I am managing “Band A” for a year – to see how far I can promote this band within the music industry. On Monday evening I got a message from a friend that WNCW had announced they were going to play “Band A” during that hour. “Band A” is a little out of WNCW’s genre focus – but the band can write songs and WNCW plays songs. I’d sent the station a CD in the summer and they’d already played one song in August.
So I was driving with Cinnamon Kennedy down i40, at 8:30pm on Monday, still some light in the western sky. I felty uncomfortably nervous. I had never heard “Band A” on the radio. We listened to WNCW play all these Americana and blues and folk songs and they sounded so rich and full on the car stereo. Finally, I heard the opening chords to “Band A’s” song. It wasn’t a song I would have chosen. It wasn’t a song I’d been promoting. It was a slower song about one brother leaving town and the other brother being left with all the family ghosts. And it sounded true and real.
Everything stopped and goosebumps rose up on my arms. A massive smile fixed on my face – and I had this surge of endorphins. I want everyone who makes music to have this blast of positive emotion.
This how it happened: I wrote an email to WNCW and Joseph Kendrick responded. Then I sent in a CD and Renee Denton with “Local Color” played “Band A.” That was it. I know radio is really intimidating – but people who are involved in radio love music…
The evening was great. “Band A” played at Static Age-Records with Klazo – one of their best shows. Scott Sturdy jumped on stage to play some bass, and Sophie Hull made sure the sound was great and the smoke machine was cranking.
In other news – Holy Crap Records has released a single from “Band A” and a single from The Styrofoam Turtles. Whereas I am not naming “Band A” I am all about promoting The Styrofoam Turtles. They are having an album release party at The Mothlight tonight, 9pm, with Tongues of Fire and Sane Voids. This is the best of the best of underground music – and these bands put on wild live shows. Also, the Styrofoam Turtles write GREAT songs!
(Photo of “Band A” by Scott Sturdy.)

Classic fuzzed-out blues guitar, funky rhythm, and, god almighty, a voice like a hurricane. Don’t be couch surfing at the Meeting House – cause they will be calling you out. These wild blues rockers know their etiquette and their mommas raised them well!. Featured on our #71 podcast at www.hlycrp.com.

Holy Crap Records Podcast has been interested in running a label. I just don’t know how. But I want to be a good label and do something that helps bands. So the plan was to use “Band A” to explore the current music industry and also interview all these other labels, publicists, publications, and bandcamp to actually find out what’s happening. And when I got to Blog 100 I’d know something.
I feel like I’ve done a disservice to “Band A” this year – because every time they’ve had success (being played on KPSU, WNCW, Belter Radio, reviewed by Divide and Conquer, on Kafadan Kontak Records) I’ve never named them.
So Holy Crap Records became a label this week, and we signed “Band B” – The Styrofoam Turtles. We put out a single by “Band A” and “Pipe” by The Styrofoam Turtles. Cinnamon and I were playing the new song by The Styrofoam Turtles on the podcast and Tristen Colby wrote: “We’re releasing our BRAND NEW single “PIPE” September 17th exclusively with Holy Crap Records!” Which is kind of bold. But we were like – alright – let’s just do this – we’re starting a label.
I’ve seen Tristen and Josh Davis (and now Colm McKeon) around the Asheville music scene for a couple of years. They’ve got that ambition. They have a live show inspired by the small town professional wrestling circuit. They’re put together a couple of tours, they’re always playing, and if they’re not playing they’re out watching other bands.
Most importantly they write songs. The Holy Crap Records Podcast loves punk, post-punk, garage rock, surf rock, indie rock, blues, country – but we’re really about SONG. The understanding of song. Verse-chorus-verse. Melody. Catchy hooks. And actually saying something that’s true. If we play you on the podcast we ADORE your song.
The Styrofoam Turtles write great songs. Holy Crap Records will only release singles, this single. I want to send out press releases and emails to college radio stations and see if I can replicate the small success of “Band A” with The Styrofoam Turtles. I’ll grift. I’ll see where I can put these two bands and see what works and what fails.
You can find “Pipe” by The Styrofoam Turtles on the Holy Crap Records label on bandcamp: https://holycraprecords.bandcamp.com.
And you can find the single on the Holy Crap Records website: https://hlycrp.com/the-label