(Yes – that is Dee Dee from Dum Dum Girls. Her real name is Kristin and you’d better start getting used to it.) [Photo Credit :: Jimmy Fontaine]
The new musical endeavor from Kristin Welchez, (aka Dee Dee, leader of internationally acclaimed rock outfit Dum Dum Girls) is here and it’s called KRISTIN KONTROL.
A mesmeric combination of new wave, R&B, synth pop, and krautrock, it’s a wink to heroes from the past, a nod to contemporaries, and a bold “solo” dive into the future.
It’s a heavily electronic effort that boasts Kristin’s most impressive vocal delivery and widest range of songs to date.
But why the change – you ask?
“I wanted to open things up and shed light on significant influences that felt off-limits in Dum Dum land. I don’t want to fight them off anymore. That’d be a drag.”
“The music is so different from anything I’ve ever done – I felt compelled to shed the alter-ego instead of trying to morph Dum Dum Girls into something else. I didn’t want to mess with that legacy.”
Eight years becoming and now the unbecoming commences. Let ‘Dee Dee’ take a bow.
“So yeah, I’m Kristin … and this is Kristin Kontrol.”
The debut longplayer will be released worldwide this spring via Sub Pop.
On April 1st, 2016, Sub Pop will release Three Men and a Baby, the long-awaited collaboration between Mike Kunka (godheadSilo, Enemymine) and the Melvins. The 12-song album features the highlights “Chicken ‘n’ Dump” and “Limited Teeth.” You can hear “Chicken ‘n’ Dump” right now via YouTube or Soundcloud, so click on over and treat your earholes!
Noisey had this to say of ”Chicken ‘n’ Dump”: “Delivers on the promise of the Kunka/Melvins pairing, fixing Mike’s hellacious, chugging low end to Buzz Osborne and the boys’ thick racket, banging out a riff as joyous and as it is punishing (see premiere January 26th).”
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 Loser edition, housed in a custom dust sleeve and on white vinyl (while supplies last). There’s also a rad new T-shirt.
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.
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).
Shearwater have shared the official video for “Quiet Americans”, the lead single from Jet Plane and Oxbow, (out tomorrow)! The intense visual stars frontman Jonathan Meiburg and was directed by Alex Rapine.
Stereogum had this to say about the video, “Channeling albums like David Bowie’s Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) and the Talking Heads’ Remain In Light, the band’s lead singer and songwriter Jonathan Meiburg has used this new record to add some polished experimentation and drama to the band’s ever-evolving sound. Director Alex Rapine’s video matches that aesthetic shift with a sleek, dark color palette, flickering lights, and a besuited Meiburg showing off his best evil grin (see premiere January 21st).”
Shearwater’s Jet Plane and Oxbow is earning the group some of its best reviews to date, from outlets on both sides of the Atlantic. Highlights include:
NPR Music: “Fussed-over sounds abound — one track finds room for both synthesizer and dulcimer — which helps render Meiburg’s songs both unsettling and majestic. The terrific “Quiet Americans” checks many of the band’s boxes right away, as the synths peal through static, while Meiburg’s vocals bark, swoop, soar and swoon in tune with the moment. From there, the palette expands and contracts to include booming, stadium-sized urgency (“A Long Time Away”); a persistently rumbling, exploratory epic worthy of Wilco (“Filaments”); and a ballad that sneaks in some of Meiburg’s favorite themes (“Wildlife In America”). Of course, that big, elastic voice remains at the center of these songs, but so too does a mandate to fill the surrounding air with big, bold ideas.”
MOJO: “A defiant moody exploration of the magic and menace of technology.” [4/5]
Uncut: “Meiburg’s finest album to date.” [8/10]
Rolling Stone: “It’s refreshing to hear them switch things up on this, their seventh full-length release, by writing more immediate pop songs without sacrificing their rich, thoughtfully placed instrumentation.”
Consequence of Sound: “Jet Plane and Oxbow can’t be locked into a single place or time, instead patching together its own alternate past. They leave room for their glossy influences and the gritty present to communicate with each other, threading catchy hooks through more complex backgrounds. The prime example is “Quiet Americans”, a dark track that transforms relatively quickly into a comfortable earworm.”
EXCLAIM: “The sense of velocity and flight, paired with Meiburg’s dramatic vocals, delivered with Bowie-like flair here, making Jet Plane and Oxbow a natural progression for Shearwater, and a nice departure from their typical offerings.”
PopMatters: “Jet Plane and Oxbow is a remarkably polished, alluring, and dignified accomplishment.” [8/10]
The Skinny: “The band’s punchiest and most populist work to date.” [4/5]
Shearwater’s 2016 North American and European tour schedule in support of Jet Plane and Oxbow begins February 3rd in Austin, TX at North Door and currently ends March 26th in Portland, OR at Mississippi Studios. Main support will come from Barsuk recording artist Laura Gibson (March 16th - 19th). (see dates below)
Jet Plane and Oxbow will be available tomorrow through Sub Pop Mega Mart, iTunes, and Amazon. LP preorders though megamart.subpop.com will receive the limited “Loser” edition on blue colored vinyl (while supplies last) and there are two super sweet t-shirts for this release as well!
More about Shearwater: This is definitely Shearwater’s biggest and loudest record—it’s easy to imagine these songs roaring from the stage—but it’s also their most detailed and intricate one. Front man Jonathan Meiburg and producer/engineer Reisch (who also recorded 2012’s Animal Joy and the off-the-cuff collaborations of 2014’s Fellow Travelers) spent two years crafting Jet Plane and Oxbow with help from drummer Cully Symington, longtime Shearwater associates Howard Draper and Lucas Oswald, and tourmates Jesca Hoop, Abram Shook, and Jenn Wasner.
But their secret weapon this time is film composer and percussionist Brian Reitzell, whose soundtracks include The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation, The Bling Ring, and 30 Days of Night. Reitzell’s arsenal of strange instruments emphasizes Jet Plane and Oxbow’s cinematic depth and scope, and reflects the band’s choice to anchor the record in the era when digital technology was just beginning to transform the world of recorded music. In Shearwater’s hands this doesn’t feel like nostalgia; the racing synths and hammered dulcimers of heart-pounding opener “Prime” or the addled motorik of “Radio Silence” sound more like a metaphor for our own bewildering moment (read more at Sub Pop).
Tour Dates Feb. 03 - Austin, TX - North Door (w/ Marmalakes) Feb. 04 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada (w/ Marmalakes) Feb. 06 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge (w/ Jib Kidder) Feb. 10 - Berlin, DE - Frannz Club Feb. 11 - Copenhagen, DK - Loppen Feb. 12 - Hamburg, DE - Molotow Feb. 13 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso Noord Feb. 14 - Brussels. BE - Botanique Feb. 16 - Lille, FR - L’Aeronef Feb. 17 - London, UK - Islington Assembly Hall Feb. 18 - Bristol, UK - The Fleece Feb. 19 - Leeds, UK - The Brudenell Social Club Feb. 20 - Glasgow, UK - King Tuts Feb. 21 - Newcastle, UK - The Cluny Feb. 23 - Dublin, IE - Button Factory Feb. 24 - Manchester , UK - Night & Day Feb. 25 - Brighton, UK - The Haunt Feb. 26 - Paris, FR - Point Ephémère Feb. 27 - Zurich, CH - Bogen F Feb. 28 - Fribourg, CH - Nouveau Monde Mar. 04 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent Mar. 05 - Los Angeles, CA - Roxy Mar. 10 - Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel Mar. 12 - Brooklyn, NY - Bell House Mar. 16 - Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe** Mar. 17 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern** Mar. 18 - Ferndale, MI - The Loving Touch** Mar. 19 - Chicago, IL - Schubas** Mar. 22 - Minneapolis, MN - Turf Club Mar. 25 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile Mar. 26 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios ** w/ Laura Gibson
We’re now hoping to add another thing for you to know about Sub Pop…
We’ve made (and plan to continue to make) a podcast! Finally, you can hear the stories from inside, outside, and adjacent to Sub Pop, straight from this particular horse’s mouth. We’ll be bringing you conversations with our artists, people who work at or with Sub Pop, and anyone else who will talk to us. And, we’ll be doing much of this same sort of thing with the artists and people related to our sibling label Hardly Art Records.
It’s important to note here that when we say that “we” have made a podcast, we actually mean people here at Sub Pop Records. Hosted by Alissa Atkins (actual, long-time Sub Pop employee!) and Arwen Nicks (actual, albeit part-time and only recently hired, Sub Pop employee!), the Sub Pop Podcast is entirely self-produced and not something pitched to us by shifty entrepreneurs, or created in response to any real, discernible demand or marketing analytics. We have approached this in much the same way we approached starting the label: we really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, and we’re pretty pleased with ourselves by the results.
And somehow, unrelated to any current or past contractual obligations, we convinced an impressive array of folks to talk with us for this thing. Here we are referring to such revered figures from the wide world of entertainment as: King Tuff! Cat from THEESatisfaction! Jon Benjamin! Ben Bridwell from Band of Horses! Jonathan Meiburg from Shearwater! And eventually, we’re fairly certain, if we can pin him down, Mark Arm!
In the spirit of tell and show, you can listen to the trailer for the podcast at subpop.fm RIGHT NOW. If you like what you hear, you can subscribe (in iTunes or anything) right now, too. The first episode will be available Wednesday, February 3, and new episodes will be delivered weekly until April 2016 (at which point the first season will end).
SO! Visit subpop.fm to listen to the trailer, subscribe to the podcast, sign up for the podcast mailing list, or to get in touch with us.
The Sub Pop Podcast: Absolutely nothing sounds better.
Sub Pop Slurps the Best Soups at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
One of the most important questions I get asked while working at the airport isn’t, “How do I get to my rental car?” or “Is there a smoking section in here?” or “Are you the Duty Free store?” but rather, “What is the best food in the airport?” A person who has just met me has now put his or her stomach in my hands. It presumes that I am closer to a ‘foodie’ than a garbage rat, and it’s not a question I take lightly.
So, what is the best food in the airport? It depends on what kind of food you like. Do you have time to kill and cash to spend on a ‘nice’ meal? Do you want a gut-punch of food that will ensure you pass out during your flight? Do you want some kind of regional fare to the Seattle-Tacoma area? Does flying make you nervous, ergo, you want comfort food with no surprises? Are you vegetarian? Those are just some of the questions that run through my head when confronted by the question of where to eat in the airport, but lately, I’ve only had one type of food on my mind.
Soup.
It’s warm, flavorful, hearty but not too-filling, and usually can be found at an affordable price point (although I can’t wait for the day that I have three martini lunches at Anthony’s on the regular). I know what you’re probably thinking, “There can’t be that many soup options at the airport.” Well, guess what, there are so many soup options at the airport, it’ll make your fuckin’ head spin. I asked some of my co-workers for their favorite soups at the airport, and learned more about soup than most folks will ever need to know in their lifetime. So, here’s a practical knowledge bomb that will help you fight off the winter doldrums before your next flight:
Waji’s Udon Noodle Soup: Here’s what you get with their udon noodle soup: A delicate broth, thick noodles, fish cake, and the longest cylinder container I’ve ever eaten out of. Getting to Waji’s involves a trek down to the end of the C Concourse, but it’s definitely worth it.
Wolfgang Puck Gourmet Express: I’ve heard rave reviews of their butternut squash soup, a dish I haven’t yet tried, but I was quite impressed by their cup of tortilla soup, which came with nice flourishes like cilantro, avocados, and a complimentary roll.
Dish D’Lish Soup of the Day: Part of the fun of going to Dish D’Lish is the surprise of what kind of soup they’ll have that day. With our store being open 7 days a week, our staff has tried to come together to decipher Dish D’Lish’s daily soup schedule, but we’ve yet to crack the code, and we’re always left in suspense. We have been treated to the likes of chicken and rice stew, cream of artichoke soup, and even a curry. (Dish D’Lish, if you are reading this, please bring back the curry).
Maki of Japan Miso Soup: It’s miso soup. When done right, miso transcends all description. What more can you want?
Beecher’s Soups: While Beecher’s Handmade Cheese might be well-known for its mac n’ cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches, they also offer more than just a nominal tomato soup. There’s a tasty french onion soup, complete with croutons and cheese that can stand alone, along with a rotating seasonal; at publication, the seasonal is a nice vegetarian chili. Is Chili a soup? A stew? Who cares. Pair it with a bread roll and you’re set.
Wendy’s Chili: OK, so if I’m gonna include Beecher’s chili here, then I have to throw in Wendy’s chili, as well. If you haven’t eaten it in a while, Wendy’s chili packs more of a punch, with meat and plenty of beans. (They don’t call it Rich & Meaty Chili for nothing). Order it off the value menu with a side salad and baked potato, and you’ve got a 3 course meal for under 10 bucks.
Qdoba Mexican Gumbo: So while we dive into the stew realm, Qdoba’s gumbo is a playful concoction for when your typical enormous burrito gets boring. (But I’m pining for the day that they roll out a pozole).
Ivar’s vs. Anthony’s Clam Chowder: Look, I’ll be upfront with you all. I might love soup, but overall, clam chowder grosses me out. Something about the milky creaminess of it just never sounds appetizing to me, but maybe one of these days I’ll come around. Ivar’s and Anthony’s, two venerable local Seattle seafood chains with locations in the airport, both serve clam chowder, and I feel obligated to include it here. Simply put, a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport soup list wouldn’t be complete without their inclusion, but you’ll have to try these out for yourself.
