Booze, bites, and bouncy pop-rock tunes will fill the MAC Building this Friday night as Cane Records throws a release party for their newest recording artist, Kyle Crossland. The event, held at 5960 SW 57th Ave., across from the University Village, will start at 8:30 p.m.
Much more than a little jam, the massive party will have free food and drinks, free hair, makeup and face-painting from the Hi-Tech School of Cosmetology (a Paul Mitchell partner school), and art on display from students at the Art Institute. Of course, Crossland will perform songs from his eponymous debut EP and sign copies for anyone who purchases a disc. Additionally, Bridget & Luke and DJ Ordep of WVUM will each play a set.
Cane Records, the student-run record label of the University of Miami, signed Crossland in the middle of the fall 2008 semester.
“It happened overnight,” said Jessie Allen, the president of Cane Records.
Allen, a junior majoring in music business, explained the process of creating Crossland’s EP as well as the role of the record company.
“It took about a month to record, produce, and do the whole EP,” she said. Cane Records not only supervised those aspects, but also managed the distribution of albums, marketing tactics, merchandizing and creation of a Web site.
Crossland, a junior studying music business and classical vocal performance, has been singing for as long as he can remember.
“I found my dad’s guitar in high school and started writing songs,” he said.
Allen described Crossland’s sound as “a weird little fusion of heavier beach-rock-jam-happy music.”
Inspired by the Beach Boys, Nick Drake, Donavon Frankenreiter, and various jam bands, Crossland wrote all of the songs on his EP in UM dorms.
“The song ‘Irony’ was written under the bridge between the towers,” he laughed.
As the release party draws nearer, Crossland said he’s feeling “a worried kind of stoked.”
“I’m really excited to see how things come together and I wanna put on a good show,” he said.
If You Go
Who: Kyle Crossland
What: Cane Records Release Party
When: Friday, April 17 at 8:30 p.m.
Where: MAC Building located at 5960 SW 57th Ave.
Cost: Free