From the altogether official press release, courtesy of our new friends at Alaska Airlines…

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Twitter exchange sparks new in-flight partnership with Sub Pop Records

BY KEEGAN PROSSER for Alaska Airlines

Looking for something fresh and exciting to do during your next flight? Then Alaska has some good news for you. Beginning this month, the airline is partnering with Seattle’s Sub Pop Records to bring some of the label’s best music onboard – for free. 

Launched with Beach House’s latest album Thank Your Lucky Stars on February 1, the new program offers fliers the chance to listen to one complimentary featured Sub Pop title per month on Alaska Beyond Entertainment, Alaska’s direct-to-your-device inflight entertainment service, and two albums per quarter on the rentable tablets. 

“We didn’t have inflight entertainment on most of our flights until about a year and a half ago,” says David Scotland, manager of inflight entertainment and connectivity for the airline, adding that one of Alaska’s priorities is to ensure that customers aren’t receiving “plain vanilla anything” aboard its flights. “We have our own unique way of designing every experience of travel – from locally sourced food to space-enhancing seats and now music,” he continues, noting that the record label takes a similar approach in curating its artists. “And Sub Pop is a way for us to do that in the music and entertainment space.”

The partnership itself came about when a former Sub Pop employee was on an Alaska flight and tweeted to ask why the two companies weren’t working together. Soon after, the Twitter conversation turned into a real plan of action.

“There’s definitely a big appeal for doing something specifically with Alaska,” notes Chris Jacobs, General Manager of Sub Pop Records. “Because Sub Pop is so overtly and proudly associated with the region, and so is Alaska, it makes sense.” According to Jacobs, albums selected for the streaming and tablet platforms are based on timeliness and appeal to a variety of listeners, with March’s featured album set to be Shearwater’s latest release Jet Plane and Oxbow. “The music we put out can range pretty widely, from relatively accessible to relatively not,” Jacobs says of the label. “So we are trying to focus on bands at the more accessible end.”

In that spirit, Shearwater frontman Jonathan Meiberg sees the inflight entertainment platform as a great way to gain new fans. “My hope is that the record feels accessible and friendly on first listen but has enough depth and detail that you’ll want to play it again,” he explains of the project, which pairs dreamy indie rock with punchy ‘80s synths. “We spent many weeks laboring over the texture and colors of the sounds.” He also sees it as a great alternative for his music to be consumed. “I’m just glad for the chance to reach people who might never hear our music otherwise.”

And fellow Sub Pop artist Cullen Omori, whose solo debut New Misery will be featured on Alaska flights in April, shares the sentiment. “There’s no better audience,” says the former Smith Westerns vocalist, whose collection of genre-bending pop rock cuts hits stores March 18. “You have a captive audience that’s stuck on a plane for X amount of hours. And so, there’s no better time to pitch them some music to listen to.”

As Scotland points out, teaming up with local brands such as Sub Pop, the Seattle International Film Festival, fashion designer Luly Yang and Tom Douglas restaurants enables Alaska to deepen the relationship it’s built with core customers and provide them with a piece of home. “One of the things that our customers from the Seattle area tell us very often is that they feel like they’re already home when they get on the plane, and there’s a comfort there.” But it also leaves a lasting impression with customers who may be flying in the region for the first time. “There is something cool and unique about the PNW,” he continues. “We do march to the beat of our own drum. We’re not like the rest of the country. And being an airline, we get to introduce a lot of people to some of the best parts of the Pacific Northwest.”

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Guest Writer Keegan Prosser is a full-time pop culture junkie and part-time freelance music journalist who is based in Seattle and has contributed to Seattle Weekly and RollingStone.com. When she’s not writing about Justin Bieber for radio prep service ReelWorld.com, Keegan flies Alaska to cities with good food, great people and exceptional live music.

[Originally published February 26th on alaskaair.com]

Sam Beam (of Iron & Wine) and Jesca Hoop present the story behind Love Letter For Fire via this short film. 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 [link here].

Love Letter for Fire features Beam and Hoop on vocals and guitar along with Robert Burger (keys), Eyvind Kang (violin, viola), Glenn Kotche (drums, percussion), Sebastian Steinberg (bass) and Edward Rankin-Parker (cello).  The thirteen-track album features the single “Every Songbird Says” and was produced, recorded and mixed by Tucker Martine (Modest Mouse, Decemberists, Neko Case) at Flora Recording & Playback in Portland, and mastered by Richard Dodd in Nashville.

Love Letter for Fire will be available on CD / LP / DL / CASS worldwide April 15th through Sub Pop/Black Crickett Recording Co.; you can preorder now via 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).

Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop have scheduled a North American tour in support Love Letter for Fire, which begins Tuesday, May 17th in Ann Arbor, MI at The Ark and ends Saturday, June 11th in Chicago, IL at Thalia Hall. (complete tour dates below.)

More on Love Letter for Fire:
The inspiration behind Love Letter for Fire was Sam’s love of classic duets, most of which are ones he grew up hearing on the radio. “Some of my favorite songs are duets, because the narrative is expanded. It’s not just a monologue.  It’s a conversation, and so it gets complicated. I had melodies over the years that I’d been compiling that I thought, this sounds like a classic Kenny and Dolly, ‘Islands in the Stream’ kind of thing, or George and Tammy”.  While the record itself is not Countrypolitan in nature, the two have carved out something that feels wholly original and should have no trouble appealing to fans of their previous work.

Over the course of thirteen songs Love Letter for Fire brims with a joyful energy, contrasting Beam and Hoop’s songwriting styles yet never feeling forced, nor pandering. Veering from disparate pop (“Every Songbird Says” / “Chalk It Up To Chi”) to introspective folk (“One Way to Pray” / “Soft Place to Land”) to a few things in between (“Welcome to Feeling” / “Midas Tongue”), the record never rests solely on just the two voices but rather showcases the new chapter of songwriting each found in the collaboration. Beam notes: “(Jesca) brought a lot of energy and a lot of heart in places where I would be cerebral, she would bring heart.  In places where I would be steady, she would add an exclamation point.”  

Recorded in Portland, Oregon with the steady hand of Tucker Martine, the album features a collection of handpicked musicians. The band includes Rob Burger, a frequent Iron & Wine contributor, Sebastian Steinberg (Soul Coughing, Fiona Apple), Teddy Rankin-Parker (Primus), Eyvind Kang (Decemberists/Tzadik and Ipecac labels) and Glenn Kotche (Wilco). This particular set of musicians had never worked together, but quickly found themselves on equal footing.  For Beam it was a bit of a dream team: “It was a really funband, and a lot less guitar than I usually have on my [Iron & Wine] records.  Tucker and the band were able to help bring out what’s inside of you that you might not know is there (read more at Sub Pop).”

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*
* w/ Marlon Williams

Ticket links reside in this place.

Mike and The Melvins have shared “Limited Teeth,” a new track from Three Men and a Baby, their long awaited, forthcoming album.

Dangerous Minds had this to say of the track: “Completely badass…If you’re in for this sort of thing (and since you’re still reading, I think it’s fair to assume that skillet-meets-face sludge rock is more or less your zone), the album was worth the wait (see premiere February 25th)”

Mike and The Melvins is a collaboration between Mike Kunka (godheadSilo, Enemymine) and the Melvins. 

The group will release Three Men and a Baby on CD/LP/DL/CASS on April 1, 2016 worldwide through Sub Pop. The 12-song album features the highlights “Chicken ‘n’ Dump” and “Limited Teeth.” Most of Three Men and a Baby was recorded in 1999 at Louder Studios by Tim Green (The Fucking Champs), and it was finished in 2015 at Sound of Sirens by Toshi Kasai.

Three Men and a Baby is now available for preorder through the Sub Pop Mega Mart, Google Play, iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp. LP preorders through megamart.subpop.com will receive the limited Loser edition, housed in a custom dust sleeve and on white vinyl (while supplies last), AND there’s a new T-shirt available for your bundling pleasure.

About Mike and The Melvins:

Three Men and a Baby is the new album by Mike and the Melvins. It was supposed to come out sixteen years ago.

These are the facts we can be sure of: in 1998, around the time his band godheadSilo went on hiatus, bassist/vocalist Mike Kunka busied himself by tagging along on a tour with his friends the Melvins. Somewhere along the way, Mike and the Melvins – King Buzzo (guitar/bass/vocals), Dale Crover (drums/vocals), and Kevin Rutmanis (bass/vocals), at the time – decided to make a record together, and gave the project the imaginative moniker Mike and the Melvins. Sub Pop, ever on the hunt for music’s Next Big Thing, enthusiastically agreed to fund and release the super-group’s debut, and recording commenced sometime in 1999.

It’s at this point that things get hazy. Apparently, one or more of the following happened:

• Some “junior-high level bullshit.”
•  A house was built, a barn was raised, children were born.
• Typical record-label skullduggery.
• A scorching case of whooping cough.
• Surgery. Lots of surgery.
• Shocking and poorly-timed gear theft.
• Some other stuff, probably, or maybe not.

Whatever the reasons, the incomplete recording languished on a shelf from 1999 until 2015, when, much to everyone’s surprise, the involved parties reconvened, finished the damn thing, and delivered it post-haste to Sub Pop International Headquarters, where it was promptly scheduled for the coveted April 1st, 2016 release date. What a story, right?

So, about the record: It’s real good! Mike’s signature bass crunch and vocals are all over it, and the Melvins are in fine form. It has everything from hefty noise-rock churn to a Public Image Ltd. song to cough-syrup blues to deconstructed black metal. Neither Melvins nor godheadSilo fans will be disappointed, nor will detractors of either; to paraphrase Mike, if you don’t like it, it probably wasn’t meant for you (read more at Sub Pop).

Three Men and a Baby

Tracklisting

1. Chicken ‘n’ Dump
2. Limited Teeth
3. Bummer Conversation
4. Annalisa
5. A Dead Pile of Worthless Junk
6. Read the Label (It’s Chili)
7. Dead Canaries
8. Pound the Giants
9. A Friend in Need is a Friend You Don’t Need
10. Lifestyle Hammer
11. Gravel
12. Art School Fight Song

Beach House are thrilled to announce a series of “installation” shows interspersed throughout their upcoming 2016 headlining tour in support of Thank Your Lucky Stars and Depression Cherry. 

These performances will be held in art spaces, galleries, community centers, and various alternative venues in the following cities: Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Baltimore, Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. 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.  
 
Tickets for the March installation dates will go on sale Friday, February 26th at 11 am ET and available from http://www.beachhousebaltimore.com/installation/.  Tickets sales for April and May will be announced in the coming weeks.
 
For more details on the Installation tour, see below.
 

Beach House’s 2016 North American and European tour schedule resumes Monday, February 29th in Cleveland at House of Blues and has been extended through August 12th-13th at Eaux Claires Music Festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. New highlights include:London’s Field Day June 12th; Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago July 15th-17th; Pickathon in Happy Valley, Oregon August 5th-7th.


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.
 
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.
 

MORE FROM BEACH HOUSE ON THE INSTALLATION SHOWS:

PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASING A TICKET
We are very excited to announce a series of performances interspersed throughout our North American spring tours. They will be taking place in galleries, art spaces, community centers, and various other alternative venues. Here are the cities and dates:
 
March 2nd - Chicago                              April 10th - Austin
March 4th - Toronto                                April 21st - Los Angeles
March 8th - Montreal                              April 26th - San Francisco
March 12th - Boston                               April 29th - Portland
March 20th - Philadelphia                       May 1st - Vancouver
March 22nd - New York                          May 3rd - Seattle
March 23rd - New York
March 24th - Baltimore
 
WHAT TO EXPECT
We are going to install a design we have created and play as a two-piece within this “installation.”  The performance will be continuous without breaks.  Due to the lack of stages, the audience will be expected to sit on the floor (bring a pillow!).  The show will feature songs mostly from Thank Your Lucky Stars, Devotion and our self titled record (songs we can play as a two piece). This is by no means a “stripped down” or intentionally intimate performance. The design requires a maximum audience of 200, so that all can see the performance space.
 
THE CONCEPT
It has always been difficult to carry the initial moments of creativity that inspire our music through the process of making and releasing a record. There are many chances along the way for the feeling to get lost. A lot of “bedroom” bands experience this when they get to the studio or the stage. This installation performance is an attempt to elicit this pure, embryonic state of mind for ourselves and our audience.
 
A NOTE ON TICKET PRICES
The ticket costs for these alternative-space performances are much higher than our normal shows. This is due to the very high production costs and low ticket number. The ticket price is set as low as possible in order to cover our costs and not lose money on the show.  We sincerely apologize if it’s unaffordable for any fans who may want to attend.
 
2016 Tour Dates
Installation Shows (All venues TBA)
Tickets on sale: February 26th at 11am ET.
Mar. 02 - Chicago, IL
Mar. 04 - Toronto, ON
Mar. 08 - Montreal, QC
Mar. 12 - Boston, MA
Mar. 20 - Philadelphia, PA
Mar. 22 - Brooklyn, NY
Mar. 23 - Brooklyn, NY
Mar. 24 - Baltimore, MD

Ticket on sale TBA:
Apr. 10 - Austin, TX
Apr. 21 - Los Angeles, CA
Apr. 26 - San Francisco, CA
Apr. 29 - Portland, OR
May 03 - Seattle, WA
 
Theatre / Club Performances
Feb. 29 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues [Sold Out]
Mar. 01 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre [Sold Out]
Mar. 05 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall [Sold Out]
Mar. 06 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall [Sold Out]
Mar. 09  - Montreal, QC - Rialto Theatre [Sold Out]
Mar. 11 - Boston, MA - House of Blues [Sold Out]
Mar. 14 - New York, NY - Webster Hall [Sold Out]
Mar. 15 - New York, NY - Webster Hall [Sold Out]
Mar. 16 - New York, NY - Webster Hall [Sold Out]
Mar. 18 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer [Sold Out]
Mar. 19 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer [Sold Out]
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
Apr. 19 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy & Hariett’s [Sold Out]*
Apr. 20 - San Pedro, CA - Warner Grand Theatre
Apr. 24 - Indio, CA - Coachella
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
* w/ J. Mascis

Theatre/Club ticket links are here.