Absent any genuine white coat-wearing, glasses-adjusting, clipboard-holding scientific research into the subject, we’re only left to assume the difficulty of an independent record label sustaining itself for at least five years. It’s probably pretty difficult, especially during the formative (or early) stages, during which cash is probably being blown even more than one of those ridiculous money blowing machines. At some point in the future, and like all things, dollar bills will have circuits inserted into them, and as so many novels and movies have pointed out, sentience inevitably follows. Inevitably following that, self-enlargement, until notes are grabbing desperately at you in the tacky human blowing machines! Ahahahaha.
The Brooklyn-based label Mexican Summer has achieved not only sustenance, but relevant to our aural pleasure, a noteworthy list of artist relationships. There’s the Daniel Lopatin-run Software offshoot, which garners personal fondness, but otherwise, releases from Best Coast, Washed Out, Peaking Lights, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Kurt Vile, and The Alps have all been etched into the Mexican Summer catalog. An achievement worth celebrating, no?
This weekend, on Friday (10/11) and Saturday (10/12), the label will host a festival at the Pioneer Works Center For Art and Innovation in Red Hook, Brooklyn, to celebrate five years since its inception. Rockabus is offering transportation, Ariel Pink, Spiritualized, Tamaryn, and (many) more are performing, and the Mexican Summer-affiliated CO-OP 87 record store will be setting up a “pop-up shop” on site with vinyl collectibles aplenty. Go here for full festival details.
But wait, there’s more! With just 10 easy payments… er, there’s also an 11” x 11” 250-page book telling the Mexican Summer tale set for release sometime following the festival. Limited to 1000 copies, the aptly-titled Mexican Summer: Five Years, will, according to a press release, feature “unique and unseen art and ephemera, photos and written contributions from a host of Mexican Summer artists.” And bundled with the book: a 10-inch record of exclusive collaborations! Check out the tracklist below the fest lineup.
Christ, let’s hope they don’t go broke from this one.
Friday, October 11, 6:00 PM — 3:00 AM:
Ariel Pink
Tamaryn
The Fresh & Onlys
Bobb Trimble’s Flying Spiders
Mike Wexler
Home Blitz
Saturday, October 12, 3:00 PM — 3:00 AM:
Spiritualized
No Joy
Connan Mockasin
Lansing-Dreiden
Co La
Lilacs & Champagne
Quilt
Linda Perhacs
Happy Jawbone Family Band
Soldiers of Forturn
Weyes Blood
Mexican Summer: Five Years tracklist:
01. Jorge Elbrose (Jorge Elbrecht and Ariel Pink), “Called to Ring”
02. Bay of Pigs (Spiritualized, Soldiers of Fortune, and Neil Hagerty), “Bay of Pigs”
03. Bobb Trimble and Quilt, “Starry Eyed Dreamer”
04. Autre Ne Veut and Fennesz, “Alive”
05. The Lonely Sailor and Renée Mendoza-Haran (members of Total Control, Lace Curtain, and Ashrae Fax), “Holdin’ On”
• Mexican Summer: http://www.mexicansummer.com
More about: Ariel Pink, Spiritualized, Tamaryn
