Today, Friday, August 14th,Sweeping Promises release their incredible new album, You Say I Romanticize, worldwide on Sub Pop. The band is celebrating the occasion with a new video for the song “Rapture, Or…” directed by Shawn Brackbill. Click HERE to watch.
Caufield Schnug and Lira Mondal of Sweeping Promises share about the song: “‘Rapture, Or…’ we originally envisioned a sort of fallen monastic, mockingly devout, longing for a near-term judgment day (catch phrase: ‘I can’t wait for tomorrow’). The actual lyrics are scenario-adaptable, though, as apocalypse fantasies seemingly guide culture now, so you can’t blame us for finding a desire lane amid the ruins. It’s one of our poppier songs ever. We double-tracked Lira’s loud vocals in our tiled bathroom - our ‘cathedral’. A malfunctioning arp played the ascendant synth arpeggios, and the guitar on this one was improvised.”
The band is also currently in the midst of a five-date run of FREE in-store performances at independent record stores across the Midwest. Starting August 12th at Old Love Garden at the Toy Store Upstairs in their hometown of Lawrence, KS; August 13th at Euclid Records in St. Louis, MO; August 14th at Goner Records in Memphis, TN; Feel It Records in Cincinnati, OH on August 15th; and Bric-a-Brac Records & Collectibles in Chicago, IL on August 16th. These in-store performances are FREE to the public, and you can grab a Loser Edition of the new record on Black and Yellow Confetti vinyl while supplies last.
Sweeping Promises embark on a North American headline tour in the fall of 2026. The first leg begins September 9th in Oklahoma City, OK, and runs through September 29th, culminating in a hometown show at White Schoolhouse in Lawrence, KS. The second leg begins October 27th in Omaha, NE, and ends November 18th in Nashville, TN. Further live dates, including international touring, will follow soon. Tickets available at sweepingpromises.com.
YOU SAY I ROMANTICIZE IN-STORES WITH LIVE PERFORMANCES Wed. Aug 12 - Lawrence, KS - Old Love Garden at the Toy Store Upstairs @ 7:00 PM Thu. Aug. 13 - St. Louis, MO - Euclid Records @ 6:00 PM Fri. Aug. 14 - Memphis, TN - Goner Records @ 6:00 PM Sat. Aug. 15 - Cincinnati, OH - Feel It @ 5:00 PM Sun. Aug. 16 - Chicago, IL - Bric-a-Brac Records & Collectibles @ 4:00 PM
YOU SAY I ROMANTICIZE NORTH AMERICAN HEADLINE TOUR Wed. Sep. 09 - Oklahoma City, OK - Resonant Head Thu. Sep. 10 - Denton, TX - Rubber Gloves Fri. Sep. 11 - Austin, TX - LEVITATION Sat. Sep. 12 - San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger Tue. Sep. 15 - Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge Wed. Sep. 16 - San Diego, CA - Casbah Thu. Sep. 17 - Los Angeles, CA - Sid the Cat Auditorium Fri. Sep. 18 - San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop Sun. Sep. 20 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios Tue. Sep. 22 - Vancouver, BC - Fox Cabaret Wed. Sep. 23 - Seattle, WA - Baba Yaga Fri. Sep. 25 - Boise, ID - Shrine Social Club Basement Sat. Sep. 26 - Salt Lake City, UT - The DLC at Quarters Sun. Sep. 27 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive Tue. Sep. 29 - Lawrence, KS - White Schoolhouse Tue. Oct. 27 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown Wed. Oct. 28 - St Paul, MN - Turf Club Thu. Oct 29 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club Fri. Oct. 30 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle Sat. Oct. 31 - Detroit, MI - Lager House Tue. Nov. 03 - Toronto, ON - Monarch Wed. Nov. 04 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa Thu. Nov. 05 - Boston, MA - Deep Cuts Fri. Nov. 06 - Boston, MA - Deep Cuts Sun. Nov. 08 - Troy, NY - No Fun Tue. Nov. 10 - New York, NY - Night Club 101 Wed. Nov. 11 - Brooklyn, NY - Baby’s All Right Thu. Nov. 12 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church Fri. Nov. 13 - Washington, DC - Union Stage Sat. Nov. 14 - Richmond, VA - Cobra Cabana Mon. Nov. 16 - Durham, NC - The Pinhook Tue. Nov. 17 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Purgatory) Wed. Nov. 18 - Nashville, TN - DRKMTTR
“Rapture, Or…” follows the previously released singles “Accent,”“Cocoon,” and “Shooting Shadows.”YouSay I Romanticize was recorded over an 18-month period and is a tribute to the chaos of creation and collaboration under shifting circumstances. Guitarist Caufield Schnug and bassist/vocalist Lira Mondal found and tested themselves in their combination tour house and recording studio in Kansas, annually working on dozens of albums from other bands, hosting tour stops, planning shows, and the like. After an immersive process of tracking and whittling down YSIR demos and carving out an idiosyncratic chamber-recording method for the album’s intentional wall-of-sound, the duo brought in touring drummer Spenser Gralla to play the songs as the band would on stage.
Sweeping Promises, YouSay I Romanticize, is out now on CD/LP/Digitally worldwide from Sub Pop.
What people are saying about Sweeping Promises You Say I Romanticize: “‘Shooting Shadows’ is a post-punk riot with an audacious bassline”. - [Shooting Shadows] Stereogum
“Few contemporary bands have managed to make art-punk feel as immediate and alive as Sweeping Promises. - The Big Takeover
“Sweeping Promises manage to extol the importance of self-expression while advocating for a collective good.” - Paste
“The Kansas art-punk outfit tap into wall-of-sound maximalism and literary themes on their second album.” - [HOT LIST SUMMER 2026] Bandcamp
“The bass-driven post-punk spirit of the Slits, Ut and Au Pairs suffuses the brilliant latest single from the Kansas band, vocalist Lira Mondal coiled and prowling then letting go with high-pitched yells” - [“Accent”] The Guardian
”You Say I Romanticize laughs at doing things the hard way and embraces the humanity of it all. It’s not searching for the perfect experience, but being present in one’s own life, art, and community.” - The Line of Best Fit
“The power duo are back with their frenetic art punk style that will equally satisfy as well as leave you famished and craving more” - NARC
Sweeping Promises YouSay I Romanticize
Tracklisting: 1. Shooting Shadows 2. My Friend’s An Entomologist 3. Last Man 4. Rapture, Or… 5. Abduction On Camera 6. My Anchoress 7. Cocoon 8. Accent 9. Does He Want To Be The Weatherman? 10. Write Lightly
On Friday, November 13th, 2026, Clipping will release Splendor & Misery (Anniversary X), the tenth anniversary edition of their Hugo Award-nominated sci-fi opus, on a double LP, originally released on Sub Pop and Deathbomb Arc in 2016. The deluxe anniversary edition features the acclaimed album’s original fifteen-song tracklist along with eight new, previously unreleased songs and alternate takes.
Splendor & Misery is an Afrofuturist, dystopian concept album that follows the sole survivor of a slave uprising on an interstellar cargo ship, and the onboard computer that falls in love with him. Thinking he is alone and lost in space, the character discovers music in the ship’s shuddering hull and chirping instrument panels. William and Jonathan’s tracks draw an imaginary sonic map of the ship’s decks, hallways, and quarters, while Daveed’s lyrics ride the rhythms produced by its engines and machinery. In a reversal of H.P. Lovecraft’s concept of cosmic insignificance, the character finds relief in learning that humanity is of no consequence to the vast, uncaring universe. It turns out, pulling the rug out from under anthropocentrism is only horrifying to those who thought they were the center of everything to begin with. Ultimately, the character decides to pilot his ship into the unknown—and possibly into oblivion—instead of continuing on to worlds whose systems of governance and economy have violently oppressed him.
Splendor & Misery is one of Clipping’s most beloved releases, having earned praise from the likes of The New York Times, Bandcamp Daily, CLASH, The Line Of Best Fit, All Music, The Needle Drop, and Uproxx to being selected for year-end lists from the likes of PopMatters (“Best Hip Hop Albums of 2016”), The Observer (“10 Best Hip Hop Albums of 2016”), and Stereogum (“Best Rap Albums of 2016”).
Splendor & Misery would also be nominated for a Hugo Award for “Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form,” in 2017, being the second album to do so in the awards ceremony’s history. In 2019, Pitchfork ranked Splendor & Misery as one of “The 33 Best Industrial Albums of All Time.”
Clipping would also perform songs from Splendor & Misery on late-night TV, with appearances on former shows The Late Late Show with James Corden (“A Better Place”) and Conan (“Air Em Out”). Recently, the band performed the song “True Believer” (with special guest vocalist Sharon Udoh aka Counterfeit Madison) for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk series.
Splendor & Misery (Anniversary X) is now available to preorder on vinyl and digitally from Sub Pop and Bandcamp. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com in North America, Mega Mart Europe in the UK and EU, and your local record store will receive the Metallic Silver colored vinyl (while supplies last).
Clipping is also curating Splendor & Misery Fest 2026 at Flushing, NY’s Knockdown Center in celebration of the album, tomorrow night, Thursday, August 13th. The lineup will feature a headlining performance from Clipping, along with sets by SPELLLING, Sub Pop labelmates Shabazz Palaces, ELUCID, Fatboi Sharif, evicshen, and Maria Chavez. Tickets are on sale now.
What People Have Said About Clipping’s Splendor & Misery: “The minimalistic, ice-cold production of Splendor & Misery feels like it’s been pulled back into the present from the future.” FLOOD
“…A fervent, chaotic and uncommonly beautiful noise-rap allegory about slave rebellion and computer love told through a futurist narrative that takes place in outer space.” New York Times
“A magnificent, nerve-jangling and altogether rather riveting blast of unflinching white noise and throb, virtuoso rapping and, most improbable of all, richly romantic gospel-choir interludes designed as much to disconcert as to offer tuneful respite from and guidance through the surrounding sonic shrapnel.” [9/10, Album of the Week] Loud & Quiet
“A hugely inventive slab of sonic theatre plotted to the tiniest detail..” ★★★★MOJO
“Replete with sci-fi references and nudges to Afrofuturist musicians before them, the album confronts the crushing darkness inherent to the alienation of black diaspora and speculates on the identity as an intrinsically fluid process. Splendor & Misery is sincere and staunchly ambitious. With it, clipping. Have solidified their position at the forefront of experimental music.” 8.6/10, Northern Transmissions
“The production, helmed by dual composers William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes, make use of field recording techniques only instead of chimes and sampled radio alarms, the sharp clangs of breached hulls and airlocks closing are the content used to create these paranoia inducing and dissonant instrumentals. What makes Splendor & Misery beckon for repeat listens, bar Daveed Diggs torrential flow, is how concise and dense the record is. It flows like a satellite in orbit, emerging over horizons witnessing serene beauty only to encounter disruptive asteroid belts moments later like the three ‘Interlude’ tracks where Daveed spits over broken and static-laced connections.” 8/10, CLASH
“Utterly uncomfortable, but with such an imaginative foundation that you can’t help but feel invited back to try to learn a little more about the strange and beautiful world of Clipping.” 8/10,Under the Radar
“Spirits are present in clipping.’s video for “Air ‘Em Out.” We open on frontman Daveed Diggs settling in to another shift at his jumpsuit-requiring place of employment. As the beat builds, however, mysterious tremors start to unsettle Diggs and the litany of office supplies at his desk. It’s another top-quality video from a group that has made a habit of just that, a simple idea perfectly executed.” [“Air ‘Em Out,” Best Videos of August 2016] Pigeons & Planes
“”Baby Don’t Sleep” is noisy, layered and absolutely frightening.” [“Baby Don’t Sleep”] NPR Music
“Beatmakers Snipes and Hutson send you plummeting into the mainframe with a musique concrète cut-up beat of television fuzz and white noise. Negative space sucks the air out of your chest as Diggs raps in an arresting staccato, deconstructing the hegemony in a most deliberate manner: “Saviors are fiction / memories are fading like ghosts.” [“Baby Don’t Sleep”] Passion of the Weiss
Clipping Splendor & Misery (Anniversary X)
Tracklisting: 1. Long Way Away (Intro) 2. The Breach 3. All Black 4. Interlude 01 (Freestyle) 5. Wake Up 6. Long Way Away 7. Interlude 02 (Numbers) 8. True Believer 9. Long Way Home (instrumental) 10. Air ‘Em Out 11. Interlude 03 (Freestyle) 12. Break The Glass 13. Story 5 14. Baby Don’t Sleep 15. A Better Place 16. Long Way Away (Theremin & Piano) 17. Wogglebug (Instrumental) 18. Where Shall I Go 19. Machine Loop (Instrumental) 20. Story 5 (Harp) 21. Distant Radio Freestyle 22. Blerg (Instrumental) 23. Story 5 (Demo)
Today, August 11th, 2026, Ever-evolving rapper, producer, and musician Ishmael Butler has announced his return as Shabazz Palaces and forthcoming new album, It’s a Style Sport, out Friday, October 23rd worldwide from Sub Pop.
It’s a Style Sport is the eighth Shabazz Palaces studio album and first since the release of sibling mini-albums 2023’s Robed In Rareness and 2024’s Exotic Birds Of Prey.
The ten-track project is preceded by thumping meditation “Ahh World (I Won The Alpha Bet),” out today via a new visualizer from Jacob Kasar and edited by Leigh Riibe. The single finds Butler taking the role of an all-knowing narrator, telling the story of his own life and rise to excellence from a fantasy-fuelled third-person perspective, ending with a list of directives for a successful life. Butler deals out flair while staying grounded in what matters most: his own honor.
It’s a Style Sport is a bold, forthright, and heavy-hitting album. Throughout, Butler compiles what he’s learned from his storied, dense career into a playful, shimmering portal, again proving himself an artist of chameleonic ambition, fuelled by curiosity, courage, and a limitless imagination.
It’s a Style Sport features guest appearances from Marquette Miller, Thaddeus “Thaddillac” Turner, Evan Flory-Barnes, Gerald “Tugboat” Turner, Kassa Overall and Carlos Overall. The album was produced by Shabazz Palaces and Erik Blood, recorded at Circular Ruin Studios in Brooklyn (NY), Lake View Studios and Hall of Justice in Seattle (WA), and Parkman Labs in Los Angeles (CA). It was mixed by Blood at Circular Ruin, and mastered by Warren Defever at Third Man Mastering in Detroit (MI).
Ishmael Butler has been consistently exploring the outer reaches of music for the last three and a half decades. In the early 90s, he helped pioneer jazz-infused hip-hop by founding Digable Planets, the Grammy Award-winning trio who released two landmark albums, toured with Sade, and are still playing live together today. Butler’s later creative rebirth as Shabazz Palaces began in earnest 15 years ago with the experimental, highly influential debut album, Black Up. Butler has continued to push boundaries over seven subsequent Shabazz Palaces albums, and his exemplary taste and verve has led to collaborations with Flying Lotus, Thundercat, George Clinton, Clipping, Battles, Oneohtrix Point Never, Animal Collective, plus his own son, Lil Tracy.
Shabazz Palaces has toured with Radiohead, TV On The Radio, and Ms Lauryn Hill. Additionally, Butler’s ability to spot like-minded visionaries, both in music and the wider creative cosmos, has led to striking visual output alongside filmmakers Khalil Joseph (Beyoncé, FKA Twigs, Kendrick Lamar) and Hiro Murai (Atlanta, Widow’s Bay), to incredible design work with Toronto artist/designer and his fellow Black Constellation member Nep Sidhu.
Shabazz Palaces It’s a Style Sport is available now to preorder on CD/LP/Digital from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com in North America, Mega Mart Europe in the UK and EU, and your local record store will receive the limited Loser edition on Metallic Silver (North America) and Sparkle Starlight (EU/UK) vinyl (while supplies last).
Later this week, Shabazz Palaces and his live band will join labelmates Clipping at their Splendor & Misery Festival, happening Thursday, August 13th at Knockdown Center in Flushing, NY. On Friday, August 14th, Shabazz Palaces will host “Baz Off Broadway,” a DJ set via The Lot Radio in Brooklyn from 2-3 pm ET.
On Saturday, September 12th, Shabazz Palaces will also perform at The Genius Awards event hosted by local arts and culture magazine The Stranger in Seattle at The Moore Theatre.
Tracklisting: 1. Ahh World (I Won The Alpha Bet) 2. Field Notes 3. Show Me Missouri In Mink 4. Jheri Curl Jump 5. Deadstock Dude 6. Tongue In Chic 7. Heliocentric Immortality Manifesto H.I.M. 8. Olivia According To Touch 9. Money Can’t Save Your Mind 10. From One Future To Another
Sera Cahoone is announcing new headlining shows for September and October in support of her forthcoming new album, I’ve Missed You All These Years, out Friday, August 28th worldwide from Sub Pop.
On Saturday, September 5th, Sera will perform at Seattle’s Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival. Later in the month, she’ll head out to the East Coast and Midwest US for a string of dates beginning Friday, September 18th in Nashville, TN with a show at Brown’s Diner during AMERICANAFEST (for the NITO Indie Spotlight, 4-8 pm). The tour will continue through Saturday, October 3rd in Medford, MA at Deep Cuts. The tour will include stops in Minneapolis, Chicago, Vienna (VA), Philadelphia, Ridgewood (NY), and Medford (MA). Additional live dates will be announced soon.
Sat. Sep. 05 - Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot Festival Fri. Sep. 18 - Nashville, TN - Brown’s Diner (NITO Indie Spotlight, 4-8 pm) Wed. Sep. 23 - Minneapolis, MN - Icehouse Sat Sep. 26 - Chicago, IL - Hideout Tue. Sep. 29 - Vienna, VA - Jammin Java Wed. Sep. 30 - Philadelphia, PA - MilkBoy Thu. Oct. 01 - Ridgewood, NY - Stone Circle Theatre Sat. Oct. 03 - Medford, MA - Deepcuts
On I’ve Missed You All These Years, her sixth record, Cahoone is in full command of her powers. In its ability to hold loss and connection in the same hand, the album is triumphant, a celebration of life rooted in the knowledge of its fleeting nature. The product of a lifetime spent performing and producing music, the album traverses blues, folk, pop, and country, evoking Loretta Lynn in one song and Lucinda Williams in the next. It’s a testament to the strength that creativity and community brings, a portrait of an artist who knows herself completely.
I’ve Missed You All These Years includes the singles “Say Something,”“Pulling Up Roots,” and “Not How I Hoped,” and was co-produced by Sera Cahoone and John Morgan Askew at Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, WA, mixed by Askew at Scenic Burrows in Vancouver, WA, and mastered by JJ Golden at Golden Mastering.
I’ve Missed You All These Years will be available on CD/LP/Digitally from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com in North America, Mega Mart Europe in the UK and EU, and your local record store will receive the limited Loser edition on Metallic Gold vinyl (while supplies last).
What People Are Saying About Sera Cahoone: “Shaped by a gorgeous backing of guitar, piano, and Hammond organ, the rich-n-swaying ballad finds Cahoone singing with a well-worn smile flickering at the edges, a flash of light that balances the heavy-hearted nature of the lyrics. Framing a portrait of strained but wholly vital domesticity, Cahoone’s voice is full of tenderness, holding a sense of yearning that is palpable in the weight it carries.” (“Say Something”) Gold Flake Paint
“Her new album I’ve Missed You All These Years, out August 28, is so richly tuneful and full it sounds as if it could’ve come out at any time since about 1968. It’s previewed by Say Something, which is a little bit Emmylou Harris, a bit Loretta Lynn, even quite Joan Baez, a lot Weyes Blood – and wouldn’t you love to hear them together?” The New Cue
Sera Cahoone I’ve Missed You All These Years
Tracklisting: 1. High and Low 2. Say Something 3. No One Like You 4. Not How I Hoped 5. Horse Runnin’ 6. Pulling Up Roots 7. Supposed To Be 8. Hits Right 9. Tangled Nights 10. I’m No Fool 11. Something Good
Today you can watch The Go’s official video for “All Dimensions Are Loose” a new offering from the band’s long-lost album, Free Electricity. The visual was filmed by Charles Piippo and captured live at Magic Stick venue in Detroit, MI.
“All Dimensions Are Loose” follows the release of Free Electricity’s title track, which Stereogum says is “the sound of a garage-punk band taking things deep into the chaos zone…”
Having fearlessly plumbed the murky depths of our archives, Sub Pop’s crack team of archivists have resurfaced with glad tidings! The Go’s Free Electricity will finally see worldwide release on Friday, September 4th, 2026! The ten-track long player was written, composed, and arranged by Bobby Harlow (except track one, which was written by Harlow and Dion Fischer; and track five, written by Harlow and Cary Loren).
Free Electricity was mixed and produced by Matthew Smith, engineered by Jim Diamond at Ghetto Recorders, and mastered by Jim Kissling at Jim Kissling Mastering in Detroit, Michigan.
Tracklisting: 1. Free Electricity 2. Secular Century Man 3. All Dimensions Are Loose 4. Peacock Angel 5. Pharaoh’s Tomb 6. Into Outer Space 7. Turnin’ On 8. Blood Red Sun 9. Muthers of the Earth 10. Golden Dawn
