danthemjfan23

so yes, hello. long time no see. i'll get the important shit out of the way first, and if you want to keep reading after that, cool. i'm selling a bunch of old and rare alkaline trio stuff from my personal collection. there are also things from their related bands and projects. i posted over a hundred pictures in a facebook album with prices on everything and notes stating any flaws in condition. if you're interested in checking everything out, click the link: Alkaline Trio records/merch i used to post on VC pretty regularly from 2007-2011 (hence my post count being so high for somebody who hasn't been around in like 4 years). since then, i've started a record label called Artistic Integrity Records and have put out 27 releases so far. some vinyl, some CDs, some cassettes, and some digital only. anyway, i think i'm a pretty reputable dude, and hopefully some of my old buddies can vouch for me here if anybody has any skepticism about dealing with me. to answer a question i'm sure a few of you who have known me for a long time will ask: no, i'm not breaking up my collection. all of these records are doubles that i had been holding on to and i just don't want them anymore. i think they're priced pretty fairly, considering their condition and rarity. the t-shirts, i just don't care about anymore. i kept about 10-15 of the super rare ones for my personal collection, but i realized a few years ago that i'd never be able to keep up with the insane amounts of new shirts alkaline trio releases every year, and i don't really wear them anyway, so why hold on to them when other people might give them a good home? that's what i'm hoping for here. i could put all of this shit on eBay and probably make a decent amount more than selling here, but i'd rather have these things go to people who are super into them, not just the highest bidder. if you guys are curious about any of the releases i've put out through my label, you can head over to the bandcamp page and stream everything for free: Artistic Integrity Records bandcamp feel free to poke around there, too. hopefully out of the 27 things i've released so far, you'll find one or two of them enjoyable. i've also got a deal going right now where if you want to buy the entire AIR discography digitally, you can do it for cheap as fuck. like 65% off. i'll try to check this thread as frequently as possible over the next few weeks, but BY FAR the easiest way to get in touch with me is to shoot me an e-mail at [email protected]. if you want to personally add me on facebook, by all means, go for it. i do still have a pretty decent wants list compiled here, for those interested: A Photographic Journey Through My Wants List i think that's all i've got for now. hopefully i'll talk to some of you soon. thanks for reading all of this if you made it this far. -dan

already well over 50% of the way there, and it's only been a day. thank you so much to everybody who has donated so far. if you head over to the bandcamp to listen to Losing IT, you might as well stream (or download for free) the other releases I've put out that Devon has been the main part of... AIR-002 - 7" split with The Ambulance Review AIR-014 - Devon Kay live and acoustic at Café Mustache also check out The Fur Coats stuff that's up there. Devon plays bass in that band, which is fronted by Marc Ruvolo (of Johann's Face Records, No Empathy, Das Kapital, Traitors, and more)

shit, seriously?! the band handled the last kickstarter very poorly, and unfortunately i wasn't aware of that until after the fact. shoot me a message at [email protected] and i'll make sure you get some rad extra shit if you decide you want to donate to this one. if not, i understand. sorry for your bad experience in the past. really glad to hear this, thank you so much dude! in just a few hours, 3 of the 4 test pressing packages have been claimed. pretty exciting to see the response so far. thank you so much for your support.

so Devon Kay & The Solutions are at it again. back in november, we released their first full length "Losing IT" as a limited run CD. there's been a lot of people asking when it's going to be pressed to vinyl, so we're going to leave that up to you guys. PRE ORDER HERE! the blue copies will be exclusive to the pre-order, and the black copies will be available after that at shows and on the website. if you've never listened to DK&S before, or just haven't heard Losing IT yet, head on over to the bandcamp page and stream it for free: LISTEN TO IT HERE! anything help you can give (whether it's $1, $100, or even just sharing the link to spread the word) would go a long way and be greatly appreciated. however, the pre-order isn't just for Losing IT on vinyl... devon's been living in boston the last 6 months or so, and has written a new EP's worth of songs. since the rest of the band still lives here in chicago, recording these new songs is going to take some help, too. all of the band's current savings are going toward getting devon back to chicago, so whatever help you can give would go toward covering recording costs. we're trying to get this all taken care of in time for Fest, which DK&S will be playing again this year. the sooner we reach the goal, the sooner we can get the ball rolling. please donate what you can, and help spread the word if you believe in what we're doing. we all sincerely appreciate it. -dan

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191115671882?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649 i've had this shirt sitting in my closet for almost 10 years and never did anything with it. figured it's time to get rid of it, so it's up on eBay. bidding ends at like 4 pm central time today, i think? soon anyway. get your bids in now, it's super cheap at the moment. happy bidding!

as part of my attempt to recreate the VMLive Series of recordings that took place in chicago during the mid-90s, i have been taking my recorder around to a bunch of live shows in the city over the past year. when they turn out cool and the band or artist is into it, we release them for free download together. today, Issue #3 is released. it features Devon Kay (of Devon Kay & The Solutions, Direct Hit!, and The Fur Coats fame) playing solo and acoustic at Café Mustache. 10 songs, including some originals, some covers, and some alternate versions. it's a really fun set where you can hear the crowd singing along and the coffee machines in the background throughout. an old VC friend of mine named Errol did the mastering on these tracks, and has done a bunch of mastering for my label over the past year. he's an awesome dude who does great work. you can stream it on the site, but if you download the set, you'll get a digital booklet with some bonus info and pictures from that night and the mission statement of the A.I.R. Presents... series, so keep that in mind. head on over to www.artisticintegrityrecords.bandcamp.com to download Devon's set and a bunch of other awesome stuff for free. there are also a ton of great prints available and some other stuff in the merch section, so check that out while you're browsing and listening. the releases in this series so far* have been: # 1 - Purple # 2 - Mikey Erg** # 3 - Devon Kay *there are lots more that will be released throughout 2014 and beyond, so always keep checking back. i do all my releases on double dates (3/3, 4/4, 5/5, etc.) to make it easier for everybody to remember when shit's coming out. if you want to stay updated, LIKE us on facebook! **the mikey erg release is available for free download, and the physical CDs should be in within the next week. the original copies came in about a month ago, but the first batch that were printed up had a skip during one of the tracks on every single CD, so i had to have them re-made. it stinks, but sometimes those types of things are unavoidable. the wait will be worth it, hopefully.

^^ i've heard of that being a thing, but nobody has really been able to provide any specific details so it's been hard to find any good information on it. do you remember anything about it in particular? who the host was? what channel it may have been on? etc. one good detail is all i'd need to start hunting...

scott heisel I swear to god... I've texted you and face booked you multiple times asking if you wanted to be involved haha! never got a response! I DEFINITELY want to interview you next time you come through Chicago. hellbent, I just interviewed denis buckley this past Sunday and he told the story of Link 88! everybody else, start thinking of some more memories, and get ready to share them on the website when it's up an running! the earliest incarnation should be up within the next two months, hopefully on the front end of that...

thanks so much for the positivity so far you guys. this project has been the last year of my life, and will be the next year or two minimum, so it's cool to know people are excited about it. if you feel like scanning in any old photos or fliers or anything like that, email them over to me at [email protected]! also, if you live in the Chicagoland area still and want to meet up, or need help with anything (possibly digitizing old VHS tapes or other recordings), get in touch!

it's still a LONG way from being done, but thanks! the plan is to do interviews for the next year or so, all the while compiling footage and photos. then spend 2015 editing, and hopefully have something ready for 2016. i've already done a ton of work on it, but there's still just so, so much more to be done.

many of you know i’ve been working on a documentary on the fireside bowl for the past year and a half. as a thank you to everybody who has given me their time and sat down to do an interview on camera with me, i have given them an original bowling pin from fireside. for the first time ever, i’m making a very, very small number of these available to the public to offset the costs of not only the documentary, but a brand new website as well. up until this point, every penny put toward production has come from my own pocket. by buying one of these 10 pins, not only will you get a piece of history, you’ll be helping to preserve it. http://www.ebay.com/itm/original-bowling-pin-from-fireside-bowl-chicago-/191052722448? the goal of the website is to list every show ever played at fireside. each date will be a click-able link to a new window where users can upload photos, videos, set lists, posters, fliers, etc. from each individual show. there will also be a section where fans and musicians can write their own memories of each specific show, and of the fireside in general. it is a huge undertaking, but should be a pretty incredible resource for everybody once it’s up and running. if you’d like to donate, or help in any way, feel free to get in touch with me here or at [email protected]. e-mail is definitely going to get you a faster response, or if we're friends on facebook you can hit me up there, too. anything you’re willing to spare (whether it is your time, your stories, some of you old artifacts, or just cold hard cash) is greatly appreciated.

hey guys, long time no speak. from 2007 - 2012 i was a very regular poster in the VC community. those of you who know me probably know me as one of the crazy alkaline trio collectors. those of you who don't know me, i also like michael jordan and hash browns. yesterday was the 2 year anniversary of my starting a record label, Artistic Integrity Records. i've done a few vinyl releases, a few digital only releases, and a few CDs in the past two years. i've got some awesome things in the works for 2014, and to make it easier for everybody to keep up with what i'm working on, i made a bandcamp page for the label. www.artisticintegrityrecords.bandcamp.com is the link. every song ever released on AIR is in there and you can stream them all for free. you can also download almost all of them all for free, or you can pay a couple bucks for anything if you want. there's tons of merch available, from posters to rare vinyl. most importantly, we're keeping our 3-year tradition of releasing something awesome on New Year's Day alive! this year's installment is a live set from Mikey Erg that we recorded at Township in Chicago back during Riot Fest. it's a totally fun set, and if you download it, you'll get a digital cd booklet with some bonus pictures and information. for those of you that remember the old VMLive 7" series that were recorded by The Vindictives in the mid-90s in Chicago, yes that's what i'm referencing here. i'm trying to re-imagine those releases and this Mikey Erg set is the second issue in my series so far. the first one was a band called Purple from Beaumont, Texas that was recorded at Fireside Bowl. both of them are available for free download at the bandcamp page. limited edition CDs are coming soon for the Mikey Erg set, and next month we'll be releasing our tribute to The Get Up Kids! 2014 is already off to an awesome start, so keep coming back and we'll keep having cool shit for you. happy new year, everybody!

already 167 downloads on this. so far tons of positive feedback about everybody's contributions. if you haven't taken a second to download this, think about doing that now

haha everybody has been saying that. no they're not my band. i'm Big Deal & The Who Cares? though there are a few bands in the area with Seinfeldian names. i'm friends with the boys in costanza. we're trying to set up a show for some time this summer where all the bands are seinfeld references (one of the bands is the van buren boys) thanks for taking the time to give this a listen, everybody. i can't even explain how proud i am to have worked with all of these bands/artists. such an unexpectedly rewarding experience.

i've missed you so much. and thanks, guys. this was a ton of fun to put together. i've been listening to it nonstop for basically the past 3 days. i might be a little biased, but i think this is well worth a download.

first and foremost, happy new year! i hope all of you had an incredible evening to cap off 2012, and start 2013 off with a bang. today is the big release date for the covers compilation i've been putting together for the past month or so. because i'm a numbers weirdo who loves michael jordan, there's 23 tracks on this bad boy. lots of bands from chicago who i've had the pleasure of becoming friends with over the past year, but also lots of bands from all over the country, and even one from Canada (that's right, baby, AIR is going international in 2013!). to actually download this bad boy, go to www.artisticintegrityrecords.com, click on the tab labeled "Downloads." it will be the very first thing available for download on the page, so just click the "Download Album" button, enter your e-mail address, and you should have a link waiting for you in your inbox faster than you can say "blueberry pie." maybe not that fast. but pretty fast, okay? if it's not in your inbox, check your spam folder. the e-mail will have a link to download a zip folder. once that downloads, you'll have 23 new tracks to sing along with, as well as a digital CD booklet detailing which bands are covering which songs. this comp is absolutely, positively FREE to download. hopefully there are a few bands on here that you're already familiar with, but i hope even more to expose you to a bunch of new bands you've never heard before. my favorite thing about music is going to shows and seeing a new band and having them blow me away. i know sometimes it's hard for a band's energy and charisma to translate into a recording, but i honestly feel like all of these tracks do the bands who performed them justice. please feel free to share the link with your friends or anybody else you think may enjoy this. here's the tracklisting for AIR-004, "We've Got You Covered, Vol. 1": 1. Mike Felumlee – Hang On (originally by Teenage Fanclub) 2. Devon Kay & The Solutions– Ours (originally by Taylor Swift) 3. Invasion – Warsaw (originally by Joy Division) 4. Dead End Days – Do You Still Hate Me? (originally by Jawbreaker) 5. Swim Lessons – Untitled 01 (originally by Brand New) 6. Das Kapital – It’s Not Funny Anymore (originally by Hüsker Dü) 7. Wide Angles – This Year (originally by the Mountain Goats) 8. DethWarrant– Heartbreaker (originally by Pat Benatar) 9. This Obsession – Armageddon (originally by Alkaline Trio) 10. John Perrin – Not Your Pet (originally by Tuesday) 11. Fuck Yeah, Dinosaurs! – Kittens (originally by Dogjaw) 12. The Ambulance Review – Ugly Fat Troll (originally by Atomic Raygun Attack) 13. Sweatertooth – My Drug Buddy (originally by The Lemonheads) 14. Costanza – J.A.R. (originally by Green Day) 15. Jason Swearingen – ******* [And the trumpets pounded in my ears] (originally by Jets To Brazil) 16. Big Deal & The Who Cares? - God Deciding (originally by Hot Water Music) 17. The Big Picture – Oh My Sweet Carolina (originally by Ryan Adams) 18. Matt Pless and the Cotterpins – The Gambler (originally by Kenny Rogers) 19. Jaclyn Falk - I Am Disappeared (originally by Frank Turner) 20. Brick Mower – Ride The Darker Wave (originally by Sebadoh) 21. The Bogarts – Living Room (originally by Tegan and Sara) 22. GTI – Commando (originally by The Ramones) 23. Kind Of Like Spitting – Blues Run The Game (originally by Jackson C. Frank) thank you guys, as always, for your support. i've made some incredible friends through music in the past year. i don't expect that to change in 2013. enjoy!

www.artisticintegrityrecords.com/store

bump for the afternoon people! 34 more hours to enter

the original post has been modified to include the new contest details! if you've ordered a record from me in the past two weeks, it's either already on its way to you, or it's going out today (saturday). without getting into too many details, i've been super swamped with work, lining the finishing touches up for AIR-003 which comes out in 7 weeks, and dealing with a death in the family for which i've had to coordinate airline flights, airport pickups, and hosting people from out of town. everything is okay, or at least as okay as things can be when you lose a family member. but anyway, if you want to head over to the AIR facebook page and click Like before sunday the 24th at 10:00 pm central time, you'll automatically be entered in the drawing for a free copy of the 7" split i just put out between The Ambulance Review and Devon Kay & The Solutions. all the details about the split are in the first post in this thread, and on the AIR website (www.artisticintegrityrecords.com). www.facebook.com/artisticintegrityrecords thanks, as always, for your support. and keep your eyes peeled in the next couple months... lots of huge stuff going on

i actually just asked Tom tonight how the tour planning was going! he wasn't in front of his schedule planner when i texted him, though, so he's going to get back to me. if they haven't gotten anything for philly yet, would you be able to help out in any way? even if it's putting them in touch with somebody who can, that would be a huge help. (of course, this is assuming they don't have something solidified yet!) also, EVERYBODY ELSE haha, the download codes are fully functional right now, and up for sale on the website as well. it's kind of a name-your-own-price thing, but we are asking for at least $3. if you want to give more, of course you're welcome to do so. but $3 for 73 songs, we all kind of felt like that is way reasonable. hopefully you all agree

i noticed! you were actually the first order i'll see if i can scrounge up some cool stuff to throw in with yours, too tell your friends! exclamation points! smiley faces

thanks so much for the kind words about these tunes. we're all SUPER stoked about how they came out. you'll be able to buy the digital download from my site directly by friday. it won't be an instant download because of the way my website is set up. i physically have to go through and personally e-mail every person their individual code, so bear with me there. but that feature will be ready to go in the next 2 days. as far as the kickstarter stuff, since i wasn't a part of the raising of the money, DK&S are taking care of sending everything out that they owe to people. i will certainly give them a reminder when i see them on saturday to get cracking on that, though. i'll be sure to give you some special stuff in yours, too

hey dudes and dudettes! the Artistic Integrity Records facebook page just surpassed 200 Likes a couple days ago, and to celebrate, i'm going to be picking one random fan who has liked the page to receive a free copy of the latest record i just put out, the 7" split between The Ambulance Review and Devon Kay & The Solutions. all you have to do to enter the contest is Like the facebook page before 10:00 pm central time on Sunday, June 24. i'll pick a winner later sunday night, get in touch with them via facebook to get a mailing address, and send the record out some time next week! www.facebook.com/artisticintegrityrecords AIR-002 is an incredible 4 song split 7" between The Ambulance Review from Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Devon Kay & the Solutions from Chicago, Illinois. each side of the split features 2 songs from the respective band, and will leave you satisfied and smiling. please head over to www.artisticintegrityrecords.com to check out all the info, the color breakdowns, and place your orders! in case you've never heard of these guys, here's one song from each band so you can get a little taste: The Ambulance Review - "Okay, Awesome." Devon Kay & The Solutions - "The Lamentation Of A Projecting Moron" [media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrhxiUkuwt0&feature=colike i'm going to do a test pressing contest where we'll pick the winner on July 7 (7/7). whoever uploads the best video of their own rendition of one of the songs that appears on the split will get a test pressing from AIR-002, and a free copy of AIR-001, the mike felumlee/dan andriano split i released back in january. so get crackin'! the download will come with 73 different mp3 tracks and a 37-page digital "cd booklet" for your enjoyment. and no, neither of those numbers are typos. 73 digital tracks, and a physical copy of the 7" record on hot pink, white, or black vinyl for $5. i dare you to find a better deal anywhere in the series of tubes we call the internet. (most of those tubes are filled with cats, and pictures/videos of said cats) please pick up a copy either from the website, or come see me at a Chicago show where you can buy one sans shipping charges. your first chance to do that will be this saturday (June 9) when DK&S play with Timeshares at Beat Kitchen. if you're into collecting test pressings, get in touch. we're going to have a few left over after everybody in the bands gets theirs, and everybody else involved in the release of this record. obviously i want them to be in the hands of fans, and i promise you that you're going to flip your shit when you see how awesome the test pressing jackets came out for this release. Grant Kersey absolutely demolished my idea of what was possible with these, so thanks to him for being amazing. i've got a number of other things up for sale on my site, including (but not limited to) some old alkaline trio gig posters, old/rare records from my personal collection, releases from a few local bands, a buy-in-bulk random used CD sale, and the latest addition is custom made spray painted vinyl records. i've gotten tons of questions about them lately, so i'm finally making them available. shoot me a message if you're interested in one! some unfortunate news, now, if you're a big facebook user and are a fan of the AIR page (or any other page, for that matter) there... with all of the weird privacy and notification limitations going on within facebook lately, the only way i can guarantee you'll see each and every one of my updates is if you follow a couple simple steps that i'm about to outline for you. i know it's kind of a burden, but it'll only take a couple seconds, and it will keep you in the loop with any and all future facebook updates. first, please head over to the AIR facebook page (www.facebook.com/artisticintegrityrecords) and hover over the "Like" button with your mouse. a drop down menu should appear, with an option to "Show in news feed". if it is un-checked, please check it. if it is already checked, leave it! it may take a few attempts to work, because facebook is purposely trying to make it hard lately for small businesses to advertise and get their message out without paying to do so, but please be persistent with mine and any other page with which you'd like to stay up-to-date. as you know, i don't make posts every 20 minutes, so i promise i won't clog up your news feed all day every day. anyway, thanks so much for taking the time to read this novel, and for your support of me, my bands, and what we're all trying to accomplish together. it may seem meaningless to you, but it means everything to me.

so glad to have found this bad boy alive and well in the new boards. i was really scared that it was lost forever in old VC (may she rest in peace)