We are happy to officially get cracking on the Sea of Storms debut LP, “Dead Weight.” Preorders are available in our webstore. The release is limited to 500 copies in the first pressing, so pick it up while you can! 300 copies will be available on black vinyl, while each label (Tor Johnson and Self Aware) will have their own specific preorder colors. We have what we are calling “Yellow Snow,” which is a white record with yellow marbling. Tor Johnson has what they are called “bumblebee” which is black vinyl with yellow marbling.
Who is Sea of Storms? Well, the band hails from Richmond, VA and features ex members of Mouthbreather, Wow Owls, The Setup and Race The Sun. Well, don’t take my word for it, here is what Jeff Byers (Best Practices) had to say:
“These songs won’t ever be on the radio, but they could’ve been. Growing up in the ‘90s, you wouldn’t have heard any of the songs, from Sea of Storms’s debut LP, Dead Weight, on the radio because they hadn’t been written yet. However, if the Richmond, VA power trio had released them roughly 20 years ago, you would’ve had a chance. Growing up in a post-Nevermind era throughout different Virginian cities, the members of Sea of Storms were gripping 7”s from Richmond bands when they could and ripping off a variety of sub-genres that blended together at the time in their high school bands. When the 3/5 of the post-hardcore outfit Mouthbreather formed Sea of Storms in 2012, they brought together a varied archive of influences from Jimmy Eat World to 400 Years to Coheed and Cambria. However, Dead Weight sounds nothing like these bands.
What “Dead Weight” (to be released on Tor Johnson and Self Aware Records) does sounds like is a rock record from a time when Danzig and Smashing Pumpkins were considered fresh, filtered through the distilled punk essence of late-1990s angsty indie rockers such as The Get Up Kids and Blank. Having played together for six years, Sea of Storms’ dynamics are impressive. From bassist John Martin’s rolling bass lines to drummer Chris Brown’s propulsive, metered beats, Sea of Storms has found their groove. Singer/guitarist Brandon Peck makes an excellent front man, creatively filling in space with feedback, riffs and vocals. Take, for example, the hazy rock tracks such as “Weak Ones” and “Crimson Tide”. Dramatic moments ebb and flow with a series of guitar and vocal interplay as the rhythm section holds down the fort, calling to mind Walter Screifels’ projects or a more aggressive, spaced out Hot Rod Circuit. The greatest strengths on Dead Weight are the songs themselves. Sea of Storms are able to craft well-written emotionally-tinged rock anthems without veering into the embarrassing “emo” territory (because that word meant something completely different when they first heard it). Stand out tracks in this vein include “Snake Oil” and album closer “Cedar Run”. While nodding to the past, Sea of Storms looks towards the future, looking to expand on their musical roots how they can. If you’re a fan of big guitars and songs that make you want to drive along open roads with the windows down, Dead Weight is the record you’ve been waiting for.”
*SEA OF STORMS TOUR*
May
31st-Richmonds VA @Banditos w/ Brief Lives
June
1st-Philadelphia PA @ Kung Fu Neck Tie W/ Ordinary Lives, Pulling Punches
2nd-New York NY @ Bushwick Public House w/ Ordinary Lives, Young Ladies
3rd-Providence RI @ AS220
4th-Boston MA @ O’Briens w/ DCDR, Never Got Caught
5th-Rochester NY @ Vineyard Community Space
6th-Pittsburgh PA HELP HELP HELP
7th-Cincinnati OH @ Tacocracy
8th-Louisville KY @ Mag Bar w/Fast Friends
9th-Atlanta GA @ The Drunken Unicorn w/Get Damned, Seagulls
10th-Gainesville FL @ Loosey’s w/Sunshine State
11th-St. Augustine FL @ Nobbys Tavern
12th-Charleston SC @ Tunnel of Lust w/Burnt Books
13th-Columbia SC @ New Brookland Tavern w/Burnt Books
14th-Greensboro NC @ Green Bean Coffee w/Totally Slow
Pick up the record from our webstore here.
We also, need to update you on other happenings with the label, so here we go. The new album from Mineral Girls, “Cozy Body” will be out soon (5/19), so pick that up while you can! The band has progressed tremendously from the release of their debut album, “Something Forever,” and we are very honored to be working with someone local to Charlotte, NC that really espouses all of the values we try to adhere to with this label. If you dig Sebadoh and maybe newer acts like Radiator Hospital, then you really need to check out this new album. Pick up your copy here
*MINERAL GIRLS TOUR*
May
16th- Charlotte, NC @ REVERB FEST w/ Beach Fossils (NY), Elvis Depressedly, Yardwork (reunion)
22nd- Charlotte, NC @ The Milestone (album release) w/ Patois Counselors, Alright
30th- Chapel Hill, NC @ The Cave w/ Naked Naps
31st- Virginia @ College Park
June
1st- Philadelphia @ The Pharmacy w/ Ruby Buff
2nd- NYC @ The Bowery Electric w/ Cicada Radio, The Cartwheelers
3rd- New Jersey @ TBA
4th- DC @ TBA
5th- NC/VA @ TBA
17th- Charlotte, NC @ Self Aware Records Residency (Snug Harbor) w/ Muscle & Bone, Alright and Sweet John Bloom (MA)
Go check out Mineral Girls and Sea of Storms as they both tour the east coast. They aren’t touring together, but we are excited nonetheless!!!