Porter Ray’s ”Arithmetic” is the 2nd single off Watercolor, his forthcoming full-length debut, available worldwide March 10th from Sub Pop. The vibe-worthy track features guest performances from Stas THEE Boss (formerly of THEESatisfaction and current host of KEXP’s Street Sounds) and the legendary Infinite (of Narkotik and Tribal Productions).

Gorilla vs. Bear premiered the track today (see here) and said of the track, “Seattle rapper Porter Ray shares another hazy and seductive gem from his forthcoming LP Watercolor…“Arithmetic” showcases Porter’s golden voice and effortlessly vivid flow over a dreamy, immersively narcotic beat, elevated by spectral siren calls from the great Stas Thee Boss and anchored by a crucial assist from revered Seattle MC Infinite.” 

Watercolor is now available for preorder on CD / 2xLP / DL / CASS.  LP pre-orders through the Sub Pop Mega Mart and independent retailers will receive the limited Loser Edition on translucent vinyl with magenta swirl in North America & Translucent vinyl in Europe, while supplies last.  

Watercolor features original production from B-Roc, Dez Anthony, and Kmtk, and was mixed by Erik Blood.  Guest appearances include Cashtro, Nate Jack, Jus Moni and Black Constellation elders Palaceer Lazaro and Fly Guy Dai of Shabazz Palaces.

Follow all things Porter Ray everywhere in the galaxy via Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

[Photo Credit: Jay Scroggins]

Tour Dates + Ticket Links

Feb. 17 - Seattle, WA - Sole Repair*
Feb. 26 - Seattle, WA - Crocodile**
Mar. 08 - Seattle, WA - Barboza (Watercolor release party)
Mar. 15-19 - Austin, TX - SXSW
May 26 - Quincy, WA - Sasquatch Music Festival
* w/ Sisters
** w/ Pickwick

With a handful of dark and rainy months still ahead of us, now’s the time to curl up in front of the fire with a good book. Thanks to its fruitful history and multi-talented roster, there is an abundance of books closely tied to the Sub Pop family that rocks just as hard as your favorite TAD album.

Here are just a few of our preferred picks from here at the Sub Pop Airport Store!

Bruce Pavitt’s Sub Pop USA: The Subterranean Pop Music Anthology, 1980-1988 is a one-stop shop for everything you’d ever want to know about the formation of Sub Pop, Carrie Brownstein’s Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl is a thoughtful and inspiring memoir highlighting her experiences in Sleater-Kinney, while the graphic novel Black Hole by Charles Burns heavily influenced La Luz’s most recent album Weirdo Shine. (Additionally, Charles Burns contributed illustrations for Sub Pop in our early days and is most visible on our Sub Pop 200 compilation!)

To make your book reading experience even richer, we’ve compiled the accompanying list of some of our favorite book and record pairings that will surely satisfy even the most ferocious appetite…

REAL NEWS:  Sub Pop has signed the politically charged Downtown Boys to a universe-wide record deal! The Providence, RI-based band is currently at work on their label debut, which will be released later this year. While we wait for details on the new album, the band will play a series of U.S. tour dates beginning March 6th in Baltimore at Ottobar and ending March 24th in Brooklyn at Baby’s All Right. 

Highlights for the tour include a series of shows at SXSW March 14-17. These dates are bookended by two stand-alone performances: February 3rd in Washington, DC at the Black Cat and a sold-out April 20th show at Philadelphia’s First Unitarian Church. (Current tour dates listed below.
 
About Downtown Boys:
Now that the United States has a despot instead of a president, Downtown Boys are that much more driven to use their anger and their joy to drill away at the walls of white supremacy’s brain. Based in Providence, RI, the band released their acclaimed debut album, Full Communism, in 2015, and they have been touring their powerful live show throughout North America and Europe since 2012. They bring an aggressive dissonance to make a harmonious message against the erasure of people of color, queer people, femmes, and those of us who have always been in the center of the pit whether you knew it or not.
 
The band is currently working with Greg Norman and Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto on their second LP, and they join the countless people filling streets and airports around the country to loudly proclaim #NoBan, #NoRegistry, #FuckWhiteSupremacy.
 
“Those who still defend the supremacy of white male hetero-patriarchy had better watch out.” – Angela Davis, inauguration day speech, 2017.

Tour Dates + Ticket Links
 
Feb. 03 - Washington, DC - The Freedom Fair @ Black Cat*
Mar. 06 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar**
Mar. 07 - Raleigh, NC - Duke Coffeehouse**
Mar. 08 - Nashville, TN - Third Man Records**
Mar. 09 - New Orleans, LA - Siberia**
Mar. 10 - Houston, TX - Walter’s**
Mar. 11 - McAllen, TX - Yerberia Cultura**
Mar. 13 - San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger**
Mar. 14-17 - Austin, TX - SXSW
Mar. 18 - Dallas, TX - Not So Fun Weekend @ Club Dada #
Mar. 19 - Hot Springs, AR - Valley of Vapors**
Mar. 20 - Chattanooga, TN - JJ’s Bohemia**
Mar. 21 - Asheville, NC - The Mothlight**
Mar. 23 - Philadelphia, PA - Everybody Hits**
Mar. 24 - Brooklyn, NY - Baby’s All Right**
Apr. 20 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church [SOLD OUT]^
 
* w/ Two Inch Astronaut, Loi Loi, and Kosi & Free Thyme
** w/ Sneaks
# w/ Chastity Belt, Weaves, and Flasher
^ w/ Paint It Black, Praise, Gouge Away, and Soul Glo

Father John Misty’s “Ballad of the Dying Man” is the gorgeous new single and standout from Pure Comedy, his forthcoming third album.

As it also happens, Beats 1’s Zane Lowe just named “Ballad of the Dying Man” his “World Record” on today’s show. Tune in later this morning (10amPST) to hear the track, as well as the first installment of Tillman’s two-part interview with Lowe, where they discuss the making of the album [link here].
 
“Ballad of the Dying Man” follows the release of “Pure Comedy,” the prescient title track released late last month, a surreal, 30-minute film about the making of the album, and the thought provoking “Two Wildly Different Perspectives”, earlier this week.  

Pure Comedy’s front/back covers and gatefold feature a gargantuan original piece (his first ever commission of its kind) by Ed Steed (The New Yorker) and cover variations for the standard LP and CD will be randomly distributed.  Collect them all!  Please! 

Pure Comedy is now available for preorder through Father John Misty’s Official Store, Sub Pop Mega Mart, and Bella Union in the following formats:

• A Deluxe 2xLP version on aluminum & copper vinyl, a die-cut customizable jacket with 4 interactive “background” sleeves (so you can have whatever sky you damn well feel like as the cover), all encased in a clear slipcase. Includes a fold-out poster and an exclusive holographic tarot card by Ed Steed.
• A 2xLP gatefold version also available in 4 cover variations on black vinyl
• A CD gatefold digipak with slipcase available in 4 cover variations
• Digital
• Cassette

TAKE NOTE: LP orders through Father John Misty’s Official Store, megamart.subpop.com, Bella Union and select independent retailers will receive a limited 7” single featuring the first physical release of fan favorite “Real Love Baby” on the A-side and the as yet unreleased track, “Rejected Generic Pop Song, March ‘15 #3” on the B-side (while supplies last). A new t-shirt design will be available from Sub Pop (white or black) and Bella Union, in addition to a new line of merch from Father John Misty’s online store.

[Photo Credit: Guy Lowndes]

Read some (well, a veritable fuck ton) words from Josh over here, then follow him just about everywhere in the universe via Facebook.