Monday, May 24, 2010

The Dreamscapes Project/Twelve Days Project Exclusive Download

Washington, DC’s creative community is uniting in force over the innovative arts initiative, the ‘Twelve Days Project.’ The ‘Twelve Days Project’ is a unique twelve month long campaign which focuses on artistic collaborations, charitable partnerships and media exclusives surrounding the monthly release of tracks from DC folk-rockers The Dreamscapes Project.

This month the band will be releasing their new single “Hymn” via The Vinyl District for twelve days. Artistic “re-imaginations” will be provided by visual artist Kayti Welsh, producer and remixer Blake9 and creative writer Janice Kephart. A single release show will take place on June 3rd at the Light Horse Tavern, with all proceeds going to local charity Dance4Peace.

Since its launch in January 2010, The Dreamscapes Project have raised nearly $3,000 for local charities including N Street Village, Food and Friends, Pink Jams and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Each month the band have released a new track via local DC media sources such as metromusicscene.com, TGRIonline, K Street Kate and revolution magazine. Artistic interpretations of the tracks have been converted into short films, creative writing pieces, re-mixes and visual artwork created by a variety of local DC artists, including school children from H-B Woodlawn school in Arlington.

This month’s single ‘Hymn’ will be exclusively available for twelve days on The Vinyl District from May 24th 2010. Artistic interpretations of this track, provided by local DC artists, will be showcased via the Twelve Days Project as one collective virtual installation piece.

A single release show will be taking place on June 3rd at the Light Horse Tavern, in partnership with Socialize Better. Socialize Better is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness and inspires service by providing social opportunities for young adults in Washington, D.C. The organization specifically aims to support the efforts of philanthropic causes that have limited resources to fundraise for themselves. The ‘Socialize Better’ chosen charity of the month is Dance4Peace, an organization which implements programs in Washington, DC public schools and community centers, encouraging social responsibility and understanding through dance.

We're honored to have been selected.

Download The Dreamscapes Project's track 'Hymn' here.

It's Paul Collins' Vinyl District!


Hello Folks, Paul Collins here! I am happy to have been asked to do a 5 part blog series for The Vinyl District. I want to start with a bit of a recap of my career in music for those of you who may not know me.

I knew from a very early age that I wanted to be a musician, even before I knew how to play an instrument. When I heard "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Frankie Valli and "Lightning Strikes" by Lou Christie when I was just a tike in Saigon, Vietnam of all places I was hooked! Later on I fine-tuned my musical tastes by listening to WABC Radio in Long Island, NY every night as I went to sleep.

When I was 17 I left home and went to California to seek my fortune and that is where I met Jack Lee and Peter Case and we formed The Nerves and I was on my way! I never looked back and I have been making music ever since. It has been a blast and I have had the good fortune to be apart of some fantastic bands, The Nerves, one of the founders of the DIY movement in America and then the short lived transitional band with Pete Case, The Breakaways and then onto The Beat one of power pop's most enduring groups!


I love playing music and as I started as a fan I never thought I would have the opportunity to tour and make records so for me it has really been a dream come true. Nowadays I am very busy recording, writing and touring after a long absence from America (I lived in Madrid, Spain for almost 8 years.)

I have a new record I just recorded with Jim Diamond at his studio Ghetto Recorders in Detroit, which will come out on Bomp/Alive Records in August. All in all it has been a fantastic trip, from rehearsing in burnt out basements to performing on world famous stages with world famous bands like The Jam, Eddie Money, Joe Jackson, The Cure, Devo, The Police, South Side Johnny all the way up to new bands like Gentlemen Jesse and Reigning Sound!



The one thing that has remained a constant for me is that I love music and I am a fan! I hope to see some of you out there when I tour the US this summer...if I do please come up and introduce yourself as that is why we do this...for the fans!

The Beat - Rock N Roll Girl (Mp3)
The Beat - Wait Up For Me (Mp3)
(Downloads authorized by the artist. Got that Google?)