Alamo Race Track
Encyclopedia
Alamo Race Track is a rock
band from Amsterdam
, Netherlands
. They have released three full-length album
s. Their current effort, Unicorn Loves Deer, was released on March 21, 2011 in their native country.
After supporting Daryll-Ann
on a tour in early 2002, Excelsior Recordings
signed the band. The following year the band played many high profile shows, resulting in good reviews from various Dutch magazines.
. The album was completed in June of that year.
Birds At Home was released in the Netherlands on September 1, 2003. The album became a moderate success in the Dutch pop music charts.
The band plays a number of prestigious festivals in the Netherlands such as Noorderslag, The Music in My Head and Lowlands
in 2003. In addition, Alamo Race Track visits England
, playing at The City in Manchester and during the MusicWork showcase in Glasgow
.
While playing at the South by South West festival in Austin
, Texas
the band was noticed by a representative of Fargo Records. This meeting leads to a licensing deal for France. Birds At Home was released in France in early 2005. Following this, the band toured France
in June. The band's popularity in France exceeds that of the Netherlands.
. During this time, a dressing room performance of the song Black Cat John Brown found its way on to YouTube
. Within two weeks the song was viewed by more than 541,000 people. This success translated into widespread media exposure in the Netherlands.
When the album was released in October it was received well amongst press and record buying audience. Black Cat John Brown reaches the number one spot in the Scherpe Rand Van Platenland, an alternative music chart in the Netherlands.
In December the band toured as part of the Fine Fine Music tour. Together with labelmates Ghost Trucker
, Spinvis
, Do-The-Undo
and El Pino & the Volunteers
the band visited numerous venues in the Netherlands. In 2007 they did a Take-Away Show video session shot by Vincent Moon
. That session can be found on Crackle
.
The band opened 2007 with a show at the Noorderslag festival in Groningen. In early January the band also recorded a video for the song Northern Territory.
After the Noorderslag show on January 13 the rest of January and February were dedicated to touring abroad. Alamo Race Track plays at the De Nachten festival in Antwerp and follows this up with a three week streak of shows in France. The tour was a great success as almost all venues were sold out.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. They have released three full-length album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s. Their current effort, Unicorn Loves Deer, was released on March 21, 2011 in their native country.
Early days (2001-2002)
In 2001 the band Redivider lost keyboard player Diederik Nomden. The remaining members began what is now known as Alamo Race Track. They felt that Nomden's departure affected the band's sound, so they took on a new band name, Alamo Race Track. Under this name, David Corel, Guy Bours, Len Lucieer and Ralph Mulder started to record new demo tracks.After supporting Daryll-Ann
Daryll-Ann
Daryll-Ann was a Dutch rock band stemming from Ermelo, a small rural village in the east of the Netherlands. Between 1992 and 2004 the band released six studio albums, plus one live album. Daryll-Ann was the first signing of Dutch label Excelsior Recordings...
on a tour in early 2002, Excelsior Recordings
Excelsior Recordings
Excelsior Recordings is an independent record label located in Utrecht, Netherlands, born out of a love - for 7" vinyl, and anger - over almost-famous Dutch band’s Daryll-Ann's luck. First up was a single release; Nothing sucks like Electrolux...
signed the band. The following year the band played many high profile shows, resulting in good reviews from various Dutch magazines.
Birds At Home (2003-2005)
After completing several side projects, playing with Daryll-Ann and Bram Vermeulen, the members got back together in early 2003. Together with producer Frans Hagenaars the band recorded the tracks for their debut album, Birds At Home. These Sessions took place in Hagenaars' studio in WeespWeesp
Weesp is a town and a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It has a population of 17,533 .Weesp lies next to the rivers de Vecht and Smal Weesp and also next to the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal. It is in an area called the "Vechtstreek"...
. The album was completed in June of that year.
Birds At Home was released in the Netherlands on September 1, 2003. The album became a moderate success in the Dutch pop music charts.
The band plays a number of prestigious festivals in the Netherlands such as Noorderslag, The Music in My Head and Lowlands
A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise
A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise, also known as simply Lowlands, is a music festival, held annually in the Netherlands in August. Lowlands has about 55,000 visitors, over 200 acts and more than ten stages every year which are named according to the NATO phonetic alphabet apart from the Grolsch...
in 2003. In addition, Alamo Race Track visits England
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, playing at The City in Manchester and during the MusicWork showcase in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.
While playing at the South by South West festival in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
the band was noticed by a representative of Fargo Records. This meeting leads to a licensing deal for France. Birds At Home was released in France in early 2005. Following this, the band toured France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in June. The band's popularity in France exceeds that of the Netherlands.
Black Cat John Brown (2006-2009)
In mid-2006 the band began recording Black Cat John BrownBlack Cat John Brown
Black Cat John Brown is the second album by the band Alamo Race Track, released October 23, 2006. The album’s title track became a ‘hit’ on video site YouTube, where more than 541,000 people viewed the video within a two week time span. This video was recorded by faceculture.nl during the 10th...
. During this time, a dressing room performance of the song Black Cat John Brown found its way on to YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. Within two weeks the song was viewed by more than 541,000 people. This success translated into widespread media exposure in the Netherlands.
When the album was released in October it was received well amongst press and record buying audience. Black Cat John Brown reaches the number one spot in the Scherpe Rand Van Platenland, an alternative music chart in the Netherlands.
In December the band toured as part of the Fine Fine Music tour. Together with labelmates Ghost Trucker
Ghost Trucker (band)
Ghost Trucker plays alternative rock music with electronic flourishes. The band consists of Roald van Oosten , Asta Kat, Ralph Mulder , Rik Elstgeest and Jelte van Andel. The band released one album, The Grand Mystique in 2006.-History:In 2004 Van Oosten had already worked on numerous soundtrack...
, Spinvis
Spinvis
Spinvis is a Dutch one-man project centred around Erik de Jong . Using experimental, lo-fi music, Spinvis became an instant success in his home country, earning two gold records in the process and performing sold-out tours in both the Netherlands and Belgium.-Spinvis:In 2001, Erik de Jong, or...
, Do-The-Undo
Do-The-Undo
Do-The-Undo is the solo outfit of Anne Soldaat, former main singer of Daryll-Ann. The band released its self-titled debut record in January 2007 on Excelsior Recordings.-Biography:...
and El Pino & the Volunteers
El Pino & the Volunteers
El Pino & the Volunteers is a band from Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The band’s music mixes alt. rock with Americana. In 2006 the band’s debut album Molten City is released on Excelsior Recordings.-Biography:...
the band visited numerous venues in the Netherlands. In 2007 they did a Take-Away Show video session shot by Vincent Moon
Vincent Moon
Vincent Moon is an independent filmmaker from Paris mainly known for his field work music videos of indie rock related musicians as well as some notable mainstream artists like Tom Jones, R.E.M. or Arcade Fire. Besides making music videos he also makes experimental films and documentaries...
. That session can be found on Crackle
Crackle
Crackle is a digital network and studio, featuring commercially supported streaming video content in Flash Video format. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and its content consists primarily of Sony's library of films and television shows...
.
The band opened 2007 with a show at the Noorderslag festival in Groningen. In early January the band also recorded a video for the song Northern Territory.
After the Noorderslag show on January 13 the rest of January and February were dedicated to touring abroad. Alamo Race Track plays at the De Nachten festival in Antwerp and follows this up with a three week streak of shows in France. The tour was a great success as almost all venues were sold out.