Little-known fact: In this very building, I am only one of TWO high-powered record label bigwigs with the title General Manager. And my vain interest in keeping this little-known fact little-known is, it turns out, only outweighed by my interest in convincing someone else to take Selective Listening out for a spin this month. And so, the following notes from the desk of the very competent and congenial Sarah Moody, the OTHER General Manager, up/down/over at Hardly Art Records!

Generally Managing Managers Generally

The view outside is clouded and grey as I type this missive from the penthouse of 4th and Lenora, high atop the salty streets of downtown Seattle. From the stunning windowed heights of our office (a collaboration with Renzo Piano, if you must know), we can truly see it all. To the North: the lauded Space Needle; to the South: Mount Rainier, off in the distance; to the East, the mighty Cascade mountain range; and to the West, the expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Closer to home, however, I can peer over the lip of our rooftop garden into the other proverbial garden of downtown: the parking lot behind our office, filled with a variety of activity that seems to mine only the darkest depths of the human condition. On any given day, you might be fortunate enough to spot its activity in full bloom (if you will), which could include but not be limited to: people shooting up, smoking crack, peddling wares, screaming about this or that, and, most recently, actively shitting next to cars. Also below our modern belfry are the offices of Sub Pop Records. (They might have you believe we have been relegated to the second floor of this same building—don’t be fooled by their trickery.)

Now then, I suppose I should set aside my robe and smoking pipe and tell you who is typing here. Much like my esteemed colleague and your usual Selective Listening author, Chris Jacobs, I too manage a vast swath of employees who work and toil in the name of music. All two of them. But I am pleased to report that they are two of the most highly coveted demographic: the elusive Millenial Male. What do they have to say about this fact? Let’s take a visit to their corner offices and find out.

Jason, Publicist: We live and breathe content. It is all about CONTENT. <types furiously>

Matt, Sales and Digital Media: I’m just glad I’m not working at Sub Pop. <dons sunglasses>

Me, General Manager: You are both beautiful snowflakes and I am so proud of you. <returns feet to ottoman>

What month is it, anyway? November? Great. Here’s what we have coming up in November:

Suffice to say it has been a good year for the Hardly Art empire, which just wrapped last month with the most recent release from Protomartyr, The Agent Intellect. Perhaps you have heard of it? They will take leave from Detroit and escape the US paparazzi by spending their November on tour overseas.

The wondrous troupe of Shannon and the Clams, meanwhile, just wrapped a US tour with Shopping and will be headed overseas later this month in support of their latest, Gone by the Dawn. (You sense a theme here?)

Magical feminists (“Who isn’t a feminist these days?!” “I know!”) Chastity Belt are on the road again in support of their acclaimed sophomore effort, Time to Go Home, including a number of shows opening for Death Cab for Cutie. Seattle party? I’d say so.

La Luz are doing nothing in November but resting on their laurels (I hope) as they just wrapped a 12-week tour between the US and Europe in support of Weirdo Shrine. That is, in two words, pretty baller.

If you are looking to extend your celebration of Halloween, might we suggest Holographic Violence by local brooders Grave Babies? Or if you need a soundtrack to your worldly toke, perhaps try I Want to Grow Up by Colleen Green? “Another hit record?!” you ask. We know, we know. We have it all for you, here at our lavish HQ.

As if that wasn’t enough, we’ve gone ahead and compiled a chart-topping single from each of the above releases (and a few more) into an inaugural sampler. Not only a sampler, a real life CD SAMPLER. They’ll be available at finer record stores across the pond, as well as with all orders placed with the fine web store of hardlyart.com, from now until they run out. We encourage you to hunker down with it as you prepare to bundle up for winter.

While other labels may claim to strive for World Domination, we here at Hardly Art merely aim for Sub Pop Domination. After the year that was 2015, I daresay we are close. While we wait out the final verdict, below you will find a brief soundtrack to our days of endless champagne and caviar. I think I can… manage that.  (*rimshot*)