The Heavenly States Celebrate 'Hiss' 10th Anniversary with Digital Release | 'Hiss' and 'Hiss Extras' EP Out Now on All DSPs via LBM Recordings

The Heavenly States Celebrate Hiss 10th Anniversary with Digital Release Hiss and Hiss Extras EP Out Now on All DSPs via LBM Recordings

Photo Credit: Larry Ratner LISTEN & SHARE: The Heavenly States - Hiss Stream LISTEN & SHARE: The Heavenly States - Hiss Extras Stream LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: The Heavenly States - "My Sloop" Stream | Watch LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: The Heavenly States - "Fifth of July" Stream | Watch LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: The Heavenly States - "Little Dominoes" Stream | Watch PRAISE FOR THE HEAVENLY STATES "Combining the scruffy shocks of guitar and dyspeptic swagger of pre-grunge rockers like Agitpop and Pavement with a layered, late-’90s indie-pop aesthetic best associated with Dave Fridmann, Bay Area quartet the Heavenly States find an appealing balance" -Alternative Press "one of America’s fearless music outfits, flying the flag for self-determination and intelligent, energetic rock ‘n’ roll." -KUTX "The Heavenly States repeatedly hint at things you’re familiar with, yet always sound distinctly themselves." -Pop Matters "Sometimes gentle, often furious, always elemental. Their music reads like coded letters from the margins, filled with bruised idealism, political static, and aching, melodic persistence." -Psychedelic Baby Mag "a punk-inflected take on '80s college rock melody" -KEXP "It’s this balance—mythic in scope, intimate in execution—that has made The Heavenly States one of America’s most fearless underground bands for over two decades." -Mundane Mag A Bay Area fixture and cult favorite since the early 2000s, The Heavenly States formed in Oakland in 2002. In 2010, the band relocated to Austin, TX, with members now split between Austin and Atlanta. Led by core songwriters Genevieve Gagon (keys, violin, vocals) and Ted Nesseth (guitar, vocals), the group is joined by a powerhouse roster of Austin talent: John Olrech and Erik Grostic on bass, and Danny Piccuirro and Jason Toll on drums. In 2015, the beloved alt-rock outfit had a crazy idea. Enter: Hiss, a limited triple 160 gm vinyl LP housed in a custom embossed tri-fold snakeskin-inspired jacket with a full-color interior. "We had the idea for Hiss before the vinyl renaissance," Gagon recalls, "so we missed that wave. In fact, vinyl was so gone at the time, it was hard to find a decent affordable record player system... So of course, we’re like, let’s put out a triple vinyl release that no one can play and no one will buy." Weighing in at over 2 lbs each, they were a tough commodity to carry around on tour. "With the irreproducibility of it all, it felt like we were hauling bars of gold. We relied on mail orders for most sales. We wanted to do it to encourage people to get back to listening and also to indulge in the experience of making the kind of record that would have influenced us when we were kids." In celebration of the 10th anniversary of this ahead-of-its-time album, the band is finally releasing Hiss to digital, including 25 songs across 3 LPs. Alongside the original Hiss songs fans know and love, an additional 5 song Hiss Extras EP will be released as a complement the 10-year digital release. "The Hiss songs were written over a few years leading up to its 2015 release. The subjects and feelings of the songs held deeply felt intuitions and experiences that, it turns out, seem connected to the current moment. 10 years is 10 years – it’s big and this was a big decade. It makes sense to have Hiss available now so its hunches can stand beside the intuitions and experiences of the more wizened travelers living very much in Hiss’ continuum. The absolute inheritance of Hiss, the new record has a new task. It will blast its way through the skin shed by its predecessor, dilating into another sort of beast. We hope the new record has the potency to feel without fixing, witness without wincing, and accept without giving up on wondering." The record was produced by Genevieve Gagon and Ted (Theodore) Nesseth, recorded to two-inch tape by Mike McCarthy in Austin, TX, mixed by Bond Bergland and Mastered by Bob Weston. Mr. Weston also mastered the digital version of the recordings. Hiss and Hiss Extras are available on all DSPs today via LBM Recordings.  Hiss - Track listing   Albatross Not Neo Madame Bovary The Specialist Aerozone Better Than Nothing Masters of Suicide Breathe Quiet When You're Deeper Down Wrong to be Poor Royalty Trust Can't Stop the Rain Grow Up Lullaby Our Love is in the Black Last Strike Soldier Song Hope is on the Way I Wish The Business Turn the Wreck Around Curves Wrong Way Home Nevermind Don't Wanna Fly Grow Up Lullaby (Acoustic Version) Hiss Extras - Track listing I Wish (early version) Grow Up Lullaby (demo) Breathe (early version) Hope is on the Way (demo) You and I (from Meet Me in St. Louis)