It's time to kill this blog. Here is a farewell post.

Click up my new one "I don't know, but we gotta go." if you still want to be friends. It'll be better this way.

Here it is, a track from Uglyfuzz Records' newest signing, Color of Day. Check it out, then check out their website, www.colorofday.com.

[Color of Day - "Crawl"]

Unity!

--Ben

I'd like to apologize to you all for my unexplained lack of posts. I broke my hand, and typing has become much less fun. You should have seen the other guy though... He was built like a refrigerator, err wait, he was a refrigerator. Ok, ok, I punched the fridge. If I can get to a scanner, I'll put up the x-rays. I should be back to posting regularly as soon as I get this one-handed typing down.

Rock on!

--Ben

It sucks!

Deciding whether or not I want to give a band a chance based on six songs is the most difficult part of my job. I hear excellent music on a daily basis, and I can't sign everyone. So, how do I choose? I don't even know. I'm thinking next time I'll read tea leaves.

It kicks ass too, though.

Today I invited a new band to join the Uglyfuzz Records family. Color of Day, out of Broomall, PA, plays a nice, ass-kicking brand of noisy punk. I hope that they accept our offer, but expect big things from these guys. It seems like they're willing to work for it.

Rock on.

--Ben

Here's another track from an Uglyfuzz artist. This is "Realization Beneath the Streetlight" from It's Alright Nightingale.

[It's Alright Nightingale - "Realization Beneath the Streetlight"]

Rock on!

--Ben

[Todd Rundgren - "Tic Tic Tic It Wears Off"]

Whoa.

--Ben

I got this here:
NY Punk Venue CBGB Faces Closure Over Unpaid Rent (kingblind.com)

--Ben
----

NY Punk Venue CBGB Faces Closure Over Unpaid Rent

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York's legendary rock club CBGB, which helped launch everybody from Blondie to the Ramones, faces closure if it does not resolve a dispute over unpaid rent with the homeless charity that owns the building. Club owner Hilly Kristal said the dispute dated from 2001, when the landlord presented a $300,000 bill for unpaid rent. Though most of that has now been repaid, the club was handed another bill earlier this year for $76,000 which CBGB has not paid. The club's lease comes to an end in August and talks on renewal are stalled. "The real thing is they don't want me back," Kristal said, adding that there had been a series of disagreements over renovations and building certificates in recent years. CBGB, which stands for "country, bluegrass and blues" even though it is most famous for punk music, rents its downtown space from the Bowery Residents' Committee -- a non-profit organization that runs a homeless shelter above the premises. "I am not going to subsidize CBGB at the expense of homeless people," Muzzy Rosenblatt, executive director for the organization, was quoted as saying in The New York Times. MTV's Web site quoted him as saying CBGB had not met its obligations on safety. The Committee wants to double the rent and negotiations over a new lease have ground to a halt amid legal wrangling that will result in a court hearing later this month. Kristal, who founded the club in 1973, converting what had been a Hell's Angels hangout into one of the most famous venues for live music in the city, said he would fight closure of what he called a New York City institution. "We've established something here. ... This is a kind of symbol of helping young musicians and new artists," he said, recalling early gigs by the likes of Pearl Jam. "I think we do a nice thing for a lot of people; maybe it's not quite as wonderful as helping the homeless but it has its benefits," Kristal said. Rosenblatt could be immediately reached for comment.

Just getting the word out about Utopian Radio's next show.
Rock on!

--Ben
------

From: ****
Subject: Independent Live show Thursday Night (Utopian Radio)
Date: March 8, 2005 12:50:21 PM EST
To: ****
Reply-To: ****

Hey everyone,
I just wanted you to know that we are kicking off Master Jake's
Indie Hour on Thursday night at 9pm PST (12am EST). This show will be
dedicated solely to independent bands and musicians. If you would like
to request any particular band, or if you are a band member that would
like your music featured here, please email me back or request it
here:

http://www.utopianradio.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=65&forum;=3

We are really excited to get this kicked off. Thanks for helping out.

Cory Davis
UtopianRadio.com

This song will blow your mind if you've never really listened to Blackalicious before. The lyrics are incredibly tight. My favorite part begins at 2:40, elapsed time. So, here's the link. The file is 13 megs, so, go make yourself a cup of coffee.

[Blackalicious ft. Zach De La Rocha, Saul Williams and Lyrics Born - "Release"]

Take it easy.

--Ben

God, I hate myself for post titles like that. But, it's monday. Don't judge me too harshly.

Check these guys out though:

[Hex Error - "Deerlodge Prison"]
Used w/o permission. If you are the copyright holder or the file host and you object to this link, please email me.

Hex Error's website: www.hexerror.com

Rock on!

--Ben

You can download the archived copy of Utopian Radio's premier broadcast from their website.

Direct download link:
[Utopian Radio - Premier Broadcast]

Here's a track from the Uglyfuzz Records catalog. Check back often for more!

"Jersey Nights" is a track by the Holyoke, MA based band Five Across The Eyes. Their CD EP is available from Uglyfuzz Records, or for digital download at www.mperia.com. FATE will be on tour starting in June, so keep an eye out for them in your town.

[Five Across The Eyes - "Jersey Nights"]

I feel like hell, but here's a track that's been getting me through the day. It's different from my usual, but it's kick-ass just the same.



[Leeds - "Aches"]
(Used without permission, email me if you are the artist and would like it removed.)

Check out Leeds on purevolume.com at purevolume.com/leeds.

Rock on!

--Ben

Here are this week's 10 unsigned bands. They're just bands that I like and who I think deserve to get their names out there, and who are not affiliated with Uglyfuzz Records. If your band is on this list, feel free to email me about getting your demo to Uglyfuzz Records.

• Estrela - www.estrelarock.com


• Our Last Night - www.ourlastnight.com


• Axis of Evil - www.skaxisofevil.com


• Headphones - www.headphonesmusic.com


• Therefore I Am - www.thereforeiam.tk


• The Lorrainas - www.thelorrainas.com


• Leeds - www.purevolume.com/leeds


• Hot Like (A) Robot - www.hotlikearobot.net


• Color of Day - www.colorofday.com


• Rank Deluxe - www.rankdeluxe.com

So, there they are for this week. Check 'em out, give 'em a little support, and enjoy!

Rock.

--Ben

Utopian Radio is going live tonight at 9:00p(PST), 12:00a(EST). Do me a favor and tune into the broadcast. They'll be playing some songs out of the Uglyfuzz Records catalog, and they may be playing some cuts from Uglyfuzz's newest artist, It's Alright Nightingale.

Click here to go directly to the stream.

Rock on.

--Ben

Utopian Radio is the shit. You should check them out at www.utopianradio.com. I've been rocking out to their stream all night. I've heard songs I've forgot I loved.

Rock.

--Ben

...is the hardest part.

I've been at this for a while. Trying to get the word out about Uglyfuzz, and more recently, our first official release, "Rock Over London" by Five Across The Eyes. The search engine rankings are slowly going up. That must be a good sign. But, when do I reach the point where we're not in the red? How do we get customers to come to the online store and decide they want to go ahead and pay $5.00 plus shipping for a disc? What is wrong about our approach?

OK, if you read this, check out our online store (will open in a new window) and let me know any reason you see why you wouldn't buy a CD there. This is your chance to bitch about what you don't like. Do it now!

Rock on.

--Ben

This is the beginning.

My name is Ben. I run Uglyfuzz Records along with my good friend Justin, and here you will be able to read about what it is like to be involved with a brand new (err... developmentally retarded) indie label and the tightest budget you can imagine.

Everything will be here: promotion, rants, kudos, shit-talking. It's all on the table.

Rock on!

--Ben