check out the design
on the release link. We had some problems with the Weaving the Deathbag webpage
but Mike has it fixed and will be updating soon,
www.weavingthedeathbag.com. There is a killer fest
coming up in Wisconsin in Oct, check out www.milwaukeefest.com for the
line-up/info. After checking my inventory on HG releases, the High on Crime 7"
and LP, Weaving the Deathbag 7"s and Asschapel LP are no longer available for
trade, I only have a few left of each release so I'm saving them for direct
sales. The Asschapel-rotting the body 7" is
sold out, I only have 2 copies left.
8-3-05
I
completely overhauled the distro list so it shows current inventory, new
releases and all that jazz.
The Weaving the Deathbag CD will be at my house on 8-4, this Thur, so we will
have these at our show on
Fri. I will also have my distro at the show.
7-27-05
Well I
successful re-roofed my house and now I’m getting back into the normal routine.
Some of you may have heard that ASSCHAPEL had broken up, which was true,
although they have found a new bass player and are back in action, which I found
to be great news. They will be touring this Oct. so keep an eye out for that. I
will have the new WEAVING THE DEATHBAG-compendium CD out in the first week of
Aug.
The layout proofs were approved last week and it is currently in production.
Weaving the Deathbag will also be doing a short tour in Nov. I had the show
section updated with more great shows coming up in Wisconsin. Most everything in
the distro section is still in stock, I’ll be adding some new stuff next week.
As always, I greatly appreciate orders, it’s the only way to keep afloat so I
can afford to put out more records. I realize the distro section isn’t fancy,
but hopefully if things go well I can update that this fall to be more consumer
friendly.
7-1-05
Well I'm two days into re-roofing
my house so I'm swamped with work. Although I'm not too busy to take mailorders.
The distro is current so order away. I'm sending in the material for the WEAVING
THE DEATHBAG-compendium CD to the pressing plant today so that should be out
in July. This will have all of our material that is recorded, 26 tracks. The
High on
Crime CD will be out shortly after that. Anyway,
back to the roof!!!!!!
5-27-05
I got the distro, reviews and show sections updated. I’m going to go off on Chris from Slug and Lettuce for a bit here and give her a huge call out and congratulate her on having one of the best zines going for hardcore punk. She had been putting S&L together for 20 years now and in my opinion it is only getting better. Where some rags record reviews and have one lined reviews of how the reviewer is feeling that day and doesn’t tell you anything about the record, Chris puts time and thought into the reviews which show a great talent for writing descriptively, which some reviewers should work on so they don’t have to compare every hardcore record to Tragedy or From Ashes Rise. I’ve never seen a better review for Weaving the Deathbag then her lastest one which describes the band better than I could, and I play in it. Anyway, I have the new Slug and Lettuce so if you want one with your order, just ask. Support this zine in any way you can. There are lots of great shows this summer, so get out and enjoy, and don’t forget to donate as much as you can for the bands, touring is crazy expensive so save a couple extra bucks for the bands. June 21st will be my 30th birthday, so if you want to give me a present that would rule, although distro orders are a present in themself. Last week I had a record 3 distro. orders, thanks to everyone that ordered stuff. The High on Crime 7" is going quickly and is almost gone, so trading on that will be limited so I have copies for mail order and for shows. Now get off your computer and get outside, SUMMER IS HERE!!!!
5-5-05
Well, it's been a slow month for Hungry Ghosts Rec. but a very busy month for myself. I've made the big step into home ownership and have just finished moving so things are starting to get organized again. It's a great feeling to not have to put up with landlords anymore, plus now I can blast my stereo whenever I feel without annoying the neighbors. Anyway, I updated the distro list and as usual things are cheaper than ever. I'm still waiting for some overseas packages, so I'll get those added once they arrive. I would like to thank everyone who has sent me demos to consider for release, although I just don't have the budget to take on much at this time. If things pick up with mail order I will be able to be able to afford more releases, but I just can't afford to personally finance projects out of my back pocket anymore, so this should tell you how profitable Hungry Ghosts Rec. is. Simply put, I haven't made a profit yet and I can't afford to invest more into this. Does this mean the end of Hungry Ghosts Rec.? No, I just need to cash in on the projects that I invested in so far so as long as people are buying records HG will live on. So as usual I greatly appreciate you support, without it this label would not exist.
3-16-05
The Distro list has been updated. There are lots of records on the way so keep an eye out for the updates.
3-5-05
The HIGH ON CRIME-pour some sewage 7"s are in. This release is a split with 625 Thrashcore so they get half the pressing. I've had the 7" for 3 days and over half of my copies are gone so don't wait around to pick this up because it's going fast. I still have the sale going on for the distro. I will be updating the list soon, but most of the titles listed are still available and have been restocked. Keep checking in on the distro in the month to come because there are some sweet records on the way.
2-20-05
I received the test pressings for the High on Crime-pour some sewage on me 7" and so far so good. Proofs for the cover and insert where approved earlier this week so with any luck I will have everything by the end of the month. Weaving the Deathbag will be hitting up Milwaukee and Appleton next weekend along with SFN from Madison. Check the show section for info.
1-20-05
WEAVING THE DEATHBAG finally has a web page (www.weavingthedeathbag.com), if you have a page and would like to trade links for the band and label please contact me. I got the order forms sent in for the High on Crime 7" so things are rolling with that.
1-7-05
I got a copy of the new High on Crime recording and it rips. The 7" will be co-released with 625 Thrash. I posted a couple new records on the distro page and added some shows. Weaving the Deathbag is going to be playing in Milwaukee with SFN (my new favorite local band) and in Appleton with High on Crime and ton of other great bands. I got the new Slug N Lettuce which Ill throw in with mail orders. Last night was the first practice with Leif the drummer from the Gammits so Im now expanding my musical adventures to guitar which is a lot of fun. Have I mentioned that I love getting mail orders? Nothing makes my day better then getting an order for records, so make a guy happy and order up some records. I really want to continue trading with other great labels throughout the world, but that only works if I sell stuff, so with your support I can continue to do more and more trading and continue to grow the distro so you can buy more and more, CONSUME!!!! Let me mention once again that the new High on Crime recording is a ripper, killer, awesome, brutal, all that shit.
12-22-04
High on Crime is sweating it out in the studio on the weekend of Jan 2, and soon after that a new 7" will prevail itself on to us after the Hungry Ghosts do their work. If I'm lucky we just might be able to get this out in Feb. I updated the distro list and the sale still rages on, although their don't seem to be a lot of sales. Please help a fledgling label out and buy some of these records so I can continue to put records out and do trades with other labels.
11-19-04
The Weaving the Deathbag-inoculation 7”s are in!!!!! This is a split release with Kangaroo Rec. from Holland. I shipped Kangaroo Rec. their half of the press so they should have the 7”s in a couple weeks.
Check out the distro section for the year end BLOWOUT SALE!! I finally got an updated list of my distro posted and slashed prices on everything, so most LPs are $6-7, $7”s are $2, and most CDs are $6. I need to get a rid of some of my inventory to get some money back to be able to afford new releases. The next two releases planned are a CD version of the HIGH ON CRIME –until no flags fly LP and a CD with all 4 of the Weaving the Deathbag 7”s on it.
10-26-04
I’ll be getting the covers and inserts for the Weaving Deathbag-inoculation 7” this week. Unfortunately I got the test pressings and I’m not very happy with how it turned out so my will probably bite the bullet and have it re-mastered and replated. Creating vinyl that sounds good is a true art form and expensive. This 7” is going to end up costing half of that to do a LP and twice the amount of a CD, which is funny that they sell and trade for 1/3 of the value of LP/CDs. Regardless of the size of the record and covers, the real cost comes from the production of films, liquors, plating etc. Those are the standard costs and when you’re not doing mass quantities you per unit price skyrockets, which is what many smaller bands go through. Anyway, we could have cut some corners on the recording and layout but hopefully once this is done you will notice and appreciate it.
Asschapel is about to hit the road again so keep an eye out for the tour dates. So far I know that they are playing in Minneapolis on Nov.29, La Crosse, WI 30th, Madison, WI Dec. 1st and Milwaukee on Dec. 2nd. Do yourself a favor and check these boys out, their shows are completely berserker and I’m not just talking about head banging and a couple scissor kicks.
Weaving the Deathbag had a great time last weekend in Bismarck, ND. for the Grind Your Face Off Fest (which had other styles beside grind). It was so exciting to see hundreds of kids under the age of 18 at the show, actually it was exciting just to see a good turnout regardless the age. I drove from Madison just for this show which was 12 hours one way and I’d do it again in a heartbeat to see 12 year old kids buying MDC 7”s and rocking out to the bands. I’d like to thank Lane who did the show, he did a great job of promoting it, mixing up different styles of bands and making it a fun day. It was refreshing to see someone be so responsible in regards toward putting on a show. A lot of people think that as long as they agree to do the show and invite five of their friends that is all they have to do. Don’t get me wrong, any help with shows is greatly appreciated regardless the turnout, I’ll play as hard for 5 people as I would for 300. It’s just that I feel that we need to try promoting shows the best we can to try to get new kids to check out the bands and not just invite the inner circle. A lot of people put lots of time and money into their bands. It is expensive as hell to buy/maintain equipment, put out records, create merch, take off of work, buy/maintain crappy vans and fill them with gas, so people that agree to do shows should be excited enough for the event to put some time into it to ensure that some people show up, especially for touring bands. And when possible, setting up touring bands with a place to crash and a simple spaghetti dinner (costing $5 to feed a whole group) is the best to a bunch of people that had to sit in a van all day. One last note in my rant on shows is relating to the letter in Heartattack that Lisa O. has in the beginning regarding bands connecting to the audience. I totally agree with her comments. Basically she commented on the trend lately of bands separating them selves from the audience by not socializing with people by sitting in the corner until they have to play, playing with their back to the crowd and not discussing their songs. I’m not going to recite her whole letter, but it really comes down to creating a connection with the band and making it more of a community. One thing that it really means to me is the show is a lot more fun, you don’t feel that there is separation from you and the band because of them being elite rock stars looking down from the stage that you will never be on. If the Libido Boys and Killdozer shows that I went to when I was 14 (15 years ago) were stale and boring I doubt I’d be doing what I’m doing right now. I remember thinking how fun it would be to play in my own band because the musicians I saw weren’t mysterious people, they seemed just like us and I could be just like them. How many people think that way after going to a Clear Channel sponsored show with over 10,000 people at? When I saw High on Crime the first time when they where a two piece I was blown away at how intense they were and also how when Dave talked about their songs he talked to the audience, not looking down at the floor but right at everyone like he was talking to you directly. Anyway, my show rant summery is that bands and promoters alike have responsibilities and when we don’t live up to them that is one less person this is going to experience a show or not want to go to another one. The punk scene isn’t just about entertainment, but it helps to keep it exciting and attracting to those yet to know the scope of it. When I say the scope of it I could go on forever what that means to me but without the people that drove me to shows, exciting bands, meaningful lyrics, people putting the shows on either in rental halls, basements and universities, that door would have never been opened for me. That door definitely isn’t for everyone but for those people that are looking for it we should try our hardest to keep it open for them.
10-4-04
The new Weaving the Deathbag-inoculation 7" should be out in early Nov. Hungry Ghosts Rec. will be co-releasing it along with Kangaroo Rec. from Amsterdam. Im sending everything into the pressing plants this week. Weaving the Deathbag will also be making a trek to Bismarck, ND for the Grind Your Face Off fest, see the shows section for info. Im actually excited to say that Im back in school. Im taking a course in small business fundamentals to hopefully help me keep my dream of being self employed alive. This doesnt really have anything to do with the label, (getting some of the money back that I put into it would be rewarding enough), it is to help me run my rehearsal studio business better. As some of you may know I run a business called 24/7 Rehearsal Studios. Im still building rooms in the new warehouse and continually working on the older building so needless to say it takes a lot of time and hard work but there is nothing more gratifying than working for yourself.
8-26-04
After taking the summer off of shows for Weaving the Deathbag, we are back in action starting with the Kylesa show on the 29th of Aug. I also posted a bunch of shows for the weekend of Sept. 10th and some other High on Crime shows. I finally got some of my distro posted. I’m usually pretty quick on filling orders so if you are interested in anything be assured that I’ll have it in the mail within a day or two. I try to do as much trading as possible, but I can only trade as much as I can sell in order to stay afloat, so I really appreciate direct orders. I’ll load your package with as many stickers, zines (new issues of Slug & Lettuce), posters and fliers as I can. I have yet to update the MP3s, some of them are a little tinny sounding because I burnt a crummy CD to send to Anthony. I’ll hopefully get to that soon