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Dreamland images on flickr 11.16.08

The historical photographs and postcards from 1890-1911 collected for the Dreamland cd booklet have been posted here with comments for viewing. Dreamland was released January 29, 2008 on Cuneiform Records. Images courtesy of the Coney Island Museum, Denver Public Library Western History Collection, Library of Congress, and The Museum Of The City Of New York.

 

 

Conlan McCarthy 11.13.08

Congratulations to Gavin and Laura on their new baby boy! Conlan Henry McCarthy was born Thursday, November 13th, 8lbs, 15 oz.

 

 

Boy From Black Mountain update 11.8.08

Thanks to all of you who came out to our recent shows with Wovenhand. We've finished the majority of voice, strings, and brass overdubs for Boy From Black Mountain and in a few weeks we'll be mixing with esteemed NYC producer and engineer Bryce Goggin (Apples In Stereo, Sean Lennon, Angels of Light, Akron/Family). Special guests include Larkin Grimm (Young God Records), cellist Julia Kent (Antony & the Johnsons), and multi-instrumentalist Bill Cole (a specialist in non-Western wind instruments such as the Chinese suona). We've posted photos from the recording session here.

 

 

Parplar 10.28.08

Larkin Grimm's new album Parplar co-produced by Michael Gira is being released today on Young God Records. Parplar features performances by Brian Carpenter and Jordan Voelker of Beat Circus, as well as the Portland-based Fire On Fire, Arrington De Dionyso of Old Time Relijun, and Eszter Balint. Larkin is a dear friend of the band's and one of the most unique voices on the scene today. Her songs carry an emotional depth, with despair, anger, humor, and beauty all conveyed through stellar vocal performances. Highly recommended.

 

 

Little Henrik 10.3.08

Introducing Henrik Potz! Congratulations to Jordan Voelker and Jason Potz on their new baby boy, born Friday October 3rd at 3:02am, 6 lbs, 13 1/2 oz. Mother and baby are doing great. We want to personally thank Henrik for being born in Cambridge and not while we were on tour in New York City. Thank you Henrik!

-- B.C.

 

 

October 2008 shows with Wovenhand 9.5.08

We'll be performing our final shows of the year on Tuesday October 14 at the Knitting Factory in NYC and Wednesday October 15 at the Middle East in Cambridge. This fall we're busy recording and mixing our new album Boy From Black Mountain. We're excited about the opportunity to see the fans again and play these last two shows of the year. We have a bunch of new songs introduced before the Black Mountain sessions we plan to debut at these shows.

On these shows we will be opening for David Eugene Edwards and Wovenhand. David was the brainchild, lyricist, and songwriter of the seminal 16 Horsepower from Denver, one of the leading exponents of the American Gothic sound. David formed Wovenhand in 2002 near the end of the reign of 16 Horsepower and is touring the US and Europe on a new album. More information on the SHOWS page.

 

 

Boy From Black Mountain update 8.21.08

We just finished the first round of recording basics, string trio pieces, and guitar and string overdubs for our next album Boy From Black Mountain at Camp Street Studios with producer Sean Slade and Adam Taylor. Things are taking shape very nicely. We recorded 18 pieces -- 11 songs and 7 instrumental pieces. Our next round of recording happens in September when we'll overdub lead vocals, background vocals, brass, and choir parts. See photos from the August session here.

 

 

Sean Slade to produce Boy From Black Mountain 6.28.08

We will be heading into the studio later this summer with legendary Boston producer Sean Slade (Radiohead, Dinosaur Jr., Uncle Tupelo, The Dresden Dolls) to record our third full-length album Boy From Black Mountain. I started writing this album in 2007 and that summer spawned a third incarnation of Beat Circus to develop it. The second part of my "Weird American Gothic" trilogy (Dreamland was the first), Boy From Black Mountain is a collection of very personal songs about children, fatherhood, dreams, lost love, lust, revenge, and redemption. The songs are inspired by my son (who was diagnosed with autism in 2006), true stories handed down from my family in the South, and the Southern Gothic literature of Flannery O'Connor, William Faulkner, and Eudora Welty.

This incarnation of Beat Circus is the band of my dreams. Over the past year they have taken these songs to a powerful and uplifiting place. Two incredibly talented string players based in Boston, violist Jordan Voelker and violinist Paran Amirinazari, sing background vocals and have together created a beautiful and fiercely driven sound. Multi-instrumentalist Paul Dilley, a tremendous talent who I had the fortune of meeting through Reverend Glasseye, has been doubling on upright bass and acoustic guitar. Andrew Stern doubles on tenor banjo and guitar and has been my secret weapon in developing a noir mythology around the world we are developing with some truly singular guitar sounds. The yin-yang of our sound is the complement of the strings to the low brass. Tubist Ron Caswell is one of the great tubists of his generation and is our most tenured member; he has been in Beat Circus since the beginning (2002), and Doug LaRosa is a very creative trombonist whose sound and techniques operate far outside convention. We were very fortunate to have drummer Gavin McCarthy (Karate, Faces On Film, Cul De Sac) join the band in 2007; he is an incredibly intuitive and creative musician (not to mention marathon tour driver) who was the final piece of the puzzle in focusing and tightening our sound.

I had the pleasure of working with Sean Slade and Adam Taylor at Paul Kolderie's Camp Street Studios (formerly the legendary Fort Apache Studios) in 2006 on HUMANWINE's EP Rivolta Silenziosa. Sean was personally recommended to me several years prior to that by Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls. I invited Sean out to a show in Boston and he was very excited to bring my vision for this album to light. Boy From Black Mountain is my most personal work yet and I'm very excited to have Sean on board.

-- B.C.

 

In the studio with Larkin Grimm 4.11.08

Brian Carpenter and Jordan Voelker have recently been in the studio recording with Larkin Grimm and producer Michael Gira for Larkin's new album scheduled for release later this year on Young God Records.

Larkin is a powerful and magical singer, songwriter, and performer who we toured with in February and she was a complete inspiration for us...I wrote a few songs with Larkin's voice in mind for our next album, and during a quick rehearsal on the road, she fell into the harmonies and rhythms so naturally that it was as if she knew the songs before even hearing them. Larkin is a phenomenon and her live performance must be seen to be believed. Don't miss our show with Larkin Grimm and The Goddamn Rattlesnake on Friday May 16th at Union Pool in Brooklyn.

-- B.C.

 

May 2008 shows announced 4.5.08

Beat Circus will be performing a select few shows in the Northeast on May 14-16. We will be debuting some new songs we are excited about and performing with a number of our favorite people, including Larkin Grimm, The Goddamn Rattlesnake, Micah Blue Smaldone, and Alec K. Redfearn & The Eyesores.

On Wednesday May 14th Beat Circus will perform a make-up show at Space Gallery in Portland with Over A Cardboard Sea (our show last February in Portland was snowed out.)

Portland-based songwriter and guitarist Micah Blue Smaldone will be opening with a rare solo performance on our Boston show Thursday May 15th at TT The Bears along with our long-time collaborator and label-mate Alec K. Redfearn & The Eyesores.

And on Friday May 16th we return to Union Pool in Brooklyn with the awesome hellfire punk country band The Goddamn Rattlesnake, and the magical songwriter and performer Larkin Grimm. Last February we toured with Larkin on a few shows in the Southeast and recently Brian Carpenter and Jordan Voelker (of Beat Circus) and Micah Blue Smaldone (of Fire on Fire) have been recording with Larkin and producer Michael Gira for Larkin's new album to be released this year on Young God Records.

Hope to see you all in May. More information on the SHOWS page.

 

Photos from CD release shows 4.3.08

Photographers Lauren Goldberg and Katie Szczypinski shot our Dreamland CD release shows last February at the Knitting Factory in NYC and at Middle East Downstairs in Boston. You can view the full sets of photographs on Lauren and Katie's flickr pages. We have posted some of the highlights on our GALLERY page.

 

 

 

 

Dreamland stageplay in development 3.22.08

Brian Carpenter and Jordan Voelker are collaborating on the development of a musical stageplay of the story and characters behind the concept album Dreamland. The Dreamland stageplay is loosely based on Ray Bradbury's 1962 novel Something Wicked This Way Comes. We will post more news as this project develops.

 

 

 

 

 

Dreamland available on iTunes 3.22.08

The long-awaited full-length studio album Dreamland is now available for digital download at the iTunes music store HERE. Dreamland is the first part of Brian Carpenter's Weird American Gothic trilogy, produced by the legendary Martin Bisi (Sonic Youth, Swans, Foetus), a 150-page score for 12 musicians containing macabre narratives loosely based on historical figures from the surreal, turn-of-the-century Coney Island theme park of the same name, which burned in a devastating fire in 1911. For track listings and personnel list, visit the MUSIC page. We recommend the uncompressed Dreamland CD with booklet which can be ordered now through our online STORE and Cuneiform Records.

 

Critical praise for Dreamland 3.6.08

The critics weigh in on Dreamland! Stewart Mason of All Music Guide calls Dreamland "a wonderfully imaginative record." The New Yorker writes "an ambitious new Brechtian concept album with rich and tight orchestration." Time Out New York writes "Dreamland realizes a lushly imaginative American mythology...a surreal melange". Mark Jenkins of the Washington Post writes "Beat Circus evokes a period so distant that it might seem like a Dreamland, transporting listeners to a world that's alluring and eerie." Read more on our MUSIC page!

Dreamland is available NOW at our online STORE and at Cuneiform Records!

 

Dreamland has arrived 1.6.08

Our long-awaited full-length album Dreamland has arrived. Dreamland is the first part of Brian Carpenter's Weird American Gothic trilogy, produced by the legendary Martin Bisi (Sonic Youth, Swans, Foetus), a 150-page score for 12 musicians and contains macabre narratives loosely based on historical figures from the surreal, turn-of-the-century Coney Island theme park of the same name, which burned in a devastating fire in 1911. For track listings and personnel list, visit the MUSIC page. Dreamland can be ordered NOW at our online STORE and at Cuneiform Records.

Beat Circus will be touring the East Coast February 6-16. If you live in any of the tour spots and can help us with posters, please let us know now and you will receive an advance copy of the cd, your name on the guest list, and our undying gratitude! Thank you!