The Magnetic Fields’ Love at the Bottom of the Sea is in stores today on CD, LP, and digital download! The band has also announced its first-ever appearance at the SXSW Music Showcase in Austin, TX, 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 Austin City Limits Live on March 16.

Love at the Bottom of the Sea is the Magnetic Fields’ first release of new material on Merge since 1999’s highly acclaimed 69 Love Songs. In addition to the SXSW shows, the band will play a number of dates throughout North America, including two performances at the Beacon Theatre in New York City in April. The full list of dates is below, and tickets are on sale now.

Listen to Love at the Bottom of the Sea in its entirety and get your copy on CD, LP, or digital download now in the Merge store. And don’t miss the video for “Andrew in Drag”!

The Magnetic Fields on tour:
Mar 06 Hudson, NY – Helsinki Hudson
Mar 07 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 – Austin City Limits 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 03 New York, NY – Beacon Theater
Apr 04 New York, NY – Beacon Theater
Apr 06 Boston, MA – Berklee Performance Center
Apr 07 Boston, MA – Berklee Performance Center
Apr 09 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

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!

Listen to “Out from Inside” via the Merge SoundCloud page

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!

Lambchop released its eleventh album Mr. M last week to much critical acclaim and a first-time appearance on the Billboard chart in the band’s long career! Watch the beautiful video for “Gone Tomorrow” which features a few of the stars of Nashville’s underground wrestling scene.

Salon.com declared Kurt Wagner “the greatest American songwriter,” while Pitchfork bestowed its coveted Best New Music tag on Mr. M. The New York Times and NPR Music also joined the ranks of those excited about the new Lambchop album.

Read Kurt’s conversation with the AV Club as well as this intriguing interview with him about songwriting at Writers on Process.

See Lambchop on tour, and visit the Merge store to listen to Mr. M and purchase your copy on CD, dbl-LP and digital download.

Lambchop US tour:
Apr 13 Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle w/ Crooked Fingers
Apr 14 Durham, NC – Motorco w/ Crooked Fingers
Apr 15 Arlington, VA – IOTA
Apr 16 Annapolis, MD – Ram’s Head
Apr 17 Boston, MA – Paradise
Apr 18 Philadelphia, PA – World Café Live
Apr 19 New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge
Apr 20 Brooklyn, NY – The Bell House
Apr 21 Pittsburgh, PA – Club Café
Apr 22 Cleveland, OH – The 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
May 06 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
May 08 Dallas, TX – Club DaDa
May 09 Austin, TX – The Cactus Cafe
May 11 Birmingham, AL – Secret Stages
May 12 Nashville, TN – TBA

To celebrate the release of last month’s deluxe reissue of Vee Vee, as well as the reissues of All the Nation’s Airports and White Trash Heroes which will follow later this year, Archers of Loaf have added new tour dates and will perform songs from all three albums as well as Icky Mettle. Merge label mates Pipe have been added to some of the upcoming shows, so get your empty cans ready!

Read Pitchfork’s glowing review, see the live photos from the Archers’ Troubadour show with Hospitality at Stereogum and L.A. Record, and be sure to buy tickets to their upcoming shows!

Vee Vee is in stores now on double-CD or limited-edition mossy green vinyl. Visit the Merge store for limited-edition “Go Loaf!” pennants re-created from the original design, and stay tuned to mergerecords.com for more limited-edition Archers of Loaf artifacts.

Archers of Loaf on tour:
# – with Pipe
Apr 26 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom #
Apr 27 Cambridge, MA – Middle East #
Apr 28 Cambridge, MA – Middle East #
Apr 29 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
May 10 Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle
May 11 Saxapahaw, NC – Haw River Ballroom #
May 12 Raleigh, NC – Kings Barcade w/ Pipe & Fan Modine
May 30–Jun 3 Barcelona, ES – Primavera Sound
Jun 23 Calgary, AB – Sled Island Festival

Hospitality released its self-titled debut album last month, achieving critical acclaim and garnering new fans everywhere! Interview magazine explores “That Famous Brooklyn Hospitality” in an interview with songwriter Amber Papini, and the band traveled to KEXP in Seattle from New York to bring their songs to the radiowaves.

Catch Hospitality on tour this spring with other Merge artists including Eleanor Friedberger, The Love Language, and Wild Flag as well as shows with Here We Go Magic out west to the Sasquatch Festival. The band will also play the official Merge Records SXSW Showcase on March 16!

Hospitality is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store. Watch the Scott Jacobson-directed video for “Friends of Friends” too!

Hospitality on tour:
# – with Tennis
$ – with The Love Language
% – with Wild Flag
* – with Eleanor Friedberger
^ – with Here We Go Magic
Mar 07 New Haven, CT – BAR
Mar 09 Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506 #
Mar 10 Atlanta, GA – The Earl #
Mar 11 Orlando, FL – Orange You Glad Festival
Mar 18 Dallas, TX – Bro Fest
Mar 20 Birmingham, AL – The Bottletree $
Mar 21 Nashville, TN – The High Watt at Mercy Lounge $
Mar 22 Asheville, NC – The Emerald Lounge $
Mar 24 Durham, NC – Duke Coffeehouse Spring Festival
Mar 30 New Haven, CT – Toads Place %
Apr 02 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club %
Apr 03 Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero %
Apr 05 Chicago, IL – Metro %
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 – WorkPlay *
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 15 Pittsburgh, PA – Brillobox ^
May 16 Bloomington, IN – The Bishop ^
May 18 Milwaukee, WI – Stonefly Brewery ^
May 19 Minneapolis, MN – 400 Bar ^
May 21 Denver, CO – Hi Dive ^
May 22 Aspen, CO – Belly Up ^
May 23 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge ^
May 25 Portland, OR – Bunk Bar ^
May 27 George, WA – Sasquatch Music Festival

Record Store Day is Saturday, April 21, and Merge has four very special vinyl 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” 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” and an original song titled “The Twist.”

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 via the Merge SoundCloud page.

M. Ward’s forthcoming album, A Wasteland Companion, will be released on April 10. The first single, “Primitive Girl” has been posted for streaming on mwardmusic.com via the Merge SoundCloud page. The track is now available for purchase from iTunes and can also be found on Spotify.

“Primitive Girl” features M. Ward on vocals, piano, and guitar; John Parish on percussion/marimba; Mike Mogis on organ; and Susan Sanchez providing backing vocals.

M. Ward – “Primitive Girl” by Merge Records

In the three years since Portland, OR-based troubadour M. Ward released his last solo album, the universally lauded Hold Time, he’s toured the globe and released two albums as one-half of GRAMMY-nominated duo She & Him as well as one with a talented group of friends collectively known as Monsters of Folk.

A Wasteland Companion is available for pre-order on CD and LP in the Merge store. Preorders will be shipped to arrive on or around the April 10, 2012, release date and will include a poster and an M. Ward A Wasteland Companion field notebook (while supplies last).

M. Ward on tour:
# – with Lee Ranaldo Band
Apr 11 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore w/ Jonathan Richman
Apr 12 Santa Cruz, CA – The Cocoanut Grove Ballroom w/ fIREHOSE
Apr 13 Indio, CA – Coachella **SOLD OUT**
Apr 14 Santa Barbara, CA – SoHo **SOLD OUT**
Apr 16 San Diego, CA – Belly Up w/ fIREHOSE
Apr 17 Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom w/ fIREHOSE
Apr 18 Flagstaff, AZ – The Orpheum w/ fIREHOSE
Apr 20 Indio, CA – Coachella **SOLD OUT**
May 05 Portland, ME – State Theatre #
May 06 Burlington, VT – Higher Ground #
May 07 New Haven, CT – Toads Place #
May 08 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

Destroyer will be touring North America once again in support of last year’s critically acclaimed and Juno-nominated Kaputt.

Dan Bejar and the Kaputt band will kick off their tour in Seattle on June 3. Destroyer is also scheduled to perform at this year’s dual-weekend Coachella Festival on April 14 and 21.

“Indie eccentric Dan Bejar made the most immersive ‘soft rock’ album of the year, turning smooth sounds to clever, cryptic ends.” –New York magazine, Top 10 Albums of the Year (#4)

Kaputt is available on CD, dbl-LP and digital download now in the Merge store.

Destroyer on tour:
Apr 14 Indio, CA – Coachella
Apr 21 Indio, CA – Coachella
Jun 03 Seattle, WA – The Showbox
Jun 04 Portland, OR – Aladdin Theatre
Jun 05 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
Jun 06 Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
Jun 07 Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom
Jun 08 Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad
Jun 09 Denver, CO – The Bluebird Theatre
Jun 10 Lawrence, KS – The Granada
Jun 11 Iowa City, IA – The Blue Moon Tap House
Jun 13 Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall
Jun 14 Grand Rapids, MI – The Ladies Literary Club
Jun 15 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
Jun 16 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
Jun 17 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
Jun 18 Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Masonic Temple
Jun 20 Boston, MA – Paradise
Jun 21 Montreal, QC – Rialto Theatre
Jun 23 Toronto, ON – The Opera House
Jun 24 Chicago, IL – Metro
Jun 25 Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural Center

The Clean will make a rare visit to the US for shows this summer with label mates Times New Viking!

David, Hamish, and Robert will start their tour in Los Angeles and make a stop at the Chaos in Tejas Festival before joining up with Times New Viking in Boston! Get your tickets now!

The Clean’s latest release, Mister Pop, is available along with other great selections from their catalog in the Merge store. Times New Viking’s Merge debut, Dancer Equired, is available on CD, LP, and digital download in the Merge store as well.

Visit the Merge page on SoundCloud to hear songs from The Clean and Times New Viking!

The Clean on tour
* – with Times New Viking
May 30 Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
Jun 02 Austin, TX – Club Deville (Chaos in Tejas Festival)
Jun 04 Allston, MA – Brighton Music *
Jun 05 New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge *
Jun 06 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s *
Jun 07 Washington, DC – Rock & Roll Hotel *
Jun 08 Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506 *

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. Visit caribou.fm for the most up-to-date world tour information.

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

After joining the Portlandia tour as “Special Guest Musician” last month, Eleanor Friedberger will visit Texas in March for the SXSW Music Festival as well as a residency in Marfa, Texas.

Eleanor will attend a week-long residency for Ballroom Marfa where she will record a limited-edition 7-inch with Gory Smelley of Marfa Recording Company and perform at the Crowley Theater on March 24.

Also, Eleanor is bringing her full band back out on the road in April with Merge label mates Hospitality. Eleanor’s band is Matt Asti (MGMT), Ahmed Gallab (touring member of Yeasayer and Caribou), and John Eatherly (Be Your Own Pet, Turbo Fruits).

Eleanor Friedberger is a lover of the Velvet Underground and Jorge Ben; she’s a fearless performer, as comfortable fronting a band as she is playing alone on a stage with an acoustic guitar; and she’s one of the sweetest alto voices in music. Nowhere is all of this more apparent than on her very first solo album, Last Summer, out now on Merge Records.

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

Eleanor Friedberger on tour:
% – full band dates with Hospitality
Mar 14–18 Austin, TX – SXSW Music Festival (solo)
Mar 24 Marfa, TX – Crowley Theater (solo)
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 – WorkPlay %
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 03 Ferndale, MI – Magic Bag %
May 04 Toronto, ON – Garrison %
May 05 Montreal, QC – Il Motore %
May 06 Allston, MA – Great Scott %

Merge Records will host a showcase at the annual SXSW Music Festival in Austin, TX, at Frank on Friday, March 16. As usual, we will have the best showcase of the festival including the bands listed below and perhaps a surprise or two.

The Magnetic Fields will appear at SXSW and will play Austin City Limits Live on Friday, March 16, as well! As always, our bands will be making various other appearances in Austin throughout the festival, so visit mergerecords.com for updates.

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 to hear some of their songs now too!

Merge SXSW Showcase 2012 Friday, March 16, at Frank Doors at 7; show at 7:30

from first to last:
M. Ward
Hospitality
Eleanor Friedberger
The Love Language
Crooked Fingers
Imperial Teen

The Magnetic Fields at SXSW
Friday, March 16, at Austin City Limits Live
Doors open at 6:30; the band goes on at 8:30