We hope you can join us on Thursday, July 25th at 4:00 PM when we host American Aquarium in the record store to celebrate the release of their new album The Fear of Standing Still ! BJ Barham from the band will perform a short, solo set in the shop to be immediately followed by a Fear of Standing Still album signing. You can preorder your copy now on limited edition “Blue Jean” colored vinyl and CD in the shop or on our site here and score a wristband for American Aquarium’s signing. Wristbands guarantee entrance to our event and are required to participate in our signing for all 13+.
For nearly two decades, American Aquarium have pushed toward that rare form of rock-and-roll that’s revelatory in every sense. “For us the sweet spot is when you’ve got a rock band that makes you scream along to every word, and it’s not until you’re coming down at three a.m. that you realize those words are saying something real about your life,” says Barham. “That’s what made us fall in love with music in the first place, and that’s the goal in everything we do.”
On The Fear of Standing Still, the North Carolina-bred band embody that dynamic with more intensity than ever before, endlessly matching their gritty breed of country-rock with Barham’s bravest and most incisive songwriting to date (lead single “Crier” - co-written with Stephen Wilson Jr - is a great example). As he reflects on matters both personal and sociocultural—e.g., the complexity of Southern identity, the intersection of generational trauma and the dismantling of reproductive rights—American Aquarium instill every moment of The Fear of Standing Still with equal parts unbridled spirit and illuminating empathy.
Recorded live at the legendary Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, The Fear of Standing Still marks American Aquarium’s second outing with producer Shooter Jennings—a three-time Grammy winner who also helmed production on 2020’s critically lauded Lamentations, as well as albums from the likes of Brandi Carlile and Tanya Tucker. In a departure from the stripped-down subtlety of 2022’s Chicamacomico (a largely acoustic rumination on grief), the band’s tenth studio LP piles on plenty of explosive riffs and hard-charging rhythms, bringing a visceral energy to the most nuanced and poetic of lyrics. “In our live show the band’s like a freight train that never lets up, and for this record I really wanted to showcase how big and anthemic we can be,” notes Barham, whose bandmates include guitarist Shane Boeker, pedal-steel guitarist Neil Jones, keyboardist Rhett Huffman, drummer Ryan Van Fleet, and bassist Alden Hedges.
Our event with American Aquarium’s BJ Barham is going to be a great one and we hope you’ll be able to be here to help welcome The Fear of Standing Still into the world with us! This is a free and all ages performance but if you want to participate in our signing and guarantee your spot in the shop, be sure to place your preorder for the album on vinyl or CD to secure your wristband. And next time you’re in the shop, be sure to register to win tickets to American Aquarium’s upcoming show on Wednesday, October 2nd at The Basement East. We’ll be selecting our ticket winner in early August.
American Aquarium’s The Fear of Standing Still “Blue Jean” color vinyl LP