Long Beach Music Collective’s Halloween compilation cover art by Jessica Weymouth. Courtesy of Alex Hattick.
The Long Beach Music Collective (LBMC) is taking over 4th Street Vine this upcoming Monday evening to celebrate the release of its original Halloween compilation, Fangs for Everything.
Fangs for Everything, a nine-track album featuring a roster of nine local musicians, follows the LBMC’s successful summer release, Anything’s Popsicle. All but one act—Queen Califia, a fresh acoustic folk duo with Loryn Ruiz and Kelsey Landazuri—is a returning LBMC artist.
“The songs this time have some span in their styles,” says Alex Hattick, the LBMC founder who writes and performs as Hellgal. “It really captures a little snippet of what is going on in the Long Beach music scene right now.”
LBMC’s seasonal compilations are a DIY effort led by Hattick, who formed the collective last December with the launch of Santa-mental, the inaugural release that featured a dozen Long Beach musicians. Hattick, who with her roommate runs a monthly creative salon in her living room, particularly felt compelled to provide a larger platform for her closeted musician friends who were too shy to perform around town.
Being exposed to such hidden talents gave her a reason to push the LBMC forward. Another reason for LBMC, she explains, is to challenge busy musicians like herself (she works full-time as a social worker) to produce new material every season.
Cover art is another significant piece to each compilation, Hattick explains. Each release features work by different local artists. This compilation’s cover art, an enchanting watercolor moon, was created by Jessica Weymouth.
“I saw Jessica’s work and immediately wanted it because it took my breath away,” Hattick says. “I liked that it shows a different style than the past covers. I wanted to make it a point to encompass some different styles, both in the music as well as the cover art.”
The Fangs for Everything release show begins at 6:30PM. There is no cover, but attendees are encouraged to bring cash to purchase a hard copy of Fangs for Everything. Patrons will receive a ticket, which they can use for a tarot card reading from Sapphire (Order of the High Priestess) or a live portrait drawn by a caricature artist. Costumes are encouraged.
Astrolazer will kick off the night at 7:00PM, followed by King Kang, Queen Califia and The Crooked Squares. Hellgal will close out the night.
Albums will be available for digital download and streaming on Bandcamp and Soundcloud. Hard copies will be available at Fingerprints Records and Third Eye Records. LBMC will be releasing 150 copies total, for $5 each.