Blackberry Way Records

04/25/2025

https://blackberrywayrecords.com/album/3388712/fight-for-your-freedom
Originally released in 1985 under the title “Blackberry Way” The Idle Strands second album has been remixed by Michael Owens in 2025 @ Blackberry Way and Mastered by Frank Arkwright @ Abbey Road. Radio promotion by Tom Kay & Bobby Applegate garnered airplay around the country in 1985 along with rave reviews internationally including Nineteen Flights Rock Paris, Berlin City Magazine, Album Network, CMJ and The Mpls Star Tribune. The song "Tonight" appears in season two of Steven Soderbergh's "Red Oaks" on Amazon Prime TV.

Fight For Your Freedom, the 2nd album from Twin Cities trio The Idle Strand, is a feast of sound - killer, exuberant songs, expertly played and sung. Frontmen Michael Owens and Gary Menne sing nearly everything together and it’s their signature sound, brimming with melody and harmonies. Michael, Gary, and extraordinary drummer Kevin Glynn, write the stylistically varied material. First released in 1985, remixed in 2024, and mastered at Abbey Road. Catchy, thoughtful pop-rock that you won’t be able to get out of your head (the title song may actually resonate more in these confounding times than it did in its initial run).

-Peter Jesperson/Co-Founder Twin/Tone Records/A&R

The trio’s second album shows the players have a command of various styles of 60’s pop with an 80’s feel. The Idle Strand is on target with “Girl,” a dreamy number that evokes the Everly Brothers.- Jon Bream/ Mpls Star Tribune

“Good combination of X’s harmonies and the Smith’s guitar work…not to be missed.”- Rockpool Magazine

“Pop guitar band in the true sense of the word, merging the 60’s and the 80’s into one modern sound!” - Boston Rock Magazine

“Flirtations with Everly Brothers tributes and a range of styles from Fingerprints like takes to blues, surf licks and rockabilly-touched originals all from the endless corners of pop musicdom show they’ve got the chops to make the rock work on their own terms”- Martin Keller

BLACKBERRY WAY RECORDS adds another song to season 2 of Steven Soderbergh’s “Red Oaks” for Amazon TV. THE IDLE STRAND song “Tonight” appears in episode # 10. You can find some great reviews of the show below. We are proud to have currently placed 5 songs in this critically acclaimed TV show.

"The music really gives it a thing," "I thought it informed it so much." Says Paul Reiser who plays the character Getty a successful director and former Red Oaks member who also stared in Diner, Beverly Hills Cop and Aliens. One of the show's music supervisors, Devoe Yates, painstakingly dedicated himself to finding lost gems from the era that would evoke the early Eighties without relying too heavily on warhorse VH1 I Love the 80's staples. "I signed onto Billboard and went week by week through all the charts," he says. "I've been downloading all these soundtracks from the Eighties – Mannequin, Real Genius, Three O'Clock High. Some of them are hard to find." - Kory Grow/Rolling Stone Magazine

"A mash-up of The Graduate’s melancholy and Caddyshack’s teen hijinks" Steven Soderbergh Makes 80s Nostalgia Revolutionary"- Vanity Fair

"I was watching Red Oaks on Amazon Prime which takes place in the 80s. The soundtrack may be one of the greatest collection of 80s pop/rock ever in a TV show or movie. - Steve Hoffman Music Forums/Forgotten 70s/80s Rock/Pop

The Idle Strand: Michael Owens: Vocals, Guitars Gary Menne: Vocals, Bass, Organ Kevin Glynn: Drums, Percussion https://blackberrywayrecords.com/album/3388712/fight-for-your-freedom

12/06/2024

Nice review from Strutterzine !
by GABOR KLEINBLOESEM/editor Strutterzine in Holland, The Netherlands
The 1980s must have been an amazing period to discover new bands all across the USA, but sadly thousands of them were never noticed and remained obscure for most of us. SWING SET is one of those rare bands that did found fame and fortune in their area of the USA, but elsewhere they did not get that much attention I’m afraid, so their album Life Speeds Up from 1985 is a rarity, which thankfully now gets a new life in the shape of this CD re-issue on BLACKBERRY WAY RECORDS (and it concerns a 2024 mastering at Abbey Road!). The band came out of the Minneapolis, MN, USA area, and consisted of Dan Prozinski, Michael Nilles (guitars & vocals), David Nussbaum (keyboards), Mick Wirtz (drums & vocals) & Ric Studer (bass & vocals), and actually they released 3 albums on Blackberry Way Records as well as appearing on the compilation album "Mini Hits Of Mpls (The Best Of Blackberry Way. Also three tracks from Life Speeds Up have been placed in TV shows including Stanger Things and The OA on Netflix, Young Sheldon CBS and Red Oaks on Amazon TV. The album Life Speeds Up has that typical 80s sound, commercial enough for radio and alternative enough for the music critics among us, finding a right balance between 80s indie/light post-punk/new wave and 80s Northern American AOR/Melodic Poprock. Songs like Blackout, Runaway, Walking In The Night, Knock Knock and Laying Low are quite superb uptempo melodic poprockers that should have become huge hits for sure! I am glad that I got the opportunity to hear this lost underground classic, because now they get another chance for others to hear such lovely tunes as the aforementioned tracks. They are musically speaking not too far away from bands like THE CHAMELEONS, THE SOUND and THE CHURCH (Victim is a song that is really close to that band) and such, yet they do capture a touch of 80s midwestern AOR/Poprock as well, which makes them also recommended to fans of that genre, while I can also hear a bit of THE POLICE here and there. I think you’ll now understand that this is a fantastic catchy underrated classic that you need to check out a.s.a.p.! More info can be found at: https://blackberrywayrecords.com/ and you can check out this album directly at: https://blackberrywayrecords.com/album/2892212/life-speeds-up

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

For ten strong years, from 1983 to 1993, Swing Set reigned as the Twin Cities' finest exponents of hook laden, guitar driven pure pop. Their cool-edged, rock/pop sound sent the group's first album “Life Speeds Up” quickly into the top 50 of the U.S./Boston Rocks college charts and received comme...

11/25/2024

Terri (Braatz) Owens a veteran of The Minneapolis music scene releases her first solo project Christmas Time Without You. Taylor Clarik of the Dispatch included Terri as one of the best guitar players in the Twin Cities citing her work in THE APRIL FOOLS. In the early 1980’s Terri toured extensively with THE BABYSITTERS fronted by Roxxy Hall followed by a five year stint in THE FLAMIN’ OH’s, fronted by Robert Wilkinson. The band recorded two LP’s for Blackberry Way Records including the Billboard recommended record “Paint the Sky”. The title track (Composed by Terri & Robert) garnered extensive airplay on FM stations in Minneapolis as well as reginal airplay in the five state area and beyond. The song “Skinny Legs” has been placed in the Steven Soderberg produced “Red Oaks” for Amazon TV. Next up Terri joined Rounder Records recording artists TETES NOIRES for a tour of the east coast that kicked off at the infamous World Theatre in ST Paul and included dates at The Knitting Factory in NY and Maxwells in Hoboken, NJ. In 1988 TETES NOIRES lead singer Camille Gage directed a father’s day performance at The Walker Art Center that included Terri’s song “Oh Daddy” later released on MICHAEL OWENS CD The Devil’s Doorway. In 1989 Jimmy Jam hosted a New Year’s Eve show on TPT Channel 2 TV in Mpls. THE DAUGHTERS OF INVENTION, featuring Camille Gage and Terri Owens both late of TETES NOIRES, closed out the show with their original composition “BRAVE HAPPY NEW YEAR.” The song was recorded and released by TRUANT LOVERS on Blackberry Way in 2012. She joined the power pop band SONICBOUQUET featuring songwriter extraordinaire Robert Langhorst. The band released several records on Blackberry Way and opened for Tommy Keene at First Avenues 7th Street Entry. Next up was a stint in AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE featured at The Basilica Block Party followed by several years and two CD’s released by Blackberry Way recording artists THE APRIL FOOLS. Along with husband Michael Owens she composed “CANDY CANE GIRL” garnering airplay around the world. Terri plays on numerous recordings as a session musician including Mandolin on The Leatherwoods release for Peter Jesperson’s Twin/Tone Records offshoot Medium Cool that featured Tim O’Reagan currently with THE JAYHAWKS. She also contributed vocals on THE IDLE STRANDS “She’s Got Everything” that was placed in the ABC TV show Wicked City.

Terri Owens: Vocals, Guitars

Ben Kaplan: Drums

Nick Salisbury: Bass

Engineered & Produced by Michael Owens @ Blackberry Way 2024

Mastered @ Abbey Road by Andy Walter 2024

Christmas Time Without You by Terri Lynn Owens

11/13/2024

Really nice review of Swing Sets "Life Speeds Up" from Zachary Mule Carlyle, Illinois
Mad genius Michael Owens is at it again! He has remixed Swing Set’s 1986 debut, LIFE SPEEDS UP, and then traveled to Abbey Road Studios (yeah… THAT Abbey Road Studios!) to oversee Andy Walter’s remastering of the 10-track masterpiece. Now, for all to enjoy (and the faithful who owned the original, to reminisce over), the album is available from Blackberry Way Records in all of its “purdied-up” grandeur. And… it only took nearly 40 years!

SWING SET, circa 1985 (DAN PROZINSKI, MICK WIRTZ, RIC STUDER, DAVE NUSSBAUM, MIKE NILLES) (publicity photo)
The Twin Cities’ Swing Set – formed in 1983 – were singers/guitarists Mike Nilles and Dan Prozinski, singer/bassist Ric Studer, keyboardist Dave Nussbaum and drummer Mick Wirtz. By the time they recorded LIFE SPEEDS UP two years later, they were a well-oiled Rock ‘n’ Roll machine and upon the record’s 1986 release, the band found their way onto the Top 50 college charts. Clearly, Swing Set were a group on the rise. Unfortunately, the success was short-lived and, though they released two more albums, the quintet went their separate ways in 1993. In recent years, there has been a mini-resurgence with several tunes showing up on the soundtracks to such hit television fare as STRANGER THINGS and YOUNG SHELDON. So, to quote the cunning linguist Bugs Bunny, “What’s all the hubbub, Bub?” Well, I’ma tell ya, Mister Bunny.

The album kicks off with the atmospheric “Blackout,” a mid-tempo rocker with a memorable, jangly guitar riff, haunting piano and some of the smoothest vocal work (with leads by Nilles) this side of Motown. The track was used in the second episode of Season Two of STRANGER THINGS. On “Laying Low,” Wirtz punches up his delivery with a more forceful approach behind the kit and the guitars take on a Cure-like feel while maintaining a fresh charm that appears to be Swing Set’s signature sound. Studer continues to impress on bass and his lead vocals are equally as solid. The vocalist merry-go-round is completed on “Runaway” as Dan Prozinski takes over those duties here, which offers a rather tribal backbeat and minimalist – but quite effective – instrumentation. “Victim” is pure New Wave Power Pop, hitting on all cylinders with a throbbing bass line, a couple of nice guitar solos and an emotive Mike Nilles vocal. This is the first lyric on the album to actually connect with me. The first of two “bonus” tracks is Dan Prozinski’s “Knock Knock,” recorded in 1988 with bassist Kevin Foley (Kevin, who played in Tommy Stinson’s post -Replacements band, Bash and Pop, passed away in 2011). The song features one of the best lines I’ve ever heard: “Knock me down/I’ve seen that fist before/Knock knock/Comin’ back for more.” If you’re a fan of the show YOUNG SHELDON, “Knock Knock” may sound familiar, as it appeared on the soundtrack. “Walking In the Night” closed out the first side of the original vinyl. It’s another Nilles-authored tune, with his vocals riding along the chugging, percolating bottom end supplied by Mick Wirtz and Ric Studer. There’s an unspoken danger in the lyrics… more implied than any literal threat of violence. It seems that this Swing Set is intent to up the ante just a little more with each song.

SWING SET today (DAN PROZINSKI, MICK WIRTZ, RIC STUDER, DAVE NUSSBAUM, MIKE NILLES) (photo credit: HUTCH)
Lyrically, “Lost Track” has a lot happening. With allusions and imagery of trains and railroads, the number also evokes a kind of mental anguish over a lost love (or love lost) and, maybe even a sense of hopelessness… or determination. Like I said, Dan’s lyrics, while powerful, are so (purposefully?) open-ended that the meaning may very well be dependent upon the listener’s mood. Or… you know, to paraphrase Freud, “Sometimes a train is just a train.” “The Dance,” with its odd, waltzy feel and pace, finds Ric back on lead vocal duties. Every instrument is played in exactly the proper way that a New Wave-Power Pop waltz should be played, from the understated (yet somehow powerful) stick-work of Mick Wirtz to Studer’s minimal approach to the bass, from the twin lead guitars of Prozinski and Nilles to Dave Nussbaum’s keyboard work underpinning it all before rising to the fore with a short, beautiful piano solo toward the tune’s end. Mixed only slightly louder than the instrumentation is Ric Studer’s voice, a virtual haunting from spirits past. The chorus adds to the forelorn, wispy feel: “And you know what I Know/And you see what I see/And I know what you know about me.” Next up is “I’m On Fire,” the hardest rocking number here; given that, it doesn’t abandon Swing Set’s Pop leaning. Mike’s vocals are not over-the-top aggressive, but Wirtz’s more adventurous drumming alongside Ric’s pumping bass lends that impression. And… was that an accordian back there somewhere in the mix or just a bit of Nussbaum keyboard trickery? Either way, it definitely works well within the confines of this track. “Sincerity” is the second and final bonus cut, with Dan on lead vocals and, once more, the late Kevin Foley on bass. It’s another hard-hitting rocker that somehow puts me in mind of U2, but without that annoying Bono guy (I must say, though, that I did like the stuff he did with Cher). The final Ric Studer vocal lead is “Rain On Our Parade,” a slow-simmering piece of Pop confection. While the tune evokes the feeling of a rainy Saturday, watching TV or playing games or… whatever one does to pass the time while waiting for the rain to stop and the sun to emerge from the clouds, it definitely is not the downer that the title implies. Last and certainly not least is “So Long.” The slowly-paced double entendre works, as any good double entendre should, on a couple of levels: “I’ve waited so long for you” or “So long, gonna miss you.” A fitting end to another solid release from Blackberry Way Records.

SWING SET, 2024 Abbey Road Studios mastering session (Michael Owens, Terri Owens, Andy Walter) (publicity photo)
The newly-remastered LIFE SPEEDS UP is available from Blackberry Way Records on CD or as a download.

SWING SET: LIFE SPEEDS UP (REMASTER) (BLACKBERRY WAY RECORDS; 2024) Mad genius Michael Owens is at it again! He has remixed Swing Set’s 1986 debut, LIFE SPEEDS UP, and then traveled to Abbey Road Studios (yeah… THAT Abbey Road Studios!) to oversee Andy Walter’s remastering of the 10-track mast...

10/22/2024

Get on down to HiFi Hair and Records, Roadrunner Records, The Electric Fetus and Lucky Cat Records to grab Swing Set's "Life Speeds Up" and other Blackberry Way Records release's.

10/08/2024

PHOENIX RECORDS has added two tracks from Swing Set’s “Life speeds Up” release on two of their Spotify playlists. I’m On Fire has been added to The Indie Spot
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/43NxhuQpSDxj2LZzVrmp1A
Runaway has been added to Rock-Hard Rock
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5fraA8N4GHbcXgZYDGjgM1

10/03/2024

Check out the exclusive interview with Blackberry Way recoding artist’s “Swing Set”. They make awesome music fans, you should definitely tap in!🙏🔥📣🎸
Get a copy of their music here: https://blackberrywayrecords.com/.../2892212/life-speeds-up

Indie and Major Music blog owned by Flyah Entertainment. We post articles that are mostly hip hop and indie music.

10/02/2024

https://www.rattlermag.com/home/swing-set-life-speeds-up
Nice post from Rattler Magazine. Rattler is a tasteful, if sometimes irreverent, noisemaker on emerging music, art, and culture for fun-loving people of all stripes.

For ten strong years, from 1983 to 1993, Swing Set reigned as the Twin Cities' finest exponents of hook laden, guitar driven pure pop. Their cool-edged, rock/pop sound sent the group's first album “Life Speeds Up” quickly into the top 50 of the U.S./Boston Rocks college charts and received comme...

09/27/2024

Blackberry Way Records has inked a licensing deal with Tramp Records in Germany for The Fingerprints track "Wasted On You" composed by Michael Owens for inclusion on the compilations album entitled "Praise Poems Vol 12 to be released in Europe in may 2025.

I really loved Fingerprints. They were such an under-appreciated band. They had a rockin’ feel. Their live shows were incredible with the lead singer doing backflips during the show. David Pirner/Soul Asylum In the fertile late 70s Minneapolis scene, the highly skilled and intense five-piece band ...

09/25/2024

Swing Set has been added for broadcast on Episode 1 of The Mark & Wayne Show on Glacer FM Seattle, Washington. Tune in on line!
Episode 1 airs Fridays on Glacer FM starting at exactly 10:15 p.m. EST. Glacer FM is an independent online radio station Broadcasting 24/7 live from London, New York, Los Angeles, beyond.

GLACER MIX PLAYS THE BEST OF NEW MUSIC IN A WIDE VARIETY GENRES! Your #1 music channel for Pop, Alternative, Blues, Jazz, Classical, Dance, Reggae, House, Electronic and World music to the African and Traditional Music GenresContact UsGLACER RCM PLAYS THE BEST OF ROCK, COUNTRY AND METAL MUSIC!Your #...

09/24/2024

https://blackberrywayrecords.com/reviews-news
International airplay and accolades for Swing Set’s reissue of “Life Speeds Up” include Radio Chart Bremen Germany, Pirate Radio WKKC Port St. Lucie, Florida, WPRB 103.3 FM Princeton NJ, WVMM Messiah College, 104.8 FM Mallorca Hits Ibiza Spain, 98.2 FM Palma de Mallorca Balearic Islands in Spain, European Indie Music Network Italy, WPRB 103.3 FM Princeton NJ, WVMM - Messiah College Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania, Radio Seagull Celtica Radio New Music Radio Show presented by Rachel Stock Bridgend South Wales and The Mark & Wayne Show on Glacer FM Seattle,Washington

Reviews & News. Blackberry Way Records, a label from Mound

08/30/2024

https://50artists50states.com/swing-set/
A nice 9 OUT OF 10 REVIEW FROM 50ARTISTS50STATES for Swing Set's "Life Speeds Up" reissue from Blackberry Way Records.

9 OUT OF 10 REVIEW FROM 50ARTISTS50STATES.COM Swing Set For ten strong years, from 1983 to 1993, Swing Set reigned as the Twin Cities' finest exponents of hook laden, guitar driven pure pop. Their cool-edged, rock/pop sound sent the group's first album Life Speeds Up quickly into the top 50 of the