About Songs That Sell Out:
Less than a year after the release of their critically acclaimed debut album, Songs That Sell Fish, Arrows Made of Desire have positioned themselves as one of the more highly regarded bands in Beijing with a live show that consistently turns heads, blows minds and, ahem, eardrums. With a sound that can only be descried as pure, unadulterated independent rock and influences that no one seems to be able to put their finger on, Joewi Verhoeven and Co. are currently knee deep into recording their second long player, Songs That Sell Out at Sweet Factory Studios in the heart of Beijing’s Chaoyang District. Legendary BBC dj/ On The Wire guru, Steve Barker, is on hand to co-produce this 12 song effort and Tag Team Records are tentatively set to release the result of said sessions upon the Chinese masses in Spring ’08. If Songs That Sell Fish was the genius chronicle of lo-fi bedroom recording that press described it to be, then Songs That Sell Out can only be pitched as an album which sees an already talented band graduate to a more, erm…’mid-fi’ sound (look Ma, I think I just made up a whole musical genre) thanks to excellent production on behalf of Mr. Barker/ Verhoeven and a whole mess of analogue equipment that would make even the geekiest audiophile mess their pants. Yuck! Look for Arrows Made of Desire to tour China extensively in support of the record’s release and prepare yourself for a life changing, sonic conversion at the hands of a 21 year old kid from rural Holland with a penchant for odd chord structures, out of print blues/ jazz records and a completely fresh take on what modern indie rock in The People’s Republic of China can aspire to embody!
About Songs That Sell Fish:
A debut album hailing from the heart and bedroom of 19 year old Joewi
Verhoeven, Songs That Sell Fish hits us with 10 shots of lo-fi melodicism truer and rawer than anything heard in quite some time. A Dutchman studying film in Beijing, Verhoeven self-recorded this collection of songs before even assembling a band. The album manages to be wildly eclectic, veering from the lo-fi folk of "Lady Nutshell" to the gritty indie rock of "Truism" and all points in between, whilst at the same time being undeniably consistent. Verhoweven wails, croons and shouts like a young man with something to say - about passion, pain, joy, or even cigarettes. Whilst Verhoevens music is absolutely lo-fi indie rock, it is also laced with an underlying pop sensibility and a sense of musical history - blues and jazz motifs are conspicuous in their presence.
Distinctly different from other indie solo artists, both melodic and noisy, soft and edgy, sweeping yet focused, Verhoeven and Arrows Made of Desire strike with considerable force, subverting rock clichés to write astonishing and original music. Songs That Sell Fish may well be the start of something beautiful for indie-rock.
Purchase Songs That Sell Fish directly from Tag Team Records and get a bunch of free stuff along with your order!!! Songs That Sell Fish also currently available at fine record shops throughout The People's Republic of China.
