Top Non-Merge Albums of 2011

War On Drugs – Slave Ambient
Bill Callahan – apocalypse
J Mascis – several shades of why
Dum Dum Girls – Only In Dreams
Fucked up – David comes to life
Wilco – The Whole Love
Tim Hecker – Ravedeath 1972
Sidi Toure – Sahel Folk
PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
Feist – Metals
Malkmus/Jicks – Mirror Traffic
Yuck – Yuck
Junior Boys – It’s All True
Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal – Chamber Music
Real Estate – Days
William Tyler – Behold the Spirit

Favorite Reissues of 2011

Sorry Bamba – Vol 1 1970-79
REM – Life’s Rich Pageant
El Rego – El Rego
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Let Love In
Mark Hollis – Mark Hollis & Talk Talk – Laughing Stock
Bitch Magnet – Bitch Magnet
V/A – Local Customs: Pressed At Bodie
Void – Sessions 81-83

Tracks

Bright Eyes – “Shell Games”
Robyn – “Call Your Girlfriend”
Nicky Minaj – “Super Bass”
Bon Iver – “Perth”
Mt. Moriah – “Only Way Out”
Cut Copy – “Need You Now”
Kreashawn – “Gucci Gucci”
Adele – “Rolling In The Deep”
James Blake – “The Wilhelm Scream”
Tom Waits – “New Years Eve”

Art Highlights of 2011

Tacita Dean – FILM
Miyazaki / Ghibli Museum, Tokyo
Kara Walker – Drawings at Sikkema Jenkins
DE-NATURED – Ackland Museum
Yayoi Kusama retrospective at Museo Reina Sofia
Barry Flanagan – Early Works 1965 – 1982
de Kooning retrospective at MOMA
Josephine Halvorson – What Looks Back at Sikkema Jenkins
Marcel Dzama – Behind Every Curtain at David Zwirner
Becoming: Photographs from the Wedge Collection – Nasher Museum

Comedy makes me laugh.

The Best Show on WFMU
Louis CK in all formats.
Amy Schumer – Cutting
Rob Delaney
Todd Barry
Parks n  Recreation
Patrice O’Neal (RIP) – Elephant In the Room
Maria Bamford
Marc Maron’s WTF

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Halloween!

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

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

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

OCSC marks its first decade with a week-long celebration that begins this Sunday, October 9, at 4 p.m. in the bar’s parking lot. There will be free music by several local bands and food for purchase from Neal’s Deli, the proceeds from which will benefit MusiCares.

Then Monday through Thursday from 6–8 p.m., OCSC will host indoor semi-acoustic shows, with an additional solo set at 9 p.m. on Tuesday by Mac McCaughan. On Thursday evening, Shark Quest, who put out three lovely albums on Merge, will play an instrumental set. While all of these evening shows are free, donations will be collected and put towards a scholarship fund that Tricia has established with the Town of Carrboro to help send local aspiring entrepreneurs to a small-business training course.

And as if all that weren’t enough, there will be two shows at the Cat’s Cradle, both starting at 8 p.m., to cap off the week’s festivities. The show on Friday, October 14, includes an appearance by The Ghost of Rock, which features members of Pipe. On Saturday the 15th, Crooked Fingers will play some songs off of their soon-to-be-released album, Breaks in the Armor. Saturday also sees the return of Seven Brides for the Meatwagon, a covers supergroup that includes Jim Wilbur and Jon Wurster (on guitar!) of Superchunk. Jon reveals, “We will deliver unto you the best and worst of the ’90s, the 2000s, and the OCSC jukebox. We haven’t played in ten years, so cut us some slack.”

Tickets for Friday and Saturday are on sale now at Cat’s Cradle, OCSC, CD Alley, and Schoolkids Records. Proceeds from the Cradle shows will also go to MusiCares. Visit and “like” OCSC on Facebook for full details and updates on next week’s events.

Congratulations, Trish, on your much-deserved success!

Mac McCaughan

Maya Deren (1917–1961) is often referred to as “the mother of the American underground cinema.” Her films are known for their startling and surrealistic imagery in which time and space are altered to create a world somewhere between dreams and reality. In 1946, Ms. Deren became the first filmmaker to receive a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, and later that year she was the recipient of the Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix Internationale. From photographer Cindy Sherman to artist Matthew Barney to filmmaker David Lynch, Maya Deren’s profound influence as a filmmaker and theorist resonates to this very day.

McCaughan’s compositional accomplishments include original scores for Who Loves the Sun and Looking for Leonard. His live scores for silent films include the Seattle International Film Festival’s presentation of Tod Browning’s The Unknown and Teinosuke Kinugasa’s A Page of Madness with Superchunk at the San Francisco Film Festival.

The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a social hour in the lovely gardens of Sacred Heart Cultural Center. DJs will set the evening’s tone, and unique food and beverages will be available from The Bee’s Knees. The premiere of Transfigured Time: Music for the Films of Maya Deren will begin at sunset in the architectural splendor of Sacred Heart Cultural Center with McCaughan leading a small ensemble.

A co-production of Semi-Precious Productions and Sacred Heart Cultural Center, Transfigured Time will build upon the success of their presentation of 13 Most Beautiful: Songs for Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests at the 2010 Westobou Festival.

For tickets and more information, visit www.westoboufestival.com.

The deluxe reissue will also include the following bonus material: The Clambakes, Vol. 6: One in a Row, a 64-minute live recording from 1994 of Superchunk’s show at First Avenue in Minneapolis during the Foolish tour; three songs from rehearsals in Jon Wurster’s basement taped just before the band entered the studio to record the album; and the three acoustic b-sides from the “Driveway to Driveway” EP.

Peter Margasak, the man who booked the first Superchunk show in Chicago, writes: “When the band recorded Foolish with Brian Paulson up in Minneapolis, they were actually more concerned with making a great record than savvy biz prognostication. And, indeed, Foolish stands as one of the band’s greatest accomplishments, a blast of songwriting growth (dare I say maturation?) that arrived without taking the band’s trademark energy and power as a casualty. Paulson, who mixed the album with the band at Steve Albini’s home studio in Chicago, brought clarity to Superchunk’s roar, particularly to the buzzsaw blur of the guitar wail laid out by Jim Wilbur and McCaughan, but it was the songs that ultimately knocked everyone flat–and many of them remain the most ubiquitous and adored items in the foursome’s repertoire.”

Watch Superchunk play “My Gap Feels Weird” and “Slack Motherfucker” at this year’s Pitchforkfest.

Watch the original video for “Driveway to Driveway,” which was directed by Peyton Reed and Phil Morrison.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Over the past year, Merge has reissued three earlier Superchunk albums–No Pocky for Kitty, On the Mouth, and Here’s Where the Strings Come In–all of which are available individually or as a specially priced bundle.

Order your copy of the Foolish reissue on CD, LP or digital download today in the Merge store.

Superchunk on tour:
Dec 01 London, UK – Scala
Dec 02 Minehead, UK – All Tomorrow’s Parties curated by Jeff Mangum

Thursday, Sep. 8 @ 11 pm:
The Love Language – The Lincoln Theatre

Friday, Sep. 9 @ 12:30 am (Saturday morning):
Hospitality – The Union

Saturday, Sep. 10 @ 6:45 pm:
Superchunk – City Plaza w/ The Flaming Lips and Dreamers of the Ghetto [tickets]

Saturday, Sep. 10 @ 12:30 am (Sunday morning):
Times New Viking – The Union

Saturday, Sep. 10 @ 12:30 am (Sunday morning):
KORT (Kurt Wagner of Lambchop and Cortney Tidwell) – Kings Barcade

In addition, there will be a few FREE Merge-related daytime activities:

Friday, Sep. 9, 2-4 pm: Foundation will host a Wild Flag listening party. Come by for great music, drink specials, and door prizes.

Friday, Sep. 9, 3-5 pm: Stuart McLamb of The Love Language will participate in an artist-and-author discussion panel called “Simple Words: The Power of Narrative Songs” at the Raleigh City Museum. Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Saturday, Sep. 10, 11 am-5:30 pm: Hopscotch presents The Rosebuds & Friends, a block party outside the Lincoln Theatre. The seven-band lineup concludes with a performance by The Rosebuds at 4 pm. Food will be provided by Ashley Christensen and AC Restaurants, the proceeds from which will benefit the Frankie Lemmon Foundation.

And finally, SHOPscotch, a temporary pop-up store, will be open in Raleigh’s historic City Market every day during Hopscotch and on Sunday the 11th. This is the place to get Merge releases as well as records, t-shirts, and other merchandise from some of the festival’s participating bands. Business hours and more details can be found here.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Meanwhile, Mac stopped by XRT’s air-conditioned backstage tent to talk to Marty! Watch the interview at 93XRT.

And Matt LeMay wrote up key points of the band’s set at Pitchfork:

• Set highlight: “Detroit Has a Skyline”
• Time before Mac and Laura started pogoing: < 1 minute
• Unexpected moment of audience exuberance: The opening of “Like a Fool”
• Average age of audience members freaking out during “Slack Motherfucker”: Younger than you might think
• Song from new album that deserves “instant classic” status as a live cut: “My Gap Feels Weird”
• Sport defended by Mac McCaughan: Soccer
• Most frequently overheard remark: “Wow, this band is good.”
• Best song of all time, ever: “Hyper Enough”
  –Matt LeMay

Click here to view the embedded video.

Superchunk is in New York for a free show at the House of Vans, and then plays Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival on Sunday! Stop by the Merge Records Booth if you’re at the fest & come on Saturday to see Destroyer!

Jul 14 Brooklyn, NY House of Vans
Jul 17 Chicago, IL Pitchfork Music Festival
Sep 08 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre
Sep 10 Raleigh, NC Hopscotch Festival – City Plaza Stage
Dec 01 London, UK Scala
Dec 02 Minehead, UK All Tomorrow’s Parties curated by Jeff Mangum

Tickets are on sale for all shows and don’t forget to pick up the Here’s Where the Strings Come In reissue in the Merge store to receive exclusive acoustic demos of songs from the Strings sessions, as well as a free download of The Clambakes Vol. 5: Cup of Clams. Recorded on October 16, 2003, at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC, by an unknown recordist, the live Superchunk performance captured on Cup of Clams was edited and mastered by Mac with additional editing by Brian Paulson.

Also, get all three recent Superchunk reissues – Here’s Where The Strings Come In, No Pocky For Kitty and On The Mouth - bundled together at a special low price! Majesty Shredding is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store along with new tour posters from Brazil and Superchunk tote bags.

Superchunk on tour:
July 14 Brooklyn, NY House of Vans w/ OFF! & Lemuria  FREE but must RSVP
July 17 Chicago, IL Pitchfork Music Festival – Union Park
Sept 8 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre w/ the Dodos & Times New Viking
Sept 10 Raleigh, NC Hopscotch Music Festival
Dec 1 London, UK Scala w/ Let’s Wrestle
Dec 2 – Dec 4 Minehead, UK All Tomorrow’s Parties curated by Jeff Mangum

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

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

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

Alternative Press talked to Mac about the making of No Pocky for Kitty to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its recording.

But it was No Pocky For Kitty that’s survived as a touchstone for America’s early-’90s, indie-rock zeitgeist, where tough guitar noise cloaked great pop hooks. Recorded by underground icon Steve Albini and released by Matador Records in October 1991 (approximately one month after Nevermind), the album found the band flailing with greater clarity, with pop smarts and plenty of attitude in tow. From the charging opener “Skip Steps 1 & 3” to such career highs as “Seed Toss” and the monstrous “Throwing Things,” the album was a bona fide classic, distilling the needle-in-the-red proclivities of much of the underground at the time (read: Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Albini’s short-lived unit Rapeman) with simply great pop songs.

No Pocky for Kitty is available now in the Merge store remastered and reissued on 180 gm vinyl, CD and digital download. Don’t miss the other new reissues of Superchunk classics now bundled together for a great deal in the Merge store!

WILD FLAG‘s hotly anticipated “Future Crimes” b/w “Glass Tambourine” 7-inch is now available in the Merge digital store and from your favorite digital provider.

The remastered version of Superchunk’s Here’s Where the Strings Come In is available now on LP, CD, and digital download. The LP & CD versions come with bonus demo tracks and a download of The Clambakes Vol. 5: Cup of Clams.

Visit the Merge store for all of these releases as well as our new April releases from Jonny, David Kilgour and the Heavy Eights & Times New Viking.

Watch the “Crossed Wires” video directed by Whitey McConnaughy now!

Superchunk are celebrating Record Store Day with two releases: a split 7-inch of Misfits’ covers with Coliseum that is limited to 1,500 copies on 3 different colors of vinyl, and Here’s Where the Strings Come In remastered and reissued on vinyl and CD with a bonus download of acoustic demos & The Clambakes Vol 5: Cup of Clams.

Superchunk’s latest release Majesty Shredding is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store.

Don’t forget the Merge titles added to the long list of exclusive releases and other fun events happening at your local independent record stores tomorrow! To find a participating store in your area, visit RecordsStoreDay.com!

WILD FLAG – “Future Crimes” b/w “Glass Tambourine” 7-inch
The hotly anticipated debut release from the new musical partnership between Carrie Brownstein, Mary Timony, Janet Weiss, and Rebecca Cole will be released exclusively in 7-inch form on Record Store Day! Produced by Spoon’s Britt Daniel, these tracks have already become viral hits through widely circulated videos taken during the band’s recent tour. Maybe this 7-inch will answer the question posed by WILD FLAG: What do you get when you cross a hamburger with a hot dog? Listen to “Glass Tambourine” now at NPR Music!

Superchunk – Here’s Where the Strings Come In CD/LP reissue
Out of print for years, Here’s Where the Strings Come In has been remastered by Jason Ward at Chicago Mastering Company from the original 1/2” reels and will be available for the first time on 180-gram vinyl (with download coupon) and on CD newly packaged in LP-style cardboard sleeves. The heavy-duty vinyl jackets were reprinted by Stoughton Printing Co., the same plant that produced them for the original 1995 release. Both formats will also come with bonus downloads of The Clambakes Vol. 5, a live Superchunk recording from 2003, and several exclusive demos of songs that appear on the album.

Caribou – Swim Remixes 12-inch
Originally released as a digital-only companion to Swim, Caribou’s acclaimed 2010 release, the Swim Remixes double A-side 12-inch features “Leave House (Motor City Drum Ensemble Remix)” b/w “Jamelia (Gold Panda Remix),” as well as a code to download the entire 14-track release. Limited to 1,000 and packaged in a European-style black sleeve, this 12-inch is a must for DJs and Caribou fans alike!

Polvo – Celebrate the New Dark Age 12-inch, autographed by original line-up!
Originally released in 2008, this re-issue of Polvo’s guitar-twisting seven-song EP on limited-edition 180-gram vinyl is a Merge hallmark. It comes complete with great sleeve design by Independent Project Press and a free download coupon. A limited number of this 12-inch EP have been autographed by the original 1994 Polvo line-up exclusively for Record Store Day!

Superchunk / Coliseum – “Horror Business” b/w “Bullet” split 7-inch
Merge Records and Temporary Residence Limited have partnered to co-release “Horror Business” b/w “Bullet,” a limited-edition 7-inch of Misfits covers by Superchunk and Coliseum for Record Store Day. Limited to 1,500 copies and available exclusively in record stores, the 7-inch cover was designed by Coliseum singer/guitarist Ryan Patterson, with a nod to the artwork from the Misfits’ Three Hits From Hell single. The 7-inch will be issued on three different colors of vinyl (500 copies of each): yellow w/ black splatter, magenta w/ black splatter, and standard black.

The new and improved version of Here’s Where the Strings Come In will include exclusive acoustic demos of songs from the Strings sessions, as well as a free download of The Clambakes Vol. 5: Cup of Clams. Recorded on October 16, 2003, at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC, by an unknown recordist, this live Superchunk performance was edited and mastered by Mac with additional editing by Brian Paulson.

Mac offers this description of the event: “This show took place as part of the small tour we did in 2003 in support of the Cup of Sand 2-CD singles and rarities compilation. Hence the setlist now appears kind of bizarre as it’s stocked with B-sides we’ve hardly ever played live (“White Noise”) and then-unreleased songs like ‘Knock Knock Knock,’ among more familiar numbers. Sure, there are a few haphazard moves, but it wouldn’t be a clambake otherwise… Hope you enjoy.”

Superchunk – The Clambakes Vol. 5: Cup of Clams
Live at the Cat’s Cradle, October 2003

1. Tiny Bombs
2. The Majestic
3. New Low
4. Watery Hands
5. Becoming a Speck
6. Knock Knock Knock
7. Hello Hawk
8. Cast Iron
9. White Noise
10. Nu Bruises
11. Screw It Up
12. The First Part
13. 100,000 Fireflies
14. Like a Fool
15. Freaks in Charge
16. Package Thief
17. Throwing Things



Mac & Jim stop by Ross Grady’s Local Music show at WXDU Durham last Sunday for a live session! If you missed the show, Superchunk’s website now has the session available as a free download.

From Mac:

Ross Grady has bands play sometimes on his Sunday afternoon show on WXDU. We’d never done it before but wanted to, so Jim and I went in and Ross broke all kinds of crazy rules for us! Acoustic only! Interview portion! Only 5 songs! But it went ok, 57s and 58s, check it out….and thanks to Ross and Kelly for the recording.

Tracks:
Crossed Wires
Rope Light
Cursed Mirror
Skip Steps 1 & 3

Don’t miss Superchunk on tour in March!

March 4  Carrboro NC  Cat’s Cradle w/ Veelee SOLD OUT!
March 8  New York NY  Radio City Music Hall w/ Bright Eyes, WILD FLAG
March 9  New York NY  Radio City Music Hall w/ Bright Eyes, WILD FLAG

WILD FLAG – “Future Crimes” b/w “Glass Tambourine” 7-inch
The hotly anticipated debut release from the new musical partnership between Carrie Brownstein, Mary Timony, Janet Weiss and Rebecca Cole will be released exclusively in 7-inch form on Record Store Day! Produced by Spoon’s Britt Daniel, these tracks have already become viral hits through widely circulated videos taken during the band’s recent tour dates. Maybe this 7-inch will answer the question posed by WILD FLAG: What do you get when you cross a hamburger with a hot dog?

Listen to “Glass Tambourine” now at NPR Music!

Superchunk – Here’s Where the Strings Come In CD/LP reissue
Out of print for years, Here’s Where the Strings Come In has been remastered by Jason Ward at Chicago Mastering Company from the original 1/2″ reels, and will be available for the first time on 180 gram vinyl (with download coupon), and on CD newly packaged in LP-style cardboard sleeves. The heavy-duty vinyl jackets were re-printed at the original printing plant, Stoughton Printing Co, from the 1995 release. Both formats will also come with a download of exclusive bonus materials from the Superchunk vaults.

Caribou - Swim (Remixes) 12-inch
Originally released as a digital-only companion to Caribou’s acclaimed 2010 release Swim, the Swim (Remixes) double A-side 12-inch features “Leave House (Motor City Drum Ensemble Remix)” b/w “Jamelia (Gold Panda Remix)” as well as a code to download the entire 14-track release. Limited to 1000 and packaged in a European-style black sleeve, this 12-inch is a must for DJs and Caribou fans alike!

Polvo – Celebrate the New Dark Age 12-inch – Autographed by original line-up!
Originally released in 2008, this re-issue of Polvo’s guitar-twisting seven-song EP on limited-edition 180-gram vinyl is a Merge hallmark. Complete with great sleeve design by Independent Project Press, and a free download coupon. Exclusively for Record Store Day, a limited number of this vinyl EP have been autographed by the original 1994 Polvo line-up!

Superchunk / Coliseum – “Horror Business” b/w “Bullet” split 7-inch
Merge Records and Temporary Residence Limited have partnered to co-release “Horror Business” b/w “Bullet,” a limited-edition 7-inch of Misfits covers from Superchunk and Coliseum for April 16 – Record Store Day. Limited to 1,500 copies and available exclusively in record stores, the 7-inch cover was designed by Coliseum singer/guitarist Ryan Patterson, with a nod to the artwork from the Misfits’ Three Hits From Hell single. The 7-inch will be issued on three different colors of vinyl: Yellow w/ Black Splatter; Magenta w/ Black Splatter; and standard Black (500 copies of each).

Click to view the Merge Madness poster in full!

To celebrate “Merge Madness,” local record stores (listed below) will be giving away these collectible 12″ x 18″ screenprinted posters designed by our very own Maggie Fost, with the purchase of any full-length release from Merge.

Visit the Merge store for new albums from Superchunk, Wye Oak, Telekinesis & The Love Language!

Get your limited-edition Merge Madness poster at the following stores beginning Tuesday, Feb 22:
Schoolkids in Raleigh
Offbeat Records in Durham
Bull City Records in Durham
CD Alley in Chapel Hill
All Day Records in Carrboro

Merge Madness shows!
Mar 4 Superchunk @ Cat’s Cradle
Mar 11 WILD FLAG @ Local 506
Mar 12 Wye Oak @ Local 506
Mar 13 Telekinesis & The Love Language @ Local 506 *SOLD OUT*

Superchunk kicks off the madness on March 4 with their first show at the Cat’s Cradle since before the release of Majesty Shredding. Next, WILD FLAG will play Local 506 on March 11. WILD FLAG is the new “supergroup” featuring Carrie Brownstein, Mary Timony, Janet Weiss and Rebecca Cole. On March 12, Wye Oak will celebrate the release of their third album Civilian at Local 506. Telekinesis and The Love Language will wrap up Merge Madness on March 13 with an already sold out show at Local 506.

To celebrate, local record stores (listed below) will be giving away these collectible 12″ x 18″ screenprinted posters designed by our very own Maggie Fost, with the purchase of any full-length release from Merge.

Tickets are already gone for the Telekinesis / Love Language show and are going fast for the other three, so don’t waste any time getting your tickets to Superchunk, WILD FLAG & Wye Oak!

Visit the Merge store for new albums from Superchunk, Wye Oak, Telekinesis & The Love Language!

Merge Madness shows!
Mar 4 Superchunk @ Cat’s Cradle
Mar 11 WILD FLAG @ Local 506
Mar 12 Wye Oak @ Local 506
Mar 13 Telekinesis & The Love Language @ Local 506 *SOLD OUT*

Get your limited-edition Merge Madness poster at the following stores beginning Tuesday, Feb 22:
Schoolkids in Raleigh
Offbeat Records in Durham
Bull City Records in Durham
CD Alley in Chapel Hill
All Day Records in Carrboro

Superchunk are currently on tour in Japan and have more dates in March. Majesty Shredding is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store.

Superchunk first covered “Horror Business” at a 1997 Halloween show in Washington DC (the band even dressed up as the Misfits that night), and finally decided to record the song in 2010 to give away on their website as a Halloween gift to fans. Over the course of the 2010 US tour in support of Majesty Shredding, the band included “Horror Business” in many encores, often enlisting guest musicians on the drum kit – including comedian Todd Barry and SAMHAIN drummer London May!

Coliseum is one of punk’s most forward-thinking and trailblazing outfits, coming from the basements of the hardcore circuit to carve out their own unique niche of heavy post-punk. Their third album, House With A Curse, was released in June 2010 on Temporary Residence Limited.

Coliseum’s love for the music of Glenn Danzig has been well documented, having recorded a version of Danzig’s “Am I Demon” for a 2005 split with Doomriders (included on the recent Goddamage Deluxe Reissue from Temporary Residence), which has been a staple of their live encores for years. Their cover of “Bullet” was recorded in October 2009 during the demo sessions for House With A Curse. The recording took place at The Funeral Home studio in Louisville, which operates above a functioning funeral home. Coliseum singer/guitarist Ryan Patterson requested to record his vocals from a coffin…but was denied.

Make your plans now to visit your favorite local record store on Saturday, April 16 – Record Store Day. More information about Record Store Day and a full list of participating stores can be found at RecordStoreDay.com.

The 2011 Buoyancy Benefit, features local bands such as Lonnie Walker, Old Bricks, Schooner, Naps and Heads on Sticks. All fifteen bands are donating time to raise money to kick start the classes and programming that this new alternative education and arts facility plans to provide. Tickets are available at Schoolkids Records, CD Alley, Chaz’s Bull City Records, and online at Brown Paper Tickets.

For the full Buoyancy Benefit roster and information about the Moving Island visit Movingisland.org.

Help get Moving Island afloat!

Another great video from the Sound Opinions session! Download the podcast now to hear the whole session and the conversation with Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis.

The full session and interview from Sound Opinions will air this weekend! Visit SoundOpinions.org for station information, and to listen online.

Superchunk visited WBEZ in Chicago for a full-band live performance and interview with hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot while on tour in December. Sound Opinions airs live on public radio stations around the country, and you can hear the audio on the Sound Opinions website now! See live video of “Crossed Wires,” and photos from the session, too

Majesty Shredding is available on CD, LP and digital download now in the Merge store.

The full Superchunk performance and interview for Sound Opinions will be broadcast on public radio stations around the country beginning January 21. For more information and to stream the session online (beginning 1/21), visit SoundOpinions.org.

Majesty Shredding is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store, and Superchunk have recently announced new tour dates.

Mac & Laura recently spoke to Design*Sponge about their process making the artwork for Superchunk records.

Laura, tell me how you started doing visual art.
Laura Ballance: That’s hard to answer. I guess I have been doing visual art ever since I was a little kid, you know. I started drawing when I was a kid and I guess all kids do, mostly. And I never stopped. I always really enjoyed it and found it satisfying in some way to draw. I was drawing, mostly, as a kid and more recently as an adult I got more into sculpture. Actually, when I was a kid I made sculptures, too — I forgot. I used to make a lot of things out of Sculpey. [Laughs]

Mac, when did you start doing art? Was it before or after you started with music?
Mac McCaughan: Probably art first, in school and summer camps and that kind of thing, and then in college I took some printmaking classes with Nicholas Sperakis — mostly woodcut, but really it’s always just been a hobby. As with music, I think my desire to make art was driven by being a fan of art and certain artists, and in fact I think music and art have always gone hand in hand for me. Really, when you start a band and make a record, one of the most exciting things about that is that you’ll get to make the cover art! Didn’t stop me from making one of the ugliest record covers ever — the first Superchunk album — but still.

Read the rest of the interview at Design*Sponge

Superchunk’s limited-edition 7-inches, “Crossed Wires” and “Digging for Something” are now available via digital download for the first time.

“Crossed Wires” track listing:
1. Crossed Wires (single version)
2. Blinders (fast version)
3. Crossed Wires (demo)
Available in the Merge store, Amazon.com, and iTunes.

“Digging for Something”
1. Digging for Something (feat. John Darnielle)
2. February Punk
3. Digging for Something (acoustic demo)
Available in the Merge store, Amazon.com, and iTunes.

Also, Wye Oak’s 2010 EP, My Neighbor / My Creator was previously released on limited-edition CD in June. Due to popular demand, we have re-issued the EP on CD with new cover art on another limited-edition run of 1,000 printed at Stumptown Printers in Portland. Get My Neighbor / My Creator on CD or digital download now in the Merge store or on CD directly from the band on their tour beginning later this month! Pre-order Wye Oak’s new album, Civilian on CD or LP in the Merge store, too!

My Neighbor / My Creator track listing:
1. My Neighbor
2. Emmylou
3. My Creator
4. I Hope You Die
5. That I Do (Mickey Free Remix)

photo by Brian Vetter for Spin.com

2010 Was A Year

Many highlights in 2010: Superchunk completing a new album…Olympic hockey…recruiting our 6-yr old daughter & friends to sing on a Destroyer cover for a Portastatic EP….Felrath Hines at the Ackland…Specials at Coachella…the Primavera/Barcelona food/rock connection…seeing Arcade Fire & Spoon fill up MSG w/sound & people…Marina Abramovic at MOMA….Amy Sillman at Sikkema-Jenkins….Superchunk playing concerts, and more than a couple! i think they call it a tour? NYC, Philly, LA and Detroit, you were particularly out of hand, so thanks for that….my wife finished writing her awesome cookbook…The Record at the Nasher…celebrating Matador 21 w Matador nation in Vegas (incl Fucked Up covering Precision Auto w Scharpling!), i’m still tired….joined for onstage rock by illuminaries such as Todd Barry, John Darnielle, London May…GBV affirming life @ Cats Cradle….Rose Wylie paintings at Thomas Erben gallery…..see you in 2011!

Listing time!
Here’s my non-Merge heavy listening (etc) list for 2010

NEW ALBUMS
Parting Gifts – Strychnine Dandelion
Sharon Van Etten – Epic
Wild Nothing – Gemini
Hot Chip – One Life Stand
Best Coast – Crazy for You
LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
Janelle Monae – The ArchAndroid
Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me
Edwyn Collins – Losing Sleep
Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
New Pornographers – Together
Four Tet – There Is Love In You
Grinderman – Grinderman 2
Jenny and Johnny – I’m Having Fun Now
The National – High Violet
Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
Ted Leo Rx – Brutalist Bricks
Pantha Du Prince – Black Noise
Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Rush To Relax

REISSUES
Syl Johnson – Complete Mythology (!!!)
Bruce Springsteen – The Promise
V/A – Afro-Beat Airways
Orange Juice – Coals to Newcastle
Bowie – Station to Station
V/A – Nigeria Special Vol. 2
V/A – Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas
Dexys Midnight Runners – Searching for the Young Soul Rebels

(Robert Wyatt reissues should probably be on here but i am fine with the original versions….)

BOOKS
Lost City of Z by David Grann
Priceless by Robert K Wittman
Rat Girl by Kristin Hersh
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem

TV
Louie (!!!)
30 Rock
Bored to Death
Mad Men
Work of Art
Boardwalk Empire
Parks & Rec

Spoon: Transference + “Written in Reverse” 7-inch

She & Him: Volume One + Volume Two (CD and LP)

Superchunk: Majesty Shredding + On the Mouth + No Pocky for Kitty (CD and LP)

Destroyer: reissues of City of Daughters + Thief + Streethawk: A Seduction (CD only)

Telekinesis: Parallel Seismic Conspiracies EP + Record Store Day 7-inch

The Love Language: Libraries + Record Store Day split 7-inch

Let’s Wrestle: In the Court of the Wrestling Let’s + Record Store Day split 7-inch

The Love Language/Let’s Wrestle + Telekinesis Record Store Day limited-edition 7-inches

Each full-length from Merge freshmen Telekinesis, Wye Oak, The Love Language, and Let’s Wrestle

All orders in the Merge store include free shipping and it’s not too late to use our Holiday Coupon and all orders over $150 get a free tote bag designed by The Clientele’s Alasdair Maclean!

Superchunk stopped by The Current during their brief visit to the Twin Cities, and the session is now archived! Give it a listen at The Current.

Set list:
Learned to Surf
Digging for Something
Tie A Rope To The Back Of The Bus

Superchunk recently went back into the studio to record a cover of John Cale’s “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.” The song comes with the Holiday issue of Mojo that’s on sale tomorrow! Pick up a copy at your local book store or magazine stand!

The Superchunk bundle including No Pocky for Kitty, On the Mouth, and Majesty Shredding is on sale in the Merge store now!

If you missed out on any of the great silk-screened tour posters from Superchunk’s fall tour, you can find them in the Merge store along with Majesty Shredding and new reissues of No Pocky for Kitty and On the Mouth on CD, LP and digital.

Visit KEXP.org to listen to Superchunk performance from the station’s Seattle studio. Superchunk also recorded a special Halloween surprise for you—download a studio version of Superchunk’s cover of “Horror Business” by The Misfits and see a video of London May joining the band on drums at their Los Angeles show at Superchunk.com.

Superchunk on tour (all dates on sale now):
Dec 01 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue w/ Times New Viking
Dec 02 Chicago, IL – Metro w/ Times New Viking
Dec 04 Tampa, FL – Czar Ybor w/ Titus Andronicus, New Bruises
Dec 09 Toronto, ON – Sound Academy w/ Broken Social Scene
Dec 10 Detroit, MI – The Magic Stick w/ Times New Viking

photos by PJ Sykes

Fresh from the west coast shows, Superchunk have now added new dates in December!

Dec 1 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue – On Sale Saturday, October 23 @ 10 AM CST
Dec 2 Chicago, IL Metro – Pre-Sale Friday, October 22 @ Noon CST (Password: SHREDDING)
Dec 4 Tampa, FL Czar Ybor – On Sale Now!
Dec 9 Toronto, ON Sound Academy w/ Broken Social Scene – On Sale Now!

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

Click here to view the embedded video.

Superchunk finishes up their Majesty Shredding tour tonight in Los Angeles at the Music Box and will perform at Origami Records today at Noon PST. You can buy tickets for the Music Box online or at Origami!

Superchunk played a live set on KEXP while in Seattle for the Teenage Fanclub / Telekinesis mega-show at the Showbox on Thursday! Listen to the archive at KEXP.org.

North Carolina’s Superchunk was high on the list when it came to great indie-rock of the ‘90s (a time when that term actually made sense) and they haven’t lost a step with their 2010 LP of catchy, buzzing, riff-heavy pop “Majesty Shredding.” They play tracks from the new record and some classic singles live at KEXP. – W. Myers

Set List:
Cool
Digging for Something
Rosemarie
Cast Iron

Tour Dates:
10-15 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
10-17 San Francisco, CA Treasure Island
10-19 Los Angeles, CA The Music Box at Fonda
12-09 Toronto, ON Sound Academy

And check out their in-store performances in Portland, San Francisco, and LA!

Superchunk have also added some acoustic in-store performances along the way:

Wednesday, October 13 @ 3 p.m. – Vancouver, BC
Zulu Records
1972 West 4th Ave., Vancouver, BC V6J 1M5
(604) 738-3232

Friday, October 15 @ 3 p.m. – Portland, OR
Jackpot Records (Downtown)
203 SW 9th Ave., Portland, OR 97205
(503) 222-0990

Saturday, October 16 @ 5 p.m. – San Francisco, CA
Aquarius Records
1055 Valencia St., San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 647-2272

Lost Weekend Video
5 p.m. Simulcast of Aquarius in-store performance
6 p.m. Screening of “Quest for Sleep,” followed by brief band Q&A led by Mr. Jon Wurster
1034 Valencia St., San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 643-3373

Tuesday, October 19 @ noon – Los Angeles, CA
Origami Vinyl
1816 West Sunset Blvd., Echo Park, CA 90026
(213) 413-3030

Watch this video of Superchunk performing an acoustic version of “Crossed Wires” during XX Merge for a preview of the awesomeness you can expect at the in-stores!

Superchunk on tour:
Oct 13 Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret w/ Telekinesis
Oct 14 Seattle, WA – The Showbox w/ Teenage Fanclub & Telekinesis
Oct 15 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom w/ Teenage Fanclub & Telekinesis
Oct 17 San Francisco, CA – Treasure Island Festival
Oct 19 Los Angeles, CA – The Music Box at Fonda w/ Telekinesis & The Vaselines

Find the “rock” version of “Crossed Wires” on Majesty Shredding which is available now on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store.

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

Superchunk on tour:

Oct 13 Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret w/ Telekinesis
Oct 14 Seattle, WA – The Showbox w/ Teenage Fanclub & Telekinesis
Oct 15 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom w/ Teenage Fanclub & Telekinesis
Oct 17 San Francisco, CA – Treasure Island Festival
Oct 19 Los Angeles, CA – The Music Box at Fonda w/ Telekinesis & The Vaselines

Listen live via your local NPR affiliate on Saturday, October 2 or download the podcast beginning Sunday, October 3.

Visit Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me for more information on the show or to play their daily news quiz.

photo from BBC.co.uk

On September 28^th, 2010 Teenage Fanclub will be performing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Here is where you come in…

How would you like a chance to be close to Teenage Fanclub’s performance on the show?

Click here and you will be directed to the “Band Bench” Sweepstakes entry form. Enter for a chance to win seats on our band benches and an opportunity to surround the stage during Teenage Fanclub’s performance.

Please make sure you include the following band code: TEE, in your entry form.

Teenage Fanclub kick off their North American tour tonight in Toronto at the Horsehoe Tavern! Don’t miss your chance to see them! Shadows is available on CD and digital download in the Merge store, and you can still purchase the Radar Brothers / Teenage Fanclub bundle, too!

Click here to see how exciting and fun it is to be in the bleachers!

Teenage Fanclub on tour:
* = w/ Radar Brothers
9/22 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern
9/23 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern
9/24 Montreal, QC Le National*
9/25 Boston, MA Royale*
9/27 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom*
9/28 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom* w/ Radar Brothers AND The Clean
9/30 Brooklyn, NY Williamsburg Waterfront w/ Belle & Sebastian
10/01 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero*
10/02 Washington, DC 9:30 Club* w/ Radar Brothers & The Vaselines
10/03 Millvale, PA Mr. Small’s Theater*
10/05 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall*
10/06 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall*
10/07 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue*
10/11 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theater*
10/12 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore*
10/14 Seattle, WA Showbox at the Market w/ Superchunk & Telekinesis
10/15 Portland, OR Showbox at the Market w/ Superchunk & Telekinesis
10/16 Vancouver, BC Biltmore Cabaret

Superchunk returned to the late night airwaves for the first time since 1994 last night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon!

The band performed “Digging for Something,” the first single from the newly released Majesty Shredding, and a bonus performance of “Precision Auto” appeared on the Jimmy Fallon blog!

Majesty Shredding is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store, and go see Superchunk on tour now!

Click here to view the embedded video.

The winner will receive a pair of tickets to the live taping of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and the opportunity to appear on camera while Superchunk performs. All entries must be received by Friday at noon EST.

Majesty Shredding is available on CD, LP and digital download in all of the usual places, and Superchunk will be on tour beginning tomorrow night at the Nasher Museum in Durham!

Mac & Laura kicked the week off with a Q&A and Jon & Jim have already started sharing their favorite things like WordHate and Brussels Sprouts. Bookmark the “guest editor” page so you don’t miss an entry! And don’t forget to follow the band on twitter!

Superchunk will further celebrate their album release with a  show the Nasher Museum in Durham on Thursday, September 16 to kick off their fall tour. Superchunk will be signing copies of Majesty Shredding from 6-7 PM at the Nasher before they play. Tickets are still available.

Superchunk on tour:
Sep 16 Durham, NC – The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University
Sep 17 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club w/ Let’s Wrestle & Tommy Keene
Sep 18 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom w/ Let’s Wrestle [SOLD OUT]
Sep 19 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ Wild Nothing & Todd Barry [SOLD OUT]
Sep 21 Boston, MA – Royale w/ Versus
Sep 22 Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero w/ Versus & Jenny and Johnny
Sep 23 Montreal, QC – Le National
Oct 02 Las Vegas, NV – Matador 21
Oct 13 Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret w/ Telekinesis
Oct 14 Seattle, WA – The Showbox w/ Teenage Fanclub & Telekinesis
Oct 15 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom w/ Teenage Fanclub & Telekinesis
Oct 17 San Francisco, CA – Treasure Island Festival
Oct 19 Los Angeles, CA – The Music Box at Fonda w/ Telekinesis & The Vaselines

Watch the video for “Digging for Something” now.

Pre-order Majesty Shredding on CD and LP in the Merge store and get your tickets for Superchunk’s tour starting Thursday, September 16 at the Nasher Museum in Durham.

On Thursday, September 9, Merge and the Hopscotch Festival will present a listening event at Foundation Bar in Raleigh from 4-6 PM. Also, on Sunday, September 12, we will be at Orange County Social Club in Carrboro selling Majesty Shredding early! At both events, Majesty Shredding will be on the stereo and drink specials at the bar. At each event, you can enter to win a Superchunk prize package which includes a pair of tickets to the album release show on September 16 at the Nasher Museum in Durham and more!

We hope to see you there, but if you don’t live in the area, listen to Majesty Shredding now streaming at NPR.org! Pre-order Majesty Shredding on CD or LP now in the Merge store.