2007 is here, and with it the launch of the Dead Oceans record label. Run side by side with sister labels Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans is co-owned by the partners behind SC and Jag (Ben Swanson, Chris Swanson, Darius Van Arman, Jonathan Cargill) with Phil Waldorf, former label manager of Misra. Like Jagjaguwar and Secretly Canadian, Dead Oceans will focus on bold and timeless recordings, not emphasizing a particular genre or scene, but instead fostering a diverse stable of sound-creators.

Dead Oceans is fortunate to share the same dedicated Bloomington, IN-based staff and business model as Jagjaguwar and Secretly Canadian, as well as those labels’ common passion for unearthing and showcasing new, vital music. Waldorf, from his base in Austin, TX, will act as A&R and project manager for the new venture, while Chris Swanson and Van Arman will continue to handle primary A&R duties for Jagjaguwar, and Ben Swanson, Chris Swanson and Cargill for Secretly Canadian.

Dead Oceans grew out of friendship and mutual admiration. Working together in a label/distributor partnership—SC Distribution, a wing of Secretly Canadian, distributed Misra for seven years—the partners at SC/Jag and Waldorf became trusted confidants whose complementary sensibilities were clear. The five had noticed that their tastes converged where it counted, but contrasted enough to keep things interesting. Tallying up their combined years of experience, and all craving a fresh creative venture, the group devised Dead Oceans.

Dead Oceans is extremely thrilled to announce the first members of the new label family. 2007 will see the release of new albums from Bishop Allen, Dirty Projectors, Evangelicals, and Iran, with much more on the horizon. In the meantime, here’s some info on the current Dead Oceans roster.

IRAN:
Iran’s first two albums, released on the venerable Tumult label in 2000 and 2002, are by now stalwart favorites. Recalling the buzz and fuzz of lo-fi pioneers like Dead C, the Grifters, Swell Maps, Trumans Water and Westing-era Pavement, these early Iran recordings contain blasts of homemade noise and psychedelia, but underneath all the chaos are undeniable pop hooks. Since 2002, Iran’s founding members have been busy: songwriter Aaron Aites spent two years living in Scandinavia working on Until the Light Takes Us, a feature documentary on Norwegian black metal that is currently in post-production, while Aites’ musical accomplice, Kyp Malone, has been consumed by work with TV on the Radio. 2007 marks the return of Iran with the release of The Same Song Over and Over, in which the band proves it has left the bedroom and opted for the high fidelity of a full-fledged recording studio. Shedding much of the crackle, hiss, and detuned guitars, Aites’ pop songs are at the fore on Same Song Over and Over, and he’s joined by Malone, as well as a full band, bringing their lo-fi dementia into full bloom.

EVANGELICALS:
Evangelicals’ So Gone was an oft-talked-about debut in 2006, with critics praising the album’s hyperactive, over-caffeinated, frantic pop brew. After its release in June 2006, the band hit the road endlessly, touring with the likes of Serena Maneesh and Annuals, and quickly gained a reputation for being a potent live act. So Gone was essentially recorded before the band existed, at home, primarily by main Evangelical Josh Jones with the assistance of a few broken-down four-tracks and some rudimentary computer technology. Now an established trio, the Evangelicals are readying their sophomore effort, pulling their trademark jittery sound into a focused, coherent vision that’s an obvious evolution. This is clearly a band that spent the bulk of the year either playing shows or recording in the studio.

DIRTY PROJECTORS:
There’s a reason artists like Xiu Xiu, Final Fantasy, Prefuse 73 and Grizzly Bear all sing the praises of Dirty Projectors: Dave Longstreth is a mad genius. Previous recordings have spliced together everything from opera to African funk, electronic music to skewed pop, musique concrete to R&B, mortared by Longstreth’s overarching vision. The Dirty Projectors’ most recent album, The Getty Address, was hailed not only for its musical accomplishments, but for its conceptual genius. Currently, Dirty Projectors are completing a new album slated for release in mid-2007, and have plans to tour endlessly this winter and beyond.

BISHOP ALLEN:
It’s not every day that a band gets a feature on NPR, a gushing review in Rolling Stone, and becomes perhaps the most blogged-about band in recent memory—all without the benefit of a record label. Bishop Allen pulled off this very trick, earning accolades in the respected magazine as well as a lengthy feature on NPR’s Weekend Edition for their 2003 self-released debut Charm School. In 2006, Bishop Allen took it upon themselves to record and release an EP every month of the year; 12 months and 58 songs later, the band has completed one of the most ambitious recording projects in memory. With the EP project, Bishop Allen demonstrated their evolution as a band – Charm School was a hooky indie-pop gem, but since these first recordings, the band’s songwriting has evolved. No longer simply sugar-coated—but never forsaking the pop hook—Bishop Allen’s new songs are developed and sophisticated. 2007 will finally see the release of Bishop Allen’s sophomore album, and we couldn’t be more pleased that the Dead Oceans logo will grace it.

LINKS:
www.deadoceans.com
www.jagjaguwar.com
www.secretlycanadian.com
www.bishopallen.com
www.myspace.com/dirtyprojectors
www.myspace.com/evangelicals
www.myspace.com/thesamesongoverandover

CONTACTS:
National Press - Joanne, 812.335.1572
Regional Press - Abe, 812.335.1572
Radio - Lucy, 812.323.0811

General Inquiries - Phil, 512.454.0629