Tiny Engines

Things have been awfully quiet at Tiny Engines HQ, and even though we’ve got plenty of ambition and aspirations to spare, we’re also pretty picky about the records we put out.  The Look Mexico 7-inch was a terrific success and we couldn’t be more proud to have made Gasp Asp Tiny Engines’ inaugural release.  Of course, we wanted our second 7-inch to be just as spectacular.

Enter Spirit Desire, the latest offering from Scranton, PA’s Tigers Jaw.  And yes, they realize there should be an apostrophe in their name.  Get over it, grammar freaks.

If you’re not familiar with this incredible five piece, take a quick trip over to Beartrap PR and listen to a couple mp3s.  The band’s 2008 Self Titled full-length was one of my favorites last year and Will ranked it #4 on his Best of 08 list.  As for Jeff, he knows a good thing when he hears it and was quick to jump on board.  He’s also the only one of us who has seen the band live, so bully for him.

Needless to say, even before we heard any of the songs for Spirit Desire, we were angling to work with the Tigers Jaw kids.  Listening to the incredibly infectious tracks that would eventually appear on the 7-inch sealed the deal.

So fast forward a few months later and here we are; the masters are at the plant  and we’re taking pre-orders for this awesome slab of wax.  The songs are amazing, keeping with Tigers Jaw’s nostalgic yet completely fresh indie-rock-cum-pop-punk M.O., but injecting even more tension, energy and ridiculously contagious melodies into the mix.  The title track is the darkest, most foreboding they’ve ever written.  Still, it’s probably the catchiest as well.  It’s this mash-up of styles and contrasts that make Tigers Jaw so damn unforgettable.

We’re pressing 450 copies of Spirit Desire, with 150 on purple vinyl and 300 on yellow.  While the 7-inch contains 3 songs, each copy will also come with a free mp3 download that features a bonus fourth track not included on the record.  Of course, if there are any of you are interested in simply picking up the digital version of Spirit Desire, it should be up on iTunes, eMusic and other online digital services soon.

The vinyl Release date is tentatively scheduled for “late summer” but if all goes to plan, we should have copies ready to send out before the band leaves for tour on July 10th.  For more info and to pre-order our copy, go here!

And finally, as a rad little bonus, everyone who pre-orders a copy of the record will automatically be entered to win a Spirit Desire test pressing, as well as our final two test pressings for Gasp Asp.  We had a lot of requests for the latter but I just couldn’t bring myself to put them on eBay.  I figured that the fairest thing to do was to have this contest / giveaway thingy.

To sweeten the deal, both Gasp Asp test pressings will include a limited-edition, hand-numbered, hand-screen printed jacket with exclusive artwork by Josh from Look Mexico.  Our buddy Dustin Garrett did us a huge solid and printed these bad boys for us…and they look so friggin’ good.  Not only did he use three different paper colors to mix things up, he was also  generous enough to give us 54 copies.  That means that  we have a bunch left over for you guys.  You can pick one up here!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we just sold our last blue Gasp Asp 7-inch.

Don’t cry, emo kid - our good friends at Vinyl Collective still have a few blue copies left.  Plus they have ten Gasp Asp packages (all three colors) as well.  Go here to grab yours before they’re gone and you’re forced to buy one on eBay for a ridiculous sum of money.

Of course, we still have some of the white and a plenty of green as well.  That’s the good thing about having a few different color options: when one runs out, it’s okay cause the others sound exactly the same.  I swear to God.

Thanks to everyone who purchased a copy of Gasp Asp.  We definitely appreciate your support.  Keep your eyes on the site as we’re about to take pre-orders for our second 7-inch release, Spirit Desire from the awesome Tigers Jaw.  Plus, we’ll be giving away some test presses and we’ve got some sweet exclusive hand screen printed art too.  Stay tuned…

Look Mexico - You’re Not Afraid Of The Dark, Are You? from Punknews.org on Vimeo. 

Get it?  Cause it’s a video for Look Mexico’s “You’re Not Afraid Of The Dark, Are You?,” the first track from the Gasp Asp 7-inch released by your favorite one-release label, Tiny Engines.

I’m not sure exactly how it all went down; rumor has it that the band jacked a Florida State University campus van filled with fancy, high-tech video equipment, but not before swinging by the local Stop & Shop for a box of Franzia and 150 dollars worth of cherry pie supplies.  Requesting that Spike Mott serve them up, Blackest Knights of the Darkest Apocalypse style, Look Mexico then proceeded to create the greatest and most erotic baked goods-themed music video of 2009.

However it transpired, I think we can all agree that the video turned out amazing, and maybe a little stomach churning as well.  The part where Dave dips a pulverized fistful of cherry puree into his glass makes me throw up in my mouth a little. Other than that, top-notch entertainment abound.

Much thanks to the kids over at Punknews.org for premiering the video last week and featuring it prominently on their site.  Of course, if any of you would like to feature it on your personal blogs, websites or MyFace pages, go here for the codes.

As many of you already know, the Look Mexico Gasp Asp 7-inches arrived at Tiny Engines HQ a few weeks ago.  They were consequently assembled with tender loving care and then shipped to the masses.  Many thanks to everyone who bought a copy (or two or three) and who waited patiently for us to get our crap together.  It took a little longer than expected, but as soon as we received the goods, we worked really hard to put everything together and get it into your eager hands.

For those who haven’t picked up a copy, what’s your deal?  As you can plainly see from the images below, this 7-inch looks terrific.  The foil stamping on the blue and white vinyl was a costly, but totally worthwhile addition.  We actually don’t have many of those left, so get on it.

If anyone has any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to drop us a line.  We’re happy to help!  Also, we should have some more Look Mexico-related news to announce soon - and maybe even some Tiny Engines rumblings to talk about as well - so check back in the next couple weeks.

Some of you may have been wondering why it has taken longer than expected to get Look Mexico’s latest 3-song 7-inch, Gasp Asp, into your eagerly awaiting hands - to which I snarkily respond “You try starting a label from scratch, smart guy.”

Considering that none of us knew a single thing about the process of manufacturing vinyl, coupled with the fact that some of the decision making was rather deliberate and painstaking (as it should be with a first release), I think we did a pretty damn good job.

Simply put, this tasty chunk of plastic is going to look and sound amazing and we’re all really excited for you to see the final product.  Of course, let’s not forget that these are Look Mexico’s best songs yet, which certainly helps the cause.

Gasp Asp builds on Look Mexico’s past releases - that dynamic instrumental interplay, undeniably catchy melodies and a knack for keeping things unpredictable - but these three tracks inject a welcomed sense of maturity and craftsmanship as well.  The band sounds more assured of their songwriting skills than ever and they have truly discovered their own unique voice in indie rock.   We always knew they had it in them. Definitely the next step in the Look Mexi-dudes’ evolution.

Track List
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1.  You’re Not Afraid Of The Dark, Are You? (mp3)
2.  I’m Not Guilty, But I’m Used To It
3.  Don’t You Dare

We pressed 1000 copies of the vinyl in three totally sweet colors, as well as three different jacket variations that feature some rad foil stamping.  The breakdown is below and we’re taking pre-orders on this sucker now.  Please note that there is a “Package Deal” option where you can get all three for a special price. Orders will ship on November 25th.  Anyone who grabs a copy of the vinyl will also get an mp3 download code for the songs.

Pressing Info
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* 200 copies on light-blue vinyl / matte-finish artwork stamped w/ ltd. edition silver foil
* 200 copies on white vinyl / matte-finish artwork stamped w/ ltd. edition red foil
* 600 copies on green vinyl / matte-finish artwork (no foil)

To order your copy (or copies) of Gasp Asp, go here.

And for anyone who could give two craps about vinyl, head on over to Lujo Records, who released digital version of Gasp Asp on September 2nd.

Bonus Views
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Inside (full)

Outside (full)