News from 2018

NEWS : TUE, AUG 28, 2018 at 7:00 AM

Sub Pop to reissue The Helio Sequence’s newly remastered Keep Your Eyes Ahead: Deluxe Edition on October 12th

The band celebrates the album’s 10th anniversary with North American tour dates in November and December; Keep Your Eyes Ahead: Deluxe Edition features the remastered original album, plus demos, alternate versions, and outtakes from the same era

On October 12th, 2018, Sub Pop will reissue The Helio Sequence’s landmark album Keep Your Eyes Ahead for its 10th anniversary as a deluxe edition.The newly remastered set will be available on CD/2xLP/DL and includes the original 10-song effort along with a second album of demos, alternate versions, and outtakes from the same era. Keep Your Eyes Ahead: Deluxe Edition was mastered by The Helio Sequence at Helio Sound studio in their hometown of Portland, Oregon.  You can listen to “Lately” and an acoustic version of “No Regrets” and pre-order the record today.
 
Upon its release in 2008, the record was warmly received from critics and fans alike. MAGNET named it one of the “Top 25 Albums of 2008,” and raved, “Keep Your Eyes Ahead is a shining example of how to go retro while still moving forward.” Washington Post offered this, “Trading its former album’s dense keyboard compositions for a more expansive and organic sound, Keep Your Eyes Ahead is the work of a band commanding its audience’s attention. Stand out tracks like “Hallelujah” and “Can’t Say No” show the band flexing its melodic muscles, branching out into grandiose guitar rock territory without sacrificing the nuance and keyboard flourishes of its early work.” And Drowned in Sound, in its 8/10 review of the album, had this to say, “And now, at last, the protracted silence is broken by the surging scream of Keep Your Eyes Ahead, an album that feels as vital as the first, gulping breath of the near drowned. What this record means to Summers and partner Benjamin Weikel is apparent in the intense force of feeling.” 
 
Keep Your Eyes Ahead: Deluxe Edition is now available for pre-order through Sub Pop and will be available in the following formats:
  • CD 
  • 2xLP housed in a double-wide embossed jacket with custom dust sleeves
  • Digitally
LP preorders of Keep Your Eyes Ahead: Deluxe Edition through Sub Pop and select independent retailers will receive the Loser edition on blue vinyl. There will also be a new t-shirt available at this time.

The Helio Sequence will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Keep Your Eyes Ahead playing the album in its entirety on tour, beginning November 14th in San Francisco at the Chapel and ending December 14th in Portland at the Doug Fir. Tickets for these dates are on sale now. Preceding the tour, the band will appear at McMinnville, Oregon’s Walnut City Music Festival on September 1st, and Rainier Day along Airport Way in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood on October 6th.

Sep. 01 - McMinnville, OR - Walnut City Music Festival
Oct. 06 - Seattle, WA - Rainier Day / Airport Way (Georgetown)
Nov. 14 - San Francisco, CA - The Chapel
Nov. 15 - Los Angeles, CA - Lodge Room
Nov. 16 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar
Nov. 17 - San Diego, CA - The Casbah
Nov. 18 - Sacramento, CA - Harlow’s
Nov. 28 - Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle
Nov. 30 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s
Dec. 01- Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere
Dec. 02 - Allston, MA - Great Scott
Dec. 04 - Washington, DC - Songbyrd Record Cafe and Music House
Dec. 05 - Atlanta, GA - The Drunken Unicorn
Dec. 07 - Austin, TX - Barracuda
Dec. 08 - Plano, TX - Legacy Hall
Dec. 11 - Denver, CO - Globe Hall
Dec. 12 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
Dec. 13 - Boise, ID - Neurolux
Dec. 14 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir

For more information on tickets please visit https://www.heliosequence.com.




Posted by Jason Baxter

NEWS : WED, AUG 22, 2018 at 6:58 AM

See/Hear Knife Knights’ “Seven Wheel Motion,” The Colossal New Track From ‘1 Time Mirage’ (out 9/14)

Watch KEXP live performances of 1 Time Mirage tracks “Seven Wheel Motion,” “Give You Game,” and “My Dreams Never Sleep”

Knife Knights have shared “Seven Wheel Motion,” a new offering from 1 Time Mirage, their forthcoming debut album for Sub Pop. Colossal drums puncture walls of labyrinthine noise sculpted from deranged synthesizers and mutated guitars throughout and is an absolute powerhouse of a song. Ishmael Butler seems to rap in dialogue with himself, detailing a threatening streetscape and shaping the experience into personal realizations. “Smooth landings, queens in tandems, cash in grand sums,” he declares at one point. “Life is random/I roll the dice and bet on me.”

Knife Knights recently premiered the aforementioned “Seven Wheel Motion” with additional 1 Time Mirage standouts “Give You Game,” and “My Dreams Never Sleep” live for KEXP. Watch now [see July 19th session].

Knife Knights recently premiered the aforementioned “Seven Wheel Motion” with additional 1 Time Mirage standouts “Give You Game,” and “My Dreams Never Sleep” live for KEXP. [see July 19th session.]


1 Time Mirage will be available worldwide September 14th from Sub Pop. The otherworldly long-player features guest appearances from labelmates Shabazz Palaces and Porter Ray, along with Stas THEE Boss, OCnotes, Thaddillac, El Mizell, Marquetta Miller, Gerald Turner, and Darrius Willrich. The album was produced by Ishmael Butler and Erik Blood at Protect and Exalt: A Black Space in Seattle.  

Preorders of 1 Time Mirage through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser edition pressed on blue and white marbled vinyl. The 1 Time Mirage album cover also features artwork from Robert Beatty.




Posted by Rachel White

NEWS : THU, AUG 30, 2018 at 6:59 AM

Hear the Blitzen Trapper rarity “Booksmart Baby” from the forthcoming ‘Furr: Deluxe Edition’ (out Sept. 14)

Band to perform ’Furr’ in its entirety on tour this fall.

You may now feast those ears on the Blitzen Trapper rarity “Booksmart Baby” from the forthcoming Deluxe Edition of Furr. The song was the B-side of the limited edition “War Is Placebo” Record Store Day single, originally released in 2009.

Eric Early says of the song, “One of those weird haunting songs I wrote in the middle of the night in the telegraph building on the poppy couch, those lyrics are some kind of riddle I think.

Blitzen Trapper released Furr its breakthrough and label debut for Sub Pop in 2008. The album was met with universal acclaim, earning praise from the likes of The Guardian, Pitchfork, Paste, AV Club, and Rolling Stone, who in it’s 4 star review called it “an engaging album full of rootsy beauty.” The album would go on to earn the no. 13 spot on Rolling Stone’s “50 Best Albums of 2008,” later that year.

For the newly expanded deluxe edition of Furr, Blitzen Trapper have compiled two LPs worth of material: The original album and twelve rare and previously unreleased tunes. All of these songs were from the same recordings that became Furr, with the exception of the “Live at KCRW “ tracks, which were recorded during the Furr tour.

The reissue features updated cover art, and a new liner note from Earley reflecting on the album and what it means now, as well as a track by track description of the bonus songs, and a Q&A with the stage & screen actor, and Blitzen Trapper fan, Rainn Wilson (of The Office, Six Feet Under and The Blitzen Trapper Massacre fame).

Furr: Deluxe Edition will be available on 2xLP/CD/DL/CS (Furr only) on September 14th through Sub Pop and is available for preorder now here. LP preorders through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser edition on clear vinyl with gold swirl (while supplies last).


[Photo Credit: Tyler Kohlhoff]

Blitzen Trapper Tour Dates + Ticket Links

Blitzen Trapper will support the release of Furr: Deluxe Edition with a massive fall North American tour, beginning September 14th at Victoria’s Rifflandia Festival and ending November 17th-18th with a two-night stand at Portland’s Doug Fir Lounge. These fall shows will find the band playing Furr in its entirety, followed by a set of fan favorites from throughout the band’s discography. Sub Pop labelmates Luluc will also join Blitzen Trapper as direct support November 8th-18th (select dates). For up-to-date information on tickets, please visit the band’s official website.

Furr Fall 2018 Tour Dates
Sep. 14 - Victoria, BC - Rifflandia Festival
Sep. 15 - Vancouver, BC - The Commodore
Sep. 16 - Nelson, BC - Spiritbar at the Hume Hotel
Sep. 17 - Calgary, AB - Festival Hall
Sep. 18 - Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room
Sep. 19 - Saskatoon, SK - Amigos
Sep. 20 -  Toronto, ON - RBC Echo Beach**
Sep. 21 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Cafe
Sep. 22 - Indianapolis, IN - Holler On The Hill at Garfield Park
Sep. 24 - 25 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
Sep. 27 - Hamilton, ON - Mills Hardware
Sep. 28 - Ottawa, ON - The 27 Club
Sep. 29 - Montreal, QC - Le Ministère
Oct. 01 - Allston, MA - Great Scott
Oct. 02 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
Oct. 04 - Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry at The Fillmore
Oct. 05 - Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel
Oct. 06 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle
Oct. 07 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
Oct. 08 - Nashville, TN - The Basement East
Oct. 10 - St. Louis, MO - Blueberry Hill Duck Room
Oct. 11 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
Oct. 12 - Lincoln, NE - The Royal Grove
Oct. 13 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre
Nov. 08 - Chico, CA-  Sierra Nevada Brewing Company *
Nov. 09 - Reno, NV - Offbeat Music Festival
Nov. 10 - Novato, CA - Hopmonk Tavern*
Nov. 11 - Sebastopol, CA - Hopmonk Tavern*
Nov. 12 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
Nov. 13 - Los Angeles, CA - Lodge Room*
Nov. 14 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent*
Nov. 16 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile*
Nov. 17 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge*
Nov. 18 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge*
** w/ Shaky Graves, The Sheepdogs



Posted by Rachel White

NEWS : THU, AUG 16, 2018 at 7:00 AM

“Disarray” is the Latest Single From the Breathtaking New Low Album ‘Double Negative’

On September 14th, Low will release Double Negative, their acclaimed new album. Today the band are offering a new preview via the album’s closing cut, “Disarray.”

Double Negative will be out worldwide on Sept 14th, 2018 and the world tour in support of the new album begins with a three-night stand September 19th-21st at National Sawdust in New York City.
 
Uncut, in its album of the month review (9/10), offers this of Double Negative: “Low have never made a record quite so jarring and jagged, but Double Negative pushes beyond their own catalogue. Low have made what might be their most relevant album, one that holds a mirror up to the world.”


[Photo Credit:  Shelly Mosman]

Low Tour Dates + Ticket Links

As previously mentioned, Low will embark on a world tour in support of their new album, with a three-night stand at National Sawdust in New York City on September 19th-21st with a European run following on Sep. 29th in Lisbon. These dates will find the band performing in Madrid, Milan, Zurich, Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, and Brussels, before returning to the states on November 2nd, to kick off a 12-date North American run starting in their home state of Minnesota. See below for a full list of tour dates, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.
                                                                        
Tour Dates:
Sep. 19 - New York, NY - National Sawdust
Sep. 20 - New York, NY - National Sawdust
Sep. 21 - New York, NY - National Sawdust
Sep. 29 - Lisbon, PT - Lisboa ao Vivo
Oct. 01 - De Compostela Santiago, ES -  Sala Capitol
Oct. 02 - Madrid, ES - Sala But
Oct. 03 - Barcelona, ES- Fabra i Coats
Oct. 05 - Milan, IT - Teatro Dal Verme
Oct. 06 - Zurich, CH - Bogen F
Oct. 08 - Leipzig, DE- Conne Island
Oct.0 9 - Berlin, DE - Festsaal Kreuzberg
Oct. 10- Bochum, DE - Christuskirche Bochum
Oct. 11 -  Brussels, BE -  Orangerie (at Botanique)
Oct. 12 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso
Oct. 13 - Paris, FR - La Gaîté Lyrique
Oct. 15 - Bristol, UK - Trinity
Oct. 16 - Manchester, UK - Manchester Cathedral
Oct. 17 - Dublin, IE - Vicar Street
Nov. 02 - St. Paul, MN - The Fitz
Nov. 05 - Detroit, MI - El Club
Nov. 06 - Toronto, ON - Great Hall
Nov. 08 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rosa
Nov. 09 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
Nov. 10 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
Nov. 12 - Washington, DCU Street Music Hall
Nov. 13 - Pittsburgh, PA - The Funhouse
Nov. 14 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
Nov. 16 - Chicago, IL - Rockefeller Chapel
Nov. 17 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon


 
Pre-orders of the Double Negative LP through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser Edition on crystal clear vinyl with an enclosed full-color flat of the album’s front cover artwork.






Posted by Rachel White

NEWS : FRI, AUG 31, 2018 at 10:00 AM

Mass Gothic Share New Video For “Keep On Dying” From ‘I’ve Tortured You Long Enough,’ Out Today

Album release show at Zone One at Elsewhere (September 5th), Tel Aviv & UK Dates (September 8th-13th)

Mass Gothic’s I’ve Tortured You Long Enough, their new album, is out today and to celebrate its release, they have delivered a new video for the song “Keep On Dying”, co-directed by the band and Nira Burnstein. You can also stream the album in its entirety now on Spotify and Apple Music.




I’ve Tortured You Long Enough features “Keep On Dying,” “How I Love You,” “J.Z.O.K.” [watch here], and “Dark Window”[watch here], and is available on CD/LP/DL/CS worldwide through Sub Pop [buy here]. Purchases of the album through megamart.subpop.comselect independent retailers will receive the limited Loser edition on marbled black and white vinyl (while supplies last). 



Mass Gothic Tour Dates + Ticket Links

And next week, Mass Gothic have scheduled a headlining release show at Brooklyn’s Zone One at Elsewhere on September 5th. On September 8th the band heads overseas for their live debut in Tel Aviv, followed by two UK shows on September 12th (London) and September 13th (Manchester). 
 
Sep. 05 - Brooklyn, NY - Zone One at Elsewhere
Sep. 08 - Tel Aviv, IS - Barby
Sep. 12 - London, UK - Sebright Arms
Sep. 13 - Manchester, UK - The Castle 

[Photo Credit: Shawn Brackbill]
 
Even when you’re married and you’re best friends and you’ve spent a lifetime collaborating with each other, it’s not often obvious what’s staring you right in the face. I’ve Tortured You Long Enough is the tongue-in-cheek title of Mass Gothic’s second album for this reason, among several others. Husband/Wife duo Heroux and Zambri have always dipped in and out of each other’s creative spaces, advising on their respective outputs and supporting one another. But never had they before completely committed to doing an entire album as a duo, sharing an equal load. The time had come. And thank goodness. They have dreamed up a record packed with the tension, chaos and beauty of a fluid and cathartic two-way conversation. In a universe increasingly threatening our abilities to work hard on communication and coexistence, their creative union isn’t just inspired but important. “Why did it take us so long?” laughs Heroux.
 
Live, Mass Gothic expands to a four-piece with multi-instrumentalist Cristi Jo Zambri and drummer Joe Stickney, who also play on the album. ITYLE was co-produced by the band and Josh Ascalon, mixed by Chris Coady and mastered by Heba Kadry.  


What The People are saying about Mass Gothic:

“Backed by luminous synths and chugging momentum, the intimacy of the hook is blown up to thrilling proportions, and their love is scattered large across the soundscape.”[J.Z.O.K.] - The 405 

 
“Essential…Their earworm-ready songs are made to fight for their right to party.” - Loud and Quiet
 
“Mass Gothic’s identity is nearly undefinable, with the pair blasting through genres and ideals with a sort of unsettled energy. Whether losing yourself to the starry synths and complimentary vocals found in the spacey fuzz of “J.Z.O.K.” or floating off in the dazzling airiness, throbbing rhythms and vast instrumental expanse of the album’s title track, the release is one sure to keep you enraptured.” - The Grey Estates

“A compelling listen…a record worthy of your time.” - Bristol Live


Posted by Rachel White

NEWS : THU, SEP 6, 2018 at 7:00 AM

Low Extends Their International Touring Schedule in Support of ‘Double Negative’ with New, Headlining U.K. and European Dates for 2019

Stream Double Negative in its entirety via NPR Music’s “First Listen” September 6th-14th.

[Photo credit: Paul Husband]

Low have extended their international tour schedule in support of Double Negative with the announcement of new U.K. and European dates for 2019. The newly added dates begin January 29th, 2019 in Glasgow at Tramway and run through February 14th in Stockholm in Kagelbanan (Small Room). The 15-date U.K. and European run will include stops in Brighton, London, Hamburg, Oslo, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Gothenburg. These dates follow Low’s previously announced 2018 North American, U.K. and European tour schedule, which begins with a three-night stand at National Sawdust in New York City on September 19th-21st and ends November 17th in Madison at the High Noon Saloon. (full listing is below.)

And starting today, September 6th, NPR Music’s “First Listen” is now streaming Double Negative in its entirety right over here
 
NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson offers this on the band’s new album, ”For a band so often defined by apparent strictures on its sound, Low has proven incredibly versatile. Throughout a catalog that spans 12 studio albums, another dozen or so EPs, a Christmas record that’s justly become a classic, and countless one-offs, it’s upended its formulas constantly while still sounding unmistakably like itself. On the new Double Negative, those patterns hold true amid Low’s most radical reinvention yet…Low throws itself into what often sounds like an inversion of its classic sound. “Quorum” opensDouble Negative with static-scarred loops that curdle and crunch menacingly, setting a fresh scene with maximum efficiency: This is the sound of beauty as it’s distorted to the point of disintegration [listen here].” 

[Album Cover Image by Peter Liversidge]

Pre-orders of Double Negative through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser Edition on crystal clear vinyl with an enclosed full-color flat of the album’s front cover artwork (while supplies last).

Low Tour Dates + Ticket Links

2018 Tour Dates
Sep. 19 - New York, NY - National Sawdust
Sep. 20 - New York, NY - National Sawdust
Sep. 21 - New York, NY - National Sawdust
Sep. 29 - Lisbon, PT - Lisboa ao Vivo
Oct. 01 - De Compostela Santiago, ES - Sala Capitol
Oct. 02 - Madrid, ES - Sala But
Oct. 03 - Barcelona, ES - Fabra i Coats
Oct. 05 - Milan, IT - Teatro Dal Verme
Oct. 06 - Zurich, CH - Bogen F
Oct. 08 - Leipzig, DE - UT Connewitz
Oct. 09 - Berlin, DE - Festsaal Kreuzberg
Oct. 10- Bochum, DE - Christuskirche Bochum
Oct. 11 -  Brussels, BE -  Orangerie (at Botanique)
Oct. 12 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso
Oct. 13 - Paris, FR - La Gaîté Lyrique
Oct. 15 - Bristol, UK - Trinity
Oct. 16 - Manchester, UK - Manchester Cathedral
Oct. 17 - Dublin, IE - Vicar Street
Nov. 02 - St. Paul, MN - The Fitz
Nov. 05 - Detroit, MI - El Club
Nov. 06 - Toronto, ON - Great Hall
Nov. 08 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rosa
Nov. 09 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
Nov. 10 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
Nov. 12 - Washington, DCU Street Music Hall
Nov. 13 - Pittsburgh, PA - The Funhouse
Nov. 14 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
Nov. 15 - Grand Rapids, MI - Pyramid Scheme
Nov. 16 - Chicago, IL - Rockefeller Chapel
Nov. 17 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
 
2019 Tour Dates
Jan. 29 - Glasgow, UK - Tramway
Jan. 30 - Birmingham, UK - Birmingham Town Hall
Jan. 31 - Brighton, UK - St. George’s Church Brighton 
Feb. 01 - London, UK - Barbican
Feb. 02 - Kortrijk, BE - De Kreun
Feb. 04 - Groningen, NL - Vera
Feb. 05 - Erlangen, DE - E-Werk (Erlangen)
Feb. 06 - Cologne, DE - Kulturkirche Köln
Feb. 07 - Frankfurt, DE - Sankt Peter
Feb. 08 - Hamburg, DE - Uebel & Gefährlich
Feb. 09 - Aarhus, DK - Voxhall
Feb. 11 - København, DK - The Koncerthuset - Studie 2
Feb. 12 - Gothenburg, SE - Pustervik
Feb. 13 - Oslo - Norway - Parkteatret
Feb. 14 - Stockholm, SE - Kagelbanan (Small Room)



Posted by Rachel White