The 61st Big Stir Digital Single of the Week is the second “Single of the Week” from Akron Ohio’s LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS! “Until There Was You” b/w “And Then She’s Gone” will be available for download Friday, February 21st and this duo of wonderful songs is available for pre order now! Just head on over to www.bigstirrecords.com/big-stir-digital-singles

LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS crawled from the wreckage of a post-industrial Akron, Ohio, and decided to stick around and form a band because… WHAT ELSE ARE YOU GOING TO DO???

Digging deep into the wellspring of power pop for inspiration Librarians With Hickeys added a 150-proof shot of indie rock, and have released two singles in their narrative arc. According to those in the know, there is much more music waiting in the wings. Last Summer the group brought you “Black Velvet Dress” b/w “Alex,” (Big Stir Digital Single #34. Both songs have received world-wide airplay and rave reviews, with both sides widely hailed as highlights of the Big Stir Singles: The Third Wave CD. On top of it all, they're a hell of a live band, working their local scene and beyond in a style that's all too rare in the days of isolated home recording – in short the Librarians are all-arounders in a way that makes them a band after our own hearts, and, we feel confident, yours as well.

The band started off 2019 with their self-released debut double “A” side single “Until There Was You” and “And Then She's Gone” which showcased the twin guitar jangle and chime of Ray Carmen (vocals, guitar) and Mike Crooker (guitar, vocals), the propulsive groove of Andrew Wilco (bass) and the rhythmic backbone of Rob Crossley (drums). On Big Stir Records’ side of the ledger, credit goes to label founder Christina Bulbenko's keen midwestern ears for catching those tunes early on and recognizing the Librarians as kindred spirits, in both musical aesthetics and the community ethos. Their banner year, and the tunes they are busily crafting for their debut album (due in 2020 on Big Stir) more than bear her instincts out.

“For anyone out there who may still, for some unfathomable reason, question the power and the glory of the three-minute four-chord p-o-p song done right, “Black Velvet Dress” will in no way fail to raise you off your settee and shove things direct towards the nearest Volume UP knob,” opines Gary Pig Gold of “The Rock and Roll Report.” “Nostalgic? No. The correct word would be timeless!” We at Big Stir Records couldn't agree more. For Librarians With Hickeys, the time is clearly now!

Because the band finds it difficult to continue writing about itself in the third person, here are other people – who are not us, – saying nice things about the band.

Gary Pig Gold / The Rock and Roll Report For anyone out there who may still, for some unfathomable reason, question the power and the glory of the three-minute four-chord p-o-p song done right, “Black Velvet Dress” will in no way fail to raise you off your settee and shove things direct towards the nearest Volume UP knob. “I heard you were giving a funeral today” may indeed be the first words voiced here, but what follows instead is a deceptively cheery deep breeze through all the brightest and the best of a circa-’78 playlist from your most trusted music geek’s audio closet. Nostalgic? No. The word would be “timeless.” N.B.: stay tuned for the coda too. Meanwhile, “Alex” sports the exceptionally ethereal sheen of, say, The Springfield or even The Who at their most subtle and nuanced …and the concluding 30 seconds are just about the most gorgeous I’ve spent all year. Oh! and Hunt down then repeatedly hear these Librarians’ “And Then She’s Gone” b/w “Until There Was You” as well. And let’s all hope their long-promised full-length album isn’t much longer overdue.

Mike DeAngelis / There Once Was A Note Librarians With Hickeys, “Black Velvet Dress”…Haven’t met the band personally, but I’d bet the farm that they’ve spent some quality time listening to Bob Mould. It has that propulsive, high octane feel of Sugar, and even some of the more melodic Husker Du tracks. Explosive, yet tight power pop. “Alex”…Haight Ashbury, The Ed Sullivan Show on a black and white TV, and those cool Roger McGuinn shades while David Crosby sings harmony vocals. This one will take you back to all of that. Fantastic track.

Kim Hatten / Bliss/Aquamarine Ray Carmen... leads Librarians with Hickeys, who appear here with “Black Velvet Dress” which combines atmospheric indiepop with powerpop oomph, and “Alex,” a very lovely dreamy jangly indiepop song. Definitely a band I'm keen to hear more from.

Malcolm X Abram / Akron Beacon Journal Librarians with Hickeys, a group of power poppers... who make melodic rock ‘n’ roll without, as the name implies, taking themselves too seriously. “Black Velvet Dress,” ...groove on the peppy, snappy, guitar-driven tune that kind of reminds of early 1990s “college rock. The B-side “Alex” has a breezy, jangle-pop groove and Carmen’s high tenor voice is soothing. Big Stir Digital Single #61 “Until There Was You” b/w “And Then She’s Gone” by Librarians with Hickeys to be released Friday, February 21st, 2020, available for pre-order RIGHT NOW!! -- www.bigstirrecords.com/big-stir-digital-singles

California-based, internationally beloved, and habitual show-stoppers at Big Stir's live concert series in LA, THE FORTY NINETEENS are long overdue for the spotlight in the Big Stir Singles Series. And here they are with two brand new sides, “Tell Me” b/w “It's For Fun (That's All We're Living For)”, their first major release since 2017's celebrated Good Fortune album, is out Friday, February 14 and available for pre-order at https://bigstirrecords.com/big-stir-digital-singles now! THE FORTY NINETEENS are a band for the ages, tapping into everything that's good, true and visceral about rock and roll. Call it garage rock, with alt-rock roots and good time raucousness that's evident in their name: a “4019” credit in legal talk is “time off for good behavior”. For music fans yearning for some “time off” from the modern corporate norm, The Forty Nineteens are thrilled to oblige, with pure rock energy that's second to none and hooks and harmonies that simply soar. Boasting originals that stand toe-to-toe with the blistering Smithereens, Modern Lovers and Stones covers that pepper their sets, it's no wonder that The Forty Nineteens are rapidly cultivating a worldwide following and topping indie charts everywhere. The band's kicking off 2020 as they mean to continue, with a slew of singles in the classic style. First up in February are these two brand new sides, their debut with Big Stir (aside from a supercharge contribution to our multi-artist Holiday Maxi-Single last December). We can assure you: there's more where those tunes came from, so keep your ears on our Singles Series and your eyes on our CD compilations. The tireless and talented lads who would become THE FORTY NINETEENS honed their chops in LA performing at the legendary Raji's and Palomino Club, in the city's vibrant and beloved Cowpunk and Paisley Underground scenes. The band continues this freewheeling spirit, and it's bringing them no shortage of attention: The Forty Nineteens can regularly be heard in Little Steven's Underground Garage on Sirius XM, and college and commercial radio in the US and abroad. They've performed with X, Gin Blossoms, Robin Zander, The Alarm, The Fixx and others – you never know where they'll turn up and rip the roof off a joint, no matter what its size. JOHN POZZA (formerly of THE LEONARDS) leads the charge with his impassioned vocals, aided and abetted by MARY'S DANISH vets MATT COLLERAN (guitar) and NICK ZEIGLER (drums, and perhaps truly the hardest working man in show business). Guitarist CHUCK GORIAN and bassist KEVIN BARBER kick the whole show into high gear. It's a classic lineup but with a sound that's widely hailed as one of the freshest things happening in California rock. Good behavior? That's debatable. Phenomenal music? Guilty as charged... but you be the judge.

The Big Stir Singles Series returns afresh for 2020 with a new release from BSR founders THE ARMOIRES, out Friday January 17 and available for preorder at www.bigstirrecords.com/big-stir-digital-singles now. “Pushing Forty”, the new single from the band's ZIBALDONE album, is accompanied by a new video (the first to feature the groups's new lineup with drummer JOHN BORACK) and is backed by a brand new exclusive B-side, “Shame And Bourbon”, and sports cover art by painter EDWARD HUERTA (who's also the band ROCKFORD's drummer).

THE ARMOIRES' 2019 album Zibaldone and its songs landed a clutch of Best of 2019 honors including Top 10 Album nods from the UK's I Don't Hear a Single, All Around Records, and Ian Canty of Louder Than War Magazine. “Pushing Forty” has been an airplay and live performance favorite, noted for its Who-referencing lyrics, the viola-and-12-string interplay between LARYSA BULBENKO and REX BROOME, and the characteristic harmonies of Broome and CHRISTINA BULBENKO – it's a rocking summation of the band's unique sound. The brand new video, out day-and-date with the single on the Big Stir Media YouTube Channel, finds the band dressed to the nines with new drummer Borack, bassist CLIFFORD ULRICH and the rest decked out in gold lamé variants of their habitual paisley stage attire. Guest star KAREN BASSET (of THE PANDORAS, THE KARIANNES and THE TEST PRESSINGS) appears as the “Mystery Woman” taking in the performance.

“Shame And Bourbon” is a brand new recording, perhaps harkening back to Broome's West Virginia roots and showcasing Larysa, who also performs in old-time music ensemble THE OLD CORN LICKERS, on a raucous fiddle solo. An uncharacteristic and dark slice of what's now known as Americana, the framework of the song arrived to Broome in a dream. “A bizarre and holy fire is burning through the town tonight”, it began, a turn of phrase Christina immediately equated with the traditions of Resurrection Day in Jerusalem. “A collision of deeply religious imagery and lonely alcoholic decline”, says Rex, “If that ain't country...”

Tracked by the two Bulbenkos and Broome at Big Stir Headquarters in Burbank, “Shame And Bourbon” was mixed by Zibaldone producer STEVEN WILSON (of PLASTICSOUL) and appears here for the first time ever. THE ARMOIRES continue to perform live and tour with their new lineup in support of Zibaldone, and can be expected to offer up a few new recordings throughout 2020 as work up tracks for their third full album with sessions expected to commence later in the year.

For our last Big Stir Digital Single of 2019, we're taking the unusual step of issuing “the one that got away”... “Nostradamus” from THE MORNING LINE, b/w a terrific synth-based remix, is out Friday, December 27, at www.bigstirrecords.con/big-stir-digital-singles and available for preorder now, with the band's permission and courtesy of Kool Kat Musik.

We've cut this deal because the song, which appears on the San Francisco-area band's 2019 album NORTH and was already issued as a single, is very simply one of the best slabs of rock and roll we heard all year and we honestly don't feel like our Singles Series can live up to its brief of presenting the very best from the global pop-rock scene without it. Imagine two bracing minutes of IRS-era R.E.M. at their most revved up with Gene Clark on vocals and one of the cleverest lyrical hooks of the year and you're getting close to the mark, although TML have a sound all their own (and the remix deftly demonstrates the band's versatility).

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The Morning Line has been around, in various configurations, for over 10 years. The Morning Line band members have been playing for much longer. Singer-songwriter Stephen Smith released records on labels like Homestead, Rough Trade, and Sub Pop. He was briefly signed to (but not released by) Arista Records. Guitarist Brian Mello has played with just about everyone in San FranciscoF, most notably in his band The Bellyachers. He has also helped out John Doe, Mark Eitzel, and Ian Moore. Drummer Peter Craft and bassist David Knupp have similarly been found in many bands playing every venue in the SF.

Here are just a few lines from many reviews about collection of songs from The Morning Lines’ 2017 album entitled “Smoke”: “Smoke is an enjoyable ride – hit play and hit the highway” – Poprock Record “Classic power pop, chock full of jangle and hooks” – Power Pop News “Emotionally charged tales set to exquisite melodies” – Broken Hearted Toy “Bright hooks, sweet harmonies” – The Daily Country “Anybody Else” and “All Mine” are “very catchy jangle-pop gems” – Powerpopaholic “All Mine” is a "stately, plaintive pop tune" – Goldmine Magazine “All Mine” is a "tremenda canción" – Magic Pop Blog Reviews of other material: "The Morning Line pour forth gauzy, disillusioned guitar pop on their stellar CD debut . . . glorious guitars through uniformly thoughtful catchy songs, sturdy melodies taking flight . . . the chiming brilliance of 'New Jacket' . . . the lushly meandering grasp of 'Spellbound,' whose cracked majesty sounds like a long-forgotten Big Star 3rd composition” – Pop Culture Press The Morning Line “pops and shines like a mournful, West Coast Luna, fronted by a ragged, smoky Elvis Costello type.” – East Bay Express "[S]pacious and melodic alt-country moodiness. The vocals sometimes traffic in a Dharma Bums’ smoothness, and some songs hold up a soft sad hand towards early American Music Club. But these boys rock a little harder, with great guitar work and steady drums that catch on a few nice stop start rhythms. I want to hear more." – Big Takeover (ep review) “[T]hey remind of chunkier ‘80s bands like Smith's old Homestead labelmates Big Dipper and Windbreakers, Crippled Pilgrims, or Velvet Crush, whose Paul Chastain has a very similar voice to Smith. ‘The Ugly Truth’ is even like Neil Young with R.E.M. on backing vocals. And with such experience, they play with extra power pop/indie guitar/bass/drums oomph from guys who lived the life when ‘my space’ meant a dingy rehearsal room. Really strong record.” – Big Takeover (album review)

Available for pre-order now: Big Stir’s last single of 2019. “Nostradamus”, by The Morning Line