Today, February 15th, Boeckner is announcing North American headlining touring plans for Spring and Summer 2024 to support his forthcoming self-titled Sub Pop debut. He is also sharing new album highlight “Euphoria,” a song that dips into that off-kilter darkness, dashes of vibraphone tossed against woozy waves of synth. “It’s too late/ Time accelerates/ From the cradle to the grave,” Boeckner calls like some nuclear fallout Ziggy Stardust, glitching electronics dripping off the mix. The track’s percussive thrum comes courtesy of Matt Chamberlain and serves to bolster Boeckner’s potent guitar throughout the record.
Boeckner will perform material from the new album along with deep cuts and highlights from Operators, Handsome Furs, Divine Fits, and Wolf Parade catalog. The tours will also feature different lineups for the April and June dates. For the west coast shows, the live band will include Sam Brown (Operators, Divine Fits, New Bomb Turks) on drums, Alex Fischel (Spoon, Divine Fits) on keys, and Brad Laner (Medicine, Savage Republic) on guitar. The east coast band line up will be announced soon. Tickets for these shows go on sale tomorrow at 10 am (local).
Wed. Apr. 24 - Los Angeles, CA - Lodge Room Thu. Apr. 25 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent Sun. Apr. 28 - Portland, OR - Polaris Hall Mon. Apr. 29 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile Tue. Apr. 30 - Vancouver, BC - The Pearl on Granville Wed. Jun. 05 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle Thu. Jun. 06 - Detroit, MI - El Club Fri. Jun. 07 - Toronto, ON - The Horseshoe Tavern Sat. Jun. 08 - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz Mon. Jun. 10 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall Wed. Jun. 12 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg Thu. Jun. 13 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s Fri. Jun. 14 - Washington, DC - The Atlantis
Boeckner! is an eight-song, thirty-two-minute collection that includes the aforementioned “Euphoria,” “Dead Tourists,” and “Lose.”
Boeckner was produced, engineered, and mixed by Randall Dunn at Circular Ruin in New York City and mastered by Heba Kadry in Brooklyn.
Boeckner! is now available to preorder from Sub Pop. LP preorders of the album from megamart.subpop.com, Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart), and select independent retailers in North America and the UK and Europe will receive the limited Loser Edition on Orange vinyl. A special Jalapeno Green vinyl edition will also be available from select retailers in Canada.
On April 12th, METZ will release Up On Gravity Hill, their first album in 4 years, on Sub Pop for the world ex-Canada and in Canada on Dine Alone. The album was engineered by Seth Manchester (Mdou Moctar, Lingua Ignota, Battles, The Body) and features guest performances from Amber Webber of Black Mountain and composer/string arranger Owen Pallett.
METZ, a band once known for blowing out eardrums with songs of joyous rage, have, over their past few records, begun exploring ways to turn abrasiveness into atmospherics, the evolution of their sound not only a reflection of the maturing of the band themselves but also of a changed world that demands nuance and compassion to comprehend and to survive. This is so on their latest effort, Up On Gravity Hill, which finds the band continuing to bend the raw power of rock music to its most delicate, intricate ends. Delivering a deep, detailed, and unyieldingly personal collection of songs that are fused together to form not only METZ’s most powerful record to date but also their most beautiful.
To spotlight this evolution, the band has shared two new contrasting singles: the stomping motorik “99,” and the charging and deeply melodic, “Entwined (Street Light Buzz)”, that offers a dreamier Swervedriver-esque guitar sheen never before utilized by the Canadian trio.
METZ frontman Alex Edkins says, “These two songs couldn’t be more stylistically and thematically dissimilar. ‘Entwined (Street Light Buzz)’ is a song about the deep connection humans can foster with one another and how we carry people with us forever, even after death. ‘99’ is about the scourge of corporate greed and bottom-line thinking that runs rampant in modern society. Anything for a buck is the message being sent to younger generations.”
METZ is also announcing headlining international tour dates supporting Up On Gravity Hill, with dates in North America from April 17th to May 17th and a run of UK and EU dates in the fall from November 3rd through November 29th. The band also has a series of UK and EU festival performances in August, including stops at The Green Man Festival in the UK, La Route Du Rock and Cabaret Vert Festival in France, and the Canela Party in Spain. See below for a full list of shows.
North America Wed. Apr. 17 - Boston, MA - Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre $ Fri. Apr. 19 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom $ Sat. Apr. 20 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts $ * Sun. Apr. 21 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar $ Tue. Apr. 23 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl $ Thu. Apr. 24 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn $ Fri. Apr. 25 - Fayetteville, AR - George’s Majestic Lounge $ Sat. Apr. 26 - Austin, TX - The Parish (Austin Psych Fest) $ Sun. Apr. 27 - Dallas, TX - Sons of Hermann Hall $ Mon. Apr. 29 - Sante Fe, NM - Meow Wolf $ Tues. Apr. 30 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar $ Wed. - May 01 - San Diego, CA - The Casbah $ Tue. May 02 - Los Angeles, CA - The Roxy Theatre $ Wed. May 03 - San Jose, CA - The Ritz $ Thu. May 04 - San Francisco, CA - The Chapel $ Mon. May 06 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom $ Tue. May 07 - Seattle, WA - Neumos $ Fri. May 10 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club $ Sat. May 11 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge $ Thu. May 16 -Montreal, QE - Theatre Fairmount $ Sat. May 17 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall $
$ w/ Gouge Away * w/ Rid of Me
UK/EU Thu. Aug. 15 - Crickhowell, UK - Green Man Festival Fri. Aug. 16 - St Malo, FR La Route Du Rock Sat. Aug. 17 - Charleville-Mezières, FR - Cabaret Vert Festival Fri. Aug. 23 - Malaga, ES - Canela Party Sat. Nov. 02 - Rennes, FR – L’Antipode Sun. Nov. 03 - La Rochelle, FR - La Sirène Mon. Nov. 04 - Paris, FR - La Maroquinerie Tue. Nov. 05 - Clermont-Ferrand, FR - La Coopérative de Mai Wed. Nov. 06 - Lyon, FR - Le Transbordeur Thu. Nov. 07 - Zurich, CH - Bogen F Sat. Nov. 09 - Prague, CZ - Futurum Sun. Nov. 10 - Budapest, HU - Turbina Tue. Nov. 12 - Krakow, PL - Klub Zascianek Wed. Nov. 13 - Warsaw, PL - Klub Hydrozagadka Sat. Nov. 16 - Berlin, DE - Hole44 Mon. Nov. 18 - Copenhagen, DK - Loppen Tue. Nov. 19 - Hamburg, DE - Hafenklang Wed. Nov. 20 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso Thu. Nov. 21 - Groningen, NL - Vera Fri. Nov. 22- Antwerp, BE - Trix Sat. Nov. 23 - Lille, FR - L’Aéronef Mon. Nov. 25 - Birmingham, UK - Hare & Hounds Tue. Nov. 26 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club Wed. Nov. 27 - Birkenhead, UK - Future Yard Thu. Nov. 28 - Bristol, UK - Strange Brew Fri. Nov. 29 - London, UK - Village Underground
Up On Gravity Hill is available to preorder now on CD/LP/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders in North America from megamart.subpop.com, and select independent retailers will receive the Loser Edition on clear w/ red splatter vinyl. LP orders from independent retail stores & Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart) in the UK and Europe will receive the Loser Edition on Opaque Yellow vinyl. All colored vinyl versions are available while stock lasts.
Tracklisting: 1. No Reservation / Love Comes Crashing 2. Glass Eye 3. Entwined (Street Light Buzz) 4. 99 5. Superior Mirage 6. Wound Tight 7. Never Still Again 8. Light Your Way Home
Watch Father John Misty’s “Real Love Baby” Official Video Directed by Eggs Tyrone here.
Father John Misty is singer-songwriter Josh Tillman, who has released five widely acclaimed albums, including Fear Fun (2012), I Love You, Honeybear (2015), the Grammy-nominated Pure Comedy (2017), God’s Favorite Customer (2018), and his latest, Chloë and The Next 20th Century (2022).
TIME said of Chloë and The Next 20th Century, “He takes a surprising and delightful departure from his usual form for a project that’s grandiose in its ambition, theatrical in its presentation, and thrilling in its execution.” Variety offered this, “What it all adds up to is as gorgeously arranged an orchestral-pop record as we’ve gotten in years. And its brilliance isn’t purely stylistic.”
Father John Misty has sold over 1.6 million albums and seen over one billion streams worldwide. He has earned accolades from the likes of The Guardian, The Sunday Times, Rolling Stone, Stereogum, and Pitchfork, and performed on Saturday Night Live, Austin City Limits, the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Late Night with Seth Meyers. Father John Misty and his incredible live band have headlined The Hollywood Bowl, Red Rocks, and Radio City Music Hall and have appeared at Coachella, Roskilde, Primavera, and Lollapalooza festivals. He’s also contributed to hit songs for artists like Beyonce, Post Malone, Lady Gaga, and Khalid.
“…There’s a humbleness and honesty to the song. Like any real love, it’s about learning to surrender such power to the other person.” “Best New Track” - PITCHFORK
“Equal parts schmaltzy and sincere, it’s a folk-rock rumination on love that’s bound to be a hipster wedding staple for years to come.” “10 Best Songs of 2016” - USA TODAY
This coming Friday, February 16th, Atlanta trio Omni will release their latest and greatest album, Souvenirfor Sub Pop. To kick off release week, the band has shared an official new video for their single “Compliment,” which was directed by Zach Pyles & AJ Holder.
The band shares about the song/video: “The last song on Souvenir explores uncharted territory for the band, which features some of the most bodacious guitar work and twists in an Omni song. It describes sparring with post-modernism in a post-postmodern world.”
Souvenir finds Guitarist Frankie Broyles, singer/bassist Philip Frobos, and drummer Chris Yonker converting their creative fuel into sharp, driving songs that land immediately, sporting chopping riffs, staccato beats, and wiry melodies. Each track is a compact unit that stands on its own, reflecting the time and place in which it was created.
Omni has added additional North American dates for June and July to their previously announced headline shows supporting Souvenir. Their North American East Coast run is from February 28th - March 15th, UK and Ireland dates from April 10th- April 20th, with the newly announced West Coast, South West & Mountain dates running from June 14th- July 01. The band is also confirmed to perform at this year’s SXSW music festival in Austin, TX (March 11-16) and at Dog Days Festival in Savannah, GA, on June 08th. See below for a full list of shows.
Sat. Feb. 24 - Atlanta, GA - The EARL ^ Tue. Feb. 27 - Richmond, VA - The Camel ^ Wed. Feb. 28 - Washington, DC - Songbryd ^ Thu. Feb. 29 - Philadelphia, PA - PhilaMOCA Fri. Mar. 01 - Kingston, NY - Tubby’s Sat. Mar. 02 - Queens, NY - TV Eye*! Mon. Mar. 04 - Boston, MA - The Rockwell* Tue. Mar. 05 - Winooski, VT - Monkey House* Wed. Mar. 06 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa* Thu. Mar. 07 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison* Fri. Mar. 08 - Cleveland, OH - Happy Dog* Sat. Mar. 09- Chicago, IL - Schuba’s* Mon. Mar. 15 - New Orleans, LA - Siberia* Wed. Apr. 10 - Brighton, UK - The Green Door Store Thu. Apr. 11 - Bristol, UK - Strange Brew Fri. Apr. 12 - Falmouth, UK - Cornish Bank Sun. Apr. 14 - Dublin, IE - Workman’s Cellar Mon. Apr. 15 - Glasgow, UK - Hug & Pint Tue. Apr. 16 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club Wed. Apr. 17 - Manchester, UK - Deaf Institute Thu. Apr. 18 - Birmingham, UK - Hare & Hounds Fri. Apr. 19 - Margate, UK - Where Else? Sat. Apr. 20 - London, UK - Moth Club Sat. Jun.08 - Savannah, GA - Dog Days Festival Fri. Jun.14 - Albuquerque, NM - Sister Bar Sat. Jun. 15 - Phoenix, AZ - Linger Longer Lounge Sun. Jun. 16 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar Tue. Jun.18 - Los Angeles, CA - The Roxy Thu. Jun. 20 - San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop Sun. Jun. 23 - Vancouver, BC - Wise Hall Mon. Jun. 24 - Seattle, WA - High Dive Wed. Jun. 26 - Boise, ID - Shrine Social Club Thu. Jun.27 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court Sat. Jun.29 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive Mon. Jul. 01 - Oklahoma City, OK - Resonant Head
*This Is Lorelei ^ = Olivia O. != Vessel
Souvenir can now be pre-ordered worldwide from Sub Pop. LP orders in North America from the Sub Pop Mega Mart and the UK and Europe from Mega Mart 2 (the new European sibling to the Sub Pop Mega Mart) will receive the limited Loser Edition on Transparent Silver Souvenir Swirl (while supplies last).
What people are saying about Omni: “An exhilarating fairground ride you won’t want to disembark.” - MOJO
“An irresistible fourth (album)… it’s a charmer with fearsome chops all the way.” - Uncut
“Lauded by many as a band that completely transformed rock music, their latest contribution is a celebration of their skill as musicians. If there’s one thing that Omni excel at, it’s making technically complex, fast-paced precision slick, exciting, and look easy.” - Loud & Quiet
“‘Exacto’ boasts a stiff-necked riff and a jolting rhythm section, one that builds an unrelenting drive at the core of the track.” - So Young Magazine
“Exacto,” features their precision, angular sound, but everything feels punched-up, from the drums to the big hooks” - Brooklyn Vegan
“There’s a pleasant kind of straightforward attitude toward ‘Exacto,’ one that welcomes an easy indie rock sound outside of the discordant guitar lines.” - Far Out
”Souvenir finds Guitarist Frankie Broyles, singer/bassist Philip Frobos, and drummer Chris Yonker converting their creative fuel into sharp, driving songs that land immediately, sporting chopping riffs, staccato beats, and wiry melodies.” - Kool Rock Radio
Omni Souvenir
Tracklisting: 1. Exacto 2. Plastic Pyramid 3. Common Mistakes 4. INTL Waters 5. Double Negative 6. PG 7. Granite Kiss 8. Verdict 9. F1 10. To Be Rude 11. Compliment
Sub Pop Records is extremely proud to announce the return (for our 18th year!) of the Sub Pop Loser Scholarship. Further details on the scholarship are below, and even further below is some clarification on what we mean with all this “Loser” business.
Sub Pop Records is offering a grand total of $18,000 in college scholarship money to three eligible high school seniors. There are three scholarships—each for $6,000! As longtime, proud losers ourselves, we’re exceedingly happy to be able, in some small way, to help further the education of art-enthused misfits from the NW. Individuals from all cultures and communities are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be residents of Washington or Oregon, and graduating seniors on the way to full-time enrollment at an accredited university or college. We are looking for applicants who are involved and/or interested in music and/or creative media and arts in some way. However, you do not need to be pursuing an education in the arts.
To apply: you must submit an essay, one page or less, using any combination of the following questions as a guide (or write something completely your own, be inspired and creative!). Please list the school you are graduating from and the school you plan to attend in the fall at the top of your essay along with your contact information.
- What are you doing in the arts/music field in your community?
- What does being a Sub Pop ‘Loser’ mean to you?
- What are your influences and/or who inspired you to become involved in the arts?
- Describe your biggest failure and explain how it has brought you closer to your goal(s).
- Discuss a special attribute or accomplishment that sets you apart.
- How has your family or community background affected the way you see the world?
- Why should you be the Loser winner?
Applicants are strongly (!) encouraged to send digital links and/or provide hard copies of their artwork, photos of community involvement, radio show links, videos, etc. along with their essay (we have never had a winner who submitted only an essay w/no extras). However, please be aware that Sub Pop will not return any of this material, so please don’t send originals. Sub Pop will give equal opportunity to all applicants who fit the criteria outlined above.
The deadline for applications is Tuesday, March 19th, 2024.
Please send all submissions and attachments to scholarship@subpop.com by Tuesday, March 19th. We will announce the scholarship winners during the first week of April.
What we talk about when we talk about “Loser.”
Here at Sub Pop Records, we use the word “loser” a lot. You may have noticed. We’ve printed it on things we sell (hats, shirts, stickers, mugs, and more!), we call the first, colored-vinyl, limited-edition pressings of the records we release the “Loser Edition,” and every year since 2007 ish we’ve awarded tuition money to college-bound NW high school students through the “Sub Pop Loser Scholarship.” And, it’s possible we take for granted that you guys catch our drift and understand what we mean when we’re all “loser this,” and “loser that.” So! The following…
Sub Pop’s use of the word “loser” goes back to the foundation of the label and is meant as a celebration of unabashedly being ourselves without conforming to any preconceived ideas of “normal.” To be a loser is central to the very idea of underground art and culture - all of it happening and thriving outside of the mainstream, and not necessarily looking for a way in. Bruce Pavitt’s “New Pop Manifesto” in the 1st issue of Subterranean Pop included, “The important thing to remember is this: the most intense music, the most original ideas… are coming out of scenes you don’t even know exist… Only by supporting new ideas by local artists, bands, and record labels can the U.S. expect any kind of dynamic social/cultural change…” And, since 2007 or so, with the Loser Scholarship, we’ve been adding students to that list, and putting our (or, our co-founder, big boss and biggest loser ever, Jonathan Poneman’s…) money where our mouth is. Sub Pop Records strives to bring attention to music and art from the fringes that might otherwise remain marginalized. And, in that same spirit, through our annual Loser Scholarship, we’re looking for art-enthused misfits in NW high schools, losers like us, to help them pay for college. We stand proudly with and support the misfits, weirdos and losers, because we believe that when we’re able to proudly be nothing other than our true selves, we have the ability to make the world stronger, smarter and better.
So, good luck, Losers! And, again, please send all submissions and attachments to scholarship@subpop.com by Tuesday, March 19th.
