Just a quick bit of news about Magnolia Summer.  

André Allen Anjos from the Remix Artist Collective (RAC) recently created a remix of Magnolia Summer's "Diminished Returns" and I wanted to give you a way to hear it.

As you know, "Diminished Returns" is one of the new songs from Magnolia Summer's latest record, "Lines From The Frame."  

The RAC has created remixes for artists including The Shins, Bloc Party, Tegan and Sara, Tokyo Police Club, and Radiohead.

To most people I think the remix will feel like a bit of a departure for the band.  However, I am thrilled about the opportunity to work with André and think he has created an additional voice for the song that is a cool companion to the original version.

You can hear (and download) the track by visiting Magnolia Summer's website:

http://www.magnoliasummer.com/diminishedreturnsrac.php

Let me know if you have any issues hearing or downloading the song.

Best wishes,
Chris

About André Allen Anjos and RAC

Between creating one of the most blog-worthy groups of remix artists on the Web, playing synthesizers in his indie-electronica band The Pragmatic, and writing original music for HBO's Entourage, 23-year-old Portugal native André Anjos is a highly sought-after force in the world of indie rock, electronica, and dance.

André's first foray into the uncharted waters of online music began when he started Remix Artist Collective – more commonly known as RAC – a group of international artists who create re-interpretative remixes for established musicians. With RAC, André strives to maintain a style of remixing that strays from the "club mix" archetype, creating new incarnations of songs that stem from the original structure, but expand on their genre and musical arrangement.

Born out of André's frustration with the current remix scene, "RAC mixes embody a unique aesthetic based around emotion and nuance; an almost intangible warmth and innate playfulness" (Riverfront Times). "I was just plain bored with the lack of variety at the time," says André. "I strive to create remixes for music lovers who want to hear the song re-invented, not just re-interpreted and chopped up. I hope people experience the original songs in a different way that not only complements the original, but takes them somewhere else."

Since forming in 2006, RAC has remixed over 40 songs for some of indie-rock's most revered acts, including The Shins, Bloc Party, Tegan and Sara, Tokyo Police Club, and Radiohead. His remix of Tegan and Sara's 'Back In Your Head' became the Hype Machine's most popular blogged track on Christmas Eve 2007, a feat he is particularly proud of. Since then, André and RAC have quickly become indie remix favorites, developing an increasingly prominent word-of-mouth following.

"Obviously, he's talented in a way that the vast majority of people who send us stuff aren't on that level yet," says Scott Lapatine, co-founder and editor-in-chief of leading online music outlet Stereogum. Stereogum went on to release a special mix of André's material, titled Stereogum Presents... RAC Vol. 1, as a free 9-track MP3 download. Popular music blog BrooklynVegan went so far as to dedicate an entire entry to RAC – posting eighteen remixes.

Never one to focus on any single project for too long, André continues to explore new musical territory with his band The Pragmatic. Fusing elements of indie, electronica, and new wave, The Pragmatic gives André a chance to reach his audience on a different level. "I think sometimes I'm maybe a bit more attached to my own compositions," says André. "I take comments a bit more to heart when it's my own material."

When asked about the future, André is quick to point out the work he has ahead of him. "I want to further advance the art of remixing into something a lot more respectable. People have all kinds of different expectations when it comes to remixes, and I really hope to break those."

theremixcompany.co.uk
myspace.com/remixartistcollective
myspace.com/thepragmatic


ABOUT MAGNOLIA SUMMER
 
Magnolia Summer is a St. Louis-based rock band that has a rolling cast of members who also do double time in other bands (such as Grace Basement and the Bottle Rockets). Centered around singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist, Chris Grabau, Magnolia Summer has released two previous records (via Undertow) to critical acclaim. Over the years, Magnolia Summer has toured throughout the midwest, showcased in SXSW and CMJ. They have shared the stage with Cracker, The Minus 5, Grant Lee Philips, Glen Kotche, Bobby Bare Jr., The Court and Spark, Robyn Hitchcock, Ken Stringfellow, Marah, Richmond Fontaine, the Bottle Rockets, Will Johnson, and Glossary.
 
Lines From The Frame is the first recording the band has completed in an outside studio. The band solicited help of acclaimed engineer, Jason McEntire at Sawhorse Studios (Son Volt, Ha Ha Tonka, Ludo, Destiny's Child). This time, Magnolia Summer expanded its sonic palette to include pedal steel and strings with friends Dave Anderson (Tenement Ruth) and Kevin Buckley (Grace Basement). Glossary's Kelly Kneiser also lends backing vocals on a couple of tracks. The end result is a sound more direct and expansive than any other outing to date.
 
In addition to Frame, you can also hear Magnolia Summer on the upcoming "Of Great and Mortal Men: 43 Songs For 43 US Presidents;" a 3-CD compilation that features music by Mark Kozelek, Califone, Rosie Thomas, Bill Callahan, Xiu Xiu, Radar Bros., and Alan Sparhawk.  Magnolia Summer was recently featured on NPR the recently reviewed record, "Of Great and Mortal Men: 43 Songs for 43 US Presidents" for their contribution to the song, "William McKinley (Czolgosz's Dream)."

magnoliasummer.com
myspace.com/magnoliasummer
www.facebook.com/pages/Magnolia-Summer/31572008439