Shout Out Louds are back at work. It only just dawned on them what the rest of us have known for a long time: they were born to do this. This is what they do. They write songs, record them, and tour. Thats their work. Hence Work, the title of their third album.
Theyve had some time off. A six-month break to regroup, to see other things, places, and people. To work on a tan, to work on love and life. Bebban did so in Los Angeles and Adam in Melbourne, while Carl, Ted, and Eric remained in Stockholm. And when they got together again, they realized that this is what they do and what they will continue to do. A you-dont-know-what-youve-got-til-its-in-Melbourne sort of thing
Adam wrote many songs down there, in a tiny room with a little synthesizer, an acoustic guitar, and GarageBand on his laptop. The song Walls came first and then the rest, one by one (brick by brick, if you will) whilst the Australian trams passed by outside. He shared the songs with the others, who listened closely from their corners of the world, questioning and challenging himlike a good band shoulduntil the songs that make up Work had all passed the test, made the cut, and lived to tell the story.
Their last album, Our Ill Wills, was all about travel, from the song titles down to the flags that graced the cover. Although Work was written in Melbourne and recorded in Seattle (and for the first time with a non-Swede in the producers seat), its the coming-home album, the one where they decide to keep it simple: lose the percussionist, sack the string quartet, trust the songs. Or as singer Adam Olenius puts it in one of those songs: Throwing stones, theyre rolling home. It happened just like that. Each piece found its natural place.
The band got Seattleite Phil Ek to produce the album, and they describe him as a much-needed force. They wanted someone who was used to working with bands and used to doing things the old-fashioned waywith hard work and 1-2-3-4 live recordings. Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, and The Shins are fine testaments to Phil Eks producer work ethic, so he seemed a natural choice.
Adam also says this album and the way it sounds boils down to a few things. Foremost, he is in a better place in his life. There may still be dark skies, but lately theyre only partly cloudy. In the words of Mary J Blige, no more drama. And perhaps with the change of weather came the realization that there really is no need to multilayer everything and fill all the spaces with stuff. Significant points have been made with little more to back them than an honest attempt to keep things organic, unadorned, to the point. (Revisiting John Cales albums may have played a small part in it too, if were being honest.) It all may sound quite simple, and thats the point. But simple is rarely that; simple can be awfully complicated in all its plainness, and countless are we who have tried to hide our simplicity behind overdubs, mysterious press releases, animals masks, and fabulous graphics.
Shout Out Louds may have left out the bunny ears, but just like the rest of us, they have definitely been guilty of one or two of the other misdemeanors on that list. Well, not anymore. Theyre keeping it simple now, trusting in the power of bare skin over panache. At the end of the day, its work, and they are happy to do it. And for that we are truly thankful.
// Lisa Milberg, November 2009
www.shoutoutlouds.com
www.myspace.com/shoutoutlouds
Theyve had some time off. A six-month break to regroup, to see other things, places, and people. To work on a tan, to work on love and life. Bebban did so in Los Angeles and Adam in Melbourne, while Carl, Ted, and Eric remained in Stockholm. And when they got together again, they realized that this is what they do and what they will continue to do. A you-dont-know-what-youve-got-til-its-in-Melbourne sort of thing
Adam wrote many songs down there, in a tiny room with a little synthesizer, an acoustic guitar, and GarageBand on his laptop. The song Walls came first and then the rest, one by one (brick by brick, if you will) whilst the Australian trams passed by outside. He shared the songs with the others, who listened closely from their corners of the world, questioning and challenging himlike a good band shoulduntil the songs that make up Work had all passed the test, made the cut, and lived to tell the story.
Their last album, Our Ill Wills, was all about travel, from the song titles down to the flags that graced the cover. Although Work was written in Melbourne and recorded in Seattle (and for the first time with a non-Swede in the producers seat), its the coming-home album, the one where they decide to keep it simple: lose the percussionist, sack the string quartet, trust the songs. Or as singer Adam Olenius puts it in one of those songs: Throwing stones, theyre rolling home. It happened just like that. Each piece found its natural place.
The band got Seattleite Phil Ek to produce the album, and they describe him as a much-needed force. They wanted someone who was used to working with bands and used to doing things the old-fashioned waywith hard work and 1-2-3-4 live recordings. Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, and The Shins are fine testaments to Phil Eks producer work ethic, so he seemed a natural choice.
Adam also says this album and the way it sounds boils down to a few things. Foremost, he is in a better place in his life. There may still be dark skies, but lately theyre only partly cloudy. In the words of Mary J Blige, no more drama. And perhaps with the change of weather came the realization that there really is no need to multilayer everything and fill all the spaces with stuff. Significant points have been made with little more to back them than an honest attempt to keep things organic, unadorned, to the point. (Revisiting John Cales albums may have played a small part in it too, if were being honest.) It all may sound quite simple, and thats the point. But simple is rarely that; simple can be awfully complicated in all its plainness, and countless are we who have tried to hide our simplicity behind overdubs, mysterious press releases, animals masks, and fabulous graphics.
Shout Out Louds may have left out the bunny ears, but just like the rest of us, they have definitely been guilty of one or two of the other misdemeanors on that list. Well, not anymore. Theyre keeping it simple now, trusting in the power of bare skin over panache. At the end of the day, its work, and they are happy to do it. And for that we are truly thankful.
// Lisa Milberg, November 2009
www.shoutoutlouds.com
www.myspace.com/shoutoutlouds
02/02/10
Shout Out Louds’ new digital EP Fall Hard is available now for purchase and preview in the Merge store and from your favorite digital music provider.
Fall Hard track listing:
1. Fall Hard (album version)
2. Fall Hard Pt. 2
3. Can’t Explain
Shout Out Louds are offering album track “Walls” as a free download at www.shoutoutlouds.com, along with a worldwide contest to win a trip to their sold out March 1st performance at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY. Pre-order their new full-length Work on CD and LP (with MP3 download coupon) in the Merge store.
Shout Out Louds on tour:
3/1 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg SOLD OUT
5/2 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
5/3 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church
5/5 New York, NY Webster Hall
5/6 Boston, MA Paradise
5/7 Montreal, QC Cabaret Music Hall
5/8 Toronto, ON Mod Club
5/10 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
5/11 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
5/14 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
5/15 Seattle, WA Neumos
5/16 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
5/18 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
5/20 San Diego, CA House of Blues
5/21 Los Angeles, CA El Rey
Fall Hard track listing:
1. Fall Hard (album version)
2. Fall Hard Pt. 2
3. Can’t Explain
Shout Out Louds are offering album track “Walls” as a free download at www.shoutoutlouds.com, along with a worldwide contest to win a trip to their sold out March 1st performance at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY. Pre-order their new full-length Work on CD and LP (with MP3 download coupon) in the Merge store.
Shout Out Louds on tour:
3/1 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg SOLD OUT
5/2 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
5/3 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church
5/5 New York, NY Webster Hall
5/6 Boston, MA Paradise
5/7 Montreal, QC Cabaret Music Hall
5/8 Toronto, ON Mod Club
5/10 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
5/11 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
5/14 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
5/15 Seattle, WA Neumos
5/16 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
5/18 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
5/20 San Diego, CA House of Blues
5/21 Los Angeles, CA El Rey
01/12/10
Shout Out Louds’ new album, Work, will be in stores on February 23. Their North American tour will begin on May 2 at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, and will culminate with a performance at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, on May 21. Get your tickets now as their March 1st show in Brooklyn is already sold out!
In addition to the tour, the band has just released a music video for the first commercial single from Work entitled “Fall Hard” (single available exclusively via digital download on February 2). Directed by Shout Out Louds bass player Ted Malmros and his brother Tom Malmros, “Fall Hard” is a colorful moving image that director Ted describes as “a Belgian cigarettes inspired TV-show deja vú….” Watch the video now.
Pre-order Work on CD and LP (with MP3 download coupon) in the Merge store, and download album track, “Walls” at www.shoutoutlouds.com.
Fall Hard track listing:
1. Fall Hard (album version)
2. Fall Hard Pt. 2
3. Can´t Explain
Shout Out Louds on tour:
3/1 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg **Sold Out!
5/2 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
5/3 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church
5/5 New York, NY Webster Hall
5/6 Boston, MA Paradise
5/7 Montreal, QC Cabaret Music Hall
5/8 Toronto, ON Mod Club
5/10 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
5/11 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
5/14 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
5/15 Seattle, WA Neumos
5/16 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
5/18 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
5/20 San Diego, CA House of Blues
5/21 Los Angeles, CA El Rey
In addition to the tour, the band has just released a music video for the first commercial single from Work entitled “Fall Hard” (single available exclusively via digital download on February 2). Directed by Shout Out Louds bass player Ted Malmros and his brother Tom Malmros, “Fall Hard” is a colorful moving image that director Ted describes as “a Belgian cigarettes inspired TV-show deja vú….” Watch the video now.
Pre-order Work on CD and LP (with MP3 download coupon) in the Merge store, and download album track, “Walls” at www.shoutoutlouds.com.
Fall Hard track listing:
1. Fall Hard (album version)
2. Fall Hard Pt. 2
3. Can´t Explain
Shout Out Louds on tour:
3/1 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg **Sold Out!
5/2 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
5/3 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church
5/5 New York, NY Webster Hall
5/6 Boston, MA Paradise
5/7 Montreal, QC Cabaret Music Hall
5/8 Toronto, ON Mod Club
5/10 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
5/11 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
5/14 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
5/15 Seattle, WA Neumos
5/16 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
5/18 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
5/20 San Diego, CA House of Blues
5/21 Los Angeles, CA El Rey
12/01/09
Shout Out Louds will be releasing their new record, entitled Work, on February 23, 2010. Work was recorded in Seattle and produced by Phil Ek (The Shins, Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses).
Pre-Order Work on CD and limited edition LP now in the Merge store!
Click to download an MP3 of “Walls” and watch the video below!
After a year of touring behind their acclaimed second record, Our Ill Wills, the band went their separate ways — singer/main songwriter Adam Olenius to Melbourne, Australia, keyboard/vocalist Bebban Stenborg to Los Angeles, drummer Eric Edman, bassist Ted Malmros and guitarist Carl von Arbin back to Stockholm – and took a much needed break. Olenius wrote many of the new songs in Australia in a tiny room, with a little synthesizer, an acoustic guitar and garageband on his laptop. He passed them on to the others who listened closely from their corners of the world, questioning and challenging him until the songs that make up Work had all passed the test.
“Walls” came first and then the rest. It’s interesting that Our Ill Wills was written at home but is all about travel while Work, written on the road with a non-Swede in the producer seat for the first time, is all about home. For the songs on Work, the band stripped their sound down, lost the percussionist and string section and kept things organic, unadorned and to the point.
Shout Out Louds will be playing a special album-release show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, on March 1st.
Pre-Order Work on CD and limited edition LP now in the Merge store!
Click to download an MP3 of “Walls” and watch the video below!
After a year of touring behind their acclaimed second record, Our Ill Wills, the band went their separate ways — singer/main songwriter Adam Olenius to Melbourne, Australia, keyboard/vocalist Bebban Stenborg to Los Angeles, drummer Eric Edman, bassist Ted Malmros and guitarist Carl von Arbin back to Stockholm – and took a much needed break. Olenius wrote many of the new songs in Australia in a tiny room, with a little synthesizer, an acoustic guitar and garageband on his laptop. He passed them on to the others who listened closely from their corners of the world, questioning and challenging him until the songs that make up Work had all passed the test.
“Walls” came first and then the rest. It’s interesting that Our Ill Wills was written at home but is all about travel while Work, written on the road with a non-Swede in the producer seat for the first time, is all about home. For the songs on Work, the band stripped their sound down, lost the percussionist and string section and kept things organic, unadorned and to the point.
Shout Out Louds will be playing a special album-release show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, on March 1st.
10/27/09
Shout Out Louds just finished recording their third album, Work. The album was recorded at Bear Creek Studio in Seattle and was produced by Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, The Shins, Built To Spill, Modest Mouse).
Singer Adam Olenius explains their choice of the album title, Work:
I am fascinated by the process of creating something and almost working yourself to death, the relief that comes when it is over and the ability to just shut off a part of one’s life. Work also means that something “does work,” to reach a goal. A song from John Cale and Lou Reed’s “Songs For Drella” also inspired our album title choice.
Merge will release Work on February 23rd and will have tour dates to announce soon! Visit ShoutOutLouds.com for photos and a short video from the recording sessions.
Singer Adam Olenius explains their choice of the album title, Work:
I am fascinated by the process of creating something and almost working yourself to death, the relief that comes when it is over and the ability to just shut off a part of one’s life. Work also means that something “does work,” to reach a goal. A song from John Cale and Lou Reed’s “Songs For Drella” also inspired our album title choice.
Merge will release Work on February 23rd and will have tour dates to announce soon! Visit ShoutOutLouds.com for photos and a short video from the recording sessions.
| 03.01.2010 | Brooklyn, NY | Music Hall of Williamsburg | |
| 03.23.2010 | Rostock, Germany | MAU | |
| 03.24.2010 | Hamburg, Germany | Uebel & Gefahrlich | |
| 03.25.2010 | Berlin, Germany | Astra | |
| 03.26.2010 | Dresden, Germany | Reithalle | |
| 03.27.2010 | Munchen, Germany | Backstage Werk | |
| 03.28.2010 | Zurich, Switzerland | Mascotte | |
| 03.29.2010 | Frankfurt, Germany | Mousonturm | |
| 03.30.2010 | Cologne, Germany | Burgerhaus Stollwerck | |
| 03.31.2010 | Stuttgart, Germany | Waagenhallen | |
| 04.01.2010 | Salzburg, Austria | Rockhouse | |
| 04.02.2010 | Vienna, Austria | FM4 @ RadioKuturhaus | |
| 04.03.2010 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Lille Vega | |
| 04.14.2010 | Oslo, Norway | Parkteatret | |
| 04.15.2010 | Gothenberg, Sweden | Brew House | |
| 04.16.2010 | Malmo, Sweden | KB | |
| 04.17.2010 | Stockholm, Sweden | Kagelbana | |
| 05.02.2010 | Washington, DC | 9:30 Club | |
| 05.03.2010 | Philadelphia, PA | First Unitarian Church | |
| 05.05.2010 | New York, NY | Webster Hall | |
| 05.06.2010 | Boston, MA | Paradise Rock Club | |
| 05.07.2010 | Montreal, QC Canada | Cabaret Music Hall | |
| 05.08.2010 | Toronto, ON | The Mod Club Theatre | |
| 05.10.2010 | Chicago, IL | Lincoln Hall | |
| 05.11.2010 | Minneapolis, MN | The Varsity Theater | |
| 05.14.2010 | Vancouver, BC Canada | Commodore Ballroom | |
| 05.15.2010 | Seattle, WA | Neumo's | |
| 05.16.2010 | Portland, OR | Doug Fir | |
| 05.18.2010 | San Francisco, CA | Great American Music Hall | |
| 05.20.2010 | San Diego, CA | House of Blues | |
| 05.21.2010 | Los Angeles, CA | El Rey Theatre |
Howl Howl Gaff Gaff - CD/LP - Capitol 2005
Tonight I Have To Leave It - EP - Merge 2007
Our Ill Wills - CD/LP - Merge 2007
Work - CD/LP - Merge 2010
Tonight I Have To Leave It - EP - Merge 2007
Our Ill Wills - CD/LP - Merge 2007
Work - CD/LP - Merge 2010
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American Music Club [+]
| February | ||
| 21 | Portland, OR | Aladdin Theater |
| 22 | Portland, OR | Aladdin Theater |
| 23 | Seattle, WA | Town Hall |
| 24 | Seattle, WA | Town Hall |
| 27 | Oakland, CA | Fox |
| [see all] | ||
Richard Buckner [+]
| February | ||
| 26 | Berkeley, CA | Starry Plough Pub |
The Clientele [+]
| February | ||
| 21 | Hoboken, NJ | Maxwell's |
| 22 | Philadelphia, PA | Johnny Brenda's |
| 23 | Washington, DC | Black Cat |
| 24 | Carrboro, NC | Cat's Cradle |
| 25 | Atlanta, GA | The Earl |
| [see all] | ||
Let\'s Wrestle [+]
| March | ||
| 18 | Austin , TX | Cedar Street |
| April | ||
| 15 | St. Paul, MN | Turf Club |
| 16 | Madison, WI | Annex |
| 17 | Detroit, MI | Magic Stick |
| 18 | Toronto, ON | Horseshoe Tavern |
| [see all] | ||
Oakley Hall [+]
| April | ||
| 02 | Brooklyn, NY | Knitting Factory |
Radar Bros. [+]
| March | ||
| 26 | Los Angeles, CA | Spaceland |
The Rosebuds [+]
| March | ||
| 19 | Asheville, NC | UNCA Alumni Hall in Highsmith |
| 20 | Carrboro, NC | Cat's Cradle |
| May | ||
| 08 | Beaufort, NC | Beaufort Music Festival |
She & Him [+]
| March | ||
| 15 | Los Angeles, CA | Largo at the Coronet |
| 25 | Los Angeles, CA | El Rey Theatre |
| 27 | Savannah, GA | Trustees Theatre (Savannah Music Festival) |
| 29 | New York, NY | Bowery Ballroom |
| 30 | New York, NY | Bowery Ballroom |
| [see all] | ||
Shout Out Louds [+]
| March | ||
| 01 | Brooklyn, NY | Music Hall of Williamsburg |
| 23 | Rostock | MAU |
| 24 | Hamburg | Uebel & Gefahrlich |
| 25 | Berlin | Astra |
| 26 | Dresden | Reithalle |
| [see all] | ||
Spoon [+]
| February | ||
| 14 | Glasgow | King Tuts |
| 15 | Manchester | Academy 3 |
| 16 | London | Electric Ballroom |
| 18 | Amsterdam | Paradiso |
| 19 | Cologne | Luxor |
| [see all] | ||
Superchunk [+]
| March | ||
| 19 | Austin, TX | La Zona Rosa |
Wye Oak [+]
| March | ||
| 12 | Frederick, MD | Cafe Nola |
| 13 | Pittsburgh, PA | Brillobox |
| 14 | Indianapolis, IN | Vollrath Tavern |
| 15 | Memphis, TN | Hi-Tone Cafe |
| 24 | Atlanta, GA | The Earl |
| [see all] | ||
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