Tag: Take Out The Trash

Nate Allen & The Pac-Away Dots: Take Out The Trash

Traveling troubadour Nate Allen is better known as one-half of the uplifting, neon-hued folk punk duo Destroy Nate Allen. Backed by his sometimes-band The Pac-Away Dots, Take out the Trash is his first solo effort since 2006. Its ten stripped-down tracks marry his authenticity-over-polish musical sensibility with introspective, socially aware lyrics that pack an emotional wallop without sacrificing his trademark sense of fun. Tracks like “Hunger Pains” and “We Don’t Even Know” challenge listeners to reevaluate their privilege and preconceptions while boasting gang vocals and chord progressions reminiscent of the “kids songs for adults” vibe made famous by Destroy Nate Allen. With plenty of raucous barnburners (“More Money”), quiet and evocative soul-searching (“Photograph”), and even some uncharacteristic darkness (“Goodbye Letter”), Take out the Trash is an eclectic and cathartic must-have. – Kelley O’ Death / Razorcake

Nate’s thoughts on Take Out The Trash:

I had planned to take 2013 off from touring. I was burnt-out, unemployed, and living in my parents’ spare bedroom. I had finished yet another tour with just enough gas money to get home.

Something needed to change. I needed to slow down and apologize for the nonstop pace I had dragged my wife/bandmate, Tessa, through. Staying constantly busy (including going back to college, recording MANY albums and playing over 800 shows since 2007) had earned me press quotes like this: “The stats on local folk-punk duo Destroy Nate Allen are daunting and damn near exhausting even to contemplate” – Willamette Week.

Tessa told me to start a solo project so she could have a break. I listened to her, and in short time wrote an entire album in stark contrast to our bubbly Destroy Nate Allen persona. “Open To Everything” begins the collection of songs with the lines “hating myself for what I have done…” Like much of the album, it’s a song that balances optimism and frailty. “I want to be open to everything, but I don’t want to be broken.” Apparently I have limits.

During this writing season we attended a small, multiracial community group where stories of people’s pain and privilege hit me in new ways. As my friends told me their stories, these songs were my response. I grew up as a 3rd generation timber worker in a very white, working class, West Coast small town. In much the same way that living in San Francisco and reading Shane Claiborne’s The Irresistible Revolution had opened my eyes to homelessness and poverty, I was now becoming aware of how cultural biases and skin color affect people’s experiences in ways I would never have imagined on my own.

On “Social Equality” I contrast my experiences with those of my friends as we share the same streets. “Blinded by innocence, not fearing anyone, walking with great confidence. Chosen by providence, raised with such ignorance, vindication I do seek.” The upbeat “We Don’t Even Know” contains realizations such as “if climbing the ladder defines success, I know I have stepped on someone.” These songs sit next to reflective and mournful tracks about life, death and friendship like Death Is Overrated and Goodbye Letter.

Underneath the bummer is a ribbon of silliness. “More Money” is a goofy blues number mixing real life need with frivolous desire. “Wanted to buy a satellite TV, wanted to buy a VCR, wanted to buy an ice cream sandwich, but no money doesn’t go far!” Throughout the album, when the lyrics take you down, the music is quick to bring you back up again.

As I focused intensely on looking for work, Portland doors kept shutting but Kansas City seemed to open up. There was work to be found, a cheap place to live and an unknown land. We took the jump. Before moving, I dived into recording with a full band, wanting to document what the songs had become. This was a Portland record, and I had no idea how relevant it would be to my new home, or to the rest of the country for that matter.

Other Points of Note:

  • Take Out The Trash was funded via Kickstarter pre-orders.
  • This is Nate’s first non-Destroy Nate Allen since 2006.
  • The Pac-Away Dots are Nate’s backing band when he has one.
  • Nate will be touring the album starting in October around the US.
Initial Release Information:
 
HER 005
Vinyl: 300 (100 Black / 100 Clear / 100 Multicolor)
CD’s: 1000 (Digipak)
Digital: All Major Outlets

ORDER / STREAM TAKE OUT THE TRASH

Contact Burnside Distribution to Stock the Album In Your Store.

PRE-ORDER

Pre-order Take Out The Trash our debut album.

“Take Out The Trash is an eargasm of blues, folk and punk, with soul-wrenching lyrics that remind us of the days when the meaning behind the music actually mattered” – Huffington Post

“Reminds me of when I first started to break away from listening to top 40’s music in 1984 when some one gave me a burned cassette of the first Violent Femmes album. It’s got some good punk edges but smart in the way Jonathan Richman is with an original driving sound.” – Tim Hovercraft Records

Some useful words about the album.

Take Out The Trash features immediately accessible rock n’ roll tunes infused with blues, folk and punk. These 10 vulnerable and explosive songs will have you humming all day long.

A bit of the story: in 2013 Nate Allen found himself fresh off a long tour, unemployed, in his early 30’s, married and living in his parent’s spare bedroom. Everyone’s dream.

His plan was to take a sabbatical from touring, get an after college job and let life reassemble. Instead, wrestling with how blind he had been to the racism all around him, he accidentally wrote and recorded an album documenting his process in that tenuous season of life.

What started as an acoustic solo project turned into a full band recording channeling the sounds of the Social Distortion, Old 97’s, Johnny Cash, Pedro The Lion, The Pine Hill Haints, Against Me!, Violent Femmes, Larry and His Flask, and Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, to name a few.

The Mixtape 

We’ve put together a diverse “mixtape”, a peek at the many varied friends that we have made across the country. All pre-orders come with download of this mixtape via email. The independent artists on this playlist represent different genres and ideals, but the one thing that they all have in common is that they are friends of Nate and Tessa Allen. We blogged about each mixtape artist and every reward package will include a download of this playlist. Click on an artist name below to find out more.

Who is on the mixtape?

Angus McKinneyAutryThe Bloodtypes, Bryan McPherson, Dead Ven, Dead Words, Desiring Dead Flesh, Divided Heaven, Doby Watson, Dollar Signs, Drybnz (featuring Jeff Suffering of 90 Lb. Wuss & Joe Mendonca), Garret Potter, Gnarboots, Googolplexia, Greg McKillop (ex-Speaker for the Dead), The HollandsInsomniac Folklore, Jim Strange and The Proud and The Damned,  Joseph Camuglia, Joshua Stephens, Kat Jones, Kevin Schlereth, Lauryn Peacock, Levi The Poet, Nathan Leigh, No More Train Ghosts, The Maiden Name, McDougall, Sammy Warm Hands, Self Proclaimed Narcissist, The Pac-Away Dots (exclusive song), The Restitution, The Violent Psalms, Von Strantz, Where Division Ends.

 

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.

Kickstarter Launch

Welcome to our pre-order/fundraiser for Take Out The Trash, the debut album of my new project, Nate Allen and The Pac-Away Dots. Since 2006, I’ve been touring the US as Destroy Nate Allen. Take Out The Trash marks a new season and direction for my music. These 10 vulnerable and explosive songs will have you humming all day long.

Take Out The Trash has already been recorded, mixed and mastered. Your help is needed to finance the printing of CDs and 12″ vinyl records. Our goal is to have every prize delivered in time for Christmas, with the exception of the vinyl which takes longer to produce.

One of our core values is COMMUNITY, so we put together a mixtape of over 30 bands! The independent artists on this playlist represent different genres and ideals, but the one thing that they all have in common is that they are friends of mine. Every reward package will include a download of this playlist. One package even has it on an actual 90 minute cassette tape.

Each day, I will be blogging on iamnateallen.com about a different artist on the mixtape. I’m hoping you discover a new favorite band while I’m at it. The first blog is about Bryan McPherson.

Please go watch our video and share our project with friends! 

Below is a glimpse of some of the fun ideas we came up with for the Kickstarter as well as more information about the album!

This is shaping up to be a fun month.

Nate Allen

Laser Etched Mason Jar

The album lyrics “I want to be open to everything but I don’t want to be broken” are being laser etched on 16 oz. glass mason jars by Tom Butler at Flying Eagle Gallery. Available individually and set of 4.

Greeting Cards

Nate has designed four original greeting cards with lyrics from the album printed on post-consumer recycled paper. Each card comes with an envelope and link to download the referenced song.

Some useful words about Take Out The Trash.

In 2013 Nate Allen found himself fresh off a long tour, unemployed, in his early 30’s, married and living in his parent’s spare bedroom. Everyone’s dream …

His plan was to take a sabbatical from touring, get an “after college job” and let life reassemble. Instead, wrestling with how blind he had been to the racism all around him, he accidentally wrote and recorded an album documenting his process in that tenuous season of life.

What started as an acoustic solo project turned into a full band recording channeling the sounds of Social Distortion, Old 97’s, Johnny Cash, David Bazan, Bright Eyes, The Pine Hill Haints, Against Me!, Violent Femmes, Larry and His Flask, and Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, to name a few.