Now hear “Something On Your Mind” (Karen Dalton cover) and “Distant Fingers” (Patti Smith cover) on Spotify

“Something On Your Mind” -> spoti.fi/2wH67kp

“Distant Fingers” -> spoti.fi/2wJNQRQ

[Photo Credit: Joel Morrow]

After Kyle Craft wrapped up the recording of his upcoming (all originals) 2018 album, he decided to record a cover of a Jenny Lewis song for fun. This quickly spiraled into a full fledged project with Kyle recording a slew of songs by his favorite female singers.  Working with his bandmate, Kevin Clark in their home studio after hours, Craft multi-tracked all the parts himself, and what started as an idle aside became a labor of love.  
 
Now Sub Pop and Craft have picked ten favorites from the sessions to release as Girl Crazy, a series of 2-track singles rolling out weekly starting today, September 7th.  Focusing on Craft’s acclaimed interpretive talents – his version of Bowie’s “Heroes” stole the show at Newport 2017 – Girl Crazy introduces audiences, who may know Craft from his Sub Pop debut Dolls of Highland, to another side of the artist.  New tracks from the Girl Crazy series will be released every Thursday through October 5th, and will also feature covers of songs by artists like Sharon Van Etten, Jenny Lewis, Cher and Patsy Cline.
 
The first installment in the covers series are Kyle’s interpretations of Karen Dalton’s ‘Something On Your Mind” [listen here] and Patti Smith’s “Distant Fingers” [listen here].

Kyle Craft Tour Dates + Ticket Links

Kyle Craft and his band will hit the road for a short Northwestern U.S. trek, beginning September 16th in San Francisco at Cafe Du Nord and ending September 21st in Seattle at the Crocodile Cafe.
 
Sep. 16 -  San Francisco, CA -  Cafe du Nord
Sep. 17 - Williams, OR - Rascal’s Bar & Grill
Sep. 18 - Eugene, OR - Fathoms Bar
Sep. 19 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios
Sep. 21 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile

What “The People” have said about Kyle Craft:
“…Undeniably unique: Kyle Craft is a strong contender for outsider of the year. An unlikely hero of the year. An unlikely hero of rock music, he’s nonetheless created a noteworthy, potentially groundbreaking debut album in Dolls of Highland.” - PASTE
 
“If Dolls of Highland has a basis in autobiography—the title references the Shreveport neighborhood where it was made—Craft spends the album imagining himself as Ziggy Sawdust, a flamboyant fop working the barrelhouse piano in the front room of the seediest bayou bordello. His songs illustrate how the intense religiosity and voodoo-infused mythology of the South make it fertile turf for the sort of colorful characterization and freak-scenery on which glam rock was founded.” - Pitchfork
 
“Just enough of Ziggy’s stardust gives “Pentecost” its musical sheen, but it’s Craft’s vocal intensity that outlasts all else.” [“10 Artists You Need to Know”] - Rolling Stone
 
“…hurls together Craft’s Dylan-meets-Brett Anderson holler with rollicking ragtime stomp, reminiscent of vintage Cockney Rebel or early Suede. The instantly singable likes of “Berlin” and “Lady of the Ark” are peopled by “girls and ghosts” from Craft’s hometown of Shreveport each depicted with a mix of empathy, humour and occasional savagery. And behind these tragicomic nightlife tales is a top-notch songwriter who has been fired by the sting of romantic betrayal.” [Dolls of Highland]  - The Guardian
 
“Paired with his knack for great melodies, it demonstrates Craft’s emotional power as a songwriter.” [“Pentecost”] - NPR
 
“Craft, who grew up in Louisiana but now lives in Portland, brings an authentic southern blues sensibility to glam and folk rock but what makes Dolls one of the best albums of the year is his ability to transform his influences into a sound that’s all his own.” [Dolls of Highland] - Huffington Post
 
“…The 27-year-old’s debut album, Dolls of Highland, earned almost exclusively positive reviews, following a simple formula: Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde crossed with David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. Despite the transparent approach, he produced not a familiar sound but rather a cryptic sort of glam Americana that defies expectation…” - Village Voice
 
“…Craft’s music is so full of its own weird singularity that he’s on to something far beyond idol worship. ” - Billboard
 
Craft displays the full prowess of his vocal range, hitting high notes that hark back to glam rock vocals of the ’70s” - American Songwriter

[Photo Credit: Lloyd Bishop/NBC]

The inimitable Father John Misty sat for an interview and performed “Things It Would Have Been Helpful To Know Before the Revolution” from Pure Comedy, on Late Night with Seth Meyers. Watch the interview and performance here:

Interview -> Father John Misty Accidentally Became an Action Star and Father John Misty Is a Cautionary Tale for Parents Strict About Music

Performance ->  “Things It Would Have Been Helpful To Know Before the Revolution”

Father John Misty’s previously announced international tour schedule in support of Pure Comedy resumes tonight, September 13th, with a show in Boston at Blue Hills Pavillion and runs through November 20th in Lisbon, Portugal at Coliseu dos Recreios. The tour will feature support from newly-signed labelmate Weyes Blood (September 18th-November 20th) and Phosphorescent (September 13th-15th; October 7th). Details + links can be seen here.

On Thursday, September 14th at 9pm ET, fans can live stream Father John Misty’s performance at Port Chester, New York’s Capitol Theatre in it’s entirety via Pitchfork Live beginning at 9pm ET.

Father John Misty’s recently delivered the official video for Pure Comedy standout “Things It Would Have Been Helpful To Know Before the Revolution,” a gorgeous, stop-motion video directed by Chris Hopewell (Radiohead’s “Burn the Witch,” Run The Jewels’ “Don’t Get Captured”).  The song‘s apocalyptic themes and subtle humor are captured brilliantly throughout. The “…Revolution” video was constructed and filmed in three weeks at Jacknife Studios in Bristol, UK [watch here]. Additionally, puppets  “…Revolution” were recently auctioned off and the proceeds will be donated to the Environmental Defense Fund.  

Sub Pop Records is currently searching for an organized and self-motivated individual to handle College and Non-Commercial Radio Promotions from our headquarters in Seattle, WA.

The closing date to apply for this position is Friday, September 22, 2017.

Responsibilities include:

• Maintain relationships with college and non-commercial music directors through daily phone calls and email correspondence discussing current Sub Pop and Hardly Art releases.
• Work in coordination with our Director of Radio Promotions, who runs the radio dept. at Sub Pop.
• Represent the radio department at artist meetings.
• Pitch / secure in-studio sessions and interviews with college and non-commercial radio stations, coordinating with commercial radio priorities throughout.
• Accompany bands to in-studio sessions, when possible.
• Maintain and organize Sub Pop’s radio databases. This includes tracking information, as well as keeping contact information up to date.
• Generate regular email newsletters and maintain associated email list.
• Organize and execute promotional CD mailings to 800+ stations across all radio formats. Organize giveaway mailings with independent promoters for college radio during album campaigns.
• Work with independent promoters to set radio add dates.
• Work with the art department to create one-sheets for promotional mailings.
• Check tracks on releases for FCC violations.
• Organize showcases and performances for Sub Pop and Hardly Art bands at various radio conferences and conventions. This may include: booking a venue, coordinating with A&R staff on lineup, and overseeing/attending the show.
• Hire, train, and manage the full staff of 2-4 radio interns.
• Track and log radio play, etc. in project reports for artists and management.

Our ideal candidate will:

• Have significant experience with both college and non-commercial radio, through work at a station or college radio promotions elsewhere.
• Have knowledge of and enthusiasm for the Sub Pop catalog, as well as deep interest in music, generally, and a fundamental belief in its importance.
• Be able to multitask and work in a community-oriented atmosphere.
• Be independent and self-directed. You will often be the only member of the radio team in the Seattle office.
• Be available to work outside of a 9-5 schedule (attend shows and music festivals).
• Have strong communication and writing skills.
• Be fluent in all social media platforms as well as Microsoft Office suite applications and Mail Chimp.

Supervisors: Radio Director + Marketing Director

Please send resumes to Ruth Kim (ruthk@subpop.com) by September 22nd, 2017.

Time for you to stream METZ’s ripping new album Strange Peace on repeat, a full week before release (it’s out Friday, 9/22), courtesy of NPR Music’s First Listen right over here … and you too, Canada! Tune into CBC Music’s First Play here now.
 
NPR Music’s Jason Heller says of Strange Peace, “Recorded with Shellac’s mastermind Steve Albini, Strange Peace is an album that doesn’t need to be explicitly political to make a statement about our current chaotic climate. The opening track, “Mess of Wires,” gallops out of the gate like a malfunctioning industrial robot, a tangle of mechanical riffs and Edkins’ oddly infectious chants. The band’s ability to inject melody into the weirdest of places is most striking on “Cellophane.” Slightly more laidback than the usual METZ song, it’s closer to a garage-rock anthem than a skin-peeling punk rager, and Edkins’ refrain of “How will I know? / How will I know?” is designed to lodge itself in the brain of the listener like some insidious implant....cathartic rather than hopeless — an exorcism of nervous energy at a time when it’s direly needed.”
 
And CBC Music’s Andrea Gin says of the album, “Their uninhibited, electrifying shows also earned them a reputation as one of the best live bands around…Strange Peace does a good job of capturing the band’s intense live show — from the blistering opener ‘Mess of Wires’ to the careening finale of ‘Raw Materials,’ it creates sonic turmoil and embraces it. You can almost feel discord in the air as you listen.”

Next week, METZ has a Reddit Indieheads AMA (“Ask Me Anything”) scheduled for Monday, September 18th at 1pm PST/4pm EST. Bookmark this page, then ask them anything! No really, the band says you should feel free to ask about “Dogs, vans, pizza, cartoons, movies, doodles, basements, first shows, Toronto, books, touring, ozak, fridge magnets, coffee… and anything else I guess.”

[drawing by Hayden Menzies]

Then, METZ have a Strange Peace record release party/in-store performance at Sonic Boom Records in Seattle on Wednesday, September 20th at 7pm.

[poster art by Bailey Flynn]

Additionally, METZ are poised to destroy a live session in the KEXP studio on Tuesday, September 19th at 12 noon PST. Listen worldwide via kexp.org.

Strange Peace is still available for pre-order from both Sub Pop and Royal Mountain Records. Canadian fans can pre-order the record here. 

METZ Tour Dates + Ticket Links

METZ will resume their international tour schedule in support of Strange Peace on September 22nd at Detroit’s Princess Riverboat. The tour currently runs through December 16th. In the midst of that run, METZ will serve as direct support for Modest Mouse on October 10th and 11th. Additionally, METZ will play shows with Suuns (September 29th-30th), Uniform (October 2nd-8th), Protomartyr (Sept. 22nd and November 2nd-8th), Brian Case (November 9th), Drahla (November 12th-24th), and Cherubs (December 15th). All of their current tour dates follow.
 
2017 METZ Tour Dates:
Sep. 19 - Seattle, WA - Live on KEXP
Sep. 20 - Seattle, WA - Sonic Boom Records Instore
Sep. 22 - Detroit, MI - Detroit Princess Riverboat !
Sep. 23 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre
Sep. 25 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
Sep. 29 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace *
Sep. 30 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace *
Oct. 02 - Boston, MA - Sinclair #
Oct. 03 - Philadelphia, PA - The First Unitarian Church #
Oct. 04 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg #
Oct. 05 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom #
Oct. 06 - Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel #
Oct. 07 - Hamden, CT - The Ballroom
Oct. 08 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rosa
Oct. 10 - Providence, RI - Lupo’s **
Oct. 11 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom **
Oct. 18 - Halifax, NS - The Marquee (Halifax Pop Explosion)
Nov. 02 - Prague, Czech Republic - Futurum !
Nov. 03 -  Wroclaw, Poland - Klub Firlej !
Nov. 04 -  Warsaw, Poland - Klub Hydrozagadka !
Nov. 06 - Berlin, Germany - Bi Nuu !
Nov. 07 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Loppen !
Nov. 08 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust !
Nov. 09 - Zwolle, Netherlands - Poppodium Hedon  ^
Nov. 10 - Kortrijk, Belgium - De Kruen (Sonic City Festival)
Nov. 11 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Le Guess Who? Festival
Nov. 12 - Le Havre, France - Le Tetris %
Nov. 14 - Nimes, France - La Paloma %
Nov. 15 - Bordeaux, France - Theatre Barbey %
Nov. 16 - Toulouse, France - Club Metronum %
Nov. 17 - Barcelona, Spain - La (2) De Apolo %
Nov. 18 - Madrid, Spain - Moby Dick %
Nov. 20 - Nantes, France - Pole Etudiant %
Nov. 21 - Paris, France - Le Trabendo %
Nov. 22 - London, UK - The Garage %
Nov. 23 - Bristol, UK - The Fleece %
Nov. 24 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club %
Nov. 25 - Brighton, UK - The Haunt
Dec. 07 - Seattle, WA - Neumos
Dec. 08 - Vancouver, BC - Cobalt
Dec. 09 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir
Dec. 11 - San Francisco, CA - Independent
Dec. 12 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom
Dec. 13 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
Dec. 15 - Austin, TX - Mohawk &
Dec. 16 - Houston, TX - Studio @ Warehouse Live
* w/ SUUNS
# w/ Uniform
! w/ Protomartyr
^ w/ Brian Case
% w/ Drahla
& w/ Cherubs
** w// Modest Mouse

We are quite pleased to welcome superb Los Angeles band Moaning to the label, who will release their debut album in the spring of 2018 on Sub Pop. Until then, we suggest you watch the group’s video for this here earworm “The Same.”  

Stereogum had this to say of the video: “There’s something innately appealing about watching something get destroyed....Moaning wreck a house in the video for their catchy as hell new song “The Same,” and it’s captivating to see them irreversibly tear things down while they sing about not knowing what’s coming next. Change comes in fits and starts — sometimes it feels like putting a sledgehammer through a wall, but more often than not it feels like nothing is happening at all.”

Pro Tip: The time is now to follow Moaning absolutely everywhere, including but not limited to subpop.com  |  Bandcamp  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

[Photo by Sarah Cass for the Sub Pop Photobooth]

More on Moaning:
Los Angeles-band Moaning is the abrasive post-punk trio comprised of Sean Solomon, Pascal Stevenson, and Andrew MacKelvie.  The three initially met as teenagers while growing up in the San Fernando Valley, and immediately developed a kinship through Los Angeles’s local music scene. The three began regularly frequenting DIY institutions like The Smell and Pehrspace, eventually selling out dozens of their shows at both venues with their first few bands.
 
From the sentimental to catastrophic, hiding meek and introspective lyrics within powerful droning dance songs, the music Moaning makes also gives sonic nods to some of the band’s musical heroes like New Order, Broadcast, and Slowdive.  
 
Moaning’s fervent songs are born out of the member’s experiences with love and distress, creating a sound uniquely dark and sincere. This is evidenced in the band’s early version (and video) of their track, “The Same.” The three went into their home studio to record the song and subsequently decided to shoot a music video for the track. Moaning was tipped off about a house that was about to be demolished nearby, and had quickly assembled a group of friends and filmed them taking turns destroying the estate. Meanwhile, Solomon, Stevenson, and MacKelvie tried their best to perform the song amongst the chaos. The video’s budget was limited to the sledgehammers, spray paint, and a case of beer they provided for the friends who were invited to cause havoc, which emphasizes Moaning’s desire to make as much impact with as few resources as possible. The track’s skidding percussion and toned back vocals gave merely a glimmer of the target Moaning aimed to hit with their sound.
 
Moaning is currently at work on their debut full-length, which will be released sometime the spring of 2018.

Moaning Tour Dates

Moaning have also scheduled tour dates beginning December 7th in Seattle at Neumos and ending December 19th in Phoenix at LBX. During this run, the band will act as support for label mates METZ (December 7th-16th).

Dec. 07 - Seattle, WA - Neumo’s *
Dec. 08 - Vancouver, BC - Cobalt *
Dec. 09 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir *
Dec. 11 - San Francisco, CA - Independent *
Dec. 12 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom*
Dec. 13 - San Diego, CA - Casbah *
Dec. 15 - Austin, TX - Mohawk *
Dec. 16 - Houston, TX -  Studio at Warehouse Live *
Dec. 17 - Dallas, TX - Transit Bicycle Co.
Dec. 19 - Phoenix, AZ - LBX

*w/ METZ