Okay, so when I originally posted about Desert Records starting its Legends of the Desert series of splits with Palehorse/Palerider and Lord Buffalo, it was set to release in June. And — get this — it was going to coincide with LIVE SHOWS! Can you imagine living in that world? Well, just about everyone else on the planet is starting to imagine things like that (sorry, Brazil), but apparently an essential component of all things modern Americana is being fucked over unless you’re impossibly wealthy, so here we are. Legends of the Desert Vol. 1 — which rules, by the way — is out Aug. 21, and if you’re holding your breath for live shows, well, I hope you have something soft to land on when you pass out.

Desert Records notes below that the series will run seven LPs over the course of three years. That seems smart to me. Two or three a year max, and it’s probably planned out well in advance. Of course, anyone currently alive knows that plans can change — and these already have if you’re going by release dates — but we can see here Desert Records operating in the spirit of Ripple Music‘s The Second Coming of Heavy, if more specific in its mission.

More on that below, courtesy of the PR wire:

LEGENDS OF THE DESERT Vol. 1 Featuring Palehorse/Palerider & Lord Buffalo Drops August 21st

Desert Records is excited to announce this new compilation series. Spanning seven albums total over the course of three years, the series will include legendary Desert Rock bands (to be announced) mixed in with new and upcoming bands.

“This is the soundtrack to the New West. The focus of the Legends of the Desert is to provide a modern perspective to the antiquated ‘Wild West’ we have etched in our brains. These songs and tales are not told by the same ol’ perspective of the white male Cowboy. These are narratives told by those who never got their stories heard. We will hear from musicians, artists, Natives, outlaws, desert rats, desert dwellers, cactuses and mesas, ravens and roadrunners, snakes and endless skies. Fuck John Wayne, Fuck his lame racist ass, and Fuck the horse he rode in on. This is Legends of the Desert.”

-Brad Frye
Owner/Operator
Desert Records

Pre-orders for Legends of the Desert Vol. 1 on limited edition vinyl, CD and digital are located at:
https://desertrecords.bandcamp.com/album/legends-of-the-desert-volume-1-palehorse-palerider-lord-buffalo

desertrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://palehorsepalerider1.bandcamp.com/
https://lord-buffalo.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/palehorse.palerider.denver/
https://www.instagram.com/palehorsepalerider/
https://www.facebook.com/lord.buffalo.band/
https://www.instagram.com/lordbuffalo/
https://www.facebook.com/desertrecordslabel/
https://desertrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://desertrecords.bigcartel.com/

Palehorse/Palerider & Lord Buffalo, Legends of the Desert Vol. 1 (2020)

Lord Buffalo, Tohu Wa Bohu (2020)

Palehorse/Palerider, Fire Gone Out/Haxan (2019)

Albuquerque-based imprint Desert Records would seem to be working on the Ripple Music model in terms of embarking on a new series of splits, which it has opted to call Legends of the Desert, and you might note that the first installment of the series — which isn’t to be confused with that of the same name run by H42 Records to coincide with Desertfest London and Berlin — comes with a definitive end date in mind as well. Given production schedules and the fact that this isn’t all Desert Records is planning to put out in that time, seven vinyl releases of any sort over two years is an ambitious undertaking, as I think PostWax could probably confirm if Ripple can’t, but they’ve got their modus in the right place with the first pairing, which brings together Austin’s Lord Buffalo and Denver’s Palehorse/Palerider and is due out June 12.

You ever have one of those bands you avoided listening to because you knew you’d dig it and you kind of felt like maybe you didn’t have the energy to spare for the emotional commitment of actually undertaken a considered listen of their work? That’s me and Palehorse/Palerider. I knew I’d be into it, but I hadn’t actually listened to them for the first time until putting this post together. And you know what? I dig it. Not a surprise.

Desert Records sent the announcement down the PR wire. For what it’s worth, I heart-emoji Sister Bar, should you happen to be in the neighborhood:

“Legends of the Desert” new album series by Desert Records

Desert Records is excited to announce a new compilation series called “Legends of the Desert”. The series kicks off on June 12th with the release featuring the split with Lord Buffalo (Austin, TX) and Palehorse/Palerider (Denver, CO).
Spanning seven albums total over the course of two years, the series will include legendary Desert Rock bands (to be announced) mixed in with new and upcoming bands.

“Legends of the Desert” meaning is a double entendre, with the most obvious referring to the legendary Desert Rock bands that will be featured throughout the series. The second meaning is “musical tales or legends of the desert”, reflected in the songs from all the bands.

The artist for the series will Joshua Mathus (Phoenix, AZ) , the creator of the comic Sherbet Lock and stunning album covers for bands over the years.

The albums will be released on limited edition 12″ Vinyl LP, deluxe CD, and on all digital platforms worldwide via Desert Records.

Each album release will be accompanied by the “Legends of the Desert release shows in each of the band’s cities.

Lord Buffalo / Palehorse/Palerider “Legends of the Desert” upcoming shows
June 26th – Albuquerque, NM – Sister Bar
June 27th – Denver, CO – High Dive

https://www.facebook.com/desertrecordslabel/
https://desertrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://desertrecords.bigcartel.com/

Lord Buffalo, Tohu Wa Bohu (2020)

Palehorse/Palerider, Fire Gone Out/Haxan (2019)