On March 18th, former Smith Western frontman Cullen Omori will release his debut LP, New Misery, worldwide on CD / LP / DL via Sub Pop Records. The album, which features the highlights “Cinnamon” and “Sour Silk” was recorded by Shane Stoneback (Sleigh Bells, Fucked Up, and Vampire Weekend) at the now defunct Treefort Studios, and was mastered by Emily Lazar (Sia, HAIM, Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, and Bjork) at The Lodge.
Omori began working on solo material in early 2014 which has now fully materialized as New Misery, a collection of 11 songs building upon his own musical past while reaching towards the future of what guitar rock could be. His songs marry dark yet blissful pop with vocal melodies and hooks that are at once immediate yet demand to be heard again and again.
Cullen and his band have scheduled a 4-week spring tour in support of New Misery, which begins March 24th in Chicago, IL at Lincoln Hall and currently ends April 24th in Toronto, ON at the Horseshoe. Preceding the tour is a string of midwestern dates that run from February 3rd in Indianapolis at The Hi Fi through February 5th in Champaign, IL at The Accord. Additionally, Cullen will appear at the 2016 edition of SXSW in Austin, Texas. (tour details below)
More on Cullen Omori: Cullen Omori knows it’s a false cliche to say there are no second acts in American lives, but after the 2014 breakup of his acclaimed band the Smith Westerns, living that cliche was his greatest fear. His solo debut New Misery, out March 18 on Sub Pop Records, is a direct challenge to that anxiety: an album that goes beyond the glam punch of the Smith Westerns to new sounds, new sources of inspiration, and greater self-awareness.
Photo credit: Alexa Lopez
“I had this overwhelming feeling that perhaps the apex of my life both as a musician and as an individual would be relegated to five years in my late teens/early 20s,” says Omori, who was launched into the music industry when the Smith Westerns, who started in high school in Chicago, became fast-rising indie stars. “This fear really forced me to work hard as to not see the Smith Westerns as an end but as a point along a bigger trajectory.”
While New Misery grew out of a difficult personal and professional time for Omori, he says the title reflects “not so much the distress that comes with failure, but the troubles and complexities that come with any type of success. No matter what you get you’re going to want more, you’re going to want something different. That’s the catch.”
The title track is a dreamy, resonant reflection on these feelings, but is also a guidepost for Omori’s musical evolution. “The song starts slow and then builds with two solos,” he says. “There’s the guitar solo which is very much a Smith Westerns thing. The next solo is on the keyboard, which is a shift to a lot of what I’m trying to do.” Synths play a much larger role in Omori’s new music than in the Smith Westerns’ guitar-fueled rock, as do a wide range of influences including Roxy Music, INXS, Spiritualized, Wilco, Garbage, Hall & Oates, Kate Bush, U2, and Sparks. There’s also a more deliberate pop streak, inspired by the top-40 radio that would play while Omori worked at a medical supply company cleaning stretchers and wheelchairs.
“There is so much dirt in hospitals and fuzz and lint and dried blood on these things. We’d clean them down, which in a way is kind of therapeutic, and listen to the radio. Then we’d go back to Adam’s (Adam Gil, current live band member) house and record demos for what was to become the skeleton of New Misery. I can’t sit down and say I’m going to write a Sam Smith or an Adele song or whatever. The closest I can get to that is making like this weird hybrid of what I think is a pop song.” The strongest example of this is the new wave-tinged single “Cinnamon,” which Omori describes as “dark pop–it’s poppy, it’s fast, but it also has all the colors and tones that are kind of dark. It’s self-deprecating, which was kind of where I was at emotionally. That, you know, I could have this poppy song or whatever but I don’t think I’m a pop star. I’m closer to thinking I’m a piece of shit than I am a pop star.”
Along with Omori, New Misery features additional bass and keyboards from Ryan Mattos, drums from Loren Humphrey, and James Richardson on guitar. But unlike with the more distributed roles within the Smith Westerns, Omori wrote, played, and oversaw nearly every part of the new album, beginning a true new chapter of his long-term creative growth.
“People would be like, ‘Oh man, your band is doing really well. I saw you on the internet.’ But seeing you on the internet isn’t equivalent with making hundreds let alone thousands of dollars or being really successful. When I was younger I believed that happiness came from success and now that I’m older, more seasoned I find myself believing that stability over a long time is also its own type of success. I came out of Smith Westerns at 25 with no real job experience, I only knew how to play music. Writing and recording these songs for myself was cathartic, and I didn’t know my destination or future, but picking up my guitar and playing was the only way I knew I’d get close to figuring it out.
Tour Dates Feb. 03 - Indianapolis, IN - The Hi-Fi Feb. 04 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club Feb. 05 - Champaign, IL - The Accord Mar. 24 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall Mar. 25 - Madison, WI - High Noon Mar. 26 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry Mar. 28 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge Mar. 29 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge Mar. 30 - Boise, ID - Neurolux Apr. 01 - Seattle, WA - Barboza Apr. 02 - Vancouver, BC - Fortune Sound Club Apr. 03 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Apr. 05 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent Apr. 07 - Los Angeles, CA - Telegram Ballroom Apr. 08 - San Diego, CA - Casbah Apr. 09 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar Apr. 11 - Austin, TX - Stubb’s Jr Apr. 12 - Dallas, TX - Prophet Bar Apr. 13 - Houston, TX - Raven Tower Apr. 15 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl Apr. 16 - Nashville, TN - High Watt Apr. 17 - Columbus, OH - The Basement Apr. 18 - DC, Washington - DC9 Apr. 19 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle Apr. 21 - Boston, MA - Great Scott Apr. 22 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom Apr. 24 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
Father John Misty has scheduled a North American spring tour in support of the internationally acclaimed I Love You, Honeybear, which begins March 30th in Santa Ana, CA at the Observatory and ends April 30th in Orlando, FL at the Beacham. Support for these dates comes from Tess & Dave.
Tickets go on sale Friday, January 15th at 12PM (local time), but Pandora listeners can get early access to tickets beginning Monday, January 11th at 12PM (local time).
Additionally, Father John Misty’s previously announced European tour runs May 11th - May 31st. (see dates below)
In further exciting news, Father John Misty will perform on The Late Show with Stephen ColbertThursday, January 14th, on CBS at11:35pm / 10:35 CT. (set those DVRs because you won’t want to miss this one, folks.)
Tour Dates Mar. 30 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory* Apr. 01 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theatre* Apr. 05 - Vancouver, BC - Orpheum Theatre* Apr. 06 - Seattle, WA - The Paramount* Apr. 08 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot* Apr. 09 - Denver, CO - Ellie Caulkins Opera House* Apr. 12 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theatre* Apr. 14 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre* Apr. 16 - Minneapolis, MN - Northrop Auditorium* Apr. 17 - Urbana, IL - Foelinger Auditorium @ University of Illinois* Apr. 20 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall* Apr. 21 - Montreal, QC - Metropolis* Apr. 22 - Boston, MA - House of Blues* Apr. 23 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore* Apr. 25 - Washington, DC - Lincoln Theatre* Apr. 27 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore* Apr. 29 - Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle* Apr. 30 - Orlando, FL - The Beacham* May 11 - Leeds, UK - O2 Academy May 12 - Glasgow, UK O2 Academy May 13 - Manchester, UK - Albert Hall [Sold Out] May 14 - Gateshead, UK - The Stage Gateshead May 15 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City May 17 - Bristol, UK - Colston Hall May 18 - London, UK - The Roundhouse [Sold Out] May 19 - London, UK - The Roundhouse May 20 - London, UK - The Roundhouse May 21 - Southampton, UK - O2 Guildhall May 23 - Paris, FR - Alhambra May 24 -Utrect, NL - Tivoli Vredenburg - Ronda May 25 - Berlin, DE - Postbanhof May 27 - Aarhus, DK - Train [Sold Out] May 29 - Copenhagen, DK - Falconer Theatre May 30 - Gothenburg, SE - Pustervik May 31 - Oslo, NO - Sentrum Scene * w / Tess & Dave
So Pitted have shared, “feed me”, a new track from neo, their forthcoming Sub Pop debut.
DIY had this to say about it, ”neo is one of 2016’s early head-turners, a first work that brings an eerie sense of purpose to sludgy, rough-edged punk.” … “The group deal in strange abstractions on their first work, employing dark, chugged guitar lines and vocals that sound like they’ve been zapped in a mad scientist’s lab. Capable of hypnotising and exploding in one fell swoop, they bring something different to the table. Case in point - ‘Feed Me’, a bizarre twist on guitar-led norms. Feedback plays as much of a part as the slimy, dragged-out pace (see track premiere Wednesday, January 6th).
The band have also just added European tour dates to their 2016 tour schedule, beginning March 4th in Paris at Mecanique Ondulatoire and ending March 12th in Berlin at West Germany.
Their U.S. tour continues this Friday, January 8th, with a show in Brooklyn at Palisades and ends January 12th in Philadelphia at First Unitarian Church. Highlights along the way include a few dates with label mates METZ and Startime International recording artists Bully (January 9; 11-12). Additionally, the band will appear at SXSW. (detailed tour info below)
You can also watch the band’s live performance of “rot in hell”, which was filmed at The Echo in Los Angeles for Red Bull Sound Select’s “30 Days in LA Festival (see Pitchfork TV November 24th).”
Sub Pop will release neo on CD / LP / DL worldwide on February 19th, 2016. You can (and should) preorder now from Sub Pop Mega Mart, iTunes, Amazon, Bandcamp and Google Play. And remember: LP preorders of neo through megamart.subpop.com will receive the limited “Loser” edition on white vinyl while supplies last. There will also be a time-limited edition T-shirt, hand-bleached by So Pitted, that is available only during pre-order so time, as they say, is of the essence.
More about So Pitted’s neo: These eleven tracks are lean and snarling rebukes, torch songs not in the traditional, unrequited-love sense, but songs that will torch your fucking house down. Screams and howls overtake chants and muttering, equal parts dejection, rejection, and convection, the hot, muggy air circling continuously. It’s fuzzy, angular, throbbing, and pounding, and still, ingrained in the songs by their makers, breathes that catchy quality present in so much of the music they love. Songs like “holding the void,” “rot in hell,” and “woe” crash over and over, turning under themselves like waves, but as the measures tick off, the dog-eared melodies and familiar themes begin to reveal (read more at Sub Pop).
What have “the people” said about So Pitted? Glad you asked: “Ragged, nonlinear, a little dangerous, “rot in hell” was one of the first tracks So Pitted wrote together, and the video is funny and surreal, featuring a friend of the band playing various band members. It feels like being at home at a basement show, ready to hit your head on a low ceiling bringing your amp down the stairs, buzzing with a little bit of nausea and excitement. It burns with the urgency of the music you need to make or you’ll crumple, music you’d be making whether other people heard it or not.” [“rot in hell”] - Impose
“It’s grimy and tormented all right, but intent on subverting the many adolescent cliches and connotations that come with grunge.” [“rot in hell”] -The Guardian
“…A raucous, inspiring noise, the buzzsaw melody is matched to wailing feedback - imagine Bikini Kill set against early Mary Chain and you’d probably be in the same ballpark.” [‘rot in hell”] - Clash Music
“…making a name for themselves with a sneery, warped, post-apocalyptic punk sound and wild stage show.” - Brooklyn Vegan
“So Pitted’s set called to mind Metz, Minutemen, Big Black, Pere Ubu, and Nirvana at their wildest” - FLOOD
“[A] Seattle trio who are basically unmatched in terms of sheer gonzo ingenuity. Live, the band combines anarchic heaps of guitar and childish melodies with plodding, sludgy rhythms. They understand just how powerful their live show is, too” - Portland Mercury
“What’s special and unique about So Pitted is that they not only clench to the demonic punk downpour and logger-heavy rock of the Northwest, but also to the nihilistic musical cannibalism of San Francisco weirdos Chrome and late-’90s San Diego artcore groups like the VSS and the Gravity Records camp. There’s a caustic demo quality to their sound that’s alien and distorted, liquidated to move units at the Gross Out. It’s not only thorny, horny, and repulsive, but angular, tangled and mangled.” - The Stranger
Tour Dates Jan. 08 - Brooklyn, NY - Palisades Jan. 09 - Boston - The Sinclair * Jan. 11 - Washington, D.C. - Rock & Roll Hotel * Jan. 12 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church * Mar. 04 - Paris, FR - Mecanique Ondulatoire Mar. 05 - Amsterdam, NL - Butcher’s Tears Mar. 07 - London, UK - The Shacklewell Arms (Free Show) Mar. 08 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Games Room (Free Show) Mar. 10 - Lille, UK - La Peniche Mar. 11 - Brussells, BE - Homepluged Mar. 12 - Berlin, DE - West Germany Mar. 15 - Austin, TX - SXSW Mar. 16 - Austin, TX - SXSW Mar. 17 - Austin, TX - SXSW Mar. 18 - Austin, TX - SXSW Mar. 19 - Austin, TX - SXSW Mar. 20 - Austin, TX - SXSW * w/ METZ + Bully
Here now for your audio-visual stimulation is the frenetic new video for forthcoming METZ single, “Eraser,” directed by Nathan Joyner and starring Alia Jyawook of the San Diego band Hot Nerds.
Brooklyn Vegan had this to say, “It visually matches the song’s pummeling sonic assault, beat for beat” (see video premiere January 7th).”
METZ’s 2016 headlining world tour resumes this Saturday, January 9th in Boston at the Sinclair and runs through February 20th in Beijing, China at Mao Livehouse.
New highlights include: a short east coast/midwest US tour January 9th-16th (with Bully); January 29th in Tokyo at Fever; January 30th-February 14th for appearances at the multi-city Laneway Festival, held in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand; And February 17th -20th for three shows in Taiwan and China. (see tour details below)
The “Eraser” b/w “Pure Auto” single will be available January 22nd, 2016 on 7” vinyl from Three One G and digitally from Sub Pop.
Following two acclaimed albums on Sub Pop (2012’s METZ; 2015’sII) and a deeply impressive amount of touring, this Three One G single is the band’s first recording for the esteemed CA-based label, and their first new material since the release of II. Both “Eraser” and “Pure Auto” were produced by METZ, recorded by Graham Walsh at Union Sound Company, and mastered by Matthew Barnhart at Chicago Mastering Service.
The “Eraser” / “Pure Auto” 7” single, which was pressed on either sea foam green or white vinyl in two runs limited to 1,000 copies each, is available now for preorder through Three One G while supplies last (copies through Sub Pop Mega Mart are now sold out). The single is also available for preorder digitally through Three One G, megamart.subpop.com, iTunes, and Amazon.
For more info on METZ’s “Eraser” / “Pure Auto” single, visit Three One G.
METZ II is available now on CD / LP / DL worldwide from Sub Pop. The album has earned “Albums of the Year” notice from the likes ofEntertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Diffuser, Blare, and Treble. II also scored the band its highest chart position in the U.S. to date, entering at #98 / Billboard Top 200. In Canada, the album debuted at #27 on the Top 200 albums chart.
Tour Dates Jan. 9 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair * ^ Jan. 11 - Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel * ^ Jan. 12 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church * ^ Jan. 14 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg * # Jan. 16 - Chicago, IL - Metro * (Tomorrow Never Knows Fest 2016) Jan. 29 - Tokyo, Japan - Fever Jan. 30 - Singapore - The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay (Laneway Festival) Feb. 01 - Auckland, NZ - Silo Park (Laneway Festival) Feb. 05 - Adelaide, AU - Harts Mill, Port Adelaide (Laneway Festival) Feb. 06 - Brisbane, AU - Brisbane Showground, Bowen Hills (Laneway Festival) Feb. 07 - Sydney, AU - Sydney College of the Arts (Laneway Festival) Feb. 10 - Sydney, AU - Oxford Art Factory Feb. 12 - Melbourne, AU - The Corner ** Feb. 13 - Melbourne, AU - Footscray Community Arts Centre and the River’s Edge (Laneway Festival) Feb. 14 - Fremantle, AU - Esplanade Reserve and West End (Laneway Festival) Feb. 17 - Taipei, TW - The Wall Livehouse Feb. 19 - Shanghai, China - Yuyintang Feb. 20 - Beijing, China - Mao Livehouse * w/ Bully ^ w/ So Pitted # w/ Big Ups ** w/ Deaf Wish, My Disco
Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas From Your Friends at the Sub Pop Airport Store:
Imagine this scenario: You arrive at the airport, on your way to see relatives for the holiday season. You have already bought and packed presents for each family member, when panic strikes. You have forgotten someone. You remember the stray facts from half-remembered phone conversations with loved ones this last year. Your sister had triplets; your cousin returned from the Peace Corps; your estranged uncle has been welcomed back for Christmas; grandma has a new boyfriend that she’s introducing to the family.
If you are traveling in or out of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport this week, there’s no need to fear. Your friends at the Sub Pop airport store have you covered for last-minute gifts. Here are just a few that you can pick up at the store (while supplies last):
Loser Editions of Your Favorite Records:
Did you know that first pressings of new Sub Pop LPs are usually done on colored vinyl? We call this the “Loser Edition,” and the airport store always has a steady supply of the newest releases. You could take home Beach House’s Thank Your Lucky Stars (ultra rare glitter vinyl AND green vinyl), Deaf Wish’s Pain (clear with black), Flake Music’s When You Land Here, It’s Time to Return (orange vinyl), and/or many other varieties for people with differing musical/color tastes. Just look for the gold ‘Loser’ sticker on the front of each LP.
Sleater-Kinney Box Set:
Are you tired of scanning the resale market for last year’s Sleater-Kinney box set, Start Together? After thinking we sold out of box sets last winter, we stumbled upon a few more in a supply closet. Are we the last brick n’ mortar store in the world to have these in stock? Possibly. Do you want the hottest box set from last year, for this year? Here is your chance! We also still have a few Deluxe editions of this year’s superb No Cities to Love LP if you want to go all out and complete the discography.
‘Tis the Drinkin’ Season:
Now that I’m an adult, I’ve learned an important secret about the holidays: they are primarily made tolerable by alcohol. With that in mind, the airport store has plenty of options for you and your lushy-loved ones. Might you consider a Sub Pop branded Stanley flask, so your aunt can always have a supply of peppermint schnapps? And what about later, when you and your siblings want to do shots after dinner talk turns political? There are the always fashionable “Loser” and “Winner” shot glasses in-stock at the store. And why not plan ahead for the morning after, when you’ll need copious amounts of caffeine to feel human again? We also have our own Sub Pop roast of Lighthouse Coffee available for purchase.
Mark Arm Bobbleheads:
What’s a perfect gift for the Mudhoney-loving family member who has everything? We suggest purchasing the brand new Mark Arm bobblehead, er, I mean, ‘throbblehead.’ Who doesn’t want a little buddy to rock out with when you’re spinning all those classic records?
Dank Crystal Candles:
Are you unsure about what to get your quiet relative, the one who usually spends the whole holiday party holed up in his or her room? The airport store is proud to carry Dank Crystal candles in many different scents, each designed to enhance the aura of every room and delicately cover up even the dankest of odors. But what makes the Dank Crystal unique in the crowded candle market? Well, aside from being handmade by Sub Pop’s own Bekah Zietz, each candle has its own purified crystal inside. A Dank Crystal is the perfect present for ensuring some calm and relaxing vibes to conclude the year.
This just represents a small sample of gift ideas you’ll find at the store. We also have countless other items for the Christmas, late-Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa gift-giving season. So, remember to give yourself extra time at the airport for these next few weeks and stop by the Sub Pop airport store. Sales associates are standing by, eager to help all you slackers find the perfect last-minute present.
