Merge Records

Lambchop premieres Mr. M interview videos this week at MagnetMagazine.com

April 17, 2012 – 3:19 pm

Lambchop are guest editors at MagnetMagazine.com this week and in addition to sharing a few of their favorite things, they are premiering a series of interviews with Kurt Wagner about each song on Mr. M. Check back all week for new videos and more at MagnetMagazine.com.

Read the Q&A launching Lambchop’s week as guest editors at MagnetMagazine.com

Last week, Lambchop premiered the new video for “2b2″ at Slate.com. Featuring footage from the recent European tour, the video captures the excitement of the live Lambchop experience.

Watch “2b2″ now via YouTube

Also, be sure to check out the fantastic interview with Kurt Wagner for Pitchfork’s 5-10-15-20 feature. Kurt discusses albums that were important to him at different ages and some pretty great stories emerge.

Read Kurt Wagner’s 5-10-15-20 feature at Pitchfork.com

“Kurt Wagner and co.’s masterful 11th album is one of the best to emerge from their strange, modest universe.” ~Pitchfork, Best New Music

“The best American songwriter working today.” ~Salon.com

Order Mr. M now on CD or limited-edition dbl-LP in the Merge store.

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

Lambchop on tour:
Apr 17 Boston, MA – Paradise
Apr 18 Philadelphia, PA – World Café Live
Apr 19 New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge w/ Charlie Horse
Apr 20 Brooklyn, NY – The Bell House
Apr 21 Pittsburgh, PA – Club Café
Apr 22 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
Apr 23 Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark
Apr 24 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
Apr 25 Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon
Apr 26 Minneapolis, MN – The Dakota
Apr 27 Omaha, NE – The Slowdown
Apr 28 Boulder, CO – The Fox Theatre
Apr 29 Salt Lake City, UT – The State Room
May 01 Seattle, WA – The Tractor Tavern
May 02 Portland, OR – Doug Fir
May 04 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
May 05 Santa Monica, CA – McCabe’s Guitar Shop (early show: doors at 7pm, show at 8pm)
May 05 Santa Monica, CA – McCabe’s Guitar Shop (late show: doors at 9:30pm, show at 10pm)
May 06 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
May 08 Dallas, TX – Club DaDa
May 09 Austin, TX – The Cactus
May 11 Birmingham, AL – Secret Stages
May 12 Nashville, TN – VFW Post 1970

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The Eleanor Friedberger band on tour, “I Won’t Fall Apart on You Tonight” video

April 10, 2012 – 3:20 pm

Eleanor Friedberger is bringing her full band back out on the road in April with Merge labelmates Hospitality. Eleanor’s band on this tour is Matt Asti (MGMT), Andy Mcleod (White Magic), and John Eatherly (Be Your Own Pet & Turbo Fruits).

Also, Paper Magazine premiered the new video for “I Won’t Fall Apart on You Tonight” from Last Summer today. The video was directed and produced by Matt Asti with Ry Russo-Young. Featuring backstage dance parties and other tour antics, this video will get you even more excited to see Eleanor and Hospitality when they come to your town.

Last Summer is available on CD, LP and digital download. Watch the recent video for “Heaven” too!

“Last Summer sounds more intimate and accessible than any of her band’s nine albums; it’s a perfect soundtrack for an afternoon spent sifting through a box of old Polaroids.” ~NPR Music

Eleanor Friedberger on tour:
(all dates w/ Hospitality)
Apr 18 Brooklyn, NY – The Bell House
Apr 19 Washington, DC – Black Cat
Apr 20 Durham, NC – Casbah
Apr 21 Atlanta, GA – The Basement
Apr 23 Birmingham, AL – Work Play
Apr 24 New Orleans, LA – Circle Bar
Apr 26 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s
Apr 27 San Antonio, TX – Korova
Apr 28 Austin, TX – Frank
May 01 Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern
May 02 Evanston, IL – SPACE
May 03 Ferndale, MI – Magic Bag
May 04 Toronto, ON – The Garrison
May 05 Montreal, QC – Il Motore
May 06 Allston, MA – Great Scott

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M. Ward’s A Wasteland Companion in stores, performs on KCRW & Conan today!

April 10, 2012 – 9:46 am

M. Ward‘s highly anticipated new solo album A Wasteland Companion is in stores today, April 10. To celebrate, listen to the archived KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic at Apogee’s Berkeley Street Studio session here. The release day festivities continue with a live performance tonight on Conan, which airs at 11pm Eastern/10pm Central on TBS.

In their introduction to the “First Listen,” NPR describes M. Ward:

Some musicians write for car stereos; others for laptops, boom boxes or weight-room sound systems. M. Ward writes for beat-up transistor radios, as if he were sending his songs hurtling backward through time and space, to a point where music coexists with a ghostly, almost otherworldly crackle.

NPR’s Morning Edition also interviewed M. Ward about his inspirations and traveling.

Watch the video for “The First Time I Ran Away” and order A Wasteland Companion on CD or LP now in the Merge store, or at your local record store.

M. Ward on tour:
April 11 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
April 12 Santa Cruz, CA The Cocoanut Grove Ballroom
April 13 Indio, CA Coachella **SOLD OUT**
April 14 Santa Barbara, CA SoHo **SOLD OUT**
April 16 San Diego, CA Belly Up **SOLD OUT**
April 17 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom
April 18 Flagstaff, AZ The Orpheum
April 20 Indio, CA Coachella **SOLD OUT**
May 5 Portland, ME State Theatre
May 6 Burlington, VT Higher Ground
May 7 New Haven, CT Toads Place
May 8 Boston, MA House of Blues
May 11 New York, NY Webster Hall
May 12 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
May 13 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
May 15 Durham, NC Duke Performances at Page Auditorium
May 16 Athens, GA Georgia Theatre
May 17 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre
May 18 Gulf Shores, AL Hang Out Music Festival
May 20 Nelsonville, OH Nelsonville Music Festival
May 22 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
May 23 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre
May 24 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
May 26 Missoula, MT Wilma Theatre
May 27 George, WA Sasquatch Festival

Jonathan Richman supports 4/11
fIREHOSE supports 4/12, 4/16-4/18
Lee Ranaldo Band supports 5/5-5/22

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The Magnetic Fields & the “Tour at the Bottom of the Sea”

April 5, 2012 – 2:20 pm

The Magnetic Fields returned to Merge last month with their new album Love at the Bottom of the Sea. The band kicked off their tour with an inaugural visit to the SXSW festival and have traversed the country by plane and van to some of the most beautiful venues in the country. Merch girl and author Emma Straub is keeping us up-to-date on the tour at the “Tour at the Bottom of the Sea” blog as well as entries posted at The Paris Review.

Listen to Stephin’s KEXP performance live from the men’s room at KEXP.org, and read a great interview with Stephin about his favorite musical gear at the Village Voice’s Sound of the City blog. And don’t miss this video of the soon-to-be-hit song “Hookers and Blow” by the ladies of the Magnetic Fields.

The “Tour at the Bottom of the Sea” wraps up soon, so get your tickets now! Love at the Bottom of the Sea is available on CD, LP and digital download now in the Merge store.

The Magnetic Fields on tour:

Apr 6 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
Apr 7 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
Apr 9 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Apr 11 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
Apr 12 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
Apr 14 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse

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Wild Flag’s Carrie Brownstein guests on Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! & WTF with Marc Maron

April 2, 2012 – 10:49 am

Wild Flag‘s Carrie Brownstein was the guest on new episodes of Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! and WTF with Marc Maron.

Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! is the weekly NPR News quiz show. Carrie played their “Not My Job” game in which she was asked questions about Singapore by host Peter Sagal. Stream or download Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! to listen.

Also, Carrie visited comedian Marc Maron’s infamous “cat ranch” for an interview that airs on today’s episode of his WTF podcast. Merge sponsored the episode, so listen for a code to save 20% in the Merge store. Download WTF with Marc Maron to listen.

Wild Flag are on tour now and their debut album Wild Flag is available on CD, LP and digital download now in the Merge store. Keep up with Carrie and Wild Flag on twitter.

Wild Flag on tour:
* = w/ Hospitality
Apr 02 Washington, DC 9:30 Club*
Apr 03 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero*
Apr 05 Chicago, IL Metro*
Apr 07 Mexico City, MX Indie-O Fest
Apr 15 Indio, CA Coachella
Apr 18 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
Apr 19 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre
Apr 22 Indio, CA Coachella
May 04 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
May 27 George, WA Sasquatch Music Festival

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Hear the Mountain Goats perform with Anonymous 4

March 30, 2012 – 2:18 pm

The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle performed with vocal quartet Anonymous 4 in New York last weekend as part of the Ecstatic Music Festival. NPR streamed the show and you can listen to the archive now.

Listen to the Mountain Goats perform live with Anonymous 4 from the Ecstatic Music Festival now on NPR.

The Mountain Goats on tour:
Apr 2 London, England The Barbican w/ Anonymous 4
May 1 Perth, WA, Australia
May 3 The Great Northern, Byron Bay, NSW, Australia
May 4 The Zoo, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
May 6 The Metro, Sydney, NSW, Australia
May 8 The Clarendon, Katoomba, NSW, Australia
May 10 The Corner Hotel, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Also posted in The Mountain Goats

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Merge artists on tour

March 22, 2012 – 4:59 pm

Touring season is officially here! Be sure to check the Merge tour page frequently for all the latest rock shows in your area. Richard Buckner, Crooked Fingers, Hospitality & the Love Language have been making their way around the country, and they yearn to see your happy faces! Please bookmark the Merge tour page, and note that you can now sort by Artist, City, or State!

M. Ward, The Magnetic Fields, Hospitality, Archers of Loaf, & the full band Lambchop all hit the road in support of new releases, while Destroyer, Caribou (with Radiohead!), The Clean & Times New Viking, Eleanor Friedberger, Jeff Mangum, Conor Oberst & Wild Flag provide you with a second chance to see their live shows. These are very special occasions, so don’t miss them!

A few Merge artists have paired up to bring you a twofer, including Eleanor Friedberger & Hospitality, Wild Flag & Hospitality, The Clean & Times New Viking, Crooked Fingers & Lambchop. We think these all make for exceptional pairings, and we hope you will make it out & spread the Merge love!

As always, you can sample our current releases at the Merge SoundCloud page or in the Merge Store.

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Bob Mould signs to Merge & plays SXSW showcase

March 9, 2012 – 12:21 pm

Welcome Bob Mould to Merge Records! Bob Mould recorded his new album to be released on Merge Records this fall with his band mates Jon Wurster (Superchunk, the Mountain Goats) and Jason Narducy (Telekinesis, Robert Pollard band).

Bob, Jason & Jon will join the already impressive line-up of bands including Hospitality, Eleanor Friedberger, M. Ward, Imperial Teen, Crooked Fingers, and the Love Language in Austin, TX at our SXSW showcase on Friday, March 16 at Frank. DJing in-between sets will be Ross from Apex Manor, too!

Bob Mould performed Sugar’s Copper Blue album in its entirety for the first time at Noise Pop last month, and will perform the album at the MOG party at SXSW on Saturday, March 17. More Copper Blue dates are scheduled for Europe this summer, visit BobMould.com for more information.

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Invite Imperial Teen to your party to win!

March 7, 2012 – 12:37 pm

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

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

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

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

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

Imperial Teen – “Out from Inside”

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

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

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Caribou announces tour dates with Radiohead

March 5, 2012 – 4:08 pm

Caribou will join Radiohead for a series of shows beginning April 17 in Mexico City and ending June 16 in Toronto, so bring your friends and get there early!

Caribou’s latest release Swim is available on CD, dbl-LP and digital download now in the Merge store, and visit caribou.fm for the most up-to-date world tour information.

Caribou on tour with Radiohead:
April 17 Mexico City, Mexico Foro Sol
April 18 Mexico City, Mexico Foro Sol
May 29 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center
May 31 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
June 01 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
June 03 Washington, DC Verizon Center Arena
June 05 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
June 06 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center
June 10 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
June 11 Auburn Hills, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills
June 13 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
June 15 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
June 16 Toronto, ON Downsview Park

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Richard Buckner, Arcade Fire, M. Ward & Destroyer announce exclusive Record Store Day releases

March 5, 2012 – 1:32 pm

Record Store Day is Saturday, April 21, and we have four very special releases to mark the occasion of one of our favorite days of the year! The only way to get your hands on these releases is to visit your local independent record store on April 21.

Richard Buckner – “Willow” b/w “Lost” 7-inch

“Willow” b/w “Lost” is Richard Buckner’s first 7-inch ever and will be available exclusively on Record Store Day! Containing two new songs and a free download with purchase, the 7-inch will also include a digital-only cover of The Cars’ “Candy-O.” Listen to “Willow” below via the Merge SoundCloud page.

M. Ward – “Primitive Girl” b/w “The Twist” & “Roll Over Beethoven” 7-inch

M. Ward’s limited-edition Record Store Day exclusive 7-inch comes less than two weeks after the release of his highly anticipated new solo album, A Wasteland Companion. The 7-inch features “Primitive Girl,” the first single from his new record, as well as two non-album b-sides including long-time live favorite “Roll Over Beethoven.”

M. Ward will be performing at Fingerprints in Long Beach, CA, on Record Store Day. If you live in the area, secure a spot for the show by pre-ordering your copy of A Wasteland Companion on CD or LP directly from Fingerprints.

Arcade Fire – “Sprawl II” b/w “Ready to Start” (Remixed by Damian Taylor & Arcade Fire) 12-inch

The original versions of “Sprawl II” and “Ready to Start” can be found on Arcade Fire’s GRAMMY-winning album The Suburbs, but this special 12-inch pressing marks the first physical release of the remixes of those two songs by Damian Taylor and Arcade Fire. The remix of “Sprawl II” can be heard in the dance motion-activated music video by Vincent Morisset at Sprawl2.com, while the “Ready to Start” remix has previously only been available as a bonus download with the deluxe film-bundled version of the album.

Destroyer – Destroyer’s Rubies dbl-LP reissue

Destroyer’s Rubies will be released on vinyl for the first time in the US! The double-LP reissue will be pressed in limited quantities on ruby red vinyl exclusively for Record Store Day and will include a free download of the entire album. Side 3 features “Loscil’s Rubies,” a 20-minute bonus track remixed by Scott Morgan, who also remixed the bonus tracks on 2011’s Kaputt double-LP. Listen to “3000 Flowers” from Destroyer’s Rubies below via the Merge SoundCloud page.

Richard Buckner – “Willow” (from Record Store Day exclusive 7-inch)

Destroyer – “3000 Flowers” from Destroyer’s Rubies

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The Magnetic Fields announce SXSW appearances

March 1, 2012 – 12:59 pm

The Magnetic Fields will make their first-ever appearance at the SXSW Music Showcase in Austin, Texas on March 15 as the headliners for NPR’s Live From the Parish day party. They will also perform at their official SXSW showcase at ACL Live on March 16. The band will be celebrating the release of Love at the Bottom of the Sea which will be available in stores on March 6.

Love at the Bottom of the Sea is their first release of new material with Merge since 1999’s highly acclaimed 69 Love Songs. In addition to the SXSW shows, the Magnetic Fields will also be embarking on a North American tour that includes two dates at the Beacon Theater in New York City. A full list of dates are below and tickets are on sale now.

Stream Love at the Bottom of the Sea in its entirety at NPR Music and watch the video for the first single “Andrew in Drag”. Love at the Bottom of the Sea is available for pre-order on CD and LP now in the Merge store.

The Magnetic Fields on tour:
Mar 6 Hudson, NY Helsinki Hudson
Mar 7 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
Mar 10 Minehead, UK All Tomorrow’s Parties
Mar 15 Austin, TX NPR’s SXSW day party @ The Parish
Mar 16 Austin, TX ACL Live @ SXSW
Mar 18 Vancouver, BC The Vogue
Mar 19 Seattle, WA Neptune Theater
Mar 20 Seattle, WA Neptune Theater
Mar 21 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
Mar 23 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theater
Mar 24 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
Mar 26 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Mar 27 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Mar 28 Iowa City, IA Englert Theater
Mar 30 Toronto, ON Sound Academy
Mar 31 Montreal, QC Le National
Apr 3 New York, NY Beacon Theater
Apr 4 New York, NY Beacon Theater
Apr 6 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
Apr 7 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
Apr 9 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Apr 11 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
Apr 12 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
Apr 14 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse

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May
21	Zurich	El Lokal
23	Belgrade	Gun Club
24	Zagreb	Tvornici kulture
July
27	Edmonton, AB	Interstellar Rodeo
September
01	North Dorset	End of the Road Festival

September
06	Raleigh, NC	Hopscotch Music Festival

May
30	Barcelona	Primavera Sound - Date TBA
June
07	Porto	Primavera Sound - Date TBA
July
27	Calgary, AB	Calgary Folk Music Festival

July
06	Ottawa, ON	Ottawa Bluesfest
24	Bethlehem, PA	Musikfest CafÃ© At Artsquest Center
25	Albany, NY	Swyer Theatre @ The Egg
26	Fairfield, CT	StageOne
27	Newport, RI	Jane Pickens Theater
[see all]

September
06	Raleigh, NC	Hopscotch Music Festival

Merge Records

Lambchop premieres Mr. M interview videos this week at MagnetMagazine.com

The Eleanor Friedberger band on tour, “I Won’t Fall Apart on You Tonight” video

M. Ward’s A Wasteland Companion in stores, performs on KCRW & Conan today!

The Magnetic Fields & the “Tour at the Bottom of the Sea”

Wild Flag’s Carrie Brownstein guests on Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! & WTF with Marc Maron

Hear the Mountain Goats perform with Anonymous 4

Merge artists on tour

Bob Mould signs to Merge & plays SXSW showcase

Invite Imperial Teen to your party to win!

Caribou announces tour dates with Radiohead

Richard Buckner, Arcade Fire, M. Ward & Destroyer announce exclusive Record Store Day releases

The Magnetic Fields announce SXSW appearances

Archers of Loaf [+]

Richard Buckner [+]

Caribou [+]

The Clean [+]

Destroyer [+]

Eleanor Friedberger [+]

Hospitality [+]

Lambchop [+]

Jeff Mangum [+]

the Mountain Goats [+]

Conor Oberst [+]

Pipe [+]

Portastatic [+]

Shark Quest [+]

Superchunk [+]

Times New Viking [+]

Versus [+]

M. Ward [+]

Wild Flag [+]

Wye Oak [+]

May
27	London	Alexandra Palace
30	Barcelona	Primavera Sound
June
16	Toronto, ON	Phoenix
23	Calgary, AB	Sled Island Festival

May
29	Mansfield, MA	Comcast Center
31	Newark, NJ	Prudential Center
June
01	Newark, NJ	Prudential Center
03	Washington, DC	Verizon Center Arena
05	Cincinnati, OH	Riverbend Music Center
[see all]

May
30	Los Angeles, CA	The Echo
June
02	Austin, TX	Chaos in Tejas - Club De Ville
04	Allston, MA	Brighton Music Hall
05	New York, NY	Le Poisson Rouge
06	Philadelphia, PA	Johnny Brenda's
[see all]

June
03	Seattle, WA	The Showbox
04	Portland, OR	Aladdin Theater
05	San Francisco, CA	The Fillmore
06	Los Angeles, CA	El Rey Theatre
07	Phoenix, AZ	The Crescent Ballroom
[see all]

May
21	Denver, CO	Hi Dive
22	Aspen, CO	Belly Up
23	Salt Lake City, UT	Urban Lounge
24	Boise, ID	Reef
25	Portland, OR	Bunk Bar
[see all]

June
22	Vancouver, BC	The Rio Theatre
23	Seattle, WA	Columbia City Theater
25	Portland, OR	The Mission Theater
27	San Francisco, CA	Swedish American Hall
28	San Francisco, CA	Swedish American Hall
[see all]

May
22	Chicago, IL	Vic Theatre
23	Madison, WI	Barrymore Theatre
24	Minneapolis, MN	First Avenue
26	Missoula, MT	Wilma Theatre
27	George, WA	Sasquatch Music Festival
[see all]

July
05	Hamden, CT	The Space
06	Wellfleet, MA	The Beachcomber
07	Northampton, MA	Iron Horse Music Hall
08	Hudson, NY	Club Helsinki
10	Brooklyn, NY	Celebrate Brooklyn!
[see all]