Indie Briefs: Alive Records, Red Eye

By Cortney Harding, N.Y. - Billboard
- Los Angeles-based Alive Records signed an exclusive distribution deal with Redeye Distribution. Under the terms of the new agreement, Redeye will serve as the exclusive physical and digital distribution arm for Alive Records, as well as the Bomp! Records catalogue. The first albums released under the new deal will be Thomas Function's and Ron Franklin's new records, which will be released on May 27. Founded in 1966, Bomp! Records released albums by DMZ, the Warlocks, and The Modern Lovers, before becoming a catalogue only label in 2004. New music is distributed through the Alive Records imprint of Bomp!

Thomas Function - Alibi

Thomas Function's Celebration makes me think of what would happen if a church sermon in a Southern Baptist Church was hijacked by a group of smart-mouthed hipsters. The heavy reliance on organ is appreciated, as is the always forceful and deceptively prominent backbeat. But what really makes this record a pleasurable acquaintance is its Southern sensibilities that tie a bow around über-chic guitar melodies and charmingly whiny vocals. These Alabama boys aren't ashamed of their roots, but they've also been paying attention to the tunes coming out of the country's coasts. (SM) - Alibi.com

SSM : Organ

ALBUM OF THE WEEK
SSM – Break Your Arm For Evolution (Alive) - Take Detroit garage punk rock ‘n roll and add a fine touch of that same city’s soul as a starting point then throw the whole thing right out the window and when the dust has settled and your mind has focussed a little, go back out and get it all back, brush it down then fizz it up and you have one hell of a three piece band. Deja Vu all over again and horizons are expanded. Sounds and flavours morphed in to some kind of post-new wave that you never really heard before. There’s moments here that really are right out beyond, no deja vu, this is not all over again. Detroit rock and soul and bits of kraut rock keys and transforming synth pop crashing in to the MC5 and hell, the Motor City threw up another one! And all of it drenched in the kind of cool as f soul Sly and The Family dished out at Woodstock - along with quirky Devo synths and so much musical guts and bits from here and there and sit back you got a tag. This is garage punk rock like you never heard it before. Clever energy that doesn’t get too clever, a band soaked in their heritage and their fizzing synths and their reconstruction of deconstructed popular music and what you have is one highly original sound from one very original band. The whole thing regenerating in your face without every losing sight of the simply constructed convention of the rock song . Brilliant album, inspired and inspiring – Organ magazine