The physical store and the Graveface record label are both operated by Ryan Graveface, who moved to Savannah a few years ago following a flood that destroyed much of his label’s inventory.

Now, with the lawsuit over and some of the surviving inventory available, Graveface Records has launched a $33,200 fundraising campaign on IndieGoGo. As I write this, campaign is almost halfway to the goal.

But this isn’t fundraising in a charitable sense really, since supporters are getting some pretty awesome rewards for their contributions/purchases. I’m considering the $30 option, for example:

New/sealed copy of ‘Shrieks/Creaks’ from 2009. Limited to 500 hand-numbered copies. 7″ hypnotic picture disc with glow packaging. Comes with the exclusive Marshmallow Ghosts 2013 10″ and a die cut GF logo sticker. Includes shipping AND insurance in the US.

All that for just $30? No wonder the campaign is going so well. (Btw, unlike Kickstarter, IndieGoGo campaigns don’t require reaching the goal for any funding at all. So whatever you buy from Graveface, that’s what you’ll get.)

From the campaign description:

In 2010 I endured an awful flood in the warehouse of my former distributor. They were contractually obliged to have insurance, but in real life, they chose not to carry any. This started a 3-year-long legal back and forth that finally ended in late June. The end result of this for Graveface is twofold: 1) I have gotten back an incredible amount of stock that I haven’t had in years and 2) I owe a disturbing amount in legal fees. So, enter you guys – both fans of what I do and complete strangers that are just looking for specific releases/rarities that pique your interest. I thought a crowd-funding platform would make the most amount of sense for this purpose. There are a ton of tiers.

And here’s Ryan Graveface himself:

Ryan has proven a huge asset to the music scene in Savannah — he is responsible for everything from Graveface Fest to smaller events like the show with Nothing, Sauna Heat and Blackrune just a few nights ago at Hang Fire.

For more about Graveface himself, check out this interview and feature from the Pittsburgh City Paper in late 2012.

There’s also a great interview at Think Like a Label, including this snippet:

After experiencing a natural disaster at your original Chicago, IL headquarters, you relocated to Savannah, GA to “seek out a smaller scene”: Why did you find this aesthetic appealing? Are you using it to your advantage?

Iâ€ve always wanted to live in the south so it just made sense. The lowcountry is the perfect amount of fucked for me. Nothing makes any sense, the people Iâ€ve met are mostly loyal and great, thereâ€s not a ton happening here (which allows me to experiment) and itâ€s warm. I would say Iâ€m certainly using it to my advantage.

In addition to running the store and the label, Ryan Graveface is also a member of multiple bands, including Dreamend, Black Moth Super Rainbow, and the Casket Girls.

Quick spins: The Casket Girls†‘Sleepwalking†is creepy-cool music

From the review:

If the ghost girl twins from “The Shining” ever formed a band, it might sound just like the Casket Girls, a two-girls-and-a-guy combo pairing Savannah, Ga., musicians Elsa and Phaedra Greene with Ryan Graveface (yes, thatâ€s really his name), the guitarist for rock experimentalists Black Moth Super Rainbow.

The Casket Girls†November debut, “Sleepwalking,” is a creepy cool — emphasis on creepy — conflation of old-timey front-porch folk and droney synths. The Greene sisters spend most of it singing shoegazer ballads in flat, sing-song harmonies. Everything is slowed down for maximum goosebump factor; many tracks arenâ€t so much sung as recited like horror-flick nursery rhymes. Add in a genteel fascination with the afterworld, and youâ€ve got the best album released this year by folks who are possibly undead .

Ryan Graveface is of course the driving force behind the label Graveface Records and two retail stores (the 2nd is opening soon inside Civvies on Broughton) named Graveface Records & Curiosities.

I posted some pictures from the pre-Halloween Graveface Fest, and I’ll add a few pics to this post of The Casket Girls performing unplugged at Marc by Marc Jacobs on Broughton Street.

But first a couple of videos:

And some pics:

In conjunction with illustrator and album artist William Schaff’s book-signing of From Black Sheep Boys to Bill Collectors, Triathalon and The Casket Girls performed short, relatively quiet sets at Marc by Marc Jacobs on Broughton Street late Thursday afternoon.

The event also served as a great promotion for Graveface Fest on Saturday, October 27th, featuring Black Moth Super Rainbow, CUSSES, and lots of other bands.

The performances — and a raffle of some pretty cool stuff — brought a steady stream of folks into the store, which is wonderfully spacious and airy, with great light and great views out onto Broughton and Montgomery streets.

Triathalon was up first, and they decided to perform in drag. Really bad drag, as you can see in the photos. Their surf rock sound worked just fine in their stripped down, quiet delivery.

The Casket Girls are part of Graveface Fest on Saturday — Ryan Graveface can be seen in the pics below playing keys. Twins Phaedra & Elsa Greene are the lead singers. Click here for more on The Casket Girls.

Out of the ordinary events like this seem to put everyone in a good mood. It set a perfect stage for my evening, which included a long outdoor dinner at Trader Louie’s and a great show at The Sparetime with Heyrocco and Deep Search (photos to come).

In the photos below, you can see Mangue Banzima at work with four guys on the sidewalk — he’s the photographer and blogger for Qui Style in Savannah, which captures fashion on the street.