Also, Shout Out Louds will visit KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic tomorrow morning to perform live and chat with host Jason Bentley. Listen live beginning at 11:15 am PST. The band will also drop in at KEXP in Seattle on Saturday, May 25 at 5pm PST.

Watch Shout Out Louds’ recently released video for “Illusions” , too.

Optica is available on CD, LP and digital now in the Merge store.

Shout Out Louds on tour:
May 23 Los Angeles, CA El Rey
May 24 Los Angeles, CA El Rey
May 25 George, WA Sasquatch Festival

Mount Moriah was chosen as one of SPIN’s 5 Best New Artists and Popmatters deems Miracle Temple “a lush, deeply layered, sunburst of a record.” Other positive reviews can be found at Pitchfork, the A.V. Club, American Songwriter, MTV Hive and more! Also, watch their stripped down performance of “Bright Light” for WFUV at Austin’s famous Hotel San Jose & their visit to WBEZ Chicago’s Afternoon Shift. And, the lovely video for “Bright Light” is on YouTube.

Miracle Temple is available now on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store. Also, available at your local record store, at iTunes, Amazon, Spotify & Rdio.

Mount Moriah on tour:
June 13 Pittsburgh, PA Club Cafe
June 14 Cleveland, OH Beachland Tavern
June 15 Columbus, OH The Basement
June 16 Bloomington, IN The Bishop
June 17 St. Louis, MO Old Rock House
June 18 Lawrence, KS Replay Lounge
June 20 Denver, CO Hi Dive
June 21 Omaha, NE The Waiting Room
June 22 Dubuque, IA Eronel
June 23 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry
June 24 Madison, WI The Frequency
June 25 Columbia, MO Mojo’s
June 26 Nashville, TN The High Watt

The video marks the first time the band’s singer-songwriter Zooey Deschanel has stepped behind the camera to direct; the result is an amalgamation of everything that makes She & Him so damn charming—an incredible chorus, choreography by Sophie Olson, vintage dresses, M. Ward’s genius guitar playing, and a whole lot of fun.

Watch the video for “I Could’ve Been Your Girl” now at HelloGiggles.com

Says Deschanel about directing, “After 7 years and 4 albums with She & Him, I figured it was about time I took a crack at making a video for a song I wrote. The process was so much fun, and gave me a chance to give a nod to some of my favorite 60’s musicals.”

“I Could’ve Been Your Girl” is one of the highlights on the band’s new album, Volume 3, which is in stores now. In Volume 3, they’ve created an effortlessly effervescent, bleached-out-in-the-sun pop record, featuring some of the most dynamic, complex songs Deschanel has ever written. The album allows for tempo shifts, disco grooves, string arrangements on multiple tracks, and horn flourishes that perfectly suit the She & Him sound.

She & Him’s Volume 3 is available on CD, LP, and now cassette in the Merge store, the band’s online store, and at your local record store. If you buy Volume 3 in the Merge store, you get an awesome nail decal set (photo below) for free! Just enter “NAILS” into the coupon code. Also, find Volume 3 at iTunes, Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, and Best Buy.

She & Him on tour:
Jun 13 Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium+
Jun 15 Grand Prairie, TX – Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie+
Jun 16 Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theatre+
Jun 18 Phoenix, AZ – Comerica Theater+
Jun 19 Las Vegas, NV – The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas%
Jun 21 San Diego, CA – SDSU Open Air Theatre%
Jun 22 Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre*%
Jun 23 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl*
Jun 25 Salt Lake City, UT – Red Butte Gardens%
Jun 27 Council Bluffs, IA – Harrah’s Stir Cove%
Jun 28 Kansas City, MO – Kanrocksas Music Festival
Jun 29 Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom#
Jul 01 Ann Arbor, MI – Hill Auditorium#
Jul 03 Montreal, QC – Montreal Jazz Festival#
Jul 04 Toronto, ON – Toronto Urban Roots Festival#
Jul 05 Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Blues Fest
Jul 06 New York, NY – SummerStage at Central Park#
Jul 08 New York, NY – SummerStage at Central Park#
Jul 09 Philadelphia, PA – Mann Center for Performing Arts#
Jul 10 Boston, MA – Bank of America Pavilion#
Jul 11 Vienna, VA – Filene Center at Wolf Trap#
+ w/ Secret Sisters
* w/ Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
# w/ Camera Obscura
% w/ Tilly and the Wall

The Mountain Goats

The last of the “all-home-recordings albums” by the Mountain Goats and the only one about which that claim is true, All Hail West Texas was originally released as a free-standing compact disc on the late, lamented Emperor Jones. That was about a decade ago. The songs were originally transferred from the cassettes onto which they were recorded to 1/4” reels at Tiny Telephone by Alex Newport, who also played in Fudge Tunnel. John got really excited when he realized his tapes were being EQ’d by the guy from Fudge Tunnel.

Remastered from those reels, along with 7 unearthed songs from the two surviving contemporaneous cassettes, All Hail West Texas stands as the peak of the Mountain Goats’ home recording era, a time people like to refer to as “when John Darnielle had his four-track,” except John did not actually use a four-track. He used the condenser mic of a Panasonic boombox and there was no overdubbing. All songs recorded on the day they were written, usually within minutes of the actual composition. Highlights include “Jenny,” “Fall of the Star High School Running Back,” and “The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton,” a song that has compelled audiences around the globe to yell “Hail Satan,” and to mean it.

Package art features a newly penned 1,800-word essay by John detailing his songwriting and recording process for the album. The LP is packaged in a deluxe gatefold jacket and includes a digital download of the full record plus the seven additional tracks. Also, this will be the first time All Hail West Texas has been available on LP. The CD, which includes the full album and extra tracks on one disc, comes in a premium digipak with a 12-page booklet.

Pre-order All Hail West Texas now on CD and LP. Follow the Mountain Goats on Twitter and keep up with John Darnielle on Tumblr. See John & Peter on an all-ages duo tour beginning June 3 in Washington, DC. Tickets are going fast!

The Mountain Goats on tour:
* = w/ The Baptist Generals
June 3 Washington, DC 9:30 Club*
June 4 York, PA Strand- Capitol Performing Arts*
June 5 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell’s*
June 7 New Haven, CT Center Church on the Green*
June 8 Portland, ME Port City Music Hall*
June 9 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground Ballroom*
June 11 Munhall, PA Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead*
June 12 Detroit, MI Majestic Theatre*
June 14 Cincinnati, OH Taft Ballroom*
June 15 Bloomington, IN Buskirk-Chumley Theatre*
June 16 Evanston, IL Space*
June 17 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall*
June 19 Kansas City, MO The Record Bar*
June 20 St. Louis, MO Old Rock House*
June 22 Birmingham, AL The Bottletree*
June 23 Gainesville, FL High Dive*
June 24 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Culture Room*
June 26 Charleston, SC The Charleston Pourhouse *
June 27 West Columbia, SC New Brookland Tavern*
June 28 Wilmington, NC The Soapbox *
July 26-28 Newport, RI Newport Folk Festival
September 13-16 Miami, FL Atlantic Ocean Comedy and Music Festival

Mikal Cronin

Directed by Claire Marie Vogel, the video follows the antics of a wild house party. In their premiere, SPIN writes, “So for its video, Cronin brings ["Change"] to a house party for friends and strangers alike, including an invisible kid who makes good use of the song’s dizzying final minute.”

Watch the video now at SPIN.com

Pitchfork named MCII “Best New Music,” writing of Mikal, “He’s an excellent pop craftsman who knows how to turn the power up for maximum effect.” SPIN declared MCII “Essential”writing, ”Over ten songs detailing a young man’s despair and self-doubt, [Cronin] delivers a performance that’s both deeply confident and convincingly vulnerable, replete with stark, piano-based meditations and fuzz-pedal-abetted fury.”

Mikal recommended songs for your next party at the Dinner Party Download and shared some of his favorite things with Pitchfork Guest List. And listen to his Lagniappe Session for Aquarium Drunkard, where he covers The Proclaimers and Sixpence None the Richer. Also, watch this new video of Mikal performing and hanging out in San Francisco.

MCII is available on CD, LP, and digital in the Merge store as well as at your local record store, iTunes, Amazon, Rdio, and Spotify.

Mikal Cronin on tour:
^ w/ Shannon and the Clams
May 15 Paris  Nouveau Casino (FR)
May 16 London Tuffnel Park Dome (UK)
May 17 Brighton Great Escape Festival (UK)
May 18 Utrecht Le Guess Who? (NL)
May 23 San Diego, CA The Casbah w/ Mrs. Magician
May 24 Los Angeles, CA The Echo w/ Pangea & Gap Dream
May 25 San Francisco, CA The Rickshaw Stop #
Jun 6 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios ^
Jun 7 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern ^
Jun 8 Missoula, MT Old Beck VFW Post 209 ^
Jun 10 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry ^
Jun 11 Chicago, IL The Empty Bottle ^
Jun 13 – 15 Toronto, ON Silver Dollar (NXNE Festival)
Jun 16 Montreal, Quebec La Divan Orange ^
Jun 17 Boston, MA Great Scott w/ Shannon and the Clams & Roomrunner
Jun 18 Philly, PA Kung Fu Necktie w/ Shannon and the Clams & Roomrunner
Jun 20 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom ^
Jun 21 Washington DC Comet Ping Pong w/ Shannon and the Clams & Roomrunner
Jun 22 Asheville, NC Emerald Lounge w/ Greg Cartwright & Shannon and the Clams
Jun 23 Atlanta, GA The Earl ^
Jun 24 Nashville, TN The Stone Fox ^
Jun 26 Dallas, TX Club Dada ^
Jun 27 Austin, TX Mohawk Inside ^
Jun 28 Marfa, TX Padre’s
Jun 29 Tucson, AZ Club Congress
Jul 19 Chicago, IL Pitchfork Festival
Jul 25  Musicbox, Lisbon (POR)
Jul 26  Milhoes De Festa Festival, Barcelos (POR)
Jul 29  El Sol, Madrid (ES)
Jul 30  Surfilm Festival, San Sebastian (ES)
Aug 02  OFF Festival, Katowice (PL)
Aug 03  Zomerparkfeest, Venlo (NL)
Aug 04  Binic Festival, Binic (FR)
Aug 05  Le Galion, Lorient (FR)
Aug 06  Relache Caserne Niel, Bordeaux (FR)
Aug 07  Le Gibus, Paris (FR)
Aug 08  Haldern Pop Festival, HaldernRees (GER)
Aug 09  Oya Festivalen, Oslo (NOR)
Aug 10  Way Out West Festival, Goteborg (SWE)
Aug 11  Pumpehuset, Copenhagen (DK)
Aug 12  Hafenklang, Hamburg (GER)
Aug 13  Doornroosje, Nijmegen (NL)
Aug 14  Vera, Groningen (NL)
Aug 15  Pukkelpop, Hasselt (B)
Aug 16  Lowlands Festival, Biddinghuizen (NL)
Aug 17  Beacons Festival, Skipton (UK)
Aug 18  Greenman Festival, Brecon Beacons (UK)
Aug 24  Los Angeles, CA FYF Fest

David began writing “Christopher Columbus” while on a European tour with The Clean. A flight delay led to a visit to a statue of Christopher Columbus in Rambla de Santa Monica. David wrote, “It got me thinking about how his discovery of America led the world to where we are now. Where are we now? I like to think we are now looking at the beginning of the end of the corporate way of capitalist life which, as we know it, essentially came out of Chicago via the economist Milton Friedman and is basically a completely inhuman idea. Columbus knew there was more to explore—yeah he knew! Little did he know where it would end up.”

“Shifting Sands” was originally recorded by US group The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band in 1967. You can find the track on their LP Part One. “The Pop Art Toasters (the band Martin Phillipps and I performed with) recorded another song of theirs way back called “I Won’t Hurt You,” said David. “The track is on the b-side in that grand tradition of putting something a li’l different on a b-side. This track will not be on the next LP. It may not even be available as a digi download, so the punters will have to buy the 45 to get the track!”

Pre-order David Kilgour & the Heavy Eights’ limited-edition “Christopher Columbus” b/w “Shifting Sands” 7-inch now in the Merge store.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Eleanor Friedberger

Stream “She’s a Mirror” and read a Q&A with Eleanor now at RookieMag.com

Personal Record is Eleanor Friedberger at her finest ; recorded in late 2012 in New York and Los Angeles, and written with musician/novelist Wesley Stace, Personal Record is full of love songs – hellos and goodbyes, infatuation, pre-occupation, loss – but not simply about romantic love. Eleanor explains, “They’re also love songs to music: how you feel on stage when you do something spontaneous and it works, how you feel when you hear someone sing a song for the first time, what it’s like to watch a friend perform, how you can feel close to someone you barely know because you both happen to love the same record, or playing the same song forty times in a row, not being able to rest until you own every song recorded by your favorite singer, or every version of your favorite song. “

Eleanor will be touring throughout the summer in support of Personal Record. Cassandra Jenkins and members of Icewater will be Eleanor’s backing band for these dates with TEEN providing support. Tour dates are listed below.

Personal Record is available now for pre-order digitally at iTunes and on CD and LP in the Merge store. Watch Eleanor’s album trailer set in beautiful Jamaica, and the fantastic video for “Stare at the Sun.”

Eleanor Friedberger on tour:
Jun 04 Buffalo, NY @ Babeville *
Jun 05 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern *
Jun 06 Pontiac, MI @ The Pike Room *
Jun 07 Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle *
Jun 08 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock *
Jun 11 Vancouver, BC @ Media Club *
Jun 12 Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
Jun 13 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir *
Jun 15 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent % *
Jun 18 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo % *
Jun 19 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Jun 21 Austin, TX @ The Parish *
Jun 22 Dallas, TX @ The Loft *
Jun 24 St. Louis, MO @ The Demo *
Jun 25 Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio *
Jun 26 Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox *
Jun 27 Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall *
Jun 28 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg + *
*w/ TEEN
% w/ Icewater performing 1st of 3
+ w/ Cassandra Jenkins performing 1st of 3

Superchunk

After taking nearly a decade off following the release of Here’s to Shutting Up, Mac, Laura, Jon, and Jim decided to shout it out again in 2010 with Majesty Shredding, an album perfectly described by its own title. It’s a celebratory set of whoa-whoa-whoas from a group so thrilled by making music together again that they can’t contain themselves.

The band’s forthcoming release, I Hate Music, is Majesty’s dark twin. It’s similarly aggressive—often moreso (see “Staying Home”)—and every bit as energetic. It reflects the joys of a life spent immersed in music (“Me & You & Jackie Mittoo,” “Trees of Barcelona”), but there’s a dark undercurrent as well. That title isn’t tongue-in-cheek, but it’s really more a question than a statement: When you’re 20, lazy co-workers and romantic missteps number among your biggest worries; two decades later, life’s bigger questions knock louder and louder, demanding answers.

I Hate Music is an album about love more than anything else: love of life, love of living, love of people, and yeah, love of music. It defies its own title so completely and diligently that it never even seems like a fair fight: There’s no pain this deep or yearning this severe without the type of love earned over a lifetime. “I hate music – what is it worth? / Can’t bring anyone back to this earth” goes the first line in “Me & You & Jackie Mittoo.” That song and its ten companions can’t relive the past or resurrect those lost, but they can keep them close enough to see and hear and celebrate. It’s dark in here, but if we conjure the right words and sounds, maybe we’ll find our way out.

Watch the album trailer for I Hate Music now

Pre-order Superchunk’s I Hate Music now on CD, LP, deluxe LP, and digital. The limited-edition deluxe LP will be pressed on colored vinyl and include a bonus 7-inch containing two non-album tracks, along with an I Hate Music stencil. Both the standard and deluxe LPs will be issued on 150-gram vinyl and feature a die-cut sleeve.

All pre-orders will come with an I Hate Music poster, the first 200 of which will be signed by the band.

I Hate Music track listing:
1. Overflows
2. Me & You & Jackie Mittoo
3. Void
4. Staying Home
5. Low F
6. Trees of Barcelona
7. Breaking Down
8. Out of the Sun
9. Your Theme
10. FOH
11. What Can We Do

Superchunk on tour:
# w/ Spider Bags
Jun 20 Calgary, AB – Sled Island @ Republik
Aug 22 Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
Aug 23 Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle
Aug 24 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
Sep 02 Seattle, WA – Bumbershoot
Sep 03 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
Sep 04 Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
Sep 06 Portland, OR – MusicFestNW @ Crystal Ballroom
Sep 23 Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater#
Sep 24 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer#
Sep 26 Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club#
Sep 27 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom#
Sep 28 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom#
Sep 29 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club#

She & Him

The duo will also be hitting the road for a month-long tour this summer that kicks off at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on June 13. The tour also includes a headlining show at the legendary Hollywood Bowl on June 23 as well two evenings at New York City’s Central Park SummerStage in July. Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell and Camera Obscura provide support on select dates.

She & Him’s Volume 3 is available on CD, LP, and now cassette in the Merge store, the band’s online store, and at your local record store. Also, find Volume 3 at iTunes, Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, and Best Buy.

She & Him on tour:
Jun 13 Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium+
Jun 15 Grand Prairie, TX – Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie+
Jun 16 Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theatre+
Jun 18 Phoenix, AZ – Comerica Theater+
Jun 19 Las Vegas, NV – The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas%
Jun 21 San Diego, CA – SDSU Open Air Theatre%
Jun 22 Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre*%
Jun 23 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl*
Jun 25 Salt Lake City, UT – Red Butte Gardens%
Jun 27 Council Bluffs, IA – Harrah’s Stir Cove%
Jun 28 Kansas City, MO – Kanrocksas Music Festival
Jun 29 Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom#
Jul 01 Ann Arbor, MI – Hill Auditorium#
Jul 03 Montreal, QC – Montreal Jazz Festival#
Jul 04 Toronto, ON – Toronto Urban Roots Festival#
Jul 05 Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Blues Fest
Jul 06 New York, NY – SummerStage at Central Park#
Jul 08 New York, NY – SummerStage at Central Park#
Jul 09 Philadelphia, PA – Mann Center for Performing Arts#
Jul 10 Boston, MA – Bank of America Pavilion#
Jul 11 Vienna, VA – Filene Center at Wolf Trap#
+ w/ Secret Sisters
* w/ Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
# w/ Camera Obscura
% w/ Tilly and the Wall

We asked King Khan for a few words to mark the occasion:

Rumors have been flying about me being taped to three swans and traveling the world. Well, it was a rough ride but someone had to do it. After being called the “Beetlejuice of rock ‘n roll,” I have decided to join forces with the underworld and in doing so have reached a new all time low. Hell hath no fury as a swan taped to a fat Indian man.

I have finally found my new family in Merge records and as always I would much rather work with southern folk than city slickers (fuck Bill Crystal and his plastic face). It is a pleasure working with folks who eat ribs while they cure buffalo meat and sell rekkids. If I get a fair shot on the plantation of Merge maybe i will save Brunhilda and show my Indian penis to the world. Tell Quentin Tarantino that he should have let DiCaprio show the world his junk too to make the movie balanced . . .

—King Khan

Information about the new album and new tour dates are coming soon! In the meantime, keep up with King Khan & the Shrines at their website.

In their track premiere, Pitchfork wrote, “the tune’s anthemic in a small-room way, with some murky guitars, glockenspiels, and a jammy back half to suggest that the Love Language’s sound is still expanding.” Stereogum described the song as “a lush but driven piece of songcraft, one that bursts with harmonies and pianos but doesn’t OD on twee adrenaline.”

Listen & share “Calm Down” now via Merge SoundCloud

Gone are the days of a Love Language as a selfish salve for perpetual heartbreak. Ruby Red produces new standards for the Carolina pop songbook, finding The Love Language as an extroverted community art project made by responsible citizens of a loosely packed scene who know that Stuart McLamb will match whatever they contribute.

Pre-order Ruby Red now on CD or LP in the Merge store. The first 250 preorders will receive a free, limited edition 11-track cassette titled Black Mountain Demos. All preorders will include a poster and will ship to arrive on or around the release date of July 23. In the meantime, keep up with the Love Language on Twitter and Facebook.

Telekinesis

Directed by Patrick Stanton, the video features Telekinesis frontman Michael Benjamin Lerner working in an abandoned factory. Stanton told NPR, “I liked the thought of Michael being a bit of a hero by dusting off a defunct factory and putting some life back into it. [The song] has such a great driving rhythm and a mysteriously dark feel that I knew it would be perfect for this visual concept.”

Watch the video for “Empathetic People” now

Telekinesis is currently on tour with a show tonight at the Bowery Ballroom in New York. Dormarion is available now on CD, LP and digital in the Merge store.

Telekinesis on tour:
May 9 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom%
May 10 Allston, MA Brighton Music Hall%
May 11 Montreal, QC Il Motore%
May 12 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern%
May 14 Cleveland Heights, OH Grog Shop%
May 15 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall%
May 16 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon%
May 17 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry%
May 18 Kansas City, MO Riot Room%
May 20 Denver, CO Hi Dive
May 21 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge%
May 22 Nampa, ID Flying M Coffee
May 24 George, WA Sasquatch Music Festival
% = w/ Deep Sea Diver

Future Bible Heroes

Future Bible Heroes is one of the musical projects from the Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt, who writes all the melodies and lyrics for the band. His longtime friend and collaborator Christopher Ewen composes the instrumental backing tracks. Joining Merritt on lead vocals for these songs is the Magnetic Fields’ Claudia Gonson.

To support their forthcoming album Partygoing and the re-issue of their back-catalogue on Merge Records (all in stores June 8), Future Bible Heroes will join the Chickfactor Summer Festival in Brooklyn, New York on June 12, followed by eleven US dates in July.

Also, watch “Catching Up with Future Bible Heroes” now at YouTube. Directed by JL Aronson (Danielson: a Family Movie, Last Summer at Coney Island) and featuring photographs old and new by Kimberly Butler and Gail O’Hara, the video shows the band hanging out and talking about the old days as well as the new.

Listen & share “Living, Loving, Partygoing” and pre-order Future Bible Heroes’ new album Partygoing on CD as well as their 4-CD or 3-LP collection Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing. now in the Merge store. LP pre-orders will include a free Merge Records slipmat.

Future Bible Heroes on tour:
June 12 Brooklyn, NY The Bell House Chickfactor Summer Festival
July 8 Los Angeles, CA The Echoplex
July 9 San Francisco, CA The Independent
July 11 Portland, OR Doug Fir
July 12 Seattle, WA The Tractor Tavern
July 16 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural Center
July 17 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
July 21 Cambridge, MA The Sinclair
July 22 Toronto, ON Lee’s Palace
July 23 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
July 25 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live
July 26 Washington, DC The Black Cat

Pre-order Mikal Cronin’s MCII now on CD or LP + limited “Mikal Cronin edition” tie-dyed Merge logo t-shirts in the Merge store. Also, She & Him’s Volume 3 is available for pre-order on CD, LP and now cassette in the Merge store. The first 500 LP preorders will receive Volume 3 on limited edition robin’s egg blue colored vinyl! Preorders for both will include a poster and will ship to arrive on our around the release date of May 7.

Radar Brothers released Eight in January to much acclaim including the L.A. Times who declared that the band “have never sounded this inspired” and Magnet Magazine named the album their “most intriguing, compelling work yet.”

Eight combines surreal imagery and psychedelia. It’s both a personal statement and an escape into textured, multi-faceted songs. Now a six-piece, Radar Brothers spent the past few years collaborating, meshing their writing styles and recording an album that seamlessly welds together various worlds—not altogether unlikely influences, just … unexpected. This release marks the first time we are releasing an album on LP and digital only.

Watch the video for “House of Mirrors” now at YouTube. Strictly limited to 1000 LPs worldwide, the vinyl albums include a CD. Eight is available now on LP and digital download in the Merge store.

Radar Brothers on tour:
* = w/ Ola Podrida
June 1 Pasadena, CA Make Music Pasadena
June 12 Los Angeles, CA The Satellite*
June 13 San Francisco, CA Cafe du Nord*
June 14 Davis, CA Sophia’s Thai Kitchen*
June 16 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge*
June 17 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern*
June 18 Boise, ID Neurolux*
June 20 Englewood, CO Moe’s Denver*
June 23 Austin, TX The Mohawk*
June 25 Phoenix, AZ The Crescent Ballroom
June 26 Tucson, AZ Club Congress

Future Bible Heroes is one of the musical projects from the Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt, who writes all the melodies and lyrics for the band. His longtime friend and collaborator Christopher Ewen composes the instrumental backing tracks. Joining Merritt on lead vocals is the Magnetic Fields’ Claudia Gonson. Directed by JL Aronson (Danielson: a Family Movie, Last Summer at Coney Island) and featuring photographs old and new by Kimberly Butler and Gail O’Hara, the video shows the band just hanging out and talking about the old days as well as the new.

Watch “Catching up with Future Bible Heroes” now at YouTube

Partygoing features a number of songs that meditate upon both the good and bad sides of parties: there’s the fun, and then there’s the morning after. Running themes for this album are drinking, dancing, and death. Memories of Love, Eternal Youth and Partygoing. marks the first time the entire original Future Bible Heroes catalog has been available in one place. In addition to the three full-length albums, the CD collection includes a fourth disc that compiles the band’s three EPs—The Lonely Robot, I’m Lonely (And I Love It), and Lonely Days—plus several tracks from outside compilations, including a song from the soundtrack to the film Welcome to the Dollhouse and the band’s hilarious gender-bending rendition of “Don’t You Want Me?” from a tribute album to the Human League. The LP collection includes each of the three albums (Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing) on vinyl plus a download card containing all of the EP and compilation tracks as well as digital versions of the full-lengths.

Future Bible Heroes (sans Stephin) will perform June 12 at the Bell House in Brooklyn as part of the Chickfactor summer festival. More tour dates coming soon! Listen & share “Living, Loving, Partygoing” and pre-order Future Bible Heroes’ new album Partygoing on CD as well as their 4-CD or 3-LP collection Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing. now in the Merge store. LP pre-orders will include a free Merge Records slipmat.

NPR’s Bob Boilen included “Cadillac Desert” on the most recent episode of All Songs Considered in which he deems William the “most intriguing guitar player I know.” The L.A. Times describes the album as “impossibly beautiful,” while the Chicago Reader writes, “[Tyler's] beautifully ringing, carefully orchestrated playing transcends mere virtuosity to evoke a vivid self-contained narrative.”

Watch this lovely album teaser video for a glimpse of the story behind the songs of Impossible Truth. Also, watch video from William’s recent visit to WNYC’s Soundcheck.

Impossible Truth is available now in the Merge store on CD, double-LP and digital.

William Tyler on tour:
Apr 26 Chicago, IL — The Hideout
Apr 27 Bloomington, IN — Landlocked Music Free in-store performance at 3PM
May 31 Nelsonville, OH — Nelsonville Music Festival
Jun 13 Toronto, ON — The Garrison- Panache NXNE Festival Showcase
Jun 15 Manchester, TN — Bonnaroo Festival
Jul 19 Columbus, OH — Ace of Cups
Jul 23 Boulder, CO — Fox Theater
Jul 24 Salt Lake City, UT — Kilby Court
Jul 25 Boise, ID — Visual Arts Collective
Jul 26 Seattle, WA — Capitol Hill Block Party Vera Stage
Jul 27 Portland, OR — Mississippi Studios
Jul 30 San Francisco, CA — Rickshaw Stop *
Jul 31 Monterey, CA — Golden State Theatre Lobby
Aug 2 Los Angeles, CA — The Echo *
Aug 3 San Diego, CA — Casbah *
Aug 4 Phoenix, AZ — Rhythm Room *
Aug 5 El Paso, TX — Lowbrow Palace
Aug 7 Austin, TX — Mohawk Inside
Aug 9 Oxford, MS — Lamar Lounge
* w/ Daughn Gibson

Friends and fans of The Love Language songwriter and frontman Stuart McLamb have learned to expect a lot, but rarely in a timely manner. Completing a triumvirate of spiritual transmissions spent lost (2009’s The Love Language) and found (2010’s Libraries), 2013’s Ruby Red exorcises the transient brilliance fostered by McLamb within the sheetrock walls of the album’s namesake artist space.

Featuring over twenty musicians and straddling several time zones, The Love Language’s lone puppeteer borrowed heavier equipment, and held on to it longer. Initiated in a windowless unit at the fabled Ruby Red, several failed attempts and false starts at a songwriting spree landed McLamb and his engineer/case worker/boxing coach BJ Burton in Black Mountain, North Carolina, consuming every square inch of a carpeted bungalow located a few acres too close to their skittish neighbors. Soon after, Burton’s relocation to Minneapolis effectively thrust McLamb from their shared nest, helping Ruby Red discover its inherent propensity for flight.

Ruby Red produces new standards for the Carolina pop songbook, finding The Love Language as an extroverted community art project made by responsible citizens of a loosely packed scene who know that McLamb will match whatever they contribute. The heartbreak is over. Now we’re getting somewhere.

Pre-order Ruby Red now on CD or LP in the Merge store. The first 250 preorders will receive a free, limited edition 11-track cassette titled Black Mountain Demos. All preorders will include a poster and will ship to arrive on or around the release date of July 23. In the meantime, keep up with the Love Language on Twitter and Facebook.

Ruby Red track listing:
1. Calm Down
2. Kids
3. Hi Life
4. First Shot
5. Golden Age
6. For Izzy
7. Faithbreaker
8. On Our Heels
9. Knots
10. Pilot Light

The video follows a woman on a speed dating adventure ending in a dance party. Frontman Adam Olenius told RollingStone.com, “In Sweden, to get 25 people to dance and act or even show up for a video shoot or anything in that area you have to buy them copious amounts of booze and lure them with money. In L.A., the city of dreams, they show up for nothing and shimmer!”

Shout Out Louds took their time with these songs, recording for about one-and-a-half years in a small Stockholm studio and producing themselves for the first time with help from Johannes Berglund. A theme emerged and Optica was born, an album celebrating color and light from a band confident in its sound, filled with real strings, trombones, trumpets and flutes.

NPR’s Stephen Thompson writes, “Listening to ["Illusions] in 2013, it’s as if a young band is tapping into our shared nostalgia by rehashing a hit that’s somehow been lodged in our memory banks all along. ‘Illusions’ may be brand-new, but it already feels eternal.”

Optica is available on CD, LP and digital now in the Merge store.

Shout Out Louds on tour:
May 7 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
May 8 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
May 10 New York, NY Webster Hall
May 11 Boston, MA Paradise
May 13 Montreal, QC La Sala Rosa
May 14 Toronto, ONT The Opera House
May 15 Detroit, MI The Magic Bag
May 16 Chicago, IL Metro
May 17 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
May 20 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
May 21 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
May 22 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
May 23 Los Angeles, CA El Rey
May 24 Los Angeles, CA El Rey
May 25 George, WA Sasquatch Festival

Superchunk – “Void” b/w “Faith” 7-inch
Two brand-new Superchunk songs on coke-bottle clear vinyl, with art designed by Mac. This 7-inch features hand-numbered sleeves printed at Barefoot Press (the original printer of all the 7-inches Merge put out “back in the day”) and is limited to 1,000 copies worldwide. It’s only available at your local record store beginning April 20!

Mac shared the inspiration behind the single:

I was in high school when I first heard one of my favorite hardcore records, the split album on Dischord with the bands Faith and Void, two very different DC punk bands. It’s a favorite of a lot of people, I think. I love both sides but everyone always refers to it as “Faith/Void,” so I wanted to have a single called “Void/Faith” and set about to write those songs. Thematically the titles were already in the neighborhood of where Superchunk’s next album was going anyway. The cover is even an abstracted homage to art on the Void side of the original. Musically we aren’t like either of those bands, but that era influences a lot of what we do. We recorded the single at Overdub Lane with Beau Sorenson and John Plymale, and it was mixed by Beau Sorenson.

Destroyer – This Night double-LP
The 2002 Merge debut of Destroyer, remastered and available on vinyl for the first time in the US. This special pressing of This Night is limited to 2,000 copies worldwide and is a Record Store Day exclusive. Visit our SoundCloud page to stream two tracks from This Night.

When asked for his thoughts about the album, Dan Bejar responded:

Dear Customers,

For 10 years I’ve been telling people that This Night is my favorite of Destroyer’s nine LPs. I have not been lying. It’s got mystery and sass, lots of guitar playing in the style that I like, drumming that is so hard to capture you maybe had to be there. It is the first Destroyer album with full-on rock poetry of the kind I would chase deep into the 2000s, then abandon in this new corrupt decade. It is the first instance of me learning how to sing with my actual voice. We learned the songs fast and recorded them fast, but took our sweet time while playing them, which I think is a good mix. I turned 30 four days before the record hit the streets. But even before that, I knew This Night was doomed.

Yours,
db

Remember, both of these releases will be available exclusively at your local independent record stores beginning Saturday, April 20! Find more information and a full list of releases & participating stores at RecordStoreDay.com.

The Music Tapes

The band will be visiting towns and cities across the country as The Traveling Imaginary. They will pitch the circus tent home built especially for this tour and host an evening of songs, stories, games, movies, magic, amusements, and more. Deemed “magical and enchanting” by NPR Music’s Bob Boilen, the Traveling Imaginary will surprise and delight all who are lucky enough to enter the tent.

As soon as audiences walk through the door, they will be greeted with The Music Tapes’ surreal, carnival-esque games before entering the tent for a dreamlike show that includes songs from the band’s newest album Mary’s Voice which Pitchfork described as “a grand, genre-straddling vision in sound.” The evening’s entertainment also antique 16mm cartoons, virtuoso Klezmer music performed on the singing saw, Julian Koster’s unique narratives about dehydrated European cities and half-imagined children’s games, a 12-foot snowman, and the usual array of mechanical musical friends like the 7-Foot Tall Metronome and Static the Singing Television.

The Music Tapes have a long history of hosting surreal tours since first emerging as part of the influential Elephant 6 Collective – including the annual Caroling and Lullaby tours that have brought them into over 500 homes across the country. The Traveling Imaginary is an extension of those shows on a more ambitious scale than anything The Music Tapes has ever done.

This tour was inspired by the Music Tapes’ frontman Julian Koster’s wildest dreams and he invites you to experience something totally new yet strangely familiar. “It’s our sincere desire to offer audiences an unusual sort of fun, a new kind of experience,” says Julian. “Something that feels like exploring a wonderful dream or a pleasant memory. Something that gives a feeling of holiday and amusement that begins the very moment you walk in the door.”

Watch the official trailer for The Traveling Imaginary

Mary’s Voice is available on CD, limited-edition pop-up LP and digital now in the Merge store.

The Traveling Imaginary on tour:
April 22 Purchase, NY The Stood Center at SUNY Purchase
April 25 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church – EARLY SHOW
April 25 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church – LATE SHOW
April 29 Annandale-on-Hudson, NY Fisher Center
May 1 Chicago, IL Bottom Lounge (2 shows)
May 3 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural Center (2 shows)
May 7 Portland, OR Mission Theatre (2 shows)
May 9 Seattle, WA Vera Project (2 shows)
May 12 San Francisco, CA TBA
May 14 Los Angeles, CA Bootleg Theatre (2 shows)

Watch the video for “Stare at the Sun” now at YouTube

Personal Record is Eleanor Friedberger at her finest – recorded in late 2012 in New York and Los Angeles, and written with musician/novelist Wesley Stace, Personal Record is full of love songs – hellos and goodbyes, infatuation, pre-occupation, loss – but not simply about romantic love. Eleanor explains, “They’re also love songs to music: how you feel on stage when you do something spontaneous and it works, how you feel when you hear someone sing a song for the first time, what it’s like to watch a friend perform, how you can feel close to someone you barely know because you both happen to love the same record, or playing the same song forty times in a row, not being able to rest until you own every song recorded by your favorite singer, or every version of your favorite song.”

Personal Record is available now for pre-order digitally at iTunes and on CD and LP in the Merge store. Watch Eleanor’s album trailer set in beautiful Jamaica, too!

Eleanor Friedberger on tour:
April 10 New York, NY Town Hall w/ Rodriguez
April 12 Northampton, MA  Parlor Room w/ John Wesley Harding
Jun 04 Buffalo, NY @ Babeville *
Jun 05 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern *
Jun 06 Pontiac, MI @ The Pike Room *
Jun 07 Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle *
Jun 08 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock *
Jun 11 Vancouver, BC @ Media Club *
Jun 12 Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
Jun 13 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir *
Jun 15 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent % *
Jun 18 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo % *
Jun 19 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Jun 21 Austin, TX @ The Parish *
Jun 22 Dallas, TX @ The Loft *
Jun 24 St. Louis, MO @ The Demo *
Jun 25 Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio *
Jun 26 Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox *
Jun 27 Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall *
Jun 28 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg + *
*w/ TEEN
% w/ Icewater performing 1st of 3
+ w/ Cassandra Jenkins performing 1st of 3

She & Him

In their premiere, the Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy blog wrote, “Deschanel lets her voice ring over a rich blend of strings and guitars before Ward takes over with a trebly guitar break during the bridge.”

Listen & share “I Could’ve Been Your Girl” now via SoundCloud

Volume 3 is another exciting chapter in singer-songwriter Zooey Deschanel and guitarist/producer M. Ward’s unique collaboration. Of course, She & Him is not just about the time that Deschanel and Ward manage to spend in a studio together; theirs is a remarkable, year-round dialogue that began serendipitously on a film project in 2007 and has flourished ever since. Deschanel and Ward are like 21st century pen pals, emailing music files back and forth from whatever recording studio, sound stage or dressing room they happen to be in. We get to periodically share in this exuberant exchange as they display their passion for, and knowledge of, a wide range of music – from classic country to vintage pop, no frills rock and roll to grandly overdubbed Wall Of Sound drama.

Volume 3 is available for pre-order on CD, LP and now cassette in the Merge store. The first 500 LP preorders will receive Volume 3 on limited edition robin’s egg blue colored vinyl! Preorders will include a poster and will ship to arrive on our around the release date of May 7.

She & Him on tour:
June 13 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium +
June 15 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie +
June 16 Austin, TX ACL Live at the Moody Theatre +
June 18 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theater +
June 19 Las Vegas, NV The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas &
June 21 San Diego, CA SDSU Open Air Theatre &
June 22 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre * &
June 23 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl *
June 25 Salt Lake City, UT Red Butte Gardens &
June 27 Council Bluffs, IA Harrah’s Stir Cove &
June 28 Kansas City, MO Kanrocksas Music Festival
June 29 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom #
July 1 Ann Arbor, MI Hill Auditorium #
July 3 Montreal, QUE Montreal Jazz Festival #
July 4 Toronto, ON Toronto Urban Roots Festival #
July 5 Ottawa, ON Ottawa Blues Fest
July 6 New York, NY SummerStage, Central Park #
July 9 Philadelphia, PA Mann Center for Performing Arts #
July 10 Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion #
July 11 Vienna, VA Filene Center at Wolf Trap #
+ with Secret Sisters
* with Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
# with Camera Obscura
& with Tilly and the Wall

The Mountain Goats

Darnielle offered more details on his website:

Peter and I toured our asses off back in the pre-trio days, but that was before our ascent to the absolute upper echelon of global media saturation. We are pleased to report that a year-plus worth of talking about touring the Mountain Goats in alternate configurations to all-ages rooms is yielding its first fruits this June, in the form of the TUTTLINGEN WARRIORS TOUR 2013, whose name is an inside joke, I’ll tell you about it between songs at some point during the tour, I have too much else still to cover here to get into it right now. We’re bringing out the Baptist Generals, one of our favorite bands, who have a new album coming out — their first in years — and for Peter and I this is a huge event, like on an “unheard post-Marquee Moon pre-Adventure Television album discovered” level: some bands you know will someday get the acclaim that’s due them and this is one of them. Their new album is so deeply moving I’m not even going to get into it right now, here, try this, see what I mean, are you enjoying the continuing effects of José Saramago on my use of the comma, I hope so because I can no longer help it.

Watch the video for “Cry for Judas” now, and find Transcendental Youth on CD, LP and digital download now in the Merge store.

The Mountain Goats on tour:
* = w/ The Baptist Generals
May 1 Boone, NC Appalachian State University
June 3 Washington, DC 9:30 Club*
June 4 York, PA Strand- Capitol Performing Arts*
June 5 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell’s*
June 7 New Haven, CT Center Church on the Green*
June 8 Portland, ME Port City Music Hall*
June 9 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground Ballroom*
June 11 Munhall, PA Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead*
June 12 Detroit, MI Majestic Theatre*
June 14 Cincinnati, OH Taft Ballroom*
June 15 Bloomington, IN Buskirk-Chumley Theatre*
June 16 Evanston, IL Space*
June 17 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall*
June 19 Kansas City, MO The Record Bar*
June 20 St. Louis, MO Old Rock House*
June 22 Birmingham, AL The Bottletree*
June 23 Gainesville, FL High Dive*
June 24 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Culture Room*
June 26 Charleston, SC The Charleston Pourhouse *
June 27 West Columbia, SC New Brookland Tavern*
June 28 Wilmington, NC The Soapbox *
July 26-28 Newport, RI Newport Folk Festival
September 13-16 Miami, FL Atlantic Ocean Comedy and Music Festival

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

Telekinesis mastermind Michael Benjamin Lerner wrote the 12 songs that comprise Dormarion in early 2012 with the original intention of recording the album completely on his own. Instead, he road-tripped over the summer and made the record in two weeks with Spoon drummer Jim Eno in his Austin, TX studio, Public Hi-Fi. On Dormarion Lane, to be specific. In their introduction to the First Listen feature on Dormarion, NPR Music declared, “every second of the record is as marvelous as it is meticulous.”

Watch the video for “Ghosts and Creatures,” read Michael’s Turntable feature at Stereogum, check out the mixtape he made for The A.V. Club, and hear acoustic versions of new songs as well as a Teenage Fanclub cover live from the SPIN offices.

When you see Telekinesis perform on tour starting later this month, Lerner will be backed by Erik Walters of The Globes on guitar, Say Hi’s Eric Elbogen on bass, and Rebecca Cole of Wild Flag and The Minders on keyboards. Visit the Merge tour page for a full list of Telekinesis tour dates.

Dormarion is available now on CD, LP and digital in the Merge store. Also, available at your local record store, at iTunes, Amazon, Spotify & Rdio.

Formed in December of 2011, Barren Girls hail from the tight-knit Raleigh, NC, punk scene. Hell Hymns is a collection of four succinct songs that tackle paranoia, heartbreak and other personal issues through the lens of gritty, rowdy garage rock.

Brooklyn Vegan describes the EP, “Like many great punk EPs, Hell Hymns doesn’t overstay its welcome (four songs in under ten minutes) and leaves you begging for that full length. Or just hitting play again when it ends.” Stereogum praised Barren Girls’ sound calling it, “demented, organ-dominated garage-prog,” while the Independent Weekly calls it “giddily psychedelic and decidedly antagonistic.”

See Barren Girls on tour this spring including dates with Marnie Stern & Bob Mould!

Find Hell Hymns now on 7-inch vinyl and digital in the Merge store. Also, available at your local record store, at iTunes, Amazon, Spotify & Rdio.

Divine Fits

A Thing Called Divine Fits is available on CD, LP and digital now in the Merge store. See the band on tour this spring/summer, too!

Divine Fits on tour:
Apr 2 Cincinnati, OH  The Ballroom at the Taft
Apr 3 Madison, WI  Majestic Theatre
Apr 4  Minneapolis, MN  Varsity Theater
Apr 5  Iowa City, IA  Mission Creek Festival
Apr 6  Kansas City, MO  Middle of the Map Festival
Apr 12  Indio, CA  Coachella
Apr 19  Indio, CA  Coachella
May 11 Dallas, TX  Homegrown Festival
May 25 Quincy, WA  Sasquatch Festival
Jun 8 New York, NY Governors Ball
Jun 13-16 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo
Jun 22  Calgary, AB Sled Island Festival
Aug 3-4  Happy Valley, OR Pickathon Musicfest
Aug 10  Squamish, BC Squamish Festival

Building on 2011′s self-titled release, Miracle Temple boasts fuller arrangements, replete with forceful vocals and lyrics that read like prize-winning poetry. The instrumentation’s more soulful, the choruses more rambunctious, and the band’s vision of the South is even more intricate — and conflicted — than it was before. No stone goes unturned: whether it’s meditations on gender or reminisces of ex-lovers, Miracle Temple supplies both eloquence & rock ‘n’ roll in abundance.

Mount Moriah was chosen as one of SPIN’s 5 Best New Artists and Popmatters deems Miracle Temple “a lush, deeply layered, sunburst of a record.” Other positive reviews can be found at Pitchfork, the A.V. Club, American Songwriter, MTV Hive and more! Also, watch their stripped down performance of “Bright Light” for WFUV at Austin’s famous Hotel San Jose & their visit to WBEZ Chicago’s Afternoon Shift. And, the lovely video for “Bright Light” is on YouTube.

Miracle Temple is available now on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store. Also, available at your local record store, at iTunes, Amazon, Spotify & Rdio.

Mount Moriah on tour (new dates in bold):
March 26 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s
March 27 Washington, DC DC 9
April 4 Winston-Salem, NC Phuzz Fest
April 12 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
April 21 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge*
April 22 Sacramento, CA Blue Lamp*
April 24 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill*
April 25 Los Angeles, CA The Echo*
April 27 San Diego, CA Casbah*
April 28 Phoenix, AZ The Crescent Ballroom*
April 30 Austin, TX The Parish*
May 1 Denton, TX Dan’s Silverleaf*
May 3 Birmingham, AL The Bottletree*
May 18 Jarvisburg, NC BURG Festival @ Sanctuary Vineyards
June 13 Pittsburgh, PA Club Cafe
June 14 Cleveland, OH Beachland Tavern
June 15 Columbus, OH The Basement
June 16 Bloomington, IN The Bishop
June 17 St. Louis, MO Old Rock House
June 18 Lawrence, KS Replay Lounge
June 20 Denver, CO Hi Dive
June 21 Omaha, NE The Waiting Room
June 22 Dubuque, IA Eronel
June 23 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry
June 24 Madison, WI The Frequency
June 25 Columbia, MO Mojo’s
June 26 Nashville, TN The High Watt
* = w/ Telekinesis

Mikal Cronin

Cronin’s self-titled debut from 2011 was all about endings: the end of college, the end of a serious relationship, and the end of his time in Los Angeles, where he grew up. So it’s no surprise that his sophomore release MCII is all about new beginnings.

“Since the first record came out, my life has changed quite a bit,” Cronin says, referencing his move to San Francisco and tours with Ty Segall as well as with his own band. “I was presented with a whole new slew of problems and situations that I was trying to work through.” “Am I Wrong” and “Shout It Out” dissect his fears over a new relationship, while “I’m Done Running from You” and “Weight” find him freaking out about what it means to grow up in the 21st century.

In their “Best New Track” write-up of “Weight,” Pitchfork describes the track, “As it revs towards its conclusion (“Take me from myself!”), “Weight” conjures the sort of bittersweet, soul-weary melodies Alex Chilton was writing on Big Star’s Third– the kind that found the sweet spot between polish and nonchalance. It might be Cronin’s most impressively crafted song yet, but it’s still got a characteristic case of bedhead.”

Listen to “Weight” now at Pitchfork

Mikal is taking his band on tour in May with more dates still being added, so stay tuned! And watch a fun live video of the Mikal Cronin band performing “Weight” at 35 Denton a couple of weeks ago.

Pre-order MCII now on CD or LP + limited “Mikal Cronin edition” tie-dyed Merge logo t-shirts in the Merge store.

Mikal Cronin on tour:
Apr 13 Bloomington, IN Indiana University Culture Shock Festival
May 23 San Diego, CA The Casbah w/ Mrs. Magician
May 24 Los Angeles, CA The Echo w/ Pangea & Gap Dream
May 25 San Francisco, CA The Rickshaw Stop #
June 6 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios ^
June 7 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern ^
June 8 Missoula, MT Old Beck VFW Post 209 ^
June 10 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry ^
June 13 – 15 Toronto, ON Silver Dollar (NXNE Festival)
June 16 Montreal, Quebec La Divan Orange ^
June 17 Boston, MA Great Scott w/ Shannon and the Clams & Roomrunner
June 18 Philly, PA Kung Fu Necktie w/ Shannon and the Clams & Roomrunner
June 20 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom ^
June 21 Washington DC Comet Ping Pong w/ Shannon and the Clams & Roomrunner
June 22 Asheville, NC Emerald Lounge w/ Greg Cartwright & Shannon and the Clams
June 23 Atlanta, GA The Earl ^
June 24 Nashville, TN The Stone Fox ^
June 26 Dallas, TX Club Dada ^
June 27 Austin, TX Mohawk Inside ^
June 28 Marfa, TX Padre’s
June 29 Tucson, AZ Club Congress
July 19 Chicago, IL Pitchfork Festival
^ w/ Shannon and the Clams

Telekinesis is both a band and a person. It’s taken Michael Benjamin Lerner, now a wizened, grizzled 26-year-old, four years to come to terms with this and understand what responsibilities it does and does not entail, although one would not, from listening to its/his previous two albums, 2009′s self-titled debut and 2011′s 12 Desperate Straight Lines, detect any hint of confusion or self-doubt, aside from the songs that were directly about confusion or self-doubt. His third album, Dormarion, is, then, in ways both practical and profound, the sound of a man figuring out exactly who he is.

Listen to Dormarion now at NPR Music’s First Listen

NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson writes, “With its 12 songs jammed into an airtight 35 minutes, Dormarion (out April 2) expands Telekinesis’ palette to encompass the ominous — if ultimately agreeable — buzz of “Ghosts and Creatures,” but every second of the record is as marvelous as it is meticulous. The effect is one of likability wielded as a weapon; a charm offensive that’s unrelenting, but never suffocating in its desire to get everything right.”

Watch the video for “Ghosts and Creatures” and acoustic versions of new songs live from the SPIN offices.

Preorder Dormarion on CD or LP in the Merge store and receive a free, limited edition flexi-disc of a demo version of “Ghosts and Creatures” while supplies last. LP preorders will include a free Merge Records slipmat.

Telekinesis on tour:
April 21 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge*
April 24 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill*
April 25 Los Angeles, CA The Echo*
April 27 San Diego, CA Casbah*
April 28 Phoenix, AZ The Crescent Ballroom*
April 30 Austin, TX The Parish*
May 1 Denton, TX Dan’s Silverleaf*
May 3 Birmingham, AL The Bottletree*
May 4 Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn%
May 5 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506%
May 6 Washington, DC Black Cat Backstage%
May 7 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s%
May 9 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom%
May 10 Allston, MA Brighton Music Hall%
May 11 Montreal, QC Il Motore%
May 12 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern%
May 14 Cleveland Heights, OH Grog Shop%
May 15 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall%
May 16 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon%
May 17 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry%
May 18 Kansas City, MO Riot Room%
May 20 Denver, CO Hi Dive
May 21 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge%
May 22 Nampa, ID Flying M Coffee
May 24 George, WA Sasquatch Music Festival
* = w/ Mount Moriah
% = w/ Deep Sea Diver

Personal Record is Eleanor Friedberger at her finest – recorded in late 2012 in New York and Los Angeles, and written with musician/novelist Wesley Stace, Personal Record is full of love songs – hellos and goodbyes, infatuation, pre-occupation, loss – but not simply about romantic love. Eleanor explains, “They’re also love songs to music: how you feel on stage when you do something spontaneous and it works, how you feel when you hear someone sing a song for the first time, what it’s like to watch a friend perform, how you can feel close to someone you barely know because you both happen to love the same record, or playing the same song forty times in a row, not being able to rest until you own every song recorded by your favorite singer, or every version of your favorite song.”

Personal Record is available now for pre-order digitally at iTunes and on CD and LP in the Merge store. Watch Eleanor’s album trailer set in beautiful Jamaica, too!

Eleanor Friedberger – “Stare at the Sun”

Eleanor Friedberger on tour:
Jun 04 Buffalo, NY @ Babeville *
Jun 05 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern *
Jun 06 Pontiac, MI @ The Pike Room *
Jun 07 Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle *
Jun 08 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock *
Jun 11 Vancouver, BC @ Media Club *
Jun 12 Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
Jun 13 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir *
Jun 15 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent % *
Jun 18 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo % *
Jun 19 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Jun 21 Austin, TX @ The Parish *
Jun 22 Dallas, TX @ The Loft *
Jun 24 St. Louis, MO @ The Demo *
Jun 25 Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio *
Jun 26 Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox *
Jun 27 Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall *
Jun 28 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg + *
*w/ TEEN
% w/ Icewater performing 1st of 3
+ w/ Cassandra Jenkins performing 1st of 3

Future Bible Heroes is one of the musical projects from the Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt, who writes all the melodies and lyrics for the band. His longtime friend and collaborator Christopher Ewen composes the instrumental backing tracks. Joining Merritt on lead vocals is the Magnetic Fields’ Claudia Gonson.

Partygoing features the signature Future Bible Heroes mix of dancefloor-filling club anthems and super-sad ballads. The record is their first release since 2002’s Eternal Youth. Why the long break between albums? Well, the trio has been busy. Merritt has made four stage musicals, four Magnetic Fields albums, a Gothic Archies album, and done some film work. Ewen has been working on another band, the Hidden Variable, and DJing in Boston. Gonson has discovered parenthood while navigating the Magnetic Fields’ busy post-69 Love Songs schedule.

Future Bible Heroes are known for their fantastical lyrical themes, which on prior albums were preoccupied with B-movies, science fiction, aliens, robots, disco dancing, and committing suicide on camera. Along with songs like “Keep Your Children in a Coma,” which is about keeping youngsters under sedation until they pass through their vulnerable teenage years, Partygoing features a number of songs that meditate upon both the good and bad sides of parties: there’s the fun, and then there’s the morning after. Running themes for this album are drinking, dancing, and death. “The songs ‘When Evening Falls on Tinseltown’ and ‘A Drink Is Just the Thing’ are quite old,” Merritt says. “The first describes my experience of living in Los Angeles—and leaving it, which I did while recording Partygoing; the second describes solving all your problems with alcohol, which I don’t do much anymore either. Writing true and heartfelt lyrics is pointless because once you get around to singing them, they’re lies.”

Listen to “Living, Loving, Partygoing” now from Partygoing via Soundcloud

Memories of Love, Eternal Youth and Partygoing. marks the first time the entire original Future Bible Heroes catalog has been available in one place. In addition to the three full-length albums, the CD collection includes a fourth disc that compiles the band’s three EPs—The Lonely Robot, I’m Lonely (And I Love It), and Lonely Days—plus several tracks from outside compilations, including a song from the soundtrack to the film Welcome to the Dollhouse and the band’s hilarious gender-bending rendition of “Don’t You Want Me?” from a tribute album to the Human League. The LP collection includes each of the three albums (Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing) on vinyl plus a download card containing all of the EP and compilation tracks as well as digital versions of the full-lengths.

Pre-order Future Bible Heroes’ new album Partygoing on CD as well as their 4-CD or 3-LP collection Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing. now in the Merge store. LP pre-orders will include a free Merge Records slipmat.

Directed by Arman Bohn, The A.V. Club describes the video, “‘Ghosts And Creatures’ finds frontman Michael Lerner crushing hard on a triangle-faced lady trapped in a computer, fighting a bearded bad guy, and learning how to solder. It might sound weird, but it’s all in the name of love.”

Watch the video for “Ghosts and Creatures” now at The A.V. Club

On a recent trip to NYC, Michael Benjamin Lerner stopped by the SPIN offices to play acoustic versions of two songs from Dormarion as well as a Teenage Fanclub cover. He also talked about a few of his “favorite things.” Read & watch now at Spin.com

When you see Telekinesis perform this year, Lerner will be backed by Erik Walters of The Globes on guitar, Say Hi’s Eric Elbogen on bass, and Rebecca Cole of Wild Flag and The Minders on keyboards. A full list of tour dates is below.

Preorder Dormarion on CD or LP in the Merge store and receive a free, limited edition flexi-disc of a demo version of “Ghosts and Creatures” while supplies last. LP preorders will include a free Merge Records slipmat.

Telekinesis on tour:
April 21 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge*
April 24 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill*
April 25 Los Angeles, CA The Echo*
April 27 San Diego, CA Casbah*
April 28 Phoenix, AZ The Crescent Ballroom*
April 30 Austin, TX The Parish*
May 1 Denton, TX Dan’s Silverleaf*
May 3 Birmingham, AL The Bottletree*
May 4 Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn%
May 5 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506%
May 6 Washington, DC Black Cat Backstage%
May 7 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s%
May 9 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom%
May 10 Allston, MA Brighton Music Hall%
May 11 Montreal, QC Il Motore%
May 12 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern%
May 14 Cleveland Heights, OH Grog Shop%
May 15 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall%
May 16 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon%
May 17 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry%
May 18 Kansas City, MO Riot Room%
May 20 Denver, CO Hi Dive
May 21 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge%
May 22 Nampa, ID Flying M Coffee
May 24 George, WA Sasquatch Music Festival
* = w/ Mount Moriah
% = w/ Deep Sea Diver

Recorded and mixed at Beech House in Nashville and co-produced by Tyler and Mark Nevers, Impossible Truth features guest appearances from Chris Scruggs, Luke Schneider, Roy Agee, and Lambchop compatriot Scott Martin.

Of the album, SPIN writes: “Painting a layered and hazy, John Fahey-indebted landscape, the Lambchop and Silver Jews associate comes across as travel-weary cartographer and six-string virtuoso all at once.” The L.A. Times describes Impossible Truth as “impossibly beautiful.” And PopMatters included the album in its “Listening Ahead” feature, while SPIN chose William as one of its “5 Best New Artists.”

Watch this lovely album teaser video for a glimpse of who William Tyler is and the story behind the songs of Impossible Truth. Also, see William perform “We Can’t Go Home Again” live for Shaker Steps.

Impossible Truth is available now in the Merge store on CD, double-LP and digital.

William Tyler on tour:
Mar 19 Nashville, TN – Grimey’s release day in-store performance @ 6 p.m.
Apr 04 Winston-Salem, NC – Phuzz Phest
Apr 09 Athens, GA – Green Room
Apr 10 Asheville, NC – Double Crown
Apr 11 Durham, NC – The Pinhook
Apr 12 Washington, DC – 9th and the Beats
Apr 13 Kingston, NY – BSP (w/ Richard Buckner)
Apr 14 Philadelphia, PA – Ortlieb’s
Apr 16 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge (early show)
Apr 17 Portland, ME – Space Gallery
Apr 18 Cambridge, MA – Middle East Upstairs
Apr 19 Montreal, QC – O Patro Vys
Apr 20 Toronto, ON – Silver Dollar
Apr 21 Cleveland, OH – Happy Dog
Apr 22 Detroit, MI – Lager House
Apr 23 Grand Rapids, MI – The Pyramid Scheme
Apr 24 Iowa City, IA – Trumpet Blossom Cafe
Apr 25 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue and 7th St. Entry
Apr 26 Chicago, IL – Hideout
Apr 27 Indianapolis, IN – Do317 Lounge

Listen to “Never Wanted Your Love” now at She & Him’s YouTube page

“Never Wanted Your Love” is also now available for sale via iTunes & Amazon. New and previously announced She & Him tour dates are posted below as well.

“Never Wanted Your Love” is one of many incredible tunes on Volume 3, which will be released on May 7, 2013 on Merge Records. Indeed, Volume 3 is another exciting chapter in singer-songwriter Zooey Deschanel and guitarist/producer M. Ward’s unique collaboration. Deschanel and Ward are like 21^st century pen pals, emailing music files back and forth from whatever recording studio, sound stage or dressing room they happen to be in. We get to periodically share in this exuberant exchange as they display their passion for, and knowledge of, a wide range of music – from classic country to vintage pop, no frills rock and roll to grandly overdubbed Wall Of Sound drama.

In Volume 3, they’ve created an effortlessly effervescent, bleached-out-in-the-sun pop record, featuring some of the most dynamic, complex songs Deschanel has ever written. The album allows for tempo shifts, disco grooves, string arrangements on multiple tracks, and horn flourishes that perfectly suit the She & Him sound.

Pre-order She & Him’s Volume 3 now on CD or LP in the Merge store. The first 500 LP preorders will receive Volume 3 on limited edition robin’s egg blue colored vinyl! Preorders will include a poster and will ship to arrive on our around the release date of May 7.

Tour dates (newly announced dates in BOLD):
June 13 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium +
June 15 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie +
June 16 Austin, TX ACL Live at the Moody Theatre +
June 18 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theater +
June 19 Las Vegas, NV The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas &
June 21 San Diego, CA SDSU Open Air Theatre &
June 22 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre * &
June 23 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl *
June 25 Salt Lake City, UT Red Butte Gardens &
June 27 Council Bluffs, IA Harrah’s Stir Cove &
June 28 Kansas City, MO Kanrocksas Music Festival
June 29 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom #
July 1 Ann Arbor, MI Hill Auditorium #
July 3 Montreal, QUE Montreal Jazz Festival #
July 4 Toronto, ON Toronto Urban Roots Festival #
July 5 Ottawa, ON Ottawa Blues Fest
July 6 New York, NY SummerStage, Central Park #
July 9 Philadelphia, PA Mann Center for Performing Arts #
July 10 Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion #
July 11 Vienna, VA Filene Center at Wolf Trap #
+ with Secret Sisters
* with Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
# with Camera Obscura
& with Tilly and the Wall

Eleanor Friedberger

Stream “Stare at the Sun” via SoundCloud and YouTube or download it at EleanorFriedberger.com

At a time when most female singer-songwriters perform as alter egos, Eleanor Friedberger is simply, refreshingly herself. And that’s just the way her fans like it. Having spent the last decade fronting the indie-rock institution The Fiery Furnaces (currently on hiatus) with her brother Matthew, in 2011 she emerged as a formidable solo artist with Last Summer, a thoughtfully crafted tale of memory and place couched in the organic pop of her ’70s idols. Instantly, Friedberger established herself as a modern-day heir to the tradition of Donovan, Todd Rundgren, Ronnie Lane, and their ilk: warm, nuanced, timeless songs. No gimmicks necessary.

The title of Friedberger’s sophomore album is Personal Record, and it is, in a sense. Personal, that is. But not personal in the way of, say, a coming-of-age record, or a diary about the past, which Last Summer was. Many of the songs seem to be about love, or love lost, but whether any of the experience is hers or someone else’s, she isn’t saying. “It’s not as specific a narrative this time,” she says. “There’s a universality to it.” So incisive are the lyrics, in fact, that Friedberger’s bassist incorrectly assumed that two of the songs were about him. “I loved that,” she says. “I want him to feel like the songs are about him. I want you to feel like the songs are about you.”

Personal Record is available now for pre-order digitally at iTunes and on CD and LP in the Merge store. Watch Eleanor’s album trailer set in beautiful Jamaica, too!

Eleanor Friedberger – “Stare at the Sun”

Personal Record track listing:
1. I Don’t Want to Bother You
2. When I Knew
3. I’ll Never Be Happy Again
4. Stare at the Sun
5. Echo or Encore
6. My Own World
7. Tomorrow Tomorrow
8. You’ll Never Know Me
9. I Am the Past
10. She’s a Mirror
11. Other Boys
12. Singing Time

Recorded and mixed at Beech House in Nashville and co-produced by Tyler and Mark Nevers, Impossible Truth features guest appearances from Chris Scruggs, Luke Schneider, Roy Agee, and Lambchop compatriot Scott Martin. 2010’s Behold the Spirit, William Tyler’s first album under his own name, was celebrated by Pitchfork as “the most vital, energized album by an American solo guitarist in a decade or more” and established him as a critical favorite, the picker who, according to his friend and tour mate M.C. Taylor from Hiss Golden Messenger, “connects the dots between Sandy Bull, Richard Thompson, Bruce Langhorne, and Reggie Young.”

Stream William Tyler’s Impossible Truth at Spin.com and watch the album teaser on YouTube

Pre-order Impossible Truth on CD or dbl-LP now in the Merge store. LP pre-orders will receive a free Merge slipmat.

William Tyler spring dates:
Mar 07 Savannah, GA – Savannah Stopover Music Festival
Mar 08 Orlando, FL – Will’s Pub (w/ Mount Moriah)
Mar 09 Atlanta, GA – Drunken Unicorn (w/ Mount Moriah)
Mar 10 Mobile, AL – Alabama Music Box (w/ Dent May and Mount Moriah)
Mar 11 Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon (w/ Dent May and Mount Moriah)
Mar 12–17 Austin, TX – SXSW
Apr 04 Winston-Salem, NC – Phuzz Phest
Apr 09 Athens, GA – Green Room
Apr 10 Asheville, NC – Double Crown
Apr 11 Durham, NC – The Pinhook
Apr 12 Washington, DC – 9th and the Beats
Apr 13 Kingston, NY – BSP (w/ Richard Buckner)
Apr 14 Philadelphia, PA – Ortlieb’s
Apr 16 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge (early show)
Apr 17 Portland, ME – Space Gallery
Apr 18 Cambridge, MA – Middle East Upstairs
Apr 19 Montreal, QC – O Patro Vys
Apr 20 Toronto, ON – Silver Dollar
Apr 21 Cleveland, OH – Happy Dog
Apr 22 Detroit, MI – Lager House
Apr 23 Grand Rapids, MI – The Pyramid Scheme
Apr 24 Iowa City, IA – Trumpet Blossom Cafe
Apr 25 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue and 7th St Entry
Apr 26 Chicago, IL – Hideout
Apr 27 Indianapolis, IN – Do317 Lounge

We are working to resolve these immigration issues and hope to have rescheduled tour dates later this year. In the meantime, their new album The House at Sea is available now on 180 gm LP, CD, and digital now in the Merge store, and their video for “Jean’s Waving” is below.

Cancelled Amor de Días dates:
Mar 20 Boston, MA Great Scott
Mar 21 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell’s
Mar 22 Brooklyn, NY Knitting Factory
Mar 23 Philadephia, PA The Chapel @ First Unitarian Church
Mar 25 Vancouver, BC Media Club
Mar 26 Seattle, WA Sunset Tavern
Mar 27 Portland, OR Bunk Bar
Mar 29 San Francisco, CA The Chapel
Mar 30 Los Angeles, CA The Satellite
Apr 01 San Diego, CA Soda Bar

Click here to view the embedded video.

William Tyler

Watch William Tyler’s album teaser video at Merge’s YouTube

Of the album, Uncut raves: “This terrific record feels less like an exploratory folk session, more like a virtuoso guitarist and arranger using the tools of a folk musician to reconsider and deconstruct rock music.” And Pitchfork writes: “Without pandering in the slightest, Tyler wields his staggering fingerpicking technique as a means of presenting something accessible and lyrical.” Popmatters included the album in their “Listening Ahead” feature, while Spin chose William as one of their “5 Artists to Watch” in February. Also, see William perform “We Can’t Go Home Again” live for Shaker Steps.

Pre-order Impossible Truth on CD or dbl-LP now in the Merge store. LP pre-orders will receive a free Merge slipmat.

William Tyler spring dates:
Mar 07 Savannah, GA – Savannah Stopover Music Festival
Mar 08 Orlando, FL – Will’s Pub (w/ Mount Moriah)
Mar 09 Atlanta, GA – Drunken Unicorn (w/ Mount Moriah)
Mar 10 Mobile, AL – Alabama Music Box (w/ Dent May and Mount Moriah)
Mar 11 Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon (w/ Dent May and Mount Moriah)
Mar 12–17 Austin, TX – SXSW
Apr 04 Winston-Salem, NC – Phuzz Phest
Apr 09 Athens, GA – Green Room
Apr 10 Asheville, NC – Double Crown
Apr 11 Durham, NC – The Pinhook
Apr 12 Washington, DC – 9th and the Beats
Apr 13 Kingston, NY – BSP (w/ Richard Buckner)
Apr 14 Philadelphia, PA – Ortlieb’s
Apr 16 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge (early show)
Apr 17 Portland, ME – Space Gallery
Apr 18 Cambridge, MA – Middle East Upstairs
Apr 19 Montreal, QC – O Patro Vys
Apr 20 Toronto, ON – Silver Dollar
Apr 21 Cleveland, OH – Happy Dog
Apr 22 Detroit, MI – Lager House
Apr 23 Grand Rapids, MI – The Pyramid Scheme
Apr 24 Iowa City, IA – Trumpet Blossom Cafe
Apr 25 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue and 7th St Entry
Apr 26 Chicago, IL – Hideout
Apr 27 Indianapolis, IN – Do317 Lounge

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 2013 SXSW Showcase
Thursday, March 14
The Parish (214 E. 6th St.)
8pm BARREN GIRLS
9pm WILLIAM TYLER
10pm MIKAL CRONIN
11pm MOUNT MORIAH
12am TELEKINESIS
1am SHOUT OUT LOUDS

Tuesday 3.12
9:30 pm DIVINE FITS Cirque du Soleil event – ACL Live at the Moody Theater (310 W. Willie Nelson)
12:30 am DIVINE FITS VICE showcase (401 E. Cesar Chavez)

Wednesday 3.13
1:35 pm SHOUT OUT LOUDS Under the Radar party – Flamingo Cantina (515 E. 6th)
2 pm MOUNT MORIAH Urban Outfitters (2406 Guadalupe)
5 pm SHOUT OUT LOUDS Paste party – The Stage on Sixth (508 E. 6th)
1 am DIVINE FITS IFC showcase – Vice Bar (302 E. 6th)

Thursday 3.14
9:30 am DIVINE FITS KGSR broadcast – W Austin (200 Lavaca)
12:10 pm WILLIAM TYLER Chicken Ranch party – Hole in the Wall (2538 Guadalupe)
12:30 pm MOUNT MORIAH Paste party – The Stage on Sixth (508 E. 6th)
2 pm WILLIAM TYLER End of an Ear (2209 S. 1st)
2:05 pm MIKAL CRONIN Pitchfork party – 1100 Warehouse [inside] (1100 E. 5th)
4 pm SHOUT OUT LOUDS Filter party – Cedar Street Courtyard (208 W. 4th)
4:30 pm TELEKINESIS Music by the Slice – Home Slice Pizza (1415 S. Congress)
4:30 pm WILLIAM TYLER Flatstock Stage curated by Panache – Convention Center (500 E. Cesar Chavez)
8 pm MERGE SHOWCASE The Parish (214 E. 6th)
12 am DIVINE FITS Filter showcase – Lustre Pearl (97 Rainey)

Friday 3.15
12 pm DIVINE FITS Public Radio Day Stage – Convention Center (500 E. Cesar Chavez)
12 pm SHOUT OUT LOUDS Rolling Stone party – La Zona Rosa (612 W. 4th)
1:30 pm TELEKINESIS KEXP live broadcast – Mellow Johnny’s (400 Nueces)
1:30 pm WILLIAM TYLER Music by the Slice – Home Slice Pizza (1415 S. Congress)
2 pm MIKAL CRONIN Trouble in Mind showcase – Tillery Park (801 Tillery)
2 pm SHOUT OUT LOUDS Brooklyn Vegan party – Old Emo’s (E. 6th & Red River)
2:10 pm MOUNT MORIAH Music by the Slice – Home Slice Pizza (1415 S. Congress)
5 pm SHOUT OUT LOUDS Filter party – Clive Bar (609 Davis)
6 pm DIVINE FITS w/ Jim James – Auditorium Shores (800 W. Riverside Dr.)
8:25 pm MIKAL CRONIN Panache showcase – Hotel Vegas [outside stage] (1500 E. 6th)

Saturday 3.16
1 pm MIKAL CRONIN Waterloo Records (600A N. Lamar)
1:30 pm MOUNT MORIAH KDHX Twangfest – Broken Spoke (3201 S. Lamar)
5:15 pm TELEKINESIS A.V. Club party – The Mohawk [inside] (912 Red River)

Mount Moriah

Directed by Habib Yazdi and produced by Hueism Films, the video showcases the excitement of a Mount Moriah live performance with an EMDR light therapy effect. Stereogum writes, “Director Habib Yazdi has made, at least one one level, a simple performance video, but he’s slathered it with so many color filters and lens flares that it comes out looking altogether more psychedelic.”

Watch the video for “Bright Light” now at Merge’s YouTube

Miracle Temple has been met with universally positive reviews from Pitchfork, the AV Club, American Songwriter, MTV Hive and more. Don’t miss Mount Moriah on tour this spring including dates with labelmates William Tyler and Telekinesis.

Miracle Temple is available now on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store. Also available at your local record store, at iTunes, Amazon, Spotify & Rdio.

Mount Moriah on tour:
March 6 Charleston, SC Tin Roof
March 7 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits
March 8 Orlando, FL Will’s Pub%
March 9 Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn%
March 10 Mobile, AL Alabama Music Box&
March 11 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon&
March 13-17 Austin, TX SXSW
March 18 Chicago, IL Schubas
March 19 Detroit, MI Magic Stick Lounge
March 20 Toronto, ON The Drake
March 21 Montreal, QC Casa del Popolo
March 22 Boston, MA Cafe 939
March 23 New Haven, CT Cafe Nine
March 25 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
March 26 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s
March 27 Washington, DC DC 9
April 4 Winston-Salem, NC Phuzz Fest
April 12 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
April 21 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge*
April 24 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill*
April 25 Los Angeles, CA The Echo*
April 27 San Diego, CA Casbah*
April 28 Phoenix, AZ The Crescent Ballroom*
April 30 Austin, TX The Parish*
May 1 Denton, TX Dan’s Silverleaf*
May 3 Birmingham, AL The Bottletree*
% = w/ William Tyler
& = w/ William Tyler & Dent May
* = w/ Telekinesis

Mikal Cronin

Like the best artists, Cronin turns his inner turmoil into effervescent pop on MCII. “Shout It Out” splits the difference between the jingle-jangle guitars and pretty harmonies of The La’s and the caterwauling catharsis of Neutral Milk Hotel. Mikal spoke with SPIN about recording MCII and signing to Merge, and both SPIN and Pitchfork gave “Shout it Out” a rave review.

Listen to “Shout it Out” from MCII now via SoundCloud or YouTube.

Recorded in late 2012 by Eric Bauer at Bauer Mansion in San Francisco (except for “Don’t Let Me Go” which was recorded by Cronin at home), MCII is all Mikal. With the few exceptions noted earlier, he played all of the instruments, overdubbing himself. “It all makes total sense to me, but when I step back, it sounds kind of schizophrenic,” Cronin says. “Hopefully it all sounds enough like me to make sense.”

Pre-order MCII now on CD or LP + limited “Mikal Cronin edition” tie-dyed Merge logo t-shirts in the Merge store.

Mikal Cronin on tour:
Mar 14 – Mar 16 Austin TX SXSW
May 23 San Diego, CA The Casbah
May 24 Los Angeles, CA The Echo
May 25 San Francisco, CA The Rickshaw Stop
June 6 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
June 7 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern
June 8 Missoula, MT Old Beck VFW Post 209
June 10 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
June 13 – 15 Toronto, ON Silver Dollar (NXNE Festival)
June 16 Montreal, Quebec La Divan Orange
June 17 Boston, MA Great Scott
June 18 Philly, PA Kung Fu Necktie
June 20 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
June 21 Washington DC Comet Ping Pong
June 22 Asheville, NC Emerald Lounge
June 23 Atlanta, GA The Earl
June 24 Nashville, TN The Stone Fox
June 26 Dallas, TX Club Dada
June 27 Austin, TX Mohawk Inside
June 28 Marfa, TX Padre’s
June 29 Tucson, AZ Club Congress

Radar Brothers

LA Weekly premiered the video saying, “Not unlike the tumbleweed in The Big Lebowski, an acoustic guitar goes on self-guided tour of Los Angeles in the new video for the Radar Bros. song ‘House of Mirrors.’ The ocean, the Hollywood walk of fame, the barber shop; there’s a lot to see. It’s a great song, too, if you like driving, swirling, ear-pleasing pop rock of the independently-conceived variety.”

Watch the “House of Mirrors” video now at Merge’s YouTube page

Eight combines surreal imagery and psychedelia. It’s both a personal statement and an escape into textured, multi-faceted songs. Now a six-piece, Radar Brothers spent the past few years collaborating, meshing their writing styles and recording an album that seamlessly welds together various worlds—not altogether unlikely influences, just … unexpected. This release marks the first time we are releasing an album on LP and digital only.

Strictly limited to 1000 LPs worldwide, the vinyl albums include a CD. Eight is available now on LP and digital download in the Merge store.

Radar Brothers on tour:
Feb 28 Los Angeles, CA The Satellite w/ Califone
Mar 1 San Francisco, CA Noise Pop – Cafe du Nord w/ Califone
Mar 2 Reno, NV Chapel Tavern

Where 2011′s Mount Moriah tended towards the simpler, Miracle Temple boasts fuller arrangements, replete with forceful vocals and lyrics that read like prize-winning poetry. The instrumentation’s more soulful, the choruses more rambunctious, and the band’s vision of the South is even more intricate — and conflicted — than it was before. No stone goes unturned: whether it’s meditations on gender or reminisces of ex-lovers, Miracle Temple supplies both eloquence & rock ‘n’ roll in abundance. Mount Moriah was chosen as one of Spin’s 5 Best New Artists and Popmatters deems the album “a lush, deeply layered, sunburst of a record.”

Listen to Mount Moriah’s Miracle Temple now at Pitchfork Advance

When the time came to work on the songs that would become Optica, Shout Out Louds wanted to return to the playful spirit that first brought them together ten years ago. Instead of “work,” they wanted to dance! NPR’s Stephen Thompson writes, “Which brings us around to Optica, the new fourth album by the Swedish band Shout Out Louds, and particularly its song ‘Illusions.’ Listening to it in 2013, it’s as if someone traveled back in time 30 years and slipped The Thompson Twins the biggest hit of their career, and now a young band is tapping into our shared nostalgia by rehashing a hit that’s somehow been lodged in our memory banks all along. ‘Illusions’ may be brand-new, but it already feels eternal.”

Listen to Shout Out Louds’ Optica now at NPR’s First Listen

Full tour dates for both bands are listed below. Mount Moriah’s Miracle Temple and Shout Out Louds’ Optica are both available for pre-order on CD and LP now in the Merge store.

Mount Moriah on tour:
March 6 Charleston, SC Tin Roof
March 7 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits
March 8 Orlando, FL Will’s Pub%
March 9 Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn%
March 10 Mobile, AL Alabama Music Box&
March 11 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon&
March 13-17 Austin, TX SXSW
March 18 Chicago, IL Schubas
March 19 Detroit, MI Magic Stick Lounge
March 20 Toronto, ON The Drake
March 21 Montreal, QC Casa del Popolo
March 22 Boston, MA Cafe 939
March 23 New Haven, CT Cafe Nine
March 25 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
March 26 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s
March 27 Washington, DC DC 9
April 4 Winston-Salem, NC Phuzz Fest
April 12 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
April 21 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge*
April 24 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill*
April 25 Los Angeles, CA The Echo*
April 27 San Diego, CA Casbah*
April 28 Phoenix, AZ The Crescent Ballroom*
April 30 Austin, TX The Parish*
May 1 Denton, TX Dan’s Silverleaf*
May 3 Birmingham, AL The Bottletree*
% = w/ William Tyler
& = w/ William Tyler & Dent May
* = w/ Telekinesis

Shout Out Louds on tour:
March 11 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
March 13-16 Austin, TX SXSW Music Festival
May 7 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
May 8 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
May 10 New York, NY Webster Hall
May 11 Boston, MA Paradise
May 13 Montreal, QC La Sala Rosa
May 14 Toronto, ONT The Opera House
May 15 Detroit, MI The Magic Bag
May 16 Chicago, IL Metro
May 17 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
May 22 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
May 23 Los, Angeles, CA El Rey
May 24-27 George, WA Sasquatch Festival

Listen to “My Love is Real” (Kingdom Remix) at SoundCloud

In their premiere of the remix, Consequence of Sound wrote:

Kingdom, whose previously reworked Sleigh Bells, Lil Wayne, Ciara, and more, flips the track on its head. With thick, echoey drums keeping time, gone is the cheery rumble of the original’s vintage synth line, replaced by mechanical-sounding keys more reminiscent of Harold Faltermeyer than Modern English. Still, even with a fresh coat of German synth-pop slathered on, the song’s quirky sense of romanticism still shines through.

Divine Fits have announced tour dates this spring including SXSW in March and Coachella in April. A full list of tour dates is below.

A Thing Called Divine Fits is available now on CD, LP and digital now in the Merge store. “My Love is Real” (Kingdom Remix) is available now at iTunes.

Divine Fits on tour:
March 13-17 Austin, TX SXSW
Apr 4 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
Apr 5 Iowa City, IA Mission Creek Festival
Apr 12 Indio, CA Coachella
Apr 19 Indio, CA Coachella
May 25 Quincy, WA Sasquatch Festival
June 8 New York, NY Governor’s Ball

Richard Buckner

Richard Buckner’s latest album Our Blood and more are available now in the Merge store. Be sure to follow Buckner on twitter @BucknerTweets for more details on the new album as they unfold!

Richard Buckner on tour:
March 7 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern
March 8 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge (w/ The Maldives)
March 10 Bellingham, WA The Green Frog
March 13 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord
March 14 Mill Valley, CA Sweetwater Music Hall
March 16 Los Angeles, CA The Satellite
March 17 San Diego, CA Soda Bar (w/ The Midnight Pine)
April 13 Kingston, NY BSP Lounge (w/ William Tyler & Small House)

Telekinesis will release Dormarion on April 2. Following a visit to the SXSW Music Festival in March, the band will begin their tour with Mount Moriah as support in Portland on April 21 and continue through Birmingham on May 3. The new Telekinesis band features Rebecca Cole of Wild Flag, Erik Walters of The Globes and Eric Elbogen of Say Hi. Telekinesis will conclude their first tour in support of Dormarion with the Sasquatch Festival on May 24.

Mount Moriah will release Miracle Temple on February 26, and have already announced tour dates beginning March 6 in Charleston, multiple appearances at the SXSW music festival, and their album release show at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC on April 12. William Tyler, whose Merge debut Impossible Truth will be in stores on March 19, will also join Mount Moriah on several dates and perform at SXSW.

A full list of dates for both bands is below. Visit the tour section of our website for updates and download our free Merge app for your Apple or Android mobile device to meet up with other Merge fans at the shows.

Telekinesis’ Dormarion is available for pre-order on CD and LP in the Merge store. Preorders will include a free, limited edition flexi-disc of a demo version of “Ghosts and Creatures” while supplies last. Mount Moriah’s Miracle Temple is also available for pre-order on CD and LP. LP preorders for both will include a free Merge Records slipmat.

Telekinesis on tour:
March 13-17 Austin, TX SXSW
April 21 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge*
April 24 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill*
April 25 Los Angeles, CA The Echo*
April 27 San Diego, CA Casbah*
April 28 Phoenix, AZ The Crescent Ballroom*
April 30 Austin, TX The Parish*
May 1 Denton, TX Dan’s Silverleaf*
May 3 Birmingham, AL The Bottletree*
May 4 Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn%
May 5 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506%
May 6 Washington, DC Black Cat Backstage%
May 7 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s%
May 9 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom%
May 10 Allston, MA Brighton Music Hall%
May 11 Montreal, QC Il Motore%
May 12 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern%
May 14 Cleveland Heights, OH Grog Shop%
May 15 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall%
May 16 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon%
May 17 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry%
May 18 Kansas City, MO Riot Room%
May 20 Denver, CO Hi Dive
May 21 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge%
May 22 Nampa, ID Flying M Coffee
May 24 George, WA Sasquatch Music Festival
* = w/ Mount Moriah
% = w/ Deep Sea Diver

Mount Moriah on tour:
March 6 Charleston, SC Tin Roof
March 7 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits
March 8 Orlando, FL Will’s Pub%
March 9 Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn%
March 10 Mobile, AL Alabama Music Box&
March 11 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon&
March 13-17 Austin, TX SXSW
March 18 Chicago, IL Schubas
March 19 Detroit, MI Magic Stick Lounge
March 20 Toronto, ON The Drake
March 21 Montreal, QC Casa del Popolo
March 22 Boston, MA Cafe 939
March 23 New Haven, CT Cafe Nine
March 25 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
March 26 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s
March 27 Washington, DC DC 9
April 4 Winston-Salem, NC Phuzz Fest
April 12 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
April 21 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge*
April 24 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill*
April 25 Los Angeles, CA The Echo*
April 27 San Diego, CA Casbah*
April 28 Phoenix, AZ The Crescent Ballroom*
April 30 Austin, TX The Parish*
May 1 Denton, TX Dan’s Silverleaf*
May 3 Birmingham, AL The Bottletree*
% = w/ William Tyler
& = w/ William Tyler & Dent May
* = w/ Telekinesis

The Line of Best Fit describes the song, “‘Illusions’ is vintage Shout Out Louds with razor-edged guitar hooks and cyclical drum patterns providing the rhythmic thrust for Adam Olenius’ sweet croon to float over; although the unashamedly up tempo jangles are tempered by multi-instrumentalist Bebban Stenborg’s sensitive, aching backing vocals.”

Listen and share now via SoundCloud and watch a video clip to accompany the song via YouTube.

Shout Out Louds will soon hit the road for worldwide touring including a multitude of shows at this year’s SXSW. Those performances will be announced soon. The band’s first show in support of Optica will take place in Brooklyn, NY, at the Music Hall of Wiliamsburg on March 11, and they have confirmed a full stateside tour for May 2013, beginning May 7 in Washington, DC. They have also added a confirmed appearance at the Sasquatch Festival as well as a headlining date at New York’s Webster Hall.

Pre-order Optica on CD or LP now in the Merge store.

Shout Out Louds – “Illusions”

Shout Out Louds on tour:
March 11 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
March 13-16 Austin, TX SXSW Music Festival
May 7 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
May 8 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
May 10 New York, NY Webster Hall
May 11 Boston, MA Paradise
May 13 Montreal, QC La Sala Rosa
May 14 Toronto, ONT The Opera House
May 15 Detroit, MI The Magic Bag
May 16 Chicago, IL Metro
May 17 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
May 22 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
May 23 Los, Angeles, CA El Rey
May 24-27 George, WA Sasquatch Festival

Redd Kross founding member and bassist Steve McDonald says of the tour: “We’re very excited about this run as it will also be the first chance we’ve had to spread the gospel of Researching the Blues on US soil beyond the west coast since its release back in August.”

The band has always garnered raves for its electrifying live shows. Of a recent performance, the Los Angeles Times wrote: “Redd Kross greeted 2013 with long hair flying and the kind of big, distorted chords, singalong choruses and head-banging ditties that made them one of Los Angeles’ greatest punk bands when they rose from Hawthorne in 1980 alongside kindred spirits Black Flag and Circle Jerks.”

For these upcoming dates, Redd Kross will work with Burger Records (the label that put out Researching the Blues on limited-edition cassette) to find “Burger-approved” local support in each town. Steve tells us that Lee from Burger will also be driving the guys around in the Burger Van, selling merch and maybe even guest DJing on special nights. Also, longtime Redd Kross fans will be excited to know that the band plans to dig deep into its 30-plus-year career-spanning catalog, playing such underground rock classics as “Annie’s Gone,” “Linda Blair,” and “Annette’s Got the Hits” in addition to songs from the recent album.

Researching the Blues features 10 new songs clocking in at just under 32 minutes. With songs written by co-founder Jeff McDonald and produced and mixed by Steve, the album is by far the band’s favorite record. Steve says, “It has the most singular artistic vision of any record we’ve done. It’s just 10 really fucking awesome songs that have the ability to move you in many different ways.”

NPR’s Stephen Thompson provided this glowing review of the record: “Power-pop signposts abound throughout the album, from Cheap Trick to Teenage Fanclub—the latter could’ve fit ‘Dracula’s Daughters’ onto Bandwagonesque and no one would have minded—but Researching the Blues never delves into nostalgia. Who has time, when you’re having this much fun blowing kids half your age out of the water?”

Researching the Blues is available now on CD, LP, and digital in the Merge store. Catch up on Redd Kross videos at their YouTube page, too!

Redd Kross on tour:
Mar 01 San Diego, CA – Casbah
Mar 02 Joshua Tree, CA – Pappy and Harriet’s
Mar 09 Meredith, AU – Golden Plains
Mar 12 Melbourne, AU – The Espy (Headlining)
Mar 14 Brisbane, AU – Hi-Fi w/ Dinosaur Jr.
Mar 15 Coolangatta, AU – Coolangatta Hotel w/ Dinosaur Jr.
Mar 16 Sydney, AU – The HiFi w/ Dinosaur Jr. & Royal Headache
Apr 03 Atlanta, GA – The Earl
Apr 04 Raleigh, NC – Kings Barcade
Apr 05 Washington, DC – Black Cat
Apr 06 New York, NY – Santos Party House (early show)
Apr 07 Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
Apr 10 Montreal, QC – Il Motore
Apr 11 Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern
Apr 12 Detroit, MI – Lager House
Apr 13 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
Apr 14 Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club

Mikal Cronin

Cronin’s self-titled debut from 2011 was all about endings: the end of college, the end of a serious relationship, and the end of his time in Los Angeles, where he grew up. So it’s no surprise that his sophomore release MCII is all about new beginnings.

“Since the first record came out, my life has changed quite a bit,” Cronin says, referencing his move to San Francisco and tours with Ty Segall as well as with his own band. “I was presented with a whole new slew of problems and situations that I was trying to work through.” “Am I Wrong” and “Shout It Out” dissect his fears over a new relationship, while “I’m Done Running from You” and “Weight” find him freaking out about what it means to grow up in the 21st century.

Recorded in late 2012 by Eric Bauer at Bauer Mansion in San Francisco (except for “Don’t Let Me Go” which was recorded by Cronin at home), MCII includes guest appearances by K. Dylan Edrich (viola and violin on “Peace of Mind” and “Change”), Charles Moothart (drums on “Change” and “Turn Away”), Ty Segall (guitar solos on “Am I Wrong” and “I’m Done Running from You”), and Petey Dammit (slide guitar on “Peace of Mind”).

Other than these few exceptions, Cronin played all of the instruments. “It all makes total sense to me, but when I step back, it sounds kind of schizophrenic,” Cronin says. “Hopefully it all sounds enough like me to make sense.”

Mikal Cronin – “Shout it Out” from MCII

Pre-order MCII now on CD or LP + limited “Mikal Cronin edition” tie-dyed Merge logo t-shirts (pictured below) in the Merge store.

Mikal Cronin on tour:
Feb 23 Portland OR Dante’s
Mar 14 – Mar 16 Austin TX SXSW
May 23 San Diego, CA The Casbah
May 24 Los Angeles, CA The Echo
May 25 San Francisco CA The Rickshaw