Local label with big appetite devours competition

I Eat Records releases six albums in first year of existence

By Lucas Del Pico
Daily Texan Staff


Indie record labels seem to pop up left and right, especially in a place like Austin. Many fly-by-night labels come and go, putting out only one or two albums, before fading into obscurity, only to be remembered by the hippest of hipsters.

I Eat Records is not one of those labels. Since forming last March, I Eat has released six albums and one of the most diverse locally produced compilations in recent memory.

“There’s so many upstart indie labels that just don’t really get much attention at all. We’ve been really fortunate ... Austin’s been really good to us,” says Lynn Boland, co-founder of I Eat Records.

The mixed bag of music shown on I Eat’s 21-song compilation Appetizers and Leftovers, seems to echo the philosophy of the label in general. “We’ve got a pretty eclectic catalogue, but at the same time, I think there is a certain eclecticism within each of our bands. That’s kind of the unifying factor, if that makes any sense,” Boland says.

While some record labels fail due to lack of variety and the cry of “Man, all their bands sound the same,” I Eat literally has something for everybody.

For starters, try some of the Handsome Charlies’ unique blend of ska and Brit-pop.
In the mood for something a bit more down tempo? There’s the dreamy indie-pop of the Glass Family or the often offbeat, but always honest, folk music of Ethan Azarian.

Craving some sugary indie-pop? Nothing beats the Casting Couch, the first band released on I Eat Records. Tonight they’ll be performing with Parks & Wildlife and the Distant Seconds at the Carousel Lounge, located at 1110 52nd St. A combination of Athens indie-rock and Austin alt-country, the Casting Couch features lots of intricate instrumentation, all topped off with the sweetly genuine lyrics and genuinely sweet vocals of front-woman Wendy Mitchell.

Indeed, it could be suggested that the Casting Couch is responsible for the entire existence of I Eat Records. Boland played keyboards, organ, accordion and a slew of other instruments in the band and was planning on independently recording and releasing an album when he met Jason Callahan, who wanted to start a label. Together, they released the Casting Couch’s debut EP, 5 Songs and set I Eat Records on its unstoppable course. Boland has since stepped down from the Casting Couch in order to devote more time to running the label.

As to the secret of their success, speculation suggests that it may have something to do with Boland and Callahan being pretty smart. Both are currently working on their doctorates at UT, Boland in art history and Callahan in mathematics. “[Running a label] takes a lot of research ... which, you know, in some cases, being students, we’re pretty good at,” Boland says.

Running a label is hard work; so is graduate school. Boland and Callahan performed an amazing balancing act in 2005, but this year, they are planning to shift the record label to a lower gear in order to spend more time on their graduate studies.

“We’re not pushing for too many new releases on our immediate schedule, just because Jason ... is an [assistant instructor] for the first time, so he’s teaching some math classes this year ... and then, I [hope to be] doing the same thing in art history next year,” Boland says. “So, we’re still going to be putting out releases, but ... we’re not going to do seven every three months.”

Vetran’s debut album is currently the only record on tap for release this year. True to their Athens roots, the band makes slightly spacey indie-pop, with just a bit of Velvet Underground haze. Another compilation will likely follow later in the year, with I Eat regulars and plenty of special guests.

“There are a lot of new, unsigned bands out there that we’ve talked to that would like to be able to include something, but can’t quite put out a full album ... and some other bands, you know, already kind of on the national stage that we would like a chance to work with ... similar to Phosphorescent and Okkervil [River] being on the first one,” Boland says.

They also plan to release at least two other albums this year, but Boland is tight-lipped when it comes to what bands are up for consideration, as he and Callahan are currently sifting through tons of demos, trying to find the next addition to the I Eat family. “We’ve gotten a lot of unrequested submissions.
Some pretty good stuff, you know, it’s kind of a mixed bag. For a while, we were really getting inundated, we were getting at least one a day for a few weeks. And I listened to all of those, you know, we certainly consider anybody,” Boland says. “But it’s really tough. There are just so many bands and we’re so limited in what we can do, and we really have to feel that it’s a good fit all around.”

Boland admits that he has already turned down a number of bands, not because they aren’t talented, but because he feels I Eat may not be the best place for them. With less releases planned, he and Callahan obviously have to be very picky and, since they’ll be focusing on their studies, the label may not be in the limelight as much as it was last year. But rest assured, Austin can count on I Eat Records to release some mighty tasty albums this year.

CONTRACTS

The Casting Couch
Feb. 16 @ The Carousel Lounge
5 Songs and Row Your Boat
The Casting Couch sounds like summer days and lemonade. Sometimes the lemonade might be a little too sweet, but Wendy Mitchell’s sly lyrics usually keep things just right. It’s not surprising that this is what happens when Athens indie-rockers team up with Austin alt-country.

Ethan Azarian
Feb. 18 @ Flipnotics
Cross’n Over
Much more folk heavy than the Orange Mothers, Ethan Azarian’s solo music is a collection of acoustic guitars, gentle pianos and weeping cellos. Son of folk legend Tom Banjo, Azarian writes lyrics that reach into your soul and control your emotions, whether he is singing about girls, death, sailors or Mexico.

The Glass Family
Feb. 23 @ Continental Club
Sleep Inside this Wheel
The Glass Fam-ily is epic, spacey and pretty good, too. Like other I Eat bands, the Glass Family em-ploys lots of interesting instrumentation, like flutes, xylophones and violins. Their sound is up-beat indie-pop at its finest.

The Orange Mothers
Greatest Hits
Before singing solo, Ethan Azarian was in a band called the Hollywood Indians, who later changed their name to the Orange Mothers. They sound like their parents raised them on folk music, then they got into punk when they were in their teens and 20s, and then made music that combined the two styles.

The Handsome Charlies
Gentlemen Never Tell
The Handsome Charlies combine everything you like from many different rock sub-genres. Start with a heavy base of Brit-pop. Throw in a little ska, via horns and jerky organs. Add a dash of punk and a bit of new wave. Word on the street is they put on a damn good live show, too.

Vetran
to be released
Like the Casting Couch, Vetran features members from Athens. Like the Glass Family, Vetran makes atmospheric indie-pop, but Vetran has a slightly rougher edge. Look for their debut album sometime this spring on I Eat Records.