"I'm a huge Smiths fan and have been planning a tribute for a few years now. Timing just never seemed right. Then late last year, for several weeks, everywhere I went, I heard The Smiths playing... at the mall, at restaurants, on my car radio. It was weird... I felt like the universe was telling me now was the time. I started reaching-out to artists in November and the response was overwhelmingly positive. This is going to be one of the best tributes we've ever produced." – Joe Spadaro, American Laundromat Records
For the album cover, American Laundromat Records secured rights to use a Sandie Shaw photograph and tapped rock-poster designer Lonny Unitus (Apples In Stereo, The Decemberists, Willie Nelson) to design the cover art and eco-wallet packaging. Sandie Shaw (aka Sandra Goodrich) is an English Pop-Singer, who was one of the most successful British female singers of the 1960s. Both Morrissey and Johnny Marr of The Smiths were "two incurable Sandie Shaw fans" and reportedly wrote her a letter back in 1983 stating so. In April of 1984, Shaw recorded a version of The Smiths Hand in Glove (their first single) which peaked just inside the UK Top 30. She later collaborated with the band and has covered songs by both The Smiths and Morrissey.
"I wanted to do something interesting for the cover art. Most importantly, I wanted it to look like a Smiths album. Beyond that though, I thought the photograph we used needed to be something that had deeper meaning. Once I learned of the Sandie Shaw connection, I sourced hundreds of old photographs and finally found the one of Sandie lying in the leaves in that fantastic pea coat. I thought it was perfect immediately. Not only because the tribute will be an Autumn release, but because Sandie's expression and the whole feel of the photo, in my opinion, is reminiscent of The Smiths music. It was a lucky find, and Ms. Shaw has been very gracious in allowing us to use it." – Joe Spadaro, American Laundromat Records
American Laundromat is now offering 3 exclusive limited-edition, pre-order bundles from their website. The bundles range from $13.00 (CD & Promo Pin) to $35.00 (CD, 7" Vinyl, T-Shirt, Free Digital Download, Promo Pin, and Album Preview prior to release date). Visit www.alr-music.com for additional details.
Confirmed Artists (in alphabetical order) / Track Covering
Cinerama / London
Class Actress / Ask
Dala / Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
Doug Martsch (Built To Spill) / Reel Around the Fountain
Elk City / I Know It's Over
Greg Laswell / Half A Person
Joy Zipper / What Difference Does It Make?
Katy Goodman (Vivian Girls, La Sera) / track to be announced
Kitten / track to be announced
Mike Viola / How Soon Is Now?
Sara Lov / track to be announced
Sixpence None the Richer / I Won't Share You
Tanya Donelly w/Dylan in the Movies / Shoplifters Of The World Unite
The Leisure Society / That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
The Rest / Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
The Wedding Present / Hand In Glove
Trespassers William / There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
William Fitzsimmons / Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
Additional artists will be announced soon.
ABOUT AMERICAN LAUNDROMAT RECORDS
American Laundromat Records is an independent record label based in Mystic, CT. It was founded in April 2004 as a hobby by music enthusiast Joe Spadaro with a small tax-refund check. The label is best known for the popular 2005 compilation High School Reunion - a tribute to those great 80's films which featured indie-rockers Matthew Sweet, Frank Black, Kristin Hersh, The Dresden Dolls and others covering beloved tunes from some of the 80's most popular teen films. All Music Guide called the tribute "One of the finest tributes ever amassed!" Other American Laundromat projects include the critically-acclaimed double-CD Cinnamon Girl - Women Artists Cover Neil Young for Charity, the award-winning children's CD Sing Me To Sleep – Indie Lullabies, and the popular tributes: Dig For Fire - a tribute to the Pixies, and Just Like Heaven – a tribute to The Cure. In addition to tribute and charity-themed compilations, American Laundromat Records is home to original indie artists Julie Peel, The Caulfield Sisters, and Dylan in the Movies. Spadaro continues to be the one-man show running American Laundromat Records from his home in Mystic, Connecticut... and yes... still as a passionate hobby... he has a day job. Visit www.alr-music.com/index.php?content=aboutus for a complete history and discography.
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