After Mangum’s recent NYC Town Hall show, RollingStone.com said, “Few dared to expect it, but Jeff Mangum is back, and the music world is immeasurably richer for it.” Spin.com offered “Five Reasons Why Jeff Mangum is Magical” saying, “For two generations of listeners who grew up with Mangum’s intimate voice coming through the headphones, alone in that peculiar sound-world he conjured and feeling they were its sole inhabitant, this is the moment they’ve all been waiting for.” Pitchfork awarded the recently released limited-edition Neutral Milk Hotel box set “Best Reissue” and the AV Club commended the beautiful packaging and vinyl experience.

Neutral Milk Hotel releases can be found on CD, 180 gm LP and digital download now in the Merge store.

Jeff Mangum on tour:
Jan 18 New Haven, CT Shubert Theater On Sale Now
Jan 20 Brooklyn, NY Gilman Opera House at Brooklyn Academy of Music SOLD OUT
Jan 20 Brooklyn, NY Gilman Opera House at Brooklyn Academy of Music SOLD OUT
Jan 25 Philadelphia, PA Irvine Auditorium at University of Pennsylvania SOLD OUT
Jan 27 Washington, DC Lincoln Theatre SOLD OUT
Jan 28 Washington, DC Lincoln Theatre SOLD OUT
Jan 30 Chapel Hill, NC Memorial Hall at University of North Carolina SOLD OUT
Feb 01 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse SOLD OUT
Feb 04 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre NEW VENUE
Feb 06 Chicago, IL Athenaeum Theater SOLD OUT
Feb 07 Chicago, IL Athenaeum Theater SOLD OUT
Feb 08 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater SOLD OUT
Feb 10 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club SOLD OUT
Feb 11 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club SOLD OUT
Mar 07 Dublin, IRE Vicar Street SOLD OUT
Mar 09 – Mar 11 Minehead, UK All Tomorrow’s Parties Curated By Jeff Mangum
Mar 13 London, UK Union Chapel SOLD OUT
Mar 14 London, UK Union Chapel  SOLD OUT
Apr 10 Oakland, CA Fox Theater NEW
Apr 14 Indio, CA Coachella NEW
Apr 16 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre NEW
Apr 17 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre NEW
Apr 18 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom NEW
Apr 19 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom NEW
Apr 21 Indio, CA Coachella NEW

After Mangum’s recent NYC Town Hall show, RollingStone.com said, “Few dared to expect it, but Jeff Mangum is back, and the music world is immeasurably richer for it.” Spin.com offered “Five Reasons Why Jeff Mangum is Magical” saying, “For two generations of listeners who grew up with Mangum’s intimate voice coming through the headphones, alone in that peculiar sound-world he conjured and feeling they were its sole inhabitant, this is the moment they’ve all been waiting for.”

The line-up for the rescheduled All Tomorrow’s Parties festival curated by Jeff Mangum has been announced and will include the Magnetic Fields, Versus, the Music Tapes, Sebadoh and more! Special “family tickets” are being issued and all original bookings will be honored. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit ATPfestival.com.

More information and links to purchase tickets are below.

Jeff Mangum on tour:
Jan 18 New Haven, CT Shubert Theater On Sale Now
Jan 20 Brooklyn, NY Gilman Opera House at Brooklyn Academy of Music SOLD OUT
Jan 20 Brooklyn, NY Gilman Opera House at Brooklyn Academy of Music SOLD OUT
Jan 25 Philadelphia, PA Irvine Auditorium at University of Pennsylvania SOLD OUT
Jan 27 Washington, DC Lincoln Theatre SOLD OUT
Jan 28 Washington, DC Lincoln Theatre SOLD OUT
Jan 30 Chapel Hill, NC Memorial Hall at University of North Carolina On Sale Now
Feb 01 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse SOLD OUT
Feb 04 Minneapolis, MN Pantages Theatre SOLD OUT
Feb 06 Chicago, IL Athenaeum Theater SOLD OUT
Feb 07 Chicago, IL Athenaeum Theater SOLD OUT
Feb 08 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater SOLD OUT
Feb 10 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club SOLD OUT
Feb 11 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club SOLD OUT
Mar 07 Dublin, IRE Vicar Street (Rescheduled Date) SOLD OUT
Mar 09 – Mar 11 Minehead, UK All Tomorrow’s Parties Curated By Jeff Mangum  (Rescheduled Dates)
Mar 13 London, UK Union Chapel (Rescheduled Date) SOLD OUT
Mar 14 London, UK Union Chapel (Rescheduled Date) SOLD OUT

It should be noted that the decision to postpone the ATP curated by Jeff Mangum festival as made earlier today was not Jeff Mangum’s decision and he is as disappointed as everyone else that the festival is not taking place on the original date.

Visit ATPfestival.com for more information on the line-up for the rescheduled festival in March as it unfolds.

In the meantime, there are still tickets to Superchunk’s London show with Let’s Wrestle at Scala on December 1!

Watch Jeff Mangum play Occupy Wall Street at Pitchfork.

Due to popular demand, a second Jersey City show has been added on November 5th at Loew’s Jersey Theatre. Tickets go on sale at 12pm EDT on Friday, October 7. The Dublin show has also been moved to a larger venue, and additional tickets go on sale on Friday, 10/07 at 9am IST.

Jeff Mangum on tour:
Oct 29 New York, NY Town Hall
Nov 05 Jersey City, NJ Loew’s Jersey Theatre
Nov 06 Jersey City, NJ Loew’s Jersey Theatre
Nov 30 Dublin, Ireland Vicar Street
Dec 04 Minehead, UK ATP Curated by Jeff Mangum at Butlins Holiday Centre
Dec 08 London, UK Union Chapel
Dec 09 London, UK Union Chapel

A small number of extra tickets for Jeff Mangum’s stand-alone Monday show are also on sale now, as well as small number of 3 day passes for the entire festival, which will includes a Friday night performance by Jeff Mangum at Paramount Theatre.

Visit the Neutral Milk Hotel section of the  Merge store for specially priced bundles of recent vinyl reissues of In the Aeroplane Under the Sea and Avery Island and more!

Full List of upcoming Jeff Mangum shows:
Aug 8 Burlington, VT First Unitarian Church SOLD OUT
Aug 10 Montreal, QC Cabaret du Mile-End SOLD OUT
Aug 12 Toronto, ON Trinity St. Paul’s United Church SOLD OUT
Aug 13 Toronto, ON Trinity St. Paul’s United Church SOLD OUT
Sept 07  Northampton, MA Academy of Music Theatre
Sept 09  Cambridge, MA Sanders Theatre at Harvard University SOLD OUT
Sept 10 Boston, MA Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory SOLD OUT
Sept 26 Baltimore, MD 2640 Space at St. John’s Church SOLD OUT
Sept 27 Baltimore, MD 2640 Space at St. John’s Church w/ A Hawk and A Hacksaw SOLD OUT
Sept 30 Asbury Park, NJ ATP America – Paramount Theatre – Three Day Passes previously SOLD OUT, releasing more tickets today
Oct 2 Asbury Park, NJ ATP America – Paramount Theatre – NEW!
Oct 3 Asbury Park, NJ Paramount Theatre w/ A Hawk and A Hacksaw previously SOLD OUT, releasing more tickets today
Oct 29 New York, NY Town Hall SOLD OUT
Nov 6 Jersey City, NJ Loew’s Jersey Theatre SOLD OUT
Nov 30 Dublin, IRE Whelan’s SOLD OUT
Dec 2 – Dec 4 Minehead, UK All Tomorrow’s Parties Curated by Jeff Mangum at Butlins Holiday Centre
Dec 8 London, UK Union Chapel SOLD OUT
Dec 9 London, UK Union Chapel SOLD OUT

As well as headlining ATP, Mangum will choose around 40 acts to play across the weekend on three indoor stages with a total festival capacity of around 5500 people. Mangum will perform more than once in the more intimate Centre Stage venue, although entry to only one show is guaranteed – he will be performing a solo acoustic set.

After releasing what is now one of the most loved and critically acclaimed albums of the 1990s (In The Aeroplane Over The Sea), Neutral Milk Hotel disbanded before many of those who now love their albums had a chance to see the songs performed live, so Jeff’s much anticipated return to the live stage this year will no doubt be a very special occasion for fans throughout the UK and worldwide.

Here’s a first look at the line-up as chosen by Jeff Mangum which already features a number of much loved performers/groups:

JEFF MANGUM (Neutral Milk Hotel)
SUPERCHUNK
THE OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL
YOUNG MARBLE GIANTS
THE MAGIC BAND
THE RAINCOATS performing The Raincoats (debut LP)
A HAWK AND A HACKSAW
TINARIWEN
THE APPLES IN STEREO

Tickets for ATP Curated by Jeff Mangum are priced at £170.00pp for room only and £180.00pp for self catering and go on sale this Friday 18th February at 9am GMT from THIS LINK. On sale dates for the east coast dates are included below.

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) on tour:
Aug 12 Toronto, ON Trinity St. Paul’s United Church – on sale 2/25
Aug 13 Toronto, ON Trinity St. Paul’s United Church – on sale 2/25
Pre-sale for both Toronto shows begins Fri, Feb 25 at 10 AM EST (from the links above). Password: aeroplane Will call only. Public on sale begins Sat, Feb 26 @ 12:00 PM EST online & from local outlets Rotate This, Soundscapes & The Horseshoe Tavern.

Sept 09 Cambridge, MA Sanders Theatre at Harvard University
Pre-sales for the Sanders Theatre concert start at 12pm next Thurs, March 3 via the Harvard box office; a larger allotment of Sanders Theatre tickets will be available starting at 12pm on Friday, March 4.

Sept 10 Boston, MA Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory – on sale 2/25
Pre-sale tickets will go on sale through Tix.com starting Fri, Feb 25 at 10am EST; will call only. Public on sale will be on Tix.com link above starting Saturday, February 26 at 12 PM EST with will call or mail options available.

Sept 30 Asbury Park, NJ Paramount Theatre – Sold Out
Oct 03 Asbury Park, NJ Paramount Theatre – Sold Out

Oct 29 New York, NY Town Hall – on sale 2/25 at 11 AM EST

Nov 06 Jersey City, NJ Loew’s Theatre - pre-sale begins 2/25 at 12 PM EST Password: everythingis; will call only. Public on sale begins Feb 26 at 12 PM EST.

Dec 02 Somerset, UK All Tomorrow’s Parties Curated by Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) – on sale 2/18

Hosted by Le Poisson Rouge, Wordless Music and WFMU, this show comes on the heels of the recent release of Stroke, a double album compilation of artists covering Knox songs with the proceeds going to benefit him and his family. All money raised for this event, save for circa $2,500 base costs to cover direct club expenses, is going straight to the Knox family.

This event is now sold out! Thank you very much!

Stroke is available now as a limited-edition 2-CD set and digital download in the Merge store.

Read what Jawbox has to say at MagnetMagazine.com.

Jeff Mangum has a new song available now on Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox, and you can get Neutral Milk Hotel’s On Avery Island and In the Aeroplane Over the Sea on 180 gm vinyl now in the Merge store. Don’t forget to use your coupon!

Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox is available for download now from the Merge store and our usual digital outlets. The 2-CD limited-edition release will be available in stores on February 23, but you can pre-order it today and receive the digital download via email after your order is complete!

Visit the fantastic Stroke website for updates on Chris Knox, information on all of the artists who contributed their versions of Knox’s songs, and for previews of many of the tracks—originals and covers.

Tracklisting:
*Tracks are arranged chronologically

Disc 1:
1. Jay Reatard – Pull Down The Shades
2. The Checks – Rebel
3. The Bleeding Allstars – Ain’t It Nice
4. Peter Gutteridge – Don’t Catch Fire
5. The Chills – Luck Or Loveliness
6. David Kilgour – Nothing’s Going To Happen
7. The Crying Wolfs – All My Hollowness To You
8. Stephin Merritt – Beauty
9. Portastatic – Nostalgia’s No Excuse
10. The Mint Chicks – Crush
11. Jay & Sam Clarkson – I’ve Left Memories Behind
12. Sky Green Leopards – Burning Blue
13. Shayne Carter – The Slide
14. Pumice – Grand Mal
15. Hamish Kilgour – Knoxed Out

Disc 2:
1. Boh Runga – Not Given Lightly
2. Red & Zeke (Feat. Bill Doss and Neil Cleary) – Bodies
3. Jeff Mangum – Sign The Dotted Line
4. Bill Callahan – Lapse
5. Genghis Smith – Growth Spurt
6. Yo La Tengo – Coloured
7. AC Newman – Dunno Much About Life But I Know How To Breathe
8. Alec Bathgate – Glide
9. Don McGlashan – Inside Story
10. Sean Donnelly – The Outer Skin
11. Lambchop – What Goes Up
12. The Mountain Goats – Brave
13. The Tokey Tones (and friends) – Round These Walls
14. The Bats – Just Do It
15. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – My Only Friend
16. The Finn Family – It’s Love
17. Jordan Luck – Becoming Something Other
18. The Verlaines – Driftwood
19. Lou Barlow – Song Of The Tall Poppy
20. The Nothing – Napping In Lapland
21. Tall Dwarfs – Sunday Son

Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea and On Avery Island recently reissued on 180 gm vinyl and bundled in the Merge Holiday Shop!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Live footage from a 1998 Neutral Milk Hotel show at the Knitting Factory in NYC.

Neutral Milk Hotel’s On Avery Island and In the Aeroplane Over the Sea are available for the first time on 180 gm vinyl in the Merge store!

Pre-order these Merge classics now in the Merge store.

Pitchfork is reporting that Orange Twin Records will release the infamous Elephant 6 movie, Major Organ and the Adding Machine on DVD this fall. If you were smart enough to attend the Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise Tour,  you already know that this movie is funny, strange and a must-see for any fan of children, pastry, and, of course, bands from the Elephant 6 collective!

It is my sincere wish for the Paragon Carousel to be a part of the magic of long seaside summer afternoons for many years to come. Unfortunately, we live in a world where the great whirling contraptions of mechanical music and light are not as profitable to operate as other things, and carousels are worth much more taken apart and sold in pieces to museums, where one must pay to look at them behind glass, rather than having them simply existing in the world that we now all share.

I spoke with Jeff and Scott and Jeremy about this and they agreed that I should, on behalf of Neutral Milk Hotel, make an appeal to the good people who might have enjoyed the music made over the years, because we think you’d understand especially, and want to help.

The Paragon Carousel is competing with 24 other historic Massachussettes buildings for a grant of $100,000. The historic site with the most votes wins, and anyone anywhere can vote. We would love it if by our collective effort we could ensure the continuation of this grand place. Visit the Partners in Preservation website to vote.

You are allowed to vote once a day until May 17th . Your vote means a great deal to all of us at Elephant Six. Places like this are so special. They deserve to exist in the same world that we do. So we can visit them with our bodies, not just our memories and dreams.

We’d like to thank you for your help and for spreading the word.
~Julian Koster on behalf of Neutral Milk Hotel

Start your letter writing campaign for Julian and the Singing Saws to come caroling at your house next month, and order your copies of Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes and The Singing Saw at Christmastime.

Click here to view the embedded video.

video of Jeff Mangum singing “Engine” from The Onion

The Onion’s review of the Chicago show.

Pitchfork dug up interviews with Jeff Mangum in 1997. Stereogum did a long celebratory post with links to several live videos. And NPR did a “listener’s choice” podcast featuring the song “In the Aeroplane over the Sea.”

If, somehow, you lack this essential record in your collection, we can help!

a very special guest came by the merge mailorder room last friday!