Today, Wednesday, January 28th, Nation of Language is sharing a new rework of Dance Called Memory’s lead single “Inept Apollo” by UK artist Tom Sharkett of the band W.H. Lung. This rework takes the song’s new wave origins, ups the BPM and the funk, and turns it into an even more danceable sibling.
Nation of Language’s Ian Devaney has this to say on the track, “We’re big fans of WH Lung, as well as Tom’s excellent recent LCD Soundsystem rework, so we were super excited when he reached out saying he wanted to take a crack at a new mix of ‘Inept Apollo.’ Our initial enthusiasm only grew when we received the end product a couple months later and were able to test it out in a club environment a few times. Can confidently report it sounds fantastic in a loud and crowded room. Here’s hoping it sees its way to a few dance floors in 2026.”
Sharkett offers this on the remix, “I had an affinity with Nation of Language as soon as I heard their music. It felt like it came from the same place as the music I was making myself and with W. H. Lung, and the more of their music I heard, the more I felt it. It was hard initially to find a way in with remixing “Inept Apollo,” as I loved the original so much. I knew I wanted to nod to the connection between NYC and Manchester started by the artists and DJs I feel we both love, without even having to name check them. It had to be wonky, and it had to be loose and lively. Hope you enjoy!”
Nation of Language has also announced new 2026 international headlining, festival, and support dates. Their current tour schedule spans Sunday, February 15th in Monterrey, MX at Foro Tims through Thursday, August 27 - Saturday, August 29 for the Canela Party weekender in Málaga, ES.
Highlights for this announcement include headlining shows in Guadalajara (Feb. 15th), Mexico City (Feb. 17th), and Tokyo, Japan (Mar. 31st); European Summer festival appearances at Primavera Sound Porto (Jun. 11th), AboutPop in Stuttgart, DE (Jun. 12th), Best Kept Secret Festival in the Netherlands (Jun. 13th), B-Sides Festival in Lucerne, CH (Jun. 18th), Release Athens x SNF Nostos Festival in Greece (Jun. 21st), La Prima Estate Festival in Camaiore, IT (Jun. 27th); And a direct support slot opening for Death Cab for Cutie in the US Midwest and Southwestern US (July 23rd-August 4th). Additional live dates to be announced soon. For information on tour dates, please visit https://www.nationoflanguage.com.
2026 Tour Dates Sun. Feb. 15 - Monterrey, MX - Foro Tims Tue. Feb. 17 - Guadalajara, MX - C3 Rooftop Thu. Feb. 19 - Mexico City, MX - Foro Indie Rocks! - Sala Tue. Mar. 31 - Tokyo, JP - Space Odd Thu. Jun. 11 - Porto, PT - Primavera Sound Porto Parque Da Cidade Fri. Jun. 12 - Stuttgart, DE - AboutPop Festival Sat. Jun. 13 - Hilvarenbeek, NL - Best Kept Secret Festival Thu. Jun. 18 - Lucerne, CH - B-Sides Festival Sun. Jun. 21 - Athens, GR - Release Athens x SNF Nostos Festival Sat. Jun. 27 - Camaiore, IT - La Prima Estate Festival Fri. Jul. 24 - St. Louis, MO - Stifel Theatre # Sat. Jul. 25 - Bentonville, AR - The Momentary # Sun. Jul. 26 - Council Bluffs, IA - Harrah’s Stir Cove # Wed. Jul. 29 - Sandy, UT - Sandy Amphitheater # Fri. Jul. 31 - Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Financial Theatre # Sun. Aug. 02 - Los Angeles, CA - The Greek Theatre # Mon. Aug. 03 - Los Angeles, CA - The Greek Theatre # Tue. Aug. 04 - San Diego, CA - Gallagher Square at Petco Park # Thu. Aug. 27 - Sat. Aug. 29 - Málaga, ES - Canela Party
# supporting Death Cab for Cutie
Dance Called Memory is out now worldwide from Sub Pop. The 10-track album features the Billboard Top 30 AAA radio singles “Inept Apollo” and “I’m Not Ready For The Change,” and was recorded, produced, and mixed by returning producer and collaborator Nick Millhiser in New York City and mastered by Heba Kadry in Brooklyn. Dance Called Memory also hit the Top 5 on the NACC 200 College Radio Chart.
Dance Called Memory also saw Nation of Language receive “Best Albums and Singles of 2025” coverage from the likes of Antics Magazine (+ Artist of the Year print cover), KCRW (Albums & Songs List, “Inept Apollo”), Rough Trade Records, Under the Radar, Magnet, PopMatters, and Treble Zine (Songs of the Year, “In Another Life”).
Nation of Language’s 51-date, 2025 international headlining tour to support Dance Called Memory was the band’s most successful touring run to date. The tour sold over 40k tickets with sold-out shows in New York, DC, Chicago, Vancouver (BC), Seattle, Portland, San Diego, Austin, San Francisco, Kansas City, Dublin, Munich, Lisbon, Paris, and London.
What People Are Saying About Nation of Language’s Dance Called Memory: On Dance Called Memory, you won’t find a more gorgeous format of synth-heavy post-punk in any city between the Atlantic and Pacific O’s. The Brooklyn trio portion out plenty of dance floor candy, but also take a turn for the mellow on tracks like “Can You Reach Me?” and “Nights of Weight.” Thankfully, frontman Ian Richard Devaney continues to write songs for the end credits of John Hughes movies that were never made; singing “Darling, don’t forget my love” at the end of “Inept Apollo,” he extends his vocal range for maximum capital-Y Yearning. Epically sincere; sincerely epic.” [“Best Albums of 2025”] Antics Magazine
“Their fourth album, Dance Called Memory, though, is the one where the songs make an undeniable case for themselves. Shearing off some distracting tendencies and adding subtle new twists like shoegaze-inspired guitar, Nation of Language refine their sound and play to their strengths, never more so than on the resplendently uplifting “Inept Apollo” [“The 80 Best Albums of 2025”] PopMatters
“The real deal…” ★★★★ MOJO
“The band’s fourth LP and Sub Pop debut is danceable, eccentric, and immaculate at once…” ★★★★ All Music
“For Dance Called Memory, the trio — Devaney, his wife and right-hand synth wizard Aidan Noell, and bassist Alex MacKay — once more teamed with LCD Soundsystem/Holy Ghost! member Nick Millhiser as producer. Together, the crew pushed the edges of NOL’s sound, creating something expansive enough to capture the weight of grief and loss that coursed through these new songs.” Stereogum
“Dance Called Memory, continues its study of synth-pop from the late 1970s and early ’80s. The new record adds more guitars to the mix, tempering the machine-made with a human touch.” New York Times
“It’s a fuzzy electronic project that’s both introspective and danceable, with flanged New Order–styled guitar parts sprinkled in to give their sound a refreshed feel.” FLOOD
“Ian Devaney’s Vulnerability Pays Off On Nation of Language’s Dance Called Memory.” 8.0/10, PASTE
“If there were a Nation of Language album that lifts the band onto the next rung of the pop culture ladder, beyond indie notoriety, it deserves to be this one.” “Best Albums of September,” Consequence
“entwined with beauty as much as melancholy.” Our Culture
★★★★ Live4ever
“an assured evolution” ★★★★ ½ Indie is Not a Genre
“A resounding triumph” When The Horn Blows
“another stellar record from Nation of Language” ★★★★ Stereoboard
“this Brooklyn outfit’s gleaming spirit continues to be a northern star” Electronic Sound
“a band that has the songs (and the heart) to cross the pop threshold if they choose.” The Line of Best Fit
Netflix is a Joke Presents: Flight of the Conchords’ first Los Angeles appearance in over 10 years at The Greek Theatre on May 9th, performing at the 2026 edition of the Netflix Is A Joke Festival. The Conchords’ will perform fan favorites, and classic banter. This will also be the duo’s only US performance for 2026.
Bret McKenzie says, “Can’t wait to get the entire two-man band back together for this special Los Angeles show! Looking forward to singing some of our old songs again and dusting off some classic banter. This has the potential to be an awesomely fun night! (just need to relearn our own songs).”
Artist and fan presales begin Wednesday, January 21, and are on sale to the general public Friday, January 23 at 10 am PT. Buy tickets here.
New Zealanders Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement debuted on HBO in 2005 in an edition of the comedy series “One-Night Stand,” returning to the network in 2007 for the debut season of their acclaimed, Emmy-nominated series “Flight of the Conchords,” which followed fictionalized versions of their lives in New York City.
The duo also signed a worldwide deal with Sub Pop Records for their recorded music, going on to release the Grammy-winning EP, The Distant Future in 2007, followed by two full-lengths and a live album - their self-titled debut in 2008, I Told You I Was Freaky in 2009, and Live In London in 2019. They also headlined in the US and the UK multiple times, including their wildly successful “Flight of the Conchords Sing Flight of the Conchords Tour” in 2016.
The Conchords’ have also enjoyed individual success. Clement’s film and TV credits include the Rio movies, Men in Black 3, What We Do in the Shadows, and his role in FX’s Legion. More recently, he’s been seen in The Minecraft Movie, Megan 2.0, and as “Dr. Garvin” in the recent Avatar films (The Way of Water in 2022; and Fire and Ash in 2025).
McKenzie was the songwriter for The Muppets, which won him an Academy Award® for Best Original Song for “Man or Muppet,” and “Muppets Most Wanted.” He’s also written songs for TV and film, including The Simpsons and The Minecraft Movie. Bret also recently released two solo albums for Sub Pop - Songs Without Jokes in 2022 and Freak Out City in 2024, and has been touring live in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
What People Have Said About Flight of the Conchords’ Live Show:
“…Flight of the Conchords has been distinguished by its subtlety: songs, jokes and stage banter so understated, you could be forgiven for not realizing when the two men performing them are joking.” New York Times
“…a carefully constructed, carefully executed live comedy of a rare breed–simultaneously large-scale and human-level.” BROOKLYN VEGAN
“Their impressions are razor-sharp, their vocals show huge range (McKenzie’s especially), and their comic timing is better than ever (Clement’s in particular).” - The Week
“You’d be hard-pressed to find any current musical-comedy act that didn’t pick up a little of the Conchords DNA.” PLAYBOY
Ya Tseen’s (pronounced Yacht Seen) new album, Stand On My Shoulders, is digitally available worldwide today from Sub Pop. Led by multi-disciplinary artist Nicholas Galanin, Stand On My Shoulders is an incandescent exploration of existence, a celebration of love and connection to Land.
Stand On MyShoulders features guest performances from Portugal. The Man, Meshell Ndegeocello, dreamcastmoe, Anel Figueroa, *Jahon Mikal, Pink Siifu, Sidibe, Hanna Ben, and Ashley Young. The album builds on the group’s 2020 Sub Pop debut, Indian Yard, with revolutionary love as the foundation for collective liberation, centering connection, longing, and resistance. The cover art for Stand On My Shoulders is one of Galanin’s monoprints, referencing a photo of his father, who passed away in 2021. His father’s Tlingit regalia remains, but the wearer isn’t visible, highlighting the space to be filled by future generations. With Stand On My Shoulders, Ya Tseen uplifts the gifts given to us by our ancestors and the collective responsibilities we have to future generations. Click here to listen to the entire album.
To celebrate the release of their new album, Ya Tseen will perform live on KEXP today at 11:00 AM PST, with an interview to follow with DJ Cheryl Waters. They will then play a celebratory album release show at Seattle’s Clock Out Lounge later that night. Tickets are available here. They are also confirmed perform on January 24th at The Crystal Saloon in Juneau, Alaska, with more dates to be announced in the coming weeks.
Galanin is a musician and visual artist who has been creating music, customary Tlingit carving, and interdisciplinary art for over two decades. His sculpture and video work have been shown at the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial, Whitney Biennial, Sydney Biennial, Desert X, Art Week Miami Beach, and by the New York Public Art Fund. Galanin’s visual and sonic work are interconnected streams of creative flow, integral to the watershed of his work.
Ya Tseen Stand On My Shoulders
1. Ircenrraat (feat. Ashley Young)
2. Twilight (feat. Pink Siifu, Sidibe)
3. Perfect Combo (feat. dreamcastmoe)
4. Taste On My Lips (feat. Portugal. The Man, Meshell Ndegeocello, Sidibe)
On Friday, March 6th, waterbaby will release her debut full-length on CD/LP/DSP’s from Sub Pop. The 8-track long player features the pre-release singles “Amiss” and “Beck n Call” along with highlights “Sink,” “Clay,” “Srs Ice,” and today’s new offering, an official video for the title track, “Memory Be a Blade,” which was directed by Felix Scheynius.
On Memory Be a Blade, the Stockholm, Sweden-born singer-songwriter’s second release on Sub Pop, the nostalgia runs deep. Her follow-up to 2023 EP Foam is darker, richer, and more personal than ever. She wanted her lyrics to dig deeper and evolve her writing forward, something she accomplishes stunningly across the eight-track project.
To spark inspiration for her new lyrics, waterbaby reflected on a past break-up. She had moved on and was seeing someone new while recording the album. But when the newer relationship ended, she witnessed how much the album took on a new meaning to reflect the heartbreak she hadn’t anticipated experiencing.
“Many of the songs came to mean very different things than what I had thought when writing them in the first place,” waterbaby admits.
In the two years following Foam, waterbaby and her primary collaborator, Marcus White (YG, Anna of the North), took their time to get the album right. They wrote and recorded around Stockholm, the south of Sweden, and even Los Angeles. As it took shape, however, waterbaby began to notice how much she would stiffen up behind the microphone. She admits she gets quite shy in the studio, opting for the familiarity of people like White to stay by her side. But in order to take her words and sound deeper, White encouraged her to improvise what she sang instead of writing it out ahead of time.
Her improvisations were paired with compositions that reflected waterbaby’s classical background. White played piano alongside his lush and ethereal arrangements of string and horn parts. Musicians like violinist Oliva Lundberg, cellists Filip Lundberg and Kristina Winiarski, saxophonist Sebastian Mattebo, trombonist Hannes Falk Junestav, and flutist Pelle Westlin round out the dreamy ensemble (read more at Sub Pop).
waterbaby has confirmed new UK & EU headline dates for 2026 in support of Memory Be a Blade. These shows will begin on March 18th in Gothenburg, Sweden, with additional shows in Stockholm, London, Paris, and Berlin. See below for a complete list of shows.
Thu, Mar. 19 Gothenburg, SE - Nefertiti Fri, Mar. 20 Lund, SE - Mejerlet Sat, Mar. 21 Linköping, SE - Babettes Sun, Apr. 12 Stockholm, SE - Södra Teatern Wed, Apr. 15 London, UK - The Lower Third Thu, Apr. 16 Paris, FR - Popup! Fri, Apr. 17 Rotterdam, NL - MOMO Sun, Apr. 19 Berlin, DE - Frannz
Memory Be a Blade is now available to preorder on CD/LP/all DSPs from Sub Pop. LPs purchased from megamart.subpop.com, MegaMart Europe in the UK + EU, and your local record store will receive the limited Loser Edition on Cosmic Berry (NA) and Pearl / Arctic (UK/EU) vinyl while supplies last.
waterbaby Memory Be a Blade
Track Listing: 1. Sink 2. Memory Be a Blade 3. Clay 4. Beck n Call 5. Minnie 6. Minnie Too 7. Amiss 8. Srs Ice
On Friday, April 3rd, 2026, sunn O))) will release their eponymously titled first full-length album for Sub Pop.
sunn O))) was co-produced & mixed by the band and Brad Wood (Hum, Tar, Sunny Day Real Estate, Liz Phair), and was recorded at Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, Washington, January 2025. You can now listen to the album’s closing track, “Glory Black.”
sunn O))) is available for preorder on CD/2xLP/all DSPs worldwide from Sub Pop. LP preorders through the North American Sub Pop Mega Mart will receive the limited Loser edition on opaque bluevinyl; preorders through Mega Mart Europe will receive the Loser Edition on oxblood vinyl (UK/EU) with reversed cover art. The Loser Editions will also be available at your local record store. There are also two new T-shirts (long and short sleeve) and a baseball hat available (US-only) (All vinyl colors and album merch available while stock lasts!).
Framing the album visually are two paintings by the late American artist Mark Rothko - one on the front cover and one on the back cover, with the art reversed for UK & European pressings. The CD and LP package also includes expansive liner notes by author Robert Macfarlane, whose 2025 novel Is a River Alive? is among the many sources of inspiration for the album. And, illustrations by French artist Elodie Lesourd are also featured on the inner LP sleeves and accompanying album merch.
sunn O))) recently sat for an interview with The New York Times, who say of the new album: “The result — captured with exceptional vividness by Brad Wood…is a hyperdistilled version of its core aesthetic, in which snarling distortion and glinting feedback ooze from the speakers like the dense fog that fills the air at the band’s shows (See January 13th, 2026 feature).”
sunn O)) is also announcing new initial North American headlining shows for 2026 in support of the album. Additional incoming live dates will be announced soon.
Tickets for the below shows will go on sale to the general public on Friday, January 16th at 10 am (local).
Wed. Apr. 01 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren Sat. Apr. 04 - Austin, TX - Emo’s Sun. Apr. 05 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall Mon. Apr. 06 - New Orleans, LA - Civic Theatre Tue. Apr. 07 - Atlanta, GA - The Goat Farm Thu. Apr. 09 - Columbus, OH - The Bluestone Sat. Apr. 11 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer Mon. Apr. 13 - Montreal, QC - Le National Tue. Apr. 14 - Toronto, ON - 131 McCormack Thu. Apr. 16 - Chicago, IL - Salt Shed Sat. Apr. 18 - Iowa City, IA - Englert Theatre Sun. Apr. 19 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room
More on sunn O))): For nearly 30 years, sunn O))) – Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson – have pushed the boundaries of heavy music, straddling the worlds of the avant-garde and rock to forge a style instantly recognisable as their own. Now, sunn O))) return with their first album of new material since 2019’s acclaimed Pyroclasts. Their tenth album – their debut for Sub Pop – demonstrates the duo’s mastery of time and space, light and dark, and their willingness to evolve their unmistakable sound into bold new forms.
The eponymously titled sunn O))) was tracked at Bear Creek Studios, Woodinville, Washington with Brad Wood. This location proved crucial to the recording process. “The vast tracking room had big windows looking out on trees,” says O’Malley. “We could go hiking and be out in the woods, spend time outdoors. That became a big part of it.”
sunn O))) have long welcomed collaborators into their self-contained world: past work has featured, Attila Csihar (Mayhem), composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, multi-instrumentalist Steve Moore, polymath Mark Deutrom, Silkworm’s Tim Midyett and legendary singer-songwriter Scott Walker. But on this album O’Malley and Anderson found fresh possibilities in the primal territory of the duo format, performing all the instrumentation themselves. “What’s been happening with our performances over the last couple years with the two of us and no other collaborators has been really fresh and exciting,” says Anderson.
The compositions on sunn O))) are expansive and panoramic yet finely detailed, reflecting the arboreal setting in which they were recorded. Amidst howling feedback and glacial crunch, one finds surprisingly delicate moments: a field recording of water trickles beneath, piano interludes lend a hushed, solemn feel. All while the duo attains fresh heights of telepathic intensity as they shape music that breathes the bracing, earthy air of the Pacific Northwest.
Framing the album visually are two paintings by the late American artist Mark Rothko. Liner notes are by award-winning British writer Robert Macfarlane, famed for his works concerning landscape and the relationship between humanity and nature. Through the work of the band, Macfarlane, and Rothko, sound, word and visual combine into a fully immersive experience that is undeniably, completely sunn O))) (read full bio at Sub Pop).
sunn O))) S/T
Tracklisting: 1. XXANN 2. Does Anyone Hear Like Venom? 3. Butch’s Guns 4 Mindrolling 5. Everett Moses 6. Glory Black