The Lonely Forest finds a home

For those grinding it out to the bitter middle of the month, we have a few signing and artist stocking stuffers for you… CMJ buzz act Freelance Whales have signed to the Q Prime-backed Mom & Pop Records, though it appears there’s another East Coast indie label who will be involved as well. Exact details on the label collaboration are still unclear… Seattle’s The Lonely Forest will be recording with Death Cab For Cutie’s Chris Walla in the new year and it appears the band is signing with Walla’s Atlantic Records-imprint label as well.  Indie 2-piece Awesome New Republic are feeling the heat from both labels and publishers, but does one label already have the edge? We hear the Miami-based duo has been making the reverse snowbird flight north to showcase repeatedly.  ANR recently released their full-length album Hearts via Honor Roll Music, a newcomer to keep an eye on. You may remember them from the New York Times article on the burgeoning Miami indie scene who said the production house/studio/label “…is like the Brill Building meets Sub Pop.”
In the Mix: Minus the Bear, Randy Sabiston, Joe Purdy