The Helio Sequence are set to release their self-titled 6th album on CD/LP/DL May 18th & 19th worldwide via Sub Pop. The Helio Sequence,
featuring the highlights “Stoic Resemblance,” “Upward Mobility,” and
“Battle Lines,” was produced & mixed by the band at The Old Jantzen
Building in Portland, OR and mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound.
You
can now hear the lead-off track, “Stoic Resemblance” through an
animated visual (Not-the-video) directed by multimedia artist Emanuele Kabu. Stereogum premiered the track and says it “matches harmonious psychedelic chorus with a brisk krautrock pulse (see track post March 2nd).”
The
Helio Sequence will tour extensively in 2015 to support the release.
Preceding that tour, the band have scheduled an acoustic performance on March 31st in Seattle at The Triple Door. For up to date information on live dates & tickets, please visit http://www.theheliosequence.com.
Preorders for The Helio Sequence are available through Sub Pop Mega Mart, iTunes, Amazon and Bandcamp. All customers who pre-order the LP version of the album from megamart.subpop.com will receive the limited “Loser Edition” on yellow-colored vinyl. Additionally, CD and LP versions of The Helio Sequence will also receive The Sunrise Demos,
a CD comprised of 11 demos recorded during the making of the album
(while supplies last). Additionally, there will be a new T-shirt design
available as stand-alone item or as part of a bundle with purchases of The Helio Sequence.
About The Helio Sequence:
The self-titled sixth album by The Helio Sequence began with a friendly
competition. Several of the duo’s friends within the Portland, Oregon
music scene had been playing “The 20-Song Game.” The rules were simple,
playful and ambitious: Songwriters would arrive in their studios at
prearranged times and spend all day recording 20 complete songs. When
they were finished, they’d have a party, listen to the results and talk
about the process—of taking the good with the bad, of letting creativity
push past constraint, of simply making music in the moment. Brandon
Summers and Benjamin Weikel took the spirit of the “The 20-Song Game” to
heart, and forged ahead writing a new record.
In May of 2014, inspired by the “20-Song Game”, they began arriving each
morning in their Portland space—housed in the cafeteria and break room
of an old warehouse— with the mission of making as much music as
possible in one month. They began exploring and capturing, recording
guitar riffs and keyboard loops, drum patterns and bass lines. One piece
documented, they quickly advanced to the next idea. Summers and Weikel
didn’t discuss what they were making or the reference points that
informed it, though such discussions had once been central to The Helio
Sequence’s more self-conscious process. They just played. Created. In
time, they returned to each fragment, broadcasting it over the studio
PA, jamming and recording the results. Mistakes didn’t matter, and
second chances didn’t exist. After two weeks, Summers and Weikel began
cutting those loose takes into rough shapes, steadily building songs
from their cavalier sketches.
When June arrived, the duo gathered their 26 finished songs and sent
them to 31 friends, fans and family members. They asked each person to
rank their 10 favorite tracks. By summer’s end, they had arrived at the
brisk 10 tracks that shape the breathless and magnetic The Helio Sequence—a
record so named because it’s a kind of clean restart for the longtime
pair, a revamp of their process and a revitalization of their results.
The Helio Sequence is a renewed push forward for the band: From
the cool wallop of “Deuces,” where guitars snarl and harmonies soar, to
the stuttering anxiety of “Upward Mobility”, where pianos pound and
drums race, this collection depends upon an effortless kinetic energy.
Lyrically, “Stoic Resemblance” is a study of existential anxiety, but
musically, it’s a beguiling burst of pop, Summers’ vocals rising over
and sliding off of Weikel’s big, irrepressible beat. The bittersweet
“Leave or Be Yours” evokes the easy twinkle of romance and the
smoldering sadness of losing it. Crisscrossing vocals and cross-talking
guitars and drums map a broad swirl of emotions. There’s a delightful
candor to The Helio Sequence, an openness that is a rare and special
feat for a band about to enter its third decade (read more at Sub Pop).
THEESatisfaction’s EarthEE is now available now on CD / LP / DL via Sub Pop. EarthEE is the follow up to awE naturalE,
the alternative R&B group’s critically acclaimed debut, and is led
by highlights “Recognition,” “Nature’s Candy,” and the title track.
EarthEE
was produced by THEESatisfaction and Erik Blood, mixed by Blood at
Protect and Exalt Labs: A Black Space and mastered by Adam Straney at
BreakPoint Mastering in Seattle. The album also features guest
appearances from Shabazz Palaces, Meshell Ndegeocello, Porter Ray, Blood
and Taylor Brown.
EarthEE, along with “Recognition” and the title track, is earning THEESatisfaction acclaim from outlets likes of NPR
Music, CBC, AV Club, Exclaim, NME, The Quietus, Q Magazine, Mojo, The
Guardian, Consequence of Sound, Okay Player, Treble, The Needle Drop,
Pitchfork, The FADER, Bitch, BUST, Dummy, and more. At radio, the album was #3 most added with CMJ reporters. On a related note, you can watch the band’s just recorded KEXP session now.
THEESatisfaction’s 2015 tour schedule in support of EarthEE
has been extended through May 9th. Highlights include: CD release
shows in Seattle (Feb. 26th at Neumos), Los Angeles (Feb. 28th at
Jewel’s Catch One) and New York (Mar. 6th at Santos Party House); SXSW
(Mar. 20th-21st); And a support tour with label mates Sleater-Kinney
(April. 16th-May 9th). For a complete list of tour dates, please view
the attached flier or visit https://www.subpop.com/artists/theesatisfaction/tours.
EarthEE is now available for purchase from Sub Pop Mega Mart, iTunes, Amazon and Bandcamp. All customers who purchase the LP version of EarthEE from megamart.subpop.com
will receive the limited “Loser Edition” on emerald-colored vinyl and a
7” single with “I Don’t Like You” on the A-side, and “Supa Dupa (Love
Affair)” on the B-side (while supplies last). Additionally, there will
be two-new T shirt designs available as stand-alone items or as part of a
bundle with purchases of EarthEE.
What people are saying about THEESatisfaction: “In theory, EarthEE is a cosmic, funky dance party. In practice, it’s a revolution.” [First Listen] - NPR Music
“The
true gift of this Seattle-based duo is their ability to seamlessly
weave serious commentary into music that also seriously brings the
party.” [Review, 4/5 Stars] - BUST
[Review, 4/5 Stars] - Q Magazine
“EarthEE
is remarkable in its ability to balance the obscure and experimental
with the direct and familiar. It’s an album that engages with the
history of black culture while challenging the political, cultural, and
musical status quos at every turn.” [Review, B+] - AV Club
[Review, 4/5 Stars] - MOJO
“EarthEE feels both comfortingly familiar and thrillingly alien, without striving too hard to be either.”
[Review, 8/10] - Uncut
“This album is highly recommended, as its afro-futuristic, honest, and raw philosophy is too delicious to deny.” [Review] - Bitch Magazine
“(A)n
informed and encompassing portrait of life as we know it, that pays its
respects where it’s merited and condemns injustice when it’s
warranted.” [Album of the Week] - Dummy Magazine
“EarthEE
is a powerful record, crafted by two black, queer women in a time when
many people would encourage you to think that it’s easier than ever to
be any one of those three things. But THEESatisfaction, through powerful
metaphors and otherworldly imagery, are clever enough to reveal just
how often all people are asked to hide behind that very sort of
facade.” [Album of the Week] - Treble Zine
“Every
moment is rooted in spacious, natural, sometimes esoteric beats. It’s a
sonically challenging, chilled out, blissful creation, where samples
are stacked and staggered, breathing and bleeding into each other. At
turns it’s angry, sexy, vulnerable, empowering and healing, every moment
flowing like liquid gold into the next.” [First Play] - CBC
“(C)hallenging, engaging, and revolutionary” - Pop Matters
“The
title track ripples with cosmic incantations. Harris-White commands
with the intoxicating force of a priestess: “Loosen up my mind/ Lengthen
and unwind/ Release, one time.” Shabazz Palaces’ Ishmael Butler and
emerging MC Porter Ray share reverent verses of their own, the former
reading like a personals ad seeking a moment of transcendence with a
celestial goddess.” [“EarthEE” track review] - Pitchfork
“20 Albums To Get Excited About In February” [EarthEE] - NME
“”Recognition” shines a light on the duo’s spacey roots with a dazzling atmospheric treatment.” [“Recognition”] - Okay Player
“Blends
Sun Ra percussion with woozily hypnagogic synths and a sprinkle of
prog-jazz, in the best possible way – as ever, Stas and Cat duo sound
like no one but themselves.” [“Recognition”] - FACT
“A groovy, hypnotic jam that eventually leads to one rather engaging, synth-led interlude.” [“Recognition”] - Consequence of Sound
“On
“Recognition,” the duo fuses their own soulful delivery with the
esotericism of Erik Blood and Shabazz Palaces.” [“Recognition”] - Mass Appeal
“Song of the Day” [“Recognition”] - The Stranger
“The panoramic rhythms, chants, and deep space synths on this cut are alluring and intoxicating.” [“Recognition”] - The Needle Drop
Sub Pop has a great history of working with artists from Canada, our wonderful neighbors to the north. Click to listen to “Eh Very Canadian Playlist”,
featuring Canadian Sub Pop artists, both new and old, and boasting the
brand new track from METZ, the ferocious “Acetate”, off of their May 5th
record, II, which you can pre-order here. The playlist is on Spotify and Rdio.
Metz – Acetate Mister Heavenly – Bronx Sniper The Black Halos – Some Things Never Fall
Constantines – Soon Enough
Chixdiggit! – Henry Rollins Is No Fun
Jale – Not Happy
Hot Hot Heat – Bandages
Handsome Furs – All We Want, Baby, Is Everything
Eric’s Trip – Behind the Garage
Julie Doiron – So Fast
Memoryhouse – The Kids Were Wrong
Zumpano – The Party Rages On
Hardship Post – Watchin You
Sparkmarker – Sawed-Off But Silent
Doldrums – HOTFOOT
Elevator To Hell – Why I Didn’t Like August 93
Chad VanGaalen – Willow Tree
Wolf Parade – I’ll Believe In Anything
Sleater-Kinney co-star alongside the cast of Bob’s Burgers in the new music video for the No Cities to Love track, “A New Wave”. Watch the few minutes of absolute animated brilliance in the embedded video, and pick up No Cities to Lovefrom us right here.
Father John Misty’s I Love You Honeybear, his critically acclaimed new album, has earned the singer his highest chart position in the US to date, entering at #17 on the BillboardI Love You, Honeybear also entered at #14 on the UK sales chart.
At radio this week, I Love You, Honeybear is the #1 most added album at CMJ, debuting at #32 on the Top 200 albums chart. Additionally, the album is also #1 album at alternative specialty, #3 at NonComm and Top 20 with Triple A reporters. On a related note, Father John Misty’s takeover of iHeartRadio’s
Father John Misty’s fast-selling 2015 world tour in support of I Love You, Honeybear has been extended through October 29th, which includes his just announced headline performance New York’s Central Park SummerStage on August 5th.
I Love You, Honeybear
featuring the highlights “Bored In The USA,” “Chateau Lobby #4 (in C
for Two Virgins),” “True Affection,” and the title track, was produced
by Josh Tillman and Jonathan Wilson, mixed by Phil Ek, and mastered by
Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound. I Love You, Honeybear is available now on CD / LP / 2xLP / Deluxe 2xLP to purchase via Father John Misty.net, Sub Pop Mega Mart, iTunes, and Amazon. The album is also available in Europe via Bella Union.
What are people are saying about Father John Misty? Great things: “This
warped, lovely album suggests that a true longtime partnership isn’t
two people who love each other even for their flaws, but of two people
accepting decay–their own and each other’s–and choosing to ride it out
nonetheless.” - New York Times
“The
artist born Josh Tillman aims for grandiosity in his Father John Misty
disguise, and his second album for Sub Pop repeatedly reaches such
heights. A musical genie bottle with the spirits of Phil Spector, Lee
Hazlewood and Brian Wilson corked within, Tillman and co-producer
Jonathan Wilson seem to revel in letting these sounds seep out and
intermingle.” - Los Angeles Times
“Upping the spectacle from Fear Fun his 2012 debut, I Love You, Honeybear is an autobiographical set about love, marriage and derangement that’s both ironic and empathic.” [4/5] - Rolling Stone
“His beloved Father John Misty debut was Fear Fun, issued in 2012. The new album, out now, is I Love You, Honeybear….and it is as good as, though quite different from, its predecessor.” - Wall Street Journal
“I Love You, Honeybear,
an album by turns passionate and disillusioned, tender and angry, so
cynical it’s repulsive and so openhearted it hurts.” [8.8 / 10, “Best
New Music”] - Pitchfork
“If
there’s a funnier, stranger and more touchingly bizarre album released
this year, it will be a very good year indeed.” [4/5] - Billboard
“This is a gorgeous album.” [10/10] - Exclaim
“For all the layers of irony on I Love You, Honeybear,
the biggest irony of all might be that such an ostensibly knotty and
confusing album’s real strength lies in something as prosaic and
transparent as its author’s ability to write a beautiful melody.” [5/5] -
The Guardian
“Album of the Week” - Stereogum
Tour Dates
Feb. 21 - Dublin, IE - Whelans [Sold Out]
Feb. 22 - Glasgow, UK - King Tuts [Sold Out]
Feb. 23 - Manchester, UK - Gorilla [Sold Out]
Feb. 26 - London, UK - Village Underground [Sold Out]
Feb. 27 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club [Sold Out]
Feb. 28 - Bristol, UK - Thekla [Sold Out]
Mar. 03 - Paris, FR - La Maroquinerie
Mar. 04 - Brussels, BE - Botanique - Orangerie
Mar. 05 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso
Mar. 07 - Berlin, DE - Heimathafen
Mar. 08 - Hamburg, DE - Nochtspelcher
Mar. 25 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works**
Mar. 26 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse** [Sold Out]
Mar. 27 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel** [Sold Out]
Mar. 28 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club** [Sold Out]
Mar. 31 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club** [Sold Out]
Apr. 01 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer** [Sold Out]
Apr. 03 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theater** [Sold Out]
Apr. 04 - Minneapolis, MN - First Ave** [Sold Out]
Apr. 05 - Iowa City, IA - Mission Creek Festival @ The Englert
Apr. 07 - Lawrence, KS - Granada**
Apr. 08 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Auditorium**
Apr. 09 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theater
Apr. 11 - Indio, CA - Coachella [Sold Out]
Apr. 13 - Pomona, CA - The Glasshouse [Sold Out]
Apr.14 - San Diego, CA - North Park Theatre [Sold Out]
Apr. 16 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore [Sold Out]
Apr. 17 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore [Sold Out]
Apr. 18 - Indio, CA - Coachella [Sold Out]
Apr. 22 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater^
Apr. 23 - Houston, TX - Fitzgerald’s^
Apr. 24 - Austin, TX - Stubb’s^
Apr. 25 - New Orleans, LA - Civic Theater^
May 16 - Gulf Shores, AL - Hangout Music Festival May 22 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
May 23- George, WA - Sasquatch Festival
May 24 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom [Sold Out]
Jun. 04 - Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavillion ^^
Jun. 07 - Toronto, ON - Field Trip Festival
Jun. 27 - Killarney, IE - Killarney Food & Music Festival
Aug. 5 - New York, NY - Central Park Summerstage #
Aug. 11 - Oslo, NO - Oya Festival
Aug. 13 - Gothenburg, SE - Way Out West
Aug. 20 - Paredes de Coura, PT - Pauredes de Coura Festival
Aug. 21-23 - Beacon, UK - Green Man Festival Oct. 24 - Dublin, IE - Vicar Street
Oct. 29 - London, UK - O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
* w/ Guy Blakeslee
** w/ King Tuff
^ w/ Luluc
^^ w/ The Decemberists
# w/ Angel Olsen
