Sub Pop, feeling even more self-congratulatory than usual, is pleased to announce the opening of itsMega Mart 2, the brand new, first-ever, almost entirely functional and fully computerised sibling site to the world famous Sub Pop Mega Mart, catering specially to fans and customers who live outside of North America. Warehoused in the UK and stocking an array of Sub Pop goods (vinyl, CDs, and T-shirts), fans on this side of the pond who have long been suffering from outrageous (though totally real) shipping charges can finally rejoice!
As if opening Mega Mart 2 wasn’t enough incredible news, Sub Pop is also announcing a 20th Anniversary remastered reissue of The Shins’ classic 2003album Chutes Too Narrow, featuring new, custom die cut artwork. Chutes Too Narrow, the band’s heavily anticipated follow-up to their debut, Oh, Inverted World, was recorded in James Mercer’s basement home studio, with later mixing assistance from Phil Ek (Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, David Cross, Les Savy Fav, etc.). And, with 10 songs, clocking in at just over 30 minutes, the record is a brief yet entirely scintillating glimpse at chiming, reflective and perfectly skewed pop innovation. This new, anniversary reissue will be available on limited edition coloured LP (Transparent Sun Yellow), Black LP, CD and DSPs on Oct 20th and is available for pre-order now: https://europe.subpop.com/
Chutes Too Narrow was released to widespread acclaim in 2003, garnering Pitchfork’s Best New Music, four stars from Rolling Stone, and raves from The New York Times, MOJO, The Village Voice, SPIN, and tons more. It subsequently made best-of-the-decade lists from The AV Club, NME, Paste, Pitchfork and Uncut.
Mercer says of Chutes Too Narrow, “I was very aware at the time that I had struck gold with the first record, and it was unlikely to happen again. ‘Sophomore slump’ and all that. The pressure to prove myself as a viable writer had never been so pronounced. Midway through the mixing process, I realized one of the songs would not work, so I stayed up after everyone went to bed and wrote ‘Young Pilgrims.’ And with Ek’s help, it worked! Such a stressful but beautiful experience!”
In other reissue news, on October 6th Sub Pop will be releasing Mudhoney’s seminal Superfuzz Bigmuff vinyl EP AND their ’Touch Me I’m Sick’ 7” on limited edition new colour variants (Mustard Yellow for Superfuzz Bigmuff and Neon Orange for ‘Touch Me I’m Sick’) . Both are available to pre-order now from, yes you guessed it, Mega Mart 2: https://europe.subpop.com/
Head over to Mega Mart 2 now to find not only these but all manner of Sub Pop releases old and new, including the “first ever time on vinyl in its original form” reissue of The Vaselines’The Way Of The Vaselines (due Sept 8th), CHAI’s dazzling s/t fourth album (Sept 22nd), a first-time vinyl pressing of The Postal Service’s Everything Will Change live album (Sept 8th) and Deeper’s Sub Pop bow, and third album proper, Careful! (Sept 8th).
More about Sub Pop, by Sub Pop:
Founded in 1988, Sub Pop Records is a medium-sized independent record label based in Seattle, WA. With early releases by Nirvana, Mudhoney, Soundgarden and TAD, the label is often associated with something called “the grunge movement.” Exploitation of this association has frequently proven financially fruitful. Later years saw album releases from such moderately-to-somewhat-well-known artists as: Sunny Day Real Estate, The Murder City Devils, The Shins, Iron and Wine, The Postal Service, Band of Horses, Flight of the Conchords, Fleet Foxes, Sleater-Kinney, Beach House, Washed Out, Shabazz Palaces, The Head and the Heart, Weyes Blood, Clipping, Suki Waterhouse and Father John Misty, among many other very talented and deserving artists whose managers will be contacting us shortly about inclusion in the preceding list.
At Sub Pop Records, it is our intent to market and sell the recorded music (and related merchandise) of artists whose music some shifting definition of “we” really and truly love. We mean to represent these artists as faithfully and diligently as possible and hold out hope that this is enough for us to remain solvent in the face of the well-documented collapse of the music industry at large. We also enjoy laughter, good times and the company of friends.
Mega Mart 2 Possibly Asked Questions:
Q: What is the Sub Pop Mega Mart 2? A: It’s Sub Pop’s new online store, shipping from a warehouse based in the UK.
Q: Will this be less expensive for me? A: Maybe! Depends on where you live. But, why not check?
Q: Will there be different products available at MM2 vs MM? A: Sometimes, yes!
Q: Where should I shop, MM or MM2? A: Whichever you prefer!
Q: Wait… What is “MM” and “MM2”? A: “MM” is an abbreviation for “Mega Mart,” and “MM2” is an abbreviation for “Mega Mart 2,” both of which are web stores operated by Sub Pop Records.
Q: Don’t you have an actual MM2 FAQ? A: We do! Mega Mart 2 FAQ
Q: What if I have read these dumb “Possibly Asked Questions,” and also the actual MM2 FAQ and I still have questions? A: Try here: https://support.ochre.store/hc/en-us
On October 20th, 2023, Sub Pop will release a 20th Anniversary edition of The Shins’ beloved second album, Chutes Too Narrow.
Remastered by Adam Ayan, under the watchful eye of the band’s prime mover/singer-songwriter James Mercer, this special release features a lovely new, custom die-cut cover for the CD and vinyl formats of the album.
Chutes Too Narrow, the heavily anticipated follow-up to The Shins’ beloved debut, Oh, Inverted World, was recorded in James Mercer’s basement home studio, with later mixing at Seattle’s Avast! Recording Co. with assistance from Phil Ek (Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, David Cross, Les Savy Fav, etc.). With ten songs clocking in at just over 30 minutes, the record is a brief yet scintillating glimpse at chiming, reflective, and perfectly skewed pop innovation.
Chutes Too Narrow was released to widespread acclaim in 2003, garnering Pitchfork’s “Best New Music,” four stars from RollingStone, and raves from the New York Times, MOJO, the Village Voice, and SPIN. It subsequently made best-of-the-decade lists from The AV Club, NME, Paste, Pitchfork, and Uncut.
The 20th Anniversary remastered reissue of Chutes Too Narrow can now be pre-ordered worldwide from Sub Pop and The Shins merch store. LP pre-orders in North America at the Sub Pop Mega Mart will receive the limited “Loser Edition” on transparent orange vinyl. In the UK and Europe, pre-orders from Mega Mart 2 (the brand new and first-ever sibling site to the Sub Pop Mega Mart!) will receive the Loser Edition on transparent sun yellow vinyl (both Loser Editions are available while supplies last).
Mercer says of Chutes Too Narrow, “I was very aware at the time that I had struck gold with the first record, and it was unlikely to happen again. “Sophomore slump” and all that. The pressure to prove myself as a viable writer had never been so pronounced. Midway through the mixing process, I realized one of the songs would not work, so I stayed up after everyone went to bed and wrote ‘Young Pilgrims.’ And with Ek’s help, it worked! Such a stressful but beautiful experience!”
The Shins Chutes Too Narrow (20th Anniversary Remaster) 1. Kissing the Lipless 2. Mine’s Not a High Horse 3. So Says I 4. Young Pilgrims 5. Saint Simon 6. Fighting in a Sack 7. Pink Bullets 8. Turn a Square 9. Gone for Good 10. Those to Come
Sub Pop is pleased to announce the release of Porridge Radio’s cover of The Shins’ “New Slang,” available today worldwide through all DSPs. Listen here. The song is the B-side from the group’s forthcoming contribution to the subscription-only Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 6. The A-side, Porridge Radio’s cover of Wolf Parade’s “You Are A Runner And I Am My Father’s Son” will be available on all DSPs August 9th.
Porridge Radio’s Dana Margolin had this to say about the Singles Club contribution, “Sub Pop are a label I’ve loved for a long time, and when they asked if we wanted to release some songs with them this summer, I looked through their back catalog and chose 2 songs to cover that had a big impact on me as a teenager.”
Beginning as Dana Margolin’s sadcore bedroom project, Porridge Radio developed into an idiosyncratic post-punk 4-piece after she moved to Brighton and met her future bandmates. They inelegantly knot together Margolin’s vicious, furious emotional outpourings with beautiful pop melodies. After a series of demos, and the growing legend of their intense live shows, their lofty debut Rice, Pasta and Other Fillers came out via Memorials of Distinction in 2016, documenting struggles with life, love and boredom, and showcases the scrapbook absurdism at Porridge Radio’s core.
The band’s 2020 Secretly Canadian debut, Every Bad, is a culmination of what has been in their head for some time. Every Bad arrived full of grand, sweeping ambition – with vocals so urgent that it often feels like it is moved by compulsion rather than choice, with all the rawness of early Karen O, and influences as disparate as Charli XCX and The Cranberries. After receiving wide critical acclaim across the board, Every Bad was shortlisted as one of the Hyundai Mercury Prize’s albums of 2020.
Porridge Radio has scheduled international tour dates spanning July 2021 and June 2022. Please visit the band’s tour dates page for more info. https://porridgeradio.com/tour
Porridge Radio “You Are A Runner And I Am My Father’s Son” b/w “New Slang”
Earlier this month Sub Pop released the 20th Anniversary remastered version of The Shins’ much-beloved debut album Oh, Inverted World. Today, the videos for “The Past and Pending,” the album’s lamenting closing cut, and the 2004 Alternate Video for “New Slang,” are available for the first time ever as official uploads on YouTube. They both contain newly remastered audio and HD visual upgrades. Updated versions of “Know Your Onion!” and the original, 2001 version of “New Slang,” are also available.
Originally released on June 19th, 2001, Oh, Inverted World is the earth-shattering, indie-rock-redefining album from The Shins, and is presented here in its finest form. The classic tunes get new life with mastering by Bob Ludwig, under band leader James Mercer’s watchful eye. The new front cover of this edition of Oh, Inverted World features an ‘inverted’ color scheme, on a die-cut jacket, and includes a booklet filled with vintage photos, handwritten lyrics, liner notes, and more.
The music on Oh, Inverted World is obviously essential, and this remastering truly makes this the album Mercer always wanted it to be. Never quite satisfied with the sonics of the original, Mercer took the 20th anniversary of the album as his opportunity to finally set the (literal!) record straight. And the results sound stellar: great for new fans, and well worth the attention for those who fell in love with it in the first place.
Oh, Inverted World saw new praise from the likes of MOJO (“The newly finessed sound is consistent with Mercer’s erudite craftsmanship.” ★★★★), UNCUT (8/10), The Sun (★★★★ ½) and Shindig (★★★★★), alongside reappraisals in interviews and reviews from the likes of Billboard, Entertainment Weekly, Apple Music, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, FLOOD and Treble.
The Oh, Inverted World (20th Anniversary Remaster) is now available from megamart.subpop.com, The Shins merch store, select independent retailers in North America, the U.K., EU, Australia and New Zealand. The vinyl LP will be available in the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand on July 23rd, 2021.
The Shins Oh, Inverted World (20th Anniversary Remaster)
Tracklisting: 1. Caring Is Creepy 2. One by One All Day 3. Weird Divide 4. Know Your Onion! 5. Girl Inform Me 6. New Slang 7. The Celibate Life 8. Girl on the Wing 9. Your Algebra 10. Pressed in a Book 11. The Past and Pending
A week ahead of its official 20th birthday, and just in time for Record Store Day, Sub Pop releases a remastered version of The Shins’ much-beloved debut album Oh, Inverted World today. You can now watch the Oh, Inverted World (Cliffs Notes Medley) video featuring snippets of every song from the album, directed and edited by Jon Sortland.
Originally released on June 19th, 2001, Oh, Inverted World is the earth-shattering, indie-rock-redefining album from The Shins, and is presented here in its finest form. The classic tunes get new life with mastering by Bob Ludwig, under band leader James Mercer’s watchful eye. The new front cover of this edition of Oh, Inverted World features an ‘inverted’ color scheme, on a die-cut jacket, and includes a booklet filled with vintage photos, handwritten lyrics, liner notes, and more.
20 lucky fans who purchase the LP will receive the “Golden Ticket” edition of the album, which includes a 7”x7” classic photo of the band signed by Mercer, hidden in 10 Loser Edition and 10 standard black vinyl copies.
The music on Oh, Inverted World is obviously essential, and this remastering truly makes this the album Mercer always wanted it to be. Never quite satisfied with the sonics of the original, Mercer took the 20th anniversary of the album as his opportunity to finally set the (literal!) record straight. And the results sound stellar: great for new fans, and well worth the attention for those who fell in love with it in the first place.
The Oh, Inverted World (20th Anniversary Remaster) is now available from megamart.subpop.com, The Shins merch store, select independent retailers in North America, the U.K., EU, Australia and New Zealand. The vinyl LP will be available in the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand on July 23rd, 2021.
The Shins Oh, Inverted World (20th Anniversary Remaster)
Tracklisting: 1. Caring Is Creepy 2. One by One All Day 3. Weird Divide 4. Know Your Onion! 5. Girl Inform Me 6. New Slang 7. The Celibate Life 8. Girl on the Wing 9. Your Algebra 10. Pressed in a Book 11. The Past and Pending
On June 11th, 2021, Sub Pop will reissue The Shins Oh, Inverted World (20th Anniversary Remaster), the group’s much-beloved debut, for its 20th birthday.
Oh, Inverted World is the earth-shattering, indie-rock-redefining 2001 album from The Shins, and is presented here in its finest form. The classic tunes get new life with mastering by Bob Ludwig, under band leader James Mercer’s watchful eye. The new front cover of this edition of Oh, Inverted World features an ‘inverted’ color scheme, on a die-cut jacket, and includes a booklet filled with vintage photos, handwritten lyrics, liner notes, and more.
20 lucky fans who purchase the LP will receive the “Golden Ticket” edition of the album, which includes a 7”x7” classic photo of the band signed by Mercer, hidden in 10 Loser Edition and 10 standard black vinyl copies.
The music on Oh, Inverted World is obviously essential, and this remastering truly makes this the album Mercer always wanted it to be. Never quite satisfied with the sonics of the original, Mercer took the 20th anniversary of the album as his opportunity to finally set the (literal!) record straight. And the results sound stellar: great for new fans, and well worth the attention for those who fell in love with it in the first place.
Mercer says of Oh, Inverted World, “This record gave me the life that I never really dreamed I would have. It opened me up to the whole world and gave me validation. It’s also something that stands as a bit of a pinnacle for our band. You release that first record and it’s so well embraced, but you’re always trying to get that magic back, I think. We’ve done well, certainly, but the fervor that happened around Oh, Inverted World we never quite reached again. It’s a special moment when you’re a new band and you’ve got what was apparently kind of a new sound. This record symbolized a very special moment in my life, a watershed moment for sure.”
The Oh, Inverted World (20th Anniversary Remaster) is now available to pre-order through Sub Pop. LP pre-orders from megamart.subpop.com, The Shins merch store, select independent retailers in North America, the U.K., EU, Australia and New Zealand will receive the limited Loser edition on light blue with white marble vinyl (while supplies last).
The Shins Oh, Inverted World (20th Anniversary Remaster)
Tracklisting: 1. Caring Is Creepy 2. One by One All Day 3. Weird Divide 4. Know Your Onion! 5. Girl Inform Me 6. New Slang 7. The Celibate Life 8. Girl on the Wing 9. Your Algebra 10. Pressed in a Book 11. The Past and Pending
