[Photo Credit: Shawn Brackbill]

This November, Pittsburgh punks The Gotobeds will leave the warm comfort of their homes in Pittsburgh, PA to tour across North America and back again in support of their 2016 Sub Pop album, Blood // Sugar // Secs // Traffic. 

The Cold November Rain Tour begins on November 2nd in Chicago, IL, with stops in Little Rock, Los Angeles, Seattle, and several other cities, finally ending November 21st in Milwaukee, WI. (see listing below) For the first eight of these shows, The Gotobeds will be accompanied by their close, personal friends in the very good band called Protomartyr. 

In the bio for Blood // Sugar // Secs // Traffic (a bio, we should note, he was paid handsomely to write), Protomartyr’s Joe Casey offered the following endorsement of The Gotobeds’ live performances: “…the band’s live show is a testament to the cathartic nature of speed, skill, repetition, noise, and red stage lights.” And, The Gotobeds’ singer/guitarist Eli Kasan had this to say about the upcoming tour:

“The last time these two giants of rock met resulted in a near arrest for whatever you would call ‘intoxicated on psychedelic mushrooms, in a hotel, while watching sports bloopers at 5am.’ This time it’s PERSONAL, Best Western.”

Blood // Sugar // Secs // Traffic features “Real Maths/Too Much,” “Brass Not Rash,” “Bodies,” “Cold Gold (LA’s Alright),” and several other arguably excellent songs you can (and should) hear in this FULL ALBUM STREAM, and is available now for purchase right here.

Tour Dates + Ticket Links
Nov. 02 - Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle *
Nov. 03 - Columbia, MO - Cafe Berlin *
Nov. 04 - Little Rock, AR - Stickyz Rock N Roll Chicken Shack *
Nov. 08 - Las Vegas, NV - The Bunkhouse Saloon *
Nov. 09 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar *
Nov. 10 - West Hollywood, CA - The Roxy *
Nov. 11 - San Francisco, CA - Slim’s *
Nov. 12 - Reno, NV - Holland Project *
Nov. 14 - Portland, OR - Bunk Bar
Nov. 15 - Seattle, WA - Sunset Tavern
Nov. 16. - Vancouver, BC - Fortune Sound Club
Nov. 17 - Spokane, WA - The Observatory
Nov. 18 - Missoula, MT - Palace Lounge
Nov. 20 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry
Nov. 21 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club
* w/ Protomartyr

The Nor’Eastern Lads of LVL UP just shared an official new video for “The Closing Door,” the latest from their highly anticipated third album (and first for Sub Pop) Return To Love. This existential daydream was directed and produced by Rob Kolodny for House of Nod, and first entered the world via NPR Music premiere.

Here at Sub Pop Records, we believe all sorts of nonsense. No doubt, as a regular/occasional/anything-other-than-first-time reader of our blog, you have noticed this. You may also have noticed (among other things…) we believe that voting is just incredibly important. It’s one of the few opportunities we all have to express an opinion about the way our country works and for that opinion to actually count. It might seem like your vote won’t make a difference, but it does and will. 

September 27th, 2016 is National Voter Registration Day. It’s a national campaign aimed at helping anyone who is eligible to vote but not yet registered get signed up and good-to-go in time for the election this year. 

Sub Pop is partnering with National Voter Registration Day to host an event at our office in downtown Seattle to allow people the opportunity to register. We will have the relevant forms, volunteers from The Washington Bus to help with dotting i’s and crossing t’s, and treats courtesy of our friends at Tom Douglas Restaurants. PLUS, as a special incentive, we’ll be giving away Sub Pop goodies, office tours (space and time allowing, and assuming interest…), and newly registered voters can get their photo taken in the Sub Pop Photobooth. 

Here are the details!  

Where? - Sub Pop HQ, 2013 4th Ave., Seattle, WA 98121.

When? - September 27th 2016, from 9am to 12pm.

Who can register to vote at Sub Pop HQ? - US Citizens who are permanent residents of Washington State and will be 18 by election day (November 8th, 2016).

What do I need to bring? - Washington State driver’s license, State ID number or last four digits of SSN. (if you don’t have any of these things, that’s okay, but you will need to be verified before you can formally register. 

Please note:  

If you are already registered to vote, NICE WORK! Please be sure to follow through and actually vote when the time comes. And also, you do not need to come here on Tuesday, September 27th from 9am to 12pm. This would be a bad day and time to come by just to hang out, because we will be SO BUSY helping to get people registered to vote. Thank you for what we are going to go ahead and presume to be your attention and understanding on this matter.

And, HERE is some further information about National Voter Registration Day.

Yes, you read it right. We finally got our collective shit together and the long-unavailable, classic discography of beloved and iconic Seattle band, TAD – God’s Balls (1989), Salt Lick (1990), 8-Way Santa (1991), and assorted singles from the band’s 1988-1992 run – will finally receive the deluxe reissue treatment. 

Producer & engineer Jack Endino (who produced God’s Balls, TAD’s first full-length) has lovingly remastered all of the recordings from the original tapes. God’s Balls, Salt Lick and 8-Way Santa will be available throughout the known universe on November 4th of this very year.
 
These deluxe editions of God’s Balls, Salt Lick, and 8-Way Santa feature new images from celebrated photographer Charles Peterson, bonus tracks, and expansive liner notes from the band and Jack Endino. The bonus material associated with each release will be included on the CD and digital formats; each of the the gatefold vinyl LPs will include that album’s bonus material as part of its free, associated download. 

PLUS all of the bonus material, from all three of these monumental heavy rock/punk albums will be collected on an additional bonus LP available for free with purchase of all three (3) albums on vinyl from the Sub Pop Mega Mart [preorder (is advised) here] and also from select independent retailers.


New to the hard-churning world of TAD? Read all about it in the words of Tad Doyle himself right here, then further your education with these O.G. TAD videos: “Stumbling Man” (from Salt Lick) [watch here] and “Wood Goblins” (from 8-Way Santa). [watch here]

God’s Balls (1989) 
God’s Balls, TAD’s punishing, noise-drenched debut album, was recorded with Jack Endino at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle in 1988 and released early the following year. In addition to their usual arsenal of guitars, bass, and drums, the band employed a variety of unusual instruments – an empty gas tank from a car, a hacksaw, a large brass tube from a microwave transmitter, CB radio mics, a cello bow used on cymbals to emulate guitar feedback – to thunderous effect, adding a Neubauten-esque clang to the band’s rock riffs. After releasing God’s Balls, TAD flew to Europe with Nirvana for both bands’ first European tour. The now-legendary, month-long tour took the bands to the UK, Ireland, Scotland, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Italy, Denmark and Sweden.
 
This reissue of God’s Balls features bonus tracks from TAD’s 1988 debut 7”, plus the previously unreleased “Tuna Car” from the 7” session. God’s Balls has been out of print on LP/CD for many years, and this is its first digital release.
 
Tracklist:
1. Behemoth
2. Pork Chop
3. Helot
4. Tuna Car
5. Sex God Missy (Lumberjack Mix)
6. Cyanide Bath
7. Boiler Room
8. Satan’s Chainsaw
9. Hollow Man
10. Nipple Belt
11. Ritual Device - (from “Daisy” 7” single) **
12. Daisy - (from “Daisy” 7” single) **
13. Tuna Car (Unreleased) **

** w/ CD / Digital / LP Download Card only

Salt Lick (1990) 
After their 1989 debut album, God’s Balls, TAD continued to write and record, releasing a string of singles and the Salt Lick EP between 1989 and 1990. Salt Lick features the single “Wood Goblins,” the video for which MTV banned because it was, to the delicate eyes of MTV programmers, “too ugly.” The sounds of Salt Lick are, indeed, wonderfully ugly, thanks in part to the involvement of noise-rock technician Steve Albini (Big Black, Shellac, Nirvana, The Jesus Lizard), who recorded the EP. The band continued to release singles and gain momentum in the press. As TAD himself puts it: “Lyrically we had a lot of subject matter that was meant to be tongue-in-cheek from the beginning but that was presented by both Sub Pop and us as true-to-life. The press took it all seriously and began to feed on and ravenously devour the mythology we created.”
This reissue of Salt Lick includes tracks from the “Wood Goblins” single, a split 7” with Pussy Galore, and the “Loser” 7”. This material has been out of print on vinyl/CD for many years, and this is its first digital release.
 
Tracklist:
1. Axe to Grind
2. High on the Hog
3. Wood Goblins
4. Hibernation
5. Glue Machine
6. Potlatch
7. Loser (from “Loser” 7” single) **
8. Cooking With Gas (from “Wood Goblins” 12” & “Loser” 7” single)**
9. Habit Necessity (from “Dope Guns N Fucking in the Streets” 7” single on Amphetamine Reptile) **
10. Damaged (from Pussy Galore split 7” single) **

** w/ CD / Digital / LP Download Card only

8-Way Santa (1991)
In 1991, after tens of thousands of miles on the road in support ofGod’s Balls and Salt Lick, and a run of powerful EPs/singles, TAD released their second full-length album, 8-Way Santa. Recorded at Smart Studios in Madison, WI with Butch Vig, whose work with Killdozer the band admired, 8-Way Santa finds TAD pushing their sound in new directions. Not a band to rest on its laurels, TAD began to add melodic touches to their sound, as evidenced by the lead single, “Jinx.” 8-Way Santa was the last record with the original TAD lineup, and their last album for Sub Pop before jumping to a major label.
 
This reissue of 8-Way Santa includes tracks from the “Jinx” single, a 1990 EP, and a handful of unreleased album demos recorded by Jack Endino. This material has been out of print on vinyl/CD for many years, and this is the first digital release for the bonus content.
 
Tracklist:
1. Jinx
2. Giant Killer
3. Wired God
4. Delinquent
5. Hedge Hog
6. Flame Tavern
7. Trash Truck
8. Stumblin’ Man
9. Jack  
10. Candi
11. 3-D Witch Hunt
12. Cranes Café
13. Plague Years
14. Pig Iron (from Jinx 7” single) **  
15. Nuts ‘N’ Bolts (Unreleased) **
16. Delinquent (8-Way Santa Jack Endino demos) **
17. Giant Killer (8-Way Santa Jack Endino demos) **
18. Wired God (8-Way Santa Jack Endino demos) **
19. 3D Witch Hunt (8-Way Santa Jack Endino demos) **
20. Eddie Hook (from U.S. “Jack” CD & all German “Jack” releases – 7”, 12” & CD – and from 8-Way Santa Butch Vig sessions) **

** w/ CD / Digital / LP Download Card only

 
Bonus LP Compilation Tracklist:
(Available free with purchase of all three albums on vinyl from the Sub Pop Mega Mart  [preorder here] and from select independent retailers)
A1. Ritual Device (from “Daisy” 7” single)
A2. Daisy (from “Daisy” 7” single)
A3. Tuna Car (Unreleased)
A4. Loser (from “Loser” 7” single)
A5. Cooking With Gas (from “Loser” 7” single)
A6. Habit Necessity - (from “Dope Guns N Fucking in the Streets” 7” single on Amphetamine Reptile)
A7. Damaged (from Pussy Galore split 7” single)
B1. Pig Iron (from “Jinx” 7” single)  
B2. Nuts ‘N’ Bolts (Unreleased)
B3. Delinquent (8-Way Santa Jack Endino demos)
B4. Giant Killer (8-Way Santa Jack Endino demos)
B5. Wired God (8-Way Santa Jack Endino demos)
B6. 3-D Witch Hunt (8-Way Santa Jack Endino demos)
B7. Eddie Hook (from U.S. “Jack” CD & all German “Jack” releases – 7”, 12” & CD – and from 8-Way Santa Butch Vig sessions)

“Make Sub Pop Great Again.” You’ve seen the shirt, and the skateboard and perhaps the promotional compact disc compilation, but what have you really done for us lately? This month marks my first foray into airport-store-blogging, as our beloved (and, arguably, somewhat luscious) Jackson has decamped to New Orleans. And, I’d like to do my bit to help restore Sub Pop’s greatness by sharing a few of the most important planks in our party platform. Here’s a look at some of what you could expect if (your god of choice forbid…) Sub Pop was elected president, governor, alderman, or block watch captain…

PARTY PLATFORM  

• We will try to put our name, really big, on everything we touch. This is something we feel very strongly about. It’s kind of un-American not to, and it sends a clear message. Sub Pop can be Great and our typeface sizes need to reflect that.
• Extremely well-organized cups and neatly-folded shirts. At the Sub Pop airport store, we have a team of dedicated professionals working practically around the clock (6am -10pm, to be precise) to ensure that all cups meet the strict presentation guidelines put in place by our award-winning art department. All mug handles are to point at an exact 315 degree angle. Shirts are routinely inspected and adjusted using proprietary state-of-the-art folding technologies.
• Equal Access. The Sub Pop Airport store strives to be somewhat accessible. We’re not here to erect barriers between you and that brand new Logo Grey Athletic w/Black T shirt. We’re trying to build bridges, not walls. So, our store is conveniently located in the central terminal at Seatac Airport in Seattle, Washington and all you need is a ticket to travel, a valid form of government-issued identification and a dream. You also need ample time (we suggest the $85 TSA precheck pass to reduce your security wait time). Also, you’re probably going to need a spare hand for all that schwag so we do suggest checking all bags for a nominal $50 to $100 fee (see corresponding airline for exact prices). To recap: ticket, ID, dream, expendable time dedicated to shopping, and two unencumbered hands. That’s it. You are access Sub Pop.
• We believe in the power of the same shirt in many different colors. Black on white, white on black, yellow on green, green on blue, blue on a lighter blue, etc… We know life is full of hard decisions and we also know that the choices we make ultimately define who we become. At Sub Pop, we want to help you become a better you, a you who owns at least five to seven color combinations of Sub Pop T-shirts. So, whether your blood runs red or blue, rest assured, we’ve got the shirt that’s going to match it.
• Transparency. We believe certain Loser editions should be on transparent vinyl, colored vinyl, swirly marble vinyl. We often have these in stock long after other record stores have sold out. The choice is clear. But it’s also black and white. It’s Fuschia. It’s teal. The choice is yours.

For more information regarding the party platform please refer to the informational poster board from our recent Bumbershoot festival pop-up shop.