Tag Archives: rant

2019 – So Far

Posted on August 1, 2019 | Leave a comment

Halfway through the year, this is what we’ve got:

Cavalcade – Sonic Euthanasia. A sludgy masterpiece from our favorite experimental metal friends.

The Plurals – Mumblebee. Volume one of GTG noisy-poppy-ceiling-punchers’ “BEES” album series!

Robot (Re)pair – End Transmissions. Wry, catchy, spicy garagey pop-punk from our lovely Arizonan artificial “intelligent” pals.

Jeremy Porter – 1987. The best Detroit powerpopper in the land gets his acoustic side out there for all to bask in.

For The Record Showcase Volume 1. Both a celebration of Sleeping Timmy & Ryne Clarke’s radio show and a new compilation with tons of new and previously unreleased music from Michigan and beyond.

Plenty more to come in the second half of 2019!

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Posted in Album, Blaine and His Keyboard, Cavalcade, For The Record, GTG Records, Jeremy Porter and The Tucos, Robot Repair, Sleeping Timmy, The Hat Madder, The Plurals, Tommy Plural

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GTG Fest XI and more!

Posted on August 1, 2018 | Leave a comment

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GTG Fest 2018! 25+ independent bands and artists converge on the capital of Michigan September 7th and 8th for the 11th annual GTG Fest. GTG Fest is curated by a group of friends and musicians to foster a safe, intimate, and creative environment to experience the passion of DIY music, make new friends, and see old ones. Music, food, a raffle featuring items from rad local businesses, and a barrage of good times fill the weekend. Please be respectful and cool to all attendees and to all of the spaces. No hate. We’re all in this together.

SEPT 7 & 8 @ THE AVENUE CAFE (Lansing, MI)

The Plurals
City Mouse
The Hat Madder
Erotic Novels
Raymond Strife Who Raps
Lipstick Jodi
Scary Women
Ryan Allen and His Extra Arms
Tart
Nonbinary
No Skull
The Stick Arounds
Pissed
The Quirk
Sexy Toxins
The Hemingers
…. AND MANY MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED!!

More events for the weekend will be announced shortly, check out the event page here!

But GTG Fest is over a month away, there’s plenty happening this month too. Three GTG mainstay bands are hitting the road, starting with a midwest run from The Stick Arounds – who also just released a new single ahead of their forthcoming 2nd LP.

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The Stick Arounds Tour Dates:

8/2 – Indianapolis, IN @ Melody Inn
8/3 – Dayton, OH @ Blind Bob’s
8/4 – Cincinnati, OH @ Tree Bar

THEN the greatest sing-along-road-warriors City Mouse are doing a li’l midwest run of their own with San Diego’s Squarecrow.

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City Mouse Tour Dates:

8/10 – Milwaukee, WI @ Quarters
8/11 – Lansing, MI @ Avenue Cafe
8/12 – Bloomington, IL @Nightshop
8/13 – Chicago, IL @ The Burlington

AND THEN this insane party is happening in Trenton, NJ on August 18 for Honah Lee’s 10 year anniversary. The Plurals are heading out for a quick jaunt to the east coast and back to be a part of it!

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The Plurals Tour Dates:

8/16 – Dayton, OH @ Jimmie’s Ladder 11
8/17 – New Jersey
8/18 – Trenton, NJ @ Mill Hill w/ HONAH LEE
8/19 – New Hope, PA @ Bucks County Playhouse

There’s solid shows the rest of the month too…

8/2 – City Mouse @ GTG House (Lansing, MI)
8/2 – Hat Madder @ New Dodge Lounge (Hamtramck, MI)
8/3 – Disappointed Dad @ The Avenue Cafe (Lansing)
8/4 – The Plurals @ Taste of Michigan City (Michigan City, IN)
8/5 – Wade Wilson @ The Avenue Cafe
8/18 – HONAH LEE TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY @ MILL HILL (Trenton, NJ)
8/18 – Two Houses @ Hexagon (Minneapolis, MN)
8/27 – Drinking Mercury @ Pyramid Scheme (Grand Rapids, MI) w/ Jonah Matranga

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Let’s just bask in that last show for a second… Jonah Matranga is an indie rock legend from his work with Far and he’s also in many ways a pioneer for the modern DIY musician with his various solo activities. In the early 2000s your humble author saw Jonah play in a small cafe in Grand Rapids and his warmth and connection with the audience as well as his sliding-scale merch that he sold himself left a huge impression and has been a big influence for how GTG has come together. Jonah is touring on the 20th anniversary of Far’s “Water and Solutions” and it’s a wonderful full-circle moment for Drinking Mercury, the band that laid the foundation for GTG in the first place, to open up the show. Sounds like the best way to wrap up summer activities before the GTG Fest madness! Get yer tickets!

See you out there!

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Posted in Drinking Mercury, GTG Fest, Honah Lee, The Plurals, The Stick Arounds, Tour

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City Mouse / The Plurals Tour Feb 2018!

Posted on January 11, 2018 | Leave a comment

City Mouse Tour 010917
We’re very excited to announce that The Plurals and City Mouse will be touring together this February to San Diego’s beautiful Awesome Fest and back! We’ve got a couple quick jags through the midwest, a week in California, a dip into Mexico, and a world of shenanigans in store for this tour. Both bands have very fresh new releases on GTG (City Mouse’s Get Right and The Plurals’ Swish) so we’re stoked that they’re hitting the road together this winter. Big thanks to Raeghan the Savage for the tour poster! Check out all of the dates below:

2/9 – Lansing, MI @ Avenue Cafe
2/10 – Bloomington, IL @ Nightshop
2/11 – Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge
2/12 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Blue Note
2/13 – Albuquerque, NM @ Fly Honey Warehouse
2/14 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Trunk Space
2/15 – Tijuana, BC @ Moustache Bar
2/16 AWESOME FEST (set times TBA!)
2/17 AWESOME FEST
2/18 AWESOME FEST
2/19 – Pomona, CA @ Characters
2/20 – Riverside, CA @ Mission Tobacco Lounge
2/21 – Long Beach, CA @ 4th Street Vine
2/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Cafe Nela
2/23 – Anaheim, CA @ Doll Hut
2/24 – San Diego, CA @ Rosie O’Grady’s
2/25 – Santa Fe, NM @ VFW 2951
2/26 – Denton, TX @ J & J’s Pizza
2/27 – Little Rock, AR @ White Water Tavern
2/28 – St. Louis, MO @ Foam

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Posted in Swish, The Plurals, Tour

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Bermuda Snohawk 2017!

Posted on December 24, 2017 | Leave a comment

It’s here, the 12th annual holiday malaise soiree. Cheers!

Make sure to download for the full effect, hint hint 😉

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Posted in Album, Bermuda Snohawk, Disappointed Dad, Small Parks, The Hunky Newcomers, The Plurals, Tommy Plural

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Last few GTG shows of the year!

Posted on December 13, 2017 | Leave a comment

2017 is wrapping up and there’s a glimmer of hope for the future. Starting with these last couple live dates from GTG bands. Come on out and toast the new year with us!
Honah Lee have some east coast dates, including two with When Particles Collide:
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Tommy Plural (who released “Idiot Cousin” on GTG this spring) will be playing full band on a stacked bill at The Avenue Cafe in Lansing this Friday:
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The Plurals will be returning to the dank (no, not that way) stage of Mac’s Bar on the 23rd – which will also be the release party for the 2017 Bermuda Snohawk!!! :
shitsmas-2017
Bong Mountain are playing with Mustard Plug at the Intersection in Grand Rapids for a super dank (yes, that way) show on the 28th:
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Jeremy Porter and The Tucos (who released “Don’t Worry It’s Not Contagious” with GTG last month) are playing a NYE bash in Ferndale:
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And we’ll be having a massive blowout at The Avenue Cafe on New Year’s Eve as well, with music from a GTG supergroup!
GTG-NYE-2017

There’s also STILL more new music to come in 2017. Nuts!!!

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Posted in Bermuda Snohawk, Bong Mountain, GTG Records, Honah Lee, Jason Alarm, Jeremy Porter and The Tucos, The Plurals, Tommy Plural

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GTG Fest X – Wow!

Posted on October 18, 2017 | Leave a comment

GTG-THANKS-2017TOMMY PLURALS SAYS:
GTG FEST! That was one of the best weekends of my life. First and foremost my partners in the endeavor – Nicholas Miski Dee Hattie Mae Loren Isaac Michael and Timmy – are the best friends and collaborators I could hope to have. The Avenue Cafe and all of its staff have done a bang up job hosting our fest and this year was no exception. So much love! Weather conspired against The Record Lounge but the little bit of show that we did get to do there was awesome and we’ll figure out a way to make up for it. Thanks to Ryan and Andy for having the gear on call to do the outdoor show that didn’t happen, and Josh and Jeffery for lending some muscle and being down to do whatever random thing we threw out there. Rachel made a great poster and I’m going to miss seeing it all over everything I do. All of our sponsors – Pabst Blue Ribbon, Scene Witch, Schuler Books & Music, Foods For Living, Rubie’s Paradise Salon, McCord’s Farm Market, Bloom Coffee Roasters, Streetkitchen, harrison roadhouse, Grand Traverse Pie Company, Alyson Rose Studio, and MI Blue Owl Coffee – made the weekend that much more special and we’re happy to work with all of you. Mike, Eric, and Isaac are basically the trinity of GTG sound techs so thanks for hanging with all of the bands all weekend. Thanks to Crith, Paul, and Kevin for providing the backline along with Nich and Hattie; this made the ambitious time table possible. Brian was running around recording the whole weekend and I can’t wait to hear what he captured. Shoot… I think that’s everyone but the fest is still a fresh blur so sincerest apologies if I spaced anywhere. But… EVERYONE THAT ATTENDED!! YOU make this all possible and we’re all so humbled by your support. 10 MORE YEARS! 10 MORE YEARS!! #gtgfestx
GTG FEST 2017 LINEUP (by day, headliners in the caps)

CITY MOUSE
Mad Moon
Daisys
Narc Out The Reds
Drinking Mercury
Cavalcade
Bet On Rats
Man Mountain
James Radick

THE HAT MADDER
Lucy
Alpha Rabbit
No Skull
The Knights Without
The Mongrels
Calliope
The Free Life
Disappointed Dad
Drake Butterscotch

MEAT WAVE
THE PLURALS
Scary Women
Half Tongue
Rent Strike
The Hunky Newcomers
Cat Midway
Nick Merz
middleman

ARTIST SAMPLER: https://gtgrecords.bandcamp.com/album/gtg-fest-2017
SO MANY PICTURES:
https://www.instagram.com/gtgrecords/

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Posted in Cat Midway, Drinking Mercury, GTG Fest, GTG Records, Narc Out the Reds, Small Parks, The Hat Madder, The Hunky Newcomers, The Plurals

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The Hunky Newcomers – Harder Dude Stuff (GTG093) Out TODAY

Posted on January 27, 2017 | Leave a comment

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The first GTG release of 2017 (one of at least 12!) is out today, The Hunky Newcomers live album Harder Dude Stuff. In their first release in three years, the most loveable dirtbags in Lansing burn through 14 songs from all of their releases, louder, faster, and harder than the records we all know by heart. Recorded last year at a rowdy night at Lansing institution Mac’s Bar, Harder Dude Stuff delivers the goods! Out today digitally and on CD, check it out below as well as a new lyric video for “Gimme A Shot.” Let’s make the New Year happy!

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Posted in Album, GTG Records, The Hunky Newcomers

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GTG Records 2017 Record Subscription!

Posted on January 5, 2017 | Leave a comment

Starting today we’re launching a campaign to put out a new release every month in 2017, which will begin on January 27th with the release of a new live recording by The Hunky Newcomers entitled Harder Dude Stuff. This will be available digitally on the 27th and we’ll be having a release party at GTG House that night as well where CDs will be available too. 12 (minimum, there will likely be more) releases can add up so we’re offering up a 2017 album subscription plan via our bandcamp for anyone that wants to get in early and help generate some more fundage for the releases this year. We broke it down into three price models, one payment of $35 for the year will give immediate digital downloads of everything we put out this year, Lansing area people (that we can either hand-deliver or coordinate meetups with) can pay $60 to get physical product (it looks to be 4 vinyl releases and 8 CDs, possibly a cassette or two) along with the downloads, and everyone else can pay $75 to get the downloads and have the physical product shipped to them. Subscribers will also receive immediate free downloads of four of our back catalog items – Honah Lee “Life Won’t Let Me,” The Hat Madder “Orgy Opposite,” The Hunky Newcomers “Secret of the Booze,” and The Plurals “An Onion Tied To My Belt” – so if you’ve been sitting on getting any of those that’s part of it too. Bandcamp also insists on including an “exclusive fan community” thing with subscriptions, so that comes with it but I don’t have the faintest idea what we’ll do there. There also will be some bonus subscriber-only releases that will have some fun stuff (the plan is to put those out every 3 months to serve as companion releases to each quarter’s releases) – basically, you’ll get somewhere around 16 new releases for your collection this year, and we have a lot of cool stuff in the works.

We all have our goals and dreams and resolutions and such whenever the calendar rolls over, and while we’re doing our best to reassure friends and family that the world isn’t ending (yet anyway), we’ve been thinking about what the point of this label is in the first place. Sure, we all have our own self-involved reasons for playing music, but the whole point of building a community around independent, weirder, and/or less-commercial music is to give a voice to people and ideas that may not be heard otherwise and to inject some sort of positivity into our surrounding community. Let it be heard that we’re committed to doing our part to contribute positive and creative energy to help make the navigation through this life a little bit more bearable. And we’re doubling down to bring more of it out this year! It’s gonna be a fun! Scary! Wild! Inspiring! All kinds of good stuff. Happy New Year!

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Posted in Album, GTG Records, The Hunky Newcomers

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Friskie Morris & Friends: GTG Fest 2016

Posted on December 2, 2016 | Leave a comment

Hey! So as the year winds down, it’s a good time to reflect on all of the cool things GTG Records was a part of this year. An annual highlight is always GTG Fest, naturally, and this year we had the good fortune to be joined by Stephen DeFalco from the Chicago-based podcast Friskie Morris & Friends who spent the weekend interviewing a handful of bands on the festival and graciously profiling the new releases from Small Parks, The Stick Arounds, and Bong Mountain that came out at or shortly prior to this year’s fest. Interview segments in addition to the three new release-rs include Handwringer , Matt Wixson’s Flying Circus, City Mouse, Jake Simmons & the Little Ghosts and a freewheeling roundtable with members of The Plurals, Drinking Mercury, and Frank and Earnest (with a brand new Plurals recording snuck into that segment!) to round it out. We had our best year ever at GTG Fest 2016 and while this is just a selection of the all-around great lineup we had this year it feels great that Stephen was able to document the event and we can’t wait to relive it and do it again!

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Posted in Bong Mountain, Drinking Mercury, Frank and Earnest, GTG Fest, GTG Records, Small Parks, The Plurals

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GTG Fest 2016 Schedule!

Posted on October 3, 2016 | Leave a comment

Hey! It’s almost here!

GTG Fest 2016! Three days of the best independent music in the Michigan area (and beyond!)

OCTOBER 7 + 8 at The Avenue Cafe
OCTOBER 9 at GTG House

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Friday 10/7 @ The Avenue Cafe. Doors @ 7 PM/ $7 Cover
8:00 Tidal
8:30 Rent Strike (set 1)
8:45 Birdhouse
9:15 Rent Strike (set 2)
9:30 Narc Out the Reds
10:00 Charlie Darling (set 1)
10:15 Jeremy Porter & the Tucos
10:45 Charlie Darling (set 2)
11:00 The Hat Madder
11:30 Drinking Mercury
12:00 Bong Mountain
12:45 Small Parks (LP release!)

Saturday 10/8 @ The Avenue Cafe. Doors @ 7 PM / $7 Cover
8:00 Flatfoot
8:30 Bat Yulefly
8:45 Matt Wixson’s Flying Circus
9:15 Elroy Meltzer
9:45 LVRS
10:15 Indonesian Junk
10:45 Jake Simmons & the Little Ghosts
11:15 Tens
11:45 The Stick Arounds (LP release!)
12:15 Two Houses
12:45 The Plurals

Sunday 10/9 @ GTG House. Pre-Party @ 3 PM / $7 Donation
3:00-5:00 Eat Food and Hangout
5:00-6:30 OPEN MIC
6:30 Phillips Talking Apple Tree
7:00 Tall and Blonde
7:45 Carm
8:30 Dasterds
9:15 Frank And Earnest
10:00 Handwringer
10:45 City Mouse
11:30 Everybody Loves Ramones

++++++++++++++

Standard 3 Day Pass Now Available here! Cheaper than the door!

Please be respectful and cool to all attendees and to all of the spaces. No hate. We’re all in this together.

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Posted in Bong Mountain, Carm, Drinking Mercury, Frank and Earnest, GTG Fest, Narc Out the Reds, The Hat Madder, The Hunky Newcomers, The Plurals

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