Archive for Site News

One week away until the Ides of March

Beta Lion Written in Sand release on March 15

At this time more than 2000 years ago, Brutus and other conspirators were deep in their plans to liberate Rome, fearful of Caesar’s rising power. Now, as we get closer to the Ides of March, the portents continue to stream in of the impending release of Beta Lion’s Written in Sand.

You can read Music Emission’s review of the upcoming album here.

In a market saturated with indie rock bands who all try to sound so different that they end up sounding the same, Beta Lion actually do sound different enough to make them stand out from the crowd. – Music Emissions

Et tu, Beta Lion?

Beta Lion take a variety of paths to get to their downcast dream-pop; sometimes songs are built around a serpentine bass line, and others are powered by a buzzy guitar riff. But this quartet always gets to a soaring, arena-ready chorus. – Ben Salmon, San Diego CityBeat

Beta Lion's debut EP release Written in Sand, due out March 15, 2014Villains Records is proud to announce the release date of Beta Lion’s Written in Sand EP: March, 15, 2014, the dreaded ides of March. Written in Sand will be available via the online store and on iTunes.

We are incredibly honored to have Beta Lion in our lineup. Mark, Dean, JR, and Opie have been playing together since 1999. They easily embody the community and family spirit that we strive for at Villains Records.

You can get a sneak peek at their opening track, $15 Ladies here:

Their debut EP includes 5 tracks spanning their career, the first four being written between 2003 and 2007. The last track serves as a retrospective of Beta Lion’s history together.

  1. $15 Ladies
  2. Altar Beats
  3. Escape Signal
  4. Tonight at Whisperz
  5. Written in Sand

Spread the word, Beta Lion is coming!

Finally, the 2014 Villaintines compilation is available for download

Getting all sniffly because you couldn’t snag a snazzy, hand-screened Villaintines CD? Are you antsy because you haven’t been able to listen to this year’s eclectic mix of dance, shoegaze, and alternative rock?

The wait is over! You can finally stream and download the latest Villaintines compilation straight from Bandcamp. Pay what you want or don’t pay at all. Any and all proceeds go straight back to the artists.

Featuring Villains like Sullen Ray and Beta Lion and friends like The Paper Thins and Hot Karate, this compilation is sure to please your indie, headbopping soul. Every artist on the record had their own hands in the production of their songs.

And in case you missed the super secret sneak peek at the track list, here it is again:

Raymond the Sparrow – Aurora
The Paper Thins – Evil Eyes
Privet – Honesty
Muscle Beech – Hands
Bulletins – Is Love
Mariel – We Lost the Fight
Beta Lion – $15 Ladies
Sullen Ray – Dive
Moan – Moans
C is for Carlo – What Now?
Myster Mister – Electric Shock, Electric Slop
Hot Karate – Offerings
Katey and The Quilts – Tangerine
Tiny Moths – Curtain Calls / Flightplans