Category: Kickstarter

Kickstarter Success!

Screen shot 2014-11-07 at 5.25.46 PMWow! What a crazy ride! Thank you so much to everyone who pledged, shared, and came along. We had 169 kickstarter backers for Nate Allen & The Pac-Away Dots: Take Out The Trash – An Honest Look at Privilege, Racism, Unemployment and Being Burnt Out than for our last kickstarter… I am a little floored. This was more backs than our last kickstarter.

We have put up an option to Pre-order Take Out The Trash if you missed out on the kickstarter. Below is “Open to Everything” the first track off Take Out The Trash. Thank you for your support. Take Out The Trash will be released into the world in early 2015.

Where Division Ends

Where Division Ends

Atmosphere! Atmosphere! It’s everywhere and oh so clear.

Where Division Ends is comprised of Tyson and Jessica Kingrey and is perfect for fans of Radiohead or My Bloody Valentine. I lived with Where Division Ends for some months and never saw them perform. What I did hear came in the form of laptop speakers. I really should have insisted on making them play a show since the truth is I might not even be having a kickstarter for Take Out the Trash if it weren’t for them.

What happened is: I got a band together for one show. 1 show. After the show Tyson said, and I quote: “I’m not quitting.” This was the catalyst that enabled The Pac-Away Dots to form and Take Out The Trash to be recorded in the first place. It was Tyson’s attention to detail that empowered Take Out The Trash to become the record that is.

Tyson and Jessica are not just generous people – after all they let the album be recorded in the basement and all over the house. They truly created a rad space to live and rest in. It is this attention to detail and curation that makes Where Division Ends a compelling project that you should check out.

In their own words:

“Where Division Ends is somewhat of a young ghost in the Portland music scene. You can hear them, but rarely do you see them, and what you hear is only a fraction of what you know of them to be. That is, if you know them at all. Their music echoes the wonder years of 90’s Grunge and Shoegaze bliss while trying to find a slot in the present and a pathway to the future.”

Where Division Ends will be contributing song to Nate Allen’s Kickstarter Mixtape.

For more info go to: facebook.com/wheredivisionendspdx

FFO: Amusement Parks on Fire, M83, Maps & Atlases, Cocteau Twins, CSNY

Click here to turn Nate Allen into a video game. Make your order by 8:59pm Pacific Time on Wednesday Nov 5.

The Restitution

The Restitution

The Restitution play ambient, layered, progressive metal perfect for fans of Thrice or Underoath. Crafted in the mind of a mad genius in a perfect world Restitution songs would be performed by an army of guitarists each playing on a different planet. Mike Wright a.k.a. The Restitution released their debut album called Waves in 2013 to fantastic reviews. This is good folks. If you need some heavy music to dissect look no further.

Mike played bass at the 1st IamNateAllen show (iana eventually become the Pac-Away Dots) and was super rad to hang out with while make the album. Please check out his band.

For more information visit: therestitution.com/

The Restitution are contributing a song to Nate Allen’s Kickstarter Mixtape.

Click here to turn Nate Allen into a video game. Make your order by 8:59pm Pacific Time on Wednesday Nov 5.

Desiring Dead Flesh

Desiring Dead Flesh

Desiring Dead Flesh is a hardcore punk family band comprised of Bryan Hampton (dad and vocalist), Adam Hampton (son and bassist), Raven Hampton (daughter and guitarist) and Pat Kowynia  (drummer and long time friend). They play dirty, rough around the edges punk rock to beautiful perfection. If fine tuning and immaculate tone are requirements for your enjoyment of rock n’ roll look elsewhere but IF you are looking for punk rock boiled down to its bare essence, I can’t recommend Desiring Dead Flesh highly enough.

Desiring Dead Flesh shows involve loads of sing-a-longs, cue cards, circle pits, stuffed animals, beach balls, and crowd surfing. Just watch the video below. What a beautiful mess!

Bryan Hampton is a Michigan legend. He’s been a fixture in the punk scene since the mid-80’s. He’s been running shows since the mid-90’s as Ripped Heart Productions and gave me one of my first Michigan shows as he has for countless other bands.

Desiring Dead Flesh are contributing their song “The End Is Here” to the Nate Allen Kickstarter Mixtape.

For more information visit: desiringdeadflesh.com

Click here to order the Kickstarter Mixtape featuring over 30 bands!

Click here to turn Nate Allen into a video game. Make your order by 10:59pm Central Time on Wednesday Nov 5.

Self Proclaimed Narcissist

Self Proclaimed Narcissist

Self Proclaimed Narcissist plays acoustic music that is 1 part brutal honesty, 1 part catchy and 1 part chaos. More inspired by noisy, grindcore bands and weirdos than the folky coffee shop circuit, Self Proclaimed Narcissist plays “honesty folk” complete with sound samples and broken strings.

Erik Carson (aka Self Proclaimed Narcissist) is from the same small Oregon town that Insomniac Folklore, One-Eyed Doll and I grew up in and it shows. We are all cut from the same maximum effort, audience connecting stock and a few years ago Erik and I released the Folklore, Narcissism and Destruction EP together with Insomniac Folklore.

Self Proclaimed Narcissist is currently on tour. Go to a show and scream-a-long!

For more info visit: selfproclaimednarcissist.com

Self Proclaimed Narcissist will be including the song St. Elmo on the Nate Allen Kickstarter Mixtape.

Below is Self Proclaimed Narcissist’s most recent and best album, I’m Afraid To Be Alive:

FFO: The Locust, Andrew Jackson Jihad, Listener

Click here to turn Nate Allen into a video game. Make your order by 8:59pm Pacific Time on Wednesday Nov 5.

the-bloodtypes

The Bloodtypes

The Bloodtypes make electronic, pogo dance punk and it’s hard not to sing and clap-a-long when they bust out the blood splatter, fog machines and super catchy tunes. Too punk to be goth/industrial but still leaning that way, the Bloodtypes (ex-members of the Epoxies and many other amazing bands) play well informed, 80’s new wave inspired rock n’ roll.

A few years ago I encountered a string of bands that reinvigorated my love for punk (The Briefs, The Red Dons, The Clorox Girls, ect.) and The Bloodtypes are right on point in this way. If the rock n’ roll in your life is missing it’s fun it’s time you got a transfusion.

For more information visit: thebloodtypes.com

The Bloodtypes song “Alien Eyes” will be available on Nate Allen’s Kickstarter Mixtape.

The Bloodtypes  “They Live” – Official Music Video:

Click here to turn Nate Allen into a video game. Make your order by 8:59pm Pacific Time on Wednesday Nov 5.

Jim Strange and The Proud and The Damned

Jim Strange and The Proud and The Damned

Jim Strange and The Proud and The Damned are heavy metal, Americana gothic rock based in Portland. Fans of Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, Wovenhand, and Sisters Of Mercy will be won over by Jim’s deep and powerful voice.

If any of you are performers, perhaps you know the feeling of playing a bar show and giving it your all, only to wonder if anyone is even paying attention. Then you see that lone person in the crowd, holding their beer, looking at you and smiling. Jim was that guy for us once. Jim’s authenticity and genuine passion for music shine in a real way, and we are proud to call him a friend.

Jim Strange and The Proud and The Damned are contributing a song to Nate Allen’s Kickstarter Mixtape.

For more information visit: jimstrange.com

Listen to Jim Strange and The Proud and The Damned’s Pox Americana below.

Click here to turn Nate Allen into a video game. Make your order by 8:59pm Pacific Time on Wednesday Nov 5.

Levi The Poet

Levi The Poet

Levi is a poet, a man of many words. As a verbal processor myself, I can appreciate this. His passion shines through in live performance. For the last several years he’s toured hard and heavy spouting poems of personal experience and theological insights. It’s inspiring stuff.

Levi The Poet was the kind of artist that got all up in your business and sweated on his audience (sound familiar?) but he recently shifted to performing in front of a projection screen. These new poems are his best yet. They resonated with the darkness we can all identify. As fictional works that tell a story, I believe they will identify even better. They are definitely a step in the right direction.

Levi will be contributing a poem to the Nate Allen Kickstarter Mixtape.

For more information visit: levithepoet.net/

Levi’s upcoming concept album Correspondence-(A Fiction) will be out in November.

Watch the “Dear Pianist” video below.

Click here to Order the Kickstarter Mixtape.

Click here to turn Nate Allen into a video game. Make your order by 8:59pm Pacific Time on Wednesday Nov 5.

McDougall

McDougall

McDougall is a foot stomping, bluegrass hustling one-man-band based in Portland, Oregon. Scott’s music has elements of folk, gospel, bluegrass, blues, and always a good amount of rock n’ roll. His live show is not to be missed and each record he makes takes a huge step-forward. Distinctively intense vocals also characterize this creative take on traditional Americana.

I like to say Scott McDougall is our rock n’ roll priest because the first 2 times I met him were on significant days in my life. We played shows together the night Tessa and I got engaged and the day we buried my Grandfather.

McDougall is contributing “Ones and Twos” to the Nate Allen Kickstarter Mixtape.

For more information visit: mcdougallmusic.com/  FFO: Larry and His Flask, Muddy Roots, Jack White

McDougall recently released McDougall. Check it out below:

Watch one of my old personal favorites “Grandma Holley’s Blues” below

Click here to turn Nate Allen into a video game. Make your order by 10:59pm CST on Wednesday Nov 5.