You can now hear the final installment of the Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 6, a new single by The Black Tones, out today worldwide on all DSPs from Sub Pop.
Simply put, The Black Tones are like a mixture of Kurt Cobain and cornbread. Consisting of founders/twin siblings Eva Walker on guitar/vocals and Cedric Walker on drums, the blues- and punk-based dynamo continuously project subversion, power and the potential for something new.
The Black Tones’ “The End of Everything” is about just that: the end of the world and, well, eventually the universe. Named after the book The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) by Katie Mack, the song confronts the fact that, whether it’s the second coming of who or whatever you believe in, this will all end. “Mr. Mines,” named after a black tour-bus guide/driver from Eva and Cedric’s youth, is guided by the light yet hearty vocals of Ednah Holt (Talking Heads/Ritchie Family). The song is heavily influenced by Pink Floyd’s “Great Gig in the Sky” and Jackie Mittoo’s “Ghetto Organ”.
The Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 6 series includes subscription-only 7” singles by John Waters, Kim Gordon/J Mascis, Jeff Tweedy, Duma, LIDS, Washed Out, Hand Habits, Porridge Radio, Sheltered Workshop Singers, TV Priest, BNH Deluxe, and The Black Tones. Hear music from the series via the Singles Club playlist, and grab one of the last remaining subscriptions here (we only made 1,000 and they’re almost gone!).
We’d also like to remind you that the Sub Pop Singles Club will continue for yet another year! Subscribe to the Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 7 to get twelve exclusive, limited-to-1,000-copies, colored-vinyl 7” records that you will, undoubtedly, love and adore. Subscribers will get 7”s by Bartees Strange, Party Dozen, Matthew “Doc” Dunn, The William Loveday Intention (feat. Billy Childish!), The Shadracks (feat. the son of Billy Childish!), Sidney Gish, and more TBA. Vol. 7 runs from April, 2022 and ending February, 2023.
The Black Tones “The End of Everything” b/w “Mr. Mines”
On March 25th, Guerilla Toss will release their Sub Pop debut, Famously Alive. After a decade sprinkling glitter into grit, building a reputation as one of the most ferociously creative art-rock groups working, the upstate New York band have eased fully into their light. This is Guerilla Toss at their most luminescent – awake, alive, and extending an open invitation to anyone who wants to soak it all up beside them.
On the heels of their latest single, “Cannibal Capital,” the band has shared a new video/single for their self-titled track“Famously Alive,” directed by Jonny Kosmo. The song is about “living with purpose and excitement whether you’re famous or not, accepting your strangeness and thriving even if your successes look different than other people’s,” notes the band’s singer and lyricist Kassie Carlson. Multi-instrumentalist and band member Peter Negroponte offers this, “To me, ‘Famously Alive’ means flipping the notion of dying famously to living famously. I also like to think of it as a way to describe living through something traumatic and coming out of it a stronger, wiser person.”
Guerilla Toss have expanded their North American tour, which now begins on Thursday, April 7th in Greenfield, MA with a show at Hawks & Reed, and ends Thursday, May 12th in Kingston, NY at Tubby’s.
Thu. Apr. 07 - Greenfield, MA - Hawks & Reed Fri. Apr. 08 - Catskills, NY - Avalon Lounge Sat. Apr. 09 - New Haven, CT - Space Ballroom Wed. Apr. 13- Richmond, VA - Richmond Music Hall Thu. Apr. 14 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle Fri. Apr. 15 - Atlanta, GA - Aisle 5 Sat. Apr 16 - Nashville, TN - The Blue Room @ Third Man Records Sun. Apr. 17 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar Tue. Apr. 19 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club Wed. Apr. 20 - Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle Thu. Apr. 21 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop Fri. Apr. 22 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison Sat. Apr. 23 - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz P.D.B Mon. Apr. 25 - Portland, ME - Space Tue. Apr. 26 - Somerville, MA - Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Wed. Apr. 27 - Providence, RI - Columbus Theatre Thu. Apr. 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s Fri. Apr. 29 - Queens, NY - TV Eye Sat. Apr. 30 - Queens, NY - TV Eye Wed. May 11 - Washington, DC - DC9 Thu. May 12 - Kingston, NY - Tubbys
Tracklisting: 1. Cannibal Capital 2. Famously Alive 3. Live Exponential 4. Mermaid Airplane 5. Wild Fantasy 6. Pyramid Humm 7. Excitable Girls 8. I Got Spirit 9. Happy Me 10. Heathen In Me
On Saturday, February 12th, 2022, Washed Out and his band, closed out their headlining tour with a sold-out show at The Eastern, the recently opened 2,300-cap venue in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. The tour was in support of Purple Noon, his acclaimed album of 2020.
Ernest Greene teamed up with Nashville-based designer Jonny Kingsbury (Clairo, Khruangbin, Charlie XCX) to develop the tour’s visually arresting lighting and stage production design, with the intent to film the performance for fans outside the US. The Purple Noon: Live at The Eastern live stream event is co-presented by Mandolin/NoonChorus, and will air Sunday, March 13th, 2022 in North America (at 8:00 PM EDT), in the UK and Europe (at 8:00 PM GMT), and in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan (at 8:00 PM AEDT). Tickets for the performances are $13 USD, and available here.
Greene says of the event: “Happy to announce a worldwide livestream event which is likely to be one of the final chances for people to see the “Purple Noon’ live show. I’m really proud of this show and want to share it with the world but know because of Covid complications it will likely never be performed again.
“We were lucky enough to have a film crew capture the last show of our recently completed US tour, in my hometown of Atlanta which was really special for me. I’ve spent more time and effort on this ‘Purple Noon’ show than on any other tour combined. The audio and visuals is without a doubt the best realization of the WO experience and I can’t wait to share it with all who would like to be a part of it.”
Tracklisting: 1. Too Late 2. Face Up 3. Time to Walk Away 4. Paralyzed 5. Reckless Desires 6. Game of Chance 7. Leave You Behind 8. Don’t Go 9. Hide 10. Haunt
Beach House’s Once Twice Melody, the group’s internationally acclaimed new album, is out today worldwide from Sub Pop, in Europe from Bella Union, and Australia and New Zealand from Mistletone.
Once Twice Melody is the first album produced entirely by Beach House, and was recorded at Pachyderm studio in Cannon Falls, MN, United Studio in Los Angeles, CA, and Apple Orchard Studios in Baltimore, MD. For the first time, a live string ensemble was used, with arrangements by David Campbell. Once Twice Melody was mostly mixed by Alan Moulder but a few tracks were also mixed by Caesar Edmunds, Trevor Spencer, and Dave Fridmann.
Once Twice Melody features 18 tracks, and is presented in 4 chapters with lyric animations for each song.. Watch the just-released Chapter 4 animations now at Beach House’s YouTube channel.
Chapter 1 1. Once Twice Melody 2. Superstar 3. Pink Funeral 4. Through Me
Chapter 2 5. Runaway 6. ESP 7. New Romance 8. Over and Over
Chapter 3 9. Sunset 10. Only You Know 11. Another Go Around 12. Masquerade 13. Illusion of Forever
Chapter 4 14. Finale 15. The Bells 16. Hurts to Love 17. Many Nights 18. Modern Love Stories
For those living in or traveling to Seattle, the Beach House Once Twice Melody pop-up/installation at Sub Pop on 7th in the city’s Belltown neighborhood, is now open (through March 14th, 2022). Fans can find Once Twice Melody-related merchandise (+ limited signed letter from the band with purchase of the Gold Edition box set, while supplies last), enter to win daily giveaways of rare Loser Editions from the band’s catalog, and much more.
Beach House’s headlining tour begins tonight, February 18th in Pittsburgh at Stage AE and runs through Sunday, July 24th in Washington, DC at Anthem. For up to date information on tickets, please visit beachhousebaltimore.com.
What people are saying about Once Twice Melody:
“It’s also so sublimely imagistic that it makes you wonder why film directors and music supervisors haven’t been hounding Legrand and Scally to create movie scores.” The New Yorker“Its most ambitious and dynamic…”The New Yorker
“The band’s sprawling eighth album luxuriates in the rhapsody of sensation itself.”Pitchfork
“A symphony of sound that feels like a best-of Beach House collection, except every song is brand new.”Stereogum
“Legrand and Scally have truly outdone themselves…”Consequence
“Beach House proves there’s more to the duo than fans may think, with brash, lively arrangements that shine as much as the restrained ones (B+).” AV Club
“Once Twice Melody sometimes seems more like a painting than an album, one in which bits of color have been added to every corner over a long stretch of time..” Wall Street Journal
“Once Twice Melody’s greatness lies not in its hugeness - it’s in the duo’s ability to create music that possesses the same intimacy regardless of its scope (8/10).” UNCUT
“Their brand of meticulously crafted songwriting, candy-flossed melodies and textured, widescreen ambiance remain as compelling and mesmerizing as ever.” SPIN
“An epic, dreamy journey from heartbreak to redemption.” ★★★★ The Telegraph
“Back in 2006, Paris’s Victoria Legrand and Baltimore’s Alex Scally came up with a new style: dreamlike alternative pop, ambient but precise, with Legrand’s clear, unforced vocals floating over it all. Since then the duo have not so much transformed as honed their vision, leading to this superb double album.” ★★★★ The Times of London
“With its incredible ability to balance horror and romance, machinery and humanity, this is a diverse, innovative and well-considered collection of songs that, while asking a lot of listeners, rewards absolutely.” ★★★★ Irish Times
“The Baltimore duo’s masterful fusion of organic and synthetic textures makes each song a diaphanous little earworm of delight: on ‘Runaway’ the aerated guitar and celestial Moog interlude; the autumnal chamber backing on ‘Sunset’; Victoria’s echoed vocal at the beginning of ‘Only You Know’; the ghostly lullaby which laces the Badalamenti-flavored ‘Through Me.’” ★★★★ Record Collector
“Literally gives you shivers.” - Rockerilla
“In eighteen timeless and vaporous tracks, the dream pop duo does wonders. An eighth album to be placed high in their already rich discography.” Les Inrocks
“Rightfully proclaimed genre-defining purveyors of dream-pop, Victoria and Alex effortlessly match their own mountainous standards, delivering yet another all-engulfing, pensive package of sonic escapism. Let yourself be a canvas, and Beach House will paint you a beautiful picture.” ★★★★ DORK
“Beach House’s hymn to the grandeur of relationships is, perhaps, the most musically diverse and thematically mature project the duo has released to date—an emphatic affirmation of life’s joys and sorrows.” ★★★★ SLANT
“As much as any Beach House album is about finding new places to explore—or perhaps more accurately escape—within their hypnotic lullabies, Once Twice Melody is Beach House at their most uninhibited and playful, seemingly trying different things for the fun of it and by and large succeeding.” Treble
“Weaving in dustier threads to Beach House’s ever shimmery fabric proves that the cyborgian approach of mixing the organic with the mechanical is an increasingly winning formula (8/10).” No Ripcord
“Once Twice Melody is a grand statement from Beach House that sits together as an extended album, while also offering more bite-sized memorable moments to take away, no doubt leaving plenty to discover on each return (8/10).’ Gigwise
You can now watch Low’s new video for “All Night,” directed by Azalia Snail, who describes the video with: ”The sunburst gives hope to the apocalyptic dystopian nature of our current pandemic world.” The song is from HEY WHAT, their Grammy-nominated and massively acclaimed album from 2021.
Low’s previously announced international headlining dates in support of HEY WHAT begin March 22nd, 2022. For a full list of shows click here.
HEY WHAT saw placement on many “Best Albums of 2021” lists and readers polls including:
Recommended Listen (#1) Slate (#1) Treble Zine (#1) Blow Up (#1) Vulture (#2) What’s Good (#2) Northern Transmissions #2 Our Culture (#2) The Skinny (#3) MOJO (#4) Uncut (#4) The Wire (#4) Pitchfork (#5) Slant (#5) Flood (#6) The New Yorker: Amanda Petrusich (#8) New York Times: Lindsey Zoladz (#8) Gold Flake Paint (#11) PASTE (#12) AV Club (#13) Rolling Stone (#16) EXCLAIM! (#18) Loud and Quiet (#20) NPRMusic (#21) The Guardian (#31) Gorilla vs. Bear (#39) Louder Than War (#50) The Quietus (#98)
HEY WHAT also saw placement on Pitchfork’s “Best Rock Albums of 2021” and Rough Trade’s “100 Albums of 2021” lists. And “Days Like These,” the album’s lead single, earned placement on “Best Songs of 2021” lists from Pitchfork (#3) and PASTE (#20).
Low HEY WHAT
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 the single releases of “30 Degrees,” and her cover of the classic Brazilian song “Berimbau”, comes the latest single, “Every Morning” from London-based artist Naima Bock.
Naima spent her early childhood in Sao Paulo, Brazil with her Greek/English mother and Brazilian father. She was exposed to a diverse range of music from an early age. Artists like Baden Powell, Chico Buarque, Geraldo Vandre, Cartola were constantly playing in her house, and on long drives, she and her family would take to the beach. Naima and her family moved to South London when she was seven. As a teenager, Naima began attending shows, mostly at the Windmill Brixton. At the tender age of 15, she and a group of friends decided to start making music which would eventually turn into her first band Goat Girl. After six years of touring the world and playing bass in the band, Naima felt like it was the right time to leave, mostly due to a desire for a change in musical direction.
“Every Morning” was written by Naima, with production and arrangements with long-time collaborator Joel Burton. Naima met Burton (of the band Viewfinder, which she was a fan of) three years ago and, needing someone to play with, began booking shows as a duo. In recording, Naima leads with the structure, chords, and melody for a song whilst Joel oversees key parts including piano, string, and horn arrangements.
Naima says of “Every Morning”: I wrote this song whilst traveling, it was initially a stupid song about having some horrible eye infection and the chorus line was ‘itchy itchy eyes’. Then someone told me the melody was nice so I (naturally) reached into the barrel of neurosis and scooped out a gewey bunch of regret and nostalgia which resulted in the lyrics of ‘Every morning’. Since then, the only thing I’ve learnt is that people are the same. I’ve tried to stop lying but the white one slips out occasionally, I’ve tried to stop this too. Leaving people is also difficult, this song points to a very specific period in my life which consisted of tearing away from friends that I loved. It is not a song about romance, it is a song about the ending of friendships and how that can be just as much, if not more, painful. Producer Joel Burton wrote the beautiful outro melody in which we wanted to convey a sense of being at sea, alone but content.
Naima will tour extensively in 2022 beginning with an 11-date solo run through the UK and EU opening for Dana Gavanski (February 22nd-March 10th; select dates). She’s also scheduled international festival appearances at SXSW Music Festival (US), DIY Alive (UK) and End of the Road Festival (UK). She will also headline a show at London’s The Lexington on May 23rd. Naima will have additional live performances announced soon. See below for a current list of shows.
Sun. Feb.22 - Brighton, UK - The Hope & Ruin* Mon. Feb. 28 - Nottingham, UK - Metronome* Tue. Mar. 01 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club* Wed. Mar. 02 - Bristol, UK - Exchange* Thur. Mar. 03 - Manchester, UK - The Deaf Institute* Sat. Mar. 05 - Newcastle, UK - Bobiks* Sun. Mar. 06 - Glasgow, UK - The Hug & Pint* Tue. Mar. 08 - London, UK - The Lexington * Thur. Mar. 10 - Paris, FR - Pop Up Du Label* Wed. Mar. 16 - Sun. Mar. 20 - Austin, TX - SXSW Music Festival Sat. Apr. 23 - London, UK - DIY Alive Mon. May 23 - London, UK - The Lexington Thur. Sep. 01 - Sun. Sep. 04 - Dorset, UK - End of the Road Festival
