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  The Channel - Olden Days
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Five songwriters, siblings, and friends from Austin, TX have forged through the unknown territories of jaded hipsters, socialite sisters, voluntary enlisters, madams and misters; in order to bring some happiness to the broken-hearted, courage to the downtrodden, and honor to the unsung working class. The passion and determination that powers this machine derives from a well which may never go dry.

The Channel has released two albums in the last three years. The debut, "Tones Are Falling," was a country-tinged lo-fi psychedelic pop gem which turned out to be somewhat of a cult hit. The second, "Personalized," was even more diverse, featuring songs written by all five members of the band, and exploring different instrumentation, orchestration and more complex arrangements. Fanatic promotion was brought in for both of these releases and they received high praise from critics and heavy rotation across college radio in the U.S. and Canada. This brings us to the current release, a double album recorded over a year and a half. It consists of two distinct collections of songs; "Tales From the Two Hill Heart" and "Sibylline Machine."

The first disk, "Tales From the Two Hill Heart," is derived from the vast catalogue of the prolific songwriter Colby Pennington, who has written over 500 songs. These particular songs fell together in the well of reflections on a two hill life: the ebbs and flows, the waxing and waning, the good and the bad, and the chaos of the struggle therein. "Sibylline Machine" is a collection of tunes and lyrics as strange and oracular as the man who wrote them, multi-instrumentalist Jamie Reaves. These songs are stories, and although mystery prevails, the listener will find this fiction diverse and rewarding.

For this latest release The Channel and C-Side Records teamed up with AAM (Advanced Alternative Media) for promotion in radio and media, while Carrot Top was brought along board for distribution. The Channel continues to perform around their home state of Texas (even playing a show of all Harry Nilsson songs from ‘The Point’ and another of songs from the popular ‘Popeye’ musical) and have made it out to Tennessee and Georgia for some shows as well. There is a new album in the works, so be on the lookout next year for yet another offering from The Channel.