“When Cats Claw” was produced by Knife Knights (aka Ishmael Butler and Erik Blood), recorded and mixed by Blood at Protect and Exalt Labs: A Black Space in Seattle (see Rolling Stoneinterview & track premiere June 20th).
Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star and Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines will be released on July 14th on CD / LP / DL / CS and are now available for preorder from Sub Pop [right here]. LP pre-orders for each album from megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers, will receive the limited “Loser” edition on colored vinyl (…Jealous Machines on mashed-up purple; …Born on a Gangster Star on aluminum). Both albums can be purchased together as a special bundle, and there are also new T-shirt designs associated with each release (one for …Born on a Gangster Star and two for …vs. The Jealous Machines). Would you like to know more?
Shabazz Palaces will support both Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star and Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines with international tour dates that span July 13th-16th at Cascadia Festival in Granite Falls, Washington through November 9th-12th at Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Jul. 13-16 - Granite Falls, WA - Cascadia Festival Aug. 16 - Portland, OR - The Star Theater* Aug. 18 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall* Aug. 19 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent Theatre* Aug. 20 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom* Aug. 21 - El Paso, TX - Lowbrow* Aug. 23 - Austin, TX - Mohawk (Outdoor Stage)* Aug. 24 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada* Aug. 25 - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon* Aug. 26 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West* Aug. 27 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm* Aug. 28 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle* Aug. 30 - Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups* Aug. 31 - Detroit, MI - El Club* Sep. 01 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace* Sep. 02 - Montreal, QC - Theatre Fairmount* Sep. 03 - Quebec City, QC - Le Cercle Sep. 05 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair* Sep. 06 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw* Sep. 07 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer* Sep. 08 - Washington, DC - Black Cat* Sep. 09 - Baltimore, DC - Ottobar* Sep. 11 - Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall Sep. 15 - 17 - Chicago, IL - Riot Fest at Douglas Park Nov. 09-12 - Utrecht, NL - Le Guess Who? Festival *w/ Porter Ray
B-Sides and Rarities will be available June 30th in North America from Sub Pop, in Europe from Bella Union and in Australia/New Zealand from Mistletone.
The video for “Chariot,” directed by the band, is a rumination on the creation, cultivation, and confusion of narratives in media.
The “Chariot” video comes from Beach House’s B-Sides and Rarities album, a 14-track compilation of songs from throughout their career so far, out June 30th. The album features 2 previously unreleased tracks “Chariot” and “Baseball Diamond,” which were recorded during the Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars sessions (both Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars were released, 2 months apart, in 2015)
[Photo Credit: Shawn Brackbill]
Beach House says of the release, “When we announced that we were releasing a B-sides and Rarities album, someone on Twitter asked, ‘B-sides record? Why would Beach House put out a B-sides record? Their A-sides are like B-sides.’ This random person has a point. Our goal has never been to make music that is explicitly commercial. Over the years, as we have worked on our 6 LPs, it wasn’t the ‘best’ or most catchy songs that made the records, just the ones that fit together to make a cohesive work. Accordingly, our B-sides are not songs that we didn’t like as much, just ones that didn’t have a place on the records we were making.”
“The idea for a B-sides record came when we realized just how many non-album songs had been made over the years, and how hard it was to find and hear many of them. This compilation contains every song we have ever made that does not exist on one of our records. There are 14 songs in total [Read more about the record right over here].”
Beach House’s B-Sides and Rarities will be released on CD / LP / CASS / DL and is available for pre-order now here. LP pre-orders in North America through the Sub Pop Mega Mart and select independent retailers will receive the Loser Edition on crystal clear vinyl (while supplies last), and a new T-shirt design will also be available to bundle with the album.
Beach House’s previously announced 2017 international headlining and festival tour schedule resumes this August. Highlights include: August 13th in Castelbuono, IT at Ypsigrock, August 16th in Sestri Levante, IT for an appearance at Mojotic Festival, and a string of September dates with friends and former labelmates Fleet Foxes (with stops at the Hollywood Bowl and Red Rocks Amphitheatre among those).
Aug. 11 - Copenhagen, DK - Haven Aug. 13 - Castelbuono, IT - Ypsigrock Aug. 16 - Sestri Levante, IT - Mojotic Festival Aug. 18 - Parades de Coura, PT - Parades de Coura Festival Sep. 23 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl* Sep. 24 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre* Sep. 25 - Santa Fe, NM - Santa Fe Opera* Sep. 27 - Denver, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre* [Sold Out] *w/ Fleet Foxes
Watch video for “Call It Dreaming” directed by J. Austin Wilson + Find 2017 North American Tour Dates
The well of our pride runneth over as we are finally able to announce: Iron & Wine will release Beast Epic - his first new material in over four years - and it will be available worldwide through Sub Pop beginning August 25th. (!) The longplayer features eleven new compositions that share a kinship with his earlier material.
Iron & Wine’s principal songwriter, Sam Beam had a few words to say about the album:
“I must confess that I’ve always shied away from album introductions citing the usual “dancing to architecture” cop out. Speaking to their own work is uncomfortable for many artists, but I’ve made a new album called Beast Epic which is important to me and I wanted to take a moment to talk about why. I’ve been releasing music for about fifteen years now and I feel very blessed to have put out five other full lengths, many EPs and singles, a few collaborations with people much more talented than myself, and made contributions to numerous movie scores and soundtracks. This is my sixth collection of new Iron & Wine material and I’m happy to say that it’s my fourth for Sub Pop Records.
It’s a warm and serendipitous time to be reuniting with my Seattle friends because I feel there’s a certain kinship between this new collection of songs and my earliest material, which Sub Pop was kind enough to release. In hindsight, both The Creek Drank the Cradle (2002) and Our Endless Numbered Days (2004) epitomize a reflective and confessional songwriting style (although done with my own ferocious commitment to understatement, of course.) I have been and always will be fascinated by the way time asserts itself on our bodies and our hearts. The ferris wheel keeps spinning and we’re constantly approaching, leaving or returning to something totally unexpected or startlingly familiar. The rite of passage is an image I’ve returned to often because I feel we’re all constantly in some stage of transition. Beast Epic is saturated with this idea but in a different way simply because each time I return to the theme I’ve collected new experiences to draw from. Where the older songs painted a picture of youth moving wide-eyed into adulthood’s violent pleasures and disappointments, this collection speaks to the beauty and pain of growing up after you’ve already grown up. For me, that experience has been more generous in its gifts and darker in its tragedies.
The sound of Beast Epic harks back to previous work, in a way, as well. By employing the old discipline of recording everything live and doing minimal overdubbing, I feel like it wears both its achievements and its imperfections on its sleeve. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed experimenting with different genres, sonics and songwriting styles and all that traveled distance is evident in the feel and the arrangements here, but the muscles seemed to have relaxed and been allowed to effortlessly do what they do best.
I’ve been fortunate to get to play with some very talented musicians over the years who are both uniquely intuitive and also expressive in exciting ways. This group was no different. We spent about two weeks recording and mixing but mostly laughing at The Loft in Chicago.
To be honest, I’ve named this record BEAST EPIC mostly because it sounds really fucking cool! However, with that said and perhaps to be completely honest, “a story where animals talk and act like people” sounds like the perfect description for the life of any of us. If not that, then it’s at least perfect for any group of songs I’ve ever tried to make. I hope you enjoy it.”
Beast Epic was written and produced by Sam Beam. It was recorded and engineered by Tom Schick at the Loft in Chicago in July 2016 and January 2017, and mastered by Richard Dodd in Nashville, Tennessee. The musicians who played on the album include longtime Iron & Wine collaborators Rob Burger (keys), Joe Adamik (percussion), and Jim Becker (guitar, banjo, violin, mandolin), along with bassist Sebastian Steinberg (Soul Coughing and Fiona Apple), and Chicagoan Teddy Rankin Parker (cello).
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 will tour in support of Beast Epic, beginning with his annual Midwives Benefit show in Austin, Texas on July 22nd. An extensive U.S. tour begins with a two night stand in Chicago (October 12th/13th) and ends with a two night stand in New York (November 13th/14th). European dates will follow in early 2018. A special fan pre-sale begins June 8 at 10am (local time), with tickets on sale to general public on June 15th at 10am (local time).
Tour Dates + Ticket Links
Summer 2017 Jun. 28 - Portsmouth, NH - Prescott Park Arts Festival (Solo) Jun. 29 - Canadiagua, NY - CMAC (Solo) @ Jul. 22 - Austin, TX - Paramount Theater ^ Aug. 26 - Fayetteville, AR - Roots Festival Aug. 27 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note % Aug. 28 - Chattanooga, TN - Tivoli Theatre % Aug. 29 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn % Aug. 30 - Louisville, KY - WFPK on the Waterfront
Fall 2017 Oct. 12 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall Oct. 13 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall 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 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 Oct. 28 - San Diego, CA - - Balboa # Oct. 29 - Phoenix, AZ - Van Buren # Oct. 30 - Albuquerque, NM - El Rey # Nov. 01 - Dallas, TX - The Kessler # Nov. 02 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec Theater # Nov. 03 - Houston, TX - The Heights # 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 # Nov. 12 - Northampton, MA - Calvin Theatre # Nov. 13 - New York, NY - Town Hall # Nov. 14 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel*
@ support for Jason Isbell ^ w/Joan Shelley % w/Lydia Loveless # w/John Moreland * w/OHMME
Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines and Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star will be released July 14th through Sub Pop.
Shabazz Palaces just dropped a new track “Julian’s Dream (ode to a bad) [Feat. The Shogun Shot],” from the group’s forthcoming illustrated album, Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines – the monozygotic twin to Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star – both available on July 14th.
…And Quazarz asked of Jules ‘Voz Brillo to exalt and raise a joy cry with on this beat; And Jules said “I shall” and did so, and in his heart, he bade Quazarz well. And for Shabazz, he laid up a crown of light, ‘beyond’ was his ascending refrain, and it was icy; Alas, Quazarz waking lucid inside a Jules diamond dream, pondered deeply the celestial humectation of his most favorite fruit.
And an “ode to a bad” is born.
- An excerpt from The Quazarian Sagas Volume 4: The Wisdoms; Date unknown.
[This “Julian’s Dream” illustration is part of the special-edition illustrated album - Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines - drawn by cartoonist Joshua Ray Stephens. The full-color, 32-page book includes a download code for the full album, and is available for preorder right here.]
“Julian’s Dream (ode to a bad) [Feat. The Shogun Shot]” was produced and recorded by The Palaceer Lazaro and Sonny Levine at Dror Lord Studios, with mixing by Kamal Humphrey at Kamal’s House.
Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines and Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star will be released on July 14th on CD / LP / DL / CS and are now available for preorder from Sub Pop. LP pre-orders for each album from megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers, will receive the limited “Loser” edition on colored vinyl (…Jealous Machines on mashed-up purple; …Born on a Gangster Star on aluminum) [read more about it.].
Shabazz Palaces will support both Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines and Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star with North American tour dates that resumes July 13th-16th at Cascadia Festival in Granite Falls, Washington and run through September 15th-17th for Chicago’s Riot Fest. Additionally, Shabazz Palaces is one of the three curators (alongside Grouper and Perfume Genius) at this year’s Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, Netherlands, to be held November 9th-12th.
Jul. 13-16 - Granite Falls, WA - Cascadia Festival Aug. 16 - Portland, OR - The Star Theater* Aug. 18 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall* Aug. 19 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent Theatre* Aug. 20 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom* Aug. 21 - El Paso, TX - Lowbrow* Aug. 23 - Austin, TX - Mohawk (Outdoor Stage)* Aug. 24 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada* Aug. 25 - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon* Aug. 26 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West* Aug. 27 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm* Aug. 28 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle* Aug. 30 - Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups* Aug. 31 - Detroit, MI - El Club* Sep. 01 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace* Sep. 02 - Montreal, QC - Theatre Fairmount* Sep. 03 - Quebec City, QC - Le Cercle Sep. 05 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair* Sep. 06 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw* Sep. 07 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer* Sep. 08 - Washington, DC - Black Cat* Sep. 09 - Baltimore, DC - Ottobar* Sep. 11 - Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall Sep. 15 - 17 - Chicago, IL - Riot Fest at Douglas Park Nov. 09-12 - Utrecht, NL - Le Guess Who? Festival *w/ Porter Ray
Listen now on Spotify / You Tube. North American tour begins July 29th in Los Angeles.
Marika Hackman’s I’m Not Your Man, her internationally acclaimed new album (and Sub Pop debut!), is out now on CD / LP / DL / CS in North & South America from Sub Pop and the rest of the world via AMF Records. The album includes the highlights “Boyfriend,” [watch here], “My Lover Cindy” [watch here], “Violet” and “Cigarette,” and was produced and mixed by Charlie Andrew (Alt-J) at various locales throughout London.
LP purchases through megamart.subpop.com and finer independent retailers throughout North America will receive the Loser Edition on green and orange swirled vinyl with a bonus 7” (while supplies last). Oh, and there’s a companion t-shirt design available too.
[Photo by Steve Gullick]
Marika Hackman’s previously announced co-headlining tour with The Big Moon begins July 29th in Los Angeles at the Bootleg Theatre and ends August 16th in Brooklyn at Baby’s All Right. The Big Moon will act as her backing band for this trek (and are the studio musicians with whom she recorded I’m Not Your Man). The 14-city tour will also visit Chicago, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Denver, Boston, Minneapolis, Seattle, and more. The Big Moon are currently supporting Love in the 4th Dimension, out now on Columbia Records.
Jul. 29 - Los Angeles, CA - Bootleg* Jul. 31 - Oakland, CA - Starline Social Club* Aug. 02 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios* Aug. 03 - Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret* Aug. 04 - Seattle, WA - Sunset Tavern* Aug. 06 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court* Aug. 07 Denver, CO - Lost Lake* Aug. 09 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry* Aug. 10 - Milwaukee, WI - Back Room at Collectivo* Aug. 11 - Chicago, IL - Schubas* Aug. 13 - Toronto, ON - The Drake* Aug. 14 - Montreal, QC - Casa del Popolo* Aug. 15 - Boston, MA - Great Scott* Aug. 16 - Brooklyn, NY - Baby’s All Right* *w/ The Big Moon
What The People are saying about I’m Not Your Man:
“A collection of unabashedly real songs…Hackman’s greatest weapon is her words, and she uses her dark wit to lure you in while conveying strong messages about her life and society.” [I’m Not Your Man] - Stereogum
“‘I’m Not Your Man’ is not afraid to call out the big questions around femininity, sexual identity, millennial ennui, the pressures of living in a social media bubble and the perils of being young in a fast-paced world.” [I’m Not Your Man] - Vents Magazine
“The transition Marika makes on this album is a bit like the one Angel Olsen made on Burn Your Fire for No Witness and Mitski made on Bury Me at Makeout Creek. Like those two artists, Marika transitions to driving rock without abandoning the delicacy of her softer material. Her haunting delivery makes rock songs like “Boyfriend” and “Time’s Been Reckless” stand out from the pack of today’s grungy indie rock bands. And she’s got still a handful of softer songs on I’m Not Your Man. “Violet,” “Cigarette,” “Apple Tree,” and “I’d Rather Be With Them” are as arresting as anything on her debut.” [I’m Not Your Man] - Brooklyn Vegan
“It’s a statement that this album roundly contradicts, being warm-hearted and emotionally liberated throughout.” [I’m Not Your Man] - Loud and Quiet
“More than anything ‘I’m Not Your Man’ is the sound of Marika Hackman making a statement. A statement that pushes her to the forefront with an album that dazzles and welcomes anyone in with open arms, and lays out a path for the artist and role she’s destined to become.” [I’m Not Your Man] - Dork
“I’m Not Your Man proves an emotional and sonic progression for Hackman, a record that at its best is affecting and fun. It shows her to be an artist growing in her stride, increasing her capacity to be more artful and at once more true.” [4/5, I’m Not Your Man] - The Skinny
“Describing the genesis of the album, Hackman explained that the title can mean “I’m not your man, I’m your woman” or even “I’m not a part of this.” The latter hits hard on the still outsider nature of a female singer-songwriter in the modern music industry. I’m Not Your Man is an unapologetically lengthy rejection of all of that, and one that goes a long way to show the tone and range of Hackman’s music beyond dark acoustics and into a world of electric guitars that can lilt and rage along with the shamelessly blunt singer. It’s less of a reinvention and more of a defiant resolve to create the music she wants to create, genre pigeonholing be damned.” [I’m Not Your Man] - Spectrum Culture
“Wary, unsparing post-modern fairy-tales gilded in silky will and sugar-coated thrills, “Man,” fans cozy smoldering love-potions into rampant vampire fires; sensuous gender-politics slipped into breezy indie-pop hospitality explores coy detours enticing ulterior queries from brazen phrases. A fertile mind bursting with intrepid methods, Hackman tactfully reels from servant to serpent, engaging both sides to pit and outwit her divided desires.” [I’m Not Your Man] - Maximum Ink
