Pissed Jeans’ “Ignorecam” twists the idea of fetish cam shows—”where the woman just ignores you and watches TV or eats macaroni and cheese or talks on the phone”—into a showcase for Matt Korvette’s rancid yelp and his bandmates’ pummeling rock. “I love that idea of guys paying to be ignored,” says Korvette.
Recently, Pissed Jeans shared Why Love Now’s lead single “The Bar Is Low” and you can hear here. Speaking of the band and single… The New York Times says: “Matt Korvette, the skeptical frontman of a terrific, coarsely named post-hardcore band from Allentown, Pa., doesn’t want to hear your compliments. As a dude, he knows he’s being graded on a curve…The track feels partly inspired by a recent series of unmaskings in the public sphere. “It just seems to be quite an easy bet,” Mr. Korvette sputters. “Those we adore just haven’t spilled their secrets yet.” But the excoriation is all-inclusive: By the end, he floats a claim about our rate of evolution as a species. (Spoiler alert: It’s not hopeful.)”
[Photo Credit: Ebru Yildiz]
Pissed Jeans previously announced 2017 tour dates in support of Why Love Now, span February 23rd-March 11th, and include stops in Washington, D.C., Brooklyn, Somerville, and Philadelphia. Tix are on sale now, w/additional live dates to come. (find dates + links below)
Why Love Now was co-produced by Lydia Lunch, Arthur Rizk and Pissed Jeans, and will be available February 24th on CD / LP / CASS / DL (preorder is advised via this link here).
Read more about Pissed Jeans from Maura Johnston here, and follow the band all over the internets on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Feb. 23 - Washington, DC - Black Cat Feb. 24 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bazaar Feb. 25 - Somerville, MA - ONCE Ballroom Mar. 10 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle Mar. 11 - Philadelphia, PA - PhilaMOCA
You might want to sit down for this one, dear reader, because on this coming March 10th, 2017, Sub Pop will release unto the world a remixed and expanded reissue of Soundgarden’s Ultramega OK, a long-planned “correction” of the legendary band’s GRAMMY®-nominated debut full-length. The album was originally recorded and released in 1988 on SST Records. While the band enjoyed working with the original producer, Drew Canulette, they soon realized they weren’t quite happy with the final mix. Thus, shortly after the album’s release, the band decided to remix the album for subsequent pressings. However, success intervened: the band rapidly scored a deal with A&M and began work on their major-label debut, Louder Than Love, and the Ultramega OK remix project fell by the wayside as Soundgarden climbed their way to (ultra)mega-stardom.
[Photo Credit: Charles Peterson]
In 2016, after worldwide success, a hiatus, and many albums and tours, the band finally acquired the original multi-track tapes to Ultramega OK and carved out time to dig into the remix. They handed the tapes over to longtime friend and engineer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Mudhoney, Screaming Trees, Skin Yard), who worked with the band to create a fresh mix of the album that, for the band, ties up this persistent loose end and remedies the sound of their debut full-length.
While they were at it, the band dug out six early versions of tracks that wound up on Ultramega OK. The songs were recorded in 1987 on 8-track tape by Jack Endino and Chris Hanzsek at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, and mixed by Jack Endino in 2016. These versions feature the band in raw, powerful form – sonically closer to the band’s Endino-recorded six-song debut, Screaming Life – and provide a fascinating window into the development of songs that eventually became staples of the band’s set. The six songs comprise what the band refers to as Ultramega EP, and they are included in this reissue.
Ultramega OK is available for preorder available now on CD / 2xLP / DL / CASS from Sub Pop and soundgardenworld.com. The album comes packaged in a foil-stamped gatefold with custom dust sleeves, features liner notes from Kim Thayil and Jack Endino, and includes a previously unseen photo from renowned photographer Charles Peterson. Preorders of the LP from megamart.subpop.com, soundgardenworld.com, and select independent retailers will receive the Loser edition on marble blue and maroon vinyl (while supplies last).
Track listing:
1. Flower 2. All Your Lies 3. 665 4. Beyond the Wheel 5. 667 6. Mood for Trouble 7. Circle of Power 8. He Didn’t 9. Smokestack Lightning 10. Nazi Driver 11. Head Injury 12. Incessant Mace 13. One Minute of Silence 14. Head Injury (early version) 15. Beyond the Wheel (early version) 16. Incessant Mace (early version) 17. He Didn’t (early version) 18. All Your Lies (early version) 19. Incessant Mace (V2) (early version)
- - - - - - - - - -
Hailed as grunge innovators, Soundgarden redefined rock music for a generation. In the late ‘80s, the band – singer Chris Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil, bassist Hiro Yamamoto, and drummer Matt Cameron – combined a punk ethos, brutal metal soundscapes, and Cornell’s ravenous roar to capture the attention of the masses. Jagged and ferocious, their music was deeply at odds with the synth-pop and hair metal which dominated the ‘80s airwaves. Early indie releases, including seminal Screaming Life and Ultramega OK, quickly led to a dedicated indie following as the band toured on both sides of the Atlantic. Subsequent albums, including Badmotorfinger,Superunknown, and Down on the Upside, achieved multi-platinum sales and launched the band to international fame.
After reading through hundreds of wonderfully thoughtful and inspirational applications, we here at Sub Pop Records have chosen three extraordinarily qualified students for our 2017 Sub Pop Loser scholarship.
Our $7000 winner this year is Tia Shekelle of Bellingham High School in Bellingham Washington. Tia won us over big-time with her explosive zine work, beautiful art, eye catching photography, and incredible productivity. Between dance, drums, bass, writing, volunteering, film making, painting, and being a high school senior we were blown away by how much awesome stuff Tia is doing. In her community in Bellingham she has volunteered many hours to the Make.Shift gallery DIY space as well as planned parenthood and a local zine club. We really think that Tia has a bright future ahead of her, and her message of inclusivity really resonated with us. She is definitely one of the most talented and exciting applicants to apply for our Loser Scholarship.
Ariana Watson will be taking home $5000 this year as a Sub Pop Loser Scholarship winner. From Seaside, Oregon, Aria won us over with her #signedbytrump photography, which was one of the best pieces we’ve seen in all of our years of looking at Loser Scholarship applications. Her photography and the message behind it works beautifully and sends a loud message of strength. In her essay Aria explained how her art and politics led to cyber-bullying and many other unfortunate incidents that young feminists often deal with but her mental toughness and resolve in the face of adversity spoke to our scholarship selection committee. At the MUSE international women’s conference Aria was able to speak about her work and inspire hundreds to represent the voiceless, to stand up for what they believe in. Montana is Aria’s next destination where she will be pursuing health studies, we wish her the best.
Raven Smith will be getting $3000 as a Sub Pop Loser Scholarship winner. Talking on the radio while truly being herself did not come easy to Raven. After moving to Spokane she struggled to find her niche but found an outlet at her local radio station KYRS. At KYRS Raven worked her way from volunteer CD organizer onto the air where she nervously stuttered her sputtered first words but eventually gained confidence and found her own voice. Wow, it turns out her radio show Basement Beats is fantastic, despite starting out nervous she has become a great on air DJ. On top of working with KYRS on their Raise Your Voice campaign Raven has also become a powerful writer and public speaker, her words are very powerful. We know there are big things coming up for Raven and we are very excited to see where the future takes her.
This year we had so many great applicants for the Loser Scholarship, it was really hard to choose our winners. For those losers who didn’t win this year, thanks for playing, we loved your applications too, and know many of you will go on to inspire us in your future endeavors.
Watch video for “Demon In Profile” (directed by longtime Whigs collaborator Phil Harder), and/or listen on Spotify.
European Tour Begins May 26th In Manchester, UK!
We at Sub Pop are supremely thrilled to announce that The Afghan Whigs In Spades, the group’s spellbinding new album, will be available on CD / 180 gram-LP / CS / DL worldwide on May 5th from Sub Pop. The album, led by the single “Demon In Profile,” and standouts “Oriole,” “Copernicus,” “Arabian Heights” and “Toy Automatic,” is the follow-up the band’s internationally acclaimed Do to the Beast. In Spades, written and produced by Greg Dulli, was recorded in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Memphis and Joshua Tree.
The album is a searing and soulful rock effort that emphasizes its pop instincts while contrasting with the seductive themes found throughout. From its evocative cover art to the troubled spirits haunting its halls, In Spades casts a spell that challenges the listener to unpack its dark metaphors and spectral imagery. “It’s a spooky record,” notes Greg Dulli, Afghan Whigs’ songwriter and frontman. “I like that it’s veiled. It’s not a concept album per se, but as I began to assemble it, I saw an arc and followed it. To me it’s about memory – in particular, how quickly life and memory can blur together.”
Earlier today, The Afghan Whigs’ Dulli sat for an interview with BBC 6Music to premiere “Demon In Profile” and discuss In Spades.
[Photo credit: Chris Cuffaro] The band have also announced their first set of EU dates supporting In Spades. They’ll visit 14 countries this summer including performances at Primavera Sound and Northside Festival. Ed Harcourt will be supporting on all headline shows.
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 - Batchkapp Jun.14 - Antwerp, BE - Trix Jun.15 - Brussels, BE - Ancienne Belgique 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
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.
Tracklisting: 1. Birdland 2. Arabian Heights 3. Demon in Profile 4. Toy Automatic 5. Oriole 6. Copernicus 7. The Spell 8. Light as a Feather 9. I Got Lost 10. Into the Floor
Hello, good looking music appreciator. We have some exciting news for you! Stereogum has just premiered Marika Hackman’s “My Lover Cindy,” the newest track from ’I’m Not Your Man’ (out June 2nd). Have a listen to it here.
Stereogum says of the track, ““If I was a liar, I would call you my friend,” London-based songwriter Marika Hackman opens on her new single “My Lover Cindy.” It’s an immediately biting line that embodies the rule rather than the exception on her upcoming album I’m Not Your Man, a collection of unabashedly real songs. Hackman’s greatest weapon is her words, and she uses her dark wit to lure you in while conveying strong messages about her life and society [see premiere April 6th].”
Pro Tip: Now is the time to begin following Marika Hackman via The Internets: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
“MY LOVER CINDY” If I was a liar I would call you my friend Let’s hope the feeling’s mutual in the end.
Symbiosis Can we keep it how it was? Now the levy’s broken I want more
‘Cause I’m a greedy pig I’m gonna get my fill I’m gonna keep my eyes on the prize And I’ll suck you dry I will
I’m no pariah But I’ll try to pretend And hope you keep your distance Now and then
Same prognosis It was fated from the start We could be together Take my heart
But I’m a lousy lover Even if I try I can go for a couple of weeks Then the feelings calcify
And it burns away my mind I don’t know why I know why but I like you
‘Cause I’m a greedy pig I’m gonna get my fill I’m gonna keep my eyes on the prize And I’ll suck you dry I will
‘Cause I’m a fucking pig I’m gonna get my fill I’m gonna keep my eyes on the prize And I’ll suck you dry I will. Oh I will.
There’s an open-ended nature to I’m Not Your Man: the discussions within, conversations on femininity, sex and sexual identity, millennial ennui, the pressures of living in a social media bubble and the perils of being young in a fast-paced industry. Says Marika, “The record’s all about female relationships, romance and breakdowns, but there’s also a dim worldview going on. I’m Not Your Man can either mean, ‘I’m not your man, I’m your woman’, or it can mean, ‘I’m not a part of this…’,” explains Marika. It’s a fiery statement from a songwriter who no longer wants to be shackled to limiting descriptions [read more here].
I’m Not Your Man will be released on CD / LP / DL / CS and is now available to preorder in North America from Sub Pop here and Marika Hackman’s official website here. LP preorders through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the Loser edition on green and orange swirled vinyl with a bonus 7” (while supplies last). There will also be a new t-shirt design available.
2017 tour schedule begins May 23rd with sold-out show at New York’s The Apollo Theatre
“Arabian Heights” is the driving new track from The Afghan Whigs’ forthcoming album, In Spades, which will be out in stores and on the airwaves May 5th. This new song exudes the gutbucket exoticism of Houses of the Holy and Physical Graffiti writ large, driven by drummer Patrick Keeler’s bravura, tribal cadences. Greg Dulli says of Keeler’s contribution, “Rick [Nelson, who engineered the album] got incredible drum sounds, and what Patrick does on that song is a master class in drumming.”
In further exciting news, The Afghan Whigs will be performing a sold out show at The Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY on Tuesday, May 23rd. “We are thrilled to be performing at The Apollo,” Dulli remarked. “So many of my heroes both musical and otherwise have graced the stage there and it will be our honor to do so as well.”
The Afghan Whigs have also announced their first set of dates in support of In Spades in Europe. The band will visit 17 countries this summer including performances at Primavera Sound and Northside Festival. Ed Harcourt will be supporting on all European headline shows. (See dates below.)
In Spades is now available for preorder on CD / 180 gram-LP / CS / DL from Sub Pop over here. The album, led by the single “Demon In Profile” and the aforementioned “Arabian Heights,” alongside standouts “Oriole,” “Copernicus,” and “Toy Automatic,” is the follow-up to the band’s internationally acclaimed Do to the Beast. In Spades, written and produced by Greg Dulli, was recorded in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Memphis and Joshua Tree.
LP pre-orders of In Spades 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, are now also available.
[Photo Credit: Chris Cuffaro]
Treat yourself: watch this video for lead track, “Demon In Profile,” directed by longtime collaborator Phil Harder.
The Afghan Whigs Tour Schedule May 23 - Harlem, NY – The Apollo Theater [Sold Out] 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
