Sunny Day Real Estate and Sub Pop are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the band’s landmark album Diary with a new pearlescent vinyl edition of the remastered double LP and its release coincides with the band’s 2024 US tour commemorating the anniversary of the album.
This new version of Diary is now available to preorder from megamart.subpop.com, and select North American retailers (while supplies last).
Originally formed in Seattle in 1992, Sunny Day Real Estate featured Nate Mendel (bass), William Goldsmith (drums), Dan Hoerner (guitar, vocals) and Jeremy Enigk (vocals, guitar). Diary, the band’s first full-length album, was released in 1994 on Sub Pop, going on to become the seventh-best-selling record in the label’s history, with more than 231,000 copies scanned in the US alone. Diary was recorded at Chicago’s Idful Studios with producer Brad Wood and released to critical acclaim.
Pitchfork, in its “50 Best Indie Rock Albums of Pacific Northwest,” said of Diary, “The title would later be ridiculed as a symbol of emo’s inward focus, but Sunny Day Real Estate’s Diary, their 1994 debut on Sub Pop, can be read in various ways: in the form of punk rock evolving away from its original designs into more dynamic and insecure space, or as a display of spiraling interplay between four talented musicians from Seattle.”
The Diary 30th Anniversary Tour begins Wednesday, March 13th in Lawrence, KS at Liberty Hall and currently ends with a two-night stand Friday, October 18th and Saturday, October 19th in Los Angeles at The Belasco. Please find a current list of dates below. For more information on tickets, please visit https://sunnyday.realestate.
Wed. Mar. 13 - Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall Thu. Mar. 14 - Oklahoma, OK - Tower Theatre Sat. Mar. 16 - Austin, TX - Stubb’s Austin (SPIN) Wed. May 01 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre Fri. May 03 - Gainesville, FL - High Dive [Sold Out] Sat. May 04 - Atlanta, GA - Shaky Knees Music Festival Tue. May 07 - Washington, D.C. - The Howard Theatre Thu. May 09 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts [Sold Out] Fri. May 10 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts Sun. May 12 - Boston, MA - Big Night Live Wed. May 15 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza [Sold Out] Thu. May 16 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza Wed. Aug. 14 - Dallas, TX - The Echo Lounge & Music Hall Sat. Aug. 17 - Denver, CO - Summit Tue. Aug. 20 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox [Sold Out] Wed. Aug. 21 - Portland, OR - Pioneer Courthouse Square (PDX Live) Fri. Aug. 23 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox [Sold Out] Sat. Aug. 24 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox Sun. Sep. 22 - Louisville, KY - Bourbon and Beyond Festival Wed. Sep. 25 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues Sat. Sep. 28 - Minneapolis, MN - The Fillmore Oct. 11-13 - Las Vegas, NV - Best Friends Forever Festival Tue. Oct. 15 - San Francisco, CA - August Hall Fri. Oct. 18 - Los Angeles, CA - The Belasco [Sold Out] Sat. Oct. 19 - Los Angeles, CA - The Belasco
Tracklisting: 1. Seven 2. In Circles 3. Song About an Angel 4. Round 5. 47 6. The Blankets Were the Stairs 7. Pheurton Skeurto 8. Shadows 9. 48 10. Grendel 11. Sometimes 12. 8 (bonus track) 13. 9 (bonus track)
Today, Monday, March 4th, Shabazz Palaces is sharing “Take Me To Your Leader” a Kraftwerk-esque jam featuring Ishmael Butler’s alter ego Lavarr the Starr, and is the closing track from Exotic Birds of Prey, his forthcoming seven-song mini-album.
Exotic… will be available on CD/LP/DSPs March 29th worldwide from Sub Pop, and is the follow-up to Robed in Rareness, his well-received album from October 2023. Robed is available now on DSPs but will also be available on CD/LP formats on March 29th, 2024.
Shabazz Palaces has announced European and UK dates in support of Robed in Rareness and Exotic Birds of Prey, which begin April 27th in Paris, France at Le Petit Bain and currently end May 22nd in Braga, PT at Gnration. Preceding these dates, Shabazz Palaces will also appear at My Morning Jacket’s “One Big Holiday” at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, April 4th-7th, 2024.
Sat. Apr. 27 - Paris, FR - Le Petit Bain Tue. Apr. 30 - Lille, FR - Aeronef Wed. May 01 - Brussels, BE - AB Club Thu. May 02 - Ramsgate, UK - Music Hall in Fri. May 03 - Dublin, IE - Sugar Club Sat. May 04 - Leeds, UK - Headrow House Sun. May 05 - Manchester, UK - YES Pink Room Mon. May 06 - Brighton, UK - Patterns Tue. May 07 - London, UK - Village Underground Thu. May 09 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso Sat. May 11 - Copenhagen, DK - Huset Sun. May 12 - Hamburg, DE - Turmzimmer Mon. May 13 - Berlin, DE - Frannz Club Tue. May 14 - Prague, CZ - Meet Factory Thu. May 16 - Geneva, CH - L’Usine Sun. May 19 - San Sebastian, ES - Dabadaba Mon. May 20 - Madrid, ES - Cafe Berlin Tue. May 21 - Lisbon, PT - B. Leza Wed. May 22 - Braga, PT - Gnration
Shabazz Palaces is masterminded by vocalist and producer Ismael Butler, whose unstinting drive to reimagine hip-hop – even as he enjoys his fifth decade on Earth – remains undimmed.
Exotic Birds of Prey furthers the modus operandi of its predecessor, Robed in Rareness – a respectful eye on the past, an embrace of an ever-evolving present, and its feet are firmly planted in the future. Where Robed… warped sounds like shoegaze and ambient music into the Shabazz Palaces multiverse, Exotic… cross-pollinates these elements with twisted electro and funk vibes.
This new endeavor features collaborations with the likes of Stas THEE Boss, Irene Barber, the aforementioned Lavarr the Starr, Japreme Magnetic, OC Notes, Cobra Coil, and Purple Tape Nate.
Exotic Birds of Prey was produced by Shabazz Palaces, mixed by Erik Blood, and engineered by Ishmael Butler and Blood at Studio4 West in Venice, California, with mastering by Warren Defever at Third Man Mastering.
Exotic Birds of Prey and Robed in Rareness are now available to preorder from Sub Pop. LP preorders for each release in North America from megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser Editions for Exotic Birds of Prey on Translucent White vinyl and Robed in Rareness on Translucent Ruby vinyl.
In the UK and Europe, LP orders from Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart) and independent retail stores will receive the Loser Editions for Exotic Birds of Prey on Cream White vinyl and Robed in Rareness on Red vinyl.
NPR Music called Robedin Rareness “Enchanting and subversive…” while Pitchfork offered this, “The futurism of Shabazz Palaces has always been interwoven with the past and present, their songs scintillating tapestries of old-school shit talk, proggy psychedelia, and melodic flossing. Robed in Rareness is draped in this multiplicity as Butler and a team of close collaborators swagger across eras of rap.”
Tracklisting 1. Exotic BOP (feat. Purple Tape Nate) 2. Angela (feat. Stas THEE Boss & Irene Barber) 3. Myths Of The Occult (feat. Japreme Magnetic) 4. Goat Me (feat. Cobra Coil) 5. Well Known Nobody (feat. OCnotes) 6. Synth Dirt 7. Take Me To Your Leader (feat. Lavarr the Starr)
Today, February 29th, Bully (aka Alicia Bognanno) has digitally released an intimate piano ballad entitled “Atom Bomb.”
Bognanno says, “The song was originally recorded with a drum machine and electric guitar; it was also quite a bit faster. When I played the demo for JT Daly (producer), he had the idea of moving it to the piano. I remember saying out loud, ‘Can you believe I’m trusting anybody like this?’ We both started laughing because starting off as someone who used to record, mix, and produce their own records to avoid the vulnerability that comes with working out creative ideas in the company of others, it was a huge step for me. That was our first real bonding moment, acknowledging that we were mutually up for trying new things and seeing each other’s ideas through before one of us shut it down.”
Bree Marie Fish directed the accompanying live video recorded and shot at MMK studios in Nashville, TN. Click HERE to watch.
This stand-alone track follows the release of Lucky For You, which garnered praise and notices from The New York Times, NPR Music,Rolling Stone, The FADER, Stereogum, Pitchfork, and more. Additionally, Bognanno recently contributed original music to the Apple TV show Buccaneers and was featured onMilitarie Gun’s recent song “Never Fucked Up Twice.”
Bully is currently on a tour of North America, performing in a rare solo setting while supporting Grouplove. The tour began last night in Seattle and ends on March 30th at Terminal Five in New York City. Please find a full list of dates below.
Thu. Feb. 29 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom # Sat. Mar. 02 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater # Tue. Mar. 05 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory North Park # Wed. Mar. 06 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues # Fri. Mar. 08 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern # Sat. Mar. 09 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren # Mon. Mar. 11 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Van Buren # Tue. Mar. 12 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up Aspen # Wed. Mar. 13 - Denver, CO - Mission Ballroom # Fri. Mar. 15 - Saint Paul, MN - Palace Theatre # Sat. Mar. 16 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre # Sun. Mar. 17 - Detroit, MI - Saint Andrew’s Hall # Tue. Mar. 19 - Columbus, OH - KEMBA Live! # Wed. Mar. 20 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogart’s # Fri. Mar. 22 - Pittsburgh, PA - Roxian Theatre# Sat. Mar. 23 - Philadelphia, PA - Franklin Music Hall # Mon. Mar. 25 - Richmond, VA - The National # Fri. Mar. 29 - Boston, MA - Roadrunner # SAT. Mar. 30 - New York City, NY - Terminal Five # Thu. Nov. 14 - London, UK - Electric Ballroom
# w/ GROUPLOVE
What People are saying about Bully’s Lucky For You: “The result is a confident, compelling record that reveals — and revels in — the softness behind the feedback and fuzz that continue to make Bully a force to be reckoned with (8/10).” -EXCLAIM!
“Alicia Bognanno’s fourth album is an open-hearted, anthemic career-best (Album of the Week).” - PASTE
“…Lucky For You is Bully’s best album yet, immediate and undeniable and kind of awe-inspiring in its complex simplicity (Album of the Week).” STEREOGUM
“‘Days Move Slow,’ from Alicia Bognanno’s grungy indie-rock project Bully, is a song about being caught in the muck of grief — but it also has a propulsive, bouncy energy that promises eventual forward motion. “There’s flowers on your grave that grow,” Bognanno sings in her signature holler, battling her buzzing guitar. “Something’s gotta change, I know.” - NEW YORK TIMES
“‘Days Move Slow’ is a punchy but poignant tune, an energetic and honest exploration of grief that Bully’s Alicia Bognanno wrote after the death of her dog, Mezzi.” - ROLLING STONE
“‘Days Move Slow’ is pristine Bully – sparking pop, but also working with a seismic edge… Retaining the anthemic bite she’s become known for, the sessions adding aspects of shoegaze, punk, and late 90s British guitar pop.” - CLASH
“‘Lose You’ attempts to reckon with the idea that even a love that seems like it’ll last forever isn’t necessarily immortal. Taking cues from late ’80s and ’90s shoegaze pioneers, the track is driven by a steadily, thumping beat that backdrops Bognanno’s fuzzed-out guitars: “Either way I’m gonna lose you,” she and Allison lament in harmony, before a ripper of a guitar solo near the song’s end.” - CONSEQUENCE
“The rasp in Alicia Bognanno’s voice makes everything she sings engaging and she uses the pain inherent in that croak to great effect on ‘Lose You’” - THE FADER
“With lashings of scuzz and slacker fire, it’s a guaranteed hit with Gen X and Z alike.” [“Lose You”] - GUITAR WORLD
“‘Lose You’ is a succinct grunge-pop tune woven with stark realizations.” - FLOOD
“Featuring fellow fuzz-rocker Sophie Allison, AKA Soccer Mommy, ‘Lose You’ is one of those tracks that is filled to the brim with pop hooks and crunchy guitar riffs. As Bully and Soccer Mommy trade harmonies, the banging backing track that supports them continuously ebbs and flows through different dynamics. The sound is always ecstatic, especially when a trippy guitar solo bubbles up from the ether.” - FAR OUT
“Her fourth album is perhaps her most candid yet, and it’s all the more triumphant for it.” - Upset
“Cherry-picked from the rich tapestry of alt-rock past… but all heart, specifically Alicia Bognanno’s torn, bleeding irresistible heart.” - Classic Rock
“More layers and nuance than ever before… magnificently raw.” - Record Collector
Pissed Jeans is sharing the Joe Stakun-directed official video for “Cling to a Poisoned Dream,” a bruising meditation of harsh truths, and a highlight from their excellent sixth album Half Divorced, out this Friday, March 1st, worldwide on Sub Pop.
The twelve songs on Half Divorced skewer the tension between youthful optimism and the sobering realities of adulthood. Pissed Jeans’ – Matt Korvette (vocals), Bradley Fry (guitar), Randy Huth (bass), and Sean McGuinness (drums) – notorious acerbic sense of humor remains sharper than ever as they dismember some of the joys that contemporary adult life has to offer.
Half Divorced has earned praise from the likes of MOJO (★★★★), and UNCUT. In their 8/10 review, the latter says, “Almost 20 years on, this lot are still kicking against the pricks with their ferocious hybrid of (post-) punk, hardcore and sludgy grunge. Track titles here such as ‘Anti-Sapio’ and ‘Cling to a Poisoned Dream’ suggest their view of the status quo remains brutally realistic, but as always it’s leavened with tunefulness and dark humour. Matt Korvette is a misanthropic force of nature, whether ticking off the negatives of cities from Boston to Rome (‘Everywhere Is Bad’) or addressing adult responsibility (‘Helicopter Parent’). ’80s hardcore rules, as on closer ‘Moving On,’ which taps Bob Mould’s chiming intensity, but PJ throw it off course, notably on Killing Joke-esque epic ‘Junktime.’” Meanwhile, God Is In the TV says the album’s “…throttling compulsion and an undeniable lightness of being make for a winning combination,” and Record Collector succinctly adds “It’s a corker.”
Half Divorced was produced and mixed by Pissed Jeans and Don Godwin and engineered by Mike Petillo at Tonal Park in Takoma Park, Maryland, and mastered by Arthur Rizk (co-producer and mixer for Why Love Now).
Half Divorced is available to preorder from Sub Pop. Preorders in North America from megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser Edition on Spotify-Colored vinyl (otherwise known as an opaque lime green…). In the UK and Europe, LP orders from independent retail stores will receive the Loser Edition on Coke Bottle Green vinyl. A UK-only Magenta vinyl edition will also be available to preorder through Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart) and Rough Trade Shops. All colored vinyl versions are available while stock lasts.
Pissed Jeans’ previously announced international tour dates in support of Half Divorced span Friday, February 29th through April 4th. More live dates will be announced soon.
Thu. Feb. 29 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios Fri. Mar. 01 - Seattle, WA - Madame Lou’s Sat. Mar. 02 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo Fri. Mar. 15 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Sat. Mar. 16 - Brooklyn, NY - St. Vitus Fri. Mar. 29 - Schijndel, NL - Paaspop Festival Sat. Mar. 30 - London, UK - EartH (aka Hackney Arts Centre) Sun. Mar. 31 - Manchester, UK - Manchester Punk Fest Tue. Apr. 02 - Glasgow, UK - Stereo Wed. Apr. 03 - Dublin, IE - Whelan’s Thu. Apr. 04 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
Next week, Pissed Jeans will host an hourlong takeover of NTS Radio on Friday, March 8th (noon EST).
Pissed Jeans Half Divorced
Tracklisting: 1. Killing All the Wrong People 2. Anti-Sapio 3. Helicopter Parent 4. Cling to a Poisoned Dream 5. Sixty-Two Thousand Dollars in Debt 6. Everywhere Is Bad 7. Junktime 8. Alive With Hate 9. Seatbelt Alarm Silencer 10. (Stolen) Catalytic Converter 11. Monsters 12. Moving On