On Friday, March 18th the highly-trained music industry professionals from Sub Pop Records will host “Back by Zero Demand,” our 2016 SXSW showcase. The event, held at The Blackheart in Austin, will feature performances from Mass Gothic, Cullen Omori, So Pitted, Arbor Labor Union, Porter Ray, and Strange Wilds. The showcase is 21 and over, and doors are at 7:30pm.
BACK BY ZERO DEMAND: Sub Pop’s SXSW 2016 Showcase At The Blackheart/Austin
Twitter
exchange sparks new in-flight partnership with Sub Pop Records
BY KEEGAN PROSSER for Alaska Airlines
Looking for something fresh and exciting to do during your
next flight? Then Alaska has some good news for you. Beginning this month, the
airline is partnering with Seattle’s Sub Pop Records to bring some of the
label’s best music onboard – for free.
Launched with Beach House’s latest
album Thank Your Lucky Stars on
February 1, the new program offers fliers the chance to listen to one
complimentary featured Sub Pop title per month on Alaska Beyond Entertainment,
Alaska’s direct-to-your-device inflight entertainment service, and two albums
per quarter on the rentable tablets.
“We didn’t have inflight entertainment on most of our
flights until about a year and a half ago,” says David Scotland, manager of inflight
entertainment and connectivity for the airline, adding that one of Alaska’s
priorities is to ensure that customers aren’t receiving “plain vanilla anything”
aboard its flights. “We have our own unique way of designing every experience of
travel – from locally sourced food to space-enhancing seats and now music,” he
continues, noting that the record label takes a similar approach in curating
its artists. “And Sub Pop is a way for us to do that in the music and
entertainment space.”
The partnership itself came about when a former Sub Pop
employee was on an Alaska flight and tweeted to ask why the two companies
weren’t working together. Soon after, the Twitter conversation turned into a
real plan of action.
“There’s definitely a big appeal for doing something
specifically with Alaska,” notes Chris Jacobs, General Manager of Sub Pop
Records. “Because Sub Pop is so overtly and proudly associated with the region,
and so is Alaska, it makes sense.” According to Jacobs, albums selected for the streaming and
tablet platforms are based on timeliness and appeal to a variety of listeners,
with March’s featured album set to be Shearwater’s latest
release Jet Plane and Oxbow. “The music we put out can range pretty widely, from
relatively accessible to relatively not,” Jacobs says of the label. “So we are
trying to focus on bands at the more accessible end.”
In that spirit, Shearwater frontman Jonathan Meiberg sees
the inflight entertainment platform as a great way to gain new fans. “My hope is that the record feels accessible and friendly on
first listen but has enough depth and detail that you’ll want to play it
again,” he explains of the project, which pairs dreamy indie rock with punchy
‘80s synths. “We spent many weeks laboring over the texture and colors of the
sounds.” He also sees it as a great alternative for his music to be
consumed. “I’m just glad for the chance to reach people who might
never hear our music otherwise.”
And fellow Sub Pop artist Cullen Omori, whose solo
debut New Misery will be featured on
Alaska flights in April, shares the sentiment. “There’s no better audience,” says the former Smith Westerns
vocalist, whose collection of genre-bending pop rock cuts hits stores March 18.
“You have a captive audience that’s stuck on a plane for X amount of hours. And
so, there’s no better time to pitch them some music to listen to.”
As Scotland points out, teaming up with local brands such as
Sub Pop, the Seattle International Film Festival, fashion designer Luly Yang and Tom Douglas restaurants enables Alaska to deepen the
relationship it’s built with core customers and provide them with a piece of
home. “One of the things that our customers from the Seattle area
tell us very often is that they feel like they’re already home when they get on
the plane, and there’s a comfort there.” But it also leaves a lasting impression with customers who
may be flying in the region for the first time. “There is something cool and unique about the PNW,” he
continues. “We do march to the beat of our own drum. We’re not like the rest of
the country. And being an airline, we get to introduce a lot of people to some
of the best parts of the Pacific Northwest.”
- - - - -
Guest Writer Keegan Prosser is a full-time pop culture junkie and part-time freelance music journalist who is based in Seattle and has contributed to Seattle Weekly and RollingStone.com. When she’s not writing about Justin Bieber for radio prep service ReelWorld.com, Keegan flies Alaska to cities with good food, great people and exceptional live music.
“Sour Silk” is the newest standout track from New Misery, Cullen Omori’s forthcoming Sub Pop debut coming out on March 18th.
Stereogum had this to say of the track, “Though Omori’s vocals prevail in the forefront of this single, perhaps its most impressive aspect is a backdrop where every component is defined yet bleeds into each other seamlessly. Throughout the entire song, a number of ever-varying guitar parts pan across the plain of his composition, each with its own unique but cohesive sound. Omori constantly adds and subtracts sounds, maintaining his hook without allowing it to go stale. And as soon as you think you’ve pegged his song as smooth and almost psychedelic, Omori adds crunchier, rock-inspired guitar tones plus a goddamn trumpet.
“Remember the scene in Eddie’s Million Dollar Cook-Off where Eddie pretty much combines his entire kitchen in a blender and ends up with a purple sauce that’s somehow delicious? “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 (see premiere Tuesday, February 2nd).”
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.
Omori’s previously announced 4-week spring tour in support of New Misery starts March 24th in Chicago, IL at Lincoln Hall and currently ends April 24th in Toronto, ON at the Horseshoe Tavern. Preceding the tour is a string of midwestern dates this week, beginning February 3rd in Indianapolis at The Hi Fi through February 5th in Champaign, IL at The Accord. Additionally, Cullen will appear at the 2016 edition of SXSW in Austin, Texas. (See dates below.)
[Photo Credit: Alexa Lopez]
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.
“There is so much dirt in hospitals and fuzz and lint and dried blood on these things. We’d clean them down, which in a way is kind of therapeutic, and listen to the radio. Then we’d go back to Adam’s (Adam Gil, current live band member) house and record demos for what was to become the skeleton of New Misery. I can’t sit down and say I’m going to write a Sam Smith or an Adele song or whatever. The closest I can get to that is making like this weird hybrid of what I think is a pop song.” The strongest example of this is the new wave-tinged single “Cinnamon,” which Omori describes as “dark pop–it’s poppy, it’s fast, but it also has all the colors and tones that are kind of dark. It’s self-deprecating, which was kind of where I was at emotionally. That, you know, I could have this poppy song or whatever but I don’t think I’m a pop star. I’m closer to thinking I’m a piece of shit than I am a pop star (read more at Sub Pop).
New Misery will be available worldwide on CD / LP / DL/ CASS through Sub Pop Records on March 18th, and is now available for pre-order 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).
The album was recorded by Shane Stoneback (Sleigh Bells, Fucked Up, and Vampire Weekend) at the now defunct Treefort Studios, and was mastered by Emily Lazar (Sia, HAIM, Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, and Bjork) at The Lodge.
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
“Led by dreamy, glimmering guitars, it takes Smith Westerns’ knack for a poppy hook to the next level.” [“Cinnamon”] -Consequence of Sound
Tour Dates
Feb. 03 - Indianapolis, IN - The Hi-Fi Feb. 04 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club Feb. 05 - Champaign, IL - The Accord Mar. 14 - Columbia, MO - Rose Music Hall Mar. 15 - Norman, OK - Opolis Mar. 16 - Austin, TX - SXSW Mar. 17 - Austin, TX - SXSW Mar. 18 - Austin, TX - SXSW Mar. 19- Austin, TX - SXSW Mar. 20 - Austin, TX - SXSW 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 - DC, Washington - DC9 Apr. 19 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle Apr. 21 - Boston, MA - Great Scott Apr. 22 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom Apr. 23 - Montreal, QC - Le Divan Orange Apr. 24 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
On March 18th, former Smith Western frontman Cullen Omori will release his debut LP, New Misery, worldwide on CD / LP / DL via Sub Pop Records. The album, which features the highlights “Cinnamon” and “Sour Silk” was recorded by Shane Stoneback (Sleigh Bells, Fucked Up, and Vampire Weekend) at the now defunct Treefort Studios, and was mastered by Emily Lazar (Sia, HAIM, Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, and Bjork) at The Lodge.
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 and his band have scheduled a 4-week spring tour in support of New Misery, which begins March 24th in Chicago, IL at Lincoln Hall and currently ends April 24th in Toronto, ON at the Horseshoe. Preceding the tour is a string of midwestern dates that run from February 3rd in Indianapolis at The Hi Fi through February 5th in Champaign, IL at The Accord. Additionally, Cullen will appear at the 2016 edition of SXSW in Austin, Texas. (tour details below)
More on Cullen Omori: Cullen Omori knows it’s a false cliche to say there are no second acts in American lives, but after the 2014 breakup of his acclaimed band the Smith Westerns, living that cliche was his greatest fear. His solo debut New Misery, out March 18 on Sub Pop Records, is a direct challenge to that anxiety: an album that goes beyond the glam punch of the Smith Westerns to new sounds, new sources of inspiration, and greater self-awareness.
Photo credit: Alexa Lopez
“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 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.
“There is so much dirt in hospitals and fuzz and lint and dried blood on these things. We’d clean them down, which in a way is kind of therapeutic, and listen to the radio. Then we’d go back to Adam’s (Adam Gil, current live band member) house and record demos for what was to become the skeleton of New Misery. I can’t sit down and say I’m going to write a Sam Smith or an Adele song or whatever. The closest I can get to that is making like this weird hybrid of what I think is a pop song.” The strongest example of this is the new wave-tinged single “Cinnamon,” which Omori describes as “dark pop–it’s poppy, it’s fast, but it also has all the colors and tones that are kind of dark. It’s self-deprecating, which was kind of where I was at emotionally. That, you know, I could have this poppy song or whatever but I don’t think I’m a pop star. I’m closer to thinking I’m a piece of shit than I am a pop star.”
Along with Omori, New Misery features additional bass and keyboards from Ryan Mattos, drums from Loren Humphrey, and James Richardson on guitar. But unlike with the more distributed roles within the Smith Westerns, Omori wrote, played, and oversaw nearly every part of the new album, beginning a true new chapter of his long-term creative growth.
“People would be like, ‘Oh man, your band is doing really well. I saw you on the internet.’ But seeing you on the internet isn’t equivalent with making hundreds let alone thousands of dollars or being really successful. When I was younger I believed that happiness came from success and now that I’m older, more seasoned I find myself believing that stability over a long time is also its own type of success. I came out of Smith Westerns at 25 with no real job experience, I only knew how to play music. Writing and recording these songs for myself was cathartic, and I didn’t know my destination or future, but picking up my guitar and playing was the only way I knew I’d get close to figuring it out.
Tour Dates Feb. 03 - Indianapolis, IN - The Hi-Fi Feb. 04 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club Feb. 05 - Champaign, IL - The Accord 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 - Telegram 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 - DC, Washington - DC9 Apr. 19 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle Apr. 21 - Boston, MA - Great Scott Apr. 22 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom Apr. 24 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
Please join us in welcoming Chicago’s Cullen Omori to the Sub Pop Family! Cullen and Sub Pop have signed a worldwide deal to release his debut LP in 2016.
Cullen, at the tender age of 25 is back from the post-buzz-band abyss of the now defunct Smith Westerns. The singer-songwriter & multi-instrumentalist began writing solo material in early 2014. While his former project synthesized familiar rock of years past (T Rex, Bowie), Cullen builds upon his own musical past and reaches 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 both immediate and begging to be reinterpreted again and again.
Cullen will make his live debut headlining a hometown show next Friday, October 30th at Schuba’s. The Chicago Reader recently interviewed him about the forthcoming performance, his recent signing to the label, and more (view here).
