GIVE ‘TIL IT HURTS: CORMORANT AND THE ABSENCE

So many bands are trying to raise money through crowd-funding platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Some of them deserve a helping hand. I’ll tell you about two that I think deserve your help, because I like both bands and really hope your money will enable them to get their new music in a form suitable to send to me so that I can have it. In fact, I can think of few betters uses for your money, unless of course you’d prefer to just send it directly to me. If that sounds good, hit me up.

Where was I?  Oh yeah, two bands I hope you will help finance, for me.

CORMORANT

Contrary to early speculation, the departure of vocalist/bassist Arthur von Nagel did not put an end to Cormorant. In fact, they just finished tracking their third album to analog tape with engineer/producer Justin Weis (Slough Feg, Agalloch, Hammers of Misfortune, Ludicra), having first supplemented their remaining line-up through the addition of Marcus Luscombe, who has become the new bassist and lead vocalist.

Luscombe is an Australian-born San Francisco Bay Area native who has been lead guitarist, songwriter, and backing vocalist for for a band named Vengince and lead singer, lyricist, and guitarist for another band named Cloakwheel. According to Cormorant, “His unique stylings and weird, proggy bass lines have added new elements to the Cormorant sound, and we can’t wait for you to hear how he sounds on the album!”

Cormorant’s Indiegogo target is $7,500, which they explain will be dedicated to paying fees for the studio, engineer, producer, mixing, and mastering, as well as the cost of printing, artwork, promotion, and distribution. The campaign just started yesterday and it ends on October 25. The perks for donations include the new album and other Cormorant merch plus such eye-catchers as a 60-minute lesson on clawhammer banjo or old-time fiddle with the band’s Nick Cohon or a guitar lesson with Matt Solis.

I’ve done my part for myself by making a donation, so it’s time for you to do your part for me as well. Go here and donate something, and please, give ’til it hurts:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/cormorant-s-3rd-full-length-album-release

I’m sure it would also help if you buy one of the band’s previous releases on Bandcamp (here). Watch the band’s Indiegogo pitch below.

 

THE ABSENCE

Tampa’s The Absence are also raising money to cover the cost of recording, mixing, mastering, and pressing a new album (or possibly an EP), plus the expense of things like artwork and distribution — and they’re also hoping to obtain funding they can use to support touring. Their goal is $15,000, and their campaign comes to an end on October 6 — so time is running out.

The Absence have already given us a taste of what’s in store, releasing a single called “The Ocean” in early June (which I slobbered over in this review). It tastes very good. In case you haven’t heard it, I’m embedding the Bandcamp player below.

 

The Absence have cooked up a long list of perks, plus they’ll cook southern-style BBQ for you at a day-long bash in Tampa with assorted other Tampa metal alums in attendance for a donation of $1,500 (which also gets you a bundle of other perks as well). Or, for $2,500, you can spend a day in the studio in the band while the album is being recorded (plus other perks).

If would really me out if you would make one of those two donations. Hell, I strongly urge you to make both of them. That would go a long way toward enabling me to get this album and enabling The Absence to come play for me in Seattle, and you would have the satisfaction of knowing that you had made me happy. And really, how can you put a price on that?

Go here to donate:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-absence

And here’s the Indiegogo pitch from the band, which astonishingly leaves out the part about how the album would make me really happy, while talking about your mom instead: