Fortunately for our eyes (and ears), Iron & Wine and returning director J. Austin Wilson (“Call It Dreaming”) made this delightful video for “Thomas County Law” from Beast Epic, his forthcoming album due out August 25th.
The winsome and sly visual stars Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam as a preacher preparing for a funeral service.
NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson had this to say of the video and the forthcoming album: “Iron & Wine will release Beast Epic, a new album that scales back the densely arranged grandeur of recent records like Ghost On Ghost and Kiss Each Other Clean. Though nowhere near as harrowingly spare as the bedroom recordings on which Beam first made his name, Beast Epic still feels like a return to roots; to simple, unadorned, plainspoken warmth....Last month, Iron & Wine released the album’s first single, “Call It Dreaming.” Now comes a follow-up: “Thomas County Law,” a gently rendered mid-tempo ballad whose accompanying video finds Beam decorating a church and giving a eulogy for what turns out to be his own (unattended) funeral (see video premiere July 26th).”
Beast Epic is now available for preorder from Sub Pop here, Iron & Wine’s official webstore, and select independent retailers … in the following formats:
A Deluxe 2xLP version on red & blue vinyl with alternate artwork, two bonus tracks from the Beast Epic recording sessions along with three home recorded demos and an etching on side D.
Iron & Wine has scheduled an extensive U.S. tour with a full band in support of Beast Epic beginning with a two night stand in Chicago on October 12th and 13th (both at Thalia Hall), and ends with a two night stand in New York in November 13th (at Town Hall) and 14th (at Brooklyn Steel). The fall tour is preceded by a week long jaunt through the Southeastern U.S., which spans August 26th through August 30th. For up to date information on tickets, please visit ironandwine.com/tours.
Summer 2017 Aug. 26 - Fayetteville, AR - Roots Festival - SOLD OUT Aug. 27 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note % Aug. 28 - Chattanooga, TN - Tivoli Theatre % Aug. 29 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn % - SOLD OUT Aug. 30 - Louisville, KY - WFPK on the Waterfront Aug. 31 - Nashville, TN - Lightning 100’s Live On the Green
Fall 2017 Oct. 12 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall* Oct. 13 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall # - SOLD OUT Oct. 14 - St Paul,MN - Palace Theatre # Oct. 15 - Lincoln, NE - Rococo Theatre # Oct. 17 - Missoula, MT - Wilma Theater # Oct. 18 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theater Oct. 19 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater # Oct. 20 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater - SOLD OUT Oct. 21 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre Oct. 26 - Los Angeles, CA - The Cathedral Sanctuary at Immanuel Presbyterian* Oct. 27 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy & Harriet’s* - SOLD OUT Oct. 28 - San Diego, CA - Balboa # Oct. 29 - Phoenix, AZ - Van Buren # Oct. 30 - Albuquerque, NM - El Rey # Nov. 01 - Dallas, TX - The Kessler # - SOLD OUT Nov. 02 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec Theater # Nov. 03 - Houston, TX - The Heights # - SOLD OUT Nov. 04 - New Orleans, LA - Joy Theater # Nov. 06 - Ft Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room# Nov. 07 - Orlando, FL - The Beacham # Nov. 09 - Washington DC - Lincoln Theatre # Nov. 10 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall # Nov. 11 - Boston, MA - Berklee Performance Center # - SOLD OUT Nov. 12 - Northampton, MA - Calvin Theatre # Nov. 13 - New York, NY - Town Hall # Nov. 14 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel*
Rejoice! Sub Pop is (finally) repressing three beloved albums from Pacific Northwest icon Mark Lanegan (also known for his work with Screaming Trees, Gutter Twins, Mad Season, Queens of the Stone Age, Isobel Campbell, and more). Scraps at Midnight, I’ll Take Care of You, and Field Songs will be available on vinyl worldwide on August 25h, and the albums are now available for pre-order from Sub Pop Mega Mart. Each album is pressed on 180-gram vinyl, and is housed in a gatefold jacket reproducing the art for its original release.
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New to Mark Lanegan? Might we suggest this Beginner’s Guide playlist as an introduction?
As a solo artist, Mark Lanegan built a devoted following, slowly releasing records that highlighted his love for singer/songwriters, and American folk and blues. His love for the rich history of American contemporary music was showcased throughout these three remarkable efforts: Scraps at Midnight (1998), I’ll Take Care of You(1999) and Field Songs (2001). And let’s not forget that voice! Trying to describe the power of Mark’s voice is not an easy task, but to paraphrase Fred Neil, he sure can sing the shit out of a song.
Mark Lanegan also collaborated regularly with Mike Johnson (Dinosaur Jr.), a multi-instrumentalist known for his understated yet incredible guitar work, who co-wrote, arranged and co-produced some of the early records and various songs from the discography.
About the Mark Lanegan Represses:
Scraps at Midnight (SP419 / July 21, 1998):
Scraps at Midnight is the third solo album by Lanegan, which he co-produced with longtime collaborator Johnson. Scraps at Midnight could arguably be considered the final installment of a trilogy of albums (preceded by The Winding Sheet and Whiskey for the Holy Ghost) which feature the songwriter’s interpretation of American roots music set to troubling lyrics that explore themes of loss, sin and redemption. LP comes in a gatefold jacket and is 180 gram vinyl.
Tracklist: 1. “Hospital Roll Call” / 2. “Hotel” / 3. “Stay” / 4. “Bell Black Ocean” / 5. “Last One in the World” / 6. “Praying Ground“ / 7. “Wheels” / 8. “Waiting on a Train” / 9. “Day and Night” / 10. “Because of This”
I’ll Take Care of You (SP445 / September 21, 1999):
I’ll Take Care of You, Lanegan’s fourth solo effort, consists entirely of cover songs with interpretation of songs from a wide variety of songwriters, including Tim Rose, Tim Hardin, Booker T. Jones, and Buck Owens. Prior to this LP version, I’ll Take Care of You was only available on vinyl via a long-out-of-print European run, and in the One Way Street box set. LP comes in a gatefold jacket and is 180 gram vinyl.
On Lanegan’s fifth and final solo album for Sub Pop, Field Songs, he seems to have taken the best elements from his previous work to create one of the most fulfilled, and fulfilling, albums of his career; Field Songs also includes “Kimiko’s Dream House,” which Mark co-wrote with Jeffrey Lee Pierce of The Gun Club. This LP version is the first standalone vinyl edition of Field Songs (it was previously only available in the 2015 box set entitled One Way Street). LP comes in a gatefold jacket and is 180 gram vinyl.
Presales begin today via wolfparade.comTickets on sale to general public, Friday, July 28th at 12pm EST.
[Photo Credit: Shane McCauley]
Wolf Parade have just announced fall 2017 international tour dates in support of Cry Cry Cry, the band’s first album in seven years (pre-order it here now). Dates begin October 13th in Toronto at Phoenix Concert Theatre and run through December 2nd in Stockholm at Strand. The newly added tour dates include stops in Buffalo, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Boston, Brooklyn, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Dublin, London, and Stockholm. Support for the North American dates will come from Barsuk Records act Charly Bliss (October 13th-27th).
Early pre-sales for these shows begin today via www.wolfparade.com, with tickets on sale to general public July 28th at 12pm EST.
Wolf Parade’s previously announced summer & fall 2017 tour schedule resumes August 18-20 in Rock Creek, BC at Ponderosa Music & Arts Festival. The band will also act direct support for The Arcade Fire September 5th through September 28th (select dates).
Aug. 18-20 - Rock Creek, BC - Ponderosa Music & Arts Festival Sep. 05 - Quebec City, QC - Videotron Center* Sep. 06 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre* Sep. 08 - South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground Sep. 09 - Ottawa, ON - Canadian Tire Center* Sep. 21 - Duluth, GA - Infinite Energy Arena* Sep. 22 - Tampa, FL - USF Sun Dome* Sep. 23 - Coral Gables, FL - Watsco Center* Sep. 24 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine, FL Amphitheatre* Sep. 26 - New Orleans, LA - UNO Lakefront Arena* Sep. 27 - Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center* Sep. 28 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center* Oct. 13 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre** Oct. 15 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom** Oct. 16 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues Oct. 19 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer** Oct. 20 - Boston, MA - Royale** Oct. 21 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel Oct. 22 - Washington, DC - Black Cat** Oct. 24 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall Oct. 25 - South Saginaw, MI - The Crofoot Ballroom Oct. 26 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall** Oct. 27 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue** Nov. 15 - Amsterdam, NL - Melkweg Nov. 17- Paris, FR - Petit Bain Nov. 18 - Bristol, UK - Thekla Nov. 20 - Dublin, UK - Button Factory Nov. 21 - Manchester, UK - Gorilla Nov. 22 - London, UK - O2 Forum Nov. 24 - Brussels, BE - Botanique (Orangerie) Nov. 25 - Nancy, FR - L’ autre Canal Nov. 26 - Basel, CH - Kaserne Nov. 27 - Munich, DE - Hansa 39 Nov. 29 - Berlin, DE - Bi Nuu Nov. 30 - Hamburg, DE - Gruenspan Dec. 02 - Stockholm, SE - Strand *w/ The Arcade Fire ** w/ Charly Bliss
Wolf Parade’s thunderous Cry Cry Cry is now available for pre-order on CD / 2xLP / DL / CS, worldwide from Sub Pop right over here and in Canada from Universal Records here. LP pre-orders through megamart.subpop.comand select independent retailers in the U.S. will receive the limited loser edition on creme colored vinyl (while supplies last), and a new t-shirt design will also be available for your bundling pleasure.
The soaring choruses, rousing anthems, sprawling guitars and chaotic keys that make up Wolf Parade are proudly on display over the course of Cry Cry Cry. These elements are captured on the album’s anthemic lead single “Valley Boy” [listen here].” Read more about Wolf Parade and Cry Cry Cry right over here.
Since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in January of 2013, our Co-Founder and fearless leader Jonathan Poneman has done everything he can to show others that there is life beyond Parkinson’s. Here he shares a few words on what supporting Parkinson’s research means to him:
It’s summer and that means Sub Pop is Biking for Bucks to benefit the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation (NWPF), an organization that is crucial to providing support, knowledge and better health to those in the Pacific Northwest (and elsewhere) who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), and to their caregivers.
I have lived with my PD diagnosis for years now. I take drugs, deal with symptoms and side effects, minding my attitude by keeping it positive. But sometimes good vibes just don’t cut it. I rely on family, friends and a network of heroes to win the day.
It’s a challenge to feign normalcy when your body is out of control. But stall outs, tremors, and bouts of anxiety are no longer a given for people with Parkinson’s. My life with PD is defined by great gains in understanding of what wellness is and the possibilities for having it in one’s life.
I remember how lonely I felt after finding out that I was sick. Nothing prepared me for the shock of vulnerability, or for stolen hours spent dwelling on morbid nonsense, feeling like a piñata at my own pity party.
Getting to know the people at the NWPF gave me a much-needed attitude adjustment as did meeting many more of my fellow travelers through the organization’s extraordinary outreach.
Every breakthrough in slowing the disease’s progression happens with a sustained effort. This is why Sub Pop’s annual biking trek inspires me so: it takes the fight to PD in a way that best exemplifies the promise of good health for everybody.
Life is ultimately defined by how well that it’s lived. The NWPF steers people like me toward regaining the upper (though still occasionally tremor-y) hand.
This year, Team Sub Pop is giving FIVE lucky donors an exclusive collection of limited edition Sub Pop vinyl (along with a Sub Pop tote bag) filled with rare and exciting items so you can rep your favorite Sub Pop gear wherever you go!
A donation of $100 or more via the Team Sub Pop page makes you eligible to win this one-of-a-kind collection. Drawings will occur every Monday at noon until August 14th, and winners will be notified via email.
In addition to some of our latest releases, a few classic titles are in the mix. A limited edition of The Shins’ second studio album Chutes Too Narrow pressed on gold vinyl (long-sold-out, and previously available only through Newbury Comics) will be included, along with a 20th anniversary double-LP edition of Nirvana’s debut album Bleach and Father John Misty’s critically acclaimed Pure Comedy.
But Wait… There’s More! (ways to donate)
Here’s another way to help support our efforts: Shop the NWPF Fundraiser page in Sub Pop Mega Mart, where all proceeds from sales of these featured items will be donated to the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation.
AND… if you’re traveling through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport this week, you’ll also find these items on display + for sale in our store!
The Impact
Your Donation will go directly to the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation. NWPF is the only independent regional Parkinson’s organization serving Washington State, and aims to establish optimal quality of life for the Northwest Parkinson’s community through awareness, education, advocacy and care.
Located in Seattle, NWPF proudly invests every dollar in local programs to support the Northwest Parkinson’s community. The organization plays a vital role in helping people with Parkinson’s live meaningfully with the disease. In addition, NWPF provides information that gives patients and their families the tools they need to find quality medical care, better manage their disease and take charge of their daily lives.
Sub Pop has a long history of supporting non-profit organizations around the globe but prefers to focus on local organizations in the Pacific Northwest. We have been involved in fundraisers for uncompensated care at Seattle Children’s Hospital, donated food and funds to Northwest Harvest, given time, support, and funds to the all-ages music venue The Vera Project, supported the campaign for marriage equality in Washington state, among many more. We believe in supporting the community that has always supported us. The Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation is an organization we feel proud to be riding for.
Other Ways You Can Help
You can also (please) go to the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation main website (www.nwpf.org) and give directly to the foundation through a gift at a different time if you are not able to help now.
Or simply get the word out about our campaign! Share our story and spread some awareness for Parkinson’s Disease. While science looks for a cure, the NWPF is looking out for the Parkinson’s community. We are grateful for anything you can do to help.
2017 tour dates include Capitol Hill Block Party (July 21st) and direct support for Arcade Fire this September
We have news! News of new music, that is.
Wolf Parade have announced that Cry Cry Cry, the band’s first new album in seven years (and fourth full-length overall), will be released worldwide (pre-order here) on Friday, October 6th, 2017. The album will also be available in Canada from Universal Music.
The soaring choruses, rousing anthems, sprawling guitars and chaotic keys that make up Wolf Parade are proudly on display over the course of Cry Cry Cry. These elements are captured on the album’s anthemic lead single “Valley Boy” and additional standouts “You’re Dreaming,” “Artificial Life” and “King of Piss and Paper.” Cry Cry Cry was produced by John Goodmanson at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle and mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound in New York.
[Photo Credit: Shane McCauley]
Wolf Parade announced its return to the live stage in early 2016, after a five-year hiatus, scheduling multi-night residencies that May in New York, London, and Toronto to support of Apologies to the Queen Mary, the reissue of its classic, Sub Pop debut. Tickets sold out within a matter of hours. As the May shows neared, Wolf Parade surprised fans again, with a self-titled-and-released EP’s-worth of new material. The excitement surrounding the band’s return led to marquee festival appearances and late night TV performances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Conan and Last Call with Carson Daly.
Tour Dates + Ticket Links
Wolf Parade’s previously announced tour schedule for 2017 resumes later this week, with a performance at Seattle’s Capitol Hill Block Party on Friday, July 21st. In August, the band will also appear at Ponderosa Music & Arts Festival in Rock Creek, BC on August 18th-20th. Then from September 5th through September 28th, Wolf Parade will act as direct support for The Arcade Fire (select dates). There will be additional live dates announced soon.
Jul. 21 - Seattle, WA - Capitol Hill Block Party Aug. 18-20 - Rock Creek, BC - Ponderosa Music & Arts Festival Sep. 05 - Quebec City, QC - Videotron Center* Sep. 06 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre* Sep. 09 - Ottawa, ON - Canadian Tire Center* Sep. 21 - Duluth, GA - Infinite Energy Arena* Sep. 22 - Tampa, FL - USF Sun Dome* Sep. 23 - Coral Gables, FL - Watsco Center* Sep. 24 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine, FL Amphitheatre* Sep. 26 - New Orleans, LA - UNO Lakefront Arena* Sep. 27 - Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center* Sep. 28 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center* *w/ Arcade Fire
Cry Cry Cry is now available for pre-order on CD / 2xLP / DL / CS, worldwide from Sub Pop right over here and in Canada from Universal Records here. LP pre-orders through megamart.subpop.comand select independent retailers in the U.S. will receive the limited loser edition on creme colored vinyl (while supplies last). A new t-shirt design will also be available.
Cry Cry Cry Tracklisting
1. Lazarus Online 2. You’re Dreaming 3. Valley Boy 4. Incantation 5. Files on the Sun 6. Baby Blue 7. Weaponized 8. Who Are Ya 9. Am I an Alien Here 10. Artificial Life 11. King of Piss and Paper
About Wolf Parade’s Cry Cry Cry: The soaring choruses, rousing anthems, sprawling guitars and chaotic keys that make up Wolf Parade are on proud display over the course of Cry Cry Cry, the band’s thunderous first album in seven years.
Wolf Parade’s unique combination of sounds and influences, spearheaded by electric co-frontmen Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner—is a complex yet relatable, energetic brew of glam, prog, synth-rock, and satisfying discomfort—helped define 2000s indie rock with three critically celebrated albums, and propelled a growing Wolf Parade fandom even after the band went on a then-indefinite hiatus in 2010.
Cry Cry Cry is their first album to be produced by Pacific Northwest legend John Goodmanson (Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney, Unwound) at Robert Lang Studios outside of Seattle, and is accompanied by a renewed focus and the creativity of a band that took their time getting exactly where they needed to be. It’s also a homecoming to Sub Pop, which released all three of the band’s previous albums.
“The band itself is almost a fifth member of the band, something more or at least different than the sum of its parts,” says Spencer Krug. “We don’t know who or what is responsible for our sound, it’s just something that naturally and consistently comes from this particular combo of musicians.”
“Once we got back together, I was playing guitar, writing and singing in a way that I only do while I’m in Wolf Parade,” says Dan Boeckner, who shares primary lyrical and singing duties with Spencer. “It’s just something that I can’t access without the other three people in the room.”
In the time apart, the band scattered geographically and focused on family and other work–Spencer on his solo project Moonface, Dan on his bands Handsome Furs, Operators, and Divine Fits (with Spoon’s Britt Daniel), and Dante De Caro on records with Carey Mercer’s Frog Eyes and Blackout Beach. And that time allowed for an even stronger, tighter band to emerge.
Eventually, Spencer, Dante, and Arlen found themselves all back living on remote Vancouver Island, accompanied by a population density less than that of Alaska, and the tranquility that leads to creative emanations like a government-sponsored bathtub race. With Dan on the same coast in Northern California, discussions began about picking things up where they left off.
“All of our albums are always a reaction to our last one,” says Arlen. “Expo 86 (2010) was about as sparse as we get, which is usually still pretty dense, and this time we wanted to make the palette a little larger.” Adds Dante, “Expo was a real rock record. We just sort of banged it out, which was kind of the point.” Cry Cry Cry, on the other hand, is more deliberate in its arrangements and embrace of the studio process. “If a part was going on for too long it would get lopped, you know?” says Dan. “That being said, there are two very long songs on the record and I don’t think it would be a Wolf Parade record if it didn’t have some kind of prog epic.”
“I think we’re actually a better band than we were when we stopped playing music together,” says Arlen. “A little bit more life experience for everybody, and people having made a bunch of records on their own.”
The result of this new consciousness is songs like “Valley Boy,” a Bowie-inflected anthem for which Spencer wrote lyrics after Leonard Cohen died the day before the 2016 election (“The radio’s been playing all your songs, talking about the way you slipped away up the stairs, did you know that it was all gonna go wrong?”). “You’re Dreaming,” also influenced by the election and the spinning shock that followed, is driving, urgent power pop that draws from artists like Tom Petty and what Dan calls one of his “default languages” for writing music. The swirly, synth-heavy crescendo of “Artificial Life” takes on the struggle of artists and at-risk communities (“If the flood should ever come, we’ll be last in the lifeboat”).
The album carries a sense of uprising that is not unrelated to Wolf Parade’s renewed determination to drive the band forward in uncertain times. Welcome to Cry Cry Cry.
