Exclusive Downloads!!!

As a special little bonus to brighten up the end of your summer, we at The Casket are going to be releasing a string of exclusive downloads over the next couple of months!

These downloads are going to include demos of new and unreleased material, live videos, images as well as whatever other random tidbits 

we find amusing!

To access the downloads, all you need to do is join the PMC Mailing List.  Once you have signed up for the mailing list, you will be notified each time we update the exclusive download, tour dates and much more!

Birthday Wishes

We at The Casket would like to extend some birthday wishes to the lovely and talented Hilary Norod.  For those of you who do not know, Hilary designed the cover art for Viscera for Reason.  We are very grateful to have access to the talents of Hilary and all the others who have helped us in the past.

If you are not aware, August 2nd was also the day of birth for Nick and Ray of The Casket.  In honor of these special days, we have been working on some special releases...which will not be available until a later date...whoopsie.

"King of Pine Mountain?"

Pine Mountain Casket is to be featured in next month's issue of Sparkplug Magazine!  We received a great review from Michael Van London and some amazing photos by Callie Biggerstaff.  You can check it all out at http://sparkplugmagazine.com/spark2011/music/live-reviews/95-live-review-pine-mountain-casket-at-the-little-joy?hitcount=0

We've been playing some shows all over the Greater Los Angeles Area in the past few months.  We hit Long Beach for a house party on Tuesday night and West Hollywood last night at the Libertine.  There's much more to come.  We have a few shows lined up for August and some surprises on the way.

For All Those Who've Been Missing Out

For those of you who haven't been out a show yet, take a look at what you've been missing.  We've been joined recently by a new drummer, Ray Wagner.  He's been slamming some serious shit.  Check out the video of our new track, "How Long It Takes To Lose Your Faith."

Old Stories, New Beginnings.

This was the last month sharing a rehearsal space with some amazing artists, No Digga and Painted.  It's a shame to move out, but things just have a way of happening.  As we move out of the space, we move on.

We have a bunch of dates falling into place for the summer.  It all started last night with our CD Release Party at Little Joy in Echo Park.  That was a real shit-kicker!  Getting to share the night with a couple of groups we love and a bunch of friends and fans!  Couldn't beat it if you tried.

Next week we will be hitting The Esquire in Pasadena to spread some knowledge and on July 20 we will be in Van Nuys at the Springbok.  So lock your doors and keep your daughters inside because we're gonna be shaking the booties like Northridge.

Also, we would like to take a minute to introduce the latest member of The Casket, Ray.  Ray came in to audition on the drums a few weeks ago.  Like a true bad ass he came in more than prepared, sat down, set up and bashed 'em out.  The CD Release was the first show with Ray and everything has come together.  We hope you guys enjoyed the grooves!

If you would like to become part of The Casket and start spreading the knowledge of the grave, sign up for our Street Team!  Street Teamers will get free promotional material, access to exclusive downloads and contests and much more!

CD Release Party

As the release date for Viscera for Reason approaches, we have been rather busy setting up our CD Release Party.  The show is scheduled for June 30th, 2011 at Little Joy in Echo Park.  We are very excited to be sharing the stage with some of our close friends, The Carrions and Los Tigres del Barrio.

We are also excited to be playing our first show with the Damn Sons.  One night, while having a drink or two at the Silverlake Lounge, I heard some amped up blues tones ringing through the hazy atmosphere.  I looked up to see a power trio shaking the stage and giving the blues a loud punch in the mouth.  I grabbed one of their EP's and spun it for weeks.  When we got the chance to make our own line up for the party, I knew we had to get them on the bill.

So make sure to come check this one out.  It's going to be a crazy night in Echo Park....

But you don't need to wait until the 30th to come shake a leg with the Casket.  We will be performing a lounge set at Taix French Lounge, this Saturday (6/11/2011) with some special surprises and our friends Son Ark will rock you into Sunday morning.  Show starts at 10:30 pm sharp and it's free.

See you there, Caketeers!

Viscera for Reason is Complete!

This past weekend may have been a let down to all those who were waiting for the benevolent hand of God to lift them into heaven, but it was a monumental weekend for the Casket.  We have finished production and design for our first record, Viscera for Reason!  We are very excited for the release and would like to take a minute to thank all those who devoted their time and efforts to this project.

We would like to thank Wax LTD. for their efforts and the use of their facilities at TTG Studios, Mike Davidson for tracking with us at Moon Tower Studios in Cambridge, MA, Nate Babbs and Alex Moscatelli for bashing the drums with us on both coasts, Daniel de Lara for tracking with us in Cambridge (even though we have replaced all of his tracks), Darien Wagner for tickling the keys at East West Studios, Jeff Ellis for recording some overdubs with us, Hilary Tait Norod and Kristen "KSo" Meyers for their amazing artwork, Jonnie Neuman for some kick ass photos, Kristin Rasmussen and Jess O'Byrne for their help with various media, our families and friends for their support throughout the creation of this record, Alejandro Aceveda, his animal and the Universe for their gracious blessing.

The record release party will be held on June 30th, 2011 at Little Joy in Echo Park, CA and the bill is stacked!  We will be joined by The Damn Sons, The Carrions and Los Tigres del Barrio.  We hope you can all make it out to the show and that you come prepared to shake a leg!

Much love,

The Casket

PMC Photoshoot with Jonnie Neuman

This past weekend, we ventured out into thejunk yard for a great photo shoot with our new friend Jonnie Neuman.  While there we had some drinks, rode some bugs, had a serious battle in the hallway of doors and hung out with some junkyard cats who were most likely born in a pool of gasoline.  All in all it was a great day.

Jonnie got some amazing shots, one of which you can see below.  As we were collecting the gadgets and gizmos for the shots, Jon of PMC asked the junkyard owner how much it was to purchase a skull he had lying around.  The man looked Jon in the eyes and told him, "That is my sign.  I have died four times," and proceeded to price the skull at $10.

When we had finished our shoot and were making out way out of the yard, we stopped to pay the owner for allowing us to use his space and all the amazing toys we found in there.  He refused to take our money and said, "The universe and my animals tell me that you will be a very successful band.  You will be very powerful, but you must promise me...when you are powerful you do not crush those underneath you."

Having been blessed by the lot owner, we packed up our gear and took off.  We met at a German Bier Hall in Downtown LA and had rattlesnake and rabbit sausages for lunch.  All in all, it was a wonderful day.

Check out Jonnie's work at Digital Molotov

Upcoming Shows and Album Update

So we've got some plans in the mix.  The summer is starting to unfold and dates are falling into place.  As all of this moves on, we are making steady progress in the completion of our first release, Viscera for Reason.  The last track to be polished up, Serpent's Prayer, has just a small way to go.  The lead guitar tracks will be put down next week (some video will be provided here for sure).  The rest of the disc is pretty much there.  We are very excited for this release and hope you are too!

Our CD Release party isn't really official, but we do have a date in the works for late June.  Which seems to be about the time that everything should be done and printed.  So, keep up to speed with us!

In the mean time, the big Cinco de Mayo Fiesta is rapidly approaching!  We are all getting pumped.  I've been spending each night working on my Tequila Tolerance.  Oooo makes me shiver just thinkin' about it.  After Thursday, we've got some very interesting events coming up.

On June 11th, we will be revisiting the Taix French Lounge for a laid-back and experimental set.  We are currently working on some new tunes as well as revamping some old tunes for this show.  This will not be your standard Casket gig.  This one will bring in the sounds of funk, folk, lounge and rock all in one compact set.

We look forward to sharing our completed record with you and seeing you at the shows!

'Morten at the Lake' Video

Over the last couple of weeks I had the pleasure of working with my friend, Jessica O'Byrne, on a video project.  The video can be viewed here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNhLmKQ8We8.  It is about 3-minutes long and documents the adventures of shih tzu, Morten Von Poocherson, through the Echo Park Lake.

I had the joy of creating a rock n roll score and adding some ear candy to this video.  So go check it out!  It was a whole lot of fun and has also sparked a work interest between PMC and Jess.  We have begun working on plans for a music video together...but that's another story for another day.

Welcome to Imagination Plantation Studios

The glory of mixing at home is really bringing up a mix while drinking your morning coffee and wearing slippers and a bath robe.  Oh, how glorious.  As much as I wish to be able to mix in a high-class studio again, I try to enjoy working from home as much as possible.  It has made the songwriting process more accessible, but it definitely has its drawbacks.  The constant need to print cd's and reference the mix in the car, or on a stereo is not all the great, but it has to be done when mixing on small near-field monitors.  

Nevertheless, welcome to Imagination Plantation Studios, where Buddha pilots all of our mixes.  Viscera for Reason has all been, and is still, being mixed here on Protools 8 with Yamaha NS10M monitors.  Further proof that the huge, label budget is no longer needed to produce a record. 

We have been releasing the tracks as they are completed through our Reverb Nation page.  Each track has been posted as an exclusive download to those who are signed up for the PMC mailing list.  So, if you've been on the ball, you may have the entire album before it is released...though some of the mixes may not have been finalized at the time of the release.

The record is set to be released in May and is on schedule!  We're very excited to be producing this album ourselves with original artwork provided by close friends.  It has been a great experience and we are very excited to begin work on the next record!

Warped Tour Battle of the Bands!

Help Pine Mountain Casket get booked on the Warped Tour 2011!  All you need to do is go to http://www.battleofthebands.com/u/PineMountainCasket and vote!  We aren't doing too bad since we just got up there a couple days ago, but we need to be in the top 100 for our venue to make it into the next round.

So, come on!  Get on there a vote as many times as fate will allow you!

Welcome to Inside the Casket!

Welcome to our blog!  Inside the Casket will give you an inside look at how Pine Mountain Casket actually functions.  We aim to bring light to the trials, strain and joy that are put into the production of an indie rock band.  This blog will be updated with exclusive behind the scenes photos, videos and all sorts of random information that will help bring our fans closer to being a part of the group.

To kick things off, we're going to let you in on an exclusive free download of our latest update, "Demons Croon for the Mississippi Moon."  This is the latest track to complete the mixing phase for our upcoming debut release, Viscera for Reason.  The album has been recorded on both the East and West coasts of the United States with two different drummers and multiple recording engineers.  There will be more information on this process soon to come!  But for now, join the mailing list and download the track!

Check out music from Pine Mountain Casket