THE SHANTS: Archive

Missed our KALX performance? No worries! The KALX...

Feb 8th

Shows in Feb & March: KALX, Oakland & SF

Lots of great shows coming up for us this spring, here’s just a few… starting with this Saturday night at KALX: Saturday Feb 4 KALX Live 90.7fm, Berkeley w/ Nell Robinson 9 to 11pm, listen live! Thursday Feb 9 DISCO VOLANTE 347 14th Street, Oakland w/ Marmalade Mountain, DJ Daring Ear 9pm, no cover RSVP Thursday March 1 CAFE DuNORD 2170 Market Street w/ Chadwick Stokes (of...

Feb 2nd

Rasputin Records & Lufthansa features!

2012 sure is off to a good start. This year we’re back to playing in all your favorite Bay Area bars, cafes and bordellos… with our lovely little record, Beautiful Was The Night for sale at every show. Show announcements coming soon, but first we’ve got two great pieces of news: Rasputin Records feature Legendary California independent record store Rasputin Records has gobbled...

Jan 18th

Wrapping up 2011: Sacramento & Berkeley!

Welp, we’ve reached the end of another stellar year, what with the release of our new record, a whole lot of praise of that record, and some great shows in the Bay & on the road (London, San Luis Obispo, Belmont… oh my!). We’re wrapping up 2011 with two shows this month: tomorrow night in Sacramento at Shine with The Golden Cadillacs (Dave Gleason’s band) & John...

Dec 1st

A collection of reviews for Beautiful Was The...

Its been 2 weeks or so since we released the new album into the wild… and we’ve received some really nice reviews from a handful of blogs and print sources. Here’s what we’ve gathered so far, the most recent one from our own local rag, the East Bay Express: “This album is built of many parts, but there’s no question that Skip Allums’ voice pulls it all...

Oct 13th

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New album is now available online!

That’s right ya’ll, starting today you can download Beautiful was the Night from most major digital music stores. Pick yer poison: The Shants - Beautiful was the Night LP Download from iTunes $9.99 Download / order CD from Bandcamp $9.99 Download from Amazon $8.99 Or, to order CD direct from us via PayPal, just drop us a line at: theshants (at) gmail.com. We should have the...

Sep 27th

New album: just 7 more days! Stream it now!

Thats right, we’re just a week away from the digital release of Beautiful was the Night! You’ll be able to download it from iTunes, Bandcamp, CD Baby, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your digital music. In the Bay Area, you can pick it up at your local Rasputin Records! We’re even on hot new Berkeley start up, Deli Radio! Can’t wait? Stream it right now on...

Sep 21st

Press from SF Station's Pulse music blog

We’re featured on Pulse today, SF Station’s music blog, with a really nice article & interview with Skip by Phil from BAMM.tv. They posted a video plus a stream of the song Brother, which features our pal Ralph Carney (Gaucho, Tom Waits, Black Keys) on brass! As an individual, The Shants’ lifespan is minuscule and impressive. In 2009, Allums teamed up with Sam Tokheim (pedal...

Sep 9th

Shows: London Sept 15 with Little Scream, KCPR...

A coupla new shows added to our live calendar for this month. First, Skip is playing solo in London next week, Thursday Sept 15 at The Windmill in London. He’s opening for Secretly Canadian artist and sometime Arcade Fire collaborator Little Scream. Details here Sept 24 and 25th we’re at the KCPR Fall Flood Festival in San Luis Obispo. Word is we’re playing two shows on the...

Sep 8th

Beautiful was the Night: tracklist!

A few of ya’ll have been asking what songs are on the new record… New jams? Old ones? Songs from our live set? The answer: All of the Above! Scarletts & Scoundrels Baton Rouge Full Circle Morning You Win Brother The Fire Evangeline Blues So Strange, These Days Lift Up Your Eyes My Town is Underwater (I’m Not) Gonna Waste Another Song on You

Sep 7th

Studio Photo-diary

Here’s a peek into our studio sessions for Beautiful was the Night, down at Tones On Tail Studios in Oakland.

Jul 17th

Studio update: the home stretch!

Taking a moment from our mixing sessions to drop ya’ll an update. We’re in the home stretch! We apologize for the relative radio silence… Lots of Life Stuff going on: Skip is gettin’ hitched, Adam’s solar business is taking off, Sam got a new job, etc. but also our trusty engineer Eliot had to relocate his studio, which set us back a bit. We are now wrapping up...

Jun 10th

Video: studio update

Curious as to what musical mayhem we’ve been up to for the last few months? Check out this video of scenes from Rec Center studios, while we craft this fine little album:

Apr 21st

Mission Accomplished!

Lawdy lawdy! Thanks to all you wonderful folks, we are proud to announce that our fundraiser is 100% successful - and then some! Thanks to you, we will be able to get our album printed and distributed in fine form. What’s more, you will be the first to hear the amazing sounds we’ve been capturing over at the Rec Center. For now, here’s the album cover, designed by Mysha at...

Mar 11th

First two sessions: done!

Tracking for Beautiful was the Night is now in full effect… this past weekend we wrapped up most of the basic tracks (drums, guitar, bass). Friday began around 6pm with load-in and setting our levels, followed by some light drinkin’ and jammin’ late into the night. Saturday we kicked off at 10am sharp and track 8 songs. Sunday was about the same… with a few breaks here...

Mar 1st

Kickstarter fundraiser for our album launched!

Come February, we’re headed into the studio to work on our debut, full length album! We’ve got a handful of new songs (and a few old ones) rarin’ to go, and we couldn’t be more excited about sharing these new songs with ya’ll. We sure could use your help though! Please consider donating to our fundraiser on Kickstarter. If we make our goal, you will get sweet...

Jan 14th

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Hello there 2011! Shows, new practice space,...

We’re kicking off 2011 right, what with two shows this month (Jan 18 at the Hemlock in SF, and Jan 28 at the Rellik in Benicia), a fancy new practice space in West Oakland, and then in February we’re heading into the studio to start work on our debut full-length album. Hold on tight y’all!

Jan 4th

Happy Holidays: free mp3!

Here’s a holiday gift from The Shants, just for you: a cover of Texas bluesman Charles Brown’s 1960 hit song, Please Come Home For Christmas. You may have read about it on such blogs as The Bay Bridged or Cover Me. You can download the mp3 here, or watch this sweet little video we put together from some found Super8 footage. Have a wonderful holiday, and we hope to see...

Dec 14th

pretty good year, 2 December shows

What an amazing year we’ve had! Started off in January with a mini-tour and lots of great press, we shared the stage with some amazing artists like Basia Bulat Adam Arcuragi and Eilen Jewell, and we played at some of our favorite venues like Cafe DuNord, the New Parish, and the Doug Fir. We did most of this with the help of you guys… anyone who ever brought a friend to a show, let us...

Dec 4th

Nov 5th

9.14 at Cafe DuNord with Eilen Jewell, LA video

Be sure to catch us opening for the great Eilen Jewell next Tuesday, Sept 14 at the lovely Cafe DuNord before we go into hibernation to work on our new record. Tickets are going fast, so get yours now! As for recording, we’ll be working over at Rec Center Studios in uptown Oakland, which has become our new home base since we moved to a practice space there this month. We plan to record...

Sep 7th

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SF & tour recap, in which we return home...

So nice to be back home in our own beds! The homecoming show at Hotel Utah was nothing short of spectacular, with our friends Coyote Girl, Not an Airplane and Vandella turning in stellar performances. We were a bit punch-drunk, but the cheers and hollers from the crowd kept us going. We’ve got some video on the way from the Utah show, but for now, please enjoy this slideshow of sorts, set...

Aug 31st

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LA recap, in which we succumb to the charms of the...

We left SLO in a dang hurry, eager to beat the infamous LA traffic. Turns out we had little to worry about… we seemed to deftly avoid any highway entanglements the entire day. Got to Adam’s parents’ house in the valley just in time for snacks, a long swim, and a bit of hot-tubbin’. Adam’s mom whipped up a welcoming meal for us (with actual vegetables, something...

Aug 29th

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Central Coast recap, in which we test National...

We’ve spent the last two day in the San Luis Obispo area, connecting with old friends & family, and playing some music here and there. The show at Last Stage West in Atascadero was a bit off, but a few friendly faces came out and danced a bit. Afterwards we drove out to a cattle ranch outside Cayucos to stay with Carver’s pals Jamie & Jared, right across from lots of cows,...

Aug 27th

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Day off: swimming, laundry, heckling Darth Vader,...

Due to some schedule changes (and Adam attempting to recover his lost sleeping bag) we decided to spend our day off in Chico. Conveniently, the abnormally cool California summer decided to redeem itself by blasting all valley towns with 100+ degree heat. We spent most of the day doing this: this: this: … and of course, quite a bit of this: On our way to Atascadero. We are more...

Aug 26th

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Medford recap, in which we witness 3 lap dogs...

Woke up to some truly beautiful summer weather in Salem, scored coffee and wireless internet for a spell, then hit the road again for Medford. As Carver & Adam devastated each other in Soul Caliber (Flo is equipped with a Playstation), we chugged down I-5, kinda skeptical of what a Monday night in Medford would be like. On the way, we checked out this sweet historic covered bridge over Grave...

Aug 24th

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Salem recap, in which we perform on a trampoline

Thankfully Salem was is just 45 minutes from Portland, as we have already started to loathe the van, as comfortable and well appointed as Flo is. We arrived on time at The Space, the only band to do so, which was a source of consternation for the promoter, kindly Andy, as The Space has been saddled with guff from the local police for noise ordinance violations…. the show had to end by...

Aug 23rd

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Portland recap, in which we celebrate Victory

Portland pretty much ruled. We figure its all downhill from here. After a seemingly endless drive from Chico, we puttered into Portland and headed right for the Doug Fir’s parking garage (Yes!) and started hauling gear onto the stage. The staff at Doug Fir are all helpful, friendly and un-jaded folks, which is rare in this business. Our High Scores & Records crew was in full effect,...

Aug 23rd

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Chico recap, in which Adam loses his sleeping bag...

We rolled into Chico just before our old pal Fera was supposed to go on. He & Filthy Luke both put on driving, strident performances in the face of a rowdy dive bar crowd. We were embroiled in a pretty serious shuffleboard match. Somehow, Adam lost his sleeping bag to some sort of ill-advised wager. The Maltese folks were awful nice all around, and the soundperson bought us shots. There was...

Aug 22nd

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Watch

I-80, in the huge van we rented for the tour, which we have dubbed Flo. The song in the background is Garden of the Four Trees by Juanita Brooks & The Explosions.

Aug 21st

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Sacramento recap, in which The Foxtails help us...

Kicking off the tour in Sacramento was a lovely way to start off… 3 excellent songwriters: Erik Hanson & Brianna Lea Pruett in The Foxtails, plus the Not an Airplane boys. Lots of old friends and new faces at the Naked Lounge. Its also nice to visit a place that actually has that thang called “summer”… which we are sorely lacking in the Bay Area this year. Off to Chico...

Aug 20th

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Tour starts this week! Plus: love from Buenos...

We’re getting pumped to hit the road this week, so preparations are in full effect: changing strings & batteries, dusting off our sleeping bags, emailing old friends to ask for a place to crash… If you can’t make a show, please feel free to invite a friend or two to any of the dates below, just click on the links for the relative Facebook events: Thu Aug 19 - Naked Lounge,...

Aug 18th

BAMM.tv video + tour fundraisin' thanks

MANY THANKS to Conan, Camille, Phil, Jacqueline & Chrissy for their contributions to our Kickstarter tour fundraiser. They’ll receive their selected prizes (CDs, a live DVD, limited edition poster, guest list spots & more) if we make our goal… which is only 17 days away! Please share this link with a friend and give us a hand, if you can’t make one of the shows on our...

Aug 10th

Help fund our tour, with Kickstarter!

Looks like Kickstarter just approved our fundraising campaign for our tour in August. You can help us pay for our van & gas, even if you can’t make a show! For your donation you will receive some of the following prizes: a copy of our demo EP, a limited edition tour poster, a guest list spot at a show of your choice, demo recording of new songs, DVD of a live performance at The New...

Jul 28th

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The Shants' summer tour dates

Comin’ to a watering hole or bbq joint near you: Design by Boatride Publicity. Photo by Shannon Claire/B Side Images

Jul 22nd

BAMM.tv broadcast Thursday

Hey Internets! We’ll be stopping by the BAMM.tv studios in San Francisco tomorrow night for a live taping (which you can stream on Thursday July 22 at 8pm Pacific). The crew at BAMM have been filming some really cool performances from Bay Area artists (and beyond) like our pals Ash Reiter and Vandella, The Blank Tapes, and they even set up shop at SXSW this year. Check out their YouTube...

Jul 21st

Sacramento, Berkeley

We’re excited to return to Sacramento this weekend, where we’ll be playing with two excellent acts: Desario (featuring members of California Oranges), and Boy Scouts (who we played with awhile back in Stockton), both of which write some really lovely songs. John from Desario designed this excellent, mid-century themed poster for the event. The Sacramento News & Review featured the...

Jul 16th

Bottom of the Hill recap, A Truer Sound Review,...

Played at the legendary Bottom of the Hill last week… it was a grand night for our friends Il Gato as they performed their new album in its entirety with a string quartet and horns. A glorious time was had. Putting the finishing touches on our summer tour, with the last tentative date confirmed at the Doug Fir in Portland on Aug 21. Full itinerary details available in our Shows...

Jun 30th

Davis recap + East Bay Express review

Our show last night in Davis was a blast… a great way to spend a hot summer night: drinkin’, swayin’ and singin’ on the front porch of Sophia’s. Although, we find our selves disappointed in seeing only 1 firedancer this time. Many thanks to Kevin & crew at Sophia’s, and to Adam Arcuragi & his merry little band of troubadours. If they are coming through...

Jun 18th

Thanks Benicia + summer shows & tour update.

Many thanks to the crew that came out to see us in Beautiful Benicia (as this sign clearly states) this weekend. Thanks also to the Rellik Tavern crew for taking good care of us. Lotsa shows lined up for this lovely summer, including a few more confirmations for our tour in August. More details in our Shows section. Hope we see ya’ll out there! Thursday June 17 Sophia’s - Davis w/ Adam ...

Jun 15th

Watch

Here’s yet another fine video from the New Parish show by Aaron, this time of a new song called Baton Rouge that will appear on our new album.

Jun 4th

Watch

Local photog Aaron Blumenshine came out to our New Parish show a few weeks back, and captured this fancy video of The Fire…. in HD!

Jun 2nd

Press: New Parish show on May 19

We’re getting pretty pumped for our show this week. at the newest, hippest joint in Oakland, The New Parish. Check out these great little write-ups the show has received in the Oakland Examiner, East Bay Express and SF music blog, The Bay Bridged: The Shants: returning to their roots: “…And indeed, it doesn’t take much to realize The Shants have a strange and sweet affinity...

May 17th

Apr 21st

Apr 5th

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Gobblers Knob review of Russian River Songs

Here’s a really sweet little review of our EP from Texas-based music blog, The Gobbler’s Knob: “There’s a good chance you might have read about these folks from Northern California recently on another blog. If not, then it’s my pleasure to introduce you to The Shants (Myspace). I was immediately roped in by the timeless sound of soft acoustic strums, accompanied by lilting...

Mar 31st

Mar 16th

Hotel Utah recap, April 23 in Sacramento

Thanks to all who made it out to our sold-out show with Basia Bulat and Christina! Lots of great energy and smiles all around. Basia was particularly gracious, and we’re thankful for the opportunity to play alongside one of our favorite new songwriters. Please do let us know if you captured any photos/videos from the night. Next up for us… planning our tour of the West Coast in...

Mar 12th

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new practice space + March 10 with Basia Bulat

Moved into our new, roomier practice space last night, across the hall from our old one… and promptly set to work on a few new songs for our show with Basia Bulat and Christina Antipa next week! Tickets are going fast, so get them now: Tickets RSVP on Facebook

Mar 5th