Good news! I made a little Spotify playlist that highlights some of the truest bangers from the Rat King Catalog! Give it a listen and let me know what you think!
Stream it, follow it, like it, love it here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1TIQyfI9bwQHcpLj...
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~ PS - I love this lil Piggy thing! Shout-outs to Peoria's Butch's Pizza for the inspo ~
The Urbana trio Gnarly Beth (fka Carly Beth) are hitting the road next month!
Check out these dates and plan on coming out!
3/14 Urbana, IL @ Rosebowl w/ Ratboys
3/20 Chicago, IL @ Situations w/ Pledge Drive
3/21 Springfield, IL @ Dumb Records w/ Pledge Drive
3/22 St. Louis, MO @ The Sinkhole w/ Pledge Drive
4/8 Bloomington, IL @ Nightshop
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Follow Gnarly Beth on Instragram to stay up to date: https://www.instagram.com/gnarlybethband/
Or follow them on Songkick for future shows: https://www.songkick.com/artists/10109891-gnarly-beth
And of course pick up that tape here: https://store.ratkingrecords.com/products/641771
TBH - it's cold as all get out.
Rat King has ya covered - with this stylish crewneck you're guaranteed to stay warm and safe from the winter elements. Plus you'll look as cool as Choovanski's own NICK ROSSI (pictured)!
Get one of your own here: https://store.ratkingrecords.com/products/652136
We are running low in the shop so now is the best time to pickitup pickitup!
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(Pssst - wanna stay extra warm? Grab this crew and a mug to fill with that hot mud)
Grab that mug here: https://store.ratkingrecords.com/products/635246
It's 2020, the year of digital singles!
We are so stoked too bring you "Blister' from Champaign based power-pop-punkers Nectar!
Guitarist/Vocalist Kamila Glowacki had this to say about the song...
"Blister is a reminder to not be too hard on yourself, find gratitude in the small things, and do everything with intention. It was written and recorded during a time where I had severely broken both bones in my forearm and was mentally and physically grappling with the possibility of not being able to play guitar again. I’ve since recovered and am left with scars — which, like blisters, are physical reminders of healing, resilience, and the toll of doing something you love."
Listen to blister now on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.
Or on Bandcamp here: https://nectarnectar.bandcamp.com/album/blister
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In addition to the song, Nectar also dropped this sick new long sleeve inspired by the single Blister!
The shirt was hand printed by the band at Rat King Headquarters World Wide.
In regards to the t-shirt art, Glowacki had this to share...
"The new version of my arm felt very grotesque as it was healing – long scars, dark and exaggerated hair growth, swelling, bruising, and metal plates that keep the bones in place. I wanted to have a flower pattern that is only on the left sleeve to mirror the injury on my left arm. It's also meant as a kind action for a part of you that is healing – like giving someone flowers. The brick wall pattern is an obstacle and interruption to overcome and is a direct reference to a lyric in the song."
Grab one of these very limited shirts up here: https://nectarnectar.bandcamp.com/
Wanted to try something different with these news posts! This is a little thing I'm calling "Five Questions..." (bet you'll never guess why).
This first installment is with Jupiter Styles' head honcho Sean Neumann! Peep our little convo below!
1) What song is currently stuck in your head?
I know this is an amazing opportunity to shout out a band I really like, but to be completely honest I’ve got “Goodbye” by D4NNY stuck in my head.
2) What are your top 5 fast food sandwiches?
Bypassing the entire “is a burger a sandwich?” argument… my favorite sandwiches are:
1. Portillo’s “Big Beef” (hot peppers & mozz)
2. Wendy’s “Son of Baconator” (or as our friends in Dags! call it: “son of a baconator!”)
3. In & Out Burger (animal style, of course)
4. Jack in the Box’s “Buttery Jack w/ Bacon & Swiss”
5. McDonald’s “Bacon McDouble”
3) I know you just got a new TV - what is the first thing you’re gonna watch on it?
“Pardon the Interruption” if I can set it up in time!
4) Is there a guitar pedal that you’ve always wanted to put in your set up?
Loop pedal — I’ve always been enamoured by the way Leslie Feist uses a loop pedal for her vocals. I really want to master that craft, but I’m lazy and watch too much ESPN and eat too much fast food to really do anything I want to do.
5) After a long day what is your number one go-to stress reliever?
Seriously not going for a theme here but… I like to watch TV! I grew up loving television and watching it everyday and learning something new, so I like to put on a new show but with a goal in mind of understanding a background or history I’ve never understood before.
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Pick up Jupiter Styles' new album Ultra St. Opera here: https://store.ratkingrecords.com/products/651753
Yeehaw! So stoked to have the buds from Bottom Bracket join the Rat King family! Their new record I Don't Care Enough to Stay is out March 27th!
I have been friends with these guys for a long time and have been lucky enough to tour with them in the past! Very excited for the world to hear this record!
I Don't Care Enough to Stay finds Bottom Bracket after the fall of Springfield's punk mecca, Southtown. “We went from having everything all in one established place at the beginning of the year to realizing we had to leave,” Mario Cannamela (Guitar, Vocals) said. “That realization was slow and painful.”
Cannamela and B.J. Pearce (Drums) started documenting those feelings as they worked on new Bottom Bracket songs and pieced together I Don’t Care Enough to Stay, an 8-track funeral hymn honoring the DIY heaven they helped built and lose in what seemed like an instant. This record sees the band rebuilding themselves and stoking themselves up for the future.
Pre-Order LP/CD/Tape here: https://store.ratkingrecords.com/products/658976
Pre-Order T-Shirt here: https://store.ratkingrecords.com/products/659279
Or bundle them together here: https://store.ratkingrecords.com/products/659289
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Watch the video for the first single "Failures," directed by Veronica & Killian Mullen, below!
Wow - what a great year, 2019 was truly one for the books!
I was lucky enough to put out the following releases for some of the best bands/my best friends:
Gnarly Beth - "Carly Beth" Demo Tape
Nectar - "Knocking At The Door" Vinyl LP
Jupiter Styles - "Ultra St. Opera" Vinyl LP
Glaze - "GlazeTV" Tape
Nightcrawler - "Nightcrawler" LP
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Along with these killer releases - more official (tm) Rat King Merch was made!
Rat King Records - Official Crewneck
Rat King Records - Official Hat
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2020 is off to a great start too... see y'all next week! :)