Merge Records

Imperial Teen

Imperial Teen
The fifth album by Imperial Teen, Feel the Sound, succeeds completely at its goal, plainly stated in the collection's title. Like the sharpest pop music, Feel the Sound gets you to keep coming back for more, but unlike so much music today, it rewards you for doing so, giving you the experience of a fulfilled and yet still yearning, lively potential, one that will be further realized when the songs are performed live. From the exhilarating, propulsive "Runaway," which features the entire band on lead vocals (how many other groups can make that claim?), to the expansive final statement of "Overtaken," Roddy Bottum, Lynn Perko Truell, Will Schwartz, and Jone Stebbins feel the sound themselves and, in turn, make the listener feel it in ways immediate and pleasurable but also lasting and haunting.

ELO-like symphonic pop has become a touchstone for everyone from Justice to Cut Copy in recent years, but Feel the Sound makes it manifest through live instrumentation that possesses a Krautrock level of intuitive synchronicity and a desert island jukebox's sense of fun. So many bands lose momentum and focus over time, but a little past its sweet sixteenth year of existence, Imperial Teen somehow grows both younger and wiser, connecting four characterful lives through creative friendship and deep trust, and forging a communal power that continues to grow stronger. Feel the sound of a one-of-a-kind group that's never sounded more like itself.


www.imperialteen.com



01/31/12
We have been counting down the days to the release of Imperial Teen‘s new record Feel the Sound, and the day has arrived! To celebrate, Jone, Roddy, Lynn & Will have premiered the video for “Runaway” at Spin.com. Watch Imperial Teen’s “Runaway” video now at Spin.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

Also, Imperial Teen are the guest editors at MagnetMagazine.com this week. Read a Q&A with Will and bookmark the “Guest Editor” tag to read new entries from all four band members all week long.

Feel the Sound is available on CD, LP and digital download as well as a full album stream now in the Merge store.

Imperial Teen on tour:
Feb 24 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord Noisepop Festival (SOLD OUT)
Feb 25 San Francisco, CA Amoeba Records Free in-store performance @ 2PM
Mar 14-18 SXSW Music Festival

01/18/12
Imperial Teen‘s long-anticipated new album Feel the Sound will be released on January 31, but visit Spin.com now to hear the album in its entirety.

Of the new album, Spin.com says:

Feel the Sound is Imperial Teen’s first new album in five years, but you wouldn’t know it from the sterling collection of beautifully arranged, melody-rich pop songs on display. The San Francisco-based band led by former Faith No More keyboardist Roddy Bottum shows no signs of rust on its fifth studio album, which we’ve got streaming for you in its entirety.

Stream Feel the Sound now at Spin.com

So many bands lose momentum and focus over time, but a little past its sweet sixteenth year of existence, Roddy Bottum, Lynn Perko Truell, Will Schwartz, and Jone Stebbins somehow grow both younger and wiser, connecting four characterful lives through creative friendship and deep trust, and forging a communal power that continues to grow stronger.

Imperial Teen have announced appearances at Noise Pop and SXSW with more to come!

Pre-order Feel the Sound now on CD and LP in the Merge store to receive a poster and a limited-edition key chain earplug case while supplies last.

11/11/11
Imperial Teen will return to the Merge active column with their new album, Feel the Sound on January 31!

Like the sharpest pop music, Feel the Sound gets you to keep coming back for more, but unlike so much music today, it rewards you for doing so, giving you the experience of a fulfilled and yet still yearning, lively potential, one that will be further realized when the songs are performed live. From the exhilarating, propulsive “Runaway,” which features the entire band on lead vocals (how many other groups can make that claim?), to the expansive final statement of “Overtaken,” Roddy Bottum, Lynn Perko Truell, Will Schwartz, and Jone Stebbins feel the sound themselves and, in turn, make the listener feel it in ways immediate and pleasurable but also lasting and haunting.

So many bands lose momentum and focus over time, but a little past its sweet sixteenth year of existence, Imperial Teen somehow grows both younger and wiser, connecting four characterful lives through creative friendship and deep trust, and forging a communal power that continues to grow stronger. Feel the sound of a one-of-a-kind group that’s never sounded more like itself.

Listen to “Runaway” from Feel the Sound now!

Pre-order Feel the Sound now on CD or LP in the Merge store and receive a poster and a limited-edition key-chain earplug case while supplies last.

Follow Imperial Teen at twitter, Facebook and at their official website, ImperialTeen.com.

Track listing:
1. Runaway
2. No Matter What You Say
3. Last to Know
4. Over His Head
5. Hanging About
6. All the Same
7. Don’t Know How You Do It
8. Out From Inside
9. The Hibernates
10. It’s You
11. Overtaken

02.24.2012 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord Noise Pop Festival
02.25.2012 San Francisco, CA Amoeba Records Free in-store performance @ 2PM
Seasick :: (Polygram) 1996
You're One :: CD5 (London) 1996
What Is Not To Love :: (Slash) 1999
Live at Maxwell's :: (DCN) 2002
On :: (Merge) 2002
The Hair The TV The Baby & The Band :: (Merge) 2007

Ivanka


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On Tour

Archers of Loaf [+]

February
25 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
26 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
April
26 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
27 Cambridge, MA Middle East - Downstairs
28 Cambridge, MA Middle East - Downstairs
[see all]

Richard Buckner [+]

February
22 New Haven, CT BAR
24 Lexington, KY Cosmic Charlie's
25 Atlanta, GA Highland Inn Ballroom
27 Easton, MD The NightCat
March
02 Bayport, NY The Grey Horse Tavern
[see all]

Caribou [+]

April
17 Mexico City Foro Sol
18 Mexico City Foro Sol

Crooked Fingers [+]

February
29 Los Angeles, CA Hotel Cafe

Destroyer [+]

April
14 Indio, CA Coachella
21 Indio, CA Coachella

Eleanor Friedberger [+]

February
09 Seattle, WA The Crocodile

Hospitality [+]

February
25 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
26 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
29 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern
March
02 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall
03 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
[see all]

Imperial Teen [+]

February
24 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord
25 San Francisco, CA Amoeba Records

Lambchop [+]

February
23 Berlin Babylon
24 Berlin Babylon
25 Dresden Beatpol
26 Leipzig Werk II
27 Vienna Konzerthaus
[see all]

The Love Language [+]

March
09 Charlotte, NC Visulite Theatre
10 Savannah, GA Savannah Stopover at Ships of the Sea Museum
11 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
12 Baton Rouge, LA Red Star Bar
20 Birmingham, AL The Bottletree
[see all]

The Magnetic Fields [+]

March
06 Hudson, NY Helsinki Hudson
07 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
10 Minehead All Tomorrow's Parties curated by Jeff Mangum
18 Vancouver The Vogue
19 Seattle, WA Neptune Theatre
[see all]

Jeff Mangum [+]

February
08 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater
10 Athens, GA 40 Watt
11 Athens, GA 40 Watt
March
07 Dublin Vicar Street
09 Minehead ATP curated by Jeff Mangum
[see all]

the Mountain Goats [+]

March
09 Denton, TX 35 Denton
13 New York, NY Carnegie Hall
24 New York, NY Merkin Hall

Portastatic [+]

February
11 Chapel Hill, NC The Cave
18 Durham, NC Duke Coffeehouse
23 San Francisco, CA Swedish American Hall

Superchunk [+]

February
11 Chapel Hill, NC The Cave
18 Durham, NC Duke Coffeehouse
23 San Francisco, CA Swedish American Hall

Versus [+]

March
09 London The Lexington
April
10 Brooklyn, NY The Bell House

M. Ward [+]

March
20 London Leicester Square Theatre
21 Paris Le Zenith
22 Lyon Transbordeur
23 Lille Theatre Sebastopol
25 London Royal Albert Hall
[see all]

Wild Flag [+]

February
08 Berlin Lido
March
07 Perth The Bakery
09 Melbourne Corner Hotel
10 Victoria Golden Plains Festival
11 Brisbane The Zoo
[see all]

Wye Oak [+]

February
23 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
24 San Francisco, CA The Independent
see all tour dates

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