Hot Snakes’ previously announced tour dates for 2018 continue with an in-store performance today at Down in the Valley (Golden Valley store, 6pm CT/All Ages), followed by a headlining show later tonight in St. Paul at the Turf Club.
Mar. 16 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club
May 09 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory
May 10 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
May 11 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory North Park
May 12 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
May 14 - San Jose, CA - The Ritz
May 15 - San Francisco, CA - August Hall
May 16 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
May 18 - Denver, CO - The Oriental Theater
Jun. 04 - New York City, NY - The Bowery Ballroom
Jun. 05 - Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere Hall
Jun. 07 - Toronto, ON - The Phoenix Concert Theatre
Jun. 08 - Allston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
Jun. 09 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
Jun. 10 - Washington, DC - Union Stage
Jericho Sirens is now available from Sub Pop, select independent retailers near you and all DSPs. And the band’s recently reissued catalog - Automatic Midnight, Suicide Invoice and Audit in Progress - is also available now on Sub Pop.
What’s the word on Hot Snakes’ Jericho Sirens? Well, since you asked:
“On its three previous records, the group was willing to toy with sustain and release, tension and construction — look at songs like “Suicide Invoice” or “Lovebirds.” Those days are gone. Jericho Sirens is a punched-in wall. Between the doom of the opening bars to “I Need a Doctor” and the homage the record closes on (“Death of a Sportsman” crash-ends with a direct lift from Suicide’s epochal, nihilistic “Ghost Rider” and that song’s four-note spine) lives the sound of not being able to itch your pox. Ever.” [Jericho Sirens, First Listen] - NPR Music
“This is yet another example of Hot Snakes at the top of their game, except this time they gave 14 years in exile for other, lesser bands to catch up with them only to reclaim the throne with ease.” [Jericho Sirens, 9/10] - Drowned in Sound
“The very definition of kickass” [Jericho Sirens, 4/5] - The Guardian
“Jericho Sirens sounds more unstable and aggressive…The palpable anxiety of “I Need A Doctor” opens the album, segueing into the dissonant dread of “Candid Cameras” and the ferocious 78 seconds of “Why Don’t It Sink In?” “Death Camp Fantasy” is a vintage Hot Snakes pounder, and Froberg howls like Brian Johnson in “Psychoactive.” It all works. Whenever Hot Snakes decide to get together, they will always be welcome.” [Jericho Sirens, A-] - AV Club
“This is a winner from start to finish.” [Jericho Sirens, 4/5] - Q
“It’s got all the traits that make Hot Snakes the unique band they always were: the fury of hardcore, the dissonant riffs of noise rock, the fuzz-drenched party of garage rock. They’ve got no fat on this thing — it’s over and done with in 30 minutes and reply value is very high — and the songs aren’t just rippers but catchy too.” [Jericho Sirens, “5 Notable Releases This Week”] - Brooklyn Vegan
“Hot Snakes are as dry, dented and slightly demented as ever.” [Jericho Sirens, 8/10, “Album of the Week”] - The Line of Best Fit
“At its core, Jericho Sirens bears all of the elements that made up Hot Snakes’ excellent first trio of albums: a sharp clash of guitars, pummeling punk-rock rhythms, and Froberg’s frantic, strained bark. Yet there’s even more tension and agitation than usual, even for a band whose discography is founded on that very agitation.” [Jericho Sirens, Album of the Day] - Bandcamp
“Their lengthy hiatus has clearly not dulled Hot Snakes’ razor-sharp edge, one bit, making Jericho Sirens a very welcome return.” [Jericho Sirens, 4/5] - Kerrang!
“It’s a suplex to your ears, a fire in your spirit, a get-up-and-go, absolutely run-wild affair. It’s what Hot Snakes has always been, and always will be: masters of primal, visceral aesthetics.” [Jericho Sirens, Album of the Week] - Treble
“Comebacks are complicated, for bands and fans too, but this is one for the ages. Hot Snakes have returned, reminding those of us who’ve paid attention that they are definitively one of the greatest rock bands we’ve ever known.” [9/10] - Exclaim!
“Jericho Sirens is an incredible turn, and proof to the other half-hearted post-hardcore comebacks of the last years (looking at you At the Drive-In, Refused and more) that it is possible to still be high-quality and relevant. In fact, in places Hot Snakes’ fourth album is so good, it even puts newer bands who have come up in the meantime to shame.” [Jericho Sirens, 5/5] - The Skinny
“A band that holds a timeless appeal to anyone who grew up on hardcore and garage rock, a promise of good times fused to a pummeling sense of aggression and resolve.” - Chicago Tribune
“This band will not change your life, probably. But it will make your life both more terrifying and way more bearable. It’s an honor, genuinely, to be pummelled and trampled by some of the best.” [Jericho Sirens] - The Ringer
“Jericho Sirens, the fourth Hot Snakes album, is a cathartic pileup of chunky guitar slashes and feverish yelps. It’s dense and physical and nasty and fun as hell. We’ve already posted the excellently-titled early tracks “Six Wave Hold-Down” and “Death Camp Fantasy,” and now the whole album is out there online, ready for your solo desk-chair moshing. (You do that too, right? It’s not just me?).” [Jericho Sirens]- Stereogum
“Hot Snakes’ caustic, erudite commentary is more welcome than ever” [Jericho Sirens, 4/5] - MOJO
“Hot Snakes throw one hell of a rock and roll party; let’s hope the invites to the next one don’t take another fourteen years to arrive” [Jericho Sirens, 4/5] - DIY
“It’s exactly what you want out of a Hot Snakes jam, with a riff that snarls and swaggers like a hot rod, its wild hair of a melody built into the stylish chrome.” [“Six Wave Hold-Down”] - NPR Music
“And after teasing a new song, they’ve now shared the slashing, propulsive “Six Wave Hold-Down,” a song that’s absolutely worthy of their old albums.” [“Six Wave Hold-Down”] - Stereogum
“Charges forward with reckless abandon…” [“Six Wave Hold-Down”] - Consequence of Sound
“A ripper which has Hot Snakes sounding as inspired as ever…” [“Six Wave Hold-Down”] - Brooklyn Vegan
Yuno has just announced his first-ever U.S. live performances supporting Twin Shadow, beginning April 20th in San Francisco at Popscene and ending May 2nd in Brooklyn, NY at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Like so:
Apr. 20 - San Francisco, CA - Popscene Apr. 22 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios Apr. 23 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile Cafe Apr. 27 - Washington, DC - U Street Music Hall May 02 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
News of this support tour comes on the heels of Yuno’s Sub Pop signing and the release of his breakout single (and official video) for “No Going Back.” Yuno’s bittersweet vocals glide over a buoyant bass line and, fittingly, one of the song’s central themes is passing a point of no return. Yuno also both stars in and directs the “No Going Back” visual.
Listen to Yuno’s first single on Sub Pop, “No Going Back” - currently climbing the charts on Spotify + Apple Music + YouTube.
NPR Music calls “No Going Back” “an early entry into the race for song of the summer.” And Pitchfork gave the song “Best New Track’ status, and had this to say: “‘No Going Back” insists what we’re all thinking for the new pop wunderkind: Only forward.”
What people are saying about Yuno’s “No Going Back”: “Yuno’s lithe voice floats amidst the cheerful soundscape, bouncing off the plucky piano keys… the brand of sunny pop displayed on ‘No Going Back’ should earn him his own cult fanbase.” - Impose
“It’s light and breezy indie-pop, with warm and bouncy synth-lines softly coloured over with warm piano melodies and guitar solos. His vocals – fitting beautifully into the current psychedelic renaissance spearheaded by the likes of Tame Impala and Washed Out – pour out an infectious melody that’s simultaneously great fun and inflected with melancholy.” - Indie Shuffle
“Bouncy and bright…” - Gorilla Vs. Bear.
“Charming us all with its buoyant pop flair and instrumentals that sound as if they were seemingly dipped in sunshine, “No Going Back” signals Yuno’s return in a way that’s almost impossible to shake. “No Going Back” is as promising as it is optimistic.” - The Grey Estates
“Drifting digital pop casting a bittersweet spell.” - CLASH
Our friends at KEXP came up with a pretty epic 30th birthday gift… and it starts today! KEXP will be honoring every Sub Pop catalog release, in chronological order, over the coming months.
Read on for details…
[Photo Credit: David Ryder/Getty Images, via Pitchfork]
via KEXP: SEATTLE, March 8, 2018 – Legendary independent record label Sub Pop will turn 30 years old this year, and Seattle-based public broadcaster and arts organization KEXP will pay tribute to the label with a four-month retrospective. With over 1,200 releases, the station is planning to honor every single catalog number in the history of the Seattle based label. The tribute will wrap up in time for Sub Pop’s 30th anniversary concert at Alki Beach in West Seattle this August.
“Sub Pop and KEXP go back a long way,” said KEXP Chief Content Officer Kevin Cole. “Our histories are intimately connected - we certainly wouldn’t be who we are without the amazing music and incredible community that Sub Pop has helped to create here in Seattle. Sub Pop is family to KEXP.”
Sub Pop co-founders Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman each had a show on KEXP’s predecessor, KCMU, prior to the formation of the label. Pavitt’s show - Sub Pop USA - focused on celebrating artists and releases on independent regional labels, while Poneman was one of the first hosts of Audioasis, the local music program that still airs weekly on KEXP. Mark Arm of Sub Pop bands Mudhoney and Green River, and Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil had shows on KCMU, as did Charles Peterson, well-known for capturing iconic photographs of the nascent Seattle grunge scene on behalf of the label.
“Bruce Pavitt and I both had air shifts at the former KCMU. KEXP is sort of KCMU unchained, except that the present KEXP air staff have been trained, get paid and drink fancier coffee,” said Jonathan Poneman. “KCMU and Sub Pop Records both began as a pastime for music hobbyists who liked to stay indoors and play records. It’s been our good fortune to have successfully nurtured a reciprocal relationship with our hometown, Seattle: by providing great music to our community, people support it and listen.”
According to an account on HistoryLink, Poneman and Pavitt were first introduced to Nirvana as KCMU DJs, through a demo tape they received from producer Jack Endino. The tape was enough to get the band its first-ever radio airplay for demo versions of ‘Floyd the Barber’ and ‘Paper Cuts,’ songs which would show up over a year later on Bleach. After Sub Pop released Nirvana’s first official single, ‘Love Buzz’, in 1988, Kurt Cobain personally gave a copy to KCMU, and then sat in his car with the radio tuned to the station. When the DJ didn’t put the record on immediately, Cobain found a pay phone and called the station to request it himself.
“Bands were very aware of the role KCMU was playing in helping them out,” said Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil in an oral history of KCMU/KEXP published in CityArts Magazine in 2015. “KCMU was a networking hub for that seminal Seattle scene, Sub Pop and what came to be known as grunge, though I hate that word. It pivoted around KCMU.”
To this day, a strong connection remains. In 2013, KEXP helped celebrate Sub Pop’s 25th Anniversary with a live broadcast of Sub Pop artists performing on top of the Space Needle.
“We probably play more artists from Sub Pop than any other label,” said KEXP’s John Richards, host of The Morning Show on KEXP. “And that’s not necessarily on purpose, or because we feel like we need to play their music - it’s just that good, and their catalog is that deep. Every DJ on KEXP picks their own music, and with Sub Pop, there’s an amazing breadth and variety of killer releases to choose from.”
“Over the past 30 years Sub Pop has been home to the era-defining rock of Nirvana, Soundgarden and Mudhoney and the label has also had the privilege of releasing music from artists like Shabazz Palaces, whose art is endlessly expansive and whose creativity is unparalleled,” said Sub Pop CEO Megan Jasper. “We are so proud to work with so many musicians whose songs have changed our moods, our culture and us as individuals. And we can’t wait to learn what the next 30 years will bring!”
The Sub Pop Count-Up will begin on the first full weekday of KEXP’s 2018 Spring Fundraising Drive, on Monday March 12th. Throughout the following months, KEXP DJs will honor each Sub Pop catalog item in chronological order, including full albums, singles, EPs, compilations, early Sub Pop fan zines, and even a wedding soundtrack. KEXP.ORG will also feature online-exclusive content, interviews and more throughout the four-month tribute.
KEXP is a music-focused nonprofit arts organization serving music lovers and artists through in-person, broadcast, and online music programming. KEXP operates one of the most influential listener-supported music radio stations in the country, KEXP-FM, Seattle. More than 200,000 listeners from around the world tune in to the station each week over the air and online. On KEXP’s YouTube channel, videos of exclusive in-studio performances garner more than 2.4 million views per week. KEXP produces hundreds of live performances and music events each year, many of which are open to public audiences at no charge. More information at kexp.org.
Release Week Happenings Include A Live “Juan’s Basement” performance via Pitchfork TV on Thursday, March 29th and a Reddit Indieheads AMA on Friday, March 30th.
Rejoice! Frankie Cosmos’ Sub Pop debut, Vesselis out this very Friday, March 30th. To celebrate the album’s release, they’ve shared a new video for song “Jesse” directed by Loroto Productions and the band. As described by Greta Kline, “for the video for “Jesse,” we were inspired by ASMR and slime culture. We wanted the song to be paired with mesmerizing and satisfying imagery. It turned into a marathon of playing with toys and goo.”
Frankie Cosmos will also be performing live on the newly returned Pitchfork TV show “Juan’s Basement,” on Thursday, March 29th at 1:00 PM EST/10:00 PST. For info on where to livestream the band’s performance, read here.
They’ll also be partaking in a Reddit Indieheads“AMA” [aka Ask Me Anything] on Friday, March 30th from 12:00 PM EST -1:00 PM EST/9:00 AM -10:00 AM PST. Access this message board right right over here.
The band will embark on a world tour in support of Vesselbeginning on April 5th in Boulder, CO with stops in Santa Fe, Los Angeles, Seattle, with newly added US and European dates in May and June.
Apr. 05 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theater * Apr. 06 - Colorado Springs, CO - Black Sheep * Apr. 07 - Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf * Apr. 09 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom * Apr. 10 - San Diego, CA - Quartyard % Apr. 11 - Los Angeles, CA - Regent Theatre % Apr. 12 - Santa Ana, CA - The Constellation Room % Apr. 13 - Fresno, CA - Strummers Apr. 14 - Berkeley, CA - UC Theatre % Apr. 17 - Seattle, WA - Neumos % Apr. 18 - Olympia, WA - Capitol Theater % Apr. 20 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom % Apr. 30 - Pawtucket, RI - The Met May 01 - New Haven, CT - Toad’s Place May 02 - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair @ May 03 - Burlington, VT - ArtsRiot @ May 04 - Montreal, QC - Theatre Fairmount @ May 05 - Toronto, ON - The Rec Room @ May 06 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Pyramid Scheme May 07 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall May 09 - Nashville, TN - The Basement East May 10 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle (Back Room) May 11 - Richmond, VA - Capital Ale House May 12 - Washington, DC - Black Cat May 13 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer May 22 - Berlin, DE - Kantine am Berghain May 23 - Hamburg, DE - Aalhaus May 24 - Ghent, BE - DOKbox May 25 - Amsterdam, NL - London Calling at Paradiso May 26 - Paris, France - Petit Bain May 28 - Manchester, UK - Gorilla May 29 - Glasgow, UK - The Art School May 30 - Bristol, UK - The Fleece May 31 - London, UK - Scala Jun. 01 - Lille, France - Aeronef Jun. 08 - Queens, NY - Forest Hills Stadium # Jul. 14 - Madrid, ES - Mad Cool Festival
* w/ Lomelda @ Florist & Lala Lala % w/ Ian Sweet and SOAR # w/ Belle & Sebastian, Perfume Genius
Preorders for Vessel are available now through Sub Pop here. LP pre-orders through megamart.subpop.comand select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser edition on blue vinyl (while supplies last - we are nearly sold out!).
Plus there’s an updated international tour schedule for 2018.
Last week, METZ delivered incredible performances of Strange Peace tracks “Mr. Plague,” “Cellophane” and “Mess of Wires” for The Chris Gethard Show on TruTV (which airs Tuesdays at 11pm/10pm CT).
METZ have added new dates to their previously announced 2018 international tour schedule. New Canadian and European headlining and festival dates include: Quebec City at Festival D’ete on July 11th; Leipzig, Germany at UT Connewitz on July 18th; Berlin, Germany at Cassiopeia on July 19th; August 16th in Wiesbaden, Germany at Schlactof; Reading Festival on August 25th; Leeds Festival on August 26th; Cardiff, Wales at The Globe on August 27th; and Asten-Heusden, Netherlands for the Misty Fields Festival on August 31st. Sub Pop label mates Moaning, will open a slew of EU shows (select dates).
Apr. 17 - Lisbon, Portugal – MusicBox * Apr. 18 - Porto, Portugal – Hard Club * Apr. 19 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso Noord Apr. 20 - Rotterdam, Netherlands – Motel Mozaique Apr. 21 - Esch-sur-Alzette, LU - Out of the Crowd Festival Apr. 23 - Milan, IT - Magnolia * Apr. 24 - Bologna, IT - Freakout, Bologna * Apr. 25 - Munich, DE - Strom * Apr. 26 - Cologne, DE - Gebaude 9 * Apr. 27 - Belfort, FR - Impetus Festival Apr. 28 - London, UK - Test Pressing Festival* Apr. 30 - Glasgow, UK - Stereo * May 01 - Dublin, IE - Whelan’s May 02 - Manchester, UK - Soup Kitchen * May 03 - Ramsgate, UK - Ramsgate Music Hall * [Sold Out] May 04 - Brussels, BE - Les Nuits Botanique [Sold Out] May 05 - Leffinge, BE - De Zwerver * May 23 - Taipei, Taiwan - The Wall May 25 - Beijing, China - TBC May 26 - Shanghai, China - TBC May 29 - Hong Kong, China - TTN Livehouse May 31 - Manila, Philippines - Mow’s Bar Jun. 01 - Singapore - Decline Jun. 02 - Bangkok, Thailand - Norma Jun. 04 - Tokyo, Japan - Fever Jun. 05 - Tokyo, Japan - Fever Jun. 06 - Nagoya, Japan - Tight Rope Jun. 07 - Osaka, Japan - Conpass Jul. 11 - Quebec City, QC - Festival D’ete Jul 18 - Leipzig, DE - UT Connewitz, Jul. 19 - Berlin, DE - Cassiopeia Jul. 21 - Tromso, Norway - Bukta Festival Aug. 16 - Wiesbaden, DE - Schlactof Aug. 25 - Reading, UK - Reading Festival Aug. 26 - Leeds, UK - Leeds Festival Aug. 27 - Cardiff, UK - The Globe Aug. 31 - Asten-Heusden, NL - Misty Fields Festival Sep. 14 - Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre (Westward Festival) * w/ Moaning
Strange Peace is available now on CD / LP / DL / CS worldwide (except in Canada) from Sub Pop right here. In Canada, Strange Peace is available from Royal Mountain Records over here.
7 will be available worldwide from Sub Pop, with the exception of Europe and Australia/New Zealand, where the album will be available from Bella Union and Mistletone, respectively
Beach House have delivered an immersive new video for “Dark Spring,” the opening track from their forthcoming album 7. Director Zia Anger describes the video as “a very organic thing made with a lot of people (who are also filmmakers), that I love and trust. An anomaly in process.”
Beach House’s massive worldwide tour in support of 7begins April 30th in Chattanooga, TN at the Signal and ends October 20th in Dublin, IE at Vicar Street. Newly added shows include: September 27th in Madrid at La Riviera; September 28th in Barcelona at Razzmatazz; and by popular demand, a second London show on October 17th at Troxy.
Apr. 30 - Chattanooga, TN - The Signal May 01 - New Orleans, LA - Civic Theatre May 02 - Little Rock, AR - Metroplex Live May 04 - Oxford, MS - The Lyric May 05 - Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom May 07 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre May 08 - El Paso, TX - Tricky Falls May 11 - Mexico City, MX - Auditorio Blackberry (ALBUM RELEASE SHOW) May 13 - Mayer, AZ - Form Arcosanti Jun. 02 - Barcelona, ES - Primavera Sound Jul. 26 - Philadelphia, PA - Tower Theatre Jul. 27 - Raleigh, NC - The Ritz Jul. 28 - Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theatre [Sold Out] Jul. 30 - Dallas, TX - Bomb Factory Jul. 31 - Austin, TX - ACL Live at the Moody Theatre [Sold Out] Aug. 02 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre Aug. 03 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fairbanks Lawn at Hollywood Forever Cemetery [Sold Out] Aug. 04 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fairbanks Lawn at Hollywood Forever Cemetery [Sold Out] Aug. 05 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory at North Park [Sold Out] Aug. 07 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theatre [Sold Out] Aug. 08 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theatre Aug. 10 - Portland, OR - Keller Auditorium Aug. 12 - Vancouver, BC - Orpheum Theatre Aug. 14 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot Aug. 15 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre Aug. 17 - St. Paul, MN - The Palace Theatre Aug. 18 - Chicago, Il - Chicago Theatre Aug. 19 - Detroit, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre Aug. 20 - Toronto, ON - Sony Centre Aug. 22 - New York, NY - United Palace Theatre Aug. 23 - Brooklyn, NY - Kings Theatre [Sold Out] Aug. 24 - Boston, MA - House of Blues [Sold Out] Aug. 25 - Washington, DC - The Anthem Sep. 25 - Lisbon, Portugal - Coliseu dos Recreios Sep. 26 - Porto, Portugal - Teatro sa da Bandeira Sep. 27 - Madrid, ES - La Riviera Sep. 28 - Barcelona, ES - Razzmatazz Sep. 30 - Lyon, France - Epicerie Moderne Oct. 01 - Köln, DE - Gloria Oct. 02 - Berlin, DE - Huxleys Oct. 04 - Lund, SE - Mejeriet Oct. 05 - Gothenburg, SE - Trädgar’n Oct. 07 - Oslo, NO - Rockefeller Music Hall Oct. 08 - Stockholm, SE- Münchenbryggeriet Oct. 09 - Copenhagen, DK - Forum Black Box Oct. 11 - Hamburg, DE - Kampnagel Oct. 12 - Utrecht, NL - TivoliVredenburg Oct. 13 - Brussels, BE - AB Oct. 15 - Paris, FR - Olympia Oct. 17 - London, UK - Troxy Oct. 18 - London, UK - Troxy [Sold Out] Oct. 19 - Manchester, UK - Albert Hall Oct. 20 - Dublin, IE - Vicar Street
7, the group’s 7th full-length record, will be available on CD/LP/CS/DL May 11th, 2018. The new Beach House album will be available worldwide on Sub Pop, except in Europe and Australia/New Zealand, where it will be released by Bella Union and Mistletone.
7 features standouts including the Valentine’s Day ‘18 single “Lemon Glow” [lsten here], along with “Black Car,” “Drunk In LA,” “Dive,” and today, their latest offering, the soaring, captivating “Dark Spring”[listen here]. All of the songs on 7began in Beach House’s home studio in Baltimore, and were finished at Carriage House in Stamford, CT and Palmetto Studio in Los Angeles. The album was produced by Beach House and Sonic Boom, and mixed by Alan Moulder.
7 is available for preorder now from Sub Pop, Bella Union (Europe), and Mistletone (Australia / New Zealand). Pre-orders of the LP through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers in North America will receive the limited Loser Edition on opaque yellow vinyl. A new T-shirt design is also available now.