Radar Brothers: New album and new bros!

On March 23, Radar Brothers will release The Illustrated Garden. Jim Putnam has found a new band of brothers in bass player Be Hussey and drummer Stevie Treichel, two partners who are equally passionate about the band.

The original line-up of Radar Brothers died on January 29, 2008. The band was on stage at the Echo in Los Angeles, playing the record release show for their new album Auditorium. However, after a brief hiatus, the new configuration of Radar Brothers began with live performances. Jim, Be, and Stevie built a tight bond while touring together in the US and Europe. Writing together was the natural next step and March 23, 2010, represents the culmination of the Radar Brothers' rebirth.

The Illustrated Garden is the punchiest, most lyrically direct set of songs the band has released to date. The songs are unmistakably Radar Brothers, but the Treichel/Hussey rhythm section often pushes them in unexpected directions.

Radar Brothers will perform at SXSW in March, and a US tour is planned for early summer. Keyboard player Brian Cleary (The Movies) and guitarist Dan Iead (The Broken West) will join the Radar Brothers touring band and play on future recordings.

Download a free MP3 of "Horses Warriors" from The Illustrated Garden now!

Let's Wrestle sign to Merge!

On March 23, Merge will release In the Court of the Wrestling Let's, the debut full-length from British rock stars Let's Wrestle.

Let's Wrestle met years ago and bonded over meat and records. Let's Wrestle have influences as vast as Black Flag, Buddy Holly, Faust, and Edith Piaf but are ultimately trying to be as raw as possible. They try to write songs that make your soul crumble as well as make you smile, sing along, and clap your hands.

Upon being signed to Merge, singer and guitarist Wesley Patrick Gonzalez exclaimed, "The future looks pretty Mergetastic and Wrestlerific!" We think you'll agree!

Please enjoy a download of "We Are the Men You'll Grow to Love Soon" from In the Court of the Wrestling Let's. There's a video on the Merge blog too! Singer Wesley Patrick Gonzalez describes this song as "Let's Wrestle's bar mitzvah from whence they turned from punk pre-teens into men who rock."

Let's Wrestle are Wesley Patrick Gonzalez (vocals and guitar), Mike Lightning (bass and vocals), and Darkus Bishop (drums).

Portastatic covers Merge bands on new charity EP "Make It Sound In Tune"

Portastatic's new digital EP of Merge covers, Make It Sound In Tune, is available now exclusively in the Merge store. All of the proceeds for this release will benefit the charities chosen by the SCORE! curators.

Here are a few words from Mac on the EP:

The idea for a whole EP of Merge covers stemmed from both listening to the SCORE! Merge covers compilation and from doing bookstore events to promote the Our Noise book, wherein Laura and I would play some acoustic covers of songs that came out on Merge. Time permitting, this really could have been a much longer record, but in the spirit of quitting while I was ahead and also turning this in before the end of the year, I stopped at seven songs. Obviously, the Merge catalog is full of hundreds—thousands, actually—of songs I love, so I picked ones I either knew well or thought I could re-create without defiling too harshly. It wasn't easy to narrow down, so I just tried not to think about it too much, and then time constraints set in...

Download Portastatic's take on Destroyer's "Foam Hands" now.

Make It Sound In Tune EP:
1. Where's Your Patience, Dear? (Matt Suggs)
2. Anything You Want (Spoon)
3. Old Orchard Beach (The Magnetic Fields)
4. West (Spent)
5. The Saturday Option (Lambchop)
6. Foam Hands (Destroyer)
7. A Million Lights (The Renderers)

She & Him reveal "Volume Two" details

She & Him will release their sophomore album, Volume Two, on March 23rd. Written by Zooey Deschanel (She) and produced by M. Ward (Him), Volume Two is the follow up to the duo's critically acclaimed debut, Volume One. The album includes eleven original tracks and two covers: "Ridin' in My Car" by NRBQ and Skeeter Davis' "Gonna Get Along Without You Now."

Described by Zooey as a "feel-good album," Volume Two is bolstered by rich harmonies, sweet-as-sugar melodies, and Brill Building choruses. From sweeping opener "Thieves" and first single "In the Sun" (featuring guest vocals by Tilly and the Wall), to the tempo and mood shifts of "Home" and the vocals-only, hymn-like closer "If You Can't Sleep," Volume Two shimmers from start to finish.

Visit the newly redesigned She & Him website for updates as the release date approaches.

Volume Two track listing:
1. Thieves
2. In the Sun
3. Don't Look Back
4. Ridin' in My Car (NRBQ cover)
5. Lingering Still
6. Me and You
7. Gonna Get Along Without You Now (Skeeter Davis cover)
8. Home
9. I'm Gonna Make It Better
10. Sing
11. Over It Over Again
12. Brand New Shoes
13. If You Can't Sleep

Spoon announces North American tour; preview "Transference" at NPR.org

As the January 19 release of Spoon's eagerly anticipated new album Transference grows near, Spoon has announced the itinerary of its 2010 North American tour. The dates kick off with a March 17 headlining appearance at Stubb's in Austin as part of the annual South by Southwest conference, and include the band's first-ever headline engagement at New York's Radio City Music Hall.

Transference, the seventh Spoon album and the first produced by the band itself, began streaming in its entirety this weekend as an NPR First Listen. Also, Spoon will commemorate the release of Transference with a January 19 appearance on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.

Pre-order the CD or LP from the Merge store, and don't forget to add the limited edition 7" with the exclusive B-side "Mean Red Spider" to your cart! While you listen, read the fantastic New York Times cover feature on Spoon from this Sunday's Arts & Leisure section!

Spoon North America Tour 2010
3/17 Austin, TX Stubbs SXSW
3/18 New Orleans, LA Republic
3/19 Birmingham, AL Workplay Soundstage
3/20 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
3/22 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
3/23 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
3/24 Richmond, VA The National
3/26 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall
3/27 Boston, MA House of Blues
3/29 Toronto, ON Sound Academy
3/30 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
4/1 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom
4/2 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
4/3 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
4/5 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
4/6 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
4/7 Salt Lake City, UT In the Venue
4/9 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
4/10 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
4/11 Vancouver, BC Orpheum Theatre
4/13 Oakland, CA Fox Theater

Deerhunter direct support on all dates, plus:
March 18–30 w/The Strange Boys
April 1–13 w/Micachu & the Shapes

Shout Out Louds announce tour, new digital single, and premiere "Fall Hard" video

Shout Out Louds' new album, Work, will be in stores on February 23. Their North American tour will begin on May 2 at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, and will culminate with a performance at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, on May 21.

In addition to the tour, the band has just released a music video for the first commercial single from Work entitled "Fall Hard" (single available exclusively via digital download on February 2). Directed by Shout Out Louds bass player Ted Malmros and his brother Tom Malmros, "Fall Hard" is a colorful moving image that director Ted describes as "a Belgian cigarettes inspired TV-show deja vú...." Watch the video now.

Shout Out Louds are also still offering album track "Walls" as a free download at www.shoutoutlouds.com. Pre-order Work on CD and LP (with MP3 download coupon) in the Merge store.

Fall Hard track listing:
1. Fall Hard (album version)
2. Fall Hard Pt. 2
3. Can't Explain

Shout Out Louds on tour:
5/2 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
5/3 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church
5/5 New York, NY Webster Hall
5/6 Boston, MA Paradise
5/7 Montreal, QC Cabaret Music Hall
5/8 Toronto, ON Mod Club
5/10 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
5/11 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
5/14 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
5/15 Seattle, WA Neumos
5/16 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
5/18 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
5/20 San Diego, CA House of Blues
5/21 Los Angeles, CA El Rey

"Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox" available now in the Merge store

On June 11, 2009, musician Chris Knox suffered a life-altering stroke at his home in Grey Lynn, New Zealand. Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox is a celebration of Chris and his music. He was instrumental in bringing New Zealand punk and alternative music to international audiences with Tall Dwarfs, Toy Love, and his solo work. Artists from the US (Jeff Mangum, Yo La Tengo, The Mountain Goats, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Lambchop, Stephin Merritt, Portastatic, Bill Callahan, Lou Barlow, Jay Reatard); New Zealand (The Bats, The Verlaines, The Chills) and the world over have donated their time and talent covering songs from Knox's extensive catalog so that all proceeds can go towards assisting Chris with his recovery.

Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox is available for download now from the Merge store and our usual digital outlets. The 2-CD limited-edition release will be available in stores on February 23, but you can pre-order it today and receive the digital download via email immediately after your order is complete!

Visit the fantastic Stroke website for updates on Chris Knox, information on all of the artists who contributed their versions of Knox's songs, and for previews of many of the tracks—originals and covers.

From the New York Observer's "Very Short List":
If you aren't already a fan of Knox's songs, chances are these 36 tracks, recorded by the likes of Stephin Merritt, Yo La Tengo, Will Oldham and the Bats, will convert you. There's an infectious rendition of "Pull Down the Shades" by Jay Reatard; the Chills doing "Luck or Loveliness"; and (our favorite) Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum crooning "Sign the Dotted Line." Good music for a good cause. Win-win!

The Clientele announces North American tour

Alasdair, Mark, James, and Mel will be stateside in February to support their new album, Bonfires on the Heath.

Featured on individual critics' year-end lists at The Onion AV Club, Pitchfork, NPR Music, and more, Bonfires on the Heath is in a sense a return to the Clientele's roots; the dreamlike suburban landscapes first encountered in the early singles, their trippy sense of menace stronger now. Back in London, they've drawn on older traditions of English folk, which exist here side by side with the band's more familiar bossa and pop elements. Mel Draisey's contributions on piano and violin add beautifully to MacLean's timeless, eerie songs.

Bonfires on the Heath is available on CD, LP (with MP3 download), and digital download in the Merge store. Watch video of The Clientele playing a stripped-down version of "Bonfires on the Heath" from XX Merge!

The Clientele on tour:
2/21 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's
2/22 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's
2/23 Washington, DC Black Cat
2/24 Chapel Hill, NC Cat's Cradle
2/25 Atlanta, GA The Earl
2/26 Birmingham, AL Bottletree
2/27 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon
2/28 Dallas, TX Granada Theatre
3/1 Austin, TX Mohawk
3/4 San Diego, CA Casbah
3/5 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland
3/6 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland
3/7 Visalia, CA Cellar Door
3/9 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
3/11 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
3/12 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern
3/15 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural Center
3/16 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon
3/17 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
3/19 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern
3/20 Montreal, QC Il Motore
3/21 Allston, MA Great Scott
3/23 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
3/24 New York, NY Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

New Merge gear

Visit the Merge store for Merge hoodies and t-shirts for the whole family!

New chocolate brown tees for men, women, and babies! Cherry red tees for toddlers and kids! Brown hoodies to keep you warm and toasty through the long winter nights! Also, freshly reprinted Superchunk tees for men, women, and toddlers!

All Merge wear is 100% cotton and made by American Apparel.