HEY WHAT, the astonishing new Low album, will be released worldwide on September 10th, 2021 on Sub Pop Records. On the heels of their latest single, “Days Like These”, the group has shared a breathtaking video for their song “Disappearing.” Multi-disciplinary artist Dorian Wood directed the group’s new video, and had this to say about making the video, “I am incredibly thrilled to have created this video for Low. I’ve been such a fan for years. I was inspired to offer a personal glimpse of what I’d been up to during the pandemic year. I’ve been doing art modeling on the side for years, mostly for art schools. Once the schools physically shut down due to Covid, I was invited to pose for dozens of virtual classes. I borrowed a friend’s empty guest room and twice a week I would set up my laptop and lights and pose for three hours at a time. During these long stretches of time, I’d lose myself in thought while delivering poses that best showcased all this fat brown beauty. In my mind, I traveled to places and memories, and in the case of “Disappearing”, I not only visited the ocean in my mind, I became it. Even at its most empowering and meditative, a modeling session was often a reminder of how lonely one can feel when the other humans in the room immediately vanish once the laptop shuts down. And still, a semblance of hope always lingered. We shot the video at Human Resources, a performance space in L.A. which also served as a creative sanctuary for me during the pandemic year. There’s a lot of ‘coming home’ love in this video. I’m honored to be able to share this love.”
Low have announced two album release shows on September 10th and 11th at Square Lake, outside the Twin Cities in their home state of Minnesota. The group has invited a diverse group of artists to join them including Joe Rainey Sr., Gaelynn Lea, and Lord Friday the 13th. These shows are in addition to the previously announced 30-date world tour beginning in March 2022, with UK and European dates to follow in May. See below for a full list of shows.
North America 2021: Sep. 10 - Square Lake, MN Sep. 11 - Square Lake, MN
North America 2022: Mar. 22 - Bloomington, IN - Bishop Mar. 25 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn Mar. 26 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West Mar. 28 - Washington, DC - Miracle Theatre Mar. 29 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live Mar. 31 - New York, NY - Webster Hall Apr. 01 - Providence, RI - Columbus Theater Apr. 02 - Montreal, QC - Theatre Fairmount Apr. 04 - Toronto, ON - The Axis Club Apr. 05 - Detroit, MI - Loving Touch Apr. 08 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
UK & Europe 2022: Apr. 25 - Edinburgh, UK - Queen’s Hall Apr. 26 - Dublin, IE - Vicar Street Apr. 27 - Manchester, UK - Manchester Cathedral Apr. 28 - Brighton, UK - St. George’s Church Brighton Apr. 29 - London, UK - St. John at Hackney Church - Apr. 30 - Bristol, UK - Trinity May 02 - Paris, FR - Alhambra May 03 - Cologne, DE - Kulturkirche Köln May 04 - Antwerp, BE - TRIX May 05 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso May 06 - Aarhus, DK - Voxhall May 07 - Copenhagen, DK - Vega May 09 - Hamburg, DE - Uebel & Gefährlich May 10 - Berlin, DE - Festsaal Kreuzberg May 11 - Vienna, AT - Wuk May 12 - Bologna, IT - Teatro Duse May 13 - Lausanne, CH- Les Docks May 14 - Zurich, CH - Mascotte
Tracklisting: 1. White Horses 2. I Can Wait 3. All Night 4. Disappearing 5. Hey 6. Days Like These 7. There’s a Comma After Still 8. Don’t Walk Away 9. More 10. The Price You Pay (It Must Be Wearing Off)
On the heels of their latest album, Cooler Returns,Kiwi Jr. cooly announces their first series of live dates, kicking off with River & Sky Festival in Sudbury, Ontario on July 17. Fall and Winter dates include support with TUNS, Surfer Blood, Tobin Sprout, Trace Mountains and Nap Eyes, as well as a hometown Toronto headline show at the Horseshoe Tavern on Friday, Oct 15. Want a taste of what to expect at the band’s upcoming live shows? You can watch the group’s performance on famed Seattle radio station KEXP by clicking here. See below for a full list of dates.
Kiwi Jr. has partnered with cartoonist Dmitry Bondarenko on a 24-page booklet of illustrated lyrics, which is available at Bandcamp and on tour. Jeremy Gaudet, Kiwi Jr singer/lyricist says “To see all of the insanity of our lyrics represented visually is wild. There’s stuff I saw in here that surprised even me, and I wrote the damned thing.” For more information on Cooler Returns Comic, visit the group’s merch table or Bandcamp page.
Due to continued uncertainty about international travel restrictions, Kiwi Jr. are unfortunately postponing their September UK & Europe tour dates to February (& September) 2022. Tickets for their London show at Dalston Victoria will be honored on Saturday February 12, 2022. The band will also be supporting fellow Sub Pop artist Chad VanGaalen on several UK dates that week, as well as announcing headline dates in Scandinavia. More information will be forthcoming at www.KiwiJr.com/live
Tour Dates:
Fri. Jan. 14 - Washington DC, Songbyrd ++ @
Sat. Jan. 22 - Montreal, Bar le Ritz &
Fri.. Feb. 11 - London, UK - Dalston Victoria
Sun. Feb. 13 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club ~
Mon. Feb. 14 - Manchester, UK - Night & Day ~
Tues. Feb. 15 - Bristol, UK - Louisiana ~
Thur. Feb. 17 - Copenhagen DK - Ideal Bar
Fri. Feb. 18 - Stockholm, SE - ObarenNew tour dates:
Sat. Jul. 17 - Sudbury, ONT - River & Sky Festival
Fri. Oct. 1 - Los Angeles, CA - Gold Diggers
Fri. Oct. 15 - Toronto, Horseshoe Tavern !
Thur. Nov. 11 - New Haven, CT - Cafe Nine %
Fri. Nov. 12 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Made % $
Fri. Nov 19 - Columbus OH - Ace Of Cups $
Fri. Dec. 3 - London, ON - Rum Runners *
Sat. Dec. 4 - St. Catharine’s, ON - Warehouse *
Fri. Dec. 17 - Hamilton, ON - Bridgeworks *
Sat. Dec. 18 - Ottawa, ON - Club Saw *
Mon. Dec. 28 - Charlottetown, PEI - Trailside Music Hall &
Tues. Dec. 29 - Halifax, NS - Seahorse Tavern &
2022:
Fri. Jan. 7 - Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe &
Sat. Jan. 8 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s & @
Sat. Feb. 19 - Oslo, NO - Blaa
! w/ Sahara and Dorothea Paas
% w/ Surfer Blood
$ w/ Tobin Sprout
* w/ TUNS
& w/ Nap Eyes
++ w/ Trace Mountains
@ w/ Gladie
~ w/ Chad VanGaalen
The returns on Kiwi Jr’s Cooler Returns: “…The accomplished successor to this band’s promising 2019 debut finds Kiwi Jr having their cake and eating it.” - ★★★★ The Observer/TheGuardian
“Sustaining momentum near-flawlessly across 13 songs… Kiwi Jr. have the skills to match their smarts” - ★★★★ MOJO
“Canadian absurdists’ return is a lyrical delight” - Uncut
“Kiwi Jr. songs unfold like the aisles of a cluttered curio shop, their retro-rock melodies overflowing with non sequiturs and hyper-specific scraps of story.” - The AV Club
“The band rattle through a seemingly inexhaustible supply of hooks and melodies” - ★★★★ DIY
“Packed with golden hooks and subtle weirdness” - [8/10] Exclaim
“Crammed full of wry, observational wit and pop smarts in taut fashion” - [8/10] CLASH
“…still light and agile, basking in the sunlight as their vivid guitar work and straightforward vocals do the talking. They love a good hook as much as they love a charismatic, illuminating one-liner.” - PASTE
“The band’s knack for simple but sticky melody is in even clearer view on Cooler Returns.” - ★★★★ All Music
[“Cooler Returns” is] “a jangly, indie rock earworm that’ll lodge itself in your brain” -NME
“Shambolic yet catchy songs are loaded with fractured riffs and lyrical non-sequiturs” - Uproxx
“Ook de referenties zijn dik in orde: the Chills, The Strokes, The Kinks, Pavement en de vroege R.E.M. ‘Fonkelende gitaarplaat die refereert aan heden en verleden.” - [Best Albums of the Month”] OOR
“…Another mighty fine record.” - Under the Radar
“An impressive set of ‘90s-influenced slacker-rock with jangly guitars, rollicking piano and occasional organ, harmonica, and other instrumentation, along with observational, often-sardonic lyrics and an abundance of catchy song hooks. - KEXP
“Cooler Returns is all hits, a baker’s dozen of ridiculously catchy three-minute pop nuggets that deliver massive sing-along-choruses…” - Brooklyn Vegan
“A bloody good album full of vivid charm” - ★★★★ NARC
“They understand sarcasm, can write clever, funny lyrics and don’t take themselves completely seriously.” [9/10] - God Is In The TV
“Perfect pop-songs” - Louder Than War
“Cooler Returns is everything you might expect from a band like Kiwi Jr., and so much more.” - [4/5] Stereoboard
“Angular, catchy as hell, revved up power-pop racket” ★★★★ Shindig
“What sets Kiwi Jr. apart from their peers though is their madcap view of the world and Cooler Returns establishes them as a band too confident to conform; a band who have all the skills to match their lyrical smarts” - [8/10] Line Of Best Fit
“L’année 2021 ne pouvait mieux commencer qu’avec cet excellent disque a l’entrain communicatif, d’une inspiration jubilatoire, veritable rayon de soleil au cour de l’hiver”- [4/5] Rock & Folk (France)
“Les quatre musiciens de Toronto ne changent pas leur formule gagnante et livrent une guitare jangly élégante et efficace.” - Les Inrocks (France)
“…Timeless, memorable, beautifully crafted pop songs” - Echoes and Dust
”Cooler Returns is an impressive achievement” -Our Culture
“…A jangle-pop delight filled with tight hooks and creative tales” - The Revue
Kiwi Jr. Cooler Returns
Tracklisting 1. Tyler 2. Undecided Voters 3. Maid Marian’s Toast 4. Highlights of 100 5. Only Here for a Haircut 6. Cooler Returns 7. Guilty Party 8. Omaha 9. Domino 10. Nashville Wedding 11. Dodger 12. Norma Jean’s Jacket 13. Waiting in Line
Amen Dunes (aka the project of Damon McMahon) returns with “Feel Nothing,” a powerful and honest first statement since the release of 2018’s beloved Freedom, and his debut release with Sub Pop. Recorded in Los Angeles with co-producer Ariel Rechtshaid and mixed by Craig Silvey, “Feel Nothing” begins with McMahon’s unmistakable voice chanting “Kingdom, kingdom, kingdom, kingdom, kingdom // be a prophet” until the Sleaford Mods rhythm drops and McMahon continues “Every time I hear a story // Got no good from it.” The song, which features synths by Freedom-collaborator Panoram, gradually introduces the rhythm-heavy next chapter in Amen Dunes’ sound, before a duet by Sleaford Mods’ Jason Williamson and McMahon carries the song out. Where Freedom was “[Amen Dunes’] euphoric breakthrough … silvery and romantic, like a hallucination of the classic-rock songbook”
(Pitchfork), “Feel Nothing” is a bold reflection on resistance, and a step further in the intentional reimagining of the world of Amen Dunes.
I feel nothing at all
Do you feel nothing too?
I have nothing to say
Don’t drag me down with you
Some days wish I was dead
Some days wish I was you
Every time I hear a story
Got no good from it
Can’t change the situation
When everything’s the same
Still in love, just a little
Aww my mind forgets
You stole that piece from the devil
But you know me, I’d do the same
Get everyone off my back
You can gossip, but I don’t care
I headed off one day without even talking,
and I got lost from there
In the middle of a show I break down, yeah
Can’t remember what to say
Can’t shake this ugly feeling, baby, but it’s not lasting
He was thinking of God, when he begged them to stop
Washed Out is announcing North American headlining dates for 2022 in support of Purple Noon, his acclaimed album of 2020, out now on Sub Pop.
The 24-city trek begins Monday, January 10th, 2022 in Asheville, NC at the Orange Peel runs through Saturday, February 12th, 2022, closing with a hometown show in Atlanta, GA at The Eastern. The tour will also include stops in Nashville (TN), Houston (TX), Austin (TX), Dallas (TX), Phoenix (AZ), San Diego (CA), Los Angeles (CA), Santa Ana (CA), San Francisco (CA), Portland (OR), Seattle (WA), Salt Lake City (UT), Denver (CO), Minneapolis (MN), Chicago (IL), Toronto (ON), Montreal (QC), Boston (MA), Brooklyn (NY), Washington (DC), Philadelphia (PA), Chapel Hill (NC).
A special fan presale begins Wednesday, July 7th, 2021 at 12 pm PT and ends Thursday, July 8th at 10 am PT, with tickets on sale to the general public on Friday, July 9th, 2021 at 7 am PT. For more information on tickets, please visit https://washedout.net/Tour.
Mon. Jan. 10 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel Tue. Jan. 11 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl Thu. Jan. 13 - Houston, TX - Stereo Live Fri. Jan. 14 - Austin, TX - Empire Sat. Jan. 15 - Dallas, TX - The Granada Theatre Mon. Jan. 17 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren Tue. Jan. 18 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory Thu. Jan. 20 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern Theatre Fri. Jan. 21 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory Sat. Jan. 22 - San Francisco, CA - The Regency Mon. Jan. 24 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom Tue. Jan. 25 - Seattle, WA - Showbox at the Market Fri. Jan. 28 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Gallery Sat. Jan. 29 - Denver, CO - The Gothic Theatre Mon. Jan. 31 - Minneapolis, MN - USA - Fine Line Tue. Feb. 01 - Chicago, IL - Metro Thu. Feb. 03 - Toronto, ON - The Danforth Theatre Fri. Feb. 04 - Montreal, QC - L’Astral Sat. Feb. 05 - Boston, MA - Paradise Mon. Feb. 07 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel Wed. Feb. 09 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club Thu. Feb. 10 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts Fri. Feb. 11 - Chapel Hill, NC - Cat’s Cradle Sat. Feb. 12 - Atlanta GA - The Eastern
Washed Out is also sharing a remix of Purple Noon standout “Too Late” by Ribbon Music recording artists Buscabulla. The Puerto Rican pop duo takes the original, which New York Times notes for its “lush vocals, quavering synth bass, throwback electronic drums and an intense sense of longing,” and reworks the song into a blissed-out, electro-funk track. The Washed Out “Too Late” (Buscabulla Remix) is out today on all DSPs from Sub Pop.
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”
Loma has delivered a bright new video for their performance of “Going Out,” a cover of Danish pop artist Dinner’s 2014 single. The visual, directed by and starring Loma’s Emily Cross, follows the singer on a gorgeous sunny day throughout the woods and meadows of southern coastal England, where going out is a new—and slightly nervous—prospect.
Loma’s Dan Duszynski says of the song, “Songs are like cats—sometimes they just pick you. Emily and I first heard “Going Out” while we were playing at a record store in Austin a few years ago. I went to the counter to ask who it was, and the album (Dinner’s Three EPs) is still in rotation at our home/studio. We couldn’t resist making our own version because it always cheers us up. Who doesn’t need that right now?”
Loma’s Don’t Shy Away, the group’s incredible and absorbing album from 2020, is available now on CD/LP/CS/DL worldwide through Sub Pop. The eleven-track effort, which features lyric videos for “Homing” and “Ocotillo” and official videos for “Half Silences,” “Don’t Shy Away,” “I Fix My Gaze,” and “Elliptical Days,” was produced and recorded by the band at Dandysounds in Dripping Strings, Texas—except for “Homing,” which was produced by Brian Eno.
Don’t Shy Away saw praise from international outlets like MOJO, Uncut, BBC 6 Music, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone,Stereogum, Exclaim, Bandcamp, Brooklyn Vegan, Under the Radar, Sydney Morning Herald, The Line of Best Fit, Record Collector, All Music, Dusted, Our Culture, and more. Loma is currently at work on the follow-up to Don‘t Shy Away.
What people are saying about Loma’s Don’t Shy Away: “Loma’s music unspools in vivid panoramas - sometimes downbeat and rainy, sometimes splashy and urgent, reminiscent of the mid-‘90s school of Bowery Electric post-rock. Yet the trio ensure all the glitches and layers (clarinet, brass, guitar) add bright pin-sharp accents not blurry textural flab, Cross’s voice glinting through ‘Blue Rainbow’s’ electro-cabaret judder or the Morphine-like rumble of ‘Ocotillo’.” ★★★★ MOJO
“Don’t Shy Away is a stronger, fully realized collection than its predecessor, kicking off with the absorbing opening trio — “I Fix My Gaze,” “Ocotillo,” and “Half Silences,” each elevated by singer Emily Cross’ bewitching vocals — and never letting up from there.” [“The Best Albums of October 2020”] - Rolling Stone
“…Don’t Shy Away is an invitation. It honors the sacred space of uncertainty, acknowledging lingering darkness while trusting in the possibility that brighter, more brilliant worlds lie within reach.” - Pitchfork
“Don’t Shy Away is ultimately as gratifying as it is ambitious. Brian Eno was right: Loma are the real deal.” [8/10] -Exclaim!
“For listeners who have a penchant for darker, glossier rock in the vein of Portishead, Jane Weaver, or even Radiohead, this is an essential listen.” [8/10] - The Line Of Best Fit
”Don’t Shy Away is an absolutely beautiful record – hypnotic, haunting, mysterious and comforting” - Brooklyn Vegan
“Fans longing for the return of Portishead will find solace in the grey-skied gloom of songs like “Thorn”, “Half Silences” or the pulsing “Given A Sign.” This is contrasted with the brightness shining through the stately instrumentation of “Elliptical Days” or the cycling synths of “Breaking Waves Like A Stone,” swelling in size towards its triumphant conclusion.” [“Album of the Day”] - Bandcamp
“To anyone enamored with the effortless elegance of Loma’s debut, some of Don’t Shy Away’s more adventurous and synth-heavy production may feel a little jarring. However, surrender to the album’s luscious sound design, emotive vocal performances and smart narrative arc and it can be just as intoxicating. As far as front-to-back album listening experiences go, it’s among the year’s best.” - Dusted
“Don’t Shy Away is a spectacular album, a vivid record, which gently deals with the themes of loneliness, temporariness and finding light in absolute darkness.” - Music Letter
“Bigger in scope than the three piece’s self titled debut, Don’t Shy Away is on a whole other sonic level. It encourages us to not just exist in the spaces that we inhabit, but to find every possibility they could offer. As second records go, they don’t come much more mesmerically splendorous than this.”- Secret Meeting
“All in all, Don’t Shy Away is gracefully immersive, aesthetically ambitious and more than worth a listen.” - MXDWN
“There’s healthy disarray, there’s beauty, and there’s real poignant sadness but most of all there’s true humanity.” [8.5/10] - Still Listening
“Unfurling with a patient and solitary kind of splendour, their music is evocative but never perfunctory, brimming with textures that are vaporous yet vividly drawn. Don’t Shy Away distils those elements that were present in their debut to a more refined form, resulting in their most mesmerizing and rewarding effort yet.” ★★★★ - Our Culture
“In sound and narrative, indie supergroup Loma deliver an intelligent and emotive piece of post-modern cinema on their superb sophomore album, Don’t Shy Away.” -The Revue
