New Spoon in January!

Britt Daniel, Jim Eno, Eric Harvey and Rob Pope--collectively known as Spoon--have confirmed the release date of their first album in over two years and seventh overall: Transference will be released in the U.S. on Merge Records on the 26th of January 2010.

Transference is made up of 11 new gems that honor the Spoon tradition while pushing the envelope of the band's sound ever further. Watch a short promo video here!



Track listing:

Spoon has also confirmed a one-off New Year's Eve extravaganza at the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee with Jay Reatard supporting. Tour dates supporting Transference will be announced as they are confirmed. Check back frequently at spoontheband.com

"Make Your Own Companion" Contest!

In celebration of the limited-edition release of the Merge Records Companion, we are holding a contest! To enter, visit the Merge message board and post a photograph of you and your favorite Merge album in the "Make Your Own Companion" forum for a chance to win an XX Merge prize pack.

The CD-sized Merge Records Companion contains photographs of every 7-inch, album, EP, and DVD (plus two cassettes!) Merge put out during our first 20 years. All proceeds from this limited-edition book will benefit the charities chosen by the fourteen SCORE! curators.

Neutral Milk Hotel reissued on 180-gram vinyl

Today, Neutral Milk Hotel's On Avery Island and In the Aeroplane Over the Sea are available on high-quality 180-gram vinyl, complete with a digital download coupon.

On Avery Island introduced us to Jeff Mangum's strange and beautiful world in 1996, and Neutral Milk Hotel's 1998 follow-up In the Aeroplane Over the Sea has remained one of Merge's most celebrated releases.

Order these Merge classics now in the Merge store or get them at your favorite local record store!

Free Xiu Xiu remix! SCORE! The Remixes in stores November 17th

SCORE! 20 Years of Merge Records: The Remixes! is available in stores on November 17th. Pre-order the limited edition CD and stream the whole record in the Merge store. Download a free MP3 of the Xiu Xiu remix of The 6ths' "Volcana!" now.

The Remixes! will available on limited edition CD and digital download. All proceeds will benefit the charities chosen by our SCORE! curators.

Shout Out Louds' new album in February!

Shout Out Louds just finished recording their third album, Work. The album was recorded at Bear Creek Studio in Seattle and produced by Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, The Shins, Built to Spill, Modest Mouse).

Singer Adam Olenius explains their choice of album title:
"I am fascinated by the process of creating something and almost working yourself to death, the relief that comes when it is over, and the ability to just shut off a part of one's life. 'Work' also means that something 'does work,' to reach a goal. A song from John Cale and Lou Reed's Songs for Drella also inspired our album title choice."

Merge will release Work on February 23rd and will have tour dates to announce soon! Visit ShoutOutLouds.com for photos and a short video from the recording sessions.

XX Merge video wrap-up

XX Merge is over, but thanks to our friends at Converse and Babelgum, we can watch some great moments from the festival as well as bonus shows from Merge bands on demand!

Visit Babelgum's XX Merge page for live performance and interview footage from the festival. Converse has stripped-down performances of six Merge bands taken around Carrboro and Chapel Hill during XX Merge.

We still have XX Merge posters, t-shirts, and tote bags available in the Merge store to further commemorate the occasion. And if you want to know the whole story of how Merge began, pick up a copy of Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records in the Merge store and wherever books are sold.

Thanks to everyone whose attendance helped make XX Merge so much fun, and to all of you for your support of Merge bands through the years!

New videos from The Clean!

The Clean premiered two new videos this week for songs from Mister Pop. Both videos were directed by Theo Angell, with help from Hamish Kilgour on "In the Dreamlife You Need a Rubber Soul." Watch these plus a series of live videos and interviews from the vault on our Vimeo page.

"In the video for 'In the Dreamlife You Need a Rubber Soul,' director and principal band member Hamish Kilgour captures the wide-eyed exuberance of the song with a small boy visiting a carnival by the sea. In case you missed the Beatles reference in the title, the clip contains a cameo appearance by a blackbird too." ~Prefix

Mister Pop is available on CD, digital download and, for a limited time, on import vinyl in the Merge store!

Holiday sales are a-comin'!

Check your inbox before Thanksgiving for a special edition newsletter with all of our exciting sales, bundles, and bargains in the Merge store this holiday season—just in time to give Mom your wish list!

Also, you may have received a confusing notice from our new newsletter service. Don't worry! You don't need to do anything to continue receiving our newsletter, and we would never sell your information to anyone. This is just a small change to streamline our newsletter operations, and you can unsubscribe anytime through the link below.