Long out-of-print 1993 debut album by the beloved indie-rock band A remixed, remastered, and expanded edition of the original album, with liner notes, and an album’s worth of bonus tracks compiling singles, outtakes, and the band’s 1993 Peel Session
New Shows include October 25th in Los Angeles at Teragram Ballroom and November 23rd in Washington, DC at Black Cat
Velocity Girl were one of the leading lights of 1990s indie-pop, fusing the hooks of Britpop with the fuzzy guitars of shoegaze. This updated edition of the album features a new, band-approved mix, a full album of bonus tracks compiling singles, outtakes, and the band’s 1993 Peel Session. All of the music has been freshly mastered by Golden Mastering, and the package includes extensive liner notes from the band.
Velocity Girl’s UltraCopacetic (Copacetic Remixed and Expanded) will be available on CD/2xLP/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP Preorders are available in North America at the Sub Pop Mega Mart, in the UK and Europe at Mega Mart 2, and at your local record store. The first vinyl pressing is on opaque red vinyl, limited to 2,000 copies worldwide.
Velocity Girl has scheduled two new shows in support of UltraCopacetic for the fall of 2024, including Friday, October 25th in Los Angeles at The Teragram Ballroom and Saturday, November 23rd in Washington, DC at Black Cat.
Velocity Girl formed in 1989 or so at the University of Maryland outside Washington DC, and shortly thereafter settled on the lasting lineup of guitarist Archie Moore (Black Tambourine), guitarist Brian Nelson (Black Tambourine), drummer Jim Spellman (Starry Eyes, Foxhall Stacks, High Back Chairs, Julie Ocean, Piper Club), bassist Kelly Riles (Starry Eyes), and singer Sarah Shannon (Starry Eyes, The Not Its). The band combined English-inspired noisy shoegaze fuzz with scrappy US indie rock and classic ‘60s-style pop songwriting. A killer single on Slumberland and non-stop touring grabbed the attention of the indie-rock cognoscenti of the day, and, following a heated courtship involving both dinner AND dessert, Velocity Girl signed a contract on a car hood in Hoboken, New Jersey, making Sub Pop their home.
In 1992, the band began work on their debut album, Copacetic, at Easley Studios - once home base to the Bar-Kays and other classic soul bands - in Memphis with Bob Weston (Volcano Suns, Shellac) at the helm, and then mixed the album with Weston in Chicago. While the album had strong songs - pop tunes like “Audrey’s Eyes,” “Pop Loser,” and “Living Well” alongside ambitious explorations like “Pretty Sister” and “Here Comes” - the band had little experience with production and lacked the skills to “drive the boat” in the studio. As a result, the album turned out to be a rather stripped-down affair, lacking the lushness of their prior recordings. To the band’s ear it was jarring, and they soon realized this wasn’t the record they hoped to make. Bob Weston had done exactly what was asked of him and captured the sounds, but the band didn’t do its part to articulate a clear vision. But the band’s slot in the studio was over, and Polvo had just showed up to work on their album, so off Velocity Girl went to shoot the video for “Audrey’s Eyes.” Copacetic came out in 1993 and people seemed to like it just fine, but within the band there was a sense of disappointment to the point where most members couldn’t stand to hear the record.
Between then and now, the band learned a lot about recording, and Archie Moore developed a career in audio work, and the band finally decided to revisit Copacetic. After extensive digging, the 2” tape reels appeared in Jim’s ex-wife’s mother’s house, and in the spring of 2023, Archie began working on a remix.
Song by song the new mixes emerged just as the band envisioned them. Soaring vocals from Sarah (who studied opera in college), chiming lead guitar, juicy fuzzed-out rhythm guitars, and clear pounding drums. The pop songs are much poppier. The sonic blasts are more powerful, and the record hangs together as a cohesive document that flows from song to song. The approach was not to make a 2024-sounding record but rather to go back to the 1992 mindset and create the record the band should have made then. The result, UltraCopacetic (Copacetic Remixed and Expanded), is an exciting alternate history of Copacetic.
And, while they were at it, the band dug up and refreshed the rest of their studio material from the era: Ultraopacetic includes “Warm/Crawl” from the Velocity Girl/Tsunami split 7”, “Creepy” from the Crazy Town 7”, “Stupid Thing” from the Audrey’s Eyes 7”, and the unreleased album outtake “Even Die.” Topping it all off is the band’s complete five-song 1993 John Peel session, including two tracks that haven’t been heard since the original broadcast. UltraCopacetic is truly the definitive version of Velocity Girl’s first record.
Velocity Girl UltraCopacetic (Copactic Remixed and Expanded)
Tracklisting: 1. Pretty Sister 2. Crazy Town 3. Copacetic 4. Here Comes 5. Pop Loser 6. Living Well 7. A Chang 8. Audrey’s Eyes 9. Lisa Librarian 10. 57 Waltz 11. Candy Apples 12. Catching Squirrels 13. Warm/Crawl 14. Creepy 15. Stupid Thing 16. Even Die 17. Here Comes (Peel Session version) 18. Always (Peel Session version) 19. Crazy Town (Peel Session version) 20. 57 Waltz (Peel Session version) 21. Copacetic (Peel Session version)
J.R.C.G.’s “34” - now available on all DSPs - is the second single from the upcoming album Grim Iconic…(Sadistic Mantra), out August 2. “34” is a propulsive, hypnotic, Latin-rhythm infused art-punk tune that bursts with jubilant synths before crashing into a blistering noise coda.
On August 2nd, J.R.C.G. will release Grim Iconic…(Sadistic Mantra), the second album and Sub Pop debut by Tacoma, WA-based artist Justin R. Cruz Gallego (also of Seattle punk institution Dreamdecay). Grim Iconic…(Sadistic Mantra) weds scouring electronics to hooky songs and Gallego’s powerful drumming in a way that feels visceral and new. It’s his most personal statement to date, at once playful and intent, driven and combustible, total chaos mixed into glints of broken-glass beauty. Conceived and executed primarily in Gallego’s home studio, with finishing work at Machines With Magnets Studio in Rhode Island, Grim Iconic…(Sadistic Mantra) was co-produced by Gallego and Seth Manchester (The Body, Battles, Mdou Moctar).
J.R.C.G. will be opening for Mdou Moctar beginning on June 18th, with headline dates to follow. See below for a full list of shows.
Tue. Jun. 18 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall $ Wed. Jun. 19 - Detroit, MI - Magic Bag $ Thu. Jun. 20 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom $ Fri. Jun. 21 - Buffalo, NY - Ashbury Hall $ Sun. Jun. 23 - Boston, MA- Paradise Rock Club $ Wed. Jun. 26 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw $ Thu. Jun. 27 - Washington, DC - 9:30 CLUB $ Fri. Jun. 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer $ Fri. Aug. 02 - Portland, OR - Polaris Hall Sat. Aug. 03 - Seattle, WA - Clock Out Lounge Thu. Aug. 15 - Reno, NV - Holland Project Fri. Aug. 16 - San Fransisco, CA - Kilowatt Bar Sun. Aug.18 Tucson - Congress Tues. Aug. 20 - Austin, TX - Mohawk Thu. Aug. 22- New Orleans, LA - Siberia Fri. Aug. 23 - Atlanta, GA - 529 Sat. Aug. 24 - Nashville, TN - Hubba Hubba Tiki Tonk Sun. Aug. 25 - Raleigh, NC - Kings Tue. Aug. 27 - Richmond, VA - Warehouse Wed. Aug. 28 - Washington, DC - Pie Shop Fri. Aug. 30 - Providence, RI - AS220
Light Verse is the new ten-track Iron & Wine album that features many highlights but none brighter than the Fiona Apple duet “All in Good Time” which has been embraced by fans of both artists along with radio and critics.
Its official video, which is being shared today, translates the narrative of our two protagonists in the song through the eyes of a couple finding love in cinema and dance, with the help of some mischievous kids upending their day. It’s Singing In The Rain meets The Breakfast Club.
The “All In Good Time” video was filmed at The Pickwick Theater in Park Ridge, Illinois, and is directed by Jamie Fleischel.
The “All in Good Time” video is being released ahead of the North American leg of Iron & Wine’s previously announced Light Verse headlining tour, which begins this Friday, June 14th in Milwaukee at the Pabst Theatre and currently runs through Saturday, August 24th in Nashville, TN at The Ryman.
Iron & Wine will be joined each night by the Emmy Award-winning performance collective, design studio, and film/video production company Manual Cinema. Founded in Chicago in 2010 by Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, Ben Kauffman, Julia Miller, and Kyle Vegter, Manual Cinema combines handmade shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, and innovative sound and music to create immersive stories for stage and screen.
Manual Cinema will perform live shadow puppetry and handmade animations alongside the band, creating a visual world that will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for fans.
Iron & Wine will then take the Light Verse tour to the UK and EU this fall, which begins October 22nd in Belfast, Ireland at Mandela Hall and ends November 15th in Antwerp, Belgium at De Roma. Support acts for the North American dates will be Ken Pomeroy, Amythyst Kiah, Rosali, and Sunny War, and in the UK and EU will come from Lizzie No.
North America Summer 2024 Fri. Jun. 14 - Milwaukee, WI - The Pabst Theater % Sat. Jun. 15 - St Paul, MN - Palace Theatre % Mon. Jun. 17 - Denver, CO - Mission Ballroom * Tue. Jun. 18 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Union * Thu. Jun. 20 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre * Fri. Jun. 21 - Portland, OR - McMenamins Crystal Ballroom * Sat. Jun. 22 - Portland, OR - McMenamins Crystal Ballroom * Sun. Jun. 23 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom * Tue. Jun. 25 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater * Thur. Jun. 27 - Monterey, CA - Golden State Theatre * Fri. Jun. 28 - Los Angeles, CA - The Bellwether * Sat. Jun. 29 - Los Angeles, CA - The Bellwether * Sun. Jun. 30 - El Cajon, CA - The Magnolia * Tue. Jul. 02 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren * Wed. Jul. 03 - Taos, NM - Kit Carson Park (support for Avett Brothers) Fri. Jul. 05 - Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom * Sat. Jul. 06 - St Louis, MO - The Pageant * Mon. Jul. 08 - Chicago, IL - The Salt Shed * Wed. Jul. 31 - New Orleans, LA - Orpheum Theater ! Thu. Aug. 01 - Houston, TX- White Oak Music Hall ! Fri. Aug. 02 - Austin, TX - ACL Live at the Moody Theater ! Sat. Aug. 03 - Dallas, TX - Majestic Theatre ! Mon. Aug. 05 - Atlanta, GA - The Eastern ! Tue. Aug. 06 - Wilmington, NC - Wilson Center at CFCC ! Wed. Aug. 07 - Raleigh, NC - Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts ! Fri. Aug. 09 - Washington, DC - The Anthem ! Sat. Aug. 10 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore Philadelphia ! Sun. Aug. 11 - Boston, MA - Roadrunner ! Tue. Aug. 13 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall # Wed. Aug. 14 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Paramount # Fri. Aug. 16 - Montreal, QC - MTELUS # Sat. Aug. 17 - Toronto, ON - The Danforth Music Hall # Sun. Aug. 18 - Detroit, MI - Masonic Cathedral Theatre # Tue. Aug. 20 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre # Thu. Aug. 22 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room at Old National Centre # Fri. Aug. 23 - Louisville, KY - Old Forester’s Paristown Hall # Sat. Aug. 24 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium #
% w/ Ken Pomeroy * w/ Amythyst Kiah ! w/ Rosali # w/ Sunny War
UK/EU Fall 2024 Mon. Oct 21 - Dublin, IE - Whelan’s (solo) ~ SOLD OUT Tue. Oct. 22 - Belfast, UK - Mandela Hall + Wed. Oct. 23 - Dublin, IE - Vicar Street + SOLD OUT Fri. Oct. 25 - Edinburgh, UK - Queens Hall + Sat. Oct. 26 - Manchester, UK - New Century Hall + Sun. Oct. 27 - Bristol, UK - SWX + Tue. Oct. 29 - Birmingham, UK - Birmingham Town Hall + Wed. Oct. 30 - London, UK - London Palladium + Thu. Oct. 31 - Cambridge, UK - Junction + Sat. Nov. 02 - Groningen, NL - Take Root Festival Mon. Nov. 04 - Copenhagen, DK - DR Koncerthuset + Tue. Nov. 05 - Stockholm, SE - Göta Lejon + Wed. Nov. 06 - Oslo, NO - Rockefeller + Thu. Nov. 07 - Gothenburg, SE - Pustervik + Sat. Nov. 09 - Hamburg, DE - Fabrik + Mon. Nov. 11 Berlin, DE - Huxleys + Tue. Nov. 12 - Cologne, DE - Bürgerhaus stollwerck + Thu. Nov 14 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso + Fri. Nov. 15 - Antwerp, BE - De Roma +
~ w/ DUG + w/ Lizzie No
Produced by the band’s principal singer-songwriter Sam Beam, Light Verse was made in the city of Angels with David Way at the helm, and joining Beam were some of the area’s finest musicians - David Garza, Sebastian Steinberg, Griffin Goldsmith, Paul Cartwright, Elizabeth Goodfellow, Kyle Crane and Tyler Chester - helping craft what is easily the band’s most playful and adventurous record since The Shepherd’s Dog.
Light Verse marks the first full-length release in over seven years, and today, Iron & Wine is also sharing a “Making of/Behind the Scenes” short film. The typically guarded Beam discusses how the album came to be with studio footage and an exclusive interview. Watch the making of Light Versehere.
Iron & Wine’s Who Can See Forever soundtrack is also available from Sub Pop. The documentary concert film, which has seen sold-out screenings in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Denver, will platform to streaming services later in the year.
Praise for Iron & Wine Light Verse:
“A collection of songs bursting with surprises, reflecting the optimism of the album’s title, and a songwriter rejuvenated.” 8/10 - Uncut
“Both harmonically and melodically, Light Verse is more expansive, yet its arrangements are tighter. No longer the lone troubadour, Beam is backed by a group of LA musicians whose expert subtlety bolsters Beam’s magnetic quietude—even when Hollywood strings swell or the accompaniment reaches near cacophony.” 8.6/10 - PASTE
“My favorite moments on the album are where you hear those studio dynamics, where the quiet erupts into this chamber ensemble piece with these big shifting movements… it can go from everything from somber to nearly euphoric in its run, and I love that about it.” New Music Friday - NPR Music
“Beam has done this kind of thing before, but he seems to be digging a little deeper lyrically here, while crafting arrangements that are truly lush and lovely, better than any on previous Iron & Wine albums. That’s a high bar, but he soars over it with plenty of room to spare, and in the end Light Verse turns out to be one of the most enjoyable, varied, and well-crafted of the band’s records.” ★★★★ - All Music
“Even the good times will end eventually. That idea gestures toward the bittersweet irony of this fine late-career album: All the years have pulled Beam’s teeth, but they have also sharpened his pen.” Pitchfork
“It’s magnificent… It starts hushed and intimate (You Never Know), then as the band gradually comes in, it takes on a beautiful lushness throughout. Highlights include the lovely harmonies on Tears That Don’t Matter and All in Good Time, a soulful, churchy duet with Fiona Apple.” ★★★★ - MOJO
“Gorgeous… Iron & Wine proves he still has much to say in a hypnotic record full of lush production, highlighting the warmth and timelessness of his vocals.” 8/10 - CLASH
“Stunning… an album that straddles Iron & Wine’s earlier, stripped-down work and his later, more layered tunes. The gorgeous Sweet Talk and All in Good Time are particularly reminiscent of the former, while Tears That Don’t Matter is Beam at his most dynamically majestic.” ★★★★ - Record Collector
“Quirky yet profound, playful but often deeply moving… The ten tracks on Light Verse glow with the a rejuvenated joy and infectious creative energy.” 8/10 - The Line of Best Fit
“This time Beam worked alongside a handful of Los Angeles-based musicians and producer Dave Way (John Doe, Macy Gray) in his Laurel Canyon studio, and the bones of the songs on Light Verse are both looser and more freely experimental, often conjuring up a more ramshackle version of the layered psych-pop elements of 2007’s The Shepherd’s Dog.” No Depression
Iron & Wine Light Verse
Tracklisting: 1. You Never Know 2. Anyone’s Game 3. All in Good Time (Feat. Fiona Apple) 4. Cutting It Close 5. Taken by Surprise 6. Yellow Jacket 7. Sweet Talk 8. Tears that Don’t Matter 9. Bag of Cats 10. Angels Go Home
Today, June 7th, Man Man will release their new album, Carrot On Strings, on CD/LP/DSPs worldwide through Sub Pop Records. Following the single releases of “Iguana,” “Tastes Like Metal,” and “Alibi” comes the new official video for their cheeky tableau, “Cryptoad,” which was directed by former Man Man member Dan Scofield. If only car washes could clean the soul of a man…
Carrot On Strings was recorded at Mant Sounds studio in Glassell Park, Los Angeles, and produced by Matt Schuessler, with whom Man Man frontman Ryan Kattner (Honus Honus) had worked on a cover of Neu!’s “Super” for the seminal Krautrock band’s box set. He and the band knocked out the songs live (workshopped in front of live audiences while Man Man toured) over 5 days in August 2022 and then hashing other sonic ideas over the following months. “I wanted things to be loose,” Kattner shares. “My intention was just to knock it all out,” he says. He even recorded more than a few of the single-track vocals while reclining on a couch. “It’s pretty wild,” he says — “because, you know, it wasn’t actually wild at all. It was the first time I wasn’t sequestered in an isolation booth, extensive baffling keeping me apart from the rest of the music. Something about being in the mixing room, tracking vocals, songs blasting out of the monitors that just felt perfect for this particular album.”
As previously announced, Man Man will tour the UK & Europe in late October and November. See below for a full list of shows.
Wed. Oct. 30 - Paris, FR - La Maroquinerie Thu. Oct. 31 - La Rochelle, FR - La Sirène Fri. Nov. 01 - Rouen, FR - Le 106 Sat. Nov. 02 - Lille, FR - Le Grand Mix Mon. Nov. 04 - Bristol, UK - The Lanes Tue. Nov. 05 - Leeds, UK - Headrow House Wed. Nov. 06 - Birkenhead, UK - Future Yard Thu. Nov. 07 - Glasgow, UK - Hug & Pint Fri. Nov. 08 - Edinburgh, UK - Sneaky Pete’s Sat. Nov. 09 - Middlesbrough, UK - Teesside Univ. Students’ Union Sun. Nov. 10 - London, UK - MOTH Club Tue. Nov. 12 - Rotterdam, NL- Rotown Wed. Nov. 13 - Lasne, BE - Rideau Rouge Thu. Nov. 14 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso Fri. Nov. 15 - Wiltz, LU - Prabbeli Sat. Nov. 16 - Dijon, FR - La Vapeur
Carrot On Strings is available to order from Sub Pop. LP orders in North America from megamart.subpop.com, select independent retailers, and in the UK/Europe from Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart) and select UK/EU independent retailers will receive the Loser Edition on Transparent Orange. All color vinyl versions are available while stock lasts.
Man Man Carrot On Strings
Tracklisting: 1. Iguana 2. Cryptoad 3. Tastes Like Metal 4. Mongolian Spot 5. Blooddungeon 6. Carrots On Strings 7. Mulholland Drive 8. Pack Your Bags 9. Alibi 10. Cherry Cowboy 11. Odyssey
On June 28th, Sub Pop will release Washed Out’s fifth and most audacious album, Notes From a Quiet Life. The music of Washed Out has always levitated over a timeless frontier. You can sense it in his immersive, amorphous vocals, expansive soundscapes, and wistful storytelling. Following the previously released Notes From A Quiet Life, Documentary that was shot earlier this year and Directed by Kristian Melom (“Dear, Dreamer” and “The River”), comes the new single “Running Away.”
Washed Out’s Ernest Greene shares about the song: “Starting work on a new album often means a lot of failed experiments. Basically, I’m just waiting around until I stumble into something new that I can build an album concept around. For NFAQL, that song was “Running Away”. It had all of the ingredients that ended up shaping the aesthetic for the album: a more minimal arrangement, sonic clarity, and more of an emphasis on classic songwriting technique.”
Additionally, Washed Out has announced live shows to support his forthcoming record, with festival appearances at Sundown Festival and Twilight Concert Series in June and Day In Day Out in July. North American Headline shows to follow in August. See below for a full list of shows.
Sat. Jun. 08 - Anchorage AK Sundown Festival Sat. Jun. 22 - Ogden, UT - Twilight Concert Series Sun. Jul. 14 - Seattle, WA - Day In Day Out Festival Thu. Aug. 01 - Atlanta, GA - The Eastern Fri. Aug. 02 - Columbia, SC - The Senate Sat. Aug. 03 - Asheville, NC - AVLFest Mon. Aug. 05 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl Tue. Aug. 06 - St. Louis, MO, Delmar Hall Thu. Aug. 08 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue Fri. Aug. 09 - Chicago, IL - Metro Sat. Aug. 10 - Madison, WI - Majestic Sun. Aug. 11 - Columbus, OH - Kemba Tue. Aug. 13 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Wed. Aug.14 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Fri. Aug. 16 - Norwalk, CT - District Music Hall Sat. Aug. 17 - Boston, MA - Paradise Sun. Aug. 18 - Brooklyn, NY - Paramount Tue. Aug. 20 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer Wed. Aug. 21 - Washington, DC - 930 Club Fri. Aug. 23 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle Sat. Aug. 24 - Birmingham, AL - Iron City
Notes From a Quiet Life is available to preorder now on CD/LP/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders in North America from megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the Loser Edition on Honeydew Melon vinyl. LP orders from independent retail stores & Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart) in the UK and Europe will receive the Loser Edition on Yellow-Green vinyl. All colored vinyl versions are available while stock lasts.
Washed Out Notes From a Quiet Life
Track Listing: 1. Waking Up 2. Say Goodbye 3. Got Your Back 4. The Hardest Part 5. A Sign 6. Second Sight 7. Running Away 8. Wait on You 9. Wondrous Life 10. Letting Go
La Luz - the band led by Shana Cleveland – has today released their incredible new album News of The Universe, via Sub Pop. Unashamedly vulnerable, unabashedly feminine, and undeniably triumphant, News of the Universe is another knockout record from a band so reliably great that it has perhaps led people to overlook how pioneering La Luz really are: women of color in indie music forging their own path by following their own artistic star into galaxies beyond current musical trends, always led by an earnest belief in the cosmic power of love and a great riff. The album was a mentioned as an essential release by Bandcamp, an album of note out this week by Stereogum, a new and notable release from Brooklyn Vegan, was named as the “Album of the Week” by Post-Trash, amongst more.
Today, La Luz also share the music video for the song that is truly the heart of the album, “Always In Love.” On the track and it’s music video, Shana Cleveland shares “To me this song is the heart of the album. I get emotional every time I hear it. Lyrically it’s about realizing that love is the only thing that matters and that it’s always a choice that I’m able to make. It’s hard to explain how huge that is, but if you get it you get it. In the guitar solo that closes the song I can hear myself blasting through all the fear and stress of the year before, the most difficult time of my life, and moving past all of that propelled by the dedication to live in love. The video for this song is inspired by the Japanese camp horror film House.” Watch the music video for “Always in Love” here.
With a credo adapted from science fiction author Octavia E. Butler, an album title from a collection of metaphysical poetry, and an expansion in consciousness brought on by personal crisis, News of the Universe finds guitarist and songwriter Cleveland embracing a changing world with unconditional love. News of the Universe is also a record born of calamity, a work of dark, beautiful psychedelia reflecting Cleveland’s experience of having her world blown apart by a breast cancer diagnosis just two years after the birth of her son.
La Luz will be touring North America, Europe, and the UK in support of News of the Universe, and the first run of dates will kick off May 23 in Barcelona. The band’s first show stateside is Record Release Party on May 30 at The Crocodile in Seattle, WA. Their touring goes into full swing starting on September 26 with a show in Chicago, IL, stopping at Brooklyn’s Elsewhere on October 9, before concluding with a 2-night run at Lodge Room in Los Angeles, CA, on November 8 and 9. All shows are listed below. Formed by Cleveland in 2012, La Luz is beloved for their ability to balance bedlam and bliss, each new record another fine-tuning of the band’s mix of swaggering riffs with angelic vocals borrowed from doo-wop and folk; a band so reliably great that it makes the huge step forward in confidence and sheer musicality that is News of the Universe all the more formidable. Cleveland, also a writer and painter, has developed into a truly original songwriter with her own canon of haunted psychedelia that, in recent years, has drawn upon the changing landscape around her rural California home for inspiration, notably on last year’s critically acclaimed solo release, Manzanita, a magical realist documentation of her pregnancy and early motherhood that appeared on many year-end lists.
Sonically, the record is all urgency. Songs trip over themselves as if trying to outrun the apocalypse. The powerful sense of openness that permeates News of the Universe is at least partially due to the fact that it is a record made entirely by women—from the performing, writing, and producing all the way through to the recording, engineering, and mastering. “There is something inherently and simultaneously sweet and brutal about womanhood,” says Cleveland. “That is something I hear on this record.”
Working with producer Maryam Qudus (Spacemoth), the all-female environment allowed Cleveland to feel safe tapping into difficult places and expressing hard emotions women are socialized to suppress. Unashamedly vulnerable, unabashedly feminine, and undeniably triumphant, News of the Universe is another knockout record from a band so reliably great that it has perhaps led people to overlook how pioneering La Luz really are: women of color in indie music forging their own path by following their own artistic star into galaxies beyond current musical trends, always led by an earnest belief in the cosmic power of love and a great riff. Never is that more true than on News of the Universe, which might be La Luz’s most brutal record to date but also their most blissful. After everything, how could it not?
La Luz Tour Dates
05/24 Madrid, ES @ Tomavistas Festival
05/25 London, UK @ Wide Awake Festival
05/30 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile (Record Release Show)
07/27 Portland, OR @ Project Pabst
08/30 Brighton, UK @ Brighton Psych Fest
08/31 Manchester, UK @ Manchester Psych Fest
09/01 Edinburgh, UK @ Edinburgh Psych Fest
09/03 Bristol, UK @ Strange Brew
09/05 Paris, FR @ Point Ephemere
09/06 Sart-Messire-Guillaume, BE @ SMG Music Fest
09/07 Asten-Heusden, NL @ Misty Fields Festival
09/08 Amsterdam, NL @ Indiestadt x Sugar Mountain @ Paradiso
09/10 Cologne, DE @ Bumann & SOHN
09/11 Hamburg, DE @ Prinzenbar
09/12 Berlin, DE @ Badehaus
09/13 Schorndorf, DE @ Manufaktur
09/14 Zürich, DE @ Bogen
09/26 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
09/27 Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
09/28 St. Paul, MM @ Turf Club
09/30 St. Louis, MO @ Blueberry Hill
10/01 Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
10/02 Nashville, TN @ The End
10/03 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade - Purgatory
10/04 Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
10/05 Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall
10/06 Washington, DC @ The Atlantis
10/08 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
10/09 Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere - Hall
10/10 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
10/11 Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz
10/12 Toronto, ON @ Adelaide Hall
10/13 Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch
10/28 Denver, CO @ Marquis
10/30 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
10/31 Boise, ID @ The Olympic
11/03 Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl
11/06 Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s
11/07 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
11/08 Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
11/09 Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
News of the Universe is available to preorder now on CD/LP/DSPs from Sub Pop. The album can be pre-ordered in North America from megamart.subpop.com, select independent retailers, and the band’s website, and in Europe and the UK from independent retail stores, and Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart), with vinyl available on limited variants. All colored vinyl versions are available while stock lasts.
