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Open For Business

by Smoke Bellow

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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Limited "rolled gold" vinyl version of "Open For Business", housed in a full-color LP jacket & includes a full color insert.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Open For Business via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Black vinyl version of "Open For Business", housed in a full-color LP jacket & includes a full color insert.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Open For Business via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days
    3 remaining
    Purchasable with gift card

      $15 USD or more 

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    CD version is housed in a gatefold "eco-pack".

    Includes unlimited streaming of Open For Business via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 USD or more 

     

1.
Fee Fee 03:15
2.
Hannan 04:11
3.
Anniversary 04:51
4.
Night Light 05:00
5.
6.
Fuck On 03:06
7.
8.
Wrong Size 02:16
9.

about

Transcontinental, experimental duo Smoke Bellow have been at it since 2012, relocating from Australia to Baltimore, MD & back again and then BACK AGAIN (now firmly settled in Baltimore). The duo released the “Blooming/Middling” LP in 2014, followed by “Isolation 3000” in 2018 (both on Baltimore label Ehse Records). With "Open for Business" Smoke Bellow recruited one of their favorite drummers and dear friend, Emmanuel Nicolaidis (Thank You, Oh Hang), which found the duo refining their sound into a dizzyingly attractive mixture of kosmiche serenity, minimalist composition, test-card psychedelia, and highlife guitar.

With “Open for Business” the three members set out to create a set of songs more immediate and bare than previous outings. The album title itself is a cheeky reference to Maryland governor Larry Hogan’s less than inspired motto “we’re open for business”. Half of the songs were written in a room together and the second half via email (for obvious reasons). At the time they were listening to a lot of post punk and were struck with the partnership of drums and bass as propulsive instruments. The trio started writing songs around that idea - with the rhythm as a brace to hang their decorations.

Sonically, Smoke Bellow are inspired by disparate sources. The heyday of Compass Point studios’ famed rhythm section of Sly and Robbie sustained them for months. Others included good old VU, ESG, guitar hero Zani Diabate, The Raincoats (especially their under-appreciated second album, Odyshape), the frenetic sound collisions of the Flying Lizards, the ever warm blanket of Yo La Tengo, the evolving repetition of Stereolab, the understated genius of Asa Osborne, as well as Philip Glass and Steve Reich. The David Byrne/ Robert Wilson "Knee plays" reminded them of the joy of the spoken word set to music. Lyrically, Best & McHugh drew from life in Baltimore, from isolation (again), memories of life in Melbourne, their friends and each other. “We wanted to talk about resilience and resistance.” Says Best. Recording and mixing took place between a remote cabin in the Smoky Mountains and Tempo House in Baltimore with Jared Paolini. “Maybe Something” includes cello from Owen Gardner (Horse Lords). Words on "Night Light" by Daniel Stephensen.

Currently, Smoke Bellow are joined by Jen Kirby (Strange Times People Band) on drums, percussion and additional vocals as they tour "Open for Business" and work on their next album.

credits

released September 17, 2021

Guitar, keys, vocals, percussion and fife by Meredith McHugh
Guitar, keys, vocals, percussion and saxophone by Christian Best
Drums and percussion by Emmanuel Nicolaidis
Recorded at home by Smoke Bellow
Additional recording and mixing by Jared Paolini at Tempo House in Baltimore, MD
Mastered by Mikey Young
Album photos by Victoria Hannan
Album layout by Owen Gardner

This record is dedicated to Alice Edgerton

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Smoke Bellow Baltimore, Maryland

Smoke Bellow is an exercise in pastiche, catharsis, fun and positivity.

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