Lambchop

A full list of dates as well as links to purchase tickets are included below, and be sure to visit the Merge tour page for updates.

It’s been nearly two decades since Lambchop released its first album, at the time pronouncing itself “Nashville’s most fucked-up country band.” Provocative it may have been, but the description made sense: at the heart of all that ruckus was a band at once defying and embracing the musical legacy of its hometown. Since then, Lambchop has evolved into an accomplished ensemble, adding palpable depth and substance to singer-songwriter-guitarist Kurt Wagner’s songs—and the band sounds as commanding as ever on its 11th album, Mr. M, a collection of meditations on love and loss and the detritus of everyday existence.

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.

Visit the Merge blog to watch an album trailer for Mr. M, too!

Lambchop – Gone Tomorrow by Merge Records

Lambchop US tour:
Apr 13 Asheville, NC The Grey Eagle
Apr 14 Durham, NC Motorco
Apr 15 Arlington, VA IOTA
Apr 16 Annapolis, MD Ram’s Head
Apr 17 Boston, MA Paradise
Apr 18 Philadelphia, PA World Café Live
Apr 19 New York, NY Le Poisson Rouge
Apr 21 Pittsburgh, PA Club Café
Apr 22 Cleveland, OH The Beachland Ballroom
Apr 23 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
Apr 24 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
Apr 25 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon
Apr 26 Minneapolis, MN The Dakota
Apr 27 Omaha, NE TBA
Apr 28 Boulder, CO The Fox Theatre
May 01 Seattle, WA The Tractor Tavern
May 02 Portland, OR Doug Fir
May 04 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
May 05 Santa Monica, CA McCabe’s
May 06 Tucson, AZ TBA
May 08 Dallas, TX TBA
May 09 Austin, TX The Cactus
May 11 Birmingham, AL Secret Stages
May 12 Nashville TN TBA

Find Lambchop on Twitter, Facebook, and at Lambchop.net.

Watch the video for “Andrew in Drag” now at NPR Music

Pre-order both the “Andrew in Drag” 7-inch and Love at the Bottom of the Sea (on CD or LP) now in the Merge store.

The Magnetic Fields have announced their spring tour in support of Love at the Bottom of the Sea and tickets are on sale now!

The Magnetic Fields on tour:
Mar 6 Hudson, NY Helsinki Hudson
Mar 7 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
Mar 11 Minehead, UK All Tomorrow’s Parties
Mar 14, 15, 16 Austin, TX  SXSW
Mar 18 Vancouver, BC  The Vogue
Mar 19 Seattle, WA Neptune Theater
Mar 20 Seattle, WA Neptune Theater
Mar 21 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
Mar 23 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theater
Mar 24 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
Mar 26 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Mar 27 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Mar 28 Iowa City, IA Englert Theater
Mar 30 Toronto, ON Sound Academy
Mar 31 Montreal, QC Le National
Apr 3 New York, NY Beacon Theater
Apr 6 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
Apr 7 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
Apr 9 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Apr 11 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
Apr 12 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
Apr 14 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse

Hospitality is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store. Watch the fun new video for “Friends of Friends,” too!

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 *SOLD OUT
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
Mar 14-17 Austin, TX SXSW Music Festival
Mar 18 Dallas, TX Bro Fest
Mar 20 Birmingham, AL Bottletree w/ The Love Language
Mar 21 Nashville, TN High Watt @ Mercy Lounge w/ The Love Language
Mar 22 Asheville, NC Emerald Lounge w/ The Love Language
Mar 30 New Haven, CT Toad’s Place w/ Wild Flag
Apr 02 Washington, DC 9:30 Club w/ Wild Flag
Apr 03 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero w/ Wild Flag
Apr 05 Chicago, IL Metro w/ Wild Flag

Listen to “Harnessed in Slums” from Vee Vee below and watch Eric Bachmann’s “One Track Mind” episode on The AV Club to hear the story behind “Web in Front.”

Pre-order Vee Vee on dbl-CD or limited-edition mossy green LP now in the Merge store and receive an email download of the remastered original album. Also available in the Merge store are limited-edition “Team Loaf” pennants re-created from the original design.

Archers of Loaf on tour:
Feb 25 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall – Noise Pop w/ Hospitality
Feb 26 West Hollywood, CA Troubadour w/ Hospitality
Apr 26 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
Apr 27 Cambridge, MA Middle East
Apr 28 Cambridge, MA Middle East
Apr 29 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
May 10 Asheville, NC Grey Eagle
May 11 Saxapahaw, NC Haw River Ballroom
May 12 Raleigh, NC King’s Royal Barcade
May 30-June 3 Barcelona, Spain Primavera Sound

M. Ward

Pre-order A Wasteland Companion on CD or LP now in the Merge store. M. Ward can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and at mwardmusic.com.

M. Ward on tour:
Feb 2 Los Angeles, CA Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Apr 11 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
Apr 12 Santa Cruz, CA The Cocoanut Grove Ballroom
Apr 13 Indio, CA Coachella **SOLD OUT**
Apr 14 Santa Barbara, CA SoHO
Apr 16 San Diego, CA Belly Up
Apr 17 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom
Apr 18 Flagstaff, AZ The Orpheum
Apr 20 Indio, CA Coachella **SOLD OUT**
May 5  Portland, ME State Theatre
May 6  Burlington, VT Higher Ground
May 7  New Haven, CT Toads Place
May 8  Boston, MA House of Blues
May 11 New York, NY Webster Hall
May 12 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
May 13 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
May 15 Durham, NC Duke Performances at Page Auditorium
May 16 Athens, GA Georgia Theatre
May 17 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre
May 22 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
May 24 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Jonathan Richman supports 4/11
fIREHOSE supports 4/12, 4/16-4/18
Lee Ranaldo Band supports 5/5-5/22

Click here to view the embedded video.

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

Watch the video for “Heaven” now at The Awl

Eleanor Friedberger released her Merge Records debut Last Summer in July and is bringing her band out west for a few dates. Eleanor’s band is Matt Asti (MGMT), Ahmed Gallab (touring member of Yeasayer & Caribou), John Eatherly (Be Your Own Pet & Turbo Fruits). Eleanor will also join the Portlandia tour as a “Special Guest Musician.” Full dates below!

Join Eleanor’s mailing list below to receive a special 5-song download of live tracks and a Bob Dylan cover!

the Eleanor Friedberger band on tour:
Feb 2 San Diego, CA Casbah
Feb 3 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
Feb 4 San Francisco, CA The Independent
Feb 7 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
Feb 9 Seattle, WA The Crocodile

Eleanor solo as “Special Guest Musician” on Portlandia tour:
Feb 19 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
Feb 20 Boston, MA Berklee Performing Arts Center
Feb 21 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Feb 22 Durham, NC Carolina Theatre
Feb 23 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
Feb 24 Nashville, TN Marathon Music Works

Directed by Scott Jacobson (who also directed Superchunk’s video for “Digging for Something”) and featuring Alia Shawkat of Arrested Development and Gabe Delahaye of Videogum, the “Friends of Friends” video shows the hardships of a long-distance relationship set in iconic locations in New York & Los Angeles.

Watch “Friends of Friends” now at Stereogum

Daytrotter released their session with Hospitality today and “Eighth Avenue” is the “Song of the Day” at NPR Music! Beginning tomorrow, you can stream Hospitality in its entirety at Spotify. Subscribe now to the Merge Records New Releases to listen. And don’t forget to add user mergerecordsofficial as one of your favorites and check out all our playlists!

Other Hospitality excitement is happening this week, too. On Wednesday, January 25, Hospitality will perform on WFMU’s Seven Second Delay live from the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre. Listen live at 6pm EST, or to the archive on WFMU.org! On Friday, January 27, listen to Hospitality on WNYC’s Soundcheck beginning at 2pm EST.

Hospitality is available on CD and LP now in the Merge store. Pre-orders come with a poster and 5-postcard set, while supplies last. Pre-order customers will also 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. Follow the band on Twitter and Facebook.

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

In the three years since Portland, OR-based troubadour M. Ward released his last solo album – the universally lauded Hold Time – he’s toured the globe, released two albums as one half of Grammy-nominated duo She & Him as well as one with the talented group of friends collectively know as Monsters Of Folk.

Inspired by his increasingly itinerant lifestyle Ward set forth to create something of a musical travelogue. He explains, “Between now and when I made Hold Time there has been a lot of traveling which requires a lot of reckoning with what to leave behind and what to carry – material and otherwise – and thinking about what I want versus what I need, creatively and otherwise. I wanted to get a reflection of that on the album. It was a process of stripping away my security blanket, which is the same four walls I always record in.”

The album was made with 18 musicians and recorded in eight different studios in Portland, Omaha, New York City, Los Angeles, Austin and Bristol (UK). A Wasteland Companion features the talents of M Ward (piano, guitars, voice, production), Mike Coykendall (percussion, bass), Giant Sand’s Howe Gelb (piano), John Parish (percussion, marimba), Bright Eyes’ Mike Mogis (organ), Susan Sanchez (vocals), She & Him’s Zooey Deschanel (vocals), Jordan Hudson (percussion), Adam Selzer (bass), Nathan “JR” Andersen (piano), Scott McPherson (percussion), Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley (percussion), Dr. Dog’s Tobey Leaman (bass), Devotchka’s Tom Hagerman (strings), Oakely Hall’s Rachel Cox (vocals), Amanda Lawrence (violin), John Graboff (pedal steel) and Tyler Tornfelt (bass). The recording utilized eight engineers, including Tom Schick (Rufus Wainwright) and John Parish (PJ Harvey).

Pre-order A Wasteland Companion on CD or LP now in the Merge store. M. Ward can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and at mwardmusic.com.

Track listing:
1. Clean Slate (for Alex & El Goodo)
2. Primitive Girl
3. Me And My Shadow
4. Sweetheart
5. I Get Ideas
6. The First Time I Ran Away
7. A Wasteland Companion
8. Watch The Show
9. There’s A Key
10. Crawl After You
11. Wild Goose
12. Pure Joy

M. Ward on tour:
Feb 2 Los Angeles, CA Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Apr 11 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
Apr 12 Santa Cruz, CA The Cocoanut Grove Ballroom
Apr 13 Indio, CA Coachella **SOLD OUT**
Apr 14 Santa Barbara, CA SoHO
Apr 16 San Diego, CA Belly Up
Apr 17 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom
Apr 18 Flagstaff, AZ The Orpheum
Apr 20 Indio, CA Coachella **SOLD OUT**
May 5  Portland, ME State Theatre
May 6  Burlington, VT Higher Ground
May 7  New Haven, CT Toads Place
May 8  Boston, MA House of Blues
May 11 New York, NY Webster Hall
May 12 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
May 13 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
May 15 Durham, NC Duke Performances at Page Auditorium
May 16 Athens, GA Georgia Theatre
May 17 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre
May 22 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
May 24 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Jonathan Richman supports 4/11
fIREHOSE supports 4/12, 4/16-4/18
Lee Ranaldo Band supports 5/5-5/22

Imperial Teen

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.

Sirius XM’s The Loft session will air multiple times this week, including Wednesday 1/18 at 2pm, Saturday 1/21 at noon, and Sunday 1/22 at midnight, all times EST.

World Cafe airs on Wednesday, January 18. Visit NPR.org for local airtimes, or you can listen live on WXPN’s live stream at 2PM EST.

KUT Austin’s performance aired on Tuesday, January 17. The session is now archived at KUT.org.

Order Breaks in the Armor on CD, LP or digital download in the Merge store now.

Lambchop

Lambchop – Gone Tomorrow by Merge Records

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.

Visit the Merge blog to watch an album trailer for Mr. M, too!

Arcade Fire

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you haven’t yet, be sure to visit Sprawl2.com to watch linear and interactive versions of the new “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” video. Visit the Merge store to find 2011 Album of the Year Grammy-winning album The Suburbs on CD, LP and digital download as well as the 2012 Grammy-nominated The Suburbs Deluxe Edition on CD with DVD.

The Mountain Goats

John posted the following on his website regarding this new plan:

“One small word about these shows. For years bands have been pretty judicious about playing unreleased new material, because much of it becomes available online immediately, even when the new songs are still in fairly raw form. We, too, have gotten into the bad habit of holding new stuff back. We are done with that whole philosophy, though. I miss playing stuff that’s unreleased & unrecorded, stuff that still stings fresh. So we got together and decided to tour the new songs before we even record them. I don’t guess that we’ll be touring all ten of the new songs I’ve written for the next album (eleven if you count one that’s presently being herded back and forth between its cell & the chopping block), but be advised that if you’re the sort of person who wants as many surprises as possible when you hear a new album, you should tread lightly around recordings of these shows, because we’re not going to be holding the best ones back for the album release like people tend to do now.”

Full list of tour dates is below and you can find the Mountain Goats’ All Eternals Deck on CD, LP and digital download now in the Merge store.

 the Mountain Goats on tour:
* = w/ Nurses
Jan 19 Austin, TX – Antone’s* SOLD OUT
Jan 20 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s*
Jan 21 New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s*
Jan 23 Tallahassee, FL – Club Downunder*
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

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

Listen to “Andrew in Drag” now at the Merge SoundCloud page

“Andrew in Drag” will be the A-side of the limited edition vinyl 7-inch which will be released on January 31. The ukulele-centered B-side, “When Next in Love I Fall,” is an exclusive non-album track. 7-inches are limited to one thousand pieces and include coupons for download.

Pre-order both the “Andrew in Drag” 7-inch and Love at the Bottom of the Sea (on CD or LP) now in the Merge store.

The Magnetic Fields have announced their spring tour in support of Love at the Bottom of the Sea and tickets are on sale now!

The Magnetic Fields on tour:
Mar 6 Hudson, NY Helsinki Hudson
Mar 7 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
Mar 11 Minehead, UK All Tomorrow’s Parties
Mar 14, 15, 16 Austin, TX  SXSW
Mar 18 Vancouver, BC  The Vogue
Mar 19 Seattle, WA Neptune Theater
Mar 20 Seattle, WA Neptune Theater
Mar 21 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
Mar 23 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theater
Mar 24 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
Mar 26 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Mar 27 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Mar 28 Iowa City, IA Englert Theater
Mar 30 Toronto, ON Sound Academy
Mar 31 Montreal, QC Le National
Apr 3 New York, NY Beacon Theater
Apr 6 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
Apr 7 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
Apr 9 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Apr 11 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
Apr 12 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
Apr 14 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse

They recently became Paul Schaffer’s favorite band when they visited The Late Show with David Letterman. Watch their performance of “Romance” from Letterman and set your DVR for tonight’s performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon!

Wild Flag are heading back out on the road this spring and season two of Carrie Brownstein’s television show Portlandia premieres tonight on IFC.

Wild Flag is available on CD, LP and digital download now in the Merge store.

Wild Flag on tour:
Mar 30 New Haven, CT Toads Place
Mar 31 Boston, MA Paradise
Apr 01 New York, NY Webster Hall
Apr 02 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Apr 03 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
Apr 05 Chicago, IL Metro
Apr 18 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore

Watch the Mountain Goats perform “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

The Mountain Goats wrapped up their 2011 touring in support of All Eternals Deck with a Los Angeles show for charity Invisible Children last weekend, and they have announced tour dates for early 2012. Go see them!

The Mountain Goats’ Merge debut All Eternals Deck is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store. Orders over $50 save 10% with code MERGEHOLIDAYS through the end of December.

The Mountain Goats on tour:
* = w/ Nurses
Jan 19 Austin, TX – Antone’s*
Jan 20 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s*
Jan 21 New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s*
Jan 23 Tallahassee, FL – Club Downunder*
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

Bob Boilen writes:
Somewhere inside the body of Julian Koster — the Elephant 6 and Neutral Milk Hotel alumnus who once released an entire album of Christmas songs performed on a singing saw — lives a 13-year-old boy filled with wonder, imagination and a talent for spinning a good, quirky tale. Just in time for the holidays, and with the season in mind, Koster and his friends brought those wide-eyed songs and earnest spirit to the NPR Music offices for a joyful and strange Tiny Desk Concert performance.

Collectively known as The Music Tapes, they mixed bowed banjos and singing saws with tape machines, a chord organ and a crooning snowman to create a psychedelic holiday music pageant. Whether it’s the traditional “The First Noel” (scored here for two musical saws) or a reworking of Gavin Bryars’ avant garde piece “Jesus Blood,” or even their venture into Santa songs, there’s no one else playing holiday music quite like this. That is, unless you’re a band of 13-year-olds with very vivid imaginations.

Order The Singing Saw at Christmastime on CD, LP or digital download in the Merge Holiday store now. Orders over $50 save 10% through the end of December.

Watch Wye Oak’s cover of “Christmas Will Be Just Another Lonely Day” now

Wye Oak have just finished almost a year of touring in support of Civilian, but you can see them on TV on Last Call with Carson Daly when their performance re-airs December 29th. They have just announced a show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on February 23, and an appearance at the Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco on February 24.

Wye Oak’s Civilian is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store. If you enjoyed their previous visits to the AV Club Undercover, check out our limited-edition “Strangers” b/w “Mother” 7-inch (and digital) also in the Merge store.

Visit the Merge YouTube page to watch a few fun “trailers” promoting Sprawl2.com and the Merge store for The Suburbs on CD, LP and digital download as well as the 2012 Grammy-nominated The Suburbs Deluxe Edition on CD with DVD.

Check your local listing for airings in your city. On January 6, the band will ring in the new year with an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon! Don’t miss these two special performances by one of the year’s best new bands.

The band recently stopped by Sound Opinions and offered up a new song, called “Nothing.” You can watch the band play the set live at the WBEZ studios.

Wild Flag have also announced new tour dates for spring of 2012! Get your tickets early!

Wild Flag is available on CD, LP and digital download now in the Merge store.

Wild Flag on tour:
Mar 30 New Haven, CT Toads Place
Mar 31 Boston, MA Paradise
Apr 01 New York, NY Webster Hall
Apr 02 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Apr 03 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
Apr 05 Chicago, IL Metro
Apr 18 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore

After putting out three synthesizer-free albums, The Magnetic Fields are returning to the signature mix of synth and acoustic sounds they established in the 90s with Merge releases such as The Charm of the Highway Strip and Get Lost. Stephin Merritt has come back to synths with a fresh approach: “Most of the synthesizers on the record didn’t exist when we were last using synthesizers,” he notes. The songs — none over three minutes long — were recorded in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York with Merritt’s usual cast of collaborators: Claudia Gonson, Sam Davol, John Woo, Shirley Simms, Johny Blood and Daniel Handler.

Pre-order the Magnetic Fields’ Love at the Bottom of the Sea in the Merge store for exclusive limited-edition eggshell-colored vinyl. Also, the first 100 people who order the album from Merge on CD or LP will receive a free signed poster and a Magnetic Fields button, as well. Don’t forget . . . the Merge Holiday Code works on pre-orders, too! Follow The Magnetic Fields at @TheMagFields and check The House of Tomorrow for all ticketing information.

Track Listing:
1. God Wants Us to Wait
2. Andrew in Drag
3. Your Girlfriend’s Face
4. Born For Love
5. I’d Go Anywhere with Hugh
6. Infatuation (With Your Gyration)
7. The Only Boy in Town
8. The Machine in Your Hand
9. Goin’ Back to the Country
10. I’ve Run Away to Join the Fairies
11. The Horrible Party
12. My Husband’s Pied-a-Terre
13. I Don’t Like Your Tone
14. Quick!
15. All She Cares About Is Mariachi

The Magnetic Fields on tour:
Mar 6 Hudson, NY Helsinki Hudson
Mar 7 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
Mar 11 Minehead, UK All Tomorrow’s Parties
Mar 14, 15, 16 Austin, TX  SXSW
Mar 18 Vancouver, BC  The Vogue
Mar 19 Seattle, WA Neptune Theater
Mar 20 Seattle, WA Neptune Theater
Mar 21 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
Mar 23 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theater
Mar 24 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
Mar 26 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Mar 27 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Mar 28 Iowa City, IA Englert Theater
Mar 30 Toronto, ON Sound Academy
Mar 31 Montreal, QC Le National
Apr 3 New York, NY Beacon Theater
Apr 6 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
Apr 7 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
Apr 9 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Apr 11 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
Apr 12 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
Apr 14 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
Apr 24 Brighton, UK Komedia
Apr 25 London, UK Royal Festival Hall
Apr 27 Manchester, UK RNCM
Apr 28 Dublin, IR Olympia
Apr 29 Cork, IR Opera House
May 1 Porto, PT TBA
May 2 Lisbon, PT TBA
May 9 Oslo, NO Rockefeller
May 11 Gothenburg, SE Annedalskyrkan
May 12 Stockholm, SE Filadelfiakyrkan
May 14 Berlin, DE Passionskirche
May 15 Hamburg, DE Kampnagel k6
May 16 Amsterdam, NL De Duif

Tracey Thorn offered up a couple brand new releases—the You Are a Lover and Night Time EPs—and Extended Plays 2010-2011, a compilation of her recent non-album tracks. Tracey brings her unique voice to songs by Sufjan Stevens (“Sister Winter”), The xx (“Night Time”), and Vampire Weekend (“Taxi Cab”), plus remixes by Visionquest, Clock Opera, Charles Webster, WALLS, Blue Daisy, Morgan Geist, and more. The cover of “Night Time” also features contributions from Tracey’s Everything But The Girl bandmate Ben Watt, their first musical collaboration in over a decade.

The Music Tapes released Purim’s Shadows (The Dark Tours the World) in June on limited kazoo+download, which quickly sold out. However, the EP is still available digitally for those who wish to enter the band’s magical world of singing saws, 7-foot metronomes, bowed banjos, and band members who are also televisions.

Speaking of physical products selling out quickly, Wild Flag put out a 7-inch for Record Store Day that features different versions of “Future Crimes” b/w “Glass Tambourine” and was produced by Spoon’s Britt Daniel. While the vinyl may be impossible to find these days, the 7-inch version of these songs is still available digitally!

Finally, Hospitality, the newest member of the Merge family, have just released their infectious debut single, “Betty Wang” b/w “Friends of Friends” from their 2012 eponymous debut. Based on one of singer-songwriter Amber Papini’s former coworkers, “Su Chia” is Betty Wang’s birth name and a super-catchy chorus, too!

Because we want to make it as easy as possible for you to keep up with all our releases, we highly recommend subscribing to the Merge Records New Releases playlist on Spotify, which includes highlights from our new releases updated when they become available on the service!

Remastered by Bob Weston and featuring new liner notes by MAGNET magazine editor Eric Miller, physical copies of Vee Vee will include sixteen bonus tracks and new cover art re-imagined by graphic artist Jay Ryan. Reissues of All the Nation’s Airports and White Trash Heroes will follow later in 2012.

The first full-length produced by Bob Weston, Vee Vee was a slight departure from the previous bombastic noisepop that characterized Archers of Loaf’s previous work, and it proved that the band wasn’t just a flash in the pan. The album became their best-selling album to date and landed them on the covers of most fanzines and at the top of college radio charts across the country. “Harnessed in Slums” and “Greatest of All Time” became anthems of the underground and led to successful tours with the Flaming Lips and Weezer.

Listen to “Harnessed in Slums” from Vee Vee below and watch Eric Bachmann’s “One Track Mind” episode on The AV Club to hear the story behind “Web in Front.”

Archers of Loaf – Harnessed in Slums by Merge Records

Pre-order Vee Vee on dbl-CD or limited-edition mossy green LP now in the Merge store and receive an email download of the remastered original album. Also available in the Merge store are limited-edition “Team Loaf” pennants re-created from the original design. Don’t forget . . . the Merge Holiday Code works on pre-orders, too!

Archers of Loaf intend to play several more shows internationally including the Primavera Festival in Spain May 30-June 3 and to perform a wider variety of songs on limited dates throughout the end of 2012.

Vee Vee track listing:
Disc 1 -
1. Step into the Light
2. Harnessed in Slums
3. Nevermind the Enemy
4. Greatest of All Time
5. Underdogs of Nipomo
6. Floating Friends
7. 1985
8. Fabricoh
9. Nostalgia
10  Let the Loser Melt
11. Death in the Park
12. The Worst Has Yet to Come
13. Underachievers March and Fight Song

Disc 2 -
1.       Harnessed in Slums ’95 (Bob Weston Radio Mix, 1995)
2.       Telepathic Traffic (“Harnessed in Slums” single, Alias, 1995)
3.       Don’t Believe the Good News (“Harnessed in Slums” single, Alias, 1995)
4.       Smoking Pot in the Hot City (7” single, Esther, 1995)
5.       Mutes in the Steeple (7” single, Esther, 1995)
6.       Mark Price P.I. (out of print)
7.       Bacteria (The Speed of Cattle, Alias, 1996)
8.       Equinox (unreleased) (J. Coltrane)
9.       (Big Joe and) Phantom 309 (out of print) (T. Faile)
10.    1985 (Marathon Boombox Demo)
11.    Fabricoh (Marathon Boombox Demo)
12.    Nostalgia (Marathon Boombox Demo)
13.    Let the Loser Melt (Vee Vee 4-Track Demo)
14.    Underdogs of Nipomo (Vee Vee 4-Track Demo)
15.    Nevermind the Enemy (Vee Vee 4-Track Demo)
16.    Don’t Believe the Good News (Vee Vee 4-Track Demo)

The Suburbs Deluxe includes:
* CD: The Suburbs album, including an extended version of “Wasted Hours” and two non-album tracks “Speaking In Tongues” feat. David Byrne and “Culture War.”
* DVD: Scenes From The Suburbs (30 minutes), a behind the scenes documentary and the official video for The Suburbs’ title track.
* An 80-page booklet featuring stills from the film, behind the scenes photographs from the film’s production, and lyrics.
See an image here

Arcade Fire’s 2011 Album of the Year Grammy-winning album The Suburbs and the 2012 Grammy nominee for Best Recording Packaging The Suburbs Deluxe Edition are available now in the Merge store.

A Very She & Him Christmas is a wonderful collection of holiday tunes from Zooey Deschanel (She) and M. Ward (Him). Inspired by seminal holiday albums by the likes of The Carpenters, Vince Guaraldi, The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, and more, She & Him have set out to create an intimate holiday recording of Christmas classics that helps bring new emotions out of old songs.

Fans who order A Very She & Him Christmas on CD or red vinyl LP in the Merge store have the option of ordering the album with a knitted She & Him holiday hat. Physical orders will include exclusive She & Him wrapping paper, while supplies last.

Also, congratulations to Zooey on her Grammy nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media for her song “So Long” from Winnie the Pooh which was performed by Zooey and M. Ward.

Hospitality the album has an overarching vision and should be listened to as a whole, though every song registers as a single. “Friends of Friends” could break the Hot 100 with its heavy intro, swingin’ breakdown, and horn riffs; “Betty Wang,” the lynchpin of their live set a few years back, is impossibly catchy, the story of one of Papini’s real-life colleagues at a financial day job; and “The Right Profession” is a power-pop burst of an anthem with Papini chanting the immortal line, “It’s hard to change!” (Isn’t it?) And “The Birthday,” with a sinuous, dissonant lead guitar, the lockstep rhythm of the drums, and Brian Betancourt’s nimble bass, wouldn’t be out of place on The Police’s debut record, but its epic coda makes it decidedly CinemaScope.

And after patiently honing its craft, playing concerts (and gaining converts), Hospitality has reached what will be its first apex with many more heights to come; from their modest debut in a Red Hook row house, the band has evolved from four-track low-fidelity to a luxury five-star future.

Hospitality are Nathan Michel, Brian Betancourt and Amber Papini. 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. Don’t forget . . . the Merge Holiday Code works on pre-orders, too!

Hospitality on tour:
Jan 11 Toronto, ON  Drake Hotel
Jan 12 Detroit, MI PJ’s Lager House
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)

Several houses a night will be visited in each city. Houses welcoming outside guests in each area will be listed via email auto-reply two nights prior to the Music Tapes arrival. Write musictapescaroling2011@gmail.com to receive open house list or to make a last minute caroling invitation. Routes are only projected and may change so check often!

The Singing Saw at Christmastime is available now on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge Holiday store.

2011 Holiday Caroling tour:
NOV 30   Virginia
DEC 1     Raleigh/Chapel Hill, NC area
DEC 2     Charlotte, NC area
DEC 3     Athens, GA
DEC 4    Raleigh/Chapel Hill, NC area
DEC 5    NE Virginia/Washington DC area
DEC 6    Washington, DC
DEC 7    Eastern PA/Philadelphia, PA
Dec 8     Philadelphia/NYC
Dec 9     NYC
Dec 10   Upstate NY/Massachusetts
Dec 11   Rhode Island/Massachusetts/New England
Dec 12  Upstate NY/New England

The Mountain Goats

The Mountain Goats have been keeping busy since their summer tour in support of their Merge debut All Eternals Deck. They have shared the stage with John Hodgman, Roseanne Cash, Kristen Schaal, Wyatt Cenac, Eugene Mirman, and others at various “variety” shows. The Mountain Goats will close out 2011 with a couple of solo sets for charity, and then they will get right back to work.

In addition to the new tour dates visiting parts of the south they missed in 2011, the Mountain Goats will perform two special shows with Anonymous 4, appear at the 35 Denton Festival, and join “The Music of the Rolling Stones” at Carnegie Hall in March.

SPIN praised the Mountain Goats’ frontman John Darnielle as “indie rock’s greatest lyricist” on the cover of their April issue, while Rolling Stone touted him as an “ace word-slinger.”

All Eternals Deck is available on CD, LP, and digital download in the Merge store.

The Mountain Goats can be found on Facebook, twitter and at mountain-goats.com.

The Mountain Goats on tour:
* = w/ Nurses
Dec 06 Chicago, IL – The Second City That Never Sleeps “Letters to Santa” benefit
Dec 16 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour Invisible Children Holiday Benefit show
Jan 19 Austin, TX – Antone’s*
Jan 20 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s*
Jan 21 New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s*
Jan 23 Tallahassee, FL – Club Downunder*
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

Merge uses the U.S. Postal Service to ship our web store orders because. Their low costs allow us to provide U.S. orders with free standard shipping, but as such, we cannot guarantee the delivery date of any order. If you’re placing your order on or after December 10 and need it to arrive before the 25th, we encourage you to purchase Priority Mail shipping. For U.S. orders, we’ll provide tracking information as soon as it is available. For international orders, please allow 2–4 weeks for delivery.

Also, all orders placed after 10 a.m. on December 21 will not ship until January 6, 2012.

Happy holidays!
xo, Merge

We have put together a collection of songs from late 2011 and a few glimpses of what is to come in 2012. Available as a stream and a download, our winter sampler will help you catch up on releases you might have missed, and alert you to what you should be pre-ordering now. Our 2011 holiday store will launch tomorrow, so listen now and prepare to take advantage of all of the great deals we have designed for you this year!

Merge 2011-2012 Winter Sampler
Hospitality – “Betty Wang”
Richard Buckner – “Traitor”
Lambchop – “If Not I’ll Just Die”
Crooked Fingers – “Bad Blood”
Superchunk – “Driveway to Driveway”
The Mountain Goats – “Estate Sale Sign”
Eleanor Friedberger – “My Mistakes”
Imperial Teen – “Runaway”
Archers of Loaf  – “Harnessed In Slums”
Wild Flag – “Romance”
Stephin Merritt – “Rot in the Sun”
The Rosebuds – “Go Ahead”

We have also included streams of songs from our two holiday albums: Julian Koster‘s The Singing Saw at Christmastime and She & Him‘s A Very She & Him Christmas.

Enjoy our new sampler and visit the Merge store for more from all of these artists!

Watch Mac’s “Digging for Something” conversation and performance on “One Track Mind”

“Digging for Something” can be found on Majesty Shredding which is available on CD, LP and digital download now in the Merge store. Find recent Superchunk reissues of Foolish, Here’s Where the Strings Come In, No Pocky for Kitty, and On the Mouth as well as t-shirts, totes, posters and more in the Superchunk section of the Merge store.

Superchunk are heading to Spain and London next week for a few rare European dates. Visit superchunk.com for a free cover of The Misfits’ “Where Eagles Dare,” and keep up with the band on twitter, too.

Superchunk in Europe:
Nov 25 Madrid, Spain  Primavera Club 2011
Nov 26 Barcelona, Spain Primavera Club 2011
Dec 01 London, UK Scala w/ Let’s Wrestle

It’s been nearly two decades since Lambchop released its first album, at the time pronouncing itself “Nashville’s most fucked-up country band.” Provocative it may have been, but the description made sense: at the heart of all that ruckus was a band at once defying and embracing the musical legacy of its hometown. Since then, Lambchop has evolved into an accomplished ensemble, adding palpable depth and substance to singer-songwriter-guitarist Kurt Wagner’s songs—and the band sounds as commanding as ever on its 11th album, Mr. M, a collection of meditations on love and loss and the detritus of everyday existence.

Recorded at Mark Nevers’s Nashville Beech House studio cum bungalow and dedicated to Vic Chesnutt, Mr. M includes the usual core of musicians- Scott Martin (drums), Matt Swanson (bass), Ryan Norris (guitar, organ), Tony Crow (piano), William Tyler (guitar) and guests include original co-founder Jonathan Marx, delightful Cortney Tidwell (who shared vocals on 2010’s KORT project) and fiddler Billy Contreras (who has worked with all from Charlie Louvin to Laura Cantrell) – and with spectacular string arrangements shared between Peter Stopschinski and Mason Neely, it stretches out sonically as promised. (Incidentally the paintings, thickly layered black and white portraits forming a series called Beautillion Millitaire 2000, feature on the album sleeve and throughout the full artwork).

The core of the music remains the cyclical picking of Wagner’s guitar and the soft, warm croaking of his voice. The songs are spacious, even dreamy, as on the Countrypolitan instrumental “Gar,” while the lyrics and titles are rich with allusions, some of them obvious, others seemingly unknowable.

Listen to the first track “If Not I’ll Just Die” and pre-order Mr. M on CD or LP now in the Merge store. While supplies last, preorders will include a poster (the first 150 of which will be signed!) featuring the album’s cover art, an original painting by Kurt Wagner.

Lambchop – “If Not I’ll Just Die” by Merge Records

Follow Lambchop on Twitter, Facebook and at their official website, Lambchop.net.

Betty Wang is a real woman who was one of the only female executives at the investment firm where Hospitality singer-songwriter Amber Papini worked. Amber admired Betty for holding her own and refusing to change her habits to fit in. “Su Chia” is Betty’s birth name, and a super-catchy chorus, too!

Stream and download “Betty Wang” now and visit iTunes to get the Hospitality two-song single that includes “Betty Wang” and “Friends of Friends” from Hospitality. Also, be sure to bookmark Merge’s “New Release Playlist” on Spotify to keep up with preview tracks from all of the new albums we have coming soon!

Hospitality – Betty Wang by Merge Records

Hospitality are Nathan Michel, Brian Betancourt and Amber Papini. 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.

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.

So many bands lose momentum and focus over time, but a little past its sweet sixteenth year of existence, Imperial Teen somehow grows both younger and wiser, connecting four characterful lives through creative friendship and deep trust, and forging a communal power that continues to grow stronger. Feel the sound of a one-of-a-kind group that’s never sounded more like itself.

Listen to “Runaway” from Feel the Sound now!

Pre-order Feel the Sound now on CD or LP in the Merge store and receive a poster and a limited-edition key-chain earplug case while supplies last.

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

Beginning tomorrow, Wild Flag’s performance and interview with Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis on Sound Opinions will air on your local public radio station and stream online at SoundOpinions.org.

Wild Flag have also announced new tour dates for spring of 2012! Get your tickets early!

Wild Flag is available on CD, LP and digital download now in the Merge store.

Wild Flag on tour:
Nov 10 Portland, OR Doug Fir ***SOLD OUT***
Nov 11 Seattle, WA Neumo’s
Nov 12 Vancouver, BC Biltmore Cabaret
Mar 07 Perth, AUS The Bakery
Mar 09 Melbourne, AUS Corner Hotel
Mar 10 Victoria, AUS Golden Plains Festival
Mar 11 Brisbane, AUS The Zoo
Mar 13 Sydney, AUS Manning Bar
Mar 30 New Haven, CT Toads Place
Mar 31 Boston, MA Paradise
Apr 01 New York, NY Webster Hall
Apr 02 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Apr 03 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
Apr 05 Chicago, IL Metro

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

Sharing his excitement that his caroling trips have now become a grand tradition, Julian said, “We’d surely like to thank everybody for the extraordinarily magical times and adventures, and wonderful welcomes, and to thank you all for making them happen! As well as our selfless volunteer Caroling Ambassadors!”

They will choose a path visiting as many of the places possible along the east coast of the US and Canada between November 28 and December 12 from which come the warmest invitations. The final list of dates and path of the Caroling will be announced just prior to the commencement of the tour.

For more information about sending an invitation to host an evening of carols, games, stories and other holiday magic, email musictapescaroling2011@gmail.com.

Along with this announcement of a new caroling tour, we also have a new video from the Music Tapes to share! Set to the song “Nantasket” from the recently released digital EP “Purim’s Shadows (The Dark Tours the World),” the video showcases the Paragon Carousel as well as Julian’s whimsical drawings and footage of people having fun which is what the Music Tapes is all about!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Julian Koster’s The Singing Saw at Christmastime is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store as well as the Music Tapes’ “Purim’s Shadows (The Dark Tours the World)” and the rest of the Music Tapes’ catalog.

Unfortunately, the project fell apart a few months later for numerous logistical reasons (not the least of which was the second wind breathed into the original album by the Mercury Prize victory) but not before Tracey had sung a new version of one of the album’s most beautiful songs, “Night Time.”

The track gathered dust for a few months, but it is rightfully seeing the light of day on a new digital EP from Tracey Thorn called Night Time, available today!

Night Time track listing:
1. Night Time
2. Swimming (Visionquest Remix, Ewan Pearson Re-Edit)
3. Swimming (Charles Webster Remix)
4. Swimming (Charles Webster Dub)

On November 8, Merge Records will release Extended Plays, an extensive digital compilation that includes the Night Time EP and all other bonus content that Tracey has compiled with the release of Love and Its Opposite. Pre-order Extended Plays now at iTunes.

Tracey writes:

Although there is a minimal and traditional feel to the recordings on Love And Its Opposite, the remixes and B-sides from the same period offer more experimentation and playfulness. “Taxi Cab” was recorded in an afternoon for fun. The Andre Lodemann remix of “Why Does The Wind?” is one of my favourite deep house mixes of my songs, and WALLS brought a woozy dreaminess to the reflective “Kentish Town.” I love them all. A perfect companion piece to the original album.

Extended Plays 2010-2011 track listing:
1. Taxi Cab (Vampire Weekend Cover)
2. Why Does the Wind? (Ewan Pearson Radio Edit)
3. Why Does the Wind? (Morgan Geist Remix)
4. Why Does the Wind? (Michel Cleis Remix)
5. Why Does the Wind? (Andre Lodemann Remix)
6. Why Does the Wind? (Andre Lodemann Dub)
7. Swimming (Visionquest Remix)
8. Kentish Town (Walls Remix)
9. Late in the Afternoon (Blue Daisy Remix)
10. You Are a Lover (Clock Opera Remix)
11. Sister Winter (Sufjan Stevens Cover)
12. Night Time (The xx Cover)
13. Swimming (Visionquest Remix, Ewan Pearson Re-Edit)
14. Swimming (Charles Webster Remix)
15. Swimming (Charles Webster Underwater Mix)

We have a very limited amount of import vinyl for Love and Its Opposite, Oh, The Divorces! b/w Taxi Cab, and You Are a Lover EP in the Merge store. Buy them before they’re gone!

The band says, “Happy Halloween everyone! An omelet of disease awaits your noontime meal! In the tradition of doing something we did last year, we’ve got another Misfits cover for you. We recorded it with John Plymale at Overdub Lane. Everyone sings! So it’s festive. Here you go, ‘Where Eagles Dare.’”

Visit Superchunk.com to stream and download their cover of “Where Eagles Dare” by The Misfits!

Happy Halloween!

Wye Oak

We were not content to have these two great covers exist only on the AV Club website, and so on November 22, Merge will release “Strangers” b/w “Mother” as a limited-edition 7-inch and digital download!

In the spring of 2010, Wye Oak first visited the round room to cover The Kinks’ “Strangers.” They were joined by Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater, and the resulting performance was one of the finalists in the AV Club’s poll for “Best of the Series.” Jenn and Andy were invited back in the spring of 2011 and this time, they chose to go a darker route. Complete with a sleeveless black hoodie and a “Wolfs Blood” tattoo, Jenn offered a spooky take on former Misfits frontman Glenn Danzig’s vocal stylings in their cover of “Mother,” complete with Callers’ Don “Donzig” Godwin on tenor horn.

Jenn says, “We had a blast participating in the AV Club’s Undercover series and were pleasantly surprised that so many people enjoyed our take on these two songs. We’re happy to have these versions released for those who were interested in owning them for themselves. Thanks to Merge and the AV Club for making it all happen.”

The AV Club visited Jenn in Baltimore to visit her favorite local haunts and discuss “Holy Holy” from Civilian as part of their new “One Track Mind” series. Watch Jenn’s episode now at the AV Club.

Pre-order the limited-edition 7-inch “Strangers” b/w “Mother” now in the Merge store. Wye Oak’s whole catalog, including their latest album Civilian and the newly released vinyl reissue of The Knot, are also available in the Merge store.

A Very She & Him Christmas is a collection of holiday tunes from Zooey Deschanel (She) & M. Ward (Him). Inspired by seminal holiday albums by the likes of The Carpenters, Vince Guaraldi, The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley and more, She & Him have set out to create an intimate holiday recording of Christmas classics that helps bring new emotions out of old songs. Recorded in Los Angeles and NYC at various points in 2011, A Very She & Him Christmas sees the duo stepping back slightly from the layered, lush aesthetic of their critically acclaimed second album, Volume Two. On A Very She & Him Christmas, Deschanel and Ward let the songs speak for themselves, oftentimes recording them with just acoustic guitar and vocals. Consistent in everything are the elements that have made She & Him one of the most loved bands of the last few years—Deschanel’s soulful vocal delivery and Ward’s impressive guitar work, both sounding as timeless as ever.

Fans who order A Very She & Him Christmas on CD or red vinyl LP in the Merge store have the option of ordering the album with a knitted She & Him holiday hat and/or mittens. Physical orders will include exclusive She & Him wrapping paper, while supplies last.

The track listing for A Very She & Him Christmas is:
1. The Christmas Waltz
2. Christmas Day
3. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
4. I’ll Be Home for Christmas
5. Christmas Wish
6. Sleigh Ride
7. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
8. Silver Bells
9. Baby, It’s Cold Outside
10. Blue Christmas
11. Little Saint Nick
12. The Christmas Song

Previous releases by She & Him are available in the Merge store.

Salon wrote a review of the album back in 1999, saying “Holiday [...] shouldn’t be missed—it’s Merritt’s most sonically striking record to date, and it’s full of darkly hilarious, inconceivably catchy songwriting.” You can read the full article here.

In addition to the LP, we are offering a limited-time, specially priced 4x LP bundle of all three Magnetic Fields vinyl re-pressings (Holiday, Charm of the Highway Strip, and Get Lost) plus Stephin Merritt’s recently released Obscurities. All LPs include a download coupon.

Holiday track listing:
1. BBC Radiophonic Workshop
2. Desert Island
3. Deep Sea Diving Suit
4. Strange Powers
5. Torn Green Velvet Eyes
6. The Flowers She Sent and the Flowers She Said She Sent
7. Swinging London
8. In My Secret Place
9. Sad Little Moon
10. The Trouble I’ve Been Looking For
11. Sugar World
12. All You Ever Do Is Walk Away
13. In My Car
14. Take Ecstasy With Me

At the end of 2009, SPIN magazine deemed The Knot one of the “10 Best Albums You May Have Missed” (along with Telekinesis’ self-titled debut!) and apparently, people took note. Since then, Jenn and Andy have put out an EP and another full-length and garnered heaps of praise from fans and critics alike for their recordings as well as for their compelling live shows. Wye Oak will join The National at the end of November, with some solo shows sprinkled in as well. Check their tour page for a full list of live dates.

Watch Wye Oak’s newest video below, for the song “Holy Holy” off of their latest album, Civilian:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Knot track listing:
1. Milk and Honey
2. For Prayer
3. Take It In
4. Siamese
5. Talking About Money
6. Mary Is Mary
7. Tattoo
8. I Want for Nothing
9. That I Do
10.  Sight, Flight

Wild Flag are in the midst of their US tour. Pitchfork reviewed their NYC show saying, “Gloriously loud, compact, no-frills show that affirms this supergroup’s existence as a victory lap rather than an afterthought.” Popmatters declared, “By the time Wild Flag finished their scorching set, every band labeled as “chillwave” had burst into flames, forever.” .

Click to stream an archive of Wild Flag’s show at the Black Cat in DC

See Wild Flag on tour this fall, and find Wild Flag on CD, LP and digital download now in the Merge store.

Wild Flag on tour:
# w/ Eleanor Friedberger
Oct 24 Birmingham, AL – Bottletree #
Oct 26 New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks #
Oct 27 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s Downstairs
Oct 28 Dallas, TX – The Loft
Oct 29 Austin, TX – Emo’s
Oct 31 Tempe, AZ – Rhythm Room
Nov 01 San Diego, CA – Casbah
Nov 02 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
Nov 03 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
Nov 04 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
Nov 05 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
Nov 07 Arcata, CA – Humboldt State
Nov 09 Portland, OR – Doug Fir
Nov 10 Portland, OR – Doug Fir
Nov 11 Seattle, WA – Neumos
Nov 12 Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret
Dec 08 London, UK – The Lexington

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!

The track gathered dust for a few months, but it is rightfully seeing the light of day on a new EP from Tracey Thorn called Night Time, to be released on Merge on November 1.

“Night Time” was handpicked by Tracey and features Ben guesting on guitars and backing vocals (it’s the first time the two have played together on a recording in over ten years) with the drums, programming, and mix coming courtesy of Tracey’s current production collaborator Ewan Pearson (producer of both Tracey’s recent acclaimed album Love and Its Opposite and 2007’s Out of the Woods). As Tracey rearticulates Romy’s lyrics, Ben fluidly arpeggiates the original interwoven guitar lines into one seamless pass while Ewan adds crisp, fresh half-tempo drums, atmospheric misty synths, and booming bass.

“Swimming,” one of Love and Its Opposite’s most popular tracks, is also revisited on this release. Ewan buffs up and re-edits last year’s remix by then-emerging-and-now-current dance producers du jour Visionquest (Detroit’s Seth Troxler, Ryan Crosson, and Lee Curtiss) into a new version, with judicious new drum parts and a sparkling widescreen mix-down. Meanwhile, UK underground house legend Charles Webster adds his magic to “Swimming” too, with a beautifully percussive main mix and a rainy, autumnal dub.

Tracey Thorn’s Night Time EP will be released on Merge as a digital download on November 1. Pre-order the Night Time digital EP now in the Merge store. Also, you can pre-order Night Time on blue vinyl from Buzzin’ Fly in the UK.

Night Time track listing:
1. Night Time
2. Swimming (Visionquest Remix, Ewan Pearson Re-Edit)
3. Swimming (Charles Webster Remix)
4. Swimming (Charles Webster Dub)

On November 8, Merge Records will release Extended Plays, an extensive digital compilation that includes the Night Time EP and all other bonus content that Tracey has compiled with the release of Love and Its Opposite. Pre-order Extended Plays now at iTunes.

Tracey writes:

Although there is a minimal and traditional feel to the recordings on Love And Its Opposite, the remixes and B-sides from the same period offer more experimentation and playfulness. “Taxi Cab” was recorded in an afternoon for fun. The Andre Lodemann remix of “Why Does The Wind?” is one of my favourite deep house mixes of my songs, and WALLS brought a woozy dreaminess to the reflective “Kentish Town.” I love them all. A perfect companion piece to the original album.

Extended Plays 2010-2011 track listing:
1. Taxi Cab (Vampire Weekend Cover)
2. Why Does the Wind? (Ewan Pearson Radio Edit)
3. Why Does the Wind? (Morgan Geist Remix)
4. Why Does the Wind? (Michel Cleis Remix)
5. Why Does the Wind? (Andre Lodemann Remix)
6. Why Does the Wind? (Andre Lodemann Dub)
7. Swimming (Visionquest Remix)
8. Kentish Town (Walls Remix)
9. Late in the Afternoon (Blue Daisy Remix)
10. You Are a Lover (Clock Opera Remix)
11. Sister Winter (Sufjan Stevens Cover)
12. Night Time (The xx Cover)
13. Swimming (Visionquest Remix, Ewan Pearson Re-Edit)
14. Swimming (Charles Webster Remix)
15. Swimming (Charles Webster Underwater Mix)

Tracey Thorn’s Love and Its Opposite is out now on CD, LP, and digital download on Merge Records.

Formed in 2007, Hospitality has evolved from a bedroom project to a 4-piece collaborative group opening for bands such as Stereolab, Wild Flag and The Rosebuds. The angular, intricate, and intelligent compositions of Hospitality signal a sophisticated new pop voice. Singer Amber Papini’s idiosyncratic songwriting and incisive lyrics coupled with the band’s rich arrangements on its self-titled debut explore youth, New York, and the bittersweet commingling of past and present in a way that feels just right, right now.

The production by Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells) and band member Nathan Michel imbues the entire record with an intimate yet prodigious sound, layering period keyboards with horns, synthesizers, and treated guitars.

Stereogum described their music as “off-kilter melodic pop stylings” while Magnet described their sound as being “intimate and cinematic New York-ness.”

Listen and download “Friends of Friends,” from Hospitality and pre-order the full album on CD or LP now in the Merge store. Keep up with Hospitality at Twitter & Facebook, too!

Hospitality begin a short string of dates with The Rosebuds tonight in Detroit and will be in NYC at the Bowery Ballroom on October 18 with Eleanor Friedberger and Wild Flag.

Hospitality is Brian Betancourt, Nathan Michel, Kyle Olson, and Amber Papini.

Hospitality on tour:
Oct 14 Detroit, MI– Magic Stick w/ The Rosebuds (early show – 7pm)
Oct 15 Chicago, IL – Schubas w/ The Rosebuds
Oct 18 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom w/ Wild Flag & Eleanor Friedberger
Oct 19 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle w/ The Rosebuds & Heather McEntire
Oct 20 Washington, DC – Rock & Roll Hotel w/ The Rosebuds
Oct 22 New York, NY – Rockwood Music Hall SPIN Magazine CMJ Day Party

All proceeds from the sale of Luz de Vida will go to the Tucson Together Fund, the only officially sanctioned fund established to assist victims, families, and witnesses of the January 8 shooting tragedy that occurred there. Read more about this worthwhile effort at musicagainstviolence.org.

In other Spoon-related news, the band has announced that it will be performing at Fun Fun Fun Fest on Saturday, November 5, at Auditorium Shores in Austin, TX. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to catch Spoon live in concert. Full-festival and single-day tickets are available here.

Pick up Spoon’s most recent full-length, Transference, or any of their previous releases in the Merge store today.