05/15/13
The Mountain Goats will reissue All Hail West Texas on CD, LP and digital in the US on July 23 and in Europe on August 6. Read a very cool piece about the record by Matt Fraction over at John Darnielle’s Tumblr, and John posted a few words at Mountain-Goats.com.
The last of the “all-home-recordings albums” by the Mountain Goats and the only one about which that claim is true, All Hail West Texas was originally released as a free-standing compact disc on the late, lamented Emperor Jones. That was about a decade ago. The songs were originally transferred from the cassettes onto which they were recorded to 1/4” reels at Tiny Telephone by Alex Newport, who also played in Fudge Tunnel. John got really excited when he realized his tapes were being EQ’d by the guy from Fudge Tunnel.
Remastered from those reels, along with 7 unearthed songs from the two surviving contemporaneous cassettes, All Hail West Texas stands as the peak of the Mountain Goats’ home recording era, a time people like to refer to as “when John Darnielle had his four-track,” except John did not actually use a four-track. He used the condenser mic of a Panasonic boombox and there was no overdubbing. All songs recorded on the day they were written, usually within minutes of the actual composition. Highlights include “Jenny,” “Fall of the Star High School Running Back,” and “The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton,” a song that has compelled audiences around the globe to yell “Hail Satan,” and to mean it.
Package art features a newly penned 1,800-word essay by John detailing his songwriting and recording process for the album. The LP is packaged in a deluxe gatefold jacket and includes a digital download of the full record plus the seven additional tracks. Also, this will be the first time All Hail West Texas has been available on LP. The CD, which includes the full album and extra tracks on one disc, comes in a premium digipak with a 12-page booklet.
Pre-order All Hail West Texas now on CD and LP. Follow the Mountain Goats on Twitter and keep up with John Darnielle on Tumblr. See John & Peter on an all-ages duo tour beginning June 3 in Washington, DC. Tickets are going fast!
The Mountain Goats on tour:
* = w/ The Baptist Generals
June 3 Washington, DC 9:30 Club*
June 4 York, PA Strand- Capitol Performing Arts*
June 5 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell’s*
June 7 New Haven, CT Center Church on the Green*
June 8 Portland, ME Port City Music Hall*
June 9 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground Ballroom*
June 11 Munhall, PA Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead*
June 12 Detroit, MI Majestic Theatre*
June 14 Cincinnati, OH Taft Ballroom*
June 15 Bloomington, IN Buskirk-Chumley Theatre*
June 16 Evanston, IL Space*
June 17 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall*
June 19 Kansas City, MO The Record Bar*
June 20 St. Louis, MO Old Rock House*
June 22 Birmingham, AL The Bottletree*
June 23 Gainesville, FL High Dive*
June 24 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Culture Room*
June 26 Charleston, SC The Charleston Pourhouse *
June 27 West Columbia, SC New Brookland Tavern*
June 28 Wilmington, NC The Soapbox *
July 26-28 Newport, RI Newport Folk Festival
September 13-16 Miami, FL Atlantic Ocean Comedy and Music Festival
The last of the “all-home-recordings albums” by the Mountain Goats and the only one about which that claim is true, All Hail West Texas was originally released as a free-standing compact disc on the late, lamented Emperor Jones. That was about a decade ago. The songs were originally transferred from the cassettes onto which they were recorded to 1/4” reels at Tiny Telephone by Alex Newport, who also played in Fudge Tunnel. John got really excited when he realized his tapes were being EQ’d by the guy from Fudge Tunnel.
Remastered from those reels, along with 7 unearthed songs from the two surviving contemporaneous cassettes, All Hail West Texas stands as the peak of the Mountain Goats’ home recording era, a time people like to refer to as “when John Darnielle had his four-track,” except John did not actually use a four-track. He used the condenser mic of a Panasonic boombox and there was no overdubbing. All songs recorded on the day they were written, usually within minutes of the actual composition. Highlights include “Jenny,” “Fall of the Star High School Running Back,” and “The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton,” a song that has compelled audiences around the globe to yell “Hail Satan,” and to mean it.
Package art features a newly penned 1,800-word essay by John detailing his songwriting and recording process for the album. The LP is packaged in a deluxe gatefold jacket and includes a digital download of the full record plus the seven additional tracks. Also, this will be the first time All Hail West Texas has been available on LP. The CD, which includes the full album and extra tracks on one disc, comes in a premium digipak with a 12-page booklet.
Pre-order All Hail West Texas now on CD and LP. Follow the Mountain Goats on Twitter and keep up with John Darnielle on Tumblr. See John & Peter on an all-ages duo tour beginning June 3 in Washington, DC. Tickets are going fast!
The Mountain Goats on tour:
* = w/ The Baptist Generals
June 3 Washington, DC 9:30 Club*
June 4 York, PA Strand- Capitol Performing Arts*
June 5 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell’s*
June 7 New Haven, CT Center Church on the Green*
June 8 Portland, ME Port City Music Hall*
June 9 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground Ballroom*
June 11 Munhall, PA Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead*
June 12 Detroit, MI Majestic Theatre*
June 14 Cincinnati, OH Taft Ballroom*
June 15 Bloomington, IN Buskirk-Chumley Theatre*
June 16 Evanston, IL Space*
June 17 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall*
June 19 Kansas City, MO The Record Bar*
June 20 St. Louis, MO Old Rock House*
June 22 Birmingham, AL The Bottletree*
June 23 Gainesville, FL High Dive*
June 24 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Culture Room*
June 26 Charleston, SC The Charleston Pourhouse *
June 27 West Columbia, SC New Brookland Tavern*
June 28 Wilmington, NC The Soapbox *
July 26-28 Newport, RI Newport Folk Festival
September 13-16 Miami, FL Atlantic Ocean Comedy and Music Festival
05/15/13
Mikal Cronin premiered the new music video for “Change” from his recently released album MCII today at SPIN. The Mikal Cronin band has also extended their European tour and announced an appearance at the FYF Fest this summer.
Directed by Claire Marie Vogel, the video follows the antics of a wild house party. In their premiere, SPIN writes, “So for its video, Cronin brings ["Change"] to a house party for friends and strangers alike, including an invisible kid who makes good use of the song’s dizzying final minute.”
Watch the video now at SPIN.com
Pitchfork named MCII “Best New Music,” writing of Mikal, “He’s an excellent pop craftsman who knows how to turn the power up for maximum effect.” SPIN declared MCII “Essential”writing, ”Over ten songs detailing a young man’s despair and self-doubt, [Cronin] delivers a performance that’s both deeply confident and convincingly vulnerable, replete with stark, piano-based meditations and fuzz-pedal-abetted fury.”
Mikal recommended songs for your next party at the Dinner Party Download and shared some of his favorite things with Pitchfork Guest List. And listen to his Lagniappe Session for Aquarium Drunkard, where he covers The Proclaimers and Sixpence None the Richer. Also, watch this new video of Mikal performing and hanging out in San Francisco.
MCII is available on CD, LP, and digital in the Merge store as well as at your local record store, iTunes, Amazon, Rdio, and Spotify.
Mikal Cronin on tour:
^ w/ Shannon and the Clams
May 15 Paris Nouveau Casino (FR)
May 16 London Tuffnel Park Dome (UK)
May 17 Brighton Great Escape Festival (UK)
May 18 Utrecht Le Guess Who? (NL)
May 23 San Diego, CA The Casbah w/ Mrs. Magician
May 24 Los Angeles, CA The Echo w/ Pangea & Gap Dream
May 25 San Francisco, CA The Rickshaw Stop #
Jun 6 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios ^
Jun 7 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern ^
Jun 8 Missoula, MT Old Beck VFW Post 209 ^
Jun 10 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry ^
Jun 11 Chicago, IL The Empty Bottle ^
Jun 13 – 15 Toronto, ON Silver Dollar (NXNE Festival)
Jun 16 Montreal, Quebec La Divan Orange ^
Jun 17 Boston, MA Great Scott w/ Shannon and the Clams & Roomrunner
Jun 18 Philly, PA Kung Fu Necktie w/ Shannon and the Clams & Roomrunner
Jun 20 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom ^
Jun 21 Washington DC Comet Ping Pong w/ Shannon and the Clams & Roomrunner
Jun 22 Asheville, NC Emerald Lounge w/ Greg Cartwright & Shannon and the Clams
Jun 23 Atlanta, GA The Earl ^
Jun 24 Nashville, TN The Stone Fox ^
Jun 26 Dallas, TX Club Dada ^
Jun 27 Austin, TX Mohawk Inside ^
Jun 28 Marfa, TX Padre’s
Jun 29 Tucson, AZ Club Congress
Jul 19 Chicago, IL Pitchfork Festival
Jul 25 Musicbox, Lisbon (POR)
Jul 26 Milhoes De Festa Festival, Barcelos (POR)
Jul 29 El Sol, Madrid (ES)
Jul 30 Surfilm Festival, San Sebastian (ES)
Aug 02 OFF Festival, Katowice (PL)
Aug 03 Zomerparkfeest, Venlo (NL)
Aug 04 Binic Festival, Binic (FR)
Aug 05 Le Galion, Lorient (FR)
Aug 06 Relache Caserne Niel, Bordeaux (FR)
Aug 07 Le Gibus, Paris (FR)
Aug 08 Haldern Pop Festival, HaldernRees (GER)
Aug 09 Oya Festivalen, Oslo (NOR)
Aug 10 Way Out West Festival, Goteborg (SWE)
Aug 11 Pumpehuset, Copenhagen (DK)
Aug 12 Hafenklang, Hamburg (GER)
Aug 13 Doornroosje, Nijmegen (NL)
Aug 14 Vera, Groningen (NL)
Aug 15 Pukkelpop, Hasselt (B)
Aug 16 Lowlands Festival, Biddinghuizen (NL)
Aug 17 Beacons Festival, Skipton (UK)
Aug 18 Greenman Festival, Brecon Beacons (UK)
Aug 24 Los Angeles, CA FYF Fest
Directed by Claire Marie Vogel, the video follows the antics of a wild house party. In their premiere, SPIN writes, “So for its video, Cronin brings ["Change"] to a house party for friends and strangers alike, including an invisible kid who makes good use of the song’s dizzying final minute.”
Watch the video now at SPIN.com
Pitchfork named MCII “Best New Music,” writing of Mikal, “He’s an excellent pop craftsman who knows how to turn the power up for maximum effect.” SPIN declared MCII “Essential”writing, ”Over ten songs detailing a young man’s despair and self-doubt, [Cronin] delivers a performance that’s both deeply confident and convincingly vulnerable, replete with stark, piano-based meditations and fuzz-pedal-abetted fury.”
Mikal recommended songs for your next party at the Dinner Party Download and shared some of his favorite things with Pitchfork Guest List. And listen to his Lagniappe Session for Aquarium Drunkard, where he covers The Proclaimers and Sixpence None the Richer. Also, watch this new video of Mikal performing and hanging out in San Francisco.
MCII is available on CD, LP, and digital in the Merge store as well as at your local record store, iTunes, Amazon, Rdio, and Spotify.
Mikal Cronin on tour:
^ w/ Shannon and the Clams
May 15 Paris Nouveau Casino (FR)
May 16 London Tuffnel Park Dome (UK)
May 17 Brighton Great Escape Festival (UK)
May 18 Utrecht Le Guess Who? (NL)
May 23 San Diego, CA The Casbah w/ Mrs. Magician
May 24 Los Angeles, CA The Echo w/ Pangea & Gap Dream
May 25 San Francisco, CA The Rickshaw Stop #
Jun 6 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios ^
Jun 7 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern ^
Jun 8 Missoula, MT Old Beck VFW Post 209 ^
Jun 10 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry ^
Jun 11 Chicago, IL The Empty Bottle ^
Jun 13 – 15 Toronto, ON Silver Dollar (NXNE Festival)
Jun 16 Montreal, Quebec La Divan Orange ^
Jun 17 Boston, MA Great Scott w/ Shannon and the Clams & Roomrunner
Jun 18 Philly, PA Kung Fu Necktie w/ Shannon and the Clams & Roomrunner
Jun 20 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom ^
Jun 21 Washington DC Comet Ping Pong w/ Shannon and the Clams & Roomrunner
Jun 22 Asheville, NC Emerald Lounge w/ Greg Cartwright & Shannon and the Clams
Jun 23 Atlanta, GA The Earl ^
Jun 24 Nashville, TN The Stone Fox ^
Jun 26 Dallas, TX Club Dada ^
Jun 27 Austin, TX Mohawk Inside ^
Jun 28 Marfa, TX Padre’s
Jun 29 Tucson, AZ Club Congress
Jul 19 Chicago, IL Pitchfork Festival
Jul 25 Musicbox, Lisbon (POR)
Jul 26 Milhoes De Festa Festival, Barcelos (POR)
Jul 29 El Sol, Madrid (ES)
Jul 30 Surfilm Festival, San Sebastian (ES)
Aug 02 OFF Festival, Katowice (PL)
Aug 03 Zomerparkfeest, Venlo (NL)
Aug 04 Binic Festival, Binic (FR)
Aug 05 Le Galion, Lorient (FR)
Aug 06 Relache Caserne Niel, Bordeaux (FR)
Aug 07 Le Gibus, Paris (FR)
Aug 08 Haldern Pop Festival, HaldernRees (GER)
Aug 09 Oya Festivalen, Oslo (NOR)
Aug 10 Way Out West Festival, Goteborg (SWE)
Aug 11 Pumpehuset, Copenhagen (DK)
Aug 12 Hafenklang, Hamburg (GER)
Aug 13 Doornroosje, Nijmegen (NL)
Aug 14 Vera, Groningen (NL)
Aug 15 Pukkelpop, Hasselt (B)
Aug 16 Lowlands Festival, Biddinghuizen (NL)
Aug 17 Beacons Festival, Skipton (UK)
Aug 18 Greenman Festival, Brecon Beacons (UK)
Aug 24 Los Angeles, CA FYF Fest
05/14/13
On June 25, David Kilgour & the Heavy Eights will release “Christopher Columbus” b/w “Shifting Sands,” a new limited-edition 7-inch. Watch the new video for “Christopher Columbus” now!
David began writing “Christopher Columbus” while on a European tour with The Clean. A flight delay led to a visit to a statue of Christopher Columbus in Rambla de Santa Monica. David wrote, “It got me thinking about how his discovery of America led the world to where we are now. Where are we now? I like to think we are now looking at the beginning of the end of the corporate way of capitalist life which, as we know it, essentially came out of Chicago via the economist Milton Friedman and is basically a completely inhuman idea. Columbus knew there was more to explore—yeah he knew! Little did he know where it would end up.”
“Shifting Sands” was originally recorded by US group The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band in 1967. You can find the track on their LP Part One. “The Pop Art Toasters (the band Martin Phillipps and I performed with) recorded another song of theirs way back called “I Won’t Hurt You,” said David. “The track is on the b-side in that grand tradition of putting something a li’l different on a b-side. This track will not be on the next LP. It may not even be available as a digi download, so the punters will have to buy the 45 to get the track!”
Pre-order David Kilgour & the Heavy Eights’ limited-edition “Christopher Columbus” b/w “Shifting Sands” 7-inch now in the Merge store.
Click here to view the embedded video.
David began writing “Christopher Columbus” while on a European tour with The Clean. A flight delay led to a visit to a statue of Christopher Columbus in Rambla de Santa Monica. David wrote, “It got me thinking about how his discovery of America led the world to where we are now. Where are we now? I like to think we are now looking at the beginning of the end of the corporate way of capitalist life which, as we know it, essentially came out of Chicago via the economist Milton Friedman and is basically a completely inhuman idea. Columbus knew there was more to explore—yeah he knew! Little did he know where it would end up.”
“Shifting Sands” was originally recorded by US group The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band in 1967. You can find the track on their LP Part One. “The Pop Art Toasters (the band Martin Phillipps and I performed with) recorded another song of theirs way back called “I Won’t Hurt You,” said David. “The track is on the b-side in that grand tradition of putting something a li’l different on a b-side. This track will not be on the next LP. It may not even be available as a digi download, so the punters will have to buy the 45 to get the track!”
Pre-order David Kilgour & the Heavy Eights’ limited-edition “Christopher Columbus” b/w “Shifting Sands” 7-inch now in the Merge store.
Click here to view the embedded video.
05/14/13
Eleanor Friedberger has debuted a new song from her forthcoming new album Personal Record in stores on June 4 in North America and June 10 in the UK/Europe. The track, entitled “She’s A Mirror,” is streaming now courtesy of Rookie Magazine.
Stream “She’s a Mirror” and read a Q&A with Eleanor now at RookieMag.com
Personal Record is Eleanor Friedberger at her finest ; recorded in late 2012 in New York and Los Angeles, and written with musician/novelist Wesley Stace, Personal Record is full of love songs – hellos and goodbyes, infatuation, pre-occupation, loss – but not simply about romantic love. Eleanor explains, “They’re also love songs to music: how you feel on stage when you do something spontaneous and it works, how you feel when you hear someone sing a song for the first time, what it’s like to watch a friend perform, how you can feel close to someone you barely know because you both happen to love the same record, or playing the same song forty times in a row, not being able to rest until you own every song recorded by your favorite singer, or every version of your favorite song. “
Eleanor will be touring throughout the summer in support of Personal Record. Cassandra Jenkins and members of Icewater will be Eleanor’s backing band for these dates with TEEN providing support. Tour dates are listed below.
Personal Record is available now for pre-order digitally at iTunes and on CD and LP in the Merge store. Watch Eleanor’s album trailer set in beautiful Jamaica, and the fantastic video for “Stare at the Sun.”
Eleanor Friedberger on tour:
Jun 04 Buffalo, NY @ Babeville *
Jun 05 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern *
Jun 06 Pontiac, MI @ The Pike Room *
Jun 07 Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle *
Jun 08 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock *
Jun 11 Vancouver, BC @ Media Club *
Jun 12 Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
Jun 13 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir *
Jun 15 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent % *
Jun 18 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo % *
Jun 19 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Jun 21 Austin, TX @ The Parish *
Jun 22 Dallas, TX @ The Loft *
Jun 24 St. Louis, MO @ The Demo *
Jun 25 Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio *
Jun 26 Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox *
Jun 27 Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall *
Jun 28 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg + *
*w/ TEEN
% w/ Icewater performing 1st of 3
+ w/ Cassandra Jenkins performing 1st of 3
Stream “She’s a Mirror” and read a Q&A with Eleanor now at RookieMag.com
Personal Record is Eleanor Friedberger at her finest ; recorded in late 2012 in New York and Los Angeles, and written with musician/novelist Wesley Stace, Personal Record is full of love songs – hellos and goodbyes, infatuation, pre-occupation, loss – but not simply about romantic love. Eleanor explains, “They’re also love songs to music: how you feel on stage when you do something spontaneous and it works, how you feel when you hear someone sing a song for the first time, what it’s like to watch a friend perform, how you can feel close to someone you barely know because you both happen to love the same record, or playing the same song forty times in a row, not being able to rest until you own every song recorded by your favorite singer, or every version of your favorite song. “
Eleanor will be touring throughout the summer in support of Personal Record. Cassandra Jenkins and members of Icewater will be Eleanor’s backing band for these dates with TEEN providing support. Tour dates are listed below.
Personal Record is available now for pre-order digitally at iTunes and on CD and LP in the Merge store. Watch Eleanor’s album trailer set in beautiful Jamaica, and the fantastic video for “Stare at the Sun.”
Eleanor Friedberger on tour:
Jun 04 Buffalo, NY @ Babeville *
Jun 05 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern *
Jun 06 Pontiac, MI @ The Pike Room *
Jun 07 Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle *
Jun 08 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock *
Jun 11 Vancouver, BC @ Media Club *
Jun 12 Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
Jun 13 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir *
Jun 15 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent % *
Jun 18 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo % *
Jun 19 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Jun 21 Austin, TX @ The Parish *
Jun 22 Dallas, TX @ The Loft *
Jun 24 St. Louis, MO @ The Demo *
Jun 25 Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio *
Jun 26 Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox *
Jun 27 Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall *
Jun 28 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg + *
*w/ TEEN
% w/ Icewater performing 1st of 3
+ w/ Cassandra Jenkins performing 1st of 3
05/13/13
Superchunk will release I Hate Music, their tenth studio album, on August 20. The band has also announced tour dates throughout the late summer and fall.
After taking nearly a decade off following the release of Here’s to Shutting Up, Mac, Laura, Jon, and Jim decided to shout it out again in 2010 with Majesty Shredding, an album perfectly described by its own title. It’s a celebratory set of whoa-whoa-whoas from a group so thrilled by making music together again that they can’t contain themselves.
The band’s forthcoming release, I Hate Music, is Majesty’s dark twin. It’s similarly aggressive—often moreso (see “Staying Home”)—and every bit as energetic. It reflects the joys of a life spent immersed in music (“Me & You & Jackie Mittoo,” “Trees of Barcelona”), but there’s a dark undercurrent as well. That title isn’t tongue-in-cheek, but it’s really more a question than a statement: When you’re 20, lazy co-workers and romantic missteps number among your biggest worries; two decades later, life’s bigger questions knock louder and louder, demanding answers.
I Hate Music is an album about love more than anything else: love of life, love of living, love of people, and yeah, love of music. It defies its own title so completely and diligently that it never even seems like a fair fight: There’s no pain this deep or yearning this severe without the type of love earned over a lifetime. “I hate music – what is it worth? / Can’t bring anyone back to this earth” goes the first line in “Me & You & Jackie Mittoo.” That song and its ten companions can’t relive the past or resurrect those lost, but they can keep them close enough to see and hear and celebrate. It’s dark in here, but if we conjure the right words and sounds, maybe we’ll find our way out.
Watch the album trailer for I Hate Music now
Pre-order Superchunk’s I Hate Music now on CD, LP, deluxe LP, and digital. The limited-edition deluxe LP will be pressed on colored vinyl and include a bonus 7-inch containing two non-album tracks, along with an I Hate Music stencil. Both the standard and deluxe LPs will be issued on 150-gram vinyl and feature a die-cut sleeve.
All pre-orders will come with an I Hate Music poster, the first 200 of which will be signed by the band.
I Hate Music track listing:
1. Overflows
2. Me & You & Jackie Mittoo
3. Void
4. Staying Home
5. Low F
6. Trees of Barcelona
7. Breaking Down
8. Out of the Sun
9. Your Theme
10. FOH
11. What Can We Do
Superchunk on tour:
# w/ Spider Bags
Jun 20 Calgary, AB – Sled Island @ Republik
Aug 22 Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
Aug 23 Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle
Aug 24 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
Sep 02 Seattle, WA – Bumbershoot
Sep 03 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
Sep 04 Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
Sep 06 Portland, OR – MusicFestNW @ Crystal Ballroom
Sep 23 Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater#
Sep 24 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer#
Sep 26 Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club#
Sep 27 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom#
Sep 28 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom#
Sep 29 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club#
After taking nearly a decade off following the release of Here’s to Shutting Up, Mac, Laura, Jon, and Jim decided to shout it out again in 2010 with Majesty Shredding, an album perfectly described by its own title. It’s a celebratory set of whoa-whoa-whoas from a group so thrilled by making music together again that they can’t contain themselves.
The band’s forthcoming release, I Hate Music, is Majesty’s dark twin. It’s similarly aggressive—often moreso (see “Staying Home”)—and every bit as energetic. It reflects the joys of a life spent immersed in music (“Me & You & Jackie Mittoo,” “Trees of Barcelona”), but there’s a dark undercurrent as well. That title isn’t tongue-in-cheek, but it’s really more a question than a statement: When you’re 20, lazy co-workers and romantic missteps number among your biggest worries; two decades later, life’s bigger questions knock louder and louder, demanding answers.
I Hate Music is an album about love more than anything else: love of life, love of living, love of people, and yeah, love of music. It defies its own title so completely and diligently that it never even seems like a fair fight: There’s no pain this deep or yearning this severe without the type of love earned over a lifetime. “I hate music – what is it worth? / Can’t bring anyone back to this earth” goes the first line in “Me & You & Jackie Mittoo.” That song and its ten companions can’t relive the past or resurrect those lost, but they can keep them close enough to see and hear and celebrate. It’s dark in here, but if we conjure the right words and sounds, maybe we’ll find our way out.
Watch the album trailer for I Hate Music now
Pre-order Superchunk’s I Hate Music now on CD, LP, deluxe LP, and digital. The limited-edition deluxe LP will be pressed on colored vinyl and include a bonus 7-inch containing two non-album tracks, along with an I Hate Music stencil. Both the standard and deluxe LPs will be issued on 150-gram vinyl and feature a die-cut sleeve.
All pre-orders will come with an I Hate Music poster, the first 200 of which will be signed by the band.
I Hate Music track listing:
1. Overflows
2. Me & You & Jackie Mittoo
3. Void
4. Staying Home
5. Low F
6. Trees of Barcelona
7. Breaking Down
8. Out of the Sun
9. Your Theme
10. FOH
11. What Can We Do
Superchunk on tour:
# w/ Spider Bags
Jun 20 Calgary, AB – Sled Island @ Republik
Aug 22 Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
Aug 23 Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle
Aug 24 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
Sep 02 Seattle, WA – Bumbershoot
Sep 03 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
Sep 04 Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
Sep 06 Portland, OR – MusicFestNW @ Crystal Ballroom
Sep 23 Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater#
Sep 24 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer#
Sep 26 Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club#
Sep 27 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom#
Sep 28 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom#
Sep 29 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club#
05/10/13
She & Him celebrate this week’s release of Volume 3 with a full-band performance on the Late Show with David Letterman tonight! Tune in live or set your DVR!
The duo will also be hitting the road for a month-long tour this summer that kicks off at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on June 13. The tour also includes a headlining show at the legendary Hollywood Bowl on June 23 as well two evenings at New York City’s Central Park SummerStage in July. Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell and Camera Obscura provide support on select dates.
She & Him’s Volume 3 is available on CD, LP, and now cassette in the Merge store, the band’s online store, and at your local record store. Also, find Volume 3 at iTunes, Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, and Best Buy.
She & Him on tour:
Jun 13 Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium+
Jun 15 Grand Prairie, TX – Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie+
Jun 16 Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theatre+
Jun 18 Phoenix, AZ – Comerica Theater+
Jun 19 Las Vegas, NV – The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas%
Jun 21 San Diego, CA – SDSU Open Air Theatre%
Jun 22 Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre*%
Jun 23 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl*
Jun 25 Salt Lake City, UT – Red Butte Gardens%
Jun 27 Council Bluffs, IA – Harrah’s Stir Cove%
Jun 28 Kansas City, MO – Kanrocksas Music Festival
Jun 29 Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom#
Jul 01 Ann Arbor, MI – Hill Auditorium#
Jul 03 Montreal, QC – Montreal Jazz Festival#
Jul 04 Toronto, ON – Toronto Urban Roots Festival#
Jul 05 Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Blues Fest
Jul 06 New York, NY – SummerStage at Central Park#
Jul 08 New York, NY – SummerStage at Central Park#
Jul 09 Philadelphia, PA – Mann Center for Performing Arts#
Jul 10 Boston, MA – Bank of America Pavilion#
Jul 11 Vienna, VA – Filene Center at Wolf Trap#
+ w/ Secret Sisters
* w/ Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
# w/ Camera Obscura
% w/ Tilly and the Wall
The duo will also be hitting the road for a month-long tour this summer that kicks off at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on June 13. The tour also includes a headlining show at the legendary Hollywood Bowl on June 23 as well two evenings at New York City’s Central Park SummerStage in July. Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell and Camera Obscura provide support on select dates.
She & Him’s Volume 3 is available on CD, LP, and now cassette in the Merge store, the band’s online store, and at your local record store. Also, find Volume 3 at iTunes, Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, and Best Buy.
She & Him on tour:
Jun 13 Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium+
Jun 15 Grand Prairie, TX – Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie+
Jun 16 Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theatre+
Jun 18 Phoenix, AZ – Comerica Theater+
Jun 19 Las Vegas, NV – The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas%
Jun 21 San Diego, CA – SDSU Open Air Theatre%
Jun 22 Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre*%
Jun 23 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl*
Jun 25 Salt Lake City, UT – Red Butte Gardens%
Jun 27 Council Bluffs, IA – Harrah’s Stir Cove%
Jun 28 Kansas City, MO – Kanrocksas Music Festival
Jun 29 Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom#
Jul 01 Ann Arbor, MI – Hill Auditorium#
Jul 03 Montreal, QC – Montreal Jazz Festival#
Jul 04 Toronto, ON – Toronto Urban Roots Festival#
Jul 05 Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Blues Fest
Jul 06 New York, NY – SummerStage at Central Park#
Jul 08 New York, NY – SummerStage at Central Park#
Jul 09 Philadelphia, PA – Mann Center for Performing Arts#
Jul 10 Boston, MA – Bank of America Pavilion#
Jul 11 Vienna, VA – Filene Center at Wolf Trap#
+ w/ Secret Sisters
* w/ Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
# w/ Camera Obscura
% w/ Tilly and the Wall
05/10/13
We are delighted to welcome King Khan & the Shrines to Merge! The band will release their Merge debut later this year.
We asked King Khan for a few words to mark the occasion:
We asked King Khan for a few words to mark the occasion:
Rumors have been flying about me being taped to three swans and traveling the world. Well, it was a rough ride but someone had to do it. After being called the “Beetlejuice of rock ‘n roll,” I have decided to join forces with the underworld and in doing so have reached a new all time low. Hell hath no fury as a swan taped to a fat Indian man.Information about the new album and new tour dates are coming soon! In the meantime, keep up with King Khan & the Shrines at their website.
I have finally found my new family in Merge records and as always I would much rather work with southern folk than city slickers (fuck Bill Crystal and his plastic face). It is a pleasure working with folks who eat ribs while they cure buffalo meat and sell rekkids. If I get a fair shot on the plantation of Merge maybe i will save Brunhilda and show my Indian penis to the world. Tell Quentin Tarantino that he should have let DiCaprio show the world his junk too to make the movie balanced . . .
—King Khan
05/09/13
Today, The Love Language premiered “Calm Down,” the debut single from their forthcoming new album Ruby Red.
In their track premiere, Pitchfork wrote, “the tune’s anthemic in a small-room way, with some murky guitars, glockenspiels, and a jammy back half to suggest that the Love Language’s sound is still expanding.” Stereogum described the song as “a lush but driven piece of songcraft, one that bursts with harmonies and pianos but doesn’t OD on twee adrenaline.”
Listen & share “Calm Down” now via Merge SoundCloud
Gone are the days of a Love Language as a selfish salve for perpetual heartbreak. Ruby Red produces new standards for the Carolina pop songbook, finding The Love Language as an extroverted community art project made by responsible citizens of a loosely packed scene who know that Stuart McLamb will match whatever they contribute.
Pre-order Ruby Red now on CD or LP in the Merge store. The first 250 preorders will receive a free, limited edition 11-track cassette titled Black Mountain Demos. All preorders will include a poster and will ship to arrive on or around the release date of July 23. In the meantime, keep up with the Love Language on Twitter and Facebook.
In their track premiere, Pitchfork wrote, “the tune’s anthemic in a small-room way, with some murky guitars, glockenspiels, and a jammy back half to suggest that the Love Language’s sound is still expanding.” Stereogum described the song as “a lush but driven piece of songcraft, one that bursts with harmonies and pianos but doesn’t OD on twee adrenaline.”
Listen & share “Calm Down” now via Merge SoundCloud
Gone are the days of a Love Language as a selfish salve for perpetual heartbreak. Ruby Red produces new standards for the Carolina pop songbook, finding The Love Language as an extroverted community art project made by responsible citizens of a loosely packed scene who know that Stuart McLamb will match whatever they contribute.
Pre-order Ruby Red now on CD or LP in the Merge store. The first 250 preorders will receive a free, limited edition 11-track cassette titled Black Mountain Demos. All preorders will include a poster and will ship to arrive on or around the release date of July 23. In the meantime, keep up with the Love Language on Twitter and Facebook.
05/09/13
Telekinesis premiered their new video for “Empathetic People” from their recently released album Dormarion at NPR Music. NPR describes the video as a “curious glimpse into one of the last gasps of industry keeping music tethered to the physical world.”
Directed by Patrick Stanton, the video features Telekinesis frontman Michael Benjamin Lerner working in an abandoned factory. Stanton told NPR, “I liked the thought of Michael being a bit of a hero by dusting off a defunct factory and putting some life back into it. [The song] has such a great driving rhythm and a mysteriously dark feel that I knew it would be perfect for this visual concept.”
Watch the video for “Empathetic People” now
Telekinesis is currently on tour with a show tonight at the Bowery Ballroom in New York. Dormarion is available now on CD, LP and digital in the Merge store.
Telekinesis on tour:
May 9 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom%
May 10 Allston, MA Brighton Music Hall%
May 11 Montreal, QC Il Motore%
May 12 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern%
May 14 Cleveland Heights, OH Grog Shop%
May 15 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall%
May 16 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon%
May 17 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry%
May 18 Kansas City, MO Riot Room%
May 20 Denver, CO Hi Dive
May 21 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge%
May 22 Nampa, ID Flying M Coffee
May 24 George, WA Sasquatch Music Festival
% = w/ Deep Sea Diver
Directed by Patrick Stanton, the video features Telekinesis frontman Michael Benjamin Lerner working in an abandoned factory. Stanton told NPR, “I liked the thought of Michael being a bit of a hero by dusting off a defunct factory and putting some life back into it. [The song] has such a great driving rhythm and a mysteriously dark feel that I knew it would be perfect for this visual concept.”
Watch the video for “Empathetic People” now
Telekinesis is currently on tour with a show tonight at the Bowery Ballroom in New York. Dormarion is available now on CD, LP and digital in the Merge store.
Telekinesis on tour:
May 9 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom%
May 10 Allston, MA Brighton Music Hall%
May 11 Montreal, QC Il Motore%
May 12 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern%
May 14 Cleveland Heights, OH Grog Shop%
May 15 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall%
May 16 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon%
May 17 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry%
May 18 Kansas City, MO Riot Room%
May 20 Denver, CO Hi Dive
May 21 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge%
May 22 Nampa, ID Flying M Coffee
May 24 George, WA Sasquatch Music Festival
% = w/ Deep Sea Diver
05/08/13
Future Bible Heroes are hitting the road this summer in support of their forthcoming new album, Partygoing. The live ensemble will consist of Claudia Gonson, Shirley Simms, Christopher Ewen and Anthony Kaczynski. These will be their first live dates since 2002.
Future Bible Heroes is one of the musical projects from the Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt, who writes all the melodies and lyrics for the band. His longtime friend and collaborator Christopher Ewen composes the instrumental backing tracks. Joining Merritt on lead vocals for these songs is the Magnetic Fields’ Claudia Gonson.
To support their forthcoming album Partygoing and the re-issue of their back-catalogue on Merge Records (all in stores June 8), Future Bible Heroes will join the Chickfactor Summer Festival in Brooklyn, New York on June 12, followed by eleven US dates in July.
Also, watch “Catching Up with Future Bible Heroes” now at YouTube. Directed by JL Aronson (Danielson: a Family Movie, Last Summer at Coney Island) and featuring photographs old and new by Kimberly Butler and Gail O’Hara, the video shows the band hanging out and talking about the old days as well as the new.
Listen & share “Living, Loving, Partygoing” and pre-order Future Bible Heroes’ new album Partygoing on CD as well as their 4-CD or 3-LP collection Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing. now in the Merge store. LP pre-orders will include a free Merge Records slipmat.
Future Bible Heroes on tour:
June 12 Brooklyn, NY The Bell House Chickfactor Summer Festival
July 8 Los Angeles, CA The Echoplex
July 9 San Francisco, CA The Independent
July 11 Portland, OR Doug Fir
July 12 Seattle, WA The Tractor Tavern
July 16 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural Center
July 17 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
July 21 Cambridge, MA The Sinclair
July 22 Toronto, ON Lee’s Palace
July 23 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
July 25 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live
July 26 Washington, DC The Black Cat
Future Bible Heroes is one of the musical projects from the Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt, who writes all the melodies and lyrics for the band. His longtime friend and collaborator Christopher Ewen composes the instrumental backing tracks. Joining Merritt on lead vocals for these songs is the Magnetic Fields’ Claudia Gonson.
To support their forthcoming album Partygoing and the re-issue of their back-catalogue on Merge Records (all in stores June 8), Future Bible Heroes will join the Chickfactor Summer Festival in Brooklyn, New York on June 12, followed by eleven US dates in July.
Also, watch “Catching Up with Future Bible Heroes” now at YouTube. Directed by JL Aronson (Danielson: a Family Movie, Last Summer at Coney Island) and featuring photographs old and new by Kimberly Butler and Gail O’Hara, the video shows the band hanging out and talking about the old days as well as the new.
Listen & share “Living, Loving, Partygoing” and pre-order Future Bible Heroes’ new album Partygoing on CD as well as their 4-CD or 3-LP collection Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing. now in the Merge store. LP pre-orders will include a free Merge Records slipmat.
Future Bible Heroes on tour:
June 12 Brooklyn, NY The Bell House Chickfactor Summer Festival
July 8 Los Angeles, CA The Echoplex
July 9 San Francisco, CA The Independent
July 11 Portland, OR Doug Fir
July 12 Seattle, WA The Tractor Tavern
July 16 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural Center
July 17 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
July 21 Cambridge, MA The Sinclair
July 22 Toronto, ON Lee’s Palace
July 23 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
July 25 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live
July 26 Washington, DC The Black Cat
04/29/13
Visit NPR Music to stream Mikal Cronin’s MCII and She & Him’s Volume 3 in their entirety! Both albums will be available in stores beginning May 7. Both bands also have tour dates galore in our tour section!
Pre-order Mikal Cronin’s MCII now on CD or LP + limited “Mikal Cronin edition” tie-dyed Merge logo t-shirts in the Merge store. Also, She & Him’s Volume 3 is available for pre-order on CD, LP and now cassette in the Merge store. The first 500 LP preorders will receive Volume 3 on limited edition robin’s egg blue colored vinyl! Preorders for both will include a poster and will ship to arrive on our around the release date of May 7.
Pre-order Mikal Cronin’s MCII now on CD or LP + limited “Mikal Cronin edition” tie-dyed Merge logo t-shirts in the Merge store. Also, She & Him’s Volume 3 is available for pre-order on CD, LP and now cassette in the Merge store. The first 500 LP preorders will receive Volume 3 on limited edition robin’s egg blue colored vinyl! Preorders for both will include a poster and will ship to arrive on our around the release date of May 7.
04/29/13
Radar Brothers are hitting the road once again in support of their recent release Eight. Beginning in Los Angeles on June 12 at the Satellite, the Bros will head north and then east with Ola Podrida supporting on most of the dates.
Radar Brothers released Eight in January to much acclaim including the L.A. Times who declared that the band “have never sounded this inspired” and Magnet Magazine named the album their “most intriguing, compelling work yet.”
Eight combines surreal imagery and psychedelia. It’s both a personal statement and an escape into textured, multi-faceted songs. Now a six-piece, Radar Brothers spent the past few years collaborating, meshing their writing styles and recording an album that seamlessly welds together various worlds—not altogether unlikely influences, just … unexpected. This release marks the first time we are releasing an album on LP and digital only.
Watch the video for “House of Mirrors” now at YouTube. Strictly limited to 1000 LPs worldwide, the vinyl albums include a CD. Eight is available now on LP and digital download in the Merge store.
Radar Brothers on tour:
* = w/ Ola Podrida
June 1 Pasadena, CA Make Music Pasadena
June 12 Los Angeles, CA The Satellite*
June 13 San Francisco, CA Cafe du Nord*
June 14 Davis, CA Sophia’s Thai Kitchen*
June 16 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge*
June 17 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern*
June 18 Boise, ID Neurolux*
June 20 Englewood, CO Moe’s Denver*
June 23 Austin, TX The Mohawk*
June 25 Phoenix, AZ The Crescent Ballroom
June 26 Tucson, AZ Club Congress
Radar Brothers released Eight in January to much acclaim including the L.A. Times who declared that the band “have never sounded this inspired” and Magnet Magazine named the album their “most intriguing, compelling work yet.”
Eight combines surreal imagery and psychedelia. It’s both a personal statement and an escape into textured, multi-faceted songs. Now a six-piece, Radar Brothers spent the past few years collaborating, meshing their writing styles and recording an album that seamlessly welds together various worlds—not altogether unlikely influences, just … unexpected. This release marks the first time we are releasing an album on LP and digital only.
Watch the video for “House of Mirrors” now at YouTube. Strictly limited to 1000 LPs worldwide, the vinyl albums include a CD. Eight is available now on LP and digital download in the Merge store.
Radar Brothers on tour:
* = w/ Ola Podrida
June 1 Pasadena, CA Make Music Pasadena
June 12 Los Angeles, CA The Satellite*
June 13 San Francisco, CA Cafe du Nord*
June 14 Davis, CA Sophia’s Thai Kitchen*
June 16 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge*
June 17 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern*
June 18 Boise, ID Neurolux*
June 20 Englewood, CO Moe’s Denver*
June 23 Austin, TX The Mohawk*
June 25 Phoenix, AZ The Crescent Ballroom
June 26 Tucson, AZ Club Congress
04/29/13
As the release date for the new Future Bible Heroes album Partygoing as well as the compilation of their original catalog Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing. draws near, we commissioned a video chat with Claudia, Stephin and Chris.
Future Bible Heroes is one of the musical projects from the Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt, who writes all the melodies and lyrics for the band. His longtime friend and collaborator Christopher Ewen composes the instrumental backing tracks. Joining Merritt on lead vocals is the Magnetic Fields’ Claudia Gonson. Directed by JL Aronson (Danielson: a Family Movie, Last Summer at Coney Island) and featuring photographs old and new by Kimberly Butler and Gail O’Hara, the video shows the band just hanging out and talking about the old days as well as the new.
Watch “Catching up with Future Bible Heroes” now at YouTube
Partygoing features a number of songs that meditate upon both the good and bad sides of parties: there’s the fun, and then there’s the morning after. Running themes for this album are drinking, dancing, and death. Memories of Love, Eternal Youth and Partygoing. marks the first time the entire original Future Bible Heroes catalog has been available in one place. In addition to the three full-length albums, the CD collection includes a fourth disc that compiles the band’s three EPs—The Lonely Robot, I’m Lonely (And I Love It), and Lonely Days—plus several tracks from outside compilations, including a song from the soundtrack to the film Welcome to the Dollhouse and the band’s hilarious gender-bending rendition of “Don’t You Want Me?” from a tribute album to the Human League. The LP collection includes each of the three albums (Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing) on vinyl plus a download card containing all of the EP and compilation tracks as well as digital versions of the full-lengths.
Future Bible Heroes (sans Stephin) will perform June 12 at the Bell House in Brooklyn as part of the Chickfactor summer festival. More tour dates coming soon! Listen & share “Living, Loving, Partygoing” and pre-order Future Bible Heroes’ new album Partygoing on CD as well as their 4-CD or 3-LP collection Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing. now in the Merge store. LP pre-orders will include a free Merge Records slipmat.
Future Bible Heroes is one of the musical projects from the Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt, who writes all the melodies and lyrics for the band. His longtime friend and collaborator Christopher Ewen composes the instrumental backing tracks. Joining Merritt on lead vocals is the Magnetic Fields’ Claudia Gonson. Directed by JL Aronson (Danielson: a Family Movie, Last Summer at Coney Island) and featuring photographs old and new by Kimberly Butler and Gail O’Hara, the video shows the band just hanging out and talking about the old days as well as the new.
Watch “Catching up with Future Bible Heroes” now at YouTube
Partygoing features a number of songs that meditate upon both the good and bad sides of parties: there’s the fun, and then there’s the morning after. Running themes for this album are drinking, dancing, and death. Memories of Love, Eternal Youth and Partygoing. marks the first time the entire original Future Bible Heroes catalog has been available in one place. In addition to the three full-length albums, the CD collection includes a fourth disc that compiles the band’s three EPs—The Lonely Robot, I’m Lonely (And I Love It), and Lonely Days—plus several tracks from outside compilations, including a song from the soundtrack to the film Welcome to the Dollhouse and the band’s hilarious gender-bending rendition of “Don’t You Want Me?” from a tribute album to the Human League. The LP collection includes each of the three albums (Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing) on vinyl plus a download card containing all of the EP and compilation tracks as well as digital versions of the full-lengths.
Future Bible Heroes (sans Stephin) will perform June 12 at the Bell House in Brooklyn as part of the Chickfactor summer festival. More tour dates coming soon! Listen & share “Living, Loving, Partygoing” and pre-order Future Bible Heroes’ new album Partygoing on CD as well as their 4-CD or 3-LP collection Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing. now in the Merge store. LP pre-orders will include a free Merge Records slipmat.
