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Dayton, OH
United States

Poptek Recs is a simple label with big pop songs.

News

NEWS. 

Nashville trio Palm Ghosts to Release New Full-length "I Love You, Burn In Hell"

Andy Ingram

We welcome Nashville new wave/ post-punk trio Palm Ghosts to Poptek as we join with Sweet Cheetah Records, Engineer Records, and Sell The Heart Records to release their new full-length “I Love You, Burn In Hell” on vinyl, CD and cassette. The album sees release on November 10, 2023.

The album was recorded, mixed and produced by Joseph Lekkas at Greenland Studios in Nashville and mastered by Dan Coutant at Sun Room Mastering.

Palm Ghosts deliver the sound of an '80s prom in a war zone. As far from the honky-tonks and pedal taverns of their adopted city as one can get, this is a trio who are clearly more at home in rainy Manchester or blustery Berlin, as they produce their amalgam of cinematic dream pop and new wave with brooding post punk.

In 2018 they released “Architecture”, a dark pop record with male/ female vocals and their first offering echoing the sound of 4AD and Factory Records’ brand of post punk. Since then, they have built upon that release with a steady stream of songs invigorating the modern era with the '80s youth ethos, and paying homage to idols like New Order, The Cure, Echo and The Bunnymen and Peter Gabriel to name a few.

During the worldwide pandemic, Palm Ghosts recorded and released “Lifeboat Candidate” to critical acclaim. The record was a giant ear worm on unrest, isolation, and frustration influenced by the jagged art punk of Gang of Four and Wire.

The band’s next offering, “The Lost Frequency”, felt more whimsical and celebratory. More nostalgic and less like a war . . . more like a prom. However, the lyrics still bring confrontation to the forefront, and remind us that normalcy is still devastating.

“Post Preservation” showed yet another side of Palm Ghosts. There were songs about love with almost a hint of optimism. If you squint your eyes, a faint light through the cracks, but with plenty of darkness and discontent for balance. Like the soundtrack to a long lost John Hughes film, “Post Preservation” twinkles with warm nostalgia for a world that no longer exists, except for in our hearts and minds.

Their forthcoming offering, “I Love You, Burn in Hell”, is another slab of discontent and disillusionment. Melodic songs about betrayal, exploitation and the hopeless task of navigating the modern world, wrapped up in catchy melodies and propulsive rhythms. The world is ending, for god’s sake. Get on the dance floor!

All Hallowed "Give Me Mercy" out Friday November 4

Andy Ingram

All Hallowed’s dance punk full-length album will be available from streamers and digital stores on Friday November 4. The trio are celebrating “Give Me Mercy” with a release show in Dayton, Ohio at The Yellow Cab Tavern on the night of November 4th with The 1984 Draft, Jill & Micah, and Place Position.

You can get the digital album now on BandCamp.

The 12” vinyl will be available locally at the release show and remaining copies will hit stores in time for Record Store Day on Black Friday November 25.

New Video from The 1984 Draft and Idioteq.com

Andy Ingram

Our friends at the UK site Idioteq.com have premiered a new video for “Rhino” from The 1984 Draft. Rhino is the first single from the upcoming full-length “Best Friends Forever”, releasing on January 19 in 2023.

You can watch it here.

Fans in the UK can now pre-order the 11-song album from Engineer Records. You can also pre-order from us at the Poptek Shop as well as from Sell the Heart Records in California.

Hear new songs from The 1984 Draft and Todd Farrell Jr. at Aversionline

Andy Ingram

Aversionline is premiering the new song from The 1984 Draft that appears on their split 7” with Todd Farrell Jr. You can listen to “Two Cow Barrage” and read some background from Joe Anderl concerning the new song, the band Two Cow Garage, as well as the new full-length coming from The Draft early next year.

Check out Todd Farrell Jr.’s “Can’t Sit Still” that previously premiered at Ghettoblaster Magazine while you are at Aversionline.

The limited lathe cut 7” is shipping now from BandCamp, as well as from the Poptek Shop.

Joe Anderl of The 1984 Draft Declares for a NFL Draft

Andy Ingram

In anticipation of a new album from The 1984 Draft, singer Joe Anderl has declared for a NFL Draft, or a soccer draft, or the Canadian Football League, or really any draft. Even though the 2022 Draft has now come and gone, Anderl still has a lot to offer.

You can check out his official declarations posted to YouTube at the links below. The new album “Best Friends Forever” has been recorded, mixed, and mastered and now just needs to be pressed.

Thee Declaration Part 1

Thee Declaration Part 2

Undrafted Update

The 1984 Draft "Best Friends Forever" coming in January 2023

Andy Ingram

The 1984 Draft have completed their next 11-song full-length record, "Best Friends Forever". The album is currently in queue at the vinyl plant in Canada. Expect the new album to be available on January 19 in the year of 2023.

The band once again recorded with Fred Vahldiek at Fredzoz Studio in Kettering, Ohio, who they first teamed up with for "Destination Breakdown". Vahldiek mixed the record. Chris Common mastered the songs and they can all be classified as hits.

Poptek is happy to be joined by Sell the Heart Records in California and Engineer Records in the UK to release these songs to as wide of an audience as we can reach.

Three Straight Weekends Live for The 1984 Draft

Andy Ingram

After a pandemic-induced hiatus from live shows for most of our Poptek artists, The 1984 Draft are back with three straight weekends of live shows. If you are around Dayton, Ohio, join us to remember how beautiful of an experience good live music is. Here is the information. Bring your mask, take your pick, or join us for all the rock/n/roll!

Saturday September 18- Free In-store performance at Blind Rage Records in Dayton with Unchipped (Columbus). 5 PM All-ages

Saturday September 25- Free outdoor show at Eichelberger Park in Huber Heights, Ohio. 6 PM All-ages

Friday October 1- Sweet Cheetah Publicity Anniversary Show with Extra Arms (Detroit), The Nautical Theme, The Color Fred. 9 PM $10 21+

New Ambient Music from Okay Lindon's Dustin Smith

Andy Ingram

Okay Lindon’s Dustin Smith has released a new blissful, ambient episode of sampled and manipulated Bulgarian choral music to help you relax amongst the chaos of the modern age. It’s shoegazey, it’s liturgical, it’s ancient, and it is weird.

In conjunction with Isaac Karns’ (former Pomegranate, Marble Garden Studio) Marble Garden Radio, “First Litany” is the debut episode in a series titled “Morning Prayer” where Dustin samples, twists, slows down, and adds instrumentation to what, in this episode, is a cassette tape recording from 1970 of the Svetoslav Obratenov Bulgarian Choir, conducted by Georgi Robev.

You can listen to this and future episodes on Mixcloud at Marble Garden Radio’s channel .

Marble Garden Radio

A (1984) Draft Day Sale

Andy Ingram

To help celebrate the 2021 NFL Draft, our own The 1984 Draft is throwing a sale in the Poptek Shop. Ten buck t-shirts, 15 dollar vinyl and sweatshirts, get in on the sale now and all the proceeds will fund the next album to be released on vinyl. The Draft are already booked to record the new album at the end of May with Fred Vahldiek at Fredzoz Studio.

The NFL Draft and the Draft Day Sale begin on Thursday April 29. The sale prices will last through the weekend or until we realize that our team’s general manager made a series of bad picks and set our team back a decade. Whichever comes first . . .

Popilation (Vol. 1) releasing this BandCamp Friday, April 2!

Andy Ingram

We are excited to announce a new compilation releasing exclusively on BandCamp this Friday April 2.

Popilation (Vol. 1) is a digital collection of brand new songs, side projects, overlooked songs, or never-before-released songs from the Poptek family of artists.

BandCamp will be waiving all their usual fees like they have been doing on the first Friday of every month. We plan to use all the funds from this compilation towards vinyl releases of albums we are working on right now (The 1984 Draft, Slow Rivals, Jill & Micah, Kris N., maybe more).

Here is the track listing:

1- Ruetschle “Mysteriously”- First new track from the Dayton faux-Brit poppers since 2006’s “Exotic Destinations”. Taken from the never finished “Color Theory” recording sessions.

2- Golden Orra “The Chord I Heard in My Dream”- Brilliant brand new song from the super talented, play-everything Alexander Scaglia. This song sounds so cool.

3- Slow Rivals “Ready For Love?”- Most recent release from this Seattle dream pop quintet. The dual vocals between Graham Travis and Lacey Brown adds a wonderful new dimension to their sound.

4- Kris N. & Lindsey N. “Shadyside, PA”- A beautiful love song with a beautiful chorus that can’t be played on the radio or around kids.

5- Okay Lindon “Baba O’Wiley”- Dustin, Erica, and Andrew’s catchy attempt to fight pandemic-induced isolation.

6- Joe Anderl “Silence Your Hymns”- The voice of The 1984 Draft writes and sings honestly about racism, being a friend, and being a father.

7- Arms Race “16 Candles, One Burn Victim”- Poptek has gone emo. This overlooked release features the sweet voice of Tim Anderl (Sweet Cheetah Publicity, brother of Joe), the usual crazy drumming of The Draft’s Justin Satinover, their friend Cole on bass, and Kris N. getting to play punk rock guitar. We wish this was a Poptek release.

8- Hangover, Ohio “Clumsy Handedness”- Art rockers Nick Satinover and Kris N. deliver really clever pop hooks buried in experimental sounds and rhythms.

9- Lost Friends “Fair Warning”- The Greek God of Style’s synth pop melancholy gets stuck on repeat in your memory.

10- April & June “Bristol Babes”- Sibling harmonies are the best. When the siblings are identitcal twins, expect even better.

11- The 1984 Draft “Counting Up”- Don’t overlook this B-side from “Destination Breakdown”. The Draft know how to put words to hard experiences and big choruses to rock songs.

12- Aberrant Wave “The Lost”- Eli Alban (The 1984 Draft) has a long-distance side project with Michael Head from North Carolina and it is wonderfully spacey.

13- Quaint “All The World Loves . . .”- Kris N, Chip Heck (The 1984 Draft), and Michael Malarkey (The Vampire Diaries) have been in a few bands together in their youth. Quaint was one of them.

14- Father’s Day “Father’s Day Prayer”- Joe Anderl and Kris N. are two great lyricists together in one band. Father’s Day can’t help but be great.

15- Las Golondrinas “The Art of Marriage”- XL427’s Andy Ingram has a dark and odd sense of humor. That comes out in the side project Las Golondrinas and the songs are ever so catchy.

A Mountain Devotional podcast from Jordan and Dustin from Okay Lindon

Andy Ingram

We want to support our brothers Jordan and Dustin in Okay Lindon as they launch a new podcast. The Mtn Dewvotional podcast is just two life long friends who work together in youth ministry and who love Jesus and Mountain Dew. We don't know how this podcast ended up in the "comedy" category because this first episode will change your life. And if your heart is hardened, then there is a second episode to turn your life around. Search "dewvotional" wherever you listen to podcasts and follow them on Instagram @dewvotional so you can find out when radical new episodes drop!

Gordon Withers play The Draft on Cello

Andy Ingram

In what began as a Christmas gift from one brother to another, punk rock cellist Gordon Withers, known for his albums of cello renditions of Jawbreaker and Jawbox as well as being part of the J. Robbins Band, Betwixt, Office Of Future Plans, and BELLS≥, has beautifully covered The 1984 Draft's "Honest".

You can hear it now streaming from Ghettoblaster Magazine.

Poptek is excited to release that brilliant gift to a wider audience with a limited lathe cut 7" featuring Withers' cello rendition of "Honest" backed by the original song taken from The 1984 Draft "Makes Good Choices".

Pre-order now in the Poptek Shop and expect the album to ship in the middle of March. The split will be available digitally from BandCamp starting February 5. All proceeds will benefit the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Welcome Slow Rivals to Poptek

Andy Ingram

We are excited to welcome Seattle's Slow Rivals into the Poptek family as they unveil a new single today on Spotify and Apple Music.

You can listen to the beauty of a pop song, "Ready for Love?", here: Apple Music

and here: Spotify

We have known Graham Travis, Brian Ward, Lacey Brown, and Paula Best since they all were part of Graham Travis's debut, "Why Don't You Know Me Yet?" that Poptek released early in our history. After a long time away from music building their lives in Seattle, Travis got the band back together with drummer Justin Lamb and bassist Jesse Gantz to record and release the Slow Rivals EP in December of 2019. Now with Brown taking over for Lamb on drums as well as adding vocals, the band have emerged from a pandemic-forced silence with a new studio and now a new song with more to come.

You can stream their previous albums at their Poptek page.