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The MataBlog is edited by Matador Records’ co-moaner Gerard Cosloy and individual entries are the work of whoever’s name is next to them. If you enjoyed something in the MataBlog, thank you very much! If there was something you found particularly troubling, please be advised that a) maybe you should read it again and b) the contents of this blog do not necessarily represent the opinions of Matador Records, Beggars Group, the combined staff of either company, nor the Matador artist roster. Opinions are like friends — hardly anyone has one worth listening to.

bar italia - "Nurse!"



video by Simon Mercer



photo by Simon Mercer

bar italia
, the London trio of Nina Cristante, Jezmi Tarik Fehmi and Sam Fenton, have joined the Matador Records roster.
Stream / download "Nurse!"

The band play a run of UK and European headline shows in May, including the ICA in London on May 25th, and will appear at festivals this summer including Primavera Sound Barcelona & Madrid, Latitude, Midi Festival and End Of The Road. A list of upcoming live dates can be found below.

Over the last couple of years, bar italia have released two albums and an EP on the World Music label, as well as several singles.

bar italia  on Tour
Wednesday, May 10 Kazimier Stockroom, Liverpool UK
Thursday, May 11 Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh UK
Friday, May 12 Hare and Hounds, Birmingham UK
Saturday, May 13 Sidney & Matilda, Sheffield UK
Sunday, May 14 Jericho Tavern, Oxford UK
Tuesday, May 16 Jaki, Cologne DE
Wednesday, May 17 Meetfactory, Prague CZ
Thursday, May 18 Urban Spree, Berlin DE
Saturday, May 20 Cinetol, Amsterdam NE
Monday, May 22 Boule Noire, Paris FR
Tuesday, May 23 Aeronef Club, Lille FR
Wednesday, May 24 Green Door Store, Brighton UK
Thursday, May 25 ICA, London UK
Saturday, June 3 Primavera, Barcelona ES
Sunday, June 4 ZDB, Lisbon PT
Monday, June 5 Primavera, Madrid ES


bar italia Online

Instagram
Bandcamp

Lifeguard - Newly Signed To Matador, On Tour With Horsegirl This Summer



(photo by Mariana Beleval)

It is with great pride that we announce that Chicago trio Lifeguard have joined the Matador Records roster.

Formed in 2019, Lifeguard is Asher Case (bass, vocals), Isaac Lowenstein (drums, percussion), and Kai Slater (guitar, vocals). The trio is young – they met in junior high  – but have already found a place at the forefront of an important emerging music community in their hometown.

They are also prolific. In just three years, the trio have put out a full-length, two EPs, and two 7” singles – on their own and also through the labels Chunklet Industries and Born Yesterday. Each release has been sharper than the last, with the band honing a distinct balance of melody and noise, rhythm and drone. You can listen to their most recent EP, 'Crowd Can Talk' (2022) here.



In July, Lifeguard will embark on a US tour with labelmates and fellow Chicagoans, Horsegirl. New music is expected in the spring.



Lifeguard on Tour

Saturday, March 4 Beat Kitchen, Chicago IL %
Saturday, April 29 The Metro, Chicago IL #
Friday, July 21 Ukie Club, Philadelphia PA ^
Saturday, July 22 House of Independents, Asbury Park NJ ^
Sunday, July 23 Ottobar, Baltimore MD ^
Tuesday, July 25 DC9, Washington DC ^
Thursday, July 27 The Pinhook, Durham NC ^
Friday, July 28 The Grey Eagle, Asheville NC ^
Saturday, July 29 Third Man Records, Nashville TN ^
Sunday, July 30 Masquerade, Atlanta GA ^
Tuesday, August 1 Saturn, Birmingham AL
Wednesday, August 2 Toulouse Theatre, New Orleans LA ^
Thursday, August 3 White Oak Music Hall, Houston TX ^
Friday, August 4 The Gremlin, McAllen TX
Saturday, August 5 Paper Tiger, San Antonio TX ^
Monday, August 7 Parish, Austin TX
Tuesday, August 8 Sons of Hermann Hall , Dallas TX ^
Wednesday, August 9 George’s Majestic Lounge, Fayetteville AR ^
Friday, August 11 The Bottleneck, Lawrence KS ^
Sunday, August 13 Thalia Hall, Chicago IL ^

% w/ June of 44
# w/ Eleventh Dream Day
^ w/ Horsegirl

Lifeguard online :

Instagram
Twitter
Bandcamp

Horsegirl On Tour

Friday, March 10 Irving Plaza, New York NY +
Thursday, March 23 Riviera Theatre, Chicago IL *
Saturday, March 25 Riviera Theatre, Chicago IL *
Sunday, March 26 Riviera Theatre, Chicago IL *
Thursday, March 30 The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester NY *
Friday, March 31 The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester NY *
Saturday, April 1 The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester NY *
Saturday, April 15 Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Indio CA
Saturday, April 22 Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Indio CA
Friday, July 21 Ukie Club, Philadelphia PA ^
Saturday, July 22 House of Independents, Asbury Park NJ ^
Sunday, July 23 Ottobar, Baltimore MD ^
Tuesday, July 25 DC9, Washington DC ^
Thursday, July 27 The Pinhook, Durham NC ^
Friday, July 28 The Grey Eagle, Asheville NC ^
Saturday, July 29 Third Man Records, Nashville TN ^
Sunday, July 30 Masquerade, Atlanta GA ^
Tuesday, August 1 Saturn, Birmingham AL
Wednesday, August 2 Toulouse Theatre, New Orleans LA ^
Thursday, August 3 White Oak Music Hall, Houston TX ^
Friday, August 4 The Gremlin, McAllen TX
Saturday, August 5 Paper Tiger, San Antonio TX ^
Monday, August 7 Parish, Austin TX
Tuesday, August 8 Sons of Hermann Hall , Dallas TX ^
Wednesday, August 9 George’s Majestic Lounge, Fayetteville AR ^
Friday, August 11 The Bottleneck, Lawrence KS ^
Sunday, August 13 Thalia Hall, Chicago IL ^

+ w/ Unwound
* w/ Wilco
^ w/ Lifeguard

stream / purchase 'Versions Of Modern Performance'

Horsegirl Online
Website
Twitter
Instagram
Bandcamp

Water From Your Eyes / Matador



(photo :  Christy Bush)



Matador Records is excited to welcome Brooklyn, NYC duo Water From Your Eyes to the label, with a new album due in the first half of 2023.

To mark the occasion, Water From Your Eyes will host a weekly live residency in New York throughout March. Tickets are free and available here. The band has also launched a newsletter, which you can sign up for here.

Water From Your Eyes will also headline shows in London, Brighton, Paris and Brussels before supporting Interpol in Spain and Portugal throughout February.

On the matter of joining the label, the band provided the following words
“This is all very crazy and we aren’t exactly sure what to say besides that it’s incredibly exciting and we are so fortunate to be working with such an amazing group of people. Neither one of us has fully processed the situation but I’m sure that this announcement will bring us closer to grasping reality—as much as the two of us are capable of such a task. We are so grateful to have this opportunity and there are not enough words in the English language to encapsulate our feelings of gratitude at this time. Nevertheless, thanks a bunch. This rocks.”

The ever-evolving project of Rachel Brown (they/them) and Nate Amos (he/him), Water From Your Eyes have released a stream of confoundingly anarchic, dizzyingly inventive, and increasingly recognised experimental pop music. The duo formed in Chicago in 2016 and are now based in Brooklyn.

The band’s 2021 breakout Structure, led by singles “When You’re Around” and "“Quotations”” (not be confused with the similarly titled ”Quotations”’ on the same album), was described by Pitchfork in their Rising feature as "... organized chaos built from the remnants of distorted post-punk, glitchy dance music, inquisitive orchestrals, and snatches of Exquisite Corpse-like word collages". “It holds your gaze long after the mystery fades, “ the album review stated, “channeling a powerful sense of empathy to mesmerizing effect."

Also released in 2021, 'Somebody Else’s Songs' (a reference to the band’s own 2019 album 'Somebody Else’s Song' that won them early attention) was a collection of transmogrified covers encompassing Eminem, Tears For Fears, OMC, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Joe Jackson and Nico. The band member’s individual solo projects, Thanks For Coming (Brown), and This Is Lorelei (Amos), highlight further shades of the duo’s respective fascinations and personalized output.

Water From Your Eyes On Tour, New Dates in Bold
Friday, January 20 Genghis Cohen, Los Angeles CA *
Friday, February 3 The Lexington, London UK +
Monday, February 6 The Prince Albert, Brighton UK &
Friday, February 10 PopUp!, Paris FR
Saturday, February 11 Witloof Bar, Brussels BE
Wednesday, February 15 Sala Capitol, Santiago de Compostela ES @
Thursday, February 16 Lav, Lisboa PT @
Saturday, February 18 São Mamede, Guimarães PT @
Sunday, February 19 Escenario Santander, Santander ES @
Monday, February 20 La Riviera, Madrid ES @
Tuesday, February 21 La Riviera, Madrid ES @
Thursday, February 23 Sala Razzmatazz, Barcelona ES @
Friday, February 24 Mamba!, Murcia ES @
Saturday, February 25 Sala Paris 15, Málaga ES @
Thu, Mar 16 - NYC Residency Night 1 at Secret Location
Fri, Mar 24 - NYC Residency Night 2 @ P.I.T
Fri, Mar 31 - NYC Residency Bowling Night at Melody Lanes
Friday, April 7 Mission Creek Festival, Iowa City IA
Sunday, May 7 Shaky Knees Festival, Atlanta GA

* w/ PENDANT and 24HR Joe
+ w/ Ciel
& w/ Plantoid
@ w/ Interpol

Water From Your Eyes Online
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Bandcamp

Out Today : Belle and Sebastian - 'Late Developers'





(photo : Anna Isola Crolla)

stream / purchase 'Late Developers'

Four days following its announcement, Belle and Sebastian today release new album Late Developers. Listen/purchase HERE. Single “I Don’t Know What You See In Me” (“a chorus so smilingly catchy it sounds like they could be thinking of following John Lydon to the Eurovision song contest” – Evening Standard) had its radio debut on Zoe Ball’s Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2, and the track “When We Were Very Young” is currently on the BBC 6 Music A-List.



The band will be hosting an album listening party on YouTube at 1pm GMT today, with members taking part in the live chat

Watch the video for “I Don’t Know What You See In Me” HERE.

'Late Developers' has already been described as, “full of unexpected moments that bring out their best" (Uncut).

Arriving almost back-to-back to 2022’s Top Ten album ‘A Bit of Previous’, ‘Late Developers’ comes on like its predecessor’s sun-kissed cousin. It is a full-hearted embrace of the band's brightest tendencies that is not only fresh and immediate but possessing of that Belle and Sebastian je ne sais quoi of a group that will always be there for you with the perfect word or melody for the moment, while admitting tunefully that “Every girl and boy / each one is a misery” (“When The Cynics Stare Back From The Wall”).



orange vinyl edition available at the Matador webstore, Belle and Sebastian webstore, Bandcamp and Independent record stores.





Belle and Sebastian on Tour :
Tuesday, April 25 Metropolitan Theatre, Mexico City MX
Friday, April 28 Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee WI
Saturday, April 29 Majestic Theatre, Detroit MI
Sunday, April 30 The Athenaeum Theatre, Columbus OH
Tuesday, May 2 History, Toronto ON
Wednesday, May 3 Bronson Centre, Ottawa ON
Thursday, May 4 Higher Ground, Burlington VT
Friday, May 5 The State Theatre, Ithaca NY
Saturday, May 6 College Street Music Hall, New Haven CT
Monday, May 8 Basilica Hudson, Hudson NY
Tuesday, May 9 White Eagle Hall, Jersey City NJ
Wednesday, May 10 The National, Richmond VA
Friday, May 12 The Eastern, Atlanta GA
Saturday, May 13 St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine FL
Sunday, May 14 Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale FL
Monday, May 15 Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg FL
Wednesday, May 17 Saturn, Birmingham AL
Thursday, May 18 The Pageant, St. Louis MO
Friday, May 19 Bell’s Brewery, Kalamazoo MI
Sunday 2 July: 3Olympia, Dublin
Monday 3 July: Limelight1, Belfast
Wednesday 5 July: Newcastle, O2 City Hall
Thursday 6 July: Hull, University Union Asylum
Saturday 8 July: Liverpool, Olympia
Sunday 9 July: Edinburgh, Usher Hall
Monday 10 July: Aberdeen, Beach Ballroom
Wednesday 12 July: Sheffield, O2 Academy
Thursday 13 July: Oxford, O2 Academy
Friday 14 July: Birmingham, O2 Institute
Saturday 15 July: Cardiff, Great Hall
Monday 17 July: London, Roundhouse
Tuesday 18 July: London, Roundhouse
Wednesday 19 July: Brighton Dome
Friday 21 July: Manchester Academy
Saturday 22 July: Cambridge, Corn Exchange

Belle and Sebastian online:

Official site
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Coming January 13 - Belle and Sebastian - 'Late Developers'





Belle and Sebastian hit the ground running in 2023 with the new album 'Late Developers',released this Friday, January 13th . The first single "I Don’t Know What You See In Me" can be heard now. One of the band’s most unabashedly infectious pop offerings to date, it is also their first co-write, featuring young pop composer Wuh Oh (Peter Ferguson).

Says frontman Stuart Murdoch: "I was bicycling across Scotland last summer, listening to a mix of this song. It was written and produced for us by our friend Pete ‘Wuh Oh’ Ferguson. As I listened to it, I felt lucky to be the first person to get to sing this song. I let my voice swoop and soar in ways that it maybe hasn’t before. And as I continued through fields of gold and green I allowed myself to forget it was Belle And Sebastian,
and pretend it was the latest hit on some random radio station. All music is escape, and perhaps we managed to escape a little further than usual with this unexpected tune.Thanks Pete!"

Arriving almost back-to-back to 2022’s Top Ten album ‘A Bit of Previous’, ‘Late Developers’ comes on like its predecessor’s sun-kissed cousin. It is a full-hearted embrace of the band's brightest tendencies that is not only fresh and immediate but possessing of that Belle and Sebastian je ne sais quoi of a group that will always be there for you with the perfect word or melody for the moment, while admitting tunefully that “Every girl and boy / each one is a misery” (“When The Cynics Stare Back From
The Wall”). “Juliet Naked” channels frantic Billy Bragg-energy with rugged electric guitar and a football stadium worthy chant from Stuart Murdoch. The aforementioned “When The Cynics Stare Back From The Wall” is an unearthed 1994-era pre-Belle and Sebastian gem, with help from Camera Obscura’s Tracyanne Campbell. " So In The Moment” is
breathless psychedelic pop that is arguably one of Stevie Jackson’s best ever songs. “When We Were Very Young” is Smiths-esque jangle rock that is bittersweet, devotional and yearning: “I wish I could be content / With the football scores / I wish I could be content with my daily chores / With my daily worship of the sublime”.

(photograph : Anna Isola Crolla)

presave / preorder 'Late Developers'
stream / download "I Don't Know What You See In Me"
"I Don't Know What You See In Me" - video

‘Late Developers’ Track List

  1. Juliet Naked

  2. Give A Little Time

  3. When We Were Very Young

  4. Will I Tell You A Secret

  5. So In The Moment

  6. The Evening Star

  7. When You’re Not With Me

  8. I Don’t Know What You See In Me

  9. Do You Follow

  10. When The Cynics Stare Back From The Wall

  11. Late Developers


Do you love Belle and Sebastian?

When you look at the cover of one of their records do you instantly get transported to a much-improved state of mind?

Have you found yourself in a dimly lit bar screaming at the top of your lungs over the DJ that YES, “STARS OF TRACK AND FIELD” IS AN ALL-TIME ALBUM OPENER BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT “I DIDN’T SEE IT COMING” MIGHT BE EVEN BETTER???? to your friends who don’t know why the fuck you’re getting so worked up about Belle and Sebastian right now, man?

Do you get a little spring in your step every time you picture them playing the title track from The Boy With The Arab Strap to a room packed like a sardine tin with smiling faces and dancing bodies?

Did you also first fall in love with Belle and Sebastian in 2015 wandering around Belfast in the freezing rain listening to If You’re Feeling Sinister on repeat, only removing your hand from the warmth of your pocket to bring the second track back because the lyric “If I remain passive and you just want to cuddle then we should be okay and we won’t get in a muddle” is killing you and you can’t understand how you haven’t been listening to this band your entire life? No, but something like that maybe?

If you love Belle and Sebastian, 2022’s A Bit of Previous was a surprise gift that felt earned in the midst of some tough-ass times. Belle and Sebastian have already given us a bounty of classic records, so with the previous half-decade’s output – scattered EP’s, soundtracks, and a live record that doubles as a greatest hits collection – you would be forgiven for assuming there was nothing left in the tank and it was time to fire up the tour bus for some album anniversary shows. But you’d be wrong. Turns out the band spent the bleakest parts of peak pandemic times with each other, harnessing the magnitude of an unthinkable situation and the solitude of rides on an empty train car to distant areas of a beautiful snow-covered city. They transmogrified that energy into beams of joy, heartbreak, truth, hope, spirituality, loss and love shining through every moment. It was as if we had been wandering through a cold, dark, seemingly infinite forest until out of nowhere Belle and Sebastian appeared, waiting in the doorway of a warm and familiar space. A space that was previously designated for rehearsal and mail-order, but is currently wallpapered with A4 paper bearing potential song titles. As bass and kick drum patterns pump through the wall, the band invites you in from the cold – not to lie and tell you everything is going to be okay, but to let you know that you are not alone.

SO HOW LUCKY ARE WE THAT THEY WERE MAKING TWO RECORDS ALL ALONG?!

Recorded in the same sessions as A Bit of Previous, Late Developers doesn’t feel like a collection of lesser-than songs that weren’t good enough to go on the “real” record (I’m looking at you, System of a Down’s Hypnotize!). Rather, it’s an embrace of the freedom that comes with a jumbo-sized canvas, skilled students left unsupervised to paint whatever picture they feel like.

While I shudder to do the thing in a bio where I try to describe music to you with words, Late Developers takes you on a journey as the band floats through genres with ease – from the frantic Billy Bragg-with-hella-flute-energy of the opening track, “Juliet Naked,” and what I think might be Stevie Jackson’s best song (“So in the Moment”), into a legit all-out radio-ready dance party in the third quarter of the record (“When You’re Not With Me,” “Do You Follow”) which includes a Belle & Sebastian first, a co-write with young pop composer Pete Ferguson (“I Don’t Know What You See in Me”). They then unearth a 1994-era pre-Belle and Sebastian tune, “When the Cynics Stare Back From the Wall” with the help of Camera Obscura’s Tracyanne Campbell right before they bring you home at the end with a true fuckin' bop (“Late Developers”).

This sunny musical disposition is regularly confronted by the reality that sometimes life and love do not feel good. Major chords on a harpsichord and plucked guitar breeze by as Stuart Murdoch and Sarah Martin lament in harmony, “the world is killing me / I’m out to sea” (“Will I Tell You a Secret”). Belle and Sebastian have always had a knack for juxtaposing the music and lyrics to express the chaotic washing machine of emotion that accompanies being alive. And there’s an effortlessness to Late Developers that reminds you that you are listening to the experts on this. Shit, on “Evening Star” Stuart casually shows off his two-plus-octave vocal range within the first stanza as if it’s nothing. Keep in mind though, no one is flexing and there’s no pretentiousness here. It always feels like friends in a room together communicating through music and enthusiastically encouraging each other to explore every possible path with fervor and love.

It is beyond remarkable and inspiring that a band 600 years or so into their career can make music that not only feels immediate and effective, but two back-to-back albums that feel like Belle and Sebastian are at the top of their game and will always be there for you, while admitting tunefully that yes, “Every girl and boy, each one is a misery.” But it’s not like their goal is to drag you down into the doldrums of despair. They schemed away in the darkness to create something to be brought into the light. Late Developers makes a convincing argument that Belle and Sebastian will eternally be coaxing you towards inner peace with the perfect word for the moment or a melody that lifts you out of the murk of all that terrifying truth and into a world where you can allow yourself to look at the sun, take a deep breath and exist within that truth, living happy in the best way you can.

  • Jeff Rosenstock



orange vinyl edition available at the Matador webstore, Belle and Sebastian webstore, Bandcamp and Independent record stores.





 

Belle and Sebastian on Tour :
Tuesday, April 25 Metropolitan Theatre, Mexico City MX
Friday, April 28 Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee WI
Saturday, April 29 Majestic Theatre, Detroit MI
Sunday, April 30 The Athenaeum Theatre, Columbus OH
Tuesday, May 2 History, Toronto ON
Wednesday, May 3 Bronson Centre, Ottawa ON
Thursday, May 4 Higher Ground, Burlington VT
Friday, May 5 The State Theatre, Ithaca NY
Saturday, May 6 College Street Music Hall, New Haven CT
Monday, May 8 Basilica Hudson, Hudson NY
Tuesday, May 9 White Eagle Hall, Jersey City NJ
Wednesday, May 10 The National, Richmond VA
Friday, May 12 The Eastern, Atlanta GA
Saturday, May 13 St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine FL
Sunday, May 14 Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale FL
Monday, May 15 Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg FL
Wednesday, May 17 Saturn, Birmingham AL
Thursday, May 18 The Pageant, St. Louis MO
Friday, May 19 Bell’s Brewery, Kalamazoo MI
Sunday 2 July: 3Olympia, Dublin
Monday 3 July: Limelight1, Belfast
Wednesday 5 July: Newcastle, O2 City Hall
Thursday 6 July: Hull, University Union Asylum
Saturday 8 July: Liverpool, Olympia
Sunday 9 July: Edinburgh, Usher Hall
Monday 10 July: Aberdeen, Beach Ballroom
Wednesday 12 July: Sheffield, O2 Academy
Thursday 13 July: Oxford, O2 Academy
Friday 14 July: Birmingham, O2 Institute
Saturday 15 July: Cardiff, Great Hall
Monday 17 July: London, Roundhouse
Tuesday 18 July: London, Roundhouse
Wednesday 19 July: Brighton Dome
Friday 21 July: Manchester Academy
Saturday 22 July: Cambridge, Corn Exchange

Belle and Sebastian online:

Official site
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Matador 2022 Year-End Sale : 25% Off (Almost) Everything





We realize there's likely to be some sore feelings about Matador's decision to fully automate our mail order operations, but when we factored in the amount of time label ownership spent dealing with email complaints about bent corners, warped records or USPS going AWOL, it was time to make some bold moves.  And what move could be bolder than opting for the suave services of ACCUTRON 3000 and his not-nearly-as-polished sibling BROBOT 3000?  This dynamic duo are absolutely KILLING IT on the warehouse floor (and by "killing it", I mean Brobot 3000 might've actually killed someone --- we're still investigating) and we're very confident that as this holiday season approaches, your orders will be fulfilled quickly and competently and there's almost no chance whatsoever Brobot 3000 will threaten me with a box cutter ever again.   Think of Accutron 3000 as Gallant to Brobot 3000's Goofus.  Or the Noam to his Liam.  Or maybe the other way around.  I can't tell, this has been very stressful with all the threats.



To celebrate these 2 new additions to our team, we're offering 25% off nearly everything at the Matador Store (preorders and Queens Of The Stone Age reissues excepted) when you use the code "AUTOMATON" at check out.
The sale ends November 22 (or whenever the SWAT team is called to deal with Brobot 3000, whichever comes first).

matador.ffm.to/matador25



Accutron 3000 and Brobot 3000 illustrations by Jeff Mahannah

 

Coming February 10 2023 : Yo La Tengo - 'This Stupid World'



 





(photo by Cheryl Dunn)

presave/purchase 'This Stupid World'
stream / download 'Fallout'

Today we bring you the indisputably excellent news that on February 10 Matador will release 'This Stupid World', the sixteenth album by Yo La Tengo.

In December, the band will return to Bowery Ballroom for their annual eight-night Hanukkah concert series. Early 2023, Yo La Tengo will hit the road on a wide-ranging tour of the US, UK, and Europe.

Time keeps moving and things keep changing, but that doesn’t mean we can't fight back. Yo La Tengo have raced time for nearly four decades and, to my ears, they just keep winning. The trio’s latest victory is called 'This Stupid World', a spellbinding set of reflective songs that resist the ticking clock. This music is not so much timeless as time- defiant. “I want to fall out of time,” Ira Kaplan sings in “Fallout.” “Reach back, unwind.”

Part of how Kaplan, Georgia Hubley, and James McNew escape time is by watching it pass, even accepting it when they must. “I see clearly how it ends / I see the moon rise as the sun descends,” they sing during opener “Sinatra Drive Breakdown.” In the séance-like "Until it Happens,” Kaplan plainly intones, “Prepare to die / Prepare yourself while there’s still time.” But 'This Stupid World' is also filled with calls to reject time – bide
it, ignore it, waste it. "Stay alive," he adds later in the same song. "Look away from the hands of time.”

Of course, times have changed for Yo La Tengo as much as they have for everyone else. In the past, the band has often worked with outside producers and mixers. They made 'This Stupid World' all by themselves. And their time-tested judgment is both sturdy enough to keep things to the band’s high standards, and nimble enough to make things new.

Another new thing about 'This Stupid World' : it’s the most live-sounding Yo La Tengo album in years. At the base of nearly every track is the trio playing all at once, giving everything a right-now feel. Take the signature combination of hypnotic rhythm and spontaneous guitar on “Sinatra Drive Breakdown,” or the steady chug of “Tonight’s Episode,” a blinkered tunnel of forward-moving sound. There’s an immediacy to the music, as if the distance between the first pass and the final product has become more
direct.

The songs on 'This Stupid World 'are still journeys, though. An example is the absorbing, three-dimensional “Brain Capers.” To construct this swirl, the band blends guitar chords, bass loops, drum punches, and various iterations of Hubley and Kaplan's voices intoshifting layers. Simpler but just as dense is closer “Miles Away"; A dubby rhythm lurks
below Hubley’s vocal, which brushes across the song like paint leaving bright blurs.

Throughout the album, these touches, accents, and surprises intensify each piece. It’s ararity – a raw-sounding record that gives you plenty of headphone-worthy detail to chew  on.

'This Stupid World' also gives your brain a lot to digest. All these battles with time drive toward heavy conclusions. In the gripping “Aselestine,” Hubley sings about what sounds like a friend on death's door : “The clock won’t tick / I can’t predict / I can’t sell your books, though you asked me to.” In “Apology Letter,” time turns simple communication into something fraught and confusing: "The words / Derail on the way from me to you.”

Not everything is so serious, though. The absurdist “Tonight’s Episode"  helps McNew learn to milk cows, steal faces, and treat guacamole as a verb. And somehow Alice Cooper, Ray Davies, and Rick Moranis show up in “Brain Capers” — all telling us that time isn’t finished yet.


So I guess everyone on This Stupid World grapples with how time keeps steamrolling and how we keep trying to do something about it. It is there in the title, a defiant but clear-eyed declaration that suggests a will to fight, against the odds. It’s there in the title track too: “This stupid world – it’s killing me / This stupid world – is all we have.” Such realism leads to the resolute optimism of 'This Stupid World's parting shot, “Miles Away,”
which sees time’s passage and life'ss impermanence as things to deal with rather than reasons to despair. “You feel alone / Friends are all gone", Hubley sings softly. "Keep wiping the dust from your eyes.” -
Marc Masters



 



 



 



 



Yo La Tengo on Tour, New Dates In Bold On Sale Friday

Sunday, December 18 Bowery Ballroom, New York NY
Monday, December 19 Bowery Ballroom, New York NY
Tuesday, December 20 Bowery Ballroom, New York NY
Wednesday, December 21 Bowery Ballroom, New York NY
Thursday, December 22 Bowery Ballroom, New York NY
Friday, December 23 Bowery Ballroom, New York NY
Saturday, December 24 Bowery Ballroom, New York NY
Sunday, December 25 Bowery Ballroom, New York NY

Wednesday, February 15 Neptune Theatre, Seattle WA
Thursday, February 16 Neptune Theatre, Seattle WA
Friday, February 17 Wild Buffalo, Bellingham WA
Sunday, February 19 Wonder Ballroom, Portland OR
Monday, February 20 Wonder Ballroom, Portland OR
Wednesday, February 22 The Fillmore, San Francisco CA
Friday, February 24 The Fillmore, San Francisco CA
Saturday, February 25 Teragram Ballroom, Los Angeles CA
Sunday, February 26 Teragram Ballroom, Los Angeles CA
Monday, February 27 Teragram Ballroom, Los Angeles CA|

Thursday, March 9 Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro NC
Friday, March 10 Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro NC
Saturday, March 11 Orange Peel, Asheville NC
Monday, March 13 The Basement East, Nashville TN
Tuesday, March 14 The Basement East, Nashville TN
Thursday, March 16 Jefferson Theater, Charlottesville VA
Friday, March 17 Union Transfer, Philadelphia PA
Saturday, March 18 Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn NY
Sunday, March 19 9:30 Club, Washington DC
Tuesday, March 21 Mr. Smalls, Pittsburgh PA
Wednesday, March 22 Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland OH
Friday, March 24 Metro, Chicago IL
Saturday, March 25 Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee WI
Sunday, March 26 First Avenue, Minneapolis MN
Monday, April 10 3Olympia, Dublin IE
Wednesday, April 12 New Century Hall, Manchester UK
Thursday, April 13 SWX, Bristol UK
Friday, April 14 The London Palladium, London UK
Sunday, April 16 Ancienne Belgique, Brussels BE
Tuesday, April 18 Paradiso, Amsterdam NE
Wednesday, April 19 LantarenVenster, Rotterdam NE
Thursday, April 20 Uebel & Gefaehrlich, Hamburg DE
Friday, April 21 Bremen Teater, Copenhagen DK
Sunday, April 23 Gloria Theatre, Cologne DE
Monday, April 24 Meetfactory, Prague CZ
Tuesday, April 25 Festaal Kreuzberg, Berlin DE
Thursday, April 27 La Cigale, Paris FR
Saturday, April 29 Sala Apolo, Barcelona ES
Sunday, April 30 Warm Up Festival, Murcia ES
Tuesday, May 2 Warner Music The Music Station Pricipe Pio, Madrid ES
Wednesday, May 3 Santana 27 Bilbao ES


Yo La Tengo online

Coming October 20 : Circuit des Yeux & Claire Rousay - 'Sunset Poem'



"Sculpting The Exodus" (reimagined by Claire Rousay)





Circuit des Yeux (photo by Evan Jenkins)



Claire Rousay (photo by Em Scott)



On 'Sunset Poem,' Claire Rousay reworks three songs from Circuit des Yeux’s otherworldly 2021 album, '-io'. Today, you can listen to her take on “Sculpting the Exodus” and watch a video of the two artists in conversation. The full EP will be released October 20.

In its first year on Earth, -'io' has continued to evolve. Though the record was written for a 25-piece orchestra, Haley Fohr’s songs have been refreshed and rearranged to suit each round of touring. This has included performances with string ensembles, a trio with bass and drums, and an expansive duo with multi-instrumentalist Whitney Johnson (Matchess).

'Sunset Poem' extends this process to the studio. Rousay’s work often utilizes environmental recordings to cultivate rich and evocative ambience. Here, the composer unspools three '-io' compositions ; “Vanishing,” “Sculpting the Exodus,” and “Argument – stripping back layers of instrumentation and sheltering Fohr’s voice amid a weave of hushed electronic textures. The results reveal a newly tender, meditative, and boundless space within the songs.

I found Claire Rousay’s music when we were all stuck inside for 2 years.

Her music kind of gave me the atmosphere of company in a solitary reality.  It reminded me of the way I used to interact with music when I was a teenager.  A room can become a whole ecosystem once the music is playing.  Her deft ability to work with sound in a microscopic way is what makes this collaboration so successful. 

It was an honor to give Claire the stems of -io.  The results are beguiling and immense, like watching lead pipes slowly melt into a metallic river.  - Haley Fohr

(presave / preorder 'Sunset Poem')
stream / purchase '-io'


'Sunset Poem' Tracklist
1. Vanishing
2. Sculpting the Exodus
3. Argument

Circuit des Yeux on tour :

Wednesday, October 5 FOLK, Göthenborg SE
Thursday, October 6 ALICE at Ideal Bar, Copenhagen DK
Saturday, October 8 Meetfactory, Prague CZ
Tuesday, October 11 Volkstheater, Vienna AT
Wednesday, October 12 Linhart Hall Ljubljana SI
Thursday, October 13 Freakout, Bologna IT
Friday, October 14 Le Ciel, Grenoble FR
Tuesday, October 18 Café Berlin, Madrid ES
Wednesday, October 19 Culturgest, Lisbon PT
Thursday, October 20 Gnration, Braga PT
Friday, October 21 Auditorio de Espinho, Espinho PT
Wednesday, November 3 Empty Bottle, Chicago IL
Friday, November 11 Pioneer Works, Brooklyn NY

Circuit des Yeux Online

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Circuit des Yeux - "Double Dare"



Circuit des Yeux's cover of Bauhaus' "Double Dare", previously issued as a Qobuz exclusive, is now available for streaming or download on all streaming services.

stream / download "Double Dare"
stream/purchase  '-io'



(photo by Evan Jenkins)

“‘Double Dare’ is a song filled with immense power. Listening to it helps decimate my fear. My favorite part about the CdY interpretation of ‘Double Dare’ is the way Whitney (Johnson) represents the screeching guitar part with a viola and overdrive pedal. The way the harmonics and feedback bounces and resonates around in THX Spatial Audio feels like being in the eye of a tornado. If ‘Double Dare’ is an anecdote to fear, this cover of ‘Double Dare’ in THX Spatial Audio ups the dosage.” -Haley Fohr

Circuit des Yeux on Tour

Thursday, September 22 Chicago Theater, Chicago IL *
Friday, September 23 Chicago Theater, Chicago IL *
Saturday, September 24 Masonic Temple, Detroit MI *
Monday, September 26 Massey Hall, Toronto ON *
Monday, October 3 Slaktkyrkan, Stockholm SE
Tuesday, October 4 Blå, Oslo NO
Wednesday, October 5 FOLK, Göthenborg SE
Thursday, October 6 ALICE at Ideal Bar, Copenhagen DK
Saturday, October 8 Meetfactory, Prague CZ
Tuesday, October 11 Volkstheater, Vienna AT
Wednesday, October 12 Linhart Hall Ljubljana SI
Thursday, October 13 Freakout, Bologna IT
Friday, October 14 Le Ciel, Grenoble FR
Tuesday, October 18 Café Berlin, Madrid ES
Wednesday, October 19 Culturgest, Lisbon PT
Thursday, October 20 Gnration, Braga PT
Friday, October 21 Auditorio de Espinho, Espinho PT

* w/ Pavement

Circuit des Yeux Online

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website

Coming November 4 : Spoon vs. On-U Sound - 'Lucifer On The Moon'





Spoon - photo by Olivia Wolfe



Adrian Sherwood - photo by Harry Borden



"On The Radio" (Adrian Sherwood Reconstruction
directed by Britt Daniel

'Lucifer on the Moon' is the anti-gravity companion to Spoon’s 'Lucifer on the Sofa'. A top-to-bottom rework of the Austin band's tenth album, it was created by On-U Sound founder and UK dub icon, Adrian Sherwood.

The album will be released November 4th on LP and digital.

'Moon' first took shape as a few heady remixes for the singles from 'Lucifer on the Sofa'. Frontman Britt Daniel offered Sherwood two suggestions: “Avoid things that would not be possible on tape” and “Add whatever you want to add, the less modern the better.” The collaboration shouldn't come as a surprise: dub-inspired production is wound through Spoon’s classic tracks, from "Finer Feelings" to "Inside Out."  The initial results pleased both parties and Sherwood was invited to work on additional songs. And then a few more. “I got into the melody and the thoughts it evoked in me,” the producer explains. “It just evolved and we eventually found ourselves with a whole album.”

'Moon' flips 'Lucifer on the Sofa'’s rhythm tracks inside-out, and often rebuilds them wholesale. Sherwood supplied extensive additional instrumentation via On-U’s extended family of session players, including bassist Doug Wimbish and drummer Keith LeBlanc (both of whom performed in Sugarhill Records’ early ’80s in-house rhythm section). He dug deep into the album’s multi-tracks, surfacing forgotten details and elements not present in the final album mixes.

The result airlifts Spoon’s trademark melodies into lush alien terrain, replete with vibrant echo and rumbling low-end. “It wasn’t just a thing where you pick apart this and that and you stay on the grid and you add a delay,” explains Daniel. “He added so much more instrumentation to the tracks that they became completely different versions of the songs. Not just remixes, but companion pieces. A ‘Part II.’”

presave / preorder 'Lucifer On The Moon'
stream / download "On The Radio" (Adrian Sherwood Reconstruction)



'Lucifer On The Moon' Tracklist
01 My Babe
02 On The Radio
03 Held
04 The Devil & Mister Jones
05 Lucifer On The Sofa
06 Astral Jacket
07 Feels Alright
08 Wild
09 The Hardest Cut
10 Satellite

Spoon on tour :

Thursday, October 6 Tolouse Theatre, New Orleans LA
Friday, October 7 Tolouse Theatre, New Orleans LA
Sunday October   9 Austin City Limits Festival, Austin TX
Tuesday, October 11 Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa OK
Wednesday, October 12 Party For The Parks, Zilker Park, Austin TX
Saturday,October 15 Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall, Fort Worth TX
Sunday October 16 Austin City Limits Festival, Austin TX
Saturday, November 19 Corona Capital Festival, Mexico City MX

Spoon Online
Facebook
Twitter
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Official Site
Bandcamp

Algiers - "Bite Back" (featuring billy woods & Backxwash)



"Bite Back", directed by Murat Gökmen

stream / download "Bite Back"





(photo by Ebru Yildiz)

Algiers are back with the new track "Bite Back", featuring Backxwash and billy woods.

Born in the band’s hometown of Atlanta, the six-minute opus sees Algiers frontperson Franklin James Fisher trading verses with Backxwash, aka Montreal Zambian-Canadian rapper & producer Ashanti Mutinta, and NYC's billy woods, on Black resistance, PsyOps and police oppression.

Multi-instrumentalist/producer Ryan Mahan said: “Shit’s been so real the past few years, we really needed to grow our community of collaborators and make solid the bonds we’ve always felt, particularly with rap heads. And to have the two best rappers around, billy woods AND Backxwash, on the same Algiers-produced track? Pinch me, for real.”

Singer Franklin James Fisher said: "Ryan showed up one day with this beautifully epic instrumental and said, “I’ve got this song and I want to call it ‘Bite Back’. It immediately reminded me why I joined this band and the rest of the song seemed to write itself. It's a classic example of our Lenin-McCartney dynamic.”

Backxwash said: "This feels like the soundtrack to revolutionary struggle. I am honored to participate side by side with an incredible array of artistry.”

billy woods said: "Working with Algiers was a dope experience on many levels, and I was even more excited when they said they were shooting a video. Plus knowing Backxwash was involved, I had to do it.”

‘Bite Back’ is the first new music from Algiers – the four-piece of Franklin James Fisher, Ryan Mahan, Lee Tesche and Matt Tong – since their critically acclaimed third album 'There Is No Year' in 2020.

There's more Algiers news to follow soon



Algiers on Tour, New Dates in Bold

(Tickets)

Wednesday, September 14 Mahall’s, Lakewood OH
Friday, September 16 Riot Fest, Chicago IL
Saturday, September 17 Rozz Tox, Rock Island IL
Thursday, February 9 Workman’s Dublin IE
Wednesday, February 15 Botanique, Brussels BE
Thursday, February 16 Salzhaus, Winterthur CH
Friday, February 17 Bronson, Ravenna IT
Saturday, February 18 Capitol, Pordenone IT
Monday, February 20 Kino Siska, Ljubjana SL
Tuesday, February 21 Flex, Vienna AT
Wednesday, February 22 Posthof, Linz AT
Friday, February 24 Lucerna, Prague CZ
Saturday, February 25 Niebo, Warsaw PL
Wednesday, March 1 Beatpol, Dresden DE
Thursday, March 2 Hole44, Berlin DE
Friday, March 3 Forum, Bielefeld DE
Saturday, March 4 Manufaktur, Schorndorf DE
Sunday, March 5 Club Volta, Cologne DE
Tuesday, March 7 Petit Bain, Paris FR
Wednesday, March 8 The Dome, London UK

Algiers Online :


There Is No Year
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Mdou Moctar - 'Niger EP Vol. 1'





“Chismiten (Drum Machine Version)”



photo : WH Moustapha

Download / Stream 'Niger EP Vol. 1 '

 

After capping off their last UK performance for 2022 at Green Man Festival last weekend, Mdou Moctar has released the  'Niger EP Vol. 1' featuring
recordings captured in Moctar’s native country, including the previously unreleased 13-minute drum machine and electric guitar epic "Imouhar," live versions of songs from across Moctar’s discography, and a rhythm-box-driven take on 'Afrique Victime ' opener "Chismiten."

Producer and bass player Mikey Coltun says: “In 2021, we started the Mdou Moctar mixtape series. These releases compiled field recordings, cell phone voice memos, interview clips, conversations captured in the tour van, and blown-out board recordings from shows all over the world. As a continuation of those mixtapes, we present the Niger EP's, which examine the roots of the Mdou Moctar band. Early Mdou recordings were contained on cassettes, though the humble tape was soon replaced by the quick
and easy facility of cell phone technology. Long bus rides are common in West Africa. On one of these rides, you might be seated next to a stranger and ask "what are you listening to?", then a song exchange would begin over Bluetooth. This is a very real way artists found their music distributed far from home. In that vein, the Niger EP series features solely recordings taped in Mdou Moctar's home country of Niger. Volume 1 begin the series with a mix of recordings from 2017-2020, documenting the band at weddings, picnics, rehearsals, and even impromptu house concerts. A must have for any Mdou Moctar fan!”

Download / Stream Afrique Refait

Purchase / Stream Afrique Victime

Tracklist

  1. Imouhar (Drum Machine Version)

  2. Chismiten (Drum Machine Version)

  3. Sibidoul (Live)

  4. Afelan (Live)

  5. Layla (Live)

  6. Afrique Victime (Live)
    Mdou Moctar On Tour  :
    (tickets)


Wednesday, August 24 Revolution Hall, Portland OR
Thursday, August 25 Rickshaw Theater, Vancouver BC
Friday, August 26 THING Festival, Port Townsend WA
Saturday, August 27 The Fillmore, San Francisco CA
Sunday, August 28 This Ain’t No Picnic, Pasadena CA
Wednesday, August 31 Pappy & Harriet’s, Pioneertown CA
Thursday, September 1 Hoco Festival, Tucson AZ
Saturday, September 3 Nelsonville Music Festival, Nelsonville OH
Tuesday, September 6 Thalia Hall, Chicago IL

Mdou Moctar online
Official site
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter

Interpol - 'The Black EP' / 'Turn On The Bright Lights' (2002 Documentary)







(photo : Michael Edwards)



On August 20th, Interpol’s canonical debut album 'Turn On The Bright Lights' turns 20. To commemorate this moment, the band today make the fan-favorite and TOTBL companion 'The Black EP' available on digital platforms.

Originally released on August 26, 2003, as a limited-edition CD, the long out of print 'The Black EP' features the studio version of "Say Hello To The Angels", a demo of "NYC" and four TOTBL-era songs recorded live in session for Radio France in 2002, including fabled non-album bonus track "Specialist".

Accompanying the release is a 2002 short documentary on the band made by a French subsidiary of then-label EMI. Hitherto lost in the annals of 144p
YouTube rips, the 13-minute clip is brought to glorious hi-res restoration,
featuring interviews with the band as well as snippets of performances of
‘PDA’, ‘NYC’, ‘Untitled’ and ‘Stella was a diver and she was always down’.



stream 'The Black EP's'
stream / purchase 'Turn On The Bright Lights'
stream / purchase 'The Other Side Of Make-Believe'

'The Black EP'  Tracklist

  1. Say Hello To The Angels

  2. NYC (Demo)

  3. Obstacle 1 (Black Sessions)

  4. Specialist (Black Sessions)

  5. Leif Erikson (Black Sessions)

  6. PDA (Black Sessions)


Turn on the Bright Lights Tracklist

  1. Untitled

  2. Obstacle 1

  3. NYC

  4. PDA

  5. Say Hello to the Angels

  6. Hands Away

  7. Obstacle 2

  8. Stella was a diver and she was always down

  9. Roland

  10. The New

  11. Leif Erikson


Interpol on tour :

Thursday, August 25 Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park NJ #
Friday, August 26 Budweiser Stage, Toronto ON #
Saturday, August 27 Thompson’s Point, ­Portland ME^
Sunday, August 28 Bold Point Pavilion, Providence RI^
Tuesday, August 30 KEMBA Live! Outdoor, Columbus OH^
Thursday, September 1 ­­Andrew J. Brady Music Center, Cincinnati OH^
Friday, September 2 The Eastern, Atlanta GA %
Saturday, September 3 Rabbit Rabbit, Asheville NC^
Tuesday, September 6 ­Stage AE Outdoors, Pittsburgh PA^
Thursday, September 8 TCU Amphitheater at White River Park, Indianapolis IN^
Friday, September 9 ­Stifel Theatre, St. Louis MO^
Saturday, September 10 The Criterion, Oklahoma City OK^
Tuesday, September 13 The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Las Vegas NV^
Wednesday, September 14 Vina Robles Amphitheatre, Paso Robles CA^
Friday, September 16 Paramount Theatre, Seattle WA^
Saturday, September 17 Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland OR^
Sunday, September 18 Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland OR^
Friday, November 4 Jeunesse Arena, Rio de Janeiro BR $
Saturday, November 5 Primavera Sound, São Paulo BR $
Tuesday, November 8 Pedreira Paulo Leminski, Curitiba BR
Thursday, November 10 Kilkfest, Asunción PY
Saturday, November 12 Primavera Sound Santiago de Chile, Santiago CL
Sunday, November 13 Primavera Sound Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires AR
Tuesday, November 15 Arena 1, Lima PE $

# Metric, Spoon
^ w/ Spoon, Water From Your Eyes
$ w/ Arctic Monkeys

Interpol Online
Official Site
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube Channel

Coming September 9 : Spoon - 'Kill The Moonlight' 20th Anniversary White Vinyl Edition









"The Way We Get By" (directed by Steve Hanft)

Here’s one of those videos where I'm still trying to figure out what’s going on. I remember we worked on a shot of me making a suggestive handoff of a seemingly nefarious package, and some espionage-like loose story that was to be bookended by a little performance done on the sidewalk without a permit. Shot in a few hours in Chinatown during a 19-day van tour where we had no days off, the package handoff sequence had to be removed from the edit because MTV deemed it too indicative of a drug deal. I’m not sure what happened to the rest of the story but this thing holds up pretty well. The video was directed by Steve Hanft who had among other things, and this is the truth, years earlier directed a movie I had never heard of called "Kill The Moonlight". I thought I'd discovered that phrase in an early 19th century futurist manifesto. And well, I had. But so had he. Picture me trying to explain that to him on set when he thought our album referenced his movie. Steve had also shot the video for Beck’s song "Loser" and Beck put an album out one month after ours which had a song on it called "Paper Tiger", as did 'Kill The Moonlight'. That’s some universe type shit
. - Britt Daniel

On September 9 we're releasing a special white vinyl edition to mark the 20th anniversary of Spoon's landmark 4th album 'Kill The Moonlight', originally released by Merge in North America and 12XU in Europe. Considered by many to amongst the band's finest works, we're not likely to make more additional white vinyl copies of 'Kill The Moonlight' until the 40th anniversary rolls around, so preorder yours while you have a chance.

stream / preorder 'Kill The Moonlight' 20th Anniversary Edition : spoon.ffm.to/killthemoonlight

stream / preorder 'Lucifer On The Sofa'  : spoon.ffm.to/lots

Tracklist

01 Small Stakes
02 The Way We Get By
03 Something to Look Forward To
04 Stay Don’t Go
05 Jonathan Fisk
06 Paper Tiger
07 Someone Something
08 Don’t Let It Get You Down
09 All the Pretty Girls Go to the City
10 You Gotta Feel It
11 Back to the Life
12 Vittorio E.

Spoon on tour :

Thursday, August 25  Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park NJ %
Friday, August 26 Budweiser Stage, Toronto ON #
Saturday, August 27 Thompson’s Point, ­Portland ME %
Sunday, August 28 Bold Point Pavilion, Providence RI %
Tuesday, August 30 KEMBA Live! Outdoor, Columbus OH %
Thursday, September 1 ­­Andrew J. Brady Music Center, Cincinnati OH %
Saturday, September 3 Rabbit Rabbit, Asheville NC %
Sunday, September 4 Ryman Auditorium, Nashville TN %
Tuesday, September 6 ­Stage AE Outdoors, Pittsburgh PA %
Thursday, September 8 TCU Amphitheater at White River Park, Indianapolis IN %
Friday, September 9 ­Stifel Theatre, St. Louis MO %
Saturday, September 10 The Criterion, Oklahoma City OK %
Tuesday, September 13 The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Las Vegas NV %
Wednesday, September 14 Vina Robles Amphitheatre, Paso Robles CA %
Friday, September 16 Paramount Theatre, Seattle WA %
Saturday, September 17 Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland OR %
Sunday, September 18 Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland OR %
Thursday, October 6 Tolouse Theatre, New Orleans LA
Friday, October 7 Tolouse Theatre, New Orleans LA
Sunday October   9 Austin City Limits Festival, Austin TX
Tuesday, October 11 Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa OK
Wednesday, October 12 Party For The Parks, Zilker Park, Austin TX
Saturday,October 15 Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall, Fort Worth TX
Sunday October 16 Austin City Limits Festival, Austin TX
Saturday, November 19 Corona Capital Festival, Mexico City MX

# Metric, Interpol,
% w/ Interpol, Water From Your Eyes

Spoon Online
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Official Site
Bandcamp

Out Today : Julien Baker - 'B-Sides' EP





(photo : Alyssa Gafkjen)

Today Julien Baker has released a new EP 'B-Sides'. Intimate and emotional, the 3 never-before-heard songs were taken from the recording sessions for her critically heralded third full-length 'Little Oblivions'. The EP was preceded by the song "Guthrie", which Clash called “extraordinarily beautiful”, while The New York Times described it as " a quietly harrowing postscript to 'Little Oblivions'”.

stream / download 'B-Sides'

B-Sides Track List

  1. Guthrie

  2. Vanishing Point

  3. Mental Math


Tonight, Baker kicks off The Wild Hearts Tour, an epic run of co-headlining North American dates alongside Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen. The tour sees these three legendary songwriters playing across North America the rest of this month through to August 26. The tour includes multiple night stands at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre and New York City’s Central Park Summerstage. It consists of mostly outdoor venues, with the exception of the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and Massey Hall in Toronto. Each artist will play with their own respective band. Tickets are on sale now, and special guest Quinn Christopherson will support on most dates. Additionally, The Wild Hearts Tour has partnered with PLUS1 so that $1 from every ticket will go to support people rebuilding their lives after incarceration. All dates are listed below

Julien Baker on 'The Wild Hearts' tour with Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen :

Thu. Jul. 21 - Vienna, VA @ Wolf Trap Center For the Performing Arts *
Fri. Jul. 22 - Asheville, NC @ Rabbit Rabbit *
Sat. Jul. 23 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
Mon. Jul. 25 - Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater *
Thurs. July 28 - Greek Theatre - Los Angeles, CA*
Fri. Jul. 29 - Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre *
Sat. Jul 30 - Berkeley, Ca @ Greek Theatre *
Tu. Aug. 2 - Troutdale, OR @ McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater *
Wed. Aug. 3 - Redmond, WA @ Marymoor Amphitheater *
Fri. Aug. 5 - Boise, ID @ Idaho Botanical Garden *
Sat. Aug. 6 - Salt Lake City, UT @ TBA *
Sun. Aug. 7 - Denver, CO @ Sculpture Park *
Tue. Aug. 9 - Minneapolis, MN @ Surly Brewing Festival Field *
Wed. Aug 10 - Chicago, IL @ TBA *
Thu. Aug. 11 - Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe *
Fri. Aug. 12 - Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
Mon. Aug. 15 - Shelburne, VT @ The Greet at Shelburne Museum *
Tue. Aug. 16 - LaFayette, NY @ Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards *
Thu. Aug. 18 - Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion *
Fri. Aug. 19 - Philadelphia, PA @ Skyline Stage at The Mann *
Mon. Aug. 20 - New York, NY @ Central Park Summerstage *
Sun. Aug. 21 - New York, NY @ Central Park Summerstage *

* - with Quinn Christopherson

Julien Baker Online
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Out Today : Interpol - 'The Other Side Of Make-Believe'





(photo : Ebru Yildiz)



"Gran Hotel"
video directed by Malia James

Interpol today (July 15th) release their seventh album 'The Other Side Of Make-Believe'.

(stream / purchase 'The Other Side Of Make-Believe')

On the sidelines of three sold-out London release shows over the weekend, the band will be attending the opening of the Brick Lane branch of their global exhibition and pop-up shop in collaboration with photographer Atiba Jefferson and Brain Dead Clothing, "Big Shot City". The exhibition will also include installations in Los Angeles, New York, Mexico City and Tokyo. A full list of dates for each location can be found below.

Interpol’s video for latest single ‘Gran Hotel’ is now available to watch on YouTube. Paul Banks says on the song and Malia James-directed clip: “The lyrics to Gran Hotel tell a story of grief and heartbreak, of a character processing loss. Working with a fantastic camera crew and with the help of two very talented actors, Malia created a powerful video that conveys the events that lead to that loss. It’s a work of art filled with mood and color that we are very proud to share with you.”

‘Gran Hotel’ follows the two-part short film for singles ‘Toni’ and ‘Something Changed’ and emerging live favorite ‘Fables’.



Big Shot City exhibition events:

LA:          Hosted at the Brain Dead Studios, 14 – 16 July
NYC:       Hosted at 155 Lafayette Street, 13 – 16 July
MX City:  Hosted at Not A Gallery, 16 – 17 July
Tokyo:     Hosted at Brain Dead’s space in Harajuku – 15 July
London:   Hosted at Truman’s Brewery – 15 – 17 July



 



 



'The Other Side of Make-Believe'  Tracklist
01. Toni
02. Fables
03. Into The Night
04. Mr Credit
05. Something Changed
06. Renegade Hearts
07. Passenger
08. Greenwich
09. Gran Hotel
10. Big Shot City
11. Go Easy (Palermo)

Interpol on Tour
(tickets)

Saturday, July 16 St. John's Hackney (Rough Trade), London UK SOLD OUT
Sunday, July 17 Pryzm (Banquet Records), London UK SOLD OUT
Monday, July 18 Kentish Town Forum, London UK SOLD OUT
Thursday, August 25 Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park NJ #
Friday, August 26 Budweiser Stage, Toronto ON #
Saturday, August 27 Thompson’s Point, ­Portland ME^
Sunday, August 28 Bold Point Pavilion, Providence RI^
Tuesday, August 30 KEMBA Live! Outdoor, Columbus OH^
Thursday, September 1 ­­Andrew J. Brady Music Center, Cincinnati OH^
Friday, September 2 The Eastern, Atlanta GA %
Saturday, September 3 Rabbit Rabbit, Asheville NC^
Tuesday, September 6 ­Stage AE Outdoors, Pittsburgh PA^
Thursday, September 8 TCU Amphitheater at White River Park, Indianapolis IN^
Friday, September 9 ­Stifel Theatre, St. Louis MO^
Saturday, September 10 The Criterion, Oklahoma City OK^
Tuesday, September 13 The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Las Vegas NV^
Wednesday, September 14 Vina Robles Amphitheatre, Paso Robles CA^
Friday, September 16 Paramount Theatre, Seattle WA^
Saturday, September 17 Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland OR^
Sunday, September 18 Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland OR^
Friday, November 4 Jeunesse Arena, Rio de Janeiro BR $
Saturday, November 5 Primavera Sound, São Paulo BR $
Tuesday, November 8 Pedreira Paulo Leminski, Curitiba BR
Thursday, November 10 Kilkfest, Asunción PY
Saturday, November 12 Primavera Sound Santiago de Chile, Santiago CL
Sunday, November 13 Primavera Sound Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires AR
Tuesday, November 15 Arena 1, Lima PE $

# Metric, Spoon
^ w/ Spoon,
$ w/ Arctic Monkeys

Interpol Online
Official Site
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube Channel

Interpol - Gran Hotel







Ahead of the release of their seventh album 'The Other Side Of Make-Believe' this Friday (July 15th), Interpol have released  a new single and video, "Gran Hotel". Paul Banks says: “The lyrics to Gran Hotel tell a story of grief and heartbreak, of a character processing loss. Working with a fantastic camera crew and with the help of two very talented actors, Malia created a powerful video that conveys the events that lead to that loss. It’s a work of art filled with mood and color that we are very proud to share with you.”

stream / download "Gran Hotel"
"Gran Hotel" video
presave/preorder 'The Other Side of Make-Believe'



Coinciding with the album release, this week commences "Big Shot City" – a global Interpol exhibition and pop-up shop in collaboration with photographer Atiba Jefferson and Brain Dead Clothing. The exhibition will run July 15-17 in London and take place simultaneously in Los Angeles, New York, Mexico City and Tokyo. A full list of dates for each city can be found below.

Each event/space will host a gallery of Jefferson’s exclusive photographs of Interpol, captured throughout the making of the record, alongside special items available for purchase, including limited-edition Interpol x Brain Dead t-shirts (2x designs), an exclusive zine of Jefferson’s photographs designed by Brain Dead, and ultra-limited Jefferson-designed skateboards in partnership with Girl Skateboards. In-person meet-and-greets and Q&A’s with band members, Jefferson and Brain Dead will also take place at some of the events.

Big Shot City exhibition events:

LA: Hosted at the Brain Dead Studios, July 14 – 16
NYC: Hosted at 155 Lafayette Street, July 13 – 16
MX City: Hosted at Not A Gallery, July 16 – 17
Tokyo: Hosted at Brain Dead’s space in Harajuku – July 15
London: Hosted at Truman’s Brewery – July 15 – 17

Interpol on Tour
(tickets)

Saturday, July 16 St. John's Hackney (Rough Trade), London UK SOLD OUT
Sunday, July 17 Pryzm (Banquet Records), London UK SOLD OUT
Monday, July 18 Kentish Town Forum, London UK SOLD OUT
Thursday, August 25 Stone Pony Summer Stage, Asbury Park NJ #
Friday, August 26 Budweiser Stage, Toronto ON #
Saturday, August 27 Thompson’s Point, ­Portland ME^
Sunday, August 28 Bold Point Pavilion, Providence RI^
Tuesday, August 30 KEMBA Live! Outdoor, Columbus OH^
Thursday, September 1 ­­Andrew J. Brady Music Center, Cincinnati OH^
Friday, September 2 The Eastern, Atlanta GA %
Saturday, September 3 Rabbit Rabbit, Asheville NC^
Tuesday, September 6 ­Stage AE Outdoors, Pittsburgh PA^
Thursday, September 8 TCU Amphitheater at White River Park, Indianapolis IN^
Friday, September 9 ­Stifel Theatre, St. Louis MO^
Saturday, September 10 The Criterion, Oklahoma City OK^
Tuesday, September 13 The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Las Vegas NV^
Wednesday, September 14 Vina Robles Amphitheatre, Paso Robles CA^
Friday, September 16 Paramount Theatre, Seattle WA^
Saturday, September 17 Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland OR^
Sunday, September 18 Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland OR^
Friday, November 4 Jeunesse Arena, Rio de Janeiro BR $
Saturday, November 5 Primavera Sound, São Paulo BR $
Tuesday, November 8 Pedreira Paulo Leminski, Curitiba BR
Thursday, November 10 Kilkfest, Asunción PY
Saturday, November 12 Primavera Sound Santiago de Chile, Santiago CL
Sunday, November 13 Primavera Sound Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires AR
Tuesday, November 15 Arena 1, Lima PE $

# Metric, Spoon
^ w/ Spoon,
$ w/ Arctic Monkeys

Interpol Online
Official Site
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube Channel

Horsegirl - Behind The Songs, Pt. IV



"Electrolocation"



"Option 8"

OK, here we go again.  More inquisitions, more detailed information about 2 superb tracks from Horsegirl's 'Versions Of Modern Performance'.  Frankly, I'm sick to death of this "Behind The Songs" stuff and next time Horsegirl are in the office, we're gonna do "IN FRONT OF THE SONGS".  It's EASY to explain the inspirations and ideas behind songs that have already been completed. We wanna know about songs they've not written or recorded or even thought of yet.  Look for that series on YouTube, coming soon (or not).

stream / purchase 'Versions Of Modern Performance'

Horsegirl on tour :

Fri. Jul. 15 - Vancouver, BC @ Wise Hall *
Sat. Jul. 16 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
Sun. Jul. 17 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall *
Tue. Jul. 19 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
Thu. Jul. 21 - Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon *
Fri. Jul. 22 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo *
Sat. Jul. 23 - Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room *
Tue. Jul. 26 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line *
Wed. Jul. 27 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon *
Thu. July 28 - Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club *
Fri. Jul. 30 - Sat. Jul. 31 - Detroit, MI @ Mo Pop Festival
Sat. July 31 - Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza Music Festival
Tue. Aug. 2 - Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe *
Wed. Aug. 3 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop *
Fri. Aug. 5 - Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground *
Sat. Aug. 6 - Montreal, QC @ Petit Campus *
Sun. Aug. 7 - Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair *
Wed. Aug. 10 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *^
Sun. Oct. 02 - Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre &

* w/ Dummy
^ w/ Lifeguard
& supporting Pavement

 

Horsegirl Online
Twitter
Instagram

Horsegirl - Behind The Songs, Pt. III





We continue to interrogate Horsegirl about the stories behind the stories (hey, we should've called it that) on 'Versions of Modern Performance'. Today, Gigi, Nora and Penelope patiently provide the scoop regarding "Dirtbag Transformation (Still Dirty)" and "The Fall of Horsegirl"


stream / purchase 'Versions Of Modern Performance'

Horsegirl on tour :

Fri. Jul. 15 - Vancouver, BC @ Wise Hall *
Sat. Jul. 16 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
Sun. Jul. 17 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall *
Tue. Jul. 19 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
Thu. Jul. 21 - Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon *
Fri. Jul. 22 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo *
Sat. Jul. 23 - Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room *
Tue. Jul. 26 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line *
Wed. Jul. 27 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon *
Thu. July 28 - Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club *
Fri. Jul. 30 - Sat. Jul. 31 - Detroit, MI @ Mo Pop Festival
Sat. July 31 - Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza Music Festival
Tue. Aug. 2 - Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe *
Wed. Aug. 3 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop *
Fri. Aug. 5 - Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground *
Sat. Aug. 6 - Montreal, QC @ Petit Campus *
Sun. Aug. 7 - Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair *
Wed. Aug. 10 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *^
Sun. Oct. 02 - Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre &

* w/ Dummy
^ w/ Lifeguard
& supporting Pavement

 

Horsegirl Online
Twitter
Instagram

Coming July 21 : Julien Baker - 'B-Sides' EP



video by Mariela Gavino





(photo : Alyssa Gafkjen)

Julien Baker has announced 'B-Sides', an EP of tracks taken from the recording sessions for her critically heralded third full-length 'Little Oblivions'. Today, you can listen to “Guthrie”, a gorgeous and hushed finger-picked ballad.  The EP will be out digitally on July 21st and features three emotionally potent never-before-heard songs.

stream / download "Guthrie"
stream / download 'B-Sides'

Julien Baker on 'The Wild Hearts' tour with Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen :

Thu. Jul. 21 - Vienna, VA @ Wolf Trap Center For the Performing Arts *
Fri. Jul. 22 - Asheville, NC @ Rabbit Rabbit *
Sat. Jul. 23 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
Mon. Jul. 25 - Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater *
Thurs. July 28 - Greek Theatre - Los Angeles, CA*
Fri. Jul. 29 - Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre *
Sat. Jul 30 - Berkeley, Ca @ Greek Theatre *
Tu. Aug. 2 - Troutdale, OR @ McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater *
Wed. Aug. 3 - Redmond, WA @ Marymoor Amphitheater *
Fri. Aug. 5 - Boise, ID @ Idaho Botanical Garden *
Sat. Aug. 6 - Salt Lake City, UT @ TBA *
Sun. Aug. 7 - Denver, CO @ Sculpture Park *
Tue. Aug. 9 - Minneapolis, MN @ Surly Brewing Festival Field *
Wed. Aug 10 - Chicago, IL @ TBA *
Thu. Aug. 11 - Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe *
Fri. Aug. 12 - Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
Mon. Aug. 15 - Shelburne, VT @ The Greet at Shelburne Museum *
Tue. Aug. 16 - LaFayette, NY @ Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards *
Thu. Aug. 18 - Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion *
Fri. Aug. 19 - Philadelphia, PA @ Skyline Stage at The Mann *
Mon. Aug. 20 - New York, NY @ Central Park Summerstage *
Sun. Aug. 21 - New York, NY @ Central Park Summerstage *

* - with Quinn Christopherson

Julien Baker Online
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Twitter
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