New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ SEAPORT MUSIC FESTIVAL) - Building upon its acclaimed reputation as a premier presenter of noteworthy emerging and established independent music, the summer-oriented Seaport
Music Festival (SMF) in lower Manhattan debuts its latest venture, Seaport
Music Records. By leveraging SMF's role as a presenter of indie music, the start up will introduce new work and new bands to audiences via electronic downloads and the pressing and distribution of 12-inch vinyl records. First up for Seaport
Music Records is the release of "This Christmas," a brilliant, retro-styled, alternative holiday single by The Elves of Heaven, featuring
Martin Clancy.
Certain to be added to seasonal play lists of music fans everywhere, the original track evokes the 70's and 80's sounds of Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody," Wizzard's "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday," Gary Glitter's "Another Rock n' Roll Christmas, and The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping" - with a touch of Phil Spector thrown in.
In the spirit of the holidays, Seaport Music Records is releasing "This Christmas" as a free download available at www.SeaportMusicFestival.com - no strings attached.
In conjunction with the release of "This Christmas," Clancy will become the first Seaport Music Records Artist in Residence. He is commissioned to "create, collaborate, and produce" a series of releases for the label in 2010-11.
A native of Dublin, Ireland and a veteran producer/arranger, musician and all around music maker, Clancy became known to the production team at Seaport Music Festival through his association with the UK hardcore dance label Fingerlickin' Records (www.fingerlickin.co.uk).
For more than seven years, SMF has brought some of the biggest names in independent music to the outdoor stage on Pier 17 for free summer concerts in lower Manhattan. Amassing audiences - 3,000 to 6,000 strong - the festival has seen stellar shows by the likes of Animal Collective, Battles, Deerhunter, Dirty Projectors, Hot Chip, The National, Suicide, and Wire, among others.
SMF is curated and produced by Dima Productions, under the direction of Stephen Dima, who is also spearheading the new Seaport Music Records label. "For the past couple of years, we've been trying out a number of 'D.I.Y" ventures via a grassroots creative collective of like-minded people," says Dima. "The label makes sense for us, not as a permanent home for artists and bands, but a place for them to try out new music and have it heard by new audiences."
Dima worked with Clancy this past June on a project involving the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra's live performance with an elaborate pyrotechnics display in the sky above New York City harbor. Subsequently, the pair decided to collaborate further on a series of limited-edition 12-inch vinyl recordings for the new Seaport Music Records label.
