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May 2011

M. Ward Live at KINK Portland

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M. Ward recently visited KINK Portland’s Bing Lounge for an acoustic session! You can watch the entire set on KINK.FM now.

M. Ward on tour:
May 27 Barcelona, Spain Primavera Festival
June 10 Philadelphia, PA Mann Center for Performing Arts
June 11 Vienna, VA Filene Center @ Wolftrap
June 25 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre
June 26 Davis, CA Mondavi Center
July 07 Winnipeg, MB Canada Winnipeg Folk
July 09 Ottawa, ON Ottawa Blues
July 11 Quebec City, QC Quebec City Summer Festival
July 31 Newport, RI Newport Folk Festival
Aug 11 Montclair, NJ Wellmont Theatre
Aug 13 East Hampton, NY Music to Know Festival

Let’s Wrestle – In Dreams Part II

Let’s Wrestle’s new album Nursing Home is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store.

Wye Oak perform Dinosaur Jr. songs & surprise Nirvana encore for ‘Our Band Could Be Your Life’ anniversary show!

By Amanda Hatfield for BrooklynVegan

Wye Oak channeled Dinosaur Jr. last night at the Bowery Ballroom for the 10th anniversary celebration concert of Michael Azerrad’s Our Band Could Be Your Life. Listen to their performance now at NPR Music! Also, Wye Oak joined a collection of other musicians from the event for an encore of Nirvana songs also available at NPR Music.

BrooklynVegan and Stereogum have great photos & video, too!

See Wye Oak at Sasquatch this weekend! Full list of tour dates below with new dates opening for Explosions in the Sky!

Civilian is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store.

Wye Oak on tour:
* = w/ Explosions in the Sky
May 28 George, WA – Sasquatch Festival
Jun 07 Amsterdam, NE – Paradiso
Jun 08 Ghent, BE – Vooruit
Jun 12 Vienna, AT – Chelsea Club
Jun 13 Frankfurt, DE – Sinkkasten
Jun 14 Berlin, DE – Comet
Jun 16 London, UK – Hoxton Bar & Kitchen
Jul 18 New York, NY – Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Aug 05–06 Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
Aug 12 Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre w/ The Decemberists
Aug 13–14 San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival
Sep 28 New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s *
Sep 29 Atlanta, GA – The Tabernacle *
Sep 30 Asheville, NC – Orange Peel *
Oct 06 Montreal, QC – Metropolis Theatre *
Oct 07 Toronto, ON – The Sound Academy *
Oct 08 Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre *
Oct 11 Des Moines, IA – Val Air Ballroom *
Oct 12 Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater *
Oct 13 Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom *

Amor de Días, Mac and Damon & Naomi cover the Rolling Stones

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Don’t miss Amor de Días on tour this month! Street of the Love of Days is in stores now!

Jonny “Candyfloss” live from Japan!

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Jonny is available now on CD (with 4 bonus tracks!) and digital download now in the Merge store.

Jonny on tour:
All dates with Apex Manor except June 20 & 21 with Yo La Tengo!
June 03 Toronto, ON The Drake Hotel
June 04 Toronto, ON The Drake Hotel
June 07 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall
June 08 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall
June 09 New York, NY Le Poisson Rouge
June 10 Brooklyn, NY The Bell House
June 11 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live Upstairs
June 12 Vienna, VA Jammin’ Java
June 14 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
June 15 Decatur, GA Eddie’s Attic
June 16 Nashville, TN The Bluebird Cafe
June 17 Louisville, KY Zanzabar
June 18 Chicago, IL Old Town School of Folk Music @ Gary and Laura Maurer Concert Hall
June 20 Columbia, MO Blue Note w/ Yo La Tengo
June 21 Iowa City, IA Englert Theater w/ Yo La Tengo

Amor de Días debut album in stores now & tour starts tomorrow!

Amor de Días’ debut album Street of the Love of Days is available now on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store and wherever you like to buy records.

Alasdair and Lupe are now in the US to begin their tour with Damon & Naomi tomorrow night in DC at the Red Palace. Don’t miss your chance to see them!

Amor de Días did a list for All Music Guide of their musical inspirations, and there are great reviews now at The Big Takeover, Prefix and Tiny Mix Tapes. Also, if you haven’t checked it out yet, read Lupe’s conversation with Design*Sponge about her art. Listen to Street of the Love of Days in its entirety now in the Merge store, and order a copy while you are there to get this adorable postcard!

Amor de Días on tour:
(all dates with Damon & Naomi)
May 18 Washington, DC – Red Palace
May 19 Carrboro, NC – ArtsCenter
May 20 Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery
May 21 Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church Chapel
May 22 Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory
May 23 Allston, MA – Great Scott
May 25 Toronto, ON – Horseshoe
May 26 Pontiac, MI – Pike Room at Crofoot
May 27 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
May 28 Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock
May 31 Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
Jun 01 Portland, OR – Bunk Bar
Jun 03 San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill
Jun 04 Los Angeles, CA – The Satellite
Jun 05 San Diego, CA – Soda Bar

Jonny (Norman Blake & Euros Childs) on tour in June!

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Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub & Euros Childs of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci have been playing shows around the globe for a few months now, but they’re heading state-side in a matter of weeks! Don’t miss these shows!

“the combination of Childs’ distinctively fantastical songwriting and Blake’s immaculate songcraft can’t help but be a winning combination.” ~ Chromewaves

“one of the purest, most effusive pop records in recent memory, an outstanding example of retro rock celebration simply dubbed Jonny” ~ Amplifier

All dates with Apex Manor except June 20 & 21 with Yo La Tengo!
June 03 Toronto, ON The Drake Hotel
June 04 Toronto, ON The Drake Hotel
June 07 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall
June 08 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall
June 09 New York, NY Le Poisson Rouge
June 10 Brooklyn, NY The Bell House
June 11 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live Upstairs
June 12 Vienna, VA Jammin’ Java
June 14 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
June 15 Decatur, GA Eddie’s Attic
June 16 Nashville, TN The Bluebird Cafe
June 17 Louisville, KY Zanzabar
June 18 Chicago, IL Old Town School of Folk Music @ Gary and Laura Maurer Concert Hall
June 20 Columbia, MO Blue Note w/ Yo La Tengo
June 21 Iowa City, IA Englert Theater w/ Yo La Tengo

The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle talks Black Sabbath with Studio 360

Public Radio International’s Studio 360 asked the Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle about his biggest influence and were surprised to find the answer is Black Sabbath!

From Studio 360:

Twenty years ago, just as indie rock started to be called indie rock, John Darnielle founded one of its great bands — The Mountain Goats. The New Yorker called Darnielle “America’s best non-hip hop lyricist”; his songs are moody, literary, some might say a bit navel-gazey. But Darnielle’s biggest influence isn’t Leonard Cohen or Nick Drake. He was, and is, a metalhead. Produced by Stephen Reader.

Click to isten now at Studio360.org

Amor de Días pre-order postcards & new video!

Pre-order the debut album Street of the Love of Days from Amor de Días now in the Merge store to receive a functional and charming postcard to use during your summer excursions.

Amor de Días’ Lupe Núñez-Fernández spoke with Design*Sponge yesterday about her artwork and the new video. Read the interview and check out Lupe’s art here.

Visit the Merge store to stream Street of the Love of Days in its entirety, and pre-order the album on CD and LP now.

Jeff Mangum performs with the Soap Scums at AUX5

This past weekend marked the fifth annual AUX Experimental Arts Festival in Athens, GA. Attendees witnessed a special performance by The Soap Scums (Laura Carter, Peter Erchick, John Fernandes, Eric Harris, & Jeff Mangum), which we now present to you, toast and all:

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Thanks to Sloan Simpson & Mike White for the recording!

Jeff Mangum also has some tour dates coming up (!!):

Aug 12  Toronto, ON  Trinity St. Paul’s United Church
Aug 13  Toronto, ON  Trinity St. Paul’s United Church
Sep 09  Cambridge, MA  Sanders Theatre at Harvard University
Sep 10  Boston, MA  Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory
Sep 30  Asbury Park, NJ  ATP America – I’ll Be Your Mirror – Paramount Theatre
Oct 03  Asbury Park, NJ  ATP
Oct 29  New York, NY  Town Hall
Nov 06  Jersey City, NJ  Loew’s Jersey Theatre

Telekinesis covers Superchunk at Alternative Press!

Michael Benjamin Lerner & Cody Votolato recently covered Superchunk’s classic, “Nu Bruises,” and you can now listen at Alternative Press!

Telekinesis is currently on tour with Portugal. The Man. Check them out on the road, and politely request that they play the cover! 12 Desperate Straight Lines is in stores now!

May 09 Tucson, AZ Solar Culture
May 11 Colorado Springs, CO The Black Sheep
May 12 Fort Collins, CO Aggie Theatre
May 13 Denver, CO The Bluebird Theater
May 14 Denver, CO The Bluebird Theater
May 16 Columbia, MO Mojo’s
May 17 Kansas City, MO Record Bar
May 19 Little Rock, AR Revolution
May 20 Dallas, TX Granada Theater
May 21 Houston, TX Fitzgerald’s
May 22 New Orleans, LA One Eyed Jacks
May 24 Nashville, TN The End
May 25 Columbus, OH Outland on Liberty
May 26 Cleveland, OH House of Blues – Cambridge Room
May 27 Toronto, ON Lee’s Palace
May 28 Syracuse, NY The Westcott Theater
May 30 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground Ballroom
May 31 New Haven, CT Cafe Nine
June 03 New York, NY Webster Hall
June 05 Cincinnati, OH MOTR Pub
June 06 Bloomington, IN Russian Recording
June 08 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern

Apex Manor play “Under the Gun” for Grooveshark

Apex Manor visited the Grooveshark bus while they were in Austin! You can now watch the band performing “Under the Gun” on Vimeo. Check out Grooveshark and listen to your favorite Merge bands on their site.

The band is gearing up for a June tour with Jonny (Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub & Euros Childs of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci), but first play Los Angeles on Friday at the Satellite! Follow Apex Manor on Twitter to keep up with Ross!

The Year of Magical Drinking is available on CD and digital download now in the Merge store.

Apex Manor on tour!
May 13 Los Angeles, CA The Satellite
Jun 3 Toronto, ON The Drake Hotel
Jun 4 Toronto, ON The Drake Hotel
Jun 7 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall
Jun 8 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall
Jun 9 New York, NY Le Poisson Rouge
Jun 10 Brooklyn, NY The Bell House
Jun 11 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live Upstairs
Jun 12 Vienna, VA Jammin’ Java
Jun 14 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
Jun 15 Decatur, GA Eddie’s Attic
Jun 16 Nashville, TN The Bluebird Cafe
Jun 17 Louisville, KY Zanzabar
Jun 18 Chicago, IL Old Town School of Folk Music @ Gary and Laura Maurer Concert Hall

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