Now’s the time we need your help. As you might know, The Incredible Sandwich won the Athens Waka Winter Classic, which means they are playing at the Wakarusa Music Festival this summer. However, 19 other bands from across the country won as well.

2 out of the 20 bands will be asked to play main stage at Wakarusa, and we need your help to make them be 1 of the 2 winning bands.

The contest winners are determined through online voting.  You can only vote once per e-mail address and voting ends Friday, April 2nd!

Click HERE to go vote!

Once there, you must create an account and simply vote for The Incredible Sandwich. Every vote counts!!!

Please pass this along to any friends you have. SPREAD THE WORD!! Your support is much appreciated. Let’s represent the Southeast well.

Thanks guys!!!

The Incredible Sandwich

Mule Train Records is proud to announce that The Incredible Sandwich has been selected to appear on the AthFest 2010 CD!

“Where You Are” was recorded this winter by Nathan Sheppard at Green Room Studios in Athens, GA.  This is the debut appearance of both Green Room Studios and The Incredible Sandwich on this annual compilation.

The AthFest CD features a sampling of local music from Athens, GA, and is released every spring in anticipation of the festival the following June.

An official announcement was made in the February 17, 2010 issue of Athens’ own Flagpole Magazine and stated that out of 143 submissions, only 16 artists were selected.  Other artists slated to appear on the CD are The Whigs, Five Eight, Modern Skirts, William Tonks, and Ken Will Morton, among others.  Find a full listing of this year’s lineup here.

This 13^th annual AthFest CD, produced by Ghostmeat Records, will be released on May 11, 2010.  A CD release party (that is free of charge!) will take place around that date. The event feature three bands that appearing on the CD.

According to the AthFest web site, “Proceeds from CD sales and the electronic distribution of the album benefit AthFest, Inc.- the local non-profit that produces the annual Athens Music & Arts Festival and supports year-round efforts in music and arts education.”

Radio stations range from KMUD in Redway, Calif. to WKRL in Syracuse, NY. Most of the stations play the songs in regular rotation, while others only play The Sandwich songs during specialty formats, such as jazz shows or Grooveyrock specialty shows.

The following are comments from two of the stations:

“This will get played a lot.” -Tampa, Fla. station

and

“This truly is incredible. I’ll play every track.” -Howard, CO station

A radio station in Tampa also recently interviewed the band members on air.
Check back later for a complete list of stations to see if you can hear TIS in your area.

The podcast offers almost 15 minutes of music samples from Ken Will Morton, Adam Payne Band, Lee Boys, Incredible Sandwich, Lefty Williams, Betsy Franck and the Bareknuckle Band, Lefty Hathaway, Half Dozen Brass Band, Young Goodman Brown and Trey Wright with commentary by Michelle Gilzenrat, Flagpole’s music editor.

This is only a sample of the excellent music enjoyed the weekend of August 21 through 23. People who commented on Flagpole’s Web site pointed out some great artists that didn’t make the podcast, including Avery Dylan and Harp Unstrung.

April Moore Skelton wrote the story. On the Athens Life Unleashed Blog (run by the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau staff), she commented on the Mule Fest announcement with the following:

I really enjoyed talking to Ryan and Jill Kelly, the founders of Mule Train Records and Mule Fest about their plans for the label and growing the festival. They are some of the most ambitious people I’ve ever met.

Also, jake—a small magazine published by The Athens Banner-Herald—reprinted the story in their August 20-26 issue.

Mule Train Records is happy to announce that, this year, The Incredible Sandwich was recognized as one of the up and coming bands to hit the Athens music scene.

As another highlight of the night, Georgia Theatre owner Wilmot Greene presented several awards and urged everyone to join together and bring the Theatre back. (We at Mule Train actively support this cause.)

The Sandwich was on tour in Asheville and could not accept their award for “Upstart of the Year.” (The award is sitting here on our table now, and it’s certainly heavy. We’re tempted to lick it, but apparently as Flagpole’s music editor Michelle Gilzenrat said, doing so is not advisable.)

The Sandwich will be back for their 12:30 performance tonight at Tasty World, so come out and congratulate the members.

Pre-release copies are now available at the Mule Train Record office (located at 512 N. Thomas Street).

The official release is on June 27.

TCR will celebrate the release at AthFest during their 5:30 p.m. performance Saturday on the Outdoor Main Stage (in front of the 40Watt Club).

The album will be available at the band’s live shows, local music stores (Wuxtry and SchoolKids) and online at cdbaby.com and athensmusic.net next week.

The critics predict Love Is a War will give The Corduroy Road the recognition it deserves.

In his review, Jason Rooks of GlideMagazine.com (an online magazine focusing on innovative artists) appreciates the toe taping melody of the title track. (Read Full Review)

He believes “So Blue”—with a catchy chorus and fantastic pedal steel work by producer John Keane—will standout as an instant Americana classic.

He has only positive things to say about several other songs on the album.

“Expect to hear rambling number ‘Just One Drop’ blaring at summer barbecues with its feel good lyrics and irresistible melody, while the band shows off their Kentucky roots on the bluegrass tinged ‘About a Shoe’,” he says.

Michael Andrews of Flagpole Magazine calls the album an encouraging and solid first outing for the group.

TCR is not tried-and-true bluegrass and it’s not county-rock, as Andrews says, but it is, a” little folky, a little hippie and nothin’ fancy.” (Read Full Review)

• Glide Magazine Review
• Flagpole Review
• The Corduroy Road Official Website

This year—the 11th year for the awards— both The Incredible Sandwich and The Corduroy Road are nominees in multiple categories.  June 5th was the last day to vote.

Winners will be announced at the Awards Show, which will be 8 to 11 p.m. Thursday, June 25 at the Morton Theatre. This show will kick off the annual Athfest music and art festival, and will require a cover charge at the door. Those with AthFest wristbands will get a discount.

Art Rosenbaum & Friends, Betsy Franck & Lefty Hathaway, Casper & the Cookies, Creepy, Dead Confederate, Deaf Judges, Kenosha Kid and Lazer/Wulf will be performing.

The Incredible Sandwich

The Incredible Sandwich is a finalist in the “Album Cover Art” category for “The Incredible Sandwich EP”. Other finalists include the Modern Skirts album cover for “All of Us in our Night” and Of Montreal’s “Skeletal Lamping”. All three covers appear to be paintings.

The Sandwich is also nominated as the “Upstart of the Year,” alongside Gift Horse and The Warm Fuzzies.

In a post about the awards, The Athens Music Junkie calls their music perfect for driving down the highway, with “Great rhythms and a really soothing vocal.”

The Corduroy Road

The title of “Best Live Band” could go to The Corduroy Road. Other nominees are Deaf Judges and Of Montreal.

The Corduroy Road was also nominated in the “Roots/American” category. Don Chambers and The Packway Handle Band are the other two nominees.

The Athens Music Junkie says The Corduroy Road is, “probably the most improved act on the ballot,” and “it’s always a treat to see people dancing and clapping to the great new band on the scene.”

The MOG Music Network remarks that the band has been everywhere lately.

And they aren’t slowing down…

- Author: Lindsay Oberst

The Corduroy Road performed on Good Day Atlanta on Friday, June 19th.  The band performed “The Corduroy Road” and “Love Is a War” both of which will be on the upcoming Love Is a War L.P. In addition, Fox Anchor, Mark Hayes, interviewed Drew Carman about AthFest, the release of Love Is a War and the meaning of the band’s name.  See the rest of the videos and the interview at this link.