OUT NOW: Dust from the Stars [ALBUM] by Team Smile and Nod

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Cover Art -Dust from the Stars

Thinkroot Records invites you to time travel to 10 years ago when Team Smile and Nod (Kara Square and Rich Ratvasky) created this electro pop rock album.

Team Smile and Nod released their sophomore album in 2011 and immediately began writing their 3rd album. After a mysterious 10 year band hiatus, Team Smile and Nod is pleased to present the album they promised way back then: Dust from the Stars.

Dust from the Stars is an electro pop album blending elements of rock, folk and experimental music throughout. The lyrics range from proclamations of love to contemplations on the power of words, and even a chilling murder ballad. The album is a thought-provoking collection of songs from a band that constantly evolves their sound.

You can buy or stream the album on Apple Music, Spotify, and all other major digital music sites.

OUT NOW: Full Moon, Starry Night

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Cover Art - Full Moon, Starry Night

Staring up at the night sky with tears in her eyes, Kara Square wrote this lullaby for her father. It is the last thing she sang to him.

Piero Peluche’s arrangement features the Turkish kemençe and the Indian bulbul tarang, powerfully supporting the emotional lyrics with a mournful, yet celebratory world music timbre.

The instrumental version is a dreamy ukulele folk rock lullaby that reflects on love and loss. It can be licensed on Thinkroot Records.

*This song is dedicated to William J. Sherman with love.*

Full Moon, Starry Night” is available to buy or stream on all major digital music sites:

OUT NOW: Black Cat (9 A.M.)

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Cover Art - Black Cat

Black Cat (9 A.M.)” is an acoustic world music folk song that celebrates the magical, feel good moments of life. Paulina Stolarczuk and Viper ITB, two musicians from Poland, composed the cheerful music and reached out to their friend across the North Atlantic Ocean to collaborate. As soon as U.S. folk singer Kara Square heard the happy track, she was excited to sing along and play harmonica. Paulina pinned the lyrics in Polish for the first verse and chorus, then asked Kara to translate them to English for the second. Viper ITB expertly integrated the vocals and music for a polished production. The trio invites you to experience this joyful moment where they believe “the world is full of wonders around every corner.”

Black Cat (9 A.M.)” is available to buy or stream on all major digital music sites:

OUT NOW: Perfect Storm

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Cover Art - Perfect Storm

Utilizing the juxtaposition of feel good alternative folk rock paired with piercing political lyrics, Kara Square and Piero Peluche’s “Perfect Storm” is an anti-racism anthem for monumental societal change. When black lives matter, everyone is free.

Perfect Storm” is available to buy or stream on all major digital music sites:

bandcamp
Jamendo
Spotify
Apple Music
Google Play
Amazon


You can license “Perfect Storm” for your projects here.

OUT NOW: Stayin’ at Home

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Cover Art - Stayin' at Home

Stayin’ at Home” by Kara Square and Piero Peluche is a tongue-in-cheek post-punk, new wave track about the day to day life of those of us sheltering in place through the COVID-19 pandemic. The days are blending together as the weeks turn into months, but this is how we keep each other safe. Human lives are worth it.

If you’re one of the many brave essential workers who keep physically going to work, you are an amazing human being who deserves hazard pay, free health care, protective equipment, paid sick leave, massive respect, and far more. Thank you for all you’re doing to keep society going.

Stayin’ at Home” is available on these sites+:

bandcamp
Jamendo
Spotify
Apple Music
Google Play
Amazon


You can license “Stayin’ at Home” for your projects here.

OUT NOW: Numbers with Piero Peluche

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Cover Art - NUMBERS

Full of compassion and love, “Numbers” by Kara Square and Piero Peluche is an alternative folk rock anthem for the time. The bulbul tarang, lap steel guitar, and guitalele add an unique sound to this trippy and absorbing arrangement. The message is one we all need to keep in our minds: together we will get through this.

We are all just people
Seeing charts and numbers
We are all the people
Behind the numbers

When numbers represent
Sickness and death
Trust the scientists
Trust the evidence

Numbers” is available from the following sites+:

bandcamp
Jamendo
Spotify
Apple Music
Google Play
Amazon

OUT NOW: Numbers

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You can now listen to “Numbers” on all the digital music sites. Here’s my favorite line (inspired by a conversation with my wife, Katie):

With warm hearts and cool heads
With compassion and kindness
Together we will overcome
Together we will get through this

I process things by writing songs… the purpose of this song is to inspire courage, compassion, and kindness in us all. I hope you find it inspiring and uplifting.


Numbers” is available from the following sites+:

bandcamp
Jamendo
Spotify
Apple Music
Google Play
Amazon

OUT NOW: Roses & Thorns DOUBLE ALBUM

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Roses & Thorns‘ is a double album release by Kara Square and Piero Peluche. It is an anthology of their collaborations since their 2014 album ‘Square Meter.’ All of the tracks have been meticulously remastered by Piero Peluche.

Roses‘ focuses on the personal side of their songwriting, while ‘Thorns‘ puts a spotlight on the political. Of course, the personal is often political and the political is very much personal, so there is a natural thematic overlap album to album.

Roses & Thorns‘ is available from the following sites+:

bandcamp
Jamendo
Spotify
Apple Music
Google Play
Amazon