B A L L P E E N ( ! ) B U L L E T I N S

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updated: March 5th, 2021

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TIJUANA HERCULES "Mudslod and the Singles" LP/CD/Ult-Ed
Pre-Orders and One-of-a-Kind Orignal Art Bundles up now
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SHORTY "Kaput" b/w "Hot For Teacher"
Single & Comic Set now available
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"Mudslod and the Singles" - out May 7th, 2021
commercial by John Vernon Forbes
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TIJUANA HERCULES "Mudslod and the Singles"
LP / CD / Ultimate Edition
plus One-of-a-Kind Original Art Ult-Ed Bundles Available

Howdy Pardners!
This is Mark - filling in for News Desk Reporter "Jazzy" Joe Romita who is out on special assignment. We have two announcements today - SHORTY's venerable "Kaput" b/w "Hot For Teacher" single and comic book set is making its digital debut over at our Bandcamp page and we'll be going into more detail on that in just a moment.

But first - It is my pleasure to present the first-ever details on the long-awaited long player from Chicago's TIJUANA HERCULES... ladies and germs - put your heads together for "Mudslod and the Singles"!

ITEM (!): Years in the making and featuring the talents of more than 20 musicians, Tijuana Hercules's new "Mudslod and the Singles" finds the band deep-diving into its patented "hillbilly trance" sound: an oxygen-depriving bouillabaisse of boundary-busting blues, spaghetti-strung grooves, and tangled psychedelic roots music.

Hailing from the southern regions of the U.S., John Vernon Forbes has a long and storied history of making music, cartoons, and comical mischief. His illustrations recall the golden age of animation filtered through an absurdest lens - and this love of days gone by is rendered
with a futurist's ear in the blues-tinged music he's been creating for decades.

In Atlanta, John played in Phantom 309 (with Mac McNeilly, future drummer of The Jesus
Lizard) and Dirt, before settling in Chicago where he formed Mount Shasta, one of the founding SKiN GRAFT Records acts. Mount Shasta went on to release three albums and a collaborative LP with Japan's Space Streakings before disbanding.

Forbes then formed Tijuana Hercules, initially taking inspiration from obscure rock, blues, and gospel songs from the '50s and '60s. The band later gamma-radiated those threads into something altogether different in the labs of Forbes's own Frogg Mountain Recording Studio, located squarely within Chicago’s historic meat-packing district.

Alongside last year’s SKiN GRAFT debut “Evening Dressings”, the band’s latest releases are a pair of collections that highlight their diversity: Bloodshot Records' “Six Pack to Go” 7” singles compilation (with Deer Tick, Elizabeth Cook, Kelly Hogan and Guided By Voices' Robert Pollard) and SKiN GRAFT's "Chicago vs New York" compilation (featuring The Flying Luttenbachers, Bobby Conn, Cheer-Accident and Child Abuse).

"Mudslod" will be available May 7th digitally and as a vinyl LP and Glass-Mastered Compact Disc. The SKiN GRAFT shop exclusive Ultimate Edition includes a Chalk WHITE Vinyl LP, a Foot-Long Full-Color OBI, the Glass-Mastered CD in six-panel Gatefold Jacket, an extended version of "Delta Alien" and a Digital Download. All formats include “Map of The Stars” cartoons dutifully delineated in duotone by the band’s John Forbes & laid out by Touch and Go Records’ design department alumnus David Babbitt.

We are also offering a number of one-of-a-kind Ultimate Edition bundles that come complete with your choice of original art as found on the "Mudslod and the Singles" album cover! The artwork measures 9" x 12" and was illustrated & signed by John Vernon Forbes. They make for a "be-all, end-all" LP insert and are certainly suitable for hanging in your sorority house, fire department sleeping quarters or dungeon. We are taking orders now at our Bandcamp page.

Here are pictures of the original artwork on offer.
Click to embiggen...!











The front cover illustration is also available. but at a premium price. All artwork is one-of-a-kind and is first come, first served. You can preview the song "ShaTooBog" and get an order in HERE.

- And in honor of today's announcment, our pals at Ghettoblaster Magazine spoke briefly with John Vernon Fornes and alongside "ShaTooBog", have the exclusive premeire of the opening track "Atmospher"!"

As if that wasn't more than enough, the word on the street is that The Organ will be giving readers a verbal taste of what lies ahead by publishing their first impressions of the album as well!

SHORTY
"Kaput" b/w "Hot For Teacher"
Single and Comic
(Newly Remastered Digital Release)

• Digital remaster available now exclusively at Bandcamp. 
• Includes a digital download of the remastered single and an instantly downloadable PDF of the comic book sleeve. Please note, that you must download the files to receive the PDF comic book.

"During their very first recording session, the now defunct noise-slash-art-slash-rock act U.S. Maple picked apart “Sin City” for an EP of AC/DC covers alongside the likes of Shellac, Big’n and Jim O’Rourke. Singer Al Johnson and guitarist Mark Shippy arrived at U.S Maple after years of honing their chops in the band Shorty with bassist Luke Frantom and drummer Todd Lamparelli. It is no coincidence that on Shorty’s final single they chose to cover another hard rock staple - Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher". - Excerpt from the Rebel Noise premiere

Out of print for years, SHORTY's SKiN GRAFT single is now available digitally for the first time! Includes a densely illustrated 18-page PDF comic book that reproduces the original 7" and comic book set packaging. Recorded in 1993 by Steve Albini and remastered in 2020, both recordings are exclusive to this release.

DESCRIPTION:
The debut SKiN GRAFT single of tourettes syndrome fits and diseased elephant guitar from Chicago's classic rock catastrophes! What to do? Find some lipstick (lay it on thick!), cock your hips, tilt you head back just a bit and get ready, cuz there's an Angel In The clubhouse! NOTE: Though both were recorded by Steve Albini, this version of "Kaput" differs from the one found on the "Fresh Breath" EP.

FUN FACT(S):
+ That's Charlie's Angel Jacqueline Smith in the cover's Clubhouse with the Boy and Kooter!!!

+ An earlier version of "Hot For Teacher" was recorded (and never released) at Idful Studio by Brad Wood.

+ The Jesus Lizard's David Yow borrowed Al's "microphone in the pocket" technique after Shorty disbanded. David credited Al in a series of interviews across the United States.

+ Prior to changing their name, Shorty was called Snailboy and were nearly included on the flipside of the very first SKiN GRAFT Records release with Dazzling Killmen.

+ And prior to this 7", Shorty released singles on Worrybird and Bovine. Snailboy released singles Sympathy For The Record Industry and No Blow Records. A number of Snailboy songs recorded by Butch Vig remain unreleased.

LINE UP:
Al Johnson: vocals
Mark Shippy: guitar
Luke Frantom: bass
Todd Lamparelli: drums

Produced by Steve Albini
Cover art by Mark Shippy

COMICS:
+ "Twisted Tales Of Terror" & "The End" - by Mark Shippy
+ "Kookin' With Kooter" - by Mark Shippy with David Yow and Al Johnson
+ Additional strips by Mark Fischer, Rob Syers and Dan Grzeca

Shorty “Kaput” / “Hot For Teacher” is now available at Bandcamp, complete with its original comic book. The single will come to other digital services (sans the comic) in April 2021.

Thanks!

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PREVIOUS UPDATE:

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updated: February 19th, 2021

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BREAKING NEWS ( ! ) :
Three more CHEER-ACCIDENT tracks have been unlocked!

ALSO: >>> You can now check out the archival PDF reproducing SKiN GRAFT's densely illustrated 1998 mail-order catalog without purchasing the 30th Anniversary Dazzling Killmen / Mother's Day split single (see below for details). Give a click HERE.

OVER <<<

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PREVIOUS UPDATE:

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updated: February 5th, 2021

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Please note: Physical 7" and comic sets are from the original 1991 pressing. Quantities are limited. The 7" vinyl release includes an individually numbered printed comic book sleeve (edition of 500), translucent green vinyl single, a digital download of the single and an instantly downloadable PDF of the sleeve - plus a commemorative bonus download of SKiN GRAFT's 1998 mailorder catalog.

To mark the label's 30th Anniversary, SKiN GRAFT Records' debut release is now available digitally for the first time ever. This Bandcamp edition of the DAZZLING KILLMEN / MOTHERS DAY split single includes a 24-page PDF booklet reproducing the original comic book sleeve and includes new liner notes by SKiN GRAFT's Mark Fischer on the origins of the label, how the single came to be, the problematic cover art and the shortcomings of the comic. Customers will also receive a bonus archival PDF reproducing SKiN GRAFT's densely illustrated 1998 mail-order catalog. Please note, you must download the files to receive the PDF books.

- DESCRIPTION:
Wilco's Jeff Tweedy joins St. Louis' Dazzling Killmen to put the chills on the A-Side, while Minneapolis' Project A-Bomb exports Mothers Day punch out two noisy pulse-pounders on the flipside. 500 copies hand-numbered and pressed on translucent green vinyl.

- FUN FACT(S):
( ! ) - Though Dazzling Killmen were a three piece at the time, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco / Uncle Tupelo played ambient guitar on "Killing Fever". Tim Garrigan would later join as the band's permanent second guitarist.

( ! ) - This first SKiN GRAFT record was a co-release with Sluggo Records. 500 copies were pressed on translucent green vinyl and the comic book sleeves were printed on the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's offset press.

( ! ) - Strangulated Beatoffs were originally slated to appear alongside Dazzling Killmen on the single, but the band chose not to release their intended song, "Lollipop Girl" at the 11th hour. Fortunately, Sluggo Records reached out to Mothers Day and the release was saved.

( ! ) - Dazzling Killmen's Nick Sakes suggested Dekalb's Snailboy be offered the flip, Both Strangulated Beatoffs and Shorty (formerly Snailboy) would join SKiN GRAFT Records in the years that followed.

( ! ) - Sluggo Records would go on to release a second book and record set - a split between St. Louis' Judge Nothing and Bent.

( ! ) - Dazzling Killmen's "Killing Fever" is unique among Dazzling Killmen's early singles. It was not re-recorded for the bands debut LP "Dig Out The Switch" or for the "Lounge Ax" cassette.

For more, see the PDF booklet included with the single.

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PREVIOUS UPDATE:

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updated: January 8th, 2021

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SALE HAS ENDED - Thanks Everyone!
( Go to the BANDCAMP Page )

Hi Everyone,
This is Mark filling in for news reporter Jazzy Joe again. Here we are with a new year underway - and so far it feels a whole lot like 2020! - - So here is one more discount code to really get things ringing.

Once I started puting this together I had intended to make it a "21% off" sale in honor of the new year, but unfortunately Bandcamp's control panel doesn't offer that on our end, so - fittingly, this 21% discount is going to feel a whole lot like a 20% discount!

If you have some Christmas money burning a hole in your pocket, you can deposit it right here - but by using the discount code TWENTYTWENTYONE you'll find that you can spread it just a little bit further.

SKiN GRAFT Records 20/21 SALE
Take nearly 21% off * of EVERYTHING (Digital and Physical) at the SKiN GRAFT Records Bandcamp Store.
Use the code TWENTYTWENTYONE
( * small print: actual discount is 20% )

The SALE IS LIVE HERE: http://skingraftrecords.bandcamp.com
Sale ends Monday, January 18th at 11:59 PM UTC

And a friendly word of warning - while we have done a bang up job of getting orders out in a timely fashion, the same cannot be said for the postal services around the world. We've seen a big uptick in the length of time it takes for many orders to get to their destination - so please keep in mind that while you will get an immediate download with your bandcamp purchase, it is possible that you will be waiting a bit for the physical goods to arrive.

ITEM (!): Did you know that there is a new CHEER-ACCIDENT CD out? It iscurrently available only in that aforementioned physical format and can be picked up as a part of this sale. You can preview some of the songs at Bandcamp now - and be sure to check back because we will be unveiling three more tracks to Bandcamp streaming before the month is up!

And one more ITEM (!): - This is the last call to get a pre-order in on the new SHORTY and U.S. MAPLE shirts releasing this month from our UNFIT Apparel line over at the DARK SLIDE. You can read all about it below and place your orders HERE.

Thanks,

Mark Fischer

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( see the unfit apparel collection )

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