As 2013 draws to a close, we at Fluff and Gravy Records wanted to extend our warmest holiday wishes, and hope that you are surrounded by loved ones and friends. Be sure to follow our Facebook and Twitter feeds over the next week, as we recount some of the highlights from the past year. Our hearts are filled with love and gratitude for all of the wonderful artists that we have been lucky enough to work with, and all of the dedicated friends who have given us their support.

As we prepare to hunker down with our families for the next few days, we leave you with this, the debut track from Vacilando (featuring John, Chad, and Juni of Fluff and Gravy Records). A full-length record from the band is just one of the many things that we have in store for you in 2014.

https://soundcloud.com/fluffandgravy/christmas-at-home-vacilando

Much love to you all, this holiday season.

John, Chad, Juni, and Jennifer

“Don’t Come To Me”, from Nick Jaina’s Primary Perception evolved from an attempt to write a sympathetic indie-pop song from the perspective of a largely unloveable politician. The track was called “unshakeable” by Spin, and was featured on NPR’s Heavy Rotation, as well as Morning Edition. When it came time to create a video, Jaina teamed up with director Seth Whelden, from Portland-based production company, STNDRD, and choreographer, Candace Bouchard, from Oregon Ballet Theater.  “I’ve been working on composing music for ballet over the last few years, and there is not a better feeling than making music that people dance to, in any style or context”, says Jaina. “I asked my friend Candace Bouchard from Oregon Ballet Theater if she would humor watching me dance at a club and offering some direction on which moves worked. I also asked her to choreograph a routine for some real ballet dancers. The idea was that I would come in with my untrained moves and disrupt this beautiful thing they created, but in the process maybe I could suggest in them some autonomy. I mostly am wary of musicians acting in music videos. We’ve all probably spent too many hours watching musicians try to act. So why not just try to dance instead? At least the results, if not professional, would perhaps be endearing in their awkwardness.”

Enjoy the video, in all of it’s awkward beauty, here.

[youtube height=”HEIGHT” width=”WIDTH”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M47iv0sg-6k[/youtube]

On his 2013 lp, Primary Perception, Nick Jaina took a gamble, gathering only the people in the studio who wanted to be there and figuring out what song to play only once they were all assembled. It was a completely non-scripted experiment. Often no one had heard the song prior to the session and the four to eight people in attendance would just work out an arrangement right there in the studio, sometimes with three guitarists working at the same time, sometimes with three drummers. Almost all of the instruments were recorded live and the experiment kept everyone focused on the song at the moment, not thinking of what was to come, and arranging their part while they could simultaneously hear what everyone else in the room was doing.

For a limited time, you can order Nick Jaina’s Primary Perception on  deluxe LP and receive an exclusive 7″ with 2 unreleased tracks (Sea of Japan b/w Delta of of Venus). To order the record on Deluxe LP/LP/CD/FLAC/mp3, click here

Fluff and Gravy Records and Drunken Prayer are proud to give to you, the first video from House of Morgan, “Hunt Me Down”.  The video is an accurate reflection of the dark comedy that is House of Morgan. According to Drunken Prayer mastermind, Morgan Geer, the creative process was much the same too. “I did it myself using whatever materials were at hand, mostly found and forgotten, and worked within my own ignorant limitations to create something very close to something original”.
The video and the album it comes from have been described as “an unintentional homage to Captain Beefheart”.

[youtube height=”HEIGHT” width=”WIDTH”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QubS_XSuJk&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

House of Morgan, the Nov 2013 release (Fluff and Gravy) finds Geer taking things into his own hands. While the critically acclaimed Into the Missionfield was a densely layered studio undertaking, House of Morgan, was self-recorded using a Tascam cassette machine, a Radio Shack condenser mic, and Garage Band with nearly all of the instruments played by Geer in his bedroom. The resultant tracks are striking in their raw and naked beauty. From an enchanting cover of the old Depression era, “On Mobile Bay”, to screaming punk/blues rants like “KEF-666” and “Ultrabad”, the musical themes are widely varied.

While there are three different versions of previously released tracks here, House of Morgan is far from a sentimental stroll through the Drunken Prayer back catalog. These tracks offer a window into the mind of Morgan Geer, and the view that it affords is at once unsettling and comfortable. Though the record is sometimes a sharp contrast to previous efforts, this is undoubtedly a Drunken Prayer record. Geer’s trademark vocals, guitar, and wit are the threads that tie these divergent records together.

Hong Kong Banana – “Hard Times” video

Fluff and Gravy Records is proud to present the official video “Hard Times”, the first single from Hong Kong Banana’s debut EP, Now, But Not NOW Now.

The song itself grew out of a riff that John had going for a while. According to frontman, Nigel Bubblesworth, the band wasn’t particularly hot on idea, but John just “kept playing the crap out of it”. In a moment of inspiration, the riff developed into a song all at once, with Nigel and Amora improvising lyrics and the melody. The song quickly grew to become a staple of their live set and it was a natural for the first single on the ep. When it came time to concept a video they contacted fellow Portlander Eli Thomashefsky who had been working on the set of Grimm. The concept for the video was something that Thomsashefsky had been mulling over for a while, and “Hard Times” seemed to be the perfect match for it.

When it came time to shoot the video, the decision was made to do it all over the course of a single day. Bubblesworth comments that “even though I had almost no sleep and it was 16 long hours, I somehow found the whole experience exciting. It was really cool working with the crew that Eli put together”. While the video features the band hitting the town, with stops at a video arcade, strip club, a barbeque, hot tub, and a fiesta, the band agrees that their favorite part was the live performance. Says Bubblesworth, “a guitar in hand, a set of sticks and a microphone to a band is like a fly infested blanket to Linus. Safe and secure”.

[youtube height=”HEIGHT” width=”WIDTH”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cAt0kqG8aw[/youtube]

Drunken Prayer to Release House of Morgan, 11/19/13

Drunken Prayer’s second full-length release on Portland-based Fluff and Gravy Records finds Geer taking things into his own hands.

While 2012’s critically acclaimed Into The Missionfield was a densely layered studio undertaking, featuring strings, horns, and several marquee players, House of Morgan was self-recorded, largely in his bedroom with nearly all of the  instruments being played by Geer. Though the record is, by design, a sharp contrast to previous efforts, this is undoubtedly a Drunken Prayer record. Geer’s trademark vocals, guitar playing and lyrics are the threads that link these divergent records together.

[youtube height=”HEIGHT” width=”WIDTH”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPhMQ_KRTHQ[/youtube]

The Harmed Brothers have announced plans for a US tour this Fall in support of their new record, Better Days.

Click here for more details

“Unlike the unmussed fashion-grass coming from the Mumfords of the world, there’s something rusty and raw in the Harmed Brothers’ songs, something hungry and a little wild-eyed” – Portland Mercury

“…a wonderful treat from artists at their best.” Ned Ragget – Pitchfork Magazine

Our friends at Pitchfork give high praise to Waterdrawn.

Read the full Picthfork review of Waterdrawn by Horse’s Ha here.

“Nick Jaina is probably best known to Portlanders as a prolific singer-songwriter, but he’s taken some interesting creative side roads in the three years since his last record: He’s written three ballets, worked on a film soundtrack and composed music for a play in New Orleans. Primary Perception marks Jaina’s return to pop songwriting, and “Don’t Come to Me” is among its standouts. The track began as an unlikely attempt to write a song from the perspective of Mitt Romney, and later came to life when Jaina took what he had to band members during the sessions that ended up on the record. This isn’t quite the version we play on air — that one includes FCC edits — but it’s an earworm either way, the latest of many from one of Portland’s most consistent musicians”. —Jeremy Petersen

Read the full article and listen to the song here.

“Why Morgan Geer opted to use the moniker Drunken Prayer as his operating MO isn’t exactly clear, although his rambling, off-kilter exposition gives the impression he may be a bit tipsy at times. Into the Missionfield, Geer’s second album using the Drunken Prayer guise, sometimes sounds a bit schizophrenic, suddenly switching as it does from the awkward ramble that opens the album, “Brazil,” to the straight-on rocker that follows it, “Ain’t No Grave.”  Regardless, he holds the proceedings together well, maintaining a modest discipline even when he seems at loose ends. Indeed, this is no one man show; Geer employs a formidable back-up crew, with an instrumental arsenal consisting of fiddle, Flugelhorn, sax, melodica and pedal steel, in addition to the standard rock regalia. So even as he proffers his loping, down-home, good-natured homilies — as typified by such songs as “Always Sad,” “Maryjane” and “I Saw It With My Own Two Eyes”– the set-up is always solid and sufficient. Every artist should sound so coherent when in the midst of such intoxicating revelry. (www,drunkenprayer.com)”

Wednesday 3/13/13

Nick Jaina – The Grackle (3:30 & 4:30 shows)

Thursday 3/14/13

Jack Wilson – Rebel’s Honky Tonk (Official SxSW Showcase! 8pm)

Friday 3/15/13

Nick Jaina – 4803 Prock Lane (9:30pm)

Saturday 3/16/13

Nick Jaina – Whip In (7pm)

Jack Wilson – Unofficial SXSW RECHARGE on 307 East 2nd St (7pm)

Fluff and Gravy are returning to the incredible Wildwood Music Fest for it’s second year, this time as official sponsors.

Keep an eye out for our booth, our photography crew, and our Sassparilla.

(here’s a video of last year’s fest which includes an interview with Kevin from Sassparilla)

As most of you already know, Pete Krebs has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.  Pete is an icon of the Portland music scene and a good friend to Fluff and Gravy’s own Sassparilla.

Sassparilla has just announced that they will be auctioning off to the highest bidder, a house concert, with all proceeds going to Pete Krebs.  Fluff and Gravy will also be sweetening the pot by throwing in two, very rare (only 60 were made), red and black vinyl ‘swirl’ LPs of Sassparilla’s Magpie signed by the band!

Things are getting of to a roaring start, so if you would like to put in a bid please contact Sassparilla’s management at alex@inmusicwetrust.com.

If a Sassparilla house concert is not your thing, you can still give to the good cause at http://www.payitsquare.com/collect-page/9996

Thank you all in advance for your help and good thoughts.  Please keep Pete in his family in your hearts.

A huge congratulations to Mike for making this ‘best of’ list!

http://www.dirtyimpound.com/2013/01/favorite-albums-of-2012/#more-4763

Jack Wilson’s ‘Cowboy’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIEVc1rgQos

http://www.wncw.org/post/wncws-2012-top-100-results

Congratulations to Mike and big thank you to Ryan White at The Oregonian.

http://www.oregonlive.com/music/index.ssf/2012/12/the_oregonians_top_10_portland_6.html