December 22nd, 2011: Living Next to You (4.6MB)

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I know they are ready to share it with you. Check out this song from the upcoming album, “Keep an Open Gallery,” and then make a donation so it can get printed and in our hands already!

My Wedding Day, My Setting Sun
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(TL;DR? Donate via PayPal!)
From the guys on Facebook:

“Hey there friends of Common Rotation!

It’s been a few months since we started our fundraising campaign for our two new albums and we couldn’t be more thrilled with our progress. We are happy to report that we’ve raised a little over $5000. All of us here would like to express our gratitude to those that have donated so far. Your generosity won’t be forgotten. Every step further along in the production of our records we’re reminded of how we couldn’t do this without you.

As we stand now the first of the two albums has been recorded. With the help of our good friends Brian Speiser and Julie Wolf we are proud to say we managed to track 13 songs in seven days. This means we have all of the vocals, guitars, banjos, bass, assorted stringed things, metal things you blow into, things with piano keys, and other things you bang on recorded for these songs.

Now comes the intensely boring and irritatingly long process of mixing and mastering. Not only is it time consuming, but it’s also quite expensive. This is why it’s essential we keep the contributions coming. There’s a lot more to be done before we get to picking out artwork and deciding whether or not we should press on clear vinyl…y’all have turntables right?

Though there’s a lot more funds to be raised to reach our goal of releasing two separate albums in the same year, we are on our way and it’s all because of supportive fans like you. By donating it not only helps us get our new music to you faster but it reminds us that Common Rotation has a place in your daily playlist. We do, right?”

Don’t forget there are perks to donating. A donation in the amounts listed gets you … :

• $25 An autographed first-run copy of one of the new albums (your choice)
• $50 An autographed first-run copy of one of the new albums PLUS a disc of rarities (an assorted mix of Union Maids, unreleased demos, and live recordings)
• $75 Autographed first-run copies of both new albums plus the disc of rarities
• $100 Same as above PLUS a special limited edition signed poster
• $150 and higher Your name in the thank you’s of the both albums’ liner notes, plus autographed advanced copies of both records
• $200 Signed page of original lyrics (your choice of song) PLUS autographed copies of both albums and signed limited edition poster
• $250 Phone serenade (the band will perform a song of your choice over the phone)
• $350 Private Skype Q&A with the band
• $500 Band member of your choice will record your answering machine or voicemail message
• $750 Common Rotation will record your favorite cover song and send it to you with autographed copies of both new records
• $1000 Common Rotation will write you a song about anything you’d like, record it and send it to you with autographed copies of both new records
• $1500 Personal Skype performance (you pick the set list)
• $1750 Join the band onstage to perform your favorite Common Rotation song
• $2000 House concert for you and your friends in your home (This will need to be booked 2-3 months in advance and if your home is 300 miles or more outside of Los Angeles we will need to negotiate travel costs)
• $2500 “This record brought to you by [your name here]” (featured thank you in liner notes), PLUS any item above (except house concert)
• $5000 We’re your new best friends. That puts you on the guest list with backstage passes for life. (PLUS any item above)

Donate via PayPal!

July 9th, 2011: Mr. Rogers (2.63MB)

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June 25th, 2011: One More Last Night (3.51MB)

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May 23rd, 2011: Same War (4.8MB)

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May 3rd, 2011: Pawn (3.24MB)

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(TL;DR? Donate via PayPal now!)
From the guys on Facebook:

“If we had a favorite indie folk band, and they hadn’t mentioned recording a new album in two years, we’d be worried they’d called it quits. We’d have assumed they hung up their folky hats, shaved their beards, and traded in their banjos for day jobs, the kind that pay livable wages, the kind their mothers always wanted them to have, the kind that barely allow sufficient vacation and sick days to tour three weeks out of the year so they could relive whatever nostalgic thrill they could still summon up.

We’d have assumed the members of a band like Common Rotation had traded in the life of artists and musicians for something steady in these hard times. We’d have thought, maybe they were treating the band as a hobby they’d get to when they found time to get off the couch in between seasons of their favorite TV shows. Maybe they’d forgotten about their loyal fans.

That’s what we would’ve thought, but we would’ve been wrong. Dead wrong.

The truth is that we here at Common Rotation have been expanding our horizons: making films, producing other artists, writing short fiction, reading enormous novels, building hip hop empires, riding in vans with our heroes, singing out on the street, learning how to stand on our heads, and more. And though these extracurricular activities have provided a wealth of inspiration for new songs, none of them have made us any extra money for recording said new songs.

All economic woes aside, through the help of loyal friends we have managed to begin work on not one, but two new records. Each of them will have a completely different collection of songs and approaches but both will try to capture the energy and sound of our live shows. We’re excited to start working with Brian Speiser and Julie Wolf from the Indigo Girls on the first one soon. But now the band is faced with the tumultuous task of covering all recording, mixing, packaging, printing, and promoting of both albums, all to the tune of $30,000.

But wait a second.

We know what you must be thinking and yes, we’ve toyed with the idea of signing a big record deal and we just figure it’s too much of a hassle. We’ve looked for corporate sponsorship and found no luck. We’ve asked our parents and they all said they’d donate but that they’d have to stop sending checks for birthdays and holidays. We just can’t make that deal.

We realize we can’t do this alone. We need your help.

So here it goes…

We’ve thought about setting up a PayPal account for fan donations for some time now, and we’ve decided that there is no better moment than this to start holding out our hands. We initially thought if every fan who read this message donated $10 we’d be well on our way to reaching our goal, but after some research we concluded that might not be how the world works. So like most of our folksinging brethren we’ve designed a system of incentives for our supporters.

If you donate the listed amount, you will receive the corresponding gift.

$25 An autographed first-run copy of one of the new albums (your choice)
$50 An autographed first-run copy of one of the new albums PLUS a disc of rarities (an assorted mix of Union Maids, unreleased demos, and live recordings)
$75 Autographed first-run copies of both new albums plus the disc of rarities
$100 Same as above PLUS a special limited edition signed poster
$150 and higher Your name in the thank you’s of the both albums’ liner notes, plus autographed advanced copies of both records
$200 Signed page of original lyrics (your choice of song) PLUS autographed copies of both albums and signed limited edition poster
$250 Phone serenade (the band will perform a song of your choice over the phone)
$350 Private Skype Q&A with the band
$500 Band member of your choice will record your answering machine or voicemail message
$750 Common Rotation will record your favorite cover song and send it to you with autographed copies of both new records
$1000 Common Rotation will write you a song about anything you’d like, record it and send it to you with autographed copies of both new records
$1500 Personal Skype performance (you pick the set list)
$1750 Join the band onstage to perform your favorite Common Rotation song
$2000 House concert for you and your friends in your home (This will need to be booked 2-3 months in advance and if your home is 300 miles or more outside of Los Angeles we will need to negotiate travel costs)
$2500 “This record brought to you by [your name here]” (featured thank you in liner notes), PLUS any item below (except house concert)
$5000 We’re your new best friends. That puts you on the guest list with backstage passes for life. (PLUS any item below)

So here we are, your favorite folk band, still here, still unemployed. We want to keep doing what it is we know we do best, which is entertaining you. Don’t make us get day jobs (we hear they’re hard to come by these days). Our next two records are up to you, our fans and friends. This is your chance to make them happen, and get something in return. We need your help.

Donate via PayPal now!“

April 20th, 2011: In Loving, In Morning (3.45MB)

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March 28th, 2011: Wedding Party Tango (3.94MB)

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Many thanks to Watcher652 from the Common Rotation forum for recording the show on February 19, 2011 at the Tin Angel. You can stream the show right here on the Archive, then comment with your thoughts. Enjoy!

[Visit the Archive to stream the audio]

Playlist:

1. Routine
2. Man Alone
3. Trumpet
4. Angelina
5. Carbondale
6. All Smiles (w/ Dan Bern)