News from 1/2017

NEWS : TUE, JAN 17, 2017 at 7:00 AM

Hear Jesca Hoop’s Ebullient “Memories Are Now,” The Title Track From Her Forthcoming Sub Pop Debut

[Photo credit: Angel Ceballos]

Jesca Hoop’s “Memories Are Now” is the title track from her forthcoming label debut (out February 10th) and now’s the time to listen: here

Memories Are Now is an album of stunning original songs- raw yet brimming with energy, forged from rich life experience and emotional depth. Beautifully delivered by an artist that has steadfastly honed her unique craft of musical storytelling.

Jesca Hoop’s previously announced international tour dates in support of Memories Are Now span January 28th through April 6th, 2017.  The U.S. shows begin February 26th in Austin, TX and include stops in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, New York City, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The U.K. shows begin March 28th and include stops in London, Leeds, Bristol, Norwich, Manchester, Brighton, and Cambridge. (see dates below)

Jesca recently recorded an intimate performance on Marc Riley’s BBC 6 radio show, which features a sneak peek of “Pegasi” [watch here], and while your at it you should watch her poignant video for another Memories Are Now track, “The Lost Sky”.


Memories Are Now will be released on CD / LP / DL and is available for pre-order now here. LP pre-orders through megamart.subpop.com will receive the limited Loser Edition on robin’s egg blue colored vinyl (while supplies last).


Tour Dates

Jan 28th - Glasgow, UK, Roaming Roots Revue @ Celtic Connections
Feb. 26 - Austin, TX -  3TEN @ Austin City Limits Live
Feb. 28 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West
Mar. 02 - Vienna, VA - Jammin’ Java
Mar. 05 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle
Mar. 06 - Allston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
Mar. 08 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
Mar. 14 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center 
Mar. 17 - Seattle, WA - Fremont Abbey Arts Center 
Mar. 18 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater
Mar. 20 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
Mar. 21 - Los Angeles, CA - The Roxy 
Mar. 28 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
Mar. 29 - London, UK - The Lexington [Sold Out]
Mar. 30 - Bristol, UK - Exchange
Mar. 31- Leicester, UK- The Musician
Apr. 01 - Brighton, UK - Patterns
Apr. 02 - Norwich, UK - Epic Studios
Apr. 03 - Cambridge, UK - Portland Arms
Apr. 06 -  Manchester, UK -  Gorilla

Visit www.jescahoop.com/tour for ticket links.


Posted by Rachel White

NEWS : TUE, JAN 3, 2017 at 7:00 AM

It’s Official… Sleater-Kinney: ‘Live In Paris’ Will Be Out January 27th. Now See/Hear Lead Track, “Surface Envy”

The day when the Riot grrrl of Sleater-Kinney ignited La Cigale

“The American feminist punk trio Sleater-Kinney…came to present their eighth album, No Cities To Love, on Friday, March 20th in a Cigale full to bursting. A cult concert.
 
For some, Friday, March 20 was synonymous with 
solar eclipse and peak pollution. For others, it was mainly the arrival of the Sleater-Kinney in Paris, their eighth album, No Cities To Love, under the arm. The kind of cult rendezvous for feminist punk followers, nostalgic Riot Grrrl and all those who shed a tear when the [band] announced their separation. It was in 2006, and Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss had decided to store their guitars for an indefinite period after shaking the feminist rock scene for twelve years. It took them nine to reform and give birth to a new album more pop than punk but still carrying a crazy energy.


 
To say that the Sleater-Kinney are ultra charismatic on stage would almost be 
an euphemism. Carrie Brownstein, who has a second career on the small screen in the satyr series Portlandia, martyred her guitar like twenty years ago, while supporting Corin Tucker…singing. Behind them, Janet Weiss, on drums, makes sure of the frenzy of the pieces. Squares of fabric hanging on the back wall float in the air, caressing a light sailing between red and blue. Sublime.
 
The 
live is in the image of their albums: abrasive. Without bass or keyboard, their songs bathe in a post-adolescent rebellion, so enjoyable that it sticks you butterflies in the belly. The kind of concert to make you want to go back in time to hang out at Olympia in 1994, preferably with their band.
 
The trio, accomplice, unrolls a setlist bordering on perfection. The concert opens with ‘Price Tag,’ an explosive bomb from their latest album. A good entry… All [songs are] played with the same animal ferocity.”
 
But these two reminders, as long as stuffed with old tubes (including the incredible Dig Me Out) will ensure the concert its label “cult”. Before concluding, Corin Tucker will call for respect for gender equality, in the purest tradition Riot Grrrl. In 1996, the Sleater-Kinney
sang I’m the Queen of rock’n’roll on the delirious ‘I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone.’ Twenty years and a reformation later, the trio proves it more than ever.”
 
Les Inrocks
- - - - - - - - - -

Sleater-Kinney: Live In Paris is the first recording from the famed group that documents its blistering stage performance. This thirteen track album - which features Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker, Janet Weiss, and touring member Katie Harkin - was captured on March 20th, 2015 at historic Paris venue, La Cigale.


The Sleater-Kinney: Live In Paris setlist culls material from No Cities to Love, The Woods, One Beat, The Hot Rock, Dig Me Out, and Call the Doctor. The album and performance was mixed by John Goodmanson at Avast and mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, and will be available on CD / LP / DL / Cass worldwide on January 27th, 2017. Preorder is on right now [right here], and as you might suspect, LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com will receive the album on Coke Bottle Clear vinyl. (while supplies last!)

You can follow Sleater-Kinney absolutely everywhere in the know universe via Facebook | Instagram | Twitter and at www.sleater-kinney.com.

Live In Paris
Tracklisting

1. Price Tag *
2. Oh! ^^
3. What’s Mine Is Yours **
4. A New Wave *
5. Start Together #
6. No Cities To Love *
7. Surface Envy *
8. I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone ##
9. Turn It On ^
10. Entertain **
11. Jumpers **
12. Dig Me Out ^
13. Modern Girl **

 
* from No Cities to Love
** from The Woods
from Dig Me Out
^^ from One Beat
from The Hot Rock
## from Call the Doctor


-----

S-K “bootleg” credits:


Carrie Brownstein: guitar and vocals
Corin Tucker: vocals and guitar
Janet Weiss: drums and vocals
Katie Harkin: keyboards and guitar

Mixed by John Goodmanson
Mastered by Greg Calbi

Cover Art Photos by Joshua Mellin, Ryan Muir, Augusta Quirk, Jason Williamson
Art direction / design Jeff Kleinsmith

Recorded live on March 20, 2015 at La Cigale in Paris, France
 
Thank yous
Dan Mapp, Sabrina Braswell, Jeremy Lemos, Tim Nichols, Dan Mancini, Scott Adamson, Abbey Simmons, Sub Pop Records, Lever and Beam, James Alderman, La Cigale, and all our amazing fans without whom this record wouldn’t be possible.

Posted by Rachel White

NEWS : THU, JAN 5, 2017 at 9:00 AM

Watch: Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Share New Video For “Julie’s Place” Off Their Upcoming Sub Pop Debut

Melbourne’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever just shared their cheeky new video for ”Julie’s Place,” the first single off their forthcoming EP (and Sub Pop debut), which we here at Sub Pop are stoked to release later this Spring.

True story: After the band spent their video budget on an idea that didn’t work out ($$¯\_(ツ)_/¯$$), they decided to film singer/guitarist Fran Keaney mowing his lawn on a Saturday morning. This simple idea actually ended up being much more in the band’s utilitarian style. So in a sense, out of defeat of an excess of options came a lean opportunity to do something more truthful. 


[Photo Credit: Rubin Utama]

“Julie’s Place” levels up on everything that made Talk Tight such an immediate draw. It’s about being young and dumb but full of bravado. Sprinting guitars mimic singer Keaney’s pangs of heartache, his awkwardly sensual lyrics calling to mind the chaos and confusion of being around someone you can’t get off your mind.


You could (and should) feel the same about this band; follow Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever everywhere in the known universe… via Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter



Posted by Rachel White

NEWS : THU, JAN 12, 2017 at 9:00 AM

Listen to Porter Ray’s “Sacred Geometry” [Constellation Mix] Off His Upcoming Sub Pop Debut, ‘Watercolor’ (out March 17) via The Fader

[Photo Credit: Jay Scroggins]

Watercolor, the long-awaited and eagerly anticipated Sub Pop debut from Seattle’s own Porter Ray, will be available worldwide on March 10th, 2017. Porter is a Seattle based MC who caught the attention of Shabazz Palaces’ Ishmael Butler, who signed him to the label in 2014.

Sacred Geometry [Constellation Mix]Watercolor’s lead single - is an extended album version featuring The Palaceer, Ishmael Butler of Shabazz Palaces, and Ray’s childhood friend and cohort, Cashtro. This alternative album mix is available on the digital & LP versions of the record.

The FADER premiered the track today (see/hear exclusively at The FADER) and had this to say: “On the first track from the Seattle native’s forthcoming Watercolor, Porter leads the song with melodic cadences and descriptive verses. Here, he and his collaborators all highlight the narratives that make up this holy equation.”


Porter Ray is a natural… he sounds like East Seattle feels. From the same wet blocks that spawned Quincy, Jimi and Ishmael, comes Porter Ray.  Having previously penned six projects showcasing dexterous wordplay, unflinching honesty and vulnerability, tempered with equal degrees of braggadocio and charm; Porter is an old soul, a storyteller par excellence, a griot possessing insight beyond his years.

A bit of Context…

Porter Ray has had no choice but to feel deeply.  Loss and violence seemed to plague Porter’s adolescence and early adulthood.  His father fell gravely ill and his subsequent passing signaled the beginning of a dark time. Leaving high school devoid of any certification was next. Losing his younger brother to a much-publicized case of gun violence four years later only added to the young de facto patriarch’s heavy heart and perceived curse. The year following found some of his closest friends [including his son’s mother] locked up in the penitentiary with lengthy sentences.  

Watercolor features original production from B-Roc, Dez Anthony, and Kmtk, and was mixed by Erik Blood.  It is vocally flavored by guest appearances from THEE Satisfaction’s Stas THEE Boss,Cashtro, Nate Jack, and Jus Moni. Iconic Central District MC, Infinite, of Narkotik and Tribal Productions, as well as Black Constellation elders Palaceer Lazaro and Fly Guy Dai of Shabazz Palaces also make key contributions.

Watercolor is now available for preorder on CD / 2xLP / DL / CASS from Sub Pop [order here].  LP pre-orders through the Sub Pop Mega Mart and independent retailers will receive the limited Loser Edition on translucent vinyl with magenta swirl in North America & Translucent vinyl in Europe, while supplies last.

Follow all things Porter Ray everywhere in the galaxy via Facebook | Twitter | Instagram, and around the globe:

Tour Dates
Feb. 17 - Seattle, WA - Sole Repair*
Feb. 26 - Seattle, WA - Crocodile**
Mar. 08 - Seattle, WA - Barboza (album release party)
Mar. 15-19 - Austin, TX - SXSW
* w/ Sisters
** w/ Pickwick


Posted by Rachel White

NEWS : WED, JAN 11, 2017 at 7:00 AM

Pissed Jeans’ “Ignorecam” Is The Crushing New Track From Forthcoming Album ‘Why Love Now’ (out Feb. 24)

Pissed Jeans’ “Ignorecam” twists the idea of fetish cam shows—”where the woman just ignores you and watches TV or eats macaroni and cheese or talks on the phone”—into a showcase for Matt Korvette’s rancid yelp and his bandmates’ pummeling rock. “I love that idea of guys paying to be ignored,” says Korvette.

Recently, Pissed Jeans shared Why Love Now’s lead single “The Bar Is Low” and you can hear here.  Speaking of the band and single… The New York Times says: “Matt Korvette, the skeptical frontman of a terrific, coarsely named post-hardcore band from Allentown, Pa., doesn’t want to hear your compliments. As a dude, he knows he’s being graded on a curve…The track feels partly inspired by a recent series of unmaskings in the public sphere. “It just seems to be quite an easy bet,” Mr. Korvette sputters. “Those we adore just haven’t spilled their secrets yet.” But the excoriation is all-inclusive: By the end, he floats a claim about our rate of evolution as a species. (Spoiler alert: It’s not hopeful.)”


[Photo Credit: Ebru Yildiz]

Pissed Jeans previously announced 2017 tour dates in support of Why Love Now, span February 23rd-March 11th, and include stops in Washington, D.C., Brooklyn, Somerville, and Philadelphia. Tix are on sale now, w/additional live dates to come. (find dates + links below)



Why Love Now was co-produced by Lydia Lunch, Arthur Rizk and Pissed Jeans, and will be available February 24th on CD / LP / CASS / DL (preorder is advised via this link here).

Read more about Pissed Jeans from Maura Johnston here, and follow the band all over the internets on FacebookInstagram and Twitter.


Tour Dates + Ticket Links

Feb. 23 - Washington, DC - Black Cat
Feb. 24 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bazaar
Feb. 25 - Somerville, MA - ONCE Ballroom
Mar. 10 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle
Mar. 11 - Philadelphia, PA - PhilaMOCA


Posted by Rachel White

NEWS : WED, JAN 18, 2017 at 7:00 AM

Sub Pop to Reissue Soundgarden’s Classic Debut LP ‘Ultramega OK’ (Newly Remixed + Expanded Edition) out March 10th

You might want to sit down for this one, dear reader, because on this coming March 10th, 2017, Sub Pop will release unto the world a remixed and expanded reissue of Soundgarden’s Ultramega OK, a long-planned “correction” of the legendary band’s GRAMMY®-nominated debut full-length. The album was originally recorded and released in 1988 on SST Records. While the band enjoyed working with the original producer, Drew Canulette, they soon realized they weren’t quite happy with the final mix. Thus, shortly after the album’s release, the band decided to remix the album for subsequent pressings. However, success intervened: the band rapidly scored a deal with A&M and began work on their major-label debut, Louder Than Love, and the Ultramega OK remix project fell by the wayside as Soundgarden climbed their way to (ultra)mega-stardom. 


[Photo Credit: Charles Peterson]

In 2016, after worldwide success, a hiatus, and many albums and tours, the band finally acquired the original multi-track tapes to Ultramega OK and carved out time to dig into the remix. They handed the tapes over to longtime friend and engineer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Mudhoney, Screaming Trees, Skin Yard), who worked with the band to create a fresh mix of the album that, for the band, ties up this persistent loose end and remedies the sound of their debut full-length. 

While they were at it, the band dug out six early versions of tracks that wound up on Ultramega OK. The songs were recorded in 1987 on 8-track tape by Jack Endino and Chris Hanzsek at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, and mixed by Jack Endino in 2016. These versions feature the band in raw, powerful form – sonically closer to the band’s Endino-recorded six-song debut, Screaming Life – and provide a fascinating window into the development of songs that eventually became staples of the band’s set. The six songs comprise what the band refers to as Ultramega EP, and they are included in this reissue. 



Ultramega OK is available for preorder available now on CD / 2xLP / DL / CASS from Sub Pop and soundgardenworld.com. The album comes packaged in a foil-stamped gatefold with custom dust sleeves, features liner notes from Kim Thayil and Jack Endino, and includes a previously unseen photo from renowned photographer Charles Peterson. Preorders of the LP from megamart.subpop.com, soundgardenworld.com, and select independent retailers will receive the Loser edition on marble blue and maroon vinyl (while supplies last). 

Track listing:

1. Flower
2. All Your Lies
3. 665
4. Beyond the Wheel
5. 667
6. Mood for Trouble
7. Circle of Power
8. He Didn’t
9. Smokestack Lightning
10. Nazi Driver
11. Head Injury
12. Incessant Mace
13. One Minute of Silence
14. Head Injury (early version)
15. Beyond the Wheel (early version)
16. Incessant Mace (early version)
17. He Didn’t (early version)
18. All Your Lies (early version)
19. Incessant Mace (V2) (early version)

- - - - - - - - - -

Hailed as grunge innovators, Soundgarden redefined rock music for a generation. In the late ‘80s, the band – singer Chris Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil, bassist Hiro Yamamoto, and drummer Matt Cameron – combined a punk ethos, brutal metal soundscapes, and Cornell’s ravenous roar to capture the attention of the masses. Jagged and ferocious, their music was deeply at odds with the synth-pop and hair metal which dominated the ‘80s airwaves. Early indie releases, including seminal Screaming Life and Ultramega OK, quickly led to a dedicated indie following as the band toured on both sides of the Atlantic. Subsequent albums, including Badmotorfinger,Superunknown, and Down on the Upside, achieved multi-platinum sales and launched the band to international fame. 


Posted by Rachel White