Shabazz Palaces immersive new video for “Dawn In Luxor” - a standout track from the group’s critically acclaimed album Lese Majesty - pairs stunning cinematography and VFX, with footage courtesy of the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Hubble and Cassini missions. Director Stephan Gray dubs the new visual a “daydream on a nightwalk,” and the result is as mesmerizing as you’d imagine.
New to or already obsessed with Shabazz Palaces? Treat yourself to this YouTube Playlist.
ICYMI: Shabazz Palaces previously announced summer tour schedule runs June 4th through September 17th 2016. Highlights include: August 4th and August 8th supporting Radiohead’s Los Angeles shows (!!!) at the Shrine Auditorium; August 13th at Eaux Claires Festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin; August 27th at Brooklyn’s Afropunk Festival; And three U.S. west coast shows: September 15th-16th in Oakland at Fox Theatre and September 17th at the Hollywood Bowl with Flying Lotus, George Clinton + Parliament Funkadelic and Thundercat.
Shabazz Palaces’ Lese Majesty, is currently available for purchase on CD / 2xLP / CD from Sub Pop Megamart, iTunes, Amazon, Bandcamp and an independent record store near you.
(Pictured: Two Sub Pop Corporate Associates With Party Hats and Balloons)
Sub Pop Airport Store 2nd Birthday Party Recap
May 1st. A day that is already full of holidays. Maybe you have spent prior firsts of May celebrating spring, erecting a maypole, and dancing in neo-pagan fertility rituals. Or perhaps you’ve been an ardent observer of International Workers’ Day, taking part in street marches and demonstrations (but maybe/hopefully you can agree with me that we should cut out of some these less imaginative pursuits.)
But now you can add another celebration to May 1st: The birthday of the Sub Pop Airport store! We are happy to share a birthday with fellow May Day babies like Jules Breton, Terry Southern, Judy Collins, Wes Anderson, and Jay Reatard, but I believe Sub Pop chose May 1st as our inauguration date because ‘mayday’ is an international signal for distress. And if a record label opening a store in an airport isn’t a cry for help, I don’t know what is!*
In typical Sub Pop fashion, May 1st flew right by us on a Sunday last week (“Where the hell did May come from? It was April just yesterday”- me). It then took us a week to figure out how to properly commemorate our 2nd birthday. Eventually, plans were made, and we decided to bring a little festive spirit to the airport on this most recent Monday afternoon, May 9th 2016.
Thank you to all the loyal customers who happened to be flying through Sea-Tac Airport bought plane tickets just to make it to our birthday party. Thank you to the members of the retail staff that took turns DJing their favorite Sub Pop singles. Without further ado, here is photographic evidence that we celebrated our 2nd birthday and delivered on all those promises we made earlier.
(Photo appropriated from our friends @ Sea-Tac Airport)
(Free cupcakes! These disappeared pretty quickly.)
(Brnt Zza playin’ the hits.)
(Behind the decks with DJ Hookups)
(The store is currently holding auditions to join (this cut-out of) Nirvana. Do you think you have what it takes?)
(Here’s artist/illustrator Stacey Rozich, whose artwork can be found on the latest Father John Misty album, getting her photo taken at the store.)
(Our newest addition to the polaroid wall. Thanks, Stacey!)
(A visual sneak-peek of the Sub Pop Podcast, recording for Season 2 at the airport.)
(A free CD sampler, still available while supplies last. With your help, and patronage at our airport store, we can Make Sub Pop Great Again.)
*just some of that good ol’ patented Sub Pop Sarcasm for you! I love my job and kiss the ground that my overlords walk on.
We’re thrilled to announce that Shabazz Palaceswill join Radiohead as support on the group’s forthcoming Los Angeles shows. The performances will take place on Thursday, August 4th and Monday, August 8th at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
The Radiohead support slots are the latest additions to Shabazz Palaces’ summer festival schedule, which includes: June 4th in Spokane for Volume The Inlander’s Music Festival; June 18th at Vancouver’s Levitation Festival; August 13th at Eaux Claires Festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin; and Brooklyn’s Afropunk Festival August 27th.
Additionally, Shabazz Palaces will join Flying Lotus, George Clinton + Parliament Funkadelic and Thundercat for three U.S. west coast shows: September 15th-16th in Oakland at Fox Theatre and September 17th at the Hollywood Bowl. (complete dates below.)
These summer tour dates are in support of Lese Majesty, which is available for purchase on CD / 2xLP / CD from Sub Pop Megamart, iTunes, Amazon, Bandcamp, and an independent retailer near you.
Treat your eyes and ears to a sampling of Shabazz Palaces mind melting videos and music in this YouTube Playlist.
What people are saying about Lese Majesty: Lese Majesty is Shabazz Palaces getting interstellar, a set of intricate, enigmatic, yet meaningful suites complete with an (initially) impenetrable multidimensional blueprint/map connecting it all in the liner notes. Beneath the visuals, the album contends with a strain of Afrofuturism that puts its faith in finding unities in contradictions and clarity in riddles (“I’m having my cake and I’m eating cake,” “facts stated to enhance what is pre-born,” “we try to unreproduce six tension intervals”), reconciling structure and formlessness, forethought and spontaneity….meter-defying breaks and tactile, synthesized bass-church/musique concrète production that turns human language into primordial elements of cosmic influence. It’s humbling stuff that urges you to dance but knows full well that, to do so, you’ll need to relearn new and better steps [50 Best Albums Of 2014] - Pitchfork
“Unlike their previous, also brilliant full-length Black Up, Shabazz Palaces’ new “sonic move” Lese Majesty is not necessarily conducive to absorption in small doses. The record is a massive, dense monolith, divided into suites that only start to make sense after countless repeat listens. It’s a bridge from rap’s beginnings in the early ’70s into its future — structurally, thematically, lyrically, sonically, all of it — that sounds so many light years ahead of everything else in the genre that its nods to the past only reveal themselves after one invests real time immersed in what we called “the impossibly deep, singular astral landscape” that the group has created.” [Album of the Year] - Gorilla Vs. Bear
“With their second album, Seattle hiphop duo Shabazz Palaces unshackled Afrofuturism from cliche in order to present a holistic almost familiar worldview that the future is already here, before demanding an honest response to that revelation. Hua Hsu said: Abstraction is only useful insofar as it shakes our reliance and this is what makes Lese Majesty’s primal futurism such a bewildering experience. Palaceer raps with secularity and conviction as all that was once solid melts into air - rules and codes vanish, leaving nothing but ghosts while beats dissolve into pretty colors.” [#7 / Albums of the Year] - The Wire
Tour Dates Jun. 04 - Spokane, WA - Volume: The Inlander’s Music Festival @ Terrain Stage Jun. 18 - Vancouver, BC - Levitation Festival @ Imperial Vancouver Aug. 04 - Los Angeles, CA - Shrine Auditorium * Aug. 08 - Los Angeles, CA - Shrine Auditorium * Aug. 13 - Eau Claire, WI - Eaux Claires Music Festival Aug. 27 - Brooklyn, NY - Afropunk Fest @ Brainfeeder Stage Sep. 15 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theatre ** Sep. 16 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theatre ** Sep. 17 - Hollywood, CA - Hollywood Bowl ** * w / Radiohead ** w/ Flying Lotus, George Clinton + Parliament Funkadelic, Thundercat, The Gaslamp Killer
The band have scheduled shows in D.C., Boise, Spokane, Missoula, Sioux Falls, Iowa City, Indianapolis, Louisville, Columbia, Kansas City, Denver, and Las Vegas. New dates include:
Jul. 11 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club Aug. 08 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory Aug. 09 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory Aug. 10 - Missoula, MT - The Wilma Aug. 12 - Sioux Falls, SD - The District Aug. 14 - Iowa City, IA - Englert Theatre Aug. 16 - Indianapolis, IN - Deluxe @ Old National Centre Aug. 17 - Louisville, KY - Headliners Aug. 19 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note Aug. 20 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theatre Aug. 22 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre Aug. 24 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues Sep. 09 - Raleigh, NC - Hopscotch Festival
All of these dates will be on-sale Friday, May 13th with the exception of the July 11th show at the 9:30 Club. That show will go on-sale Thursday, May 12th at 10am EST. For more information on where to purchase tickets, please visit beachhousebaltimore.com.
Additionally, European and U.S. festival highlights for the summer include: Primavera Sound in Barcelona on June 3rd and in Porto, PT on June 10th; Best Kept Secret in Hilvarenbeek, NL on June 17th; a headline performance at Pitchfork Music Festival on July 15th; San Francisco’s Outside Lands on August 5th; Pickathon in Happy Valley, OR on August 7th; Eaux Claires in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on August 12th-13th; FYF in Los Angeles on August 28th; And the just added Hopscotch Festival performance in Raleigh, NC on September 9th. (complete listing below.)
Depression Cherry (released Aug. 28, 2015) is the second consecutive top 10 album for Beach House, coming in at #8 on theBillboard Top 200 chart, and spent 5 weeks at #1 on the CMJ Top 200.[listen here]
Thank Your Lucky Stars (released October 16th, 2015) entered at #38 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and peaked at #5 on the CMJTop 200 chart. [listen here]
Beach House’s Thank Your Lucky Stars and Depression Cherrywere recorded during the same two-month span, and produced by the band and Chris Coady at Studio in the Country in Bogalusa, Louisiana. Both albums are available now in North America from Sub Pop, in Europe from Bella Union and in Australia from Mistletone.
Tour Dates Europe Jun. 01 - Bordeaux, FR - Theatre Barbey Jun. 03 - Barcelona, ES - Primavera Sound Jun. 05 - Nimes, FR This Is Not a Love Song Jun. 06 - Nantes, FR - Stereolux Jun. 07 - Toulouse, FR - Bikini Jun. 10 - Porto, PT - Primavera Sound Jun. 12 - London, UK - Victoria Park Jun. 13 - Bexhill, UK - De La Warr Pavillion Jun. 14 - Paris, FR - Casino de Paris Jun. 17 - Hilvarenbeek, NL - Best Kept Secret Jun. 18 - Aarhus, DK - Northside
U.S. Jul. 11 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club Jul. 15 - Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Music Festival Aug. 05 - San Francisco, CA - Outside Lands Festival Aug. 07 - Happy Valley, OR - Pickathon Aug. 08 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory Aug. 09 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory Aug. 10 - Missoula, MT - The Wilma Aug. 12 - Sioux Falls, SD - The District Aug. 12 - Eau Claire, WI - Eaux Claires Music Festival Aug. 13 - Eau Claire, WI - Eaux Claires Music Festival Aug. 14 - Iowa City, IA - Englert Theatre Aug. 16 - Indianapolis, IN - Deluxe @ Old National Centre Aug. 17 - Louisville, KY - Headliners Aug. 19 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note Aug. 20 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theatre Aug. 22 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre Aug. 24 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues Aug. 28 - Los Angeles, CA - FYF Festival Sep. 09 - Raleigh, NC - Hopscotch Festival
Flight of the Conchords are very pleased to announce support acts for their upcoming “Flight of the Conchords sing Flight of the Conchords Tour,” welcoming comedians Arj Barker, Sub Pop label mate Eugene Mirman, David O’ Doherty and Kurt Braunohler as direct support (select dates).
“A tour, you say? Well, I suppose I still have a bandana around here, somewhere…” so says Arj Barker, Australia’s favorite American comic.
Eugene Mirman says of the reunion with his former castmates, “It is a pleasure to reunite with my TV tenants and tour America once again. It’s nice to see that they are alive and allowed to leave their country full of wizards and people living in trees. I look forward to fixing their faucet every night on tour. I also look forward to putting lipstick on them in their sleep.”
Meanwhile, Irishman David O’Doherty offered this anecdote, “I am incredibly excited to go on the road with FOTC. I played some piano in their first show at The Edinburgh Fringe in 2002 and some nights there were more people on stage (3) than there were in the audience. Fingers crossed that won’t happen this time.”
Kurt Braunohler chimes in, “I’m excited beyond words to open for Flight of the Conchords! Really beyond words! To fully communicate my excitement I’ll be giving out full body massages before each show (while burning a “Margarita Time” Yankee Candle, as Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” plays).”
In further exciting news, the June 28th Forest Hills Stadium show will feature support from Barker as well as John Hodgman and Demetri Martin. Meanwhile, the July 20th Forest Hills Stadium show will include Mirman alongside Hodgman and Michael Che.
“I am very excited about doing this show. Flight of the Condors is the best bird-based, Australian comedy band around,” offers Demetri Martin.
And this from John Hodgman, “I am thrilled to rejoin my brilliant and foreign friends THE FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS. I have long considered myself “The fifth Conchord” and have been touring profitably under that name for several years. I am grateful they have dropped the lawsuit.”
For a complete list of support acts and performance dates, view the full routing below.
The fast-selling “Flight of the Conchords sing Flight of the Conchords Tour,” is their first since co-headlining 2013’s “Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Tour.” The Grammy Award-winning folk comedy duo has new material in the works, which they’ll showcase exclusively at these shows. The amphitheatre and concert hall tour will also make stops in Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Seattle, Denver, Atlanta, and more.
The “Flight of the Conchords sing Flight of the Conchords Tour” now spans June 9th in Port Chester, NY at the Capitol Theatre and ends July 27th in Los Angeles, CA at The Greek Theatre.
More on Flight of the Conchords support acts: Arj Barker is best known for his role as “Dave” on Flight of the Conchords HBO series. He is also co-creator of the hit off-broadway show the Marijuana-logues. A parody of the Vagina Monologues. As a stand-up he reached record sales at the Melbourne comedy festival and tours Australia playing to sold-out crowds at large theatres. His youtube clips have generated millions of views. If you’re not already an Arj Barker fan, you soon will be.http://www.arjbarker.com/
Eugene Mirman is currently known as the voice of “Gene” on Fox’s Emmy award-winning Bob’s Burgers. He’s also supporting I’m Sorry, You’re Welcome, his acclaimed 9-volume, 7-LP comedy set out now worldwide on Sub Pop. Mirman has also appeared on Flight of the Conchords HBO series, Adult Swim’s Delocated, and has had two comedy specials on Comedy Central. His latest comedy special is available on Netflix. Mirman is also a frequent co-host of Neil deGrasse Tyson’s science show Star Talk.http://www.eugenemirman.com/
Dublin, Ireland’s David O’ Doherty is both a comedic novelist and recording artist whose most recent show was entitled David O’Doherty: We Are All in the Gutter, But Some Of Us Are Looking at David O’Doherty. http://www.davidodoherty.com/
Kurt Braunohler is a comedian, skywriter, and jet-skier, who has committed his career (perhaps foolishly) to “inserting absurdity into stranger’s lives to make the world a better place. He has been seen (or heard) on Bob’s Burgers, The New Girl, @midnight, Comedy Central Presents, Drunk History and more. He currently hosts The K Ohle with Kurt Braunohler podcast on the Nerdist network.http://kurtbraunohler.tumblr.com/
Michael Che is an award-winning comic, best known as a writer and co-anchor of Saturday Night Live’s iconic “Weekend Update.” He’s been named one of Rolling Stone’s “50 Funniest People,”Buzzfeed’s “50 Hottest Men in Comedy,” and Variety’s “Top 10 Comics To Watch,” and is quickly leaving his mark on the media landscape. http://michaelche.com/
John Hodgman is a writer, comedian, and actor best known for his “Resident Expert” and “Deranged Millionaire” segments on The Daily Show and as the “PC” in a series of commercials for Apple computers. http://www.johnhodgman.com/
Demetri Martin is the former star of Comedy Central’s Important Things With…, in addition to being a New York Times best-selling author and actor. He recently made his directorial debut with the acclaimed Dean, which won Tribeca’s Founders Award for “Best Narrative Feature.” http://live.demetrimartin.com/
Tour Dates Jun. 09 - Port Chester, NY - The Capitol Theatre [SOLD OUT] * Jun. 11 - Cleveland, OH - State Theatre [SOLD OUT] * Jun. 12 - Philadelphia, PA - Mann Center for Performing Arts * Jun. 13 - Washington, DC - Wolf Trap Filene Center * Jun. 14 - Columbus, OH - Palace Theatre [SOLD OUT] ** Jun. 16 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre [SOLD OUT] ** Jun. 17 - Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum [SOLD OUT] ** Jun. 18 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theatre [SOLD OUT] ** Jun. 19 - Chicago, IL - Pritzker Pavilion [SOLD OUT] ** Jun. 22 - Redmond, WA - Marymoor Park Concerts [SOLD OUT]** Jun. 23 - Vancouver, BC - Orpheum [SOLD OUT] ** Jun. 24 - Portland, OR - Keller Auditorium [SOLD OUT] ** Jun. 25 - Portland, OR - Keller Auditorium [SOLD OUT] ** Jun. 27 - San Francisco, CA - The Masonic [SOLD OUT] * Jun. 28 - San Francisco, CA - Shoreline Amphitheater ! Jul. 01 - Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl [SOLD OUT] % Jul. 02 - San Diego, CA - Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU [SOLD OUT] % Jul. 03 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre ^ Jul. 05 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre [SOLD OUT] ^ Jul. 07 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre ^ Jul. 09 - Austin, TX - Bass Concert Hall [SOLD OUT] ^ Jul. 10 - Austin, TX - Bass Concert Hall [SOLD OUT] ^ Jul. 11 - New Orleans, LA - Saenger Theatre [SOLD OUT] ^ Jul. 12 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheatre [SOLD OUT] ^ Jul. 14 - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheater * Jul. 16 - Boca Raton, FL - Mizner Park Amphitheatre * Jul. 17 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheatre * Jul. 18 - Cary, NC - Koka Booth Amphitheatre * Jul. 20 - New York, NY - Forest Hills Stadium # Jul. 22 - Newport, RI - Newport Folk 2016 (Fort Adams State Park) [SOLD OUT] Jul. 23 - Boston, MA - Blue Hills Bank Pavilion [SOLD OUT] ** Jul. 24 - New York, NY - Central Park SummerStage [SOLD OUT] ** Jul. 26 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre * Jul. 27 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre [SOLD OUT] *
Support Legend * w/ Arj Barker ** w/ Eugene Mirman ^ w/ David O Doherty % w/ Kurt Braunohler # w/ Eugene Mirman, John Hodgman, Michael Che ! w/ Arj Barker, John Hodgman, Demetri Martin
