Hot on the heels of the release of their critically acclaimed album, Double Negative, Low have shared a new video for their song “Always Trying to Work It Out.” The visual was co-directed by longtime friend and video collaborator Phil Harder. The band’s Alan Sparhawk had this to say about the video, “We present our slightly Halloween-themed video for ‘Always Trying to Work It Out.’ In which… friends and family star in a stroll through the grocery store; familiar fragments from memory appear; masks are filtering light. Thank you National Sawdust, light tech Shane Donohue, and the Food Co-op in Duluth. It’s dedicated to our city of Duluth.”
Low’s North American 2018/19 international headlining tour in support of Double Negative resumes November 2nd in St. Paul at The Fitzgerald Theatre, and runs through November 17th in Madison at High Noon Saloon, with 2019 dates to follow.
2018 Tour Dates Nov. 02 - St. Paul, MN - The Fitzgerald Theatre 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 - Parkteatretjo Feb. 14 - Stockholm, SE - Kagelbanan (Small Room) Mar. 08 - Denver, CO - Globe Hall Mar. 09 - Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf Mar. 11 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar Mar. 12 - Tustin, CA - Marty’s On Newport Mar. 13 - Tijuana, MX - Moustache Mar. 15 - Los Angeles, CA - Lodge Room Mar. 16 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall Mar. 18 - Portland, OR - Star Theater Mar. 19 - Vancouver, BC - Imperial Mar. 20 - Seattle, WA - Neumos Mar. 23 - Provo, UT - Velour Live Music Gallery
European and U.K. dates supporting Ms. Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 20th Anniversary Tour begin November 17th.
Shabazz Palaces are sharing the official video for “Déesse Du Sang” from their acclaimed 2017 release, Quazarz: Born On A Gangster Star. The ominous, slightly NSFW visual, is directed by returning director Stephan Gray (“Dawn In Luxor,” “Since C.A.Y.A.”).
SHABAZZ PALACES TOUR DATES
Shabazz Palaces European and UK tour dates in support of Quazarz Born On A Gangster Star, and Quazarz Vs. The Jealous Machines have been extended through February 2019. Beginning November 17th in Skopje, Macedonia and ending December 3rd, 2018 in London at O2 Arena, the group will support Ms. Lauryn Hill on the EU/UK edition of “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 20th Anniversary Tour.” Then in early 2019, Shabazz Palaces will return to the EU/UK a string of headlining dates beginning February 4th in Rotterdam at Bird and ending February 7th on London at Jazz Cafe.
Quazarz Born on a Gangster Star and Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines, the group’s third and fourth albums released in 2017, are available now on CD / LP / DL / CS / Illustrated album worldwide through Sub Pop [purchase it now here].
What people are saying Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Starand Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machinesand affiliated singles: “In thermodynamics, black bodies are both perfect absorbers and emitters of radiant energy. That seeming contradiction would not be lost on one Palaceer Lazaro, better known as Ishmael Butler of Shabazz Palaces, who continues to find far-out ways to reflect and refract the sound and fury of popular culture and contemporary blackness…Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star…pushes an interstellar narrative that’s equal parts absurd and real…It’s a cosmic trip. [Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star] - NPR Music
“The power of Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Starand Quazarz vs the Jealous Machinescomes from the way they spike their dense, abstract sound with moments of accessibility: a band broadening what they do without blunting their edge or losing their uniqueness.” - [4/5, Album of the Week] - The Guardian
“The pair’s music sounds like rap music viewed through a prism - a psychedelic reverie of glittering electronic textures and unconventional beats that’s sensual, expansive and disorientating….Like interstellar guides, they’re always positioned a little further out than their peers, and these two records offer suggested routes to an infinity of possible futures.” [8/10] - Uncut
“A thrilling excursion, possessing an otherworldly ambiance and substance you’ll spend months decoding, every spin yielding something new. Adventurous ears, listen up!” [4/5 stars] - MOJO
“Set Quazarz to stunning.” [4/5 stars] - Q
“The Quazarz suite is an unequivocal triumph.” - [9/10] - Loud & Quiet
“These exquisite new sonic meanderings conjure up the ghost of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.” [Record of the Month] - London In Stereo
“Both of Shabazz Palaces’ new albums are meticulously crafted, with an obscure narrative and arrangements so vivid they beckon you to unravel them.” [4/5 stars] - The Skinny
“Digitally cut-up, delayed and reverberated, words tumble, swirl and spill, smearing themselves over fragmented beats and shimmering kaleidoscopic backdrops: strands of audio graffiti sprayed on walls that gleam, shift shape and then finally vanish.” [Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star & Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines] - Wire
Limited-Edition “Lose Your Smile” b/w “Alien” 7” available now. New Australian headlining & festival dates for February and March 2019 just announced.
Beach House’s new song ”Alien” is an outtake from the 7sessions that was originally released as a B-side for a limited-edition, tour-only 7”. It is produced by the band, Sonic Boom, and Jason Quever. You can stream the track now via Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and all DSPs. Visualizer directed by San Charoenchai.
Fans can also purchase the physical single, which includes 7 album track “Lose Your Smile” on the A-side and is pressed on slime green vinyl, from the band’s official webstore, Bella Union in Europe, and Mistletone in Australia & New Zealand, and the rest of the world from Sub Pop here (while supplies last).
Beach House “Lose Your Smile” b/w “Alien” A. “Lose Your Smile” B. “Alien”
Beach House’s sold out North American and European tours in support of 7 end on November 2nd in Turin, IT at Club to Club. The band will then resume touring in 2019 with a headlining & festival date run in Australia, which begins on February 28th in Perth at Perth Festival and currently runs through March 9th in Victoria at the Golden Plains Festival.
European Tour 2018 Nov. 02 - Turin, IT - Club to Club
Australian Tour 2019 Feb. 28 - Perth, AU - Perth Festival Mar. 04 - Sydney, AU - Enmore Theatre Mar. 06 - Adelaide, AU - RCC Fringe (Math Lawns) Mar. 08 - Melbourne, AU - Forum Melbourne Mar. 09 - Victoria, AU - Golden Plains Festival
As previously announced, J Mascis has extended his international tour schedule to support Elastic Days with UK dates for early 2019. The newly added dates begin January 16th in Oxford at O2 Academy and end January 25th in Glasgow at St. Luke’s. These dates follow J’s North American tour dates which run November 7th through December 16th.
Nov. 07 - Vancouver, BC - Imperial Nov. 08 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater Nov. 09 - Seattle, WA - Tractor Nov. 10 - Bellingham, WA - Wild Buffalo Nov. 14 - San Francisco, CA - Slim’s Nov. 15 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar Nov. 16 - Los Angeles, CA - Lodge Room Nov. 17 - Denver, CO - Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox Nov. 18 - Fort Collins, CO - Washington’s Nov. 20 - Chicago, IL - City Winery* Nov. 21 - Chicago, IL - City Winery* Nov. 27 - Atlanta, GA - City Winery* Nov. 28 - Nashville, TN - City Winery* Nov. 29 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar* Nov. 30 - Detroit, MI - El Club* Dec. 01 - Toronto, ON - Great Hall* Dec. 04 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe* Dec. 05 - Washington, DC - City Winery* Dec. 07 - Brooklyn, NY - Rough Trade* Dec. 08 - New York, NY - Public Arts* Dec. 09 - Hamden, CT - Space Ballroom* Dec. 12 - Providence, RI - The Met* Dec. 13 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair* Dec. 14 - Northampton, MA - The Academy of Music* Dec. 15 - Portland, ME - Port City Music Hall* Jan. 16 - Oxford, UK - O2 Academy Jan. 17 - Bristol, UK - Thekla Jan. 18 - Brighton, UK - Concorde 2 Jan. 19 - London, UK - Islington Assembly Hall Jan. 20 - Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms Jan. 22 - Liverpool, UK - Arts Club Jan. 23 - Manchester, UK - Gorilla Jan. 24 - Leeds, UK - Belgrave Music Hall Jan. 25 - Glasgow, UK - St. Lukes
* w/ Luluc
Pre-orders for Elastic Days through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser Edition on clear vinyl with purple swirl (while supplies last). There will also be a new t-shirt design available with this release.
On November 23rd, Sub Pop gets into the Christmas spirit / fires the latest salvo in the war on Christmas by releasing Green River’s “Away in a Manger” and the U-Men’s “Blue Christmas” as a split 7” single for Record Store Day’s Black Friday. The exclusive single is limited to 2,000 copies, will be pressed on red/green vinyl, and features front and back cover art from cartoonist Peter Bagge.
Green River’s sick & unholy rendition of the classic Christmas tune “Away in a Manger,” was originally released on the C/Z Records compilation entitled Another Pyrrhic Victory: The Only Compilation of Dead Seattle God Bands.
U-Men’s slurring, lurching, belly crawling, pisstake on “Blue Christmas” was originally available on the Christmas ‘84 cassette compilation.
Two ugly orphans, brought together to live as one grinning, writhing glump of career-capping, Christmas gak! Happy birthday baby Jesus!
Green River / U-Men Tracklisting:
A. Green River “Away in a Manger” B. U-Men “Blue Christmas”
Fleet Foxes recently announced a special limited-edition collection to mark the 10th anniversary of their debut album. Entitled First Collection 2006 – 2009, it will be released on November 9. Today, the band have shared “Isles,” originally released in 2008 as the b-side to the UK 7” single for “White Winter Hymnal.” As-yet-unreleased in any form outside of the UK and Europe, “Isles” is included on the B-Sides and Rarities 10” or CD.
Listen to “Isles” here and watch the trailer for the special edition featuring archival footage here.
First Collection 2006 – 2009 features content spanning the early days of Fleet Foxes’ career, including the self-titled full-length debut album on 12” vinyl, as well as the Sun Giant EP on 10” vinyl and the first vinyl releases of both the very limited-edition, previously only self-released The Fleet Foxes EP on 10” and B-sides & Rarities on 10”. See full tracklisting below. In addition the release will feature a 32-page booklet including show flyers, lyrics, and artwork from the period. The special edition will also be released on CD and on all digital platforms. Pre-order the collection here.
