The Afghan Whigs’ spellbinding new album, In Spadesis out worldwide this Friday May 5th.
[Photo Credit: Chris Cuffaro]
This morning the band announced a new 28-city tour of North America for this fall which will begin on September 6th in Orlando, FL. Har Mar Superstar will support on all shows, and tickets go on sale this Friday morning. The tour will include three Canadian shows (Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver) and the band will be playing several markets they haven’t visited in years (Richmond, Birmingham, Kansas City, Houston).
The Afghan Whigs will also visit 17 countries overseas this summer in support of the new album including performances at Primavera Sound, Northside Festival and Way Out West. Ed Harcourt will be supporting on all European headline shows. (Tour dates and ticket links are below.)
As if that weren’t enough good news for a Monday… You can now stream all of In Spades via the good music listeners of Stereogum, right over here.
In Spades is now available for preorder from Sub Pop, The Afghan Whigs official website, and select independent retailers. LP pre-orders will receive the “Loser” edition on 180-gram, white-chocolate vinyl (while supplies last). A new T-shirt design, along with cassette versions of The Afghan Whigs classic Sub Pop albums Up In It and Congregation, will also be available.
Led by the singles “Demon In Profile,” “Oriole,” and “Arabian Heights” along with standouts “Copernicus,” and “Toy Automatic,” ’In Spades’ is the follow-up to the band’s internationally acclaimed Do to the Beast. The albumwas recorded in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Memphis and Joshua Tree and written and produced by Greg Dulli.
The early reviews of In Spades have been stellar:
“Demonic pain experienced in the midnight hours suits both him (Dulli) and his band. No wonder then that this matches some of their best work.” [4/5 stars] -Q Magazine
‘A thrilling impassioned addition to their catalogue.’ [8/10] - UNCUT
“Back to their dark, soulful best.” [4/5 stars] – MOJO
“Forever raising goosebumps where you didn’t even know you had them.” - [5/5 stars] – Record Collector
The Afghan Whigs have released two videos from the album so far: “Demon In Profile,” directed by longtime collaborator Phil Harder[link here] and “Oriole” helmed by erotic art director Amy Nicole Hood [link here].
The first show in support of In Spades will take place later this month at a sold out Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York on May 23rd.
The Afghan Whigs North American Tour w/Har Mar Superstar
May 23 - Harlem, NY - The Apollo Theater (Sold Out) Sep. 06 - Orlando, FL - The Social Sep. 07 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West Sep. 09 - Washington DC - 9:30 Club Sep. 11 - Richmond, VA - The National Sep. 12 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer Sep. 14 - Boston, MA - Paradise Sep. 16 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel Sep. 18 - Montreal, QC - Theatre Fairmount Sep. 19 - Toronto, ON - Opera House Sep. 21 - Minneapolis, MN - First Ave Sep. 23 - Chicago, IL - Metro Sep. 24 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Sep. 26 - Detroit, MI - St Andrews Sep. 28 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogarts Sep. 29 - Nashville, TN - Exit IN Sep. 30 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn Oct. 12 - San Diego, CA - Belly Up Oct. 13 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theatre Oct. 14 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore Oct. 16 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom Oct. 17 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre Oct. 18 - Seattle, WA - Showbox Oct. 19 - Salt Lake, UT - Urban Lounge Oct. 21 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre Oct. 22 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar Oct. 24 - Austin, TX - Mohawk Oct. 25 - Dallas, TX - Trees Oct. 26 - Houston, TX - Heights Theater
The Afghan Whigs European Tour w/Ed Harcourt May 26 - Manchester, UK - Cathedral May 27 - Glasgow, UK - ABC May 28 - Dublin, IE - Academy May 30 - London, UK - Koko Jun. 01 - Barcelona, ES - Primavera Sound Festival Jun. 03 - Bologna, IT - Zona Roveri Jun. 04 - Zagreb, HR - Tvornica Kulture Jun. 06 - Warsaw, PL - Palladium Jun. 07 - Berlin, DE - Kesselhaus Jun. 09 - Aarhus, DK - Northside Festival Jun.10 - Oslo, NO - Vulkan Jun.12 - Hamburg, DE - Gruenspan Jun.13 - Frankfurt, DE - Batschkapp Jun.14 - Antwerp, BE - Trix (Sold Out) Jun.15 - Brussels, BE - Ancienne Belgique (Sold Out) Aug. 04 - Vienna, AT - WUK Aug. 05 - Prague, CZ - Lucerna Music Bar Aug. 06 - Zurich, CH - Mascotte Aug. 08 - Munich, DE - Backstage Halle Aug. 09 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso Aug. 10-12 - Gothenburg, SE - Way Out West Festival Aug. 13 - Helsinki, FL - Flow Festival
Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines and Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star will be released July 14th through Sub Pop.
Shabazz Palaces just dropped a new track “Julian’s Dream (ode to a bad) [Feat. The Shogun Shot],” from the group’s forthcoming illustrated album, Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines – the monozygotic twin to Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star – both available on July 14th.
…And Quazarz asked of Jules ‘Voz Brillo to exalt and raise a joy cry with on this beat; And Jules said “I shall” and did so, and in his heart, he bade Quazarz well. And for Shabazz, he laid up a crown of light, ‘beyond’ was his ascending refrain, and it was icy; Alas, Quazarz waking lucid inside a Jules diamond dream, pondered deeply the celestial humectation of his most favorite fruit.
And an “ode to a bad” is born.
- An excerpt from The Quazarian Sagas Volume 4: The Wisdoms; Date unknown.
[This “Julian’s Dream” illustration is part of the special-edition illustrated album - Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines - drawn by cartoonist Joshua Ray Stephens. The full-color, 32-page book includes a download code for the full album, and is available for preorder right here.]
“Julian’s Dream (ode to a bad) [Feat. The Shogun Shot]” was produced and recorded by The Palaceer Lazaro and Sonny Levine at Dror Lord Studios, with mixing by Kamal Humphrey at Kamal’s House.
Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines and Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star will be released on July 14th on CD / LP / DL / CS and are now available for preorder from Sub Pop. LP pre-orders for each album from megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers, will receive the limited “Loser” edition on colored vinyl (…Jealous Machines on mashed-up purple; …Born on a Gangster Star on aluminum) [read more about it.].
Shabazz Palaces will support both Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines and Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star with North American tour dates that resumes July 13th-16th at Cascadia Festival in Granite Falls, Washington and run through September 15th-17th for Chicago’s Riot Fest. Additionally, Shabazz Palaces is one of the three curators (alongside Grouper and Perfume Genius) at this year’s Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, Netherlands, to be held November 9th-12th.
Jul. 13-16 - Granite Falls, WA - Cascadia Festival Aug. 16 - Portland, OR - The Star Theater* Aug. 18 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall* Aug. 19 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent Theatre* Aug. 20 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom* Aug. 21 - El Paso, TX - Lowbrow* Aug. 23 - Austin, TX - Mohawk (Outdoor Stage)* Aug. 24 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada* Aug. 25 - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon* Aug. 26 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West* Aug. 27 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm* Aug. 28 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle* Aug. 30 - Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups* Aug. 31 - Detroit, MI - El Club* Sep. 01 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace* Sep. 02 - Montreal, QC - Theatre Fairmount* Sep. 03 - Quebec City, QC - Le Cercle Sep. 05 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair* Sep. 06 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw* Sep. 07 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer* Sep. 08 - Washington, DC - Black Cat* Sep. 09 - Baltimore, DC - Ottobar* Sep. 11 - Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall Sep. 15 - 17 - Chicago, IL - Riot Fest at Douglas Park Nov. 09-12 - Utrecht, NL - Le Guess Who? Festival *w/ Porter Ray
Now listen to previously unreleased track. “Chariot”.
[Photo Credit: Shawn Brackbill]
Cry those tears of joy, because on Friday, June 30th, Beach House will release the B-Sides and Rarities album (pre-order here!), a 14-track compilation of songs from throughout their career. The album features 2 previously unreleased tracks “Chariot” (as seen above) and “Baseball Diamond,” which were recorded during the Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars sessions (both Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars were released, 2 months apart, in 2015)
Beach House says of the release, “When we announced that we were releasing a B-sides and rarities album, someone on Twitter asked, ‘B-sides record? Why would Beach House put out a B-sides record? Their A-sides are like B-sides.’ This random person has a point. Our goal has never been to make music that is explicitly commercial. Over the years, as we have worked on our 6 LPs, it wasn’t the ‘best’ or most catchy songs that made the records, just the ones that fit together to make a cohesive work. Accordingly, our B-sides are not songs that we didn’t like as much, just ones that didn’t have a place on the records we were making.”
“The idea for a B-sides record came when we realized just how many non-album songs had been made over the years, and how hard it was to find and hear many of them. This compilation contains every song we have ever made that does not exist on one of our records. There are 14 songs in total.”
Beach House’s B-Sides and Rarities will be released on CD / LP / CASS / DL and is available for pre-order now here. LP pre-orders in North America through the Sub Pop Mega Mart and select independent retailers will receive the Loser Edition on crystal clear vinyl (while supplies last), and a new T-shirt design will also be available to bundle with the album.
B-Sides and Rarities Tracklisting: 1. Chariot 2. Baby 3. Equal Mind 4. Used to Be (2008 Single Version) 5. White Moon (iTunes Session Remix) 6. Baseball Diamond 7. Norway (iTunes Session Remix) 8. Play the Game 9. The Arrangement 10. Saturn Song 11. Rain in Numbers 12. I Do Not Care for the Winter Sun 13. 10 Mile Stereo (Cough Syrup Remix) 14. Wherever You Go
About the B Sides and Rarities album:
When we announced that we were releasing a B-sides and rarities album, someone on Twitter asked, “B-sides record? Why would Beach House put out a B-sides record? Their A-sides are like B-sides.” This random person has a point. Our goal has never been to make music that is explicitly commercial. Over the years, as we have worked on our 6 LPs, it wasn’t the “best” or most catchy songs that made the records, just the ones that fit together to make a cohesive work. Accordingly, our B-sides are not songs that we didn’t like as much, just ones that didn’t have a place on the records we were making.
The idea for a B-sides record came when we realized just how many non-album songs had been made over the years, and how hard it was to find and hear many of them. This compilation contains every song we have ever made that does not exist on one of our records. There are 14 songs in total.
The oldest song is “Rain in Numbers” and was recorded in 2005, during the summer we formed the band. We didn’t have a piano, so we asked our friend if we could use his, which was pretty out of tune. We used the mic that was on the four-track machine to record the piano and vocals. It was originally the secret song on our self-titled debut.
Sequentially, the next couple of songs are from late 2008. We were so excited about “Used to Be,” that we recorded it right after writing it so that we could have it as a 7” single for our fall tour with the Baltimore Round Robin. We recorded our cover of Queen’s “Play the Game” in the same session. It was for a charity compilation benefiting AIDS research and we will continue to donate all profits from the song to that charity. As fans of Queen, we thought it would be fun and ridiculous to try to adapt their high-powered pop song into our realm. These songs were recorded at the same studio where we made Devotion.
There are a bunch of songs written and recorded in the 2009-2010 window. This period of time, as well as 2014, was our most prolific to date. “Baby” was written and recorded in October 2009 with our friend Jason Quever. “10 Mile Stereo” was recorded during the Teen Dream session in July 2009. Since we used tape, we often slowed the tape way down to create effects while recording. When we were doing that for “10 Mile Stereo” we decided we wanted to make an alternate version where the whole song was slowed down, hence the “10 Mile Stereo (Cough Syrup Remix).”
“White Moon” and “The Arrangement” were both songs that we didn’t believe fit on Teen Dream. “White Moon” originally appeared on our iTunes live session. Since that was recorded and mixed very hastily, we have remixed it to better match our current aesthetics. We have also remixed and included the version of “Norway” we did at that same session. The main reason we wanted to include “Norway” is that it features a very different bridge from the original version.
After the insane year of touring we had in 2010, we felt incredibly grateful to our fans for all that had happened. We wrote and recorded “I Do Not Care for the Winter Sun” during a break between tours and released it on the internet for free, unmastered. Well, it’s finally been mastered…
“Wherever You Go” Is another song from that era. We always loved this song but thought it sounded too much like our old music. We paused writing it and didn’t finish it until 2011 during the Bloom recording session. It appeared originally as a secret song on Bloom.
“Equal Mind” was also recorded during the Bloom session. We really like this song, but pulled it from the record when we realized it had the exact same tempo as “Other People.” They are like twins.
The Bloom sessions led to “Saturn Song” as well. This song is built on a piano loop we wrote while recording Bloom. It also contains sounds recorded in deep space. It originally appeared on a compilation of songs incorporating space sounds that was released in 2014.
Finally, there are two previously unreleased songs from the Depression Cherry/Thank Your Lucky Stars sessions. They are called “Chariot” and “Baseball Diamond.”
Beach House has also added new dates to their 2017 international headlining and festival tour schedule. Highlights include: August 13th in Castelbuono, IT at Ypsigrock, August 16th in Sestri Levante, IT for an appearance at Mojotic Festival, and a string of September dates with friends and former labelmates Fleet Foxes (with stops at the Hollywood Bowl and Red Rocks Amphitheatre among those).
Beach House will also appear at New York’s Governor’s Ball the weekend of June 2nd-4th.
May 24 - Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theatre May 26 - Orlando, FL - Beacham Theatre May 27 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - The Revolution May 28 - Ponte Vedra, FL - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall May 30 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre May 31 - Knoxville, TN - Mill & Mine Jun. 02 - New York, NY - Governor’s Ball Jun. 03 - New York, NY - Governor’s Ball Jun. 04 - New York, NY - Governor’s Ball Aug. 11 - Copenhagen, DK - Haven Aug. 13 - Castelbuono, IT - Ypsigrock Aug. 16 - Sestri Levante, IT - Mojotic Festival Aug. 18 - Parades de Coura, PT - Parades de Coura Festival Sep. 23 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl* Sep. 24 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre* Sep. 25 - Santa Fe, NM - Santa Fe Opera* Sep. 27 - Denver, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre* *w/ Fleet Foxes
National Tour Dates Incl. Pitchfork’s Northside Showcase, Riot Fest, House Of Vans, Made In America Festival.
Downtown Boys use their ferocious energy and powerhouse live shows to unite crowds in the struggle to smash racism, queerphobia, capitalism, fascism, boredom, and all things people use to try to close our minds, eyes and hearts. The Providence, RI band have announced their third album, Cost of Living, to be released (Preorder here now) August 11 on Sub Pop. The new album - the follow-up to their critically-acclaimed sophomore album, 2015’s Full Communism - is at once incendiary, cathartic, and fun, melding the band’s revolutionary ideals with boundless energy. Produced by Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto, one of indie-rock’s most mythological figures (he also produced Blonde Redhead, The Gossip, and others), Cost of Living shows a sense of maturity without compromising the band’s righteous assault and captivating presence.
“… wild, bilingual, no-filler, can-still-throw-down punk rock.” - NPR
“Accompanied by production from Greg Norman and Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto, Downtown Boys sound sharper than ever, their urgency tightened into a raging storm. The band understands that for a song to be political, it needs to be more than just than a temporary rebellion: It has to dig into the essence of an identity with relentless honesty.” - Pitchfork, Best New Track
“… Downtown Boys are a beam of radical energy” – Rookie
“ …the politically-minded Rhode Island punk crew Downtown Boys slam bullying hardcore guitars, X-Ray Spex-y horns and radical lyrical fury together into a moshpit utopia.” – Rolling Stone
Cost of Living is Downtown Boys’ first record for storied indie label Sub Pop, and the band is using this new platform as a megaphone for their protest music, amplifying and centering Chicana, queer, and Latino voices in the far-too-whitewashed world of rock. t Lyrically inspired by Assata Shakur’s poem “i believe in living,” album-opener “A Wall” rides the feel-good power that drove so many tunes by The Clash and Wire, calling out the idea that a wall could ever succeed in snuffing the humanity and spirit of those it’s designed to crush. “Promissory Note” is a bold self-introduction to the exclusive clubs that either ignore Downtown Boys’ existence, or worse, feign appreciation: “So what’s the matter, you don’t like what you see? / I can’t believe you’re even talking to me!” Ruiz shouts. “Tonta,” one of the three songs written and sung primarily in Spanish, is an introspective and emotional portrait of anguish which calls to mind the mighty scrum of Huasipungo at an ABC No Rio matinee.
The position of Downtown Boys has been clear since they started storming through basements and DIY spaces with their radically-minded, indefatigable rock music: they are here to topple the white-cis-het hegemony and draft a new history. This is how Downtown Boys began, and their resolve has only strengthened as both their sound and audience have grown. Like the socially conscious groups of years past, from Public Enemy to Rage Against the Machine, Downtown Boys harness powerful sloganeering, repetitive grooves, and earworm hooks to create one of the most necessary musical statements of today.
[Photo Credit: Miguel Rosario]
The time is now for you to follow Downtown Boys everywhere over the known internets via Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bandcamp.
Cost of Living
Downtown Boys’ new album, Cost of Living, will be released on CD / LP / CASS / DL, and is available for pre-order here now. LP pre-orders in North America through the Sub Pop Mega Mart and select independent retailers will receive the Loser Edition on marbled gold vinyl while supplies last. Plus, a new T-shirt design will also be available.
Cost of Living :: Tracklist
1. A Wall 2. I’m Enough (I Want More) 3. Somos Chulas (No Somos Pendejas) 4. Promissory Note 5. Because You 6. Violent Complicity 7. It Can’t Wait 8. Tonta 9. Heroes (Interlude) 10. Lips That Bite 11. Clara Rancia 12. Bulletproof (Outro)
6/9: Brooklyn, NY @ Pitchfork Northside Fest Showcase @ St. Vitus 6/16: Ashfield, MA @ The Ashfield Lake House 6/17: Providence, RI @ Aurora 7/12: Brooklyn, NY @ House of Vans 8/19: Omaha, NE @ Maha Festival 9/2 - 9/3: Philadelphia, PA @ Made In America Festival 9/15 - 9/17: Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest 9/23: Los Angeles, CA @ Summer Happenings at The Broad 10/9: Leffinge, Belgium @ Cafe De Zwerver 10/10: Paris, France @ Le Point Ephemere 10/11: Brighton, UK @ The Haunt 10/12: Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club 10/13: Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s 10/14: Glasgow, UK @ Stereo 10/16: Dublin, Ireland @ The Workman’s Club 10/17: Liverpool, UK @ The Shipping Forecast 10/18: London, UK @ Dome Tufnell Park 10/19: Sheffield, UK @ Picture House Social Club 10/20: Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute 10/21: Bristol, UK @ Simple Things Festival 10/22: Birmingham, UK @ All Years Leaving Festival 10/24: Munster, Germany @ Gleis 22 10/25: Berlin, Germany @ Urban Spree 10/26: Hamburg, Germany @ Hafenklang
B-Sides and Rarities will be available June 30th in North America from Sub Pop, in Europe from Bella Union and in Australia/New Zealand from Mistletone.
The video for “Chariot,” directed by the band, is a rumination on the creation, cultivation, and confusion of narratives in media.
The “Chariot” video comes from Beach House’s B-Sides and Rarities album, a 14-track compilation of songs from throughout their career so far, out June 30th. The album features 2 previously unreleased tracks “Chariot” and “Baseball Diamond,” which were recorded during the Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars sessions (both Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars were released, 2 months apart, in 2015)
[Photo Credit: Shawn Brackbill]
Beach House says of the release, “When we announced that we were releasing a B-sides and Rarities album, someone on Twitter asked, ‘B-sides record? Why would Beach House put out a B-sides record? Their A-sides are like B-sides.’ This random person has a point. Our goal has never been to make music that is explicitly commercial. Over the years, as we have worked on our 6 LPs, it wasn’t the ‘best’ or most catchy songs that made the records, just the ones that fit together to make a cohesive work. Accordingly, our B-sides are not songs that we didn’t like as much, just ones that didn’t have a place on the records we were making.”
“The idea for a B-sides record came when we realized just how many non-album songs had been made over the years, and how hard it was to find and hear many of them. This compilation contains every song we have ever made that does not exist on one of our records. There are 14 songs in total [Read more about the record right over here].”
Beach House’s B-Sides and Rarities will be released on CD / LP / CASS / DL and is available for pre-order now here. LP pre-orders in North America through the Sub Pop Mega Mart and select independent retailers will receive the Loser Edition on crystal clear vinyl (while supplies last), and a new T-shirt design will also be available to bundle with the album.
Beach House’s previously announced 2017 international headlining and festival tour schedule resumes this August. Highlights include: August 13th in Castelbuono, IT at Ypsigrock, August 16th in Sestri Levante, IT for an appearance at Mojotic Festival, and a string of September dates with friends and former labelmates Fleet Foxes (with stops at the Hollywood Bowl and Red Rocks Amphitheatre among those).
Aug. 11 - Copenhagen, DK - Haven Aug. 13 - Castelbuono, IT - Ypsigrock Aug. 16 - Sestri Levante, IT - Mojotic Festival Aug. 18 - Parades de Coura, PT - Parades de Coura Festival Sep. 23 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl* Sep. 24 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre* Sep. 25 - Santa Fe, NM - Santa Fe Opera* Sep. 27 - Denver, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre* [Sold Out] *w/ Fleet Foxes
Watch video for “Call It Dreaming” directed by J. Austin Wilson + Find 2017 North American Tour Dates
The well of our pride runneth over as we are finally able to announce: Iron & Wine will release Beast Epic - his first new material in over four years - and it will be available worldwide through Sub Pop beginning August 25th. (!) The longplayer features eleven new compositions that share a kinship with his earlier material.
Iron & Wine’s principal songwriter, Sam Beam had a few words to say about the album:
“I must confess that I’ve always shied away from album introductions citing the usual “dancing to architecture” cop out. Speaking to their own work is uncomfortable for many artists, but I’ve made a new album called Beast Epic which is important to me and I wanted to take a moment to talk about why. I’ve been releasing music for about fifteen years now and I feel very blessed to have put out five other full lengths, many EPs and singles, a few collaborations with people much more talented than myself, and made contributions to numerous movie scores and soundtracks. This is my sixth collection of new Iron & Wine material and I’m happy to say that it’s my fourth for Sub Pop Records.
It’s a warm and serendipitous time to be reuniting with my Seattle friends because I feel there’s a certain kinship between this new collection of songs and my earliest material, which Sub Pop was kind enough to release. In hindsight, both The Creek Drank the Cradle (2002) and Our Endless Numbered Days (2004) epitomize a reflective and confessional songwriting style (although done with my own ferocious commitment to understatement, of course.) I have been and always will be fascinated by the way time asserts itself on our bodies and our hearts. The ferris wheel keeps spinning and we’re constantly approaching, leaving or returning to something totally unexpected or startlingly familiar. The rite of passage is an image I’ve returned to often because I feel we’re all constantly in some stage of transition. Beast Epic is saturated with this idea but in a different way simply because each time I return to the theme I’ve collected new experiences to draw from. Where the older songs painted a picture of youth moving wide-eyed into adulthood’s violent pleasures and disappointments, this collection speaks to the beauty and pain of growing up after you’ve already grown up. For me, that experience has been more generous in its gifts and darker in its tragedies.
The sound of Beast Epic harks back to previous work, in a way, as well. By employing the old discipline of recording everything live and doing minimal overdubbing, I feel like it wears both its achievements and its imperfections on its sleeve. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed experimenting with different genres, sonics and songwriting styles and all that traveled distance is evident in the feel and the arrangements here, but the muscles seemed to have relaxed and been allowed to effortlessly do what they do best.
I’ve been fortunate to get to play with some very talented musicians over the years who are both uniquely intuitive and also expressive in exciting ways. This group was no different. We spent about two weeks recording and mixing but mostly laughing at The Loft in Chicago.
To be honest, I’ve named this record BEAST EPIC mostly because it sounds really fucking cool! However, with that said and perhaps to be completely honest, “a story where animals talk and act like people” sounds like the perfect description for the life of any of us. If not that, then it’s at least perfect for any group of songs I’ve ever tried to make. I hope you enjoy it.”
Beast Epic was written and produced by Sam Beam. It was recorded and engineered by Tom Schick at the Loft in Chicago in July 2016 and January 2017, and mastered by Richard Dodd in Nashville, Tennessee. The musicians who played on the album include longtime Iron & Wine collaborators Rob Burger (keys), Joe Adamik (percussion), and Jim Becker (guitar, banjo, violin, mandolin), along with bassist Sebastian Steinberg (Soul Coughing and Fiona Apple), and Chicagoan Teddy Rankin Parker (cello).
Beast Epic is now available for preorder from Sub Pop [here], Iron & Wine’s official webstore, and select independent retailers … in the following formats:
A Deluxe 2xLP version on red & blue vinyl with alternate artwork, two bonus tracks from the Beast Epic recording sessions along with three home recorded demos and an etching on side D.
Iron & Wine will tour in support of Beast Epic, beginning with his annual Midwives Benefit show in Austin, Texas on July 22nd. An extensive U.S. tour begins with a two night stand in Chicago (October 12th/13th) and ends with a two night stand in New York (November 13th/14th). European dates will follow in early 2018. A special fan pre-sale begins June 8 at 10am (local time), with tickets on sale to general public on June 15th at 10am (local time).
Tour Dates + Ticket Links
Summer 2017 Jun. 28 - Portsmouth, NH - Prescott Park Arts Festival (Solo) Jun. 29 - Canadiagua, NY - CMAC (Solo) @ Jul. 22 - Austin, TX - Paramount Theater ^ Aug. 26 - Fayetteville, AR - Roots Festival Aug. 27 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note % Aug. 28 - Chattanooga, TN - Tivoli Theatre % Aug. 29 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn % Aug. 30 - Louisville, KY - WFPK on the Waterfront
Fall 2017 Oct. 12 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall Oct. 13 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall Oct. 14 - St Paul,MN - Palace Theatre Oct. 15 - Lincoln, NE - Rococo Theatre # Oct. 17 - Missoula, MT - Wilma Theater # Oct. 18 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theater Oct. 19 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater # Oct. 20 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater Oct. 21 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre Oct. 26 - Los Angeles, CA - The Cathedral Sanctuary at Immanuel Presbyterian Oct. 27 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy & Harriet’s Oct. 28 - San Diego, CA - - Balboa # Oct. 29 - Phoenix, AZ - Van Buren # Oct. 30 - Albuquerque, NM - El Rey # Nov. 01 - Dallas, TX - The Kessler # Nov. 02 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec Theater # Nov. 03 - Houston, TX - The Heights # Nov. 04 - New Orleans, LA - Joy Theater # Nov. 06 - Ft Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room# Nov. 07 - Orlando, FL - The Beacham # Nov. 09 - Washington DC - Lincoln Theatre # Nov. 10 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall # Nov. 11 - Boston, MA - Berklee Performance Center # Nov. 12 - Northampton, MA - Calvin Theatre # Nov. 13 - New York, NY - Town Hall # Nov. 14 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel*
@ support for Jason Isbell ^ w/Joan Shelley % w/Lydia Loveless # w/John Moreland * w/OHMME
