[Photo Credit: Josh Spencer] 

Cullen Omori’s The Diet is now available worldwide on Sub Pop. The new album, led by the singles ”Four Years,” ”A Real You“ and ”Happiness Reigns,” is buoyed by warped, analog pedals/transistors, tailor-made guitar tones that crisscross ‘70s art rock vocals and classic songwriting all within the span of 40 minutes. You can now stream The Diet in its entirety via Spotify and Apple Music. 
 
The Line of Best Fit had this to say of the album, “It’s all so hopeful and luminous, a reflection of the headspace the singer’s now in, worlds apart from a couple years ago. Omori’s rediscovered life’s good side, and found more of himself in the process; ultimately, that’s led to him being able to pour a whole lot more of his heart and soul into his songs, and it’s a beautiful thing (8/10).” 

Pitchfork offered this, “The former Smith Westerns member’s second album represents a return to his core strengths: crystalline, cosmically ornate melodies and wryly clear-eyed lyrics.” And PopMatters raves, “The resulting sound is inventive, fun, fresh, and perhaps Omori’s best release to-date (8/10).”

The Diet is available now through Sub Pop. LP purchases through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser edition on lavender swirl vinyl (while supplies last). A new t-shirt design is also available.

Cullen Omori supports The Pillows on their FLCL “Mono Me You Sun Tour,”presented by Adult Swim through July 19th.

Cullen Omori has shared the kaleidoscopic closer,  “A Real You,”from his sophomore effort, The Diet, available worldwide from Sub Pop Records on August 17th. Omori shares that “a lot of the parts were scattered around in different songs during the New Misery sessions. The song has been incubated since 2014, and I’d always mess around with a version of the song at sound checks and during interludes in the live set. The song coalesced last year and it came together in a way where it’s familiar but also weird and new and I think that’s a philosophy I applied to the whole album. You can listen to “A Real You” here.
 
The Diet is a powerful modern indie-rock album that is buoyed by warped, analog pedals/transistors and tailor-made guitar tones. Omori’s winsome vocals crisscross ‘70s art rock and classic songwriting all within the span of 40 minutes.

[Photo Credit: Josh Spencer]

Cullen Omori Tour Dates + Ticket Links

Omori is currently on tour with Japanese alternative rock band The Pillows. These shows are presented by Adult Swim to celebrate the highly-anticipated return of the channels cult-anime hit FLCL. The tour continues with a sold-out show, tomorrow, July 12th at NYC’s Grammercy Theatre and will wrap on July 19th in Los Angeles at the Mayan Theatre.
 
Jul.12 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre * [Sold Out]
Jul. 13 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza * [Sold Out]
Jul.15 - Seattle, WA - Neptune * [Sold Out]
Jul.16 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom * 
Jul.18 - San Francisco, CA - August Hall * [Sold Out]
Jul.19 - Los Angeles, CA - The Mayan * [Sold Out]
* w/ The Pillows & Noodles 

Pre orders for The Diet are available now through Sub Pop right here. LP pre orders through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser edition on lavender swirl vinyl (while supplies last). You can also bundle the album with the accompanying new T-Shirt design.

On August 17th Cullen Omori will release his sophomore effort, The Diet worldwide via yours truly, Sub Pop Records. Omori has shared a brand new video for song, “Happiness Reigns” [as seen above here], which was directed by Sarah Strunin and is a charming slice of power pop with lyrics that combine fatalistic imagery (“flowers of uranium/ and the kids just play along”) and a wide-eyed apologia to a woman, is perhaps the closest Cullen gets to the classic love-song ideal on The Diet.  

 
“Reigns” was not only inspired by Omori’s current girlfriend—she was intricately involved in his vision for bringing this love song a la Beatles or Rolling Stones “into the 21st century.” “Seldom are songs actually about the women in my life, but when I choose to write them I try to act in conspiracy with my ‘muse,’” he says. “On ‘Happiness Reigns,’ I was consciously trying to prevent the song from  lyrically falling into this one-way ode to an idolized muse. Of course some of my favorite artists like T-Rex or John Cale have albums chock full of them but my intention was never to be a rock classicist or to make something that was an extension of my influences. So I had her write it with me. If I was going to write this about someone, even in vague terms, I thought it would be interesting to intertwine their perception of themselves and of our relationship.”

Cullen Omori Tour Dates + Ticket Links

Prior to the release of The Diet, Omori will embark on a seven date tour opening for the Japanese alternative rock band The Pillows. These shows are presented by Adult Swim to celebrate the highly-anticipated return of the channels cult-anime hit FLCL. The tour will kick off on July 10th in Boston, with shows in New York, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
 
Jul. 10 - Boston, MA - Royale * [Sold Out]
Jul. 12 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre * [Sold Out]
Jul. 13 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza * [Sold Out]
Jul. 15 - Seattle, WA - Neptune * [Sold Out]
Jul. 16 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom *
Jul. 18 - San Francisco, CA - August Hall * [Sold Out]
Jul. 19 - Los Angeles, CA - The Mayan *
* w/ The Pillows & Noodles

Pre orders for The Diet are available now through Sub Pop right here. LP pre orders through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser edition on lavender swirl vinyl (while supplies last). There will also be a new T-Shirt design available. 

Cullen Omori
The Diet
Tracklisting

1. Four Years
2. Borderline Friends
3. All By Yourself
4. Happiness Reigns
5. Master Eyes
6. Quiet Girl
7. Black Rainbow
8. Natural Woman
9. Millennial Geishas
10. Last Line
11. Queen
12. A Real You

Cullen Omori has announced a co-headlining tour with The Gloomies, starting on May 3rd, in San Pedro, CA. This 12 date tour, will have the band stopping in, San Diego, Los, Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Denver and Tucson. See below for a full string of shows.
 
To help get folks wound up for this string of dates, Omori, has shared a brand new track, entitled “Four Years”. In his own words, “the song is meant to be an exchange of perceptions: a duet except sung by one person. The first verse deals with the conviction and singular determination needed to end the relationship. The second verse is the reactionary response to what is usually an unexpected upset to a familiar and welcomed status quo.”

 
Cullen Omori Tour Dates + Ticket Links

May 03 - San Pedro, CA - Brouwerij West*
May 04 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar*
May 05 - Los Angeles, CA - Echo*
May 6 - San Francisco, CA Cafe du Nord*
May 8 - Portland, OR -  Bunk Bar*
May 9 - Seattle, WA - Lo Fi *
May 10 - BC, Vancouver - Astoria *
May 12 - Boise, ID - Neurolux *
May 13 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court *
May 15 - Denver, CO - Lost Lake Lounge*
May 17 - Tucson, AZ- 191 Toole*
May 19 - Tempe, AZ - Yucca Tap Room*
* w/ The Gloomies
 
What “The People” have said about Cullen Omori:
“Shimmering beauty” [“Cinnamon”/ “New Music of the Day”] - NME

“It’s bittersweet, blissful pop with an ’80s hue - vocal melodies and hooks that are at once immediate yet demand to be heard again and again. Job well done, Cullen.” [“Cinnamon”] - The 405

“Sour Silk” is the combination of sounds you weren’t sure could be mixed, blended into a song that sounds both effortless and endlessly faceted.” [“Sour Silk”] - Stereogum

“His songs marry dark yet blissful pop with vocal melodies and hooks that are at once immediate yet demand to be heard again and again.” [“Sour Silk”] - Northern Transmissions

“Led by dreamy, glimmering guitars, it takes Smith Westerns’ knack for a poppy hook to the next level.” [“Cinnamon”] - Consequence of Sound

This Friday, March 18th, the highly-trained music industry professionals from Sub Pop Records will host “Back by Zero Demand,” our 2016 SXSW showcase at The Blackheart in Austin. Featuring performances from Mass Gothic, Cullen Omori, So Pitted, Arbor Labor Union, Porter Ray, and Strange Wilds. This showcase is 21+/doors at 7:30pm.

Cullen Omori’s debut album New Misery comes out next Friday, March 18th, but you can listen to the album in it’s entirety right now via Stereogum.

Stereogum says of the album, “With its romantic melodies, delicate lyrics, and dreamy sounds, New Misery radiates the warmth of a spring day and the enamored freshness of a new love…In songs like “And Yet The World Still Turns” and “Synthetic Romance,” Omori’s pristine voice shimmers over elaborate synths and profound keys, capturing his developed pop sound. Meanwhile, songs like “LOM” and “No Big Deal” feature a danceable guitar that bleeds and blends, creating impressive, twinkling rhythms (see album premiere March 11th).”

Earlier this week, Cullen Omori also shared “Synthetic Romance” from New Misery.  i-D says of the track, “The enigmatic frontman’s taste for bubblegum pop (and just regular bubble gum) has resulted in a standout clutch of solo tracks that he can truly call his own (see track premiere March 8th).”

Omori began working on solo material in early 2014 which has now fully materialized as New Misery, a collection of 11 songs building upon his own musical past while reaching towards the future of what guitar rock could be. His songs marry dark yet blissful pop with vocal melodies and hooks that are at once immediate yet demand to be heard again and again.

Cullen Omori’s previously announce spring tour schedule in support of New Misery resumes March 14th in Columbia, MO at Rose Hall and currently ends April 24th in Toronto, ON at Horseshoe Tavern.He’s also appear at the 2016 edition of SXSW in Austin, Texas (March 16t-19th).  Complete tour dates are below.

New Misery will be available on CD / LP / DL / CASS worldwide next Friday, March 18th, and you can pre-order it now through Sub Pop Mega Mart, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon and Bandcamp. LP pre-orders though megamart.subpop.com will receive the limited “Loser” edition on clear vinyl with black, white and gold swirls (while supplies last).

More on Cullen Omori:
“I had this overwhelming feeling that perhaps the apex of my life both as a musician and as an individual would be relegated to five years in my late teens/early 20s,” says Cullen Omori, who was launched into the music industry when the Smith Westerns, who started in high school in Chicago, became fast-rising indie stars. “This fear really forced me to work hard as to not see the Smith Westerns as an end but as a point along a bigger trajectory.”

While New Misery grew out of a difficult personal and professional time for Omori, he says the title reflects “not so much the distress that comes with failure, but the troubles and complexities that come with any type of success. No matter what you get you’re going to want more, you’re going to want something different. That’s the catch.”

The title track is a dreamy, resonant reflection on these feelings, but is also a guidepost for Omori’s musical evolution. “The song starts slow and then builds with two solos,” he says. “There’s the guitar solo which is very much a Smith Westerns thing. The next solo is on the keyboard, which is a shift to a lot of what I’m trying to do.” Synths play a much larger role in Omori’s new music than in the Smith Westerns’ guitar-fueled rock, as do a wide range of influences including Roxy Music, INXS, Spiritualized, Wilco, Garbage, Hall & Oates, Kate Bush, U2, and Sparks. There’s also a more deliberate pop streak, inspired by the top-40 radio that would play while Omori worked at a medical supply company cleaning stretchers and wheelchairs (read more at Sub Pop).”

What people are saying about Cullen Omori:
“Shimmering beauty” [“Cinnamon”/ “New Music of the Day”] - NME

“It’s bittersweet, blissful pop with an ’80s hue - vocal melodies and hooks that are at once immediate yet demand to be heard again and again. Job well done, Cullen.” [“Cinnamon”] - The 405

“Sour Silk” is the combination of sounds you weren’t sure could be mixed, blended into a song that sounds both effortless and endlessly faceted.” [“Sour Silk”] - Stereogum

“His songs marry dark yet blissful pop with vocal melodies and hooks that are at once immediate yet demand to be heard again and again.” [“Sour Silk”] - Northern Transmissions

“Led by dreamy, glimmering guitars, it takes Smith Westerns’ knack for a poppy hook to the next level.” [“Cinnamon”] - Consequence of Sound

Tour Dates
Mar. 14 - Columbia, MO - Rose Hall
Mar. 15 - Norman, OK - Opolis
Mar. 16 - Austin, TX - SXSW - Waterloo Records Day Party (4pm)
Mar. 17 - Austin, TX - SXSW - Under The Radar Day Party / Flamingo Cantina (1:35pm)
Mar. 17 - Austin, TX - SXSW - Paradigm Showcase / The Parish (midnight)
Mar. 18 - Austin, TX - SXSW - Sub Pop Showcase / Blackheart Bar (midnight)
Mar. 19- Austin, TX - SXSW - Urban Outfitters Day Party (4pm)
Mar. 24 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall*
Mar. 25 - Madison, WI - High Noon*
Mar. 26 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry*
Mar. 28 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge*
Mar. 29 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge*
Mar. 30 - Boise, ID - Neurolux*
Apr. 01 - Seattle, WA - Barboza*
Apr. 02 - Vancouver, BC - Fortune Sound Club*
Apr. 03 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir*
Apr. 05 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent*
Apr. 07 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom*
Apr. 08 - San Diego, CA - Casbah*
Apr. 09 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar*
Apr. 11 - Austin, TX - Stubb’s Jr*
Apr. 12 - Dallas, TX - Prophet Bar*
Apr. 13 - Houston, TX - Raven Tower*
Apr. 15 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl*
Apr. 16 - Nashville, TN - High Watt*
Apr. 17 - Columbus, OH - The Basement*
Apr. 18 - Washington, DC - DC9*
Apr. 19 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle*
Apr. 21 - Allston, MA - Great Scott*
Apr. 22 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom*
Apr. 23 - Montreal, QC - Le Divan Orange*
Apr. 24 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern*
*w/ Living Hour

Tour ticket links are here.