Listen to tracks “This Town” (from Dry As a Bone) and “Forever Means” (from Rehab Doll).
Sub Pop will release Green River’s Dry As a Bone EP, and their final offering the Rehab Doll LP, as expanded and remastered deluxe editions on CD/2xLP/DL worldwide January 25th, 2019. Jack Endino served as the executive producer for the project excavating & restoring tapes, mixing, remixing & mastering both packages.
Rolling Stone had this to say of Rehab Doll: “Proto-grunge at its best, its mud-dipped tracks breaking down and building themselves back up in real time. Frontman Mark Arm (later of Mudhoney) sounds like he gargled with lye before cutting tracks like the boogie-gone-bad “Together We’ll Never,” while the band’s rip-roaring cover of David Bowie’s “Queen Bitch” (originally only available on the album’s cassette release) hints at the wry humor that would animate much of the Seattle scene’s best moments.” And Magnet Magazine offers this, “Not only did Green River exemplify the collision of punk, metal and classic rock that became the early Seattle sound’s calling card, it eventually spawned some of the most recognizable faces of the grunge era....Green River sound is exactly what you would expect, with the tension of competing styles (Arm’s unhinged, punk-rock shriek vs. Gossard and Ament’s bluesy metal wanking) forming a singular, if combustible, mix....The impact is something akin to a beer bottle to the head, and it still reverberates 20 years later.”
LP preorders of each album through Sub Pop Mega Mart and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser editions of Dry As a Bone on forest green vinyl and Rehab Doll on opaque lime green vinyl (while supplies last).
About Green River’s Dry As a Bone and Rehab Doll:
The story of Seattle’s rise to global rock supremacy in the late ’80s and early ’90s begins with Green River. Made up of Jeff Ament (bass), Mark Arm (guitar/vocals), Bruce Fairweather (guitar), Stone Gossard (guitar), and Alex Shumway (drums), the quintet put out three 12”s and a 7” single during its brief existence. But Green River’s influence on Seattle’s music scene spread far and wide—thanks to the members’ dispersion into bands including Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, and Love Battery, as well as the punk-glam-sludge-rock songs they left behind.
“By ‘83, ‘84, there was definitely a movement that was happening within hardcore, like Black Flag slowing down for My War,” says Arm. “The Replacements and Butthole Surfers were rearing their heads, and they’re very different bands, but they’re not hardcore—the Replacements are pretty much straight-up rock, and Butthole Surfers were God knows what. Sonic Youth’s Bad Moon Risingwas around, and a lot of really interesting post-hardcore things were happening, Big Black, Scratch Acid.”
Green River, which formed in 1984, was part of that evolution, with a sound that straddled a lot of different genres—blues, punk, boozy straight-ahead rock. The mini-LP Dry As A Bone, which came out in 1987, and the LP Rehab Doll, which came out in 1988, were released as a single CD with a few bonus cuts, including their sneering cover of David Bowie’s “Queen Bitch” and their marauding version of Dead Boys’ “Ain’t Nothin’ to Do,” in 1990—but they’ve been unavailable on vinyl for years. Now, these slices of Seattle music history are not only back in print, they’re accompanied by items from the from the vaults that had been forgotten about for decades.
Dry As A Bone, originally released as a mini-LP, was recorded at Jack Endino’s Reciprocal Recording in 1986, and it shows the band in furious form, with Arm’s yowl battling Fairweather and Gossard’s ferocious guitar playing on “This Town” and “Unwind” opening as a slow bluesy grind then jump-starting itself into a hyperactive chase. The deluxe edition includes Green River’s cuts from the crucial Seattle-scene compilation Deep Six, as well as long-lost songs that were recorded to the now-archaic format Betamax. “Jack actually got his hands on one of those old players and was able to revive and mix them,” says Arm.
Dry As a Bone Tracklisting 1. This Town 2. PCC 3. Ozzie 4. One More Stitch * 5. Unwind 6. Baby Takes 7. Searchin’ # 8. Hangin’ Tree * 9. Together We’ll Never @ 10. Ain’t Nothin’ To Do @ 11. Bleeding Sheep * 12. Bazaar $ 13. Thrown Up * 14. This Little Boy * 15. 10000 Things ^ 16. Your Own Best Friend ^
* = Previously unreleased # = Previously released onDry As a Bone / Rehab DollCD (Sub Pop) @ = Previously released as a 7” (Tasque Force Records) $ = Previously released onAnother Pyrrhic Victory compilation (C/Z Records) ^ = Previously released onDeep Six compilation (C/Z Records)
Rehab Doll was released around the time the band split up in 1988. The album, recorded largely at Seattle’s Steve Lawson Studios, bridges the gap between the taut, punky energy of Dry As a Bone and the bigger drums and thicker riffs that were coming to dominate rock in the late ’80s. “None of us had been in a 24-track studio at that point,” says Arm. “There were a lot of weird things that we did in the recording of Rehab Doll that we had never done in any other studio. I remember doing the vocals for ‘One More Stitch’ underneath a piano that had its strings mic’d—so I was singing and that was being recorded, but the reverberation from the strings was being recorded at the same time.”
Rehab Doll includes the menacing “Forever Means,” which front-loads Arm’s yelp amidst waterspouts of guitar and a swaggering rhythm section, the cavernous “One More Stitch,” and “Swallow My Pride,” which would go on to be covered by fellow Sub Pop outfits Soundgarden and The Fastbacks. This new edition of Rehab Doll includes a remixed version of the album + 8 songs recorded to 8-track at Endino’s Reciprocal Recording, which features a more accurate depiction of how the band sounded when they played live. (“We generally didn’t have a gated snare sound,” notes Arm.) “When I listen to these mixes, I think, ‘This is how we actually sounded—this is the kind of energy we had,’” says Shumway. “It’s much more raw, and it’s much more real.”
Rehab Doll Tracklisting 1. Forever Means 2. Rehab Doll 3. Swallow My Pride 4. Together We’ll Never 5. Smilin’ and Dyin’ 6. Porkfist 7. Take a Dive 8. One More Stitch 9. 10000 Things * 10. Hangin’ Tree * 11. Rehab Doll * ^ 12. Swallow My Pride # ^ 13. Together We’ll Never * ^ 14. Smilin’ and Dyin’ * ^ 15. Porkfist * ^ 16. Take a Dive * ^ 17. Somebody * ^ 18. Queen Bitch * ^
* = Previously unreleased ^ = Reciprocal 8-track versions $ = Previously released on the Hype! Soundtrack (Sub Pop) # = Previously released on the Dry As A Bone / Rehab Doll CD (Sub Pop)
[Photo Credit: Charles Peterson]
Green River’s place in American music history is without question, but these recordings paint a more complete picture of the band—and of rock in the mid- to late-’80s when punk’s faster-and-louder ideals had begun shape-shifting into other ideas.
Mascis’s international touring schedule for 2018/19 begins in North America November 7th
Drag icon Dina Martina appears in numerous guises, lip-synching against the moving background of blurry night time city streets in the new J Mascis video for the title track from Elastic Days, his forthcoming new album. Co-directors Shane Wahlund & Michael Anderson capture Dina’s uncannily contemplative and slightly melancholic mood, and her performance serves as the perfect visual for the song.
J had this to say of the video, “I’ve been a big Dina Martina fan for a long time. I’ve seen her perform many times over the years. I’m glad that I got her to do this video before she becomes an untouchable superstar. I am amazed at how the video came out, I’m so psyched.”
J Mascis’ North American tour dates for 2018 in support of Elastic Days begin on November 7th in Vancouver, BC at The Imperial and wrap up on December 15 in Portland, ME at Port City Music Hall. Then in early 2019, he’ll embark on UK tour which kicks off January 16th in Oxford at O2 Academy and ends on January 25th in Glasgow at St. Lukes.
Nov. 07 - Vancouver, BC - Imperial Nov. 08 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater Nov. 09 - Seattle, WA - Tractor Nov. 10 - Bellingham, WA - Wild Buffalo Nov. 14 - San Francisco, CA - Slim’s Nov. 15 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar Nov. 16 - Los Angeles, CA - Lodge Room Nov. 17 - Denver, CO - Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox Nov. 18 - Fort Collins, CO - Washington’s Nov. 20 - Chicago, IL - City Winery* Nov. 21 - Chicago, IL - City Winery* Nov. 27 - Atlanta, GA - City Winery* Nov. 28 - Nashville, TN - City Winery* Nov. 29 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar* Nov. 30 - Detroit, MI - El Club* Dec. 01 - Toronto, ON - Great Hall* Dec. 04 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe* Dec. 05 - Washington, DC - City Winery* Dec. 07 - Brooklyn, NY - Rough Trade* Dec. 08 - New York, NY - Public Arts* Dec. 09 - Hamden, CT - Space Ballroom* Dec. 12 - Providence, RI - The Met* Dec. 13 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair* Dec. 14 - Northampton, MA - The Academy of Music* Dec. 15 - Portland, ME - Port City Music Hall* Jan. 16 - Oxford, UK - O2 Academy Jan. 17 - Bristol, UK - Thekla Jan. 18 - Brighton, UK - Concorde 2 Jan. 19 - London, UK - Islington Assembly Hall Jan. 20 - Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms Jan. 22 - Liverpool, UK - Arts Club Jan. 23 - Manchester, UK - Gorilla Jan. 24 - Leeds, UK - Belgrave Music Hall Jan. 25 - Glasgow, UK - St. Lukes * w/ Luluc
ATTENTION RECORD NERDS AND MUSIC FANS! We are now taking subscriptions for the fourth – and, who knows, perhaps the best! – incarnation of the legendary Sub Pop Singles Club.
Are you desperate to hear new and exciting music? Do you pine for exquisitely packaged, colored-vinyl artifacts? Do you break into a sweat at the thought of missing out on limited-edition tchotchkes to hold over your friends’ heads? Well, subscribe now and feed your need!
Attentive oldsters may recall the first edition of the Singles Club, which coincided with the launch of Sub Pop as a semi-functioning (and we do mean semi) record label, and featured Nirvana, Soundgarden, Sonic Youth, Fugazi, L7, and countless (ok, around 75, to be more precise) other era-defining artists from the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Fans of a more youthful age may remember the second and third editions, which ran from 1998-2002 and 2008-2009, respectively, and together included hitmakers like Iron and Wine, Bright Eyes, The White Stripes, Death Cab for Cutie, Jesus and Mary Chain, The Get Up Kids, The Dutchess and the Duke, Om, Thee Oh Sees, and many more.
All of this ancient history is to say: 1. WE INVENTED THIS SHIT! 2. We’ll get you lots of great music, and there’s a good chance you’ll wind up with some highly sought-after rarities. And, 3. We’re seasoned pros at this and we’ll definitely probably get all your records delivered to the correct address right on time.
For the eminently reasonable postpaid (meaning shipping is included in the price; tax is not) price of $130 for the U.S., $170 for Canada, $185 for Mexico, and $195 for the rest of the world, you will receive twelve (12) 7” singles, shipped directly from Sub Pop HQ in Seattle to you, starting in April of 2019. These singles will feature exclusive tracks by artists from all over the map, both literally and figuratively, but tied together by the common thread of being great at what they do and inspiring to us. We hope you’ll feel the same. This offer is valid for a limited time only, so don’t sleep on it [subscribe here].
Things to know:
Subscribing is the only way to get the physical 7”s. They will not be available in stores.
You can subscribe from anywhere in the world.
You can purchase a subscription as a gift – simply enter the recipient’s name and address in the delivery address fields for your order.
Each single will be available for streaming and digital purchase two weeks after that single ships. But by then you will not be able to go back in time, subscribe, and get that single. So sign up now if you want vinyl!
Subscriptions are exempt from any Mega Mart sale discounts.
You can buy a subscription in the same order as other items you wish to purchase from us. We will ship the rest of your order as soon as possible, but no Singles Club 7”s will ship until April 2019, when you’ll get the first two, with successive singles to follow in pairs every other month thereafter. (We are shipping two singles at a time, every other month, because shipping is expensive and we want this subscription to be relatively affordable.)
Singles Club subscriptions cannot be sent to your local store and are not part of the Sub Pop Local program. As such, there is no free-shipping option for the Singles Club.
If you need to change your address at any point during your subscription, please email websales@subpop.com.
Hot on the heels of the release of their critically acclaimed album, Double Negative, Low have shared a new video for their song “Always Trying to Work It Out.” The visual was co-directed by longtime friend and video collaborator Phil Harder. The band’s Alan Sparhawk had this to say about the video, “We present our slightly Halloween-themed video for ‘Always Trying to Work It Out.’ In which… friends and family star in a stroll through the grocery store; familiar fragments from memory appear; masks are filtering light. Thank you National Sawdust, light tech Shane Donohue, and the Food Co-op in Duluth. It’s dedicated to our city of Duluth.”
Low’s North American 2018/19 international headlining tour in support of Double Negative resumes November 2nd in St. Paul at The Fitzgerald Theatre, and runs through November 17th in Madison at High Noon Saloon, with 2019 dates to follow.
2018 Tour Dates Nov. 02 - St. Paul, MN - The Fitzgerald Theatre Nov. 05 - Detroit, MI - El Club Nov. 06 - Toronto, ON - Great Hall Nov. 08 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rosa Nov. 09 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall Nov. 10 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts Nov. 12 - Washington, DCU Street Music Hall Nov. 13 - Pittsburgh, PA - The Funhouse Nov. 14 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop Nov. 15 - Grand Rapids, MI - Pyramid Scheme Nov. 16 - Chicago, IL - Rockefeller Chapel Nov. 17 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
2019 Tour Dates Jan. 29 - Glasgow, UK - Tramway Jan. 30 - Birmingham, UK - Birmingham Town Hall Jan. 31 - Brighton, UK - St. George’s Church Brighton Feb. 01 - London, UK - Barbican Feb. 02 - Kortrijk, BE - De Kreun Feb. 04 - Groningen, NL - Vera Feb. 05 - Erlangen, DE - E-Werk (Erlangen) Feb. 06 - Cologne, DE - Kulturkirche Köln Feb. 07 - Frankfurt, DE - Sankt Peter Feb. 08 - Hamburg, DE - Uebel & Gefährlich Feb. 09 - Aarhus, DK - Voxhall Feb. 11 - København, DK - The Koncerthuset - Studie 2 Feb. 12 - Gothenburg, SE - Pustervik Feb. 13 - Oslo - Norway - Parkteatretjo Feb. 14 - Stockholm, SE - Kagelbanan (Small Room) Mar. 08 - Denver, CO - Globe Hall Mar. 09 - Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf Mar. 11 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar Mar. 12 - Tustin, CA - Marty’s On Newport Mar. 13 - Tijuana, MX - Moustache Mar. 15 - Los Angeles, CA - Lodge Room Mar. 16 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall Mar. 18 - Portland, OR - Star Theater Mar. 19 - Vancouver, BC - Imperial Mar. 20 - Seattle, WA - Neumos Mar. 23 - Provo, UT - Velour Live Music Gallery
European and U.K. dates supporting Ms. Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 20th Anniversary Tour begin November 17th.
Shabazz Palaces are sharing the official video for “Déesse Du Sang” from their acclaimed 2017 release, Quazarz: Born On A Gangster Star. The ominous, slightly NSFW visual, is directed by returning director Stephan Gray (“Dawn In Luxor,” “Since C.A.Y.A.”).
SHABAZZ PALACES TOUR DATES
Shabazz Palaces European and UK tour dates in support of Quazarz Born On A Gangster Star, and Quazarz Vs. The Jealous Machines have been extended through February 2019. Beginning November 17th in Skopje, Macedonia and ending December 3rd, 2018 in London at O2 Arena, the group will support Ms. Lauryn Hill on the EU/UK edition of “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 20th Anniversary Tour.” Then in early 2019, Shabazz Palaces will return to the EU/UK a string of headlining dates beginning February 4th in Rotterdam at Bird and ending February 7th on London at Jazz Cafe.
Quazarz Born on a Gangster Star and Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines, the group’s third and fourth albums released in 2017, are available now on CD / LP / DL / CS / Illustrated album worldwide through Sub Pop [purchase it now here].
What people are saying Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Starand Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machinesand affiliated singles: “In thermodynamics, black bodies are both perfect absorbers and emitters of radiant energy. That seeming contradiction would not be lost on one Palaceer Lazaro, better known as Ishmael Butler of Shabazz Palaces, who continues to find far-out ways to reflect and refract the sound and fury of popular culture and contemporary blackness…Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star…pushes an interstellar narrative that’s equal parts absurd and real…It’s a cosmic trip. [Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star] - NPR Music
“The power of Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Starand Quazarz vs the Jealous Machinescomes from the way they spike their dense, abstract sound with moments of accessibility: a band broadening what they do without blunting their edge or losing their uniqueness.” - [4/5, Album of the Week] - The Guardian
“The pair’s music sounds like rap music viewed through a prism - a psychedelic reverie of glittering electronic textures and unconventional beats that’s sensual, expansive and disorientating….Like interstellar guides, they’re always positioned a little further out than their peers, and these two records offer suggested routes to an infinity of possible futures.” [8/10] - Uncut
“A thrilling excursion, possessing an otherworldly ambiance and substance you’ll spend months decoding, every spin yielding something new. Adventurous ears, listen up!” [4/5 stars] - MOJO
“Set Quazarz to stunning.” [4/5 stars] - Q
“The Quazarz suite is an unequivocal triumph.” - [9/10] - Loud & Quiet
“These exquisite new sonic meanderings conjure up the ghost of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.” [Record of the Month] - London In Stereo
“Both of Shabazz Palaces’ new albums are meticulously crafted, with an obscure narrative and arrangements so vivid they beckon you to unravel them.” [4/5 stars] - The Skinny
“Digitally cut-up, delayed and reverberated, words tumble, swirl and spill, smearing themselves over fragmented beats and shimmering kaleidoscopic backdrops: strands of audio graffiti sprayed on walls that gleam, shift shape and then finally vanish.” [Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star & Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines] - Wire
