Kristin Kontrol - aka Dee Dee, leader of internationally acclaimed rock outfit Dum Dum Girls - released a new song today. “Show Me,” with all its synth-sax flourishes and minimal groove, premiered on i-D here.
The track, produced by Kurt Feldman with Danny Meyer on saxophone, is off her debut album, X-Communicate, coming out on May 27 via Sub Pop Records. The album pre-order is underway HERE. Fans who pre-order X-Communicate digitally will instantly receive the title track ”X-Communicate,” as well. Additionally, the limited, blue-vinyl Loser Edition is available to pre-order customers at megamart.subpop.com, and at select independent record stores (while supplies last).
“Show Me” follows the release of the album’s title track ”X-Communicate,” of which Cosmopolitan said “her voice…remains as smoldering as it’s always been,” and Pitchfork noted “the springy cushion of bass arpeggios, synth pads, and ringing guitars smartly borrows from Hi-NRG acts like Evelyn Thomas and Bananarama as well as sleek, wavy brooders like New Order and Pet Shop Boys. But the results are far too opulent to scan as merely retro. If “X-Communicate” were a look on “Project Runway,” it’d find Nina Garcia gushing about how expensive it sounds.”
Kristin also announced her first set of tour dates here, including stops in Brooklyn and Boston – more dates will be announced soon.
Kristin tells her stories using a sonic palette splashed with bold pop melodies, her vocals showcasing a range hitherto unexplored by Kristin. The album was produced by Kurt Feldman (of Ice Choir and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart) and Andrew Miller (who played guitar in the Dum Dum Girls’ last incarnation). Longtime Dum Dum Girls producer Richard Gottehrer (Blondie, The Go-Go’s) provided “sonic consultation,” giving Kristin feedback on the new songs and inspiring her to continually push further. Kristin spoke more about the upcoming album in her recent Sirius XMU interview with Jenny Eliscu HERE.
Dum Dum Girls was Kristin’s guise for the best part of a decade. After posting her bedroom recordings online, she caught the ears of Sub Pop. From there she assembled her group of badass, black-clad cadets and toured the world. Over the course of three albums, four EPs and a bold brace of singles, Dum Dum Girls morphed from the girl group-gone-bad moves of debut album I Will Be (2010), to the comparatively plush noir-pop of 2014’s Too True. At the top of 2015, Kristin decided to shed her Dum Dum Girls skin, ditching Dee Dee for her real name, Kristin, and adding Kontrol (a bit of an inside joke between old friends). Inspired by some words of wisdom from Karen O, it may be a leap into the unknown, but little risk means little reward.
Urban Outfitters is celebrating 25 years in Seattle with a month-long celebration, and they invited us to join the party!
Throughout the month of April you’ll find Sub Pop pop-up shops in all three Seattle Urban Outfitters store locations: Capitol Hill, Downtown and University Way. We think they look pretty great!
The birthday revelry culminates on Saturday, April 30th, when artists from the Sub Pop family — Portland’s Kyle Craft, Olympia’s Strange Wilds, and Hardly Art’s S — perform at the anniversary bash in UO’s Capitol Hill store at 401 Broadway E, from 6-8 PM. Come for the music; stay for the birthday treats (and opportunities to buy stuff).
Oh hey, we also made a playlist to mark the occasion. Have a listen here:
You can now hear Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop’s Love Letter for Fire, their forthcoming duets record, in it’s entirety via NPR Music’s “First Listen”.
NPR Music says of the album, “Love Letter for Fire was, at least in part, inspired by the pair’s desire to make songs that function as conversations rather than soliloquies, and their work backs that up…With the help of producer Tucker Martine and a smart, subtle band, the two achieve a fine balance — of songwriting sensibilities, of time in the spotlight — in the service of songs that feel at once fresh and timeless (see “First Listen” April 7th-15th).”
Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop’s 2016 headlining tour schedule in support of Love Letter for Fire has been extended through September. This includes a North American trek with support from Marlon Williams (May 17th-June 11th) and a European run (August 28th-September 11th). Sam and Jesca will also appear at End of the Road Festival weekender September 2nd-4th. (complete tour dates below.) Sam and Jesca recently released a short film on the making of Love Letter for Fire. The two discuss the process of how their collaborative album came to fruition and how two people not in love wrote an entire album of love songs. The clip also features exclusive performances of the two in a stripped down and intimate setting [watch it here].
Love Letter for Firewill be available on CD / LP / DL / CASS worldwide April 15th through Sub Pop/Black Crickett Recording Co., and is now available for preorder at Sub Pop Mega Mart, iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and Bandcamp. LP preorders through megamart.subpop.com will receive the limited Loser edition on Smoke-colored vinyl (while supplies last - we’re almost out as of 4/7/16).
Tour Dates May 17 - Ann Arbor, MI - The Ark* May 18 - Toronto, ON - The Danforth Music Hall* May 20 - New York, NY - The Town Hall* May 21 - Washington, DC - The Lincoln Theatre* May 22 - Boston, MA - The Wilbur Theatre* May 24 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer* May 26 - Atlanta, GA - The Buckhead Theatre* May 27 - New Orleans, LA - The Civic Theatre* May 28 - Dallas, TX - The Kessler Theater* May 30 - Tucson, AZ - The Rialto Theatre* May 31 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre* Jun. 02 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall* Jun. 03 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater* Jun. 04 - Seattle, WA - Neptune Theatre* Jun. 05 - Boise, ID - The Egyptian Theatre* Jun. 07 - Boulder, CO - Boulder Theater* Jun. 08 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown* Jun. 09 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater* Jun. 10 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom* Jun. 11 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall* Aug. 28 - Edinburgh, UK - Edinburgh International Festival Aug. 29 - Bangor, UK - Marine Court Aug. 30 - Dublin, Ireland - Olympia Theatre Aug 31 - Manchester, UK - Royal Northern College of Music Sep. 01 - London, UK - Union Chapel Sep. 02-04 - Salisbury, Larmer Tree Gardens, UK - End of the Road Festival Sep. 07 - Berlin, DE - Passionskirche Sep. 08 - Cologne, DE - Kulturkirche Sep. 09 - Brussels, BE - Botanique-Orangerie Sep. 10 - Groningen, NL - Take Root Festival Sep. 11 - Amsterdam, NL - De Duif * w/ Marlon Williams
[Photo Credit: Shawn Brackbill / Icebox Project Space at Crane Arts Philadelphia]
Beach House’s previously announced “Installation Shows” for April and May will go on sale Thursday, April 7th at 11am (local time) and will be available from the band’s website right over here. These unique shows are interspersed throughout the group’s 2016 headlining spring tour in support of Thank Your Lucky Stars and Depression Cherry.
The remaining “Installation Shows” will be held in art spaces, galleries, community centers, and various alternative venues in the following cities: Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. Venues will be announced 24-48 hours before each show for those who have purchased tickets.
Each show will have Beach House performing in their original formation (as a duo), within a special installation the band created for this tour. A majority of the material will focus on tracks from Thank Your Lucky Stars, Devotion, and their self-titled debut. Images from previous installations shows can be viewed here: http://nyti.ms/1N5mKF9.
Beach House’s 2016 North American and European tour schedule resumes Saturday, April 9th in Dallas at the Bomb Factory and has now been extended through August 27th-28th at FYF Music Fest in Los Angeles.
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.
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.
2016 Tour Dates
Installation Shows (All venues TBA) Tickets on sale Thursday, April 7th at 11am (local time) Apr. 10 - Austin, TX Apr. 21 - Los Angeles, CA Apr. 26 - San Francisco, CA Apr. 29 - Portland, OR May 03 - Seattle, WA
For links and more on the “Installation Shows,” please visit beachhousebaltimore.com. Theatre / Club Performances Apr. 09 - Dallas, TX - Bomb Factory Apr. 11 - Austin, TX - ACL Live at Moody Theatre [Sold Out] Apr. 13 - El Paso, TX - Tricky Falls Apr. 14 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre [Sold Out] Apr. 17 - Indio, CA - Coachella [Sold Out] Apr. 19 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy &Hariett’s [Sold Out]* Apr. 20 - San Pedro, CA - Warner Grand Theatre [Sold Out] Apr. 24 - Indio, CA - Coachella [Sold Out] Apr. 28 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom [Sold Out] Apr. 30 - Vancouver, BC - The Vogue [Sold Out] May 04 - Seattle, WA - The Paramount 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 Jul. 15 - Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Music Festival Jul. 16 - Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Music Festival Jul. 17 - Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Music Festival Aug. 05 - Happy Valley, OR - Pickathon Aug. 06 - Happy Valley, OR - Pickathon Aug. 07 - Happy Valley, OR - Pickathon Aug. 12 - Eau Claire, WI - Eaux Claires Music Festival Aug. 13 - Eau Claire, WI - Eaux Claires Music Festival Aug. 27 - Los Angeles, CA - FYF Festival Aug. 28 - Los Angeles, CA - FYF Festival * w/ J. Mascis
New music from Goat is always a time for celebration, and we are excited to announce the band’s return with a 7” of brand new material.
Last year Goat released the single “It’s Time for Fun” which saw the band experimenting with drum machines, which brought a different pulse to their tribal psych. This desire to explore new sounds continues with their new single “I Sing in Silence.” But instead of plugging in new instruments the band have unplugged and created an addictive groove with mostly un-amped, acoustic instruments.
Elastic guitar lines, woodblock percussion, and flutes which drive the song are enveloped by one of the strongest vocal deliveries by the bands enigmatic singers, resulting in a powerful and catchy psych-pop number.
The B side, an instrumental called “The Snake of Addis Ababa,” is a looping, North-African mantra played on a teasing, fuzzed guitar, underpinned by a djembi groove. The repetitive riff is disrupted by piano that freely solos over the groove, and a pounding drum lifts the song to a seriously head-nodding conclusion.
This single is further proof that, in a world of similar sounding and similar looking psych bands, Goat are standing completely out on their own and we are all the better for it.
This summer the band will be busy writing, recording, and blowing people’s minds across Europe’s greatest stages. Confirmed dates at time of going to press:
Tour Dates Jun. 01 - Barcelona, ES - Primavera Sound Jun. 11 - Eindhoven, NL - Eindhoven Psych Lab Jun. 12 - London, UK - Field Day Jun. 17 - Duisburg, DE - Traumzeit Festival Jun. 19 - Gaou Island/Six-Fours, France - Pointu Festival Jul. 09 - Liege, BE - Les Ardentes Festival Jul. 10 - Gent, BE - Cactus Festival Jul. 22-24 - Barcelos, PT - Milhões de Festa Sep. 03 - End of the Road Festival / UK
