Squarewave (CD release)

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Squarewave

Saturday, Jan. 21, 9:45 pm, Harmony Bar and Grill

This venerable Madison psych-pop outfit took their sweet time following up on their 2009 album, Throwing Stones, but the wait was worth it. Their newest release, A Tighter Knot, is a must-listen for fans of deep synth grooves, driving rhythms and lush, folk-inspired melodies. Squarewave’s original songwriting team of Jeff Jagielo and Patrick Connaughty (who used to be Ivory Library) is joined by Alivia Kleinfeldt and Brendan Manley, whose main band Dash Hounds is also on the bill. With Phil Davis and Stone Prairie.

press release: The psychedelic folk-rock band Squarewave will headline a record release party at The Harmony Bar and Grill Saturday January 21 to celebrate the release on Artisanal Records of its world-class new record, A Tighter Knot. Squarewave band members Jeff Jagielo and Pat Connaughty wrote, recorded and produced the 14 new songs.

Moving seamlessly between folk-rock, psychedelic neo-grunge, prog-rock and buoyant pop, A Tighter Knot is a complex and intense kaleidoscope of sound. Hooky, chiming guitars, ethereal voices and layers of synthesizers create a dense, shimmering tapestry of sound. The record was seven years in the making, recorded in relative obscurity by members Jeff Jagielo and Pat Connaughty in Jagielo’s Wautoma garage studio.

“Jeff and I are reclusive by nature,” says Connaughty, “but the honesty and scope of the sound we’re creating could not be more inclusive. While we do write music foremost for ourselves, we also believe that at some point that we all feel the same and many people should be able to relate to it.”

“Squarewave is creating sophisticated and original one-of-a-kind psychedelic folk-rock,” says Vig. “I started working with Jeff at Smart Studios nearly 30 years ago as the producer of his then band Ivory Library. From the beginning the music was mysterious, ethereal and instantly identifiable. A Tighter Knot is brilliantly recorded, with layered guitar playing and an ambitious, near epic production.”

A Tighter Knot is the first release of the new Madison record company, Artisanal Records. Artisanal was founded in 2016 to find and promote independent musical artists that deserve a wider hearing and greater notice. The record company is guided by the artisan philosophy of producing hand crafted, high quality, uncompromised small-batch art works.

Special guests at the Harmony show will be The Dash Hounds, and Phil Davis and Stone Prairie, who will precede Squarewave on the bill. Tickets will be $10. Check the Artisanal Records website for a special Squarewave record release package.