A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!

Dear Friends,

So... we've got a huge announcement!! We're so excited we're just gonna blurt it out...

WE BOUGHT RAG*TRADE!!

That's right!! Miami's only green-conscious clothing exchange and indie boutique will now be an official part of the Sweat Records family. To answer a few questions: No, it wasn't it danger of closing - in fact it more than broke even it's first year out!! However, Rag*Trade's founder and our good friend Stephanie Spiegel got a great opportunity to travel that she couldn't refuse and we couldn't bear to let Miami lose such a cool and necessary local business.

We'll be keeping the clothing exchange aspect and expanding the boutique to include more local designers, a section for all the awesome local band shirts we're seeing (that we don't really have the space for at Sweat), as well as carrying some cutting-edge new clothing lines from around the world. Not only that, but we're going to continue to throw the awesome and extremely well-received Kraftworks craft fairs every month or so!!

We're so happy to have this new annex to be another outlet for Miami's creative community and just from word-of-mouth alone this week we've already received a ton of support. The shop's new hours will be Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 6pm, starting on May 9th. On Friday, May 30th, we'll be having a grand re-opening party to celebrate. In the meantime, please clean out your closets and come by as we'll be buying and trading for tons of new stock (and of course, all donations of pre-loved clothing are greatly appreciated)!!

Now we need to celebrate!! Tonight at The Vagabond, Sweat Records, MAP Magazine, and Sacre Bleu Wine present an evening with THE POSTMARKS!! This local pop band is making waves and tonight we're also celebrating the UK release of their debut album. Doors are at 10, there's a wine-tasting at 10.30 and The Postmarks play at 11.30. No cover all night so come on out!!

Last but not least, we've got a truly awesome in-store performance happening this Saturday evening. "Pure Imagination" is a locally-created radio show on WVUM 90.5 FM (Sundays at 6pm) which consists of darkly humorous stories told over hypnotic loops and beats by local musicians. Pure Imagination will be performing their new story "Four Aces The Hard Way" LIVE at Sweat with musical accompaniment by Nick Kruge!! For fans of This American Life, spoken word, and creative fiction, Pure Imagination is a MUST. Hear for yourself at myspace.com/pureimaginationshow and come to Sweat Saturday at 9 for the live experience!!

Thanks for everything, have a great weekend!!

Cheers,
Lolo, Jsin + the Sweat crew

P.S. The Rhythm Foundation is giving away 25 pairs of tickets to see Barcelona's PINKER TONES Saturday night at the North Beach Bandshell!! To snag a pair, email info@rhythmfoundation.com with the subject "Pinker Tones" - enjoy!!


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THIS JUST IN:

(Want something held for you? Call 305.758.5862 x5 between noon and midnight every day!)

*SPECIAL - We've received 4 copies of the SUPER limited edition PORTISHEAD VINYL BOX SET of their new album, aptly titled "THIRD"!! The box comes with the album on double LP, the limited etched 12" "Machine Gun" single, a P-shaped 1GB USB drive with the album's tracks on MP3 and exclusive videos pre-loaded into it, a limited edition piece of artwork by Nick Uff, and the whole thing entitles you to ongoing online updates, which usually means future b-sides and live tracks!! WHEW. Get it while you can!!

LP:
-Portishead "Third"
-Elvis Costello "Momofuku"
-Gnarls Barkley "St. Elsewhere"
-Death Cab For Cutie "I Will Possess Your Heart" 7"
-REM "Supernatural Superserious" 7"
-Built To Spill "Dont Try/The Source" 7"
-Black Keys "Strange Times" 7"
-Metallica "Kill 'Em All"
-Metallica "Ride The Lightning"
-Ratatat "Classics"
-Clinic "Do It"
-MGMT "Oracular Spectacular"
-Radiohead "In Rainbows"
-Radiohead "I Might Be Wrong"
-M.I.A. "Arular"
-Ciccone Youth "Whitey Album"
-My Bloody Valentine "Isn't Anything"
-Tool "Lateralus"
-Spank Rock "Yoyoyoyoyo"
-Spoon "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga"
-Spoon "Girls Can Tell"
-Spoon "A Series of Sneaks"
-The Cure "Three Imaginary Boys"
-CSS "Cansei De Ser Sexy"
-The Faint "Danse Macabre"
-Sonic Youth "Daydream Nation"
-Sonic Youth "Dirty"
-Sonic Youth "Murray Street"
-Boxcutter "Glyphic"
-Le Tigre "Le Tigre"
-Simian Mobile Disco "Attack Delay Sustain Release"
-Portishead "Machine Gun" 12" (ETCHED!! so cool...)
-M.I.A. "Boyz" 12"
-Postal Service "We Will Become Silhouettes" 12"
-Snoop Dogg "Sensual Seduction" 12"
AND TONS MORE PLUS TOO MANY NEW CDS TO TYPE OUT!!!!!!