Fucked Up continue their Chinese Zodiac series with Year of the Tiger out now on Matador Records. You can stream the entire series, including Merge’s 2010 contribution Year of the Ox, below. Order the 12″ in the Merge store, and pick up the new 12″ and the fantastic, Juno-nominated David Comes to Life in stores now!
Archers of Loaf’s original “Vee Vee” videos!
February 8, 2012 – 12:54 pm
To celebrate the deluxe reissue of Archers of Loaf‘s Vee Vee, we have two videos from the original 1995 release. Watch, reminisce, and order Vee Vee in the Merge store now!
“Underachievers March and Fight Song”
Richard Buckner plays The Line of Best Fit
February 6, 2012 – 4:19 pm
Richard Buckner played a set for The Line of Best Fit when he was last in Europe, and has just announced another trip for May. Don’t miss Richard on the road, either here or abroad, in 2012. Our Blood is available in stores and online now!
Richard Buckner on tour:
Feb 22 New Haven, CT BAR
Feb 24 Lexington, KY Cosmic Charlie’s
Feb 25 Atlanta, GA Highland Inn Ballroom
Feb 27 Easton, MD The NightCat
Mar 02 Bayport, NY The Grey Horse Tavern
Mar 10 North Adams, MA MASS MoCA
May 01 Winchester, UK The Railway
May 02 York, UK Dutchess of York
May 03 Bury, UK The Met
May 04 Kilkenny, IE Kilkenny Festival
May 05 Kilkenny, IE Kilkenny Festival
May 06 Belfast, IE Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival
May 07 London, UK Cecil Sharp House
May 08 Newcastle, UK The Cluny 2
The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle talks about the new album with RollingStone.com
January 24, 2012 – 1:21 pm
The Mountain Goats are on tour and as previously announced are debuting new songs at these shows before they are even recorded. RollingStone.com talked to John after their sold-out Austin, TX show about the new songs and how fatherhood hasn’t made him go soft.
Watch a fan video below of the Mountain Goats performing “The Diaz Brothers” live in Houston.
The Mountain Goats’ Merge debut All Eternals Deck is available now on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store.
The Mountain Goats on tour:
* = w/ Nurses
Jan 24 Orlando, FL – The Social*
Jan 25 Tampa, FL – Crowbar*
Jan 27 St. Augustine, FL – The Original Cafe Eleven*
Jan 28 Atlanta, GA – The Earl*
Jan 30 Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club*
Jan 31 Charlotte, NC – Visulite Theatre*
Feb 02 Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle*
Feb 04 Saxapahaw, NC – The Haw River Ballroom*
Mar 09 Denton, TX – 35 Denton Festival*
Mar 13 New York, NY – Carnegie Hall: “The Music of the Rolling Stones: Hot Rocks 1964–1971”
Mar 24 New York, NY – Ecstatic Music Festival w/ Anonymous 4
Apr 02 London, UK – The Barbican w/ Anonymous 4
Hospitality “Friends of Friends” video
January 24, 2012 – 11:24 am
Hospitality on tour:
Feb 3 Brooklyn, NY Glasslands Gallery (Record Release Show)
Feb 25 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall (Noise Pop w/ Archers of Loaf)
Feb 26 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour w/ Archers of Loaf
Feb 29 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern w/ Tennis
Mar 2 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall w/ Tennis
Mar 3 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom w/ Tennis
Mar 7 New Haven, CT BAR
Mar 9 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 w/ Tennis
Mar 10 Atlanta, GA The Earl w/ Tennis
Mar 11 Orlando, FL Orange You Glad Festival
Lambchop – Mr. M – in stores February 21!
January 17, 2012 – 3:43 pm
Pre-order Mr. M now on CD or limited-edition dbl-LP in the Merge store to receive a poster (the first 150 of which will be signed!) featuring Kurt Wagner’s original paintings used in Mr. M’s liner notes and a Lambchop coin purse while supplies last.
She & Him’s Zooey Deschanel to host Saturday Night Live
January 11, 2012 – 4:26 pm
She & Him’s Zooey Deschanel will host Saturday Night Live on February 11!
Zooey’s hit new TV show New Girl returns with new episodes on Tuesday, January 17.
The whole She & Him catalog, including Volume One, Volume Two and A Very She & Him Christmas is available now in the Merge store.
Hospitality invite you to see them live!
January 4, 2012 – 3:27 pm
Hospitality are hitting the road in a week in support of their self-titled debut album which will be released on January 31. The New Yorker included Hospitality (and Lambchop!) in their list of anticipated releases of 2012 as did Wired.com!
Visit SoundCloud to hear “Friends of Friends” and “Betty Wang” now. Pre-order Hospitality on CD or LP now in the Merge store to receive via e-mail Hospitality’s 6-song EP from 2008, which was recorded in their Red Hook apartment by Karl Blau on a 4-track recorder.
Hospitality on tour:
Jan 11 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern w/ Caveman
Jan 12 Detroit, MI PJ’s Lager House w/ Caveman
Jan 14 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall (Tomorrow Never Knows)
Jan 16 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
Jan 17 Pittsburgh, PA Brillobox
Feb 03 Brooklyn, NY Glasslands Gallery (Record Release Show)
Feb 25 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall Noisepop Festival w/ Archers of Loaf
Feb 26 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour w/ Archers of Loaf
2011 Year End Lists: Eric Johnson, Archers of Loaf
December 22, 2011 – 6:21 pm
Top 10 Musical Highlights of 2011
1. Archers’ “surprise reunion gig” way back in January. That was the most fun I’ve had in recent memory.
2. Slowly learning how to play drums. But progress IS steady.
3. The purchase (gulp!) of my sunburst Strat. I can happily report no buyer’s remorse.
4. Watching and hearing Birdsmell, Ben Bridwell’s “side project.”
5. Discovering Electric Owls. Thank you Matt, I love their music.
6. My/our/Archers network debut on the Jimmy Fallon show.
7. Having Archers records released on Merge Records. Thanks y’all!
8. Having a bona fide rock star, Mac, take us out to dinner AND pay for it.
9. Visiting Chicago twice this year … and seeing Bob Weston both times.
10. Oh yeah, TOURING! Thank you to all the bands we played with and thank you Merge and thank you Shawn Nolan, Jim Romeo and all the people who helped make it happen. And most of all, thank you to God for letting us rock on a Sunday.
2011 Year End Lists: Claudia Gonson, the Magnetic Fields
December 22, 2011 – 6:20 pm
photo by Bill Wadman
CLAUDIA’s TOP 6 FORTUNE COOKIE MESSAGES for 2011
1. Life is a verb.
2. When you are squeezed, what comes out is what is inside.
3. If the cake is bad, what good is the frosting?
4. If I bring forth what is inside me, what I bring forth will save me.
5. Cooperation will work better.
6. You will have gold pieces by the bushel.
2011 Year End Lists: Chrissy Mickler, Merge intern
December 22, 2011 – 6:18 pm
Favorite Album: Tie between “Within and Without” by Washed Out and “12 Desperate Straight Lines” by Telekinesis
Most Influential Experience: Living in NYC this summer, learned a lot and was surrounded by great people, art, music, food, random cool things, etc.!
Favorite Concert: Foster the People at Bowery Ballroom
Best Thing I ate: Grasshopper cupcake at “Baked” in Brooklyn
Favorite Song: “October Road” by Balto
Favorite Trip: Mardi Gras and road trip from New Orleans to Memphis and Nashville via the “Blues Highway” in Mississippi
Favorite Show: Tie between Parks & Recreation and Always Sunny In Philadelphia, how did I just discover these shows this year?!
Favorite Movie: Without a doubt the last Harry Potter movie
Favorite Book: The Hunger Games
Favorite Site: The Oatmeal
2011 Year End Lists: Devin Dimattia, Merge Digital Intern
December 22, 2011 – 6:16 pm
I tried my hand at directing music videos for the first time this year, so it seemed appropriate that my Best-of List consist of some of my favorite vids of 2011. What follows is an eclectic mix of familiar faces alongside some videos you are hopefully getting to see for the first time. If you’d like to see more of my work (including the 2nd place winner in the Beach Boys SMiLE Music Video contest), check out www.dimattiafilms.com
Battles, “Ice Cream” (dir. CANADA)
Columbus, “Hubble” (dir. The Crystal Beach)
Com Truise, “Brokendate” (dir. Will Joines)
Goldfish, “We Come Together” (dir. Mike Scott)
Is Tropical, “The Greeks” (dir. Megaforce)
Kaisoku Tokyo, “Copy” (dir. Takahiro Yasuda)
Madeon, “Pop Culture” (dir. Nathan Barnatt)
The New Pornographers, “Moves” (dir. Tom Scharpling)
Scooter, “Friends Turbo” (dir. Steffen Haars & Flip Van Der Kull)
Tune-Yards, “Bizness” (dir. Mimi Cave)
- Lambchop announces US tour in support of Mr. M
- The Magnetic Fields premiere video for “Andrew in Drag” at NPR Music
- Hospitality extends spring tour including dates with The Love Language & Wild Flag
- Archers of Loaf announce new tour dates
- M. Ward premieres video for “The First Time I Ran Away” from A Wasteland Companion
- Imperial Teen premieres “Runaway” video at Spin.com
- New Eleanor Friedberger video for “Heaven” & Portlandia dates announced!
- Hospitality releases video for “Friends of Friends” and other release week excitement!
Stream full-length songs (at random) from our entire catalog.
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