Features

A Form of Paying Attention May '08

laceys@subpop.com (Lacey Swain) — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:11:16 -0700

May has arrived and here at HQ we are all ready for the best summer we’ve ever known, what with all the good records coming out and the hot shit SP20 Festival right around the corner. In fact, the SP20 Fest was voted Best Summer Music Fest in an informal poll I quietly held here at my desk. Want more info? Read this, bub.

The highly anticipated new No Age record Nouns comes out May 6th and will be available on CD and LP and MP3 and maybe even Blueray and/or Cassette if I finally get my way around this fucking place! Seriously though, if you order this fantastical album from subpop.com we’ll throw in a cool poster designed by a Mr. Templeton. A Mr. Ed Templeton. (Google it.) We’re throwing in something else but I want to save my dignity and not type the phrase “buttons and stickers” ever again, so… Wait, I just… Dammit! The No Age dudes just shot their first video (for “Eraser”) and although it’s still in post-production it looks really amazing—there are balloons, a giant skull, the LA River, and…Dean Spunt and Randy Randall from No Age! See? That’s them up above. Please keep an eye out for it—it would be the right thing to do. Click here to get the record. Click here to find out more about No Age.

On May 20th Mudhoney will be releasing their 37th full-length album, The Lucky Ones. Mark Arm sits out on guitar on this one, presumably so he can dance more at their shows. He is a re-mark-able dancer. (Get it?) The Lucky Ones LP will come stuffed with a 7” single of Mudhoney covering Pere Ubu’s “Street Waves” and “Gonna Make You Mine” by the Troggs. We’ll have 200 of these 7”s to give away with pre-orders of the CD so you better hurry. They’re going to try to sign some stuff as well but don’t hold your breath. (I suggested that they might want to go ahead and let their wives/girlfriends sign this one just to mix it up a bit but I was met with a stony silence so I doubt that’s happening.) On the 20th we will also release the first in what will presumably be a not un-long line of reissues for Sub Pop’s 20th, Superfuzz Bigmuff Deluxe! This is a remastered double-CD with an expanded booklet and a ton of live tracks and way too much stuff for me to type so read (then order!) this here. You don’t get anything extra with this because it is full of extras and when did you start expecting so much stuff anyway?

We’re all pretty puffed up around here (chuffed?) about how well this Flight of the Conchords thing is going. We just followed-up their (ahem…) FUCKING GRAMMY-AWARD-WINNING EP, The Distant Future with their self-titled debut full-length, and man, is that thing ever shifting units. So much so that none other than Yahoo! (Google it.) was prompted to comment: “Ashlee Simpson’s new album sold so poorly, it was beaten by a comedy album.” Our comedy album! (Hat Tip to good ol’ Matt “Epsonality/Domino’s Pizza” Olsen for this one.) Flight of the Conchords and many other Sub Pop bands are on tour right now so make sure you use our new and improved tour-search-filter to see if someone’s coming to your town.

So, yeah, this 20th Anniversary thing is really starting to happen! We’re not to a point where we feel comfortable announcing too much more (read: we don’t know yet) but we guarantee at least one to one-and-a-half more great things are on the way. We at Sub Pop value your opinion, even if we don’t always agree with it. So, if you were The Deciderer, what would you do to celebrate?

A Form of Paying Attention April '08

laceys@subpop.com (Lacey Swain) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:55:00 -0700

Today, and this is no April Fools joke, is Sub Pop Records’ 20th Anniversary. When I asked Jon Poneman, aka The Jonald, how it feels to turn 20 he responded, “The company maintains bowel movements at regular intervals so we’re not nearly as grouchy as some other labels our age.” I couldn’t put it better myself, but this is coming from a man who has never once used the bathroom in the office.

April is packed full of highly anticipated releases, starting first with the US release of Foals Antidotes on CD/LP (w/ download code). This is out on April 8th and if you pre-order you’ll get a bonus CDR with B-sides! April 8th is also the release date for the new seven-inch from No Age. It features “Eraser” from the upcoming album plus three covers. April 8th is also the official release date for the Fleet Foxes EP, but you’ve been able to buy that on subpop.com for practically forever so who cares?

On April 22nd we’ll be releasing Flight of the Conchords by Flight of the Conchords and then I’ll get to hear all the world sing “Business Time” wherever I go. The album is on CD and LP (w/download code) and both come with a killer little poster. Also, we’ll go ahead and give you $2 off until street date. Don’t say we never did nothing for you. We almost never stop doing nothing for you.

The first of our anniversary celebrations is tonight (April 1st) at Chop Suey, where The Ruby Suns are playing. Tomorrow (that’s April 2nd) we intend to buy all of Seattle a drink at Hattie’s Hat from 9pm on. You better show up early as the place will surely reach capacity within seconds. Keep your eye out for details on our summertime anniversary show and maybe a little something called the Singles Club. Uh oh—cat’s out of the bag.

A Form of Paying Attention March '08

laceys@subpop.com (Lacey Swain) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:22:40 -0800

On March 4th we’ll be releasing Saturnalia by The Gutter Twins, aka Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli, as well as Sea Lion by The Ruby Suns, aka a band from New Zealand. Both of these records are worth the price of admission so just step up to the plate and buy them, bub. We’re giving $2 off Sea Lion and Saturnalia through release date along with our patented, highly effective sticker/button combo for each band. Want to know more about these fine bands? Look at this and this and this and this. Both The Gutter Twins and The Ruby Suns are on tour—click their names to see if they’re coming to your town!

Sera Cahoone’s new record Only as the Day is Long comes out March 18th and it’s available for pre-order here. Find out all you wanted to know about Sera by looking here and make sure to check her out at her record release show at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle on March 29th and/or her Easy Street Records show on March 18th.

And finally, we have the Fleet Foxes ep available right now. Read this Pitchfork review and then snatch it up—this isn’t available everywhere.

March is also the month of everyone’s favorite music fest—the amazingly brutal SXSW in Austin. We’re having a showcase at Bourbon Rocks on Friday the 14th with Love as Laughter, Sera Cahoone, Grand Archives, Kelley Stoltz, Fleet Foxes, and Blitzen Trapper on one stage and The Ruby Suns, Pissed Jeans, Handsome Furs, The Helio Sequence, and No Age on another stage. All these bands will be playing parties all over the place but I’ll tell you about that on Monday. Let’s do it to it, March.

A Form Of Paying Attention February '08

laceys@subpop.com (Lacey Swain) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:37:02 -0800

Welcome to the first installment of “A Form of Paying Attention”—a monthly column by me, for you, containing information about Sub Pop and Sub Pop related goings-on, which will be remarkably similar to the column that was here before but with a new and improved title. I’d like to congratulate Matt ‘Epsonality’ Olsen of Los Angeles, CA for coming up with the winning entry in my “name this column” contest!* As the winner he will receive many fabulous prizes, all of which come from the very nearly warehouse-sized Sub Pop warehouse and do not include cash, Turtle Wax, the Ts in Q, or, regrettably, Ski-doos or personal watercrafts of any type.

February is here, and it’s a LEAP YEAR! This is exciting as it only happens once every 72 years or something. And we are celebrating this rare and marvelous 29-day anomaly by releasing two incredible records this month—Kelley Stoltz’s Circular Sounds and The Grand Archives by Grand Archives. Kelley’s record comes out February 5th and I vigorously suggest that you purchase it as it’s his best to date. If you buy it from us directly we’ll throw in a bonus disc with four songs that you can’t get anywhere else and some buttons and stickers. If you live in Australia, the US, or Canada make sure to go see Kelley on tour. You won’t be sorry. Go here for more Kelley business.

The Grand Archives is the highly anticipated first release from Grand Archives, the new project of Mat Brooke of Carissa’s Wierd and Band of Horses fame. These dudes went from opening some local mid-week show to opening for Modest Mouse in a single bound, so I suggest you check this out immediately. The LP version of the album comes with a bonus 7” single, but we’ll include said 7” single with ALL orders if you pre-order before February 19th. If you order the vinyl version you’ll get free mp3s of the album as well as buttons and stickers. Woah! Grand Archives will be touring the US—click here to see if they’re coming to your town.

Sub Pop turns 20 this year and I’ve heard rumors of lots of surprises this year including, but not limited to, a crazy huge show in the summer sometime and a limited-time-only rebirth of the somewhat legendary Singles Club. Stay tuned for more.

Honorable Mention goes to Chris Jacobs for his entry “Going Through Your Purse”.

Pandering to the Locals January '08

laceys@subpop.com (Lacey Swain) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:37:39 -0800

So my boss just comes over to my desk and says to me, “Lacey, are you going to do a new Pandering? It’s a new year and we need a new Pandering, right?” You know what I say? It’s time for a new name for this piece of shit column and I need some serious help coming up with something clever/not dumb. I know some people read this thing from time to time so please help me out and I will reward the winning name with some Sub Pop junk such as a tshirt or a tote bag or something.

Speaking of Sub Pop, the new Helio Sequence record is so good that it’s the only thing we’re putting out this month. Seriously. Go here to check it out and purchase it. I’m pretty sure we’re giving away a bonus disc with some outtakes, etc., but one of my resolutions for 2008 was to not remember anything, so, you know, I’m not sure.

Hey, Sub Pop is going to the Sundance Film Festival in a few weeks and we’re having a party at the Star Bar on the 18th so come by if you’re in town. There will be performances from The Helio Sequence, Kelley Stoltz, and Daniel Martin Moore plus loads and loads of celebrities and snow. See you on the slopes, suckers.

Grunge Panda by Derek Erdman

Pandering to the Locals December '07

laceys@subpop.com (Lacey Swain) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:05:14 -0800

I kinda hate year the end round-ups and trite “best of” lists that will make up the rest of the journalistic year, but I think it’s a practice steeped in deep tradition and I guess it’s somewhat helpful, so here’s a little bit about what went down at Sub Pop in the past months. 2007 brought us follow up records from old faves The Shins, Low, Jennifer Gentle, Iron and Wine, Band of Horses, Kinski, and Mudhoney as well as a whole bunch of new or new-to-us bands such as Loney Dear, Dntel, Patton Oswalt, Handsome Furs, Pissed Jeans, Tiny Vipers, flight of the conchords, and The Go! Team. We put out some seven inch singles, too, from bands like Wooden Shjips, Kelley Stoltz, and The Thermals. Our little buds at Hardly Art have successfully made it through their first year with releases from Arthur & Yu and Le Loup and we couldn’t be prouder. More proud. Whatever. You know what, though? Next year is going to be totally insane as it will be Sub Pop’s Twentieth Anniversary(!) and we’re going to go totally nuts celebrating. Keep your eyes peeled for special releases, collector junk, and worldwide partying in the streets.

Pandering to the Locals November '07

laceys@subpop.com (Lacey Swain) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:25:18 -0700

November is the month in which you are supposed to harvest the fruits of your labor and give thanks for nature’s great bounty and all that crap so that’s what we’re gonna do. Since I don’t really feel like going over each and every musical fruit that we’ve produced in 2007, (after all, what will I write about next month?), I am going to go ahead and give thanks for the the fact that the two releases that we’ve got for November are both a) awesome, and b) on vinyl only! November 6th is the official release day for both the new 7 incher by Kelley Stoltz which is “Your Reverie” b/w “Owl Service” as well as the live Mudhoney LP appropriately entitled “Live Mud”. Take that, Digital Age! Speaking of, we’ve recently started selling mp3s of some of your favorite Sub Pop artists and we’ll be adding more and more in the months to come. You can read lots more about that HERE!

Speaking of being thankful, I have conducted a short, informal poll of the Sub Pop staff to find out what people around here are going to be appreciative of this holiday season: Mark Arm says “I don’t have time for this.”, Chris Jacobs says “Uh…hmmmm. Coffee?”, Kate Jackson says “Oooh, that’s a lot of pressure. Are you asking everyone?! Okay, my Jack Russel Terrier.”, Andy Kotowicz says, “This is so lame. How about my family? My little family?”, Jaimi Chapelle says “On Halloween? I don’t know, what?”, Carly Starr says “Oh, does everybody have to do this? SHIT.”, Dick Lang says “(complete silence)”, Steve Manning wouldn’t answer his phone, Jeff Kleinsmith says “Do I need to tell you that right now? My kids!”, Stuart Fletcher says “Jesus! Right now? I guess Jesus. And Seattle has great films. I love the cinema.”, Alissa Gallivan could not be reached for comment, nor could Sasha Morgan, Tony Kiewel, Jen Czeisler, Eric Brown, Megan Jasper, Andrew Sullivan, Sam Sawyer, or Jonathan Poneman, but Sue Busch says “What? Why? I’m thankful that my dog sleeps through the night.”, Angelina Saez says “No.”, Dean Whitmore says “Oh God. No, I can’t really right now.”, Dusty Summers says “My baby!”, Stuart Meyer says “Oh Lordy—Davey? Is that too gay?”, Dean Hudson says “Oh, which holiday? Tofurkey.” Me? I am glad this is over. Happy Turkey Day, turkeys.

Pandering to the Locals October '07

laceys@subpop.com (Lacey Swain) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 17:01:44 -0700

Alright, let’s get straight to the point here—Sub Pop is releasing Cease to Begin, the second long player from Band of Horses, on October 9th and we’d really like to sit around and shoot the shit but we’ve got a lot of work to do what with a) work and b) Halloween costume planning. We’re giving you TWO BUCKS OFF the low price through street date + sticker and button, and you also get free mp3s of the tracks if you buy the LP version. Check out all this crazy Band of Horses stuff here and watch an (old) video or two here. Keep your eyes peeled for the new video for “Is There a Ghost” coming everywhere very soon. (Yuck!)

The only other Sub Pop release for the month of October is a killer 7” from San Francisco’s Wooden Shjips featuring “Loose Lips” b/w “Start to Dreaming” out October 23rd. I asked Andrew Sullivan about it and here’s what he said, “It rules. They’re playing CMJ. They’re doing an Amoeba instore. All of the proceeds from the last one they self released went to Food Not Bombs SF. They have a full length out on Holy Mountain.” Seriously, they are awesome and only a foolish person would not buy this and you couldn’t possibly be foolish if you are reading this so click here to get it.

One more thing! We are also distributing a new De Stijl release this month—Little Eyes by Ed Askew. I’d be lying if I said I knew a lot about this, but after I came across his All Music Guide entry I didn’t feel so bad:” “An enigma even by the ultra-obscure standards of ESP-Disk Records, next to nothing is known about outsider folksinger Ed Askew.” Look at the De Stijl page for way more information. God, I feel uncool.

Alright, back to trying to figure out how to make a realistic looking buffalo wing costume. While I’m papier maicheing please enjoy these photos of Vice President Megan Jasper as Shrek, Online Sales Sam as a Sailor, GM Chris J as a wacky clown, and Tony K as a small wizard! Check back next week for even more photos because Dean is a party pooper and says that I make the internet too slow when I put them all up at once.

Pandering to the Locals September '07

laceys@subpop.com (Lacey Swain) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 12:53:53 -0700

On September 11th we let loose the party beast that is the new Go! Team album Proof of Youth, available on CD and LP, and sure to make an appearance on best of 2007 lists all over the world. This record is all about hand claps, double dutch good times, and it features guest appearances by Chuck D, the Rapper’s Delight Club, and that crazy broad from Bonde de Role sings about eating dick cheese on a cracker for breakfast. (HINT: If possible, only watch Brazilian bands with a member of CSS serving as translator. Those Bonde kids are nasty!) Anyhoo, did I mention that it’s got Chuck D on it? Chuck D! We are giving you $2 off the already low, low price of $14 if you pre-order it on subpop.com by street date and we’ll also throw in some pins (that’s ‘badges’ to you anglophiles and/or members of The Go! Team) and stickers and junk along with it. I’d like to point out, for anyone who is paying attention, that we will not be giving away free mp3s with the LP version of this particular record and I blame Al Qaeda. Should you happen to want to learn more about The Go! Team band I would suggest you check out their myspace here and some videos here and also this thing here.

Next stop on this party train is the long awaited new release from Iron and Wine, The Shepherd’s Dog, which will also be available on CD and LP. I really like Sam’s increased hair growth, both on the face and the head, and I think he’s really going to turn the heads of quite a few ladies with these new photos. (Is anybody even reading this?!). Think of Sam’s longer hair as a metaphor for The Shepherd’s Dog — it’s just like the old Sam but with more, and by “more” I mean instrumentation! This record has a lot more going on than previous Iron and Wine records but it’s still the good ol’ Sam you’ve come to know and love. Personally I think that this new one is a little more Fleetwood Mac-ish than the others, or am I the only one who thinks Sam Beam sounds like Lindsey Buckingham every once in a while? The Shepherd’s Dog comes with a bonus CD of two b-side tracks “Serpent Charmer” and “Arms of a Thief” as well as $1 off on subpop.com through street date as well as a generous helping of button and sticker.

Also making their debuts during the bitter sweet month of September are two titles from our pals at Hardly Art and DeStijl. Le Loup from Washington DC are Hardly Art’s second release, and you should buy it because a) the band is good and you will like to smoke some doob and listen to this, and b) Nick and Sarah from Hardly Art are just cute as little buttons! I asked Nick what he liked about Le Loup and he said “it is well thought out, intelligent music and it’s not pretentious. I have definitely smoked a doobie and listened to it.” Also be sure to check out the new (old) Michael Yonkers record out on DeStijl and available through Sub Pop. I can’t really do the ol’ Yonks justice by describing his jam to you, but you should look here and here and note that he counts the Hunches, the Hot Snakes, and all of us at the Sub Pop office as his fans.

You know what else is happening in September? Bumbershoot. That’s right, Seattle’s own summer music festival takes place this weekend and The Shins and Grand Archives are playing so you should maybe stop by if you are in town. We literally have a million bands on tour right now (that’s right, literally) so check here to see if one of them is coming to your town. Stay tuned ‘til next month when I bring you HALLOWEEN COSTUMES FROM DAYS OF YORE, featuring photos and stories from as many of our bands and employees as I can convince to do this!

Pandering to the Locals August '07

laceys@subpop.com (Lacey Swain) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:35:55 -0700

August is practically (I said ‘practically’, sheesh!) New Zealand month here at Sub Pop HQ as we go ahead and give 2 of our 3 precious release spots to way, way out of towners from down under, (kinda). August 7th will see the release of Structure and Cosmetics by The Brunettes and The Distant Future by Flight of the Conchords, both of whom are from New Zealand. Which is located near Australia. On the bottom of your globe. The Brunettes have built up quite a following after touring the US and New Zealand with The Shins, and the Conchords dudes aren’t doing too shabby themselves what with their hit show on HBO and all. We at Sub Pop are known for our unparalleled generosity, especially when it comes to trying to move our new releases, so if you pre-order the Brunettes album we’ll be throwing in a copy of the band’s 2003 Boyracer EP while supplies last so get on to gettin’, folks. The Distant Future features, in audio form, all the hilarious songs you’ve come to know and love from HBO’s hit tv show Flight of the Conchords starring Flight of the the Conchords as Flight of the Conchords. All your favorites are there—“Business Time”, “If You’re Into It”, “The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room” and more. As an added bonus, you’ll get absolutely nothing for free when you order the Flight of the Conchords’ ep because we’re saving up all our free goods for the full length in January. Late August, the 21st to be exact, brings us Down Below It’s Chaos from Seattle locals Kinski, and this one’s an ass kicker in three different colored packaging variations. These folks just got to tour around the US of A with Tool and everyone was all like “Tool who?” by the time Kinski was done blowing the, uh, dome off the stadium. Also owing to that whole generosity thing I mentioned earlier, it is my pleasure to announce that we’re giving away a limited edition Kinski CD from a live recording in June of 2007. For this performance, Kinski played live accompaniment with the 1927 silent film, Berlin, Symphony of a City by Walter Ruttmann for the Seattle International Film Festival. This CD contains a portion of the recordings from their two performances. It’s all live; no overdubs, and the clinking you hear occasionally is people eating dinner! Actual dinner! Summer is also what we call “tour season” in the Biz, and many of our fine artistes are making their way around the country before settling in for the winter and now is the time for you to catch live and in person shows from the likes of Tiny Vipers, The Brunettes, Low, and even our favorite Italian Sub Pop band Jennifer Gentle who desperately need to be taken to the Olive Garden when they come to your town. Hospitaliano, y’all.

PANDERING TO THE LOCALS JULY '07

chrisj@subpop.com (Chris Jacobs) — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 11:12:01 -0700

What’s hotter’n a flaming, flag-decoupaged bucket of firecrackers on fiery fire? Us. We are literally, figuratively, hormonally, and metaphysically firing on all eight cylinders (or however many it is that we’ve got) here at World HQ this July. For starters, on July 10th, we release Patton Oswalt’s WEREWOLVES AND LOLLIPOPS (for a little while there, we thought that Patton was an Arabian psych-metal band, which is why we signed him, but then we realized that he’s a comedian, so whatever). Iron and Wine’s Boy With A Coin + 2 CD-single, aka the teaser of all teasers for the upcoming fall release of his next full-length, THE SHEPHERD’S DOG, comes out on the 10th, too. But that’s not all, turd burglars! On July 24th, we’re releasing Tiny Vipers’ full-length debut with us, a spare, mesmerizing epic called HANDS ACROSS THE VOID. Tiny Vipers is Seattle’s own Jesy Fortino, and although she is indeed tiny in stature, she’s got crazy strong pipes. On top of the excitement of releasing all these zany records, a gaggle of Sub Pop bands — including Band of Horses, The Album Leaf, Handsome Furs and Tiny Vipers — are on tour summer! It’s the ginchiest summer ever; hotter’n Buster Poindexter making out with Annette Funicello. Or, hotter than that is gross!

PANDERING TO THE LOCALS JUNE '07

chrisj@subpop.com (Chris Jacobs) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 09:37:57 -0700

The Seattle Times said in 2004 that “Few things say summer in the Northwest like the image of downy youngsters with laptops chaining themselves to old-growth trees.” Salty’s Seafood Restaurant’s website proclaims that “Summer in the Northwest brings sunny, warm weather and long days with star-studded evenings.” While neither of these generalized statements speak the whole truth about how awesome June is here, it goes without saying that we’re all so psyched, we’re practically crapping our pants. Allentown, PA’s Pissed Jeans know all about being psyched—their monumental new full-length, Hope for Men, is out on June 5th. The Austin Chronicle’s right-on description:

“Over massive Jesus Lizard-y guitar riffs, oft-shirtless singer Matt Korvette shouts about his “fantasy world,” where he’s a “special guy” who eats pizza and watches videos.”

Jennifer Gentle know about being psyched, too, but in a different, psychedelic sort of way. Their intense opus The Midnight Room is out June 19th, and multi-instrumentalist Marco Fasolo created the whole thing in his creepy (aka famous for its previous owner’s suicide by rifle) Ectoplasmic Studio, which is a house situated in the foggy plains of Northern Italy. It’s got distinctively Italian melodies, a primitive rock influence, and heaps of bizarro color.

Also, new in ye olde Sub Poppe Shoppe: a new Thermals 7” for A Pillar of Salt!

Basically, get ready for a sweet, sweet summer, losers!

PANDERING TO THE LOCALS MAY '07

chrisj@subpop.com (Chris Jacobs) — Tue, 01 May 2007 12:13:17 -0700

Who’s handsome and furry all over? Not your mom, silly, the Handsome Furs! About-to-be-married couple Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade) and Alexei Perry formed the band in the winter of 2005, and toured Europe before they even had a record out. Their debut album, called Plague Park (lovingly referred to in World HQ as Plaque Park, which I guess would be a park in Candy Land, or possibly an amusement park designed by dentists to frighten children into a consistent dental care regimen…) is out May 22nd. It is dark and minimal and catchy as shit, and is the perfect foil for the impending pesky, sunny summer, what with its “cheeriness” and “positivity.” You can pre-order it now-ish, right here. With the help of the Mighty Canadian Government, Dan and Alexei made a wicked scary, Twin Peaks-y video for the song “Dumb Animals”, which you can view HERE.

Also, F your I, the word for Sub Pop Summer ’07 is BANANAS. Why? Because we’ll have new full-lengths from not just the H. Furs, but also from Pissed Jeans, Jennifer Gentle, Patton Oswalt, Tiny Vipers, The Brunettes, and Kinski. And (!), there will be new singles from The Thermals, CSS, and Iron & Wine. Thankfully, during summertime in the Pacific Northwest, the sun rises early and doesn’t set until around 9:30 PM, which means we have nearly double the daylight hours, so getting out of the office at seven won’t be as harsh as it is when it’s pitch black outside. You’ll want to keep checking Sub Pop Dot Com for More Exciting News!

PANDERING TO THE LOCALS: APR. '07

chrisj@subpop.com (Chris Jacobs) — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 16:27:14 -0700

We here at World HQ are using a combination of Guinness, Jameson, espresso (together, known as The Trifecta) and the new Dntel record to get us through this month’s schizophrenic weather, as we’re all actually, medically sick of it being rainy and shitty. Dumb Luck is out April 24th, and as you likely know, Dntel is the moniker of our buddy Jimmy Tamborello who you may know from The Postal Service! The album’s full of Jimmy’s genius beat placement, and features members of Rilo Kiley, Bright Eyes, Grizzly Bear, Fog, Mystic Chords of Memory, and more, and you can buy it here.

If you think you’re a better mixmaster than Jimmy, you are wrong. However, we will entertain your remixing ideas via the DNTEL REMIX CONTEST. You’ll either win $500 or feel ashamed for being a loser. And since that’s already the case, may as well enter, right? Right!

There are two chances to win this month on Sub Pop Dot Com, actually. Enter the BEST WORST BAND NAMES CONTEST to win sampler CDs, stickers, buttons and more!

Whether you win or lose or are too apathetic to even enter anything, you can look smashing in one of our brand new Sub Pop Sweatshirts, which are finally here just in time to be largely weather-inappropriate. Except, as noted above, if you live here…

Oh! And also! We have a tremendous new video from the upcoming Handsome Furs record! Said record is called Plague Park, comes out on May 22nd, and the video is for the track “Dumb Animals.” Dan Boeckner from Wolf Parade and Alexei Perry (together, aka Handsome Furs) both totally die in it, and it’s Lynch-style creepy. Watch it here!

Chew on that, stinker!

PANDERING TO THE LOCALS: MAR. '07

laceys@subpop.com (Lacey Swain) — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 15:26:58 -0800

March is full of all sorts of things. There’s St. Patricks Day, of course, and the beginning of spring, amongst ‘em. And, after the unusually harsh and seemingly unending winter we weather-pussies here in the Northwest have endured, we’ll seize any opportunity to drink green beer.

Speaking of opportunities to drink anything and everything, for days on end, and to have the same conversation 4,000 times in 4 days…

Sub Pop will be heading to the lovely shire that is Austin, Texas to unleash our beasts (er, bands) on an entirely unsuspecting public. Actually, this public will most likely be fairly unsurprised as we are planning this trip to coincide with the 2007 SXSW Music Conference and they put our name in the schedule and all. Come check out our showcase at Emo’s IV Lounge (at 601 Red River) on Wednesday March 14th featuring… Kinski (12:45am) Oxford Collapse (11:30pm) Loney, dear (10:30pm) Tiny Vipers (9:30pm) And then, the band Maps & Atlases, who are not actually on the label, but who several people here think quite a great deal of, will be playing at 8:30.

We tried and sadly seemed to have failed to convince this guy to attend the show. Should still be a whole lot of fun though!

Also in March, from what we hope is one of your top 8 or so favorite medium-sized record labels in the 98121 zip code… A new Low record! On March 20th, we’ll be releasing Drums and Guns, the phenomenal new Low album. You can check out the song Breaker from Drums and Guns here. The album is available for pre-order now. And, if you order this record before March 20th (and because, when it comes right down to it, we’re pretty solid people), we will include a 7” vinyl single of Hatchet (Optimimi Version) b/w Breaker (Dub Plate) for FREE! These are totally different, completely re-worked versions of the songs found on the album. Plus, they’re good!

PANDERING TO THE LOCALS: FEB. '07

chrisj@subpop.com (Chris Jacobs) — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 17:43:54 -0800

“Sub Pop: The new thing; the God thing; a mighty multinational entertainment conglomerate based in the Pacific Northwest”

This quote is printed along the spine of the compilation pictured above, Sub Pop 100. The other day Sub Pop’s long-departed founder Bruce Pavitt came by and, with the help of Green River’s Mark Arm and the tremendously amiable and funny Tad, chatted us all up on the label’s beginnings. He brought some records with him to pass around, and Sub Pop 100 was one of them. It was really fun; grunge was pretty bitchen’.

Also of note around the HQ of our multinational entertainment conglomerate this month: the upcoming, February 6th, release of our first record with Sweden’s Loney, Dear! The record is called Loney, Noir, and it’s been aptly described as “soulful indie folk with a powerful mini orchestra.” If you’d like to read/learn more, there’s a Loney, Dear “Track Marks” feature on Idolator, a new Pitchfork review of the record, and a Stereogum piece on the video for the song I Am John. They were also the ‘Band of the Day’ for Feb. 6 on Spin.com. And, AND! If you order the record by February 6th, we will throw in, free of charge one copy of the UK import 7” single “The City, The Airport” b/w “Ignorant Boy, Beautiful Girl”! “Skiv-Slapp” means “Record Release” in Swedish! We think!

We faced some “challenges” in the production and assembly of the Loney, Noir record that you can read more about here, if you enjoy making fun of us as much as we seem to.

Also, welcome to the new website.

S>P: we love you.

PANDERING TO THE LOCALS: JAN. '07

chrisj@subpop.com (Chris Jacobs) — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 18:05:25 -0800

’07 is going to be bazonkers here at Sub Pop World HQ, and that’s the way we like it. You know what you like? We fervently hope? The Shins! January 23rd brings the long-awaited, much-yammered-on-about-by-us release of James Mercer & Co.’s brilliant follow-up to 2003’s Chutes Too Narrow, Wincing the Night Away on CD, LP and invisible MP3. The band will be touring extensively all year long domestically and abroad, so keep your li’l loser eyeballs peeled for updates, all of which can be found here at subpop.com.

Speaking of, on January 28th, we’re launching a WHOLE NEW BANANAS CRAZY INTERNET WEBSITE complete with a sweet new look, increased “functionality”, “user-friendliness”, and an oft-updated set of “blogs” written by us ourselves. We will sometimes write about The Shins, and we will sometimes write about the plethora of culinary delights that can be concocted using Twinkies brand snacks. This new website promises a grab-bag of unasked-for, self-involved/satisfied “content,” friends! Anticipate it now!

SUB POP STAFF; WE HAVE OPINIONS

chrisj@subpop.com (Chris Jacobs) — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 17:55:07 -0800

Fluffy holiday greetings, Losers! Guess fucking what? Just like the bajillion other critics and industry peeps who sometimes mistakenly believe their opinions on The Year 2006 are of vital interest to you, we’ve all made Top Ten Lists. By “we all”, I mean most of the Sub Pop Staff. Now, you can get a smoother picture of our innermost preferences! It’ll be almost like we’re REALLY FRIENDS IN REAL LIFE, instead of just virtually! Hope your year was as full of it as ours!

JOAN H. My top 13 full-lengths in order, excluding Sub Pop releases which all tie for #1: Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins, Rabbit Fur Coat (Team Love) Jolie Holland, Springtime Can Kill You (Anti) Frida Hyvonen, Until Death Comes (Secretly Canadian) Beyoncé “B’Day” (Sony Urban Music/Columbia) Viva Voce, Get Yr Blood Sucked Out (Barsuk) Thom Yorke, The Eraser (XL) Clipse, Hell Hath No Fury (Re-up/Zomba) Joanna Newsom, Ys (Drag City) F.S. Blumm, Summer Kling (Morr Music) Electric President, S/T (Morr Music) Justin Timberlake “FutureSex/LoveSounds” (Jive) The Mountain Goats “Get Lonely” (4AD) Cat Power, The Greatest (Matador)

LACEY S.: Wooden Shjips “Shrinking Moon For You” King Khan and BBQ Show ‘What’s For Dinner’ Liars “Drums Not Dead” Gnarls Barkley “St Elsewhere” Old Haunts “Fuel on Fire” Comets on Fire “Avatar” Black Garfield Comp Unnatural Helpers “S/T” 2006 was too lame on a personal level for me to finish this Top 10 List so I am deducting two entries.

S. FLETCHER: 1. Chris Brokaw “Incredible Love” 2. Scratch Acid @ the Showbox in Seattle 3. HiM “Peoples” (on the label Bubblecore) 4. Excite Truck on the Nintendo Wii (redefining video games for the 21st century) 5. Mice Parade “Bem-Vinda Vontade” (Bubblecore also) 6. My patented ZZ Top mix (2 CDs worth, from the first 6 LPs) 7. Dave Douglas “Meaning and Mystery” (“jazz”) 8. Deerhoof “The Runners Four” (though I’m almost positive it came out in 2005) 9. Jeff Parker “The Relatives” (& by association Marvin Gaye’s “Here, My Dear”) 10. comedy, up to & including Longmont Potion Castle and Scharpling & Wurster (“The Best Show on WFMU”)

GABE C. Tom Verlaine “Around” Yo La Tengo “I’m Not Afraid of You And I will Beat Your Ass” Pharaoh Overlord “#4” Juana Molina “Son” Califone “Roots and Crowns” Flaming Lips “At War With the Mystics” What It Is! Funky Soul and Rare Grooves (1967-1977) Tom Waits Orphans Tortoise A Lazarus Taxon Comets On Fire ”Avatar”

DEEN GULLBERRY: TOP 10 7”s (In No Order) Homostupids “The Glow” EP (My Minds Eye Records) Sex Vid EP (Kill Test) Pissed Jeans “Don’t Need Smoke To Make Myself Disappear” (Sub Pop) Nothing People EP (SS Records) Home Blitz EP (Self Released?) Wooden Shjips “Dance California” (Sick Thirst Records) The Go “Invisible Friends” (Cass Records) Spider & The Webs EP (K Records) Tall Birds “Internalize” (Sub Pop) Cause Co-Motion “Which Way Is Up” (What’s Your Rupture)

TONY K (excluding anything that came out on Sub Pop): Vetiver-To Find Me Gone Karen Dalton-In My Own Time Spank Rock-Yoyoyo Pop Levi-Blue Honey EP Cat Power- The Greatest Love is All-Nine Times That Same Song Beirut – Gulag Orkestar Grizzly Bear-Yellow House Flying canyon-Flying Canyon Wooden Shjips-Shrinking Moon for You

S. SAWYER’S ten most favorite records of the year: Tyde – Three’s Co. Sonic Youth – Rather Ripped Band Of Horsies – Everything All The Time Coments of Fire – Avatar YLT – Beat your ass Ghostface – Fish Scale Camera Obscura – Let’s Get Outttta this Cuntry Thermals – Body Blood Machine Tapes AND Tapes – The Loon Barb Dylan – Modern Times

DUSTY S’s movies of ‘06: Harsh Times Half Nelson The Departed Babel Devil’s Miner Rocky Balboa Beerfest LIttle Miss Sunshine Inside Man District B13

ANDY K: 10. Emerging technologies—Observe… Freewave! PS—you can skip the Sting part. 9. Om—Conference of the Birds Fantastic second record. It’s weird—the whole record reminds me of “Set Your Controls for the Heart of the Sun” on Percocet or something. 8. Various ‘70s Country/Folk Rock For some reason the records that I went back to over and over this year were by Chris Smither, Doug Sahm & Bobby Charles. Thanks to Other Music for unearthing a bunch of cut-outs of Smither’s Don’t It Drag On and I’m A Stranger Too. Bobby Charles’ “I Must Be In A Good Place Now” is an all-time stunner and a beautiful love song. When Vetiver played it live, my jaw almost hit the floor. Bringing me to… 7. Vetiver live You’d be hard pressed to find a better songwriter than Andy Cabic these days and his band is a bunch of ringers. Go see ‘em! 6. Wine Picks I took a lot of shit from co-workers for taking a wine class this year, but the joke is on those knuckle-draggers. For my money the best red I had this year was Mollydooker’s “The Boxer” Shiraz. Shalit would call it a “knock-out” (hiyo!) And now that it’s made Wine Expectorator’s Top 100, it might be a little tough to find. I shoulda bought a case. For whites, the best I had was Caves De Saumur’s “Lieu Dit Les Pouches”. 100% Chenin Blanc from the Loire. At 8 bucks a pop, you can’t afford NOT to drink it by the truckload! 5. Ba Da Bing Records, did they ever put out great records this year. Colossal Yes, Beirut, Th’ Faithealers Peel Sessions and that amazing Dead C double disc? Waytago gang! 4. Scratch Acid live— A very rare, life-affirming reunion show. Couldn’t have asked for anything more. Rey Washam still destroys. 3. Comets on Fire and their related projects, which may or may not also be on fire— Avatar is hands down the album of the year. Howlin’ Rain, Six Organs, Colossal Yes and NVH also put out amazing work in their own right. Best band in the galaxy. ‘Nuff said. 2a. You Tube will surely receive no shortage of year-end press and here I am jumpin’ on the bandwagon, but gimme a break. Forget Edison, Ford and that Dyson vacuum guy. The guy who invented You Tube is the smartest genius of all. Come on… Stay with Me and Sky and Evolucion Reggae and Silver Machine and Baby Come Back and Roxette and Seasick

2b. Michigan Football—Yeah, I’m getting pretty sick of them losing to Ohio State and yeah, I’m disappointed that we don’t get another pop at those guys, but if the Rose Bowl is the booby prize, I’m not losing any sleep over it. We’ll miss you Bo! The Tigers getting to the World Series was pretty great too, despite their performance in said series. 1. Baby fever ’07! Catch it!

CHRIS J (w/o any of the fine records released this year under the Sub Pop guarantee of moderate quality): Yo La Tengo – I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass (Matador) Beirut – Gulag Orkestar (Ba Da Bing!) Cat Power – The Greatest (Matador) The Gossip – Standing in the Way of Control (KRS) Eric Bachmann – To the Races (Saddle Creek) The Lights – Diamonds and Dirt (Wantage USA) The Black Angels – Passover (Light in the Attic) Mission of Burma – The Obliterati (Matador) Califone – Roots and Crowns (Thrill Jockey) Howlin’ Rain – Howlin’ Rain (Birdman) Other people have already mentioned it here, but that Scratch Acid show in Sept. at the Showbox was far and away the best show I saw this year.

HARRY HUDSON: 1. Photo Booth on my new MacBook. This is seriously the best shit ever. 2. Nintendo Wii. Maybe this should be number 1. 3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Maybe this is what I meant in number 2. The rest are in no particular order. The Black Garfield Comp (on Haunted Horse Records). Summer. (Remember how rad that was?) Sangria + Bocce Ball in the aforementioned season. Scratch Acid at the Showbox. New Super Mario Brothers. Crawl Space Gallery. Tiny Vipers.

SUE B.’s: Vetiver-To Find Me Gone Beach House-S/T Oxford Collapse-Remember the Night Parties Camera Obscura-Let’s Get Out of This Country Comets on Fire-Avatar Black Angels-Passover Love Is All-Nine Times That Same Song Neko Case-Fox Confessor Brings the Flood Peter, Bjorn & John-Writers Block Band of Horses-Everything All the Time

SEAN K. Touch & Go 25th Anniversary Rediscovering Spacemen 3 Hometown San Diego Chargers- 11-2 as we speak Henry Darger exhibit Orcas Island snowball fight Black Angels Skateboarding again- till I broke my arm Tapes n’ Tapes Melvins w/Jared and Coady Bourbon (making it’s 25th straight appearance in the top 10)

ANDREW S: top 10 things that existed in a world this year: The radikiller taco carts of Mexicali mexico Belize, in general The Black Lips 24/7 tapes records the dude from Thunderbirds Are Now! trying to fight me at CMJ Shi Shi Beach Sccreen printing, jamming, partying, sippin’ on hyphy, eatin waffles in the mornings and hot link sandwiches at night at the Ghosttown Gallery in Oakland, CA Quintron live at the sunset tavern Trashed Kickball Association of Seattle Migas from Tamale house #3 in Austin, TX

SUB POP RETREATS!

chrisj@subpop.com (Chris Jacobs) — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 17:42:48 -0800

By their nature, “company retreats” are generally the major bummers of the vacation family; they hold limp-dicked promises of petty conversation, fruitless, laborious meetings and, if you’re lucky, trust falls. Fortunately, Sub Pop isn’t a normal workplace, so our yearly retreats are kind of the opposite deal (I only say “kind of” because there are laborious meetings, but they’re far from fruitless.) We are extremely fortunate at the World HQ in that we are all actually, in real life, buddies. Which means that at these things, we end up drinking a lot and saying what we mean in discussions in order to better ourselves as a label. Novel concept, eh?

This year, the whole World HQ piled into four vehicles and made an extremely slippery, icy drive to Orcas Island, in the gorgeous San Juans. It’s a few hours to the north and west of Seattle, and the place is nuts—think a cross between the set of 1974’s “Land of the Lost” and, like, the Scottish coast at dusk. Since our region had just seen a massive winter storm, everything was ice and snow-covered, totally shithouse insane. We all talked on the way up about what would happen if the entire staff got stuck and froze to death (would Pavitt take over? He met us on the island and got to our hotel via snowshoe, no joke). We got there safe, but some injuries did end up occurring on the first night as a result of the wickedest snowball fight evs—I broke my arm, Sam got a bloody ear and Andrew acquired a busted mouth. It’s cool, though. We drank it off. GM Megan Jasper even rang The Bell at the bar we all trudged into, signaling that a round of drinks for all the poor locals in there was on us. It was the least we could do for fully taking over their neighborhood.

The rest of the retreat was super fun and fruitful, and although we ain’t pretty, we’re sharing photos with you. We hope you have a super sweet holiday time, friends!

WHAT THE HAIL!

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:24 -0700

While we’re sure that you’ve already read & heard about ninety billion accounts of this year’s hail-peppered Sasquatch! Festival at The Gorge in the best-named small town of our state (George, Washington), you totally haven’t yet heard ours! We’ll keep it short and sweet, as photos speak a billion paragraphs or whatevs. Below, you will enjoy several photos taken by the effervescent Sarah Moody, Internet Weblicist, of several of the wonderous bands we’re so lucky to work with. Perhaps you will note that The Shins & Iron and Wine look nice and dry! Perhaps you will also note that The Constantines do not! That’s because, as you may have heard, the apocalyptic heavens opened up and rain-hailed a shitstorm the likes of which I haven’t seen since my days experiencing the aftermath of Hurricane Alicia in 1983 in Katy, Texas. In fact, this hailstorm was worse, and not just because upwards of 20,000 kids were trapped outside in it…it lasted for like half an hour. Then stopped for ten. Then re-started up for fifteen. The only thing in the world that could kick the storm’s ass was, indeed, The Constantines. And they did! And the entire attendant staff of Sub Pop Records became drenched and freezing! Enjoy the photos!

CSS IS EXCITED AS SHIT!

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:24 -0700

CSS are coming to America this summer to bring the party with their new album Cansei De Ser Sexy and apparently they are excited as shit to be working with Sub Pop and to come dance across the states; check out this wonderfully shitty letter that they sent us at Sub Pop HQ:

We are so so so excited, it’s been hard to sleep. Yeah, but to illustrate it better for you, read this short story:

Eduardo he’s our international manager and huge friend, he introduced us a Wolf Eyes’s slang “Shit a Brick”. So every time he’d shout us an exciting news he’d say “I SHITTED A BRICK” or “You’ll shit a brick”, then since things started to grow he’d say “That person will shit a stadium”. Then we couldn’t get enough, news got bigger and bigger, so as our poop.

Here are some stuff we shitted during this special period of our lives of signing with Sub Pop and throwing a summer tour… Check it out: “I shitted an one meter subway sandwich with my brother’s ex-wife and my two cats” “I shitted Copacabana beach with the 2 million people watching the free Rolling Stones gig” “I shitted A LOCA club when it’s Placebo give away cd’s @ the Grind night!” “I shitted one stadium in a salmon temaki shape without mayonnaise that fits five million good lookin’ people” “I shitted the pink dolphin and XUXA (you should google her!)” “I shitted the Coliseum” “I shitted the world when it was only one continent.”

So… as you can see… we are very excited

THE EARLY BUZZ ON PISSED JEANS = SUBSTANTIAL!

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:24 -0700

It’s admittedly still early days, but we at Sub Pop are very encouraged by the early “buzz” that Pissed Jeans have been generating. We don’t want to go overboard here (that sort of exaggeration is just not our style), but we’ve seen some recent photos from some Pissed Jeans shows and “the kids” are really responding in a significant way. Just take a look at the irrefutable photographic evidence below! The crowd is freaking out, some were even so moved as to make out with one another! We’re predicting that, one day, an awful lot of people will claim to have been at this show…

JENNIFER GENTLE AND MUDHONEY DO EUROPE!

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:23 -0700

Sometimes, the wonderful bands we’re so lucky to work with are themselves lucky enough to tour that crazy continent over the briny seas, EUROPE! Recently, both Mudhoney and Jennifer Gentle played a show together at the Rainbow Club in Milan, Italy. Mudhoney was on tour, but Jennifer Gentle was not! Because they LIVE IN ITALY! We here at the World HQ weren’t there to throw pasta at the ceiling to see if it would stick, nor were we there for the show unfortunately. Fortunately, foxy Italian photographer Gianni Versace (buddy, if you’re related to ol’ Donatella, ship us some GOODS so we can hawk that shit!) took some lovely shots of both bands. Enjoy! Or, as the Italians would say, Enjoy-o!

SWEET BAND OF HORSES PHOTOS!

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:23 -0700

It’s been forever since we here at Pandering to the Locals have posted, but never fear! We promise to be more faithful and persistent about it, just like Joey Joe Joe Jr. was when you dated him in sixth grade.

Check out these super-great photos of Band of Horses from photographer Jason Quigley! (www.photojq.com) He took them whilst seeing the dudes on tour—and you, too, can and should go see yourself a Band of Horses show! They are touring the U.S. this summer in support of Everything All The Time. They just made a killer new video for “The Funeral” that you can see here and also you can check out their tour dates, as well as dates from CSS, The Elected, Fruit Bats and more by clicking HERE!

BAND OF HORSES + A BEAR SUIT = FUN

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:23 -0700

Thanks to all of the people with the semi-humorous Horse jokes who made the guy in the bear suit laugh during our Band of Horses ticket giveaway. For all of those who didn’t get to be there, we have video and pictures that you can see by clicking on the respective thingies below. Sometimes we are maybe funnier than not funny people… maybe. You decide. Click Here to see the pictures

EUGENE MIRMAN PROTESTS HIMSELF?

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:23 -0700

Goodness, GARDEness!! On the afternoon of May 8th, 2006, nearly 100 enemies and fans of Eugene Mirman (including Eugene himself) proved at least one thing by gathering with signs and loudspeakers in NYC’s Union Square: America is nothing if not protesty. Whether or not protesters viewed the May 9th release of EN GARDE, SOCIETY! (Eugene’s second full-length solo comedy album with DVD supplement and his first for Sub Pop) as an affront to freedom as we know it, it was clear that they were there to fight the good fight forgainst Eugene.

If you live in our nation’s capital, Washington, DC, you’re probably no stranger to using your voice to promote both liberty and to act out against things that are comedy-larious. On May 14th, you’ll have your chance to speak out and Protest Eugene Mirman Yourself! Anti-Eugene protesters and Eugene himself will be meeting and organizing at 5 PM at the Renwick Art Gallery on the corner of 17th & Pennsylvania, by the glorious and giant painting of “American Gothic.” The assembled will then be marching on the White House! Contact andrews@subpop.com for more D.C. protest info.

Later that night, Eugene will be performing live at the Black Cat with Michael Showalter and Leo Allen. Check out some ideas for protest signs here: http://www.subpop.com/features/images/eugeneprotestposters.jpg

ALSO! Just to spite and praise Eugene simultaneously, we here at Sub Pop World HQ are also teaming up with America’s Finest News Source, The Onion, to present a number of screenings of the En Garde, Society! DVD. What’s more, to sweeten the deal, we’ll also be screening our new DVD video comp. Acquired Taste!

May 09 – The Knockout , San Francisco, CA (En Garde, Society! + Acquired Taste screening/party 7-9pm) May 09 – The Sunset Tavern, Seattle, WA (En Garde, Society! + Acquired Taste screening/party 7PM- 9PM) May 10 – Subterranean, Chicago, IL (En Garde, Society! + Acquired Taste screening/party @ 9pm) May 11 – The Hi Hat Garage, Milwaukee, WI (En Garde, Society! + Acquired Taste screening/party at 8PM) May 11 – The Oriental Theater, Denver, CO (En Garde, Society! + Acquired Taste screening/party @ 7pm) May 18 – The Dubliner, Minneapolis, MN (En Garde, Society! + Acquired Taste screening/party 7-9pm)

Together, we are fomenting important societal change and also hopefully encouraging the sale of CDs here, people! And, while the journalistic establishment may be ignoring the revolution, the blogoverse is exploding all over itself with anti/pro Eugene blather:

On Comedy Central’s site, about the NY protest:

http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/cc_insider/2006/05/eugene_mirman_p_1.html

More photos here (Tu No Puedes, Eugene!)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/remydwd/ Which side are YOU EN?”

JONATHAN PONEMAN IS OLD!

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:21 -0700

Holy poop, Sub Pop is filled with geezers! There is no doubt that our president, a man who is old enough to be my dad, JP is no exception! To celebrate his birthday, the year of which I won’t disclose as not to embarrass, we decided to fill his office with balloons and dead hookers! Well, Megan Jaspers planning skills fell through and the dead hookers didn’t show up in time, which is a real bummer as you can imagine. However, we did all rally together to inflate around 2786 bigass balloons, which made for a fun work day and a good interoffice bonding experience, if you’re into that sappy crap. We took some photos of the event for all of you curious folks out there who wonder what working at Sub Pop is really like in a day to day sense, so take a look below and you will get a gander. If you want to wish Jon a happy birthday, send your kind, or not so kind, regards and ribs to info@subpop.com

HOW MANY BALLOONS DOES IT TAKE TO FILL STEVE MANNING

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:21 -0700

After Friday’s balloon extravaganza we’ve had a ridiculous amount of balloons floating around our office. So, we all thought of something debaucherous we could do with this rubbery refuse, and came up with a damn good plan. Steve Manning, Sub Pop’s head of publicity and marketing was unfortunate enough to leave the doors of his VW bus unlocked, and that is a bummer for him. Fortunately though for you the reader this means opportunity! If you can guess how many balloons it took us to fill Steve’s van, we will send you a Sub Pop t-shirt and sampler. Sorry Steve, but don’t worry, there is a thumb tack taped to your steering wheel so you can pop your way out!The contest is over. The winner is Patrick Drzemiecki, Patrick guessed 336 and the actual number was 347! Good guess work Patrick, tell people you are smart!

THAT TICKET GIVEAWAY WAS AWESOME!

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:21 -0700

So, all of the punk suckers who were too cool to come down to get free tickets missed out. I know you all really wanted to look at your ex-girlfriends fallout boy lovin’ boyfriend on myspace while listening to your new Fiery Furnaces record, but let me tell ya that you not only missed free tickets but you missed FUN. We gave away 6 free tickets to the sold out Iron and Wine show in Seattle today, and it was a blast! Good work to the winners, it just goes to show that we aren’t total bullshit artists and sometimes can even be nice… stay tuned in for more fun junk like this in the near future. Love Sub Pop.

LEST WE NOT FORGET...

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:21 -0700

LEST WE NOT FORGET…

SUB POP'S NEW WORLD HEADQUARTERS IS GO

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:20 -0700

Hello loyal subpop.com readers, I am sorry that it has been so long since we’ve last corresponded. But! As you may or may not know, we’ve recently moved offices from our old hoborific joint to 5 blocks up the beautiful Seattle streets. Our new offices have the luxury of an interoffice bathroom, not to be used by wino’s, grifters, vagrants, or the like. We also now come equipped with air hockey, a dishwasher, and a big fucking tv. But not everything has been gravy around here, we’re all catching up with all of the work we’ve not been doing in preparation for the move. In other bad news, our front desk lady Alissa got her car broken into in the new lot and her gym clothes stolen (crackheads apparently love to wear sports bras and spandex?) and I got kicked out of an A Frames show for being far too drunk. My cantankerous blacked out behavior was not appreciated at that show near as much as I thought it would be. Luckily this time when I blacked out though I didn’t try to ride my bike, and I made it home just fine, sans brokenface. Whilst all of this tom foolery has been going on around us we’ve also been planning a monumental CMJ event for you, our loyal fans. This year we are presenting to you Constantines, Fruit Bats, Rogue Wave, Chad VanGaalen, Wolf Parade, Holopaw, and Kinski. So if you haven’t heard yet, check out this fancy postcard and get over there to try and get in… And if you are unfortunate enough to not be in the New York area for this event, you might still be able to catch Chad VanGaalen, Rogue Wave, and Fruit Bats on tour around the nation together, so look at the tour section for the date nearest to you. Good Luck and stay tuned for more info. in the coming weeks.

-andrew

Gary "Gorillaman" Davis Presents Sub Pop Records with the Prestigious Recording Academy Honors Award

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:20 -0700

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for staying.

Plexi. The Blue Rags. Green Magnet School. The Evil Tambourines. The Yo-Yo’s. These names and many others like them seem now inextricably synonymous with Sub Pop Records. It is, however, not solely a history written in forgotten failures. For there has also been a handful of almost-was-es, one or two kind-of-closes, and an occasional bonafide barely-profitables. It is for this legacy of small percentages that, tonight, Sub Pop Records is being honored by the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Recording Academy.

Sub Pop began sometime in the late 1980s by two gentlemen who met each other somewhere and did something that eventually led to them releasing some records. The early years of Sub Pop were marked by a clarity of vision and an unwavering sense of integrity: two qualities that co-founder Bruce Pavitt seemingly took with him when he left in 1990-something.

It was during this period that remaining co-founder, and tonight’s honoree, Jonathan Poneman earned the still popular inter-office nickname, The Impotent Wizard.

During the next several years, as Sub Pop’s status, credibility and cultural significance waned, Mr. Poneman took an unorthodox approach to resuscitating his company by embarking on an increasing number of lengthy overseas vacations to some the world’s most sacred spiritual centers in an attempt to add some glint of meaning to an otherwise empty existence.

It was during this period that he earned the still popular inter-office nickname, The Absent Ghost.

Recently, Fortune’s Bird of Pity seems to have found a friendly perch on Sub Pop’s fetid hovel as, over the last four years, they have enjoyed an unlikely string of critical and commercial successes that can only be attributed to two factors: luck & institutionalized racism. In an accidental misplacement of funds that has been mistakenly heralded by some as charity, Sub Pop has also been a key contributor to such worthwhile institutions as The Service Board and The Vera Project. Never mind that Mr. Poneman still believes the both of these to be code names for two of his many phony tax shelters and offshore accounts.

It has been during this most recent period that he has earned the still popular inter-office nickname, The Clueless Detective.

In reciting this history, perhaps you are like me in wondering why Sub Pop and Jonathan Poneman should be deemed worthy of receiving this otherwise well-merited award when I can’t even find a girlfriend. The answer, I’m afraid, is “I Don’t Know.”

What Does Low Fink of Techmology?

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:20 -0700

So, get this: Low had a handful of folks (Stephin Merritt, Fog, Bob Mould, Crew Jones, and The Count, to be precise) remix the song “Monkey” from their most recent album The Great Destroyer, and though they will be issuing a physical CDEP and 12” vinyl version on their own Chairkickers Union label, these remixes are available right freakin’ now on iTunes. Were you to be so inclined, you could buy one or all of these remixes right now, through the iTunes store, here. It is our, perhaps overly optimistic, hope that you are just so inclined.

THE DERELICT

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:19 -0700

Thanks to our very own Lacey Swain for bringing this one out of the vaults this morning. This is our Direct Sales Director, Dean, undergoing a fantastic transformation….Look!

SUB POP HAIKU CONTEST WINNER ANNOUNCED!

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:19 -0700

You thought this was gonna be one of those catch-22 contests WITHOUT a winner, didn’t you? Well, friends, you are wrong. We totally have a winner, and his name is Kevin Neil. Wanna hear his haiku? Here it go!Sub Pop has Sam BeamHe’s got a really cool beardAnd a banjo, too!There you have it. Succinct. To the point. And so, so deep.While I was secretly hoping to get a bunch of smart-ass haikus like the following, I did not:Hey, Sub Pop Losers!Gimme the haiku prize now.You all suck big balls.I wrote that, and if I could give myself the prize (a Sub Pop sampler & sticker pack), I would. Wait, I already have the prize. I digress.Congrats, Kevin!

COMETS ON FIRE ON WFMU ON A REALLY HOT DAY ON A DRUM STOOL WITH NO PANTS ON

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:19 -0700

After a couple of berzerkerzoid shows in NYC the dudes of Comets were worn out and tired on the drive to WFMU for their in studio performance. Then, to add more shit to the stew, they arrived on the blazingly hot day only to be told that the air conditioning at WFMU wasn’t working. So, faced with this seemingly sour situation, drumlord Utrillo Kushner decided to lighten the mood (and the temperature) by getting butt ass naked! Listen, you can hear these dudes sweat it out in the studio and build from hungover party burnouts to ripping musical runaways, it’s refreshing just to listen to! Really though, this is a pretty killer session, so listen up…

Comets On Fire on WFMU

Pictures From the Session

You can also download a live video of Comets on fire playing in Northampton here (56K warning, 25 MB) This is an unrelated bonus to the WFMU session, so eat it up…

SLEATER-KINNEY'S WINGS! (NO RELATION TO THE DECEASED USA COMEDY SERIES)

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:19 -0700

This my friends is what you will be seeing in the upcoming Sleater-Kinney video for the song “Jumpers.” These wings, which are quite reminiscent of Arthur’s from the Tick, are made of plastic envelope windows (weird?)! Next week the ladies of Sleater-Kinney will be shooting this video in Portland, so keep your eyes peeled bizarro happenings PDX. If you don’t spot it being made, you’ll have to wait until the video is done to see the wings in action, but for now we can tell you this: ‘Jumpers’ is a video that follows a female character as she plows through her mundane life while secretly using office supplies to build her escape pod. How you like them apples?

NEWS FLASH!

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:18 -0700

If you don’t live in Seattle yet, it’s probably a good idea that you move up here before April 24th. On that night. Davey (formerly of Sub Pop Recording Artists The Catheters, R.I.P.) is playing in a Motley Crue cover band at the Sunset…and they’re doing Too Fast For Love in its entirety. This blows my fucking mind, personally, and I am totally there. Because, y’know, it’s the Crue.In case you’ve forgotten that Too Fast For Love isn’t just an album, but a song, let me jog yr memory by re-printing these sweet, sweet lyrics.Oh no oh no Oh no oh no Living on a jet Making love to someone else’s dream Say it again She puts her legs up Well calls it good luck Do you know what I mean? Do you remember? Well I remember

Oh no oh no Dream machine So damn cool she can turn on the night The more she gets Well the more she needs Do you know what I mean? Do you remember? Well I remember Oh no oh no (Chorus) Too fast Too fast for love Too fast You’re too fast for love (repeat)

Oh no, oh no She’s a streamline queen On a sex craved movie screen Say it again She’ll use her time up Have nothing to show Well mark my words Do you remember? Well I remember Oh no, oh no

(Chorus)

You’re too fast You’re too fast for love. xo Sub Pop

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT OUR MEDIA PAGE YET?

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:18 -0700

For serious, have you? If not, I highly suggest that you make yo-self a delicious bowl of Jiffy Pop, grab a Snickers bar, a Miller High Life and three of your finest lady friends and plop down in front of that computer screen. We’ve recently posted new videos for Sleater Kinney’s “Entertain” (They’re in the woods…they’re in the truck…they’re rocking your brains out your armpits), Jennifer Gentle’s “I Do Dream You” (Olde tymey mystery) and The Shins’ “Pink Bullets” (the sweetest stop-animation cattle you’ve ever made pals with.)That’s at least nine to fifteen minutes of pure, unadulterated entertainment….and c’mon, your attention span isn’t much more than that anyway. xo Sub Pop

LOOK--IRON AND WINE

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:18 -0700

Our very own Iron and Wine is on tour with Band of Horses, and they recently played a lovely instore at Electric Fetus in lovely Minneapolis, Minnesota. Take a peek, won’t you? Fancy, huh? My favorite part is the tall guy in the back, because he looks mysterious. Or confused.

THE POSTAL SERVICE GETS THEIR GOLD RECORD, AND THE STAFF GETS TRASHED

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:18 -0700

Well, at least relatively schnockered. We all had a fine time at last Thursday’s CIMS (Coalition of Independent Music Stores) event at Seattle’s own Triple Door—Kinski, the Helio Sequence and Fruit Bats played, The Postal Service got their gold record, and the staff got two drink tickets apiece good for ANY DRINK IN THE HOUSE. I had 32-year Oban scotch on the rocks, m’self. Shawn, pictured in photo number two at bottom left, preferred a Mai Tai. I’m not sure what everyone else was drinking, but we all looked snappy. Here, Ben & Jimmy peek their li’l noses over the prize!And here’s some of us, posing holiday-style for the camera.Here’s TPS and pal Tony, thinking really, really hard. About something. Ice cream, perhaps? Or giraffes? Or….success?

SIDEWALK: SLEATER-KINNEY'S THE WOODS REVIEWED GLOWINGLY ON DUSTED

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:18 -0700

Here’s an excerpt of what they say: “The three years that have passed since Sleater-Kinney released their last album, 2002’s One Beat, have not been happy ones: between the war in Iraq, the re-election of President Bush, and the appointment of a torture-condoning Attorney General, Americans have plenty to complain about. Nonetheless, as Sleater-Kinney noted on One Beat’s “Combat Rock,” dissent within the music industry seems minimal, as listeners seem to prefer blinged-out rappers and faux-punk suburbanites to anything vaguely political. One Beat’s call to dissent seems to have fallen on deaf ears, and its successor, the tellingly-titled The Woods is rife with frustration and rage. It also happens to be a musical tour-de-force, and probably Sleater-Kinney’s best album to date.The Woods is, appropriately enough, the densest and deepest work in Sleater-Kinney’s discography. If it lacks the immediate appeal and accessibility of One Beat or All Hands on the Bad One, it feels more mature and meaningful than either. Tucker, Brownstein and Weiss reach their peak here as performers and songwriters, and Fridmann’s production provides a sense of warmth and spontaneity unequalled by their earlier work. While it may be tinged with pessimism and negativity, The Woods is ultimately an exhilaratingly positive listen; it’s full of the passion, sincerity, and creativity that no Franz Ferdinand or White Stripes, let alone a Britney or an Avril, could ever fabricate. Most importantly of all, it serves as a giant “fuck you” to mainstream culture by showing it precisely what it lacks, proving that even amidst bullshit commercialism and superficial trends, great rock music still exists.—Michael Cramer”

CELEBRATE THE BETROTHAL OF MIN FROM THE A-FRAMES BY TAKING A GANDER AT THESE LOVELY PHOTOS!

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:18 -0700

CELEBRATE THE BETROTHAL OF MIN FROM THE A-FRAMES BY TAKING A GANDER AT THESE LOVELY PHOTOS!

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In the grand tradition of sharing family photos with you, our lovely and wonderous reader, we’re proud to present snapshots from the wedding of Min and Constance! We wish Min, who is in our very own A-Frames, and Constance, who is clearly sporting the most killer wedding headwear in the history of man, the very, very best.Just makes you wanna get hitched, don’t it?xo Joan & Sub Pop

O, WHAT FOOLS WE ARE!

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:17 -0700

Even though our General Manager, Megan Jasper, is one of the most notoriously nefarious pranksters of all time—remember this, cob nobbler?—we here at Sub Pop World HQ ™ often forget that the first day of April is in fact one of the bestest holidays of the whole year. Under-coffeed and groggy, we started the morning with the receipt of a condescending e-mail that waxed poetic about Iron and Wine being on TV (“Sam’s not doing that”, we thought.) When the e-mail said “This message is for Joan Hiller. I just want to pay tribute to you and your efforts in once again discrediting Subpop as a reputable indie label,” we just thought it was the work of another misguided lamestain. After all, there’s been a clearly disturbed dude calling the front desk phone several times a week insisting that he needs to speak to me about getting money for all the songs he wrote for In Utero and Ten,and one look at our mailbag is evidence enough that “special” correspondence is par for the course at Ye Olde SP. Then, we found this completely falsified story, and it suddenly dawned on us: it’s fucken April Fools Day. While the rest of April, the month of makeouts and Nasonex, won’t be full of pranks, it WILL be full of the newest, hottest Love as Laughter release, Laughter’s Fifth, which comes out on the 26th and has pretty much the most schlockily awesome cover since The Thermals’ Fuckin’ A artwork of 2K4. You’ll also be able to read more scintillating communique’ re: your favoritest Sub Pop artists by checking this column for updates. Pandering To The Locals is updated weekly—did you know? Just read on, reader.

THE LIGHTS....THEY ARE SO BRIGHT. SO BRIGHT AND SHINY.

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:17 -0700

Last night’s First Ever Sub Pop Experiment With Throwing A Show In A Laser Dome was MOMENTOUS, to say the least. Thanks to The Stranger (our lovely wkly who sponsored the show), our tour publicist Jed, our new media champeen Andrew (who donated gear and helped tear down shit last night until 12:30), our direct sales dude Dean and of course, Jennifer Gentle and the Pacific Science Center, awesomeness was indeed achieved. Hearing JG jam out in the low zones while hott pink compass scribbles morphed high overhead seemed singularly perfect and triumphant to all the staff as we lay next to each other on the ground like sardines, heads plopped on rolled-up sweaters and jackets, staring into the fake darkness. The dudes behind us were bitching about their cotton mouth and Jennifer Gentle was staring in bewonderment at the ceiling while riding E and A notes through to the end. The lights rose and the laserist proclaimed in the kind of voice the checker dudes at the grocery store use when announcing bread specials on aisle 12 that we should “Give a hand to Jennnnifer Gentle! Up next, Laser Floyd!!!!”. And dude, not more than three minutes later, before we could all get up and get our shit, the lights went down and The Wall started blasting. You know who else was there besides us? Kinski. They were psyched. If you live in the Pacific Northwest and would like to see a Laser Kinski show as much as we would, write in to info@subpop.com and let us know.

SUB POP INJURY REPORT--SPRING 2K5

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:17 -0700

We are many things here at Sub Pop World Headquarters—savvy, brainy, busty, blessed with multitudinous talents unmatched by our friends and neighbors—but one thing we are decidedly NOT is graceful. Or, y’know, lucky. In the past month and a half, a startling proportion of our award-winning marketing team has encountered a number of bizzaro tough breaks resulting in theft, injury or the onset of flesh-eating bacteria-induced illness. Still, we succeed! If you can name another label who has been through the following setbacks and has still emerged As Number One, write us at info@subpop.com, and we’ll challenge said label to a helmetless baseball game. Speaking of challenges, Tooth and Nail wanted to duel with us like months ago at the bowling alley, but never told us when to show. If you are a Tooth and Nail employee and have the courage to challenge us to said duel, e-mail us and we’ll meet and obliterate you, even in our current conditions. And what are those conditions, you might ask? Well, let’s let the sweet pictures speak for themselves:

In the first and last photos, you’ll note the large, metal pins sticking out of our IT Director’s arm. Dan got in a wicket ski accident only one week after his car got stolen out of our garage, purportedly by a tiny hooker who has been swiping vehicles from the area, gutting them of their sound systems, and dumping them elsewhere in the neighborhood. He now has oxycontin, vicodin and a new way to shock children. And we in the office continue to sing “Hold me closer, tiny hooker.” It is also of note that our super intern, Aaron (not pictured) had HIS apartment broken into last week; the man used a hammer wrapped in a shirt and fled afterwards, taking nothing. “What’s funny is that the back door was unlocked the whole time,” Aaron reports. The most scintillatingly shocking of anyone’s injuries belong to Computer Whiz Andrew, pictured second. Andrew got in a wicked bike accident, and after his face healed up well enough for him to play tennis, he chipped his tooth with a racket. That latter injury happened nary but three days ago. ““If you ever want to find out why people use the term ‘eat shit’ to describe falling down, just go to a party and pour multiple margaritas into a massive widemouth bottle, then after a mere two or three hours try to ride your bike. Perhaps there is a reason they tell you that you shouldn’t drink until you’re 21,” he muses. In the world of infection, our Star Director of Publicity, Steve, gets the America’s Next Top Model Award for his nasty pinky-finger staf infection last month, which is pictured third and required finger-surgery and several drainings. Everyone: wash your hands! This could happen to you.But that’s not all. We can’t forget our dear Project Manager, Chris, who re-broke his nose weeks ago in an unfortunate soccer incident. “Where there was once a soccer ball, suddenly and with great force appeared the back of some guy’s head. Why anyone would pull this devious sort of switcheroo and cause me to vigorously bleed my own blood, is not altogether clear to me. So much for getting that modeling career off the ground,” Chris reports.Let this be a lesson to you, kids

do as we say, not as we do! Safety first! Love, Sub Pop

POSTAL SERVICE*S GIVE UP GOES GOLD, ITUNES EXCLUSIVE, AND MORE!

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:16 -0700

Mr. John Henkel of the RIAA spoke with our Esteemed Director of National Sales, Mr. Andy K, and let us know that sales of The Postal Service’s Give Up have indeed surpassed 500,000. That means Give Up has gone GOLD, and it’s only the second record in the Sub Pop catalog to do so (the other’s Nirvana’s Bleach, which has since gone platinum.) This is a big fucken deal, and we’re all amped. After all, it was Sir Elton John who, during the launch of the RIAA Diamond Award in ‘99, said, and I quote, “I think this is the biggest accolade you can be given because it means your fans have gone out and bought your records. And that’s why we make records—for our public.” Of course, that sounds totally pompous, and Ben & Jimmy had no fucken idea they’d ever sell so many records (this is just a fun side-project, dudes!) nor that they’d gain so much airplay with their Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite)-directed video for their newest single, “We Will Become Silhouettes”. That single, by the way, was #2 on the Billboard Singles Charts last week—and only because Destiny’s Child beat them out for the #1 slot by 55 pieces. The band’s video is viewable all over the web, at tons of major regional video shows, on FUZE.TV and on MTV2’s Subterranean. We here at the Sub Pop don’t usually toot our own pompous horns, but this is sweet. You know what else is killer? Postal Service now has an iTunes exclusive that you can download at www.itunes.com—it’s a hott remix of “Be Still My Heart”, the Postal Service’s newest jam, by renowned beatmaster Nobody, who re-hashes stuffs for Prefuse 73, and has a new full-length out on Ubiquity Records called Pacific Drift: Western Water Music Vol. 1 that kills. It’s just a buck. What a deal, eh? In the immortal words of Ali G, “Me loves techmology”. But I digress. In other news, our pals Hot Hot Heat (now on Warner Brothers, but they used to be with us!) are about to go on tour! Look! HOT HOT HEAT TOUR DATES! 2/21 Neumo’s Seattle, WA 2/22 Meow Meow Portland, OR 2/24 Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA 2/25 Roxy W. Hollywood, CA 2/27 Club Sound Salt Lake City, UT 2/28 Fox Theatre Boulder, CO 3/2 Ascot Room (at the Quest) Minneapolis, MN 3/3 The Bottom Lounge Chicago, IL 3/4 Orbit Room Grand Rapids, MI 3/5 St. Andrews Hall Detroit, MI 3/7 Axis Boston, MA 3/9 Bowery Ballroom New York, NY 3/10 Theater of Living Arts Philadelphia, PA 3/11 9:30 Club Washington DC 3/12 The Norva Norfolk, VA 3/13 The Loft Atlanta, GA 3/15 Trees Dallas, TX 3/16 Engine Room Houston, TX 3/17 SXSW Austin, TX The HHH also has a new download available….check it right purchase something, too!xo Joan & Sub Pop

WE HAVE HOTT NEW VIDEOS FOR YOU TO WATCH--RIGHT HERE ON SUBPOP.COM!

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:16 -0700

I’ll bet you already knew that you can watch videos on our site, but did you know that we have BRAND NEW ONES from both Low and Frausdots? We do! Click right hereor just check it out! Dead Wrong Video You have to be able to watch quicktime stuff on your computer, but everyone who’s not in the stone age pretty much has a quicktime player by now, yes? Look for the surprise ending in the “Monkey” video—you’ll never, ever see that shit coming, unless you watch it right here Monkey Video! Promise. And check out the sweet neon goodness Brent & Michelle proffer in their Frausdots video for “Dead Wrong”. You know you love it!xo Joan & Sub Pop

SUB POP HAIKU CONTEST!

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:16 -0700

Would you like to win A Sub Pop sampler today? Write us a haiku.

The haiku structure Is an easy one to grasp! It’s 5-7-5.

Write about Sam Beam Or Sleater-Kinney, maybe. You cannot go wrong.

Our new sampler? Smooth! It is called “Songbook of Songs” It has many jams. E-mail your haiku! Joanh@subpop.com! I might send the prize.

ANYONE WANT A NEW TIGHT RIDE? IT'S FOR A GOOD CAUSE....

deanh@subpop.com (Harry Dean Hudson) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:24:16 -0700

Junior publicist Jed Maheu was psyched when he recently purchased a super-hot 1971 Barracuda….until he realized that now, he’s broke with no place to live and two muscle cars. He considered taking off the doors and parking them close so he could sleep between the two, but that’s really not a good option, is it? Maybe you could help him out by placing a bid. This is not a joke, by the way…check out his auction right here.Open your hearts, friends. xo, Joan & Sub Pop

Features

A Form of Paying Attention May '08

A Form of Paying Attention April '08

A Form of Paying Attention March '08

A Form Of Paying Attention February '08

Pandering to the Locals January '08

Pandering to the Locals December '07

Pandering to the Locals November '07

Pandering to the Locals October '07

Pandering to the Locals September '07

Pandering to the Locals August '07

PANDERING TO THE LOCALS JULY '07

PANDERING TO THE LOCALS JUNE '07

PANDERING TO THE LOCALS MAY '07

PANDERING TO THE LOCALS: APR. '07

PANDERING TO THE LOCALS: MAR. '07

PANDERING TO THE LOCALS: FEB. '07

PANDERING TO THE LOCALS: JAN. '07

SUB POP STAFF; WE HAVE OPINIONS

SUB POP RETREATS!

WHAT THE HAIL!

CSS IS EXCITED AS SHIT!

THE EARLY BUZZ ON PISSED JEANS = SUBSTANTIAL!

JENNIFER GENTLE AND MUDHONEY DO EUROPE!

SWEET BAND OF HORSES PHOTOS!

BAND OF HORSES + A BEAR SUIT = FUN

EUGENE MIRMAN PROTESTS HIMSELF?

JONATHAN PONEMAN IS OLD!

HOW MANY BALLOONS DOES IT TAKE TO FILL STEVE MANNING

THAT TICKET GIVEAWAY WAS AWESOME!

LEST WE NOT FORGET...

SUB POP'S NEW WORLD HEADQUARTERS IS GO

Gary "Gorillaman" Davis Presents Sub Pop Records with the Prestigious Recording Academy Honors Award

What Does Low Fink of Techmology?

THE DERELICT

SUB POP HAIKU CONTEST WINNER ANNOUNCED!

COMETS ON FIRE ON WFMU ON A REALLY HOT DAY ON A DRUM STOOL WITH NO PANTS ON

SLEATER-KINNEY'S WINGS! (NO RELATION TO THE DECEASED USA COMEDY SERIES)

NEWS FLASH!

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT OUR MEDIA PAGE YET?

LOOK--IRON AND WINE

THE POSTAL SERVICE GETS THEIR GOLD RECORD, AND THE STAFF GETS TRASHED

SIDEWALK: SLEATER-KINNEY'S *THE WOODS* REVIEWED GLOWINGLY ON DUSTED

CELEBRATE THE BETROTHAL OF MIN FROM THE A-FRAMES BY TAKING A GANDER AT THESE LOVELY PHOTOS!

O, WHAT FOOLS WE ARE!

THE LIGHTS....THEY ARE SO BRIGHT. SO BRIGHT AND SHINY.

SUB POP INJURY REPORT--SPRING 2K5

POSTAL SERVICE*S GIVE UP GOES GOLD, ITUNES EXCLUSIVE, AND MORE!

WE HAVE HOTT NEW VIDEOS FOR YOU TO WATCH--RIGHT HERE ON SUBPOP.COM!

SUB POP HAIKU CONTEST!

ANYONE WANT A NEW TIGHT RIDE? IT'S FOR A GOOD CAUSE....

SIDEWALK: SLEATER-KINNEY'S THE WOODS REVIEWED GLOWINGLY ON DUSTED