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Imperial Teen announce UK release date for Feel the Sound

April 5, 2013 – 11:50 am

Beginning June 10, Imperial Teen‘s Feel the Sound will be available on CD, LP and digital via Merge Records in the UK and Europe. Will, Jone, Lynn & Roddy will play a couple of shows in England as well as their previously announced visits to Denver, San Francisco and Los Angeles this spring.

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. SPIN deemed Imperial Teen, “eternally joyous indie-pop savants” while Magnet described Feel the Sound as “an LP full of energy and warmth, and the group’s symphonic pop sound is still as fresh as its debut in the ’90s.”

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.

Watch the video for “Runaway,” check out the bands’ Daytrotter session, and find Feel the Sound now on CD, LP, and digital download in the Merge store.

Imperial Teen on tour:
Apr 27 Denver, CO Hi Dive
May 24 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill
May 25 Los Angeles, CA The Satellite
June 16 Isle of Wight, UK Isle of Wight Festival
June 18 London, UK Scala

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2012 Year End Lists: Roddy Bottum, Imperial Teen

December 7, 2012 – 1:03 pm

my last year’s top ten tweets i felt went overlooked

@roddybottum: what is up with straight couples, their children and the word ‘buddy?’

@roddybottum: I just met a poodle named Cabernet.

@roddybottum: I used to know a big standard poodle in LA in the 80′s named Showbiz.

@roddybottum: Fred, The Show, featuring my musical score, premieres on Nick tonight at 8.
it’s sort of a companion piece to Downton Abbey.

@roddybottum: so when Neil Young speaks he has a Canadian accent?

@roddybottum: the only bummer about Berkeley is those kids that go to the college.

@roddybottum: the one about the leaf legged kid from the garden looks revolting.

@roddybottum: I wonder if Fred from B52′s and Einar from Sugarcubes were ever in the same room. maybe a wink was exchanged.

@roddybottum: Lilith is Kembra.

@roddybottum: Note to older self: turtlenecks.

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Imperial Teen play songs from Feel the Sound for Daytrotter

August 3, 2012 – 1:39 pm

Imperial Teen recorded a session for Daytrotter featuring songs from their most recent album Feel the Sound and their Merge debut On.

Listen to Imperial Teen’s session at Daytrotter.com

Watch the video for “Runaway” and find Feel the Sound now on CD, LP, and digital download in the Merge store.

Imperial Teen on tour:
Aug 17 Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory
Sep 29 Cincinnati, OH – Midpoint Music Fest
Oct 14 San Francisco, CA – Treasure Island

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Imperial Teen announce NYC show & various festival appearances

July 11, 2012 – 2:54 pm

Imperial Teen are finally heading east in support of their new album Feel the Sound. After stops at festivals in Denver and Portland, Will, Jone, Roddy, and Lynn will play the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on August 17. This will be their first show in NYC in a very long time and is definitely not to be missed! See a full list of Imperial Teen tour dates below, and visit their Merge tour page for updates coming soon!

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.

Watch the video for “Runaway” and find Feel the Sound now on CD, LP, and digital download in the Merge store.

Imperial Teen on tour:
Jul 20 Denver, CO – Underground Music Festival @ 3 Kings Tavern
Jul 22 Portland, OR – Portland Queer Music Festival @ Backspace
Aug 17 Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory
Sep 29 Cincinnati, OH – Midpoint Music Fest
Oct 14 San Francisco, CA – Treasure Island

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New Merge Spring sampler available now at iTunes!

May 29, 2012 – 12:19 pm

Visit iTunes to download the new Merge Spring sampler! Featuring songs from our recent releases as well as a song from our forthcoming reissue of Sugar’s Copper Blue, the sampler makes a great mixtape for your spring BBQ all for the low price of $2.99.

Visit iTunes to download Merge Records Spring Sampler 2012 now

Visit the Merge store to find full-length albums from these artists, and bookmark our SoundCloud page where we are adding new songs all the time!

Track list:
1.  The Magnetic Fields “Andrew in Drag”
2.  Sugar “A Good Idea”
3.  Times New Viking “Try Harder”
4.  Eleanor Friedberger “Heaven”
5.  The Rosebuds “Second Bird of Paradise”
6.  Archers of Loaf “Dead Red Eyes”
7.  Wild Flag “Electric Band”
8.  Imperial Teen “Out from Inside”
9.  Hospitality “Friends of Friends”
10.  M. Ward “The First Time I Ran Away”
11.  Stephin Merritt “Forever and a Day”
12.  Lambchop “Gone Tomorrow”
13.  Crooked Fingers “Heavy Hours”

Also posted in Archers of Loaf, Crooked Fingers, Eleanor Friedberger, Hospitality, Lambchop, M. Ward, News, Stephin Merritt, Sugar, The Magnetic Fields, the rosebuds, Times New Viking, Wild Flag | Comments (0)

Imperial Teen visit KEXP at SXSW!

March 21, 2012 – 2:04 pm

from KEXP.org

Will, Jone, Roddy & Lynn visited KEXP who were broadcasting live from Mellow Johnny’s bike store in Austin, TX during SXSW. Playing hits both old & new, Imperial Teen brought the party!

Set list:
All The Same
Imperial Teen
No Matter What You Say
Over His Head
Runaway
Shim Sham

Listen to Imperial Teen KEXP performance from SXSW

Don’t forget our Imperial Teen contest! Download and print this PDF of the masks from the “Runaway” video, take pictures of you and your friends disguised as Will, Jone, Roddy, and Lynn somewhere fun in your hometown, and send your photos to us! The best contest photo will win a personalized Imperial Teen prize pack!

Imperial Teen will be at the Satellite in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 24. Feel the Sound is available on CD, LP and digital download now in the Merge store.

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Merge @ SXSW 2012

March 9, 2012 – 3:05 pm

 

Just added: Ross from Apex Manor will be DJ’ing in-between sets at our showcase!

WEDNESDAY 3/14
M. Ward – KGSR performance – W Hotel, Main Ballroom (200 Lavaca St.) 8 am
M. Ward – KUT performance – Four Seasons Hotel, Main Ballroom (98 San Jacinto Blvd.) 9 am
Hospitality – Warby Parker Citizen’s Circus – French Legation Museum (802 San Marcos St.) 1 pm
The Love Language – Warby Parker Citizen’s Circus – French Legation Museum (802 San Marcos St.) 2 pm
Hospitality – Paste party – The Stage on Sixth (508 E. 6th St.) 3 pm
The Love Language – Under the Radar party – Flamingo Cantina (515 E. 6th St.) 3:15 pm
Hospitality – Ground Control Touring party – Emo’s Annex 5pm
M. Ward – Central Presbyterian Church (200 E. 8th St.) 11 pm

THURSDAY 3/15
Imperial Teen – Live on KEXP – Mellow Johnny’s (400 Nueces St.) 11:30 am
Hospitality – Brooklyn Vegan party – Hotel Vegas (1500 E. 6th St.) 2:15 pm
The Magnetic Fields – NPR showcase – The Parish (214 E. 6th St.) 4pm
Hospitality – Waterloo Records (600 N. Lamar Blvd.) 5 pm
Crooked Fingers – End of an Ear (2209 South 1st St.) 5pm
M. Ward – Auditorium Shores with The Shins (920 W. Riverside Dr.) 6:45 pm
Hospitality – Fire Records showcase – Beale Street Tavern (214 E. 6th St.) 10 pm
The Love Language – Death+Taxes party/Solid Gold – Cheer Up Charlie’s (1104 E. 6th St.) 5pm

FRIDAY 3/16
Imperial Teen – Homeslice Pizza (1415 S. Congress Ave.) 11:45
Hospitality – Rolling Stone party – La Zona Rosa (612 West 4th Street) 1:40-2:10pm
Crooked Fingers - Paste party – The Stage on Sixth (508 E. 6th St.) 12:30 pm
Eleanor Friedberger – Brooklyn Vegan party – Hotel Vegas (1500 E. 6th St.) 2 pm
Hospitality – Home Slice Pizza (1415 S. Congress Ave.) 3:40pm
Merge Showcase – Frank (407 Colorado St.) 7:30 pm
The Magnetic Fields – Austin City Limits Live (310 Willie Nelson Blvd.) 8:30 pm

SATURDAY 3/17
Eleanor Friedberger – Urban Outfitters (2406 Guadalupe St.) 2 pm
Bob Mould  – MOG at Mohawk (912 Red River Street) 3:30pm *Playing Copper Blue
Crooked Fingers  – Twangfest – Jovita’s (1619 S. 1st St.) 4 pm

Also posted in Apex Manor, Bob Mould, Crooked Fingers, Eleanor Friedberger, Eric Bachmann, Hospitality, M. Ward, sxsw, the love language, The Magnetic Fields | Comments (0)

Invite Imperial Teen to your party to win!

March 7, 2012 – 12:37 pm

From music magazines like SPIN and Rolling Stone to fashion magazines like Glamour, everyone is excited to see Imperial Teen back in the “active” column!

In fact, so many fans requested their very own Imperial Teen masks after watching the premiere of the band’s cross-dressing party video for “Runaway” that we were inspired not only to make the masks available, but to have a contest!

For your chance to win, download and print this PDF of the masks from the “Runaway” video, take pictures of you and your friends disguised as Will, Jone, Roddy, and Lynn somewhere fun in your hometown, and send your photos to us! The best contest photo will win a personalized Imperial Teen prize pack!

Click to download and print your very own Imperial Teen masks!

Here’s a new track from Feel the Sound to inspire your dance party plans!


Imperial Teen – “Out from Inside”

Imperial Teen will join the Merge SXSW showcase on March 16 and will also perform in Los Angeles at the Satellite on March 24. More chances to see Imperial Teen live are coming soon!

Order your copy of the band’s new album, Feel the Sound, on CD, LP, or digital download in the Merge store today!

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Merge @ SXSW 2012

February 22, 2012 – 6:01 pm

Merge Records will host a showcase at the annual SXSW Music Festival in Austin, TX at Frank on Friday, March 16. As usual, we will have the best showcase of the festival including the bands below and perhaps a surprise or two. The Magnetic Fields will also be at SXSW and will play Austin City Limits Live on Friday, March 16 as well!

Visit the Merge store to sample the most recent albums from all of the bands, and to pre-order their upcoming releases! Check out the Merge SoundCloud page for songs to hear now, too!

Merge SXSW Showcase 2012
Friday, March 16 @ Frank
Doors at 7; show at 7:30

from first to last:
M. Ward
Hospitality
Eleanor Friedberger
the Love Language
Crooked Fingers
Imperial Teen

The Magnetic Fields at SXSW
Friday, March 16 @ Austin City Limits Live
Doors are at 6:30, and the band goes on at 8:30

Also posted in Crooked Fingers, Eleanor Friedberger, Hospitality, M. Ward, News, the love language, The Magnetic Fields | Comments (3)

Imperial Teen premieres “Runaway” video at Spin.com

January 31, 2012 – 4:17 pm

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

YouTube Preview Image

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

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Stream Imperial Teen’s Feel the Sound now at Spin.com

January 18, 2012 – 6:02 pm

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.

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Imperial Teen “Feel the Noise” with pre-order bonus!

December 20, 2011 – 12:27 pm

Imperial Teen will return to the Merge active column with their new album, Feel the Sound on January 31! Pre-order the album now on CD or LP in the Merge store to receive limited-edition “Feel the Sound” ear plugs! Imperial Teen plays Noise Pop‘s 20th Anniversary at Cafe Du Nord on February 24, and stay tuned for more west coast dates!

Download “Runaway” from Feel the Sound now!

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

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