“It’s a fine close-up, so sharp you can almost catch the dust glinting in the lights as Beam showcases his willowy, supple songs.” MOJO
“The setlist is drawn from a discography now reaching back 20 years, and some of these songs have never sounded better, ‘Last Night’ a fabulous gothic country noir, ‘Thomas County Law’ resembling a Glen Campbell classic.” UNCUT
“serves as an antidote to that kind of engagement and has a way of putting into focus just how much we’ve been overlooking Sam Beam’s genius.” FLOOD
“This double LP refracts and reimagines Iron & Wine’s best-known songs with full, nearly orchestral arrangements realized in the warmth and immediacy of live performance. It’s a superb recap of Sam Beam’s artistic arc so far…” DUSTED
Today, November 17th, 2023, marks the release of Iron & Wine’s Who Can See Forever, an accompanying live record to a film of the same name, out worldwide from Sub Pop.
Who Can See Forever, the film, is the first ever in-depth look into the life and music of Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam. Initially conceived as a live document, Who Can See Forever grew into a deeper study of its enigmatic subject as director Josh Sliffe spent more and more time on the road. Shot over the course of three years, Sliffe digs into the myth and ethos of Iron & Wine through a series of interviews and unguarded behind-the-scenes footage that welcome the viewer into the center of Beam’s universe.
The Who Can See Forever soundtrack features songs from Iron & Wine’s 20-plus-year career and is drawn from material recorded over a two-night-stand at the historic Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, North Carolina. Along with Beam, the band features bassist Sebastian Steinberg (Fiona Apple, Soul Coughing), drummer Elizabeth Goodfellow (Allison Russell, Better Oblivion Community Center), cellist Teddy Rankin-Parker and keyboardist Eliza Hardy-Jones (War on Drugs, Grace Potter).
Produced by Sam Beam and recorded by his long-time live sound engineer Jelle Kuiper, the soundtrack was mixed by Matt Ross-Spang at Southern Grooves in Memphis, TN, and mastered by Richard Dodd in Nashville, TN.
Who Can See Forever will see the first of its screenings in New York City on December 5th at Quad Cinema (more info). The film will screen in theaters in select cities throughout 2024 before platforming to streaming services.
Iron & Wine will also appear at New York’s Beacon Theatre on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 for WFUV’s 17th annual Holiday Cheer for FUV concert. Iron & Wine will perform, along with reunited New Jersey rockers The Gaslight Anthem, dynamic singer and guitarist Grace Potter, and fast-rising San Diego trio Thee Sacred Souls. New Jersey-born, Nashville-based multi-tasking musician Nicole Atkins, who was FUV’s artist-in-residence in 2022, will host the evening.
More on Iron & Wine’s Who Can See Forever: “All these elements work together to give the songs a new dimension, and whether they top the originals is beside the point; it is exciting enough to hear a band as good as this working with Beam in a live setting, taking chances and reaching deep inside the songs to extract shiny new gold. It’s hard to believe it took so long for Iron & Wine to document their live incarnation, but it is easy to believe that now that they finally have, it’s as sophisticated, burnished, and emotionally true as this.” ★★★★ ALL MUSIC
“Following his muse wherever it leads him, Sam Beam has crafted Who Can See Forever with the kind of care that makes these 19 songs something quite special. He has changed the hues, but the heart and soul of these songs still shine through in ways that reveal what a truly special artist he remains.” FOR FOLK’S SAKE
Iron & Wine Who Can See Forever Soundtrack
Tracklisting: 1. The Trapeze Swinger 2. Boy with a Coin 3. Woman King 4. Thomas County Law 5. House by the Sea 6. About a Bruise 7. Sodom, South Georgia 8. Last Night 9. Monkeys Uptown 10. Wolves (Song of the Shepherd’s Dog) 11. Grace for Saints and Ramblers 12. Dearest Forsaken 13. Glad Man Singing 14. On Your Wings 15. Passing Afternoon 16. Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car 17. Naked as We Came 18. Call Your Boys 19. Muddy Hymnal
On February 2nd, 2024, musical virtuoso J Mascis will release his fifth solo studio album, What Do We Do Now, worldwide on Sub Pop Records. Recorded at his studio Bisquiteen in Western Massachusetts, What Do We Do Now is J’s first solo album that features full drum and electric leads, although the rhythm parts are still all acoustic.
What Do We Do Now features guest musicians, including Western Mass local Ken Mauri of The B-52s on keys and Ontario-based polymath Matthew “Doc” Dunn on steel guitar.
Today, J also shares the star-strewn official video for What Do We Do Now’s lead single, “Can’t Believe We’re Here,” which features appearances from J and a few of his friends and foes. The video was edited by Adam Bale at Ballad Pictures. Click HERE to watch.
What Do We Do Now can be pre-ordered now from Sub Pop. North American orders from the Sub Pop Mega Mart will receive the limited Loser Edition on clear purple vinyl. In the UK and Europe, LP orders from Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart) will get neon pink Losers or a strictly limited edition run on Blue Curacao Vinyl available from this wonderful emporium – all whilst stock lasts!
Mascis is currently on the road with Dinosaur Jr., who are touring to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their sixth studio album, Where You Been—solo dates to be announced soon.
More on What Do We Do Now: What Do We Do Now is the fifth solo studio LP recorded by J Mascis since 1996. This is obviously not a very aggressive release schedule, but when you figure in the live albums, guest spots, and records done with his various other bands (Dinosaur Jr., The Fog, Heavy Blanket, Witch, Sweet Apple, and so on), well, to paraphrase Lou Reed, “J’s week beats your year.”
What Do We Do Now began to come together during the waning days of the pandemic. Utilizing his own Bisquiteen Studio, J started working on writing a series of tunes on acoustic with a different dynamic than the stuff he creates for Dino. “When I’m writing for the band,” he says, “I’m always trying to think of doing things Lou and Murph would fit into. For myself, I’m thinking more about what I can do with just an acoustic guitar, even for the leads. Of course, this time, I added full drums and electric leads, although the rhythm parts are still all acoustic. Usually, I try to do the solo stuff more simply so I can play it by myself, but I really wanted to add the drums. Once that started, everything else just fell into place. So it ended up sounding a lot more like a band record. I dunno why I did that exactly, but it’s just what happened.”
Two guest musicians are playing this time out; Western Mass local Ken Mauri (of The B-52s) plays piano on several tracks. Since J himself has some experience with keys, when asked why he needed a hired gun, he says, “Ken is great, and he plays all the keys. I tried playing some keyboards on the first Fog album, but I’m really only comfortable playing the white notes, so it’s kind of limiting. [laughs] Nowadays, I could just turn the pitch on a mini Mellotron to play different sounds, but black keys just seem hard. For whatever reason, I just like banging on the white ones. Seems like it’s harder to figure out how to stretch your fingers around the other ones.”
Mauri has no such qualms and plays all the keys very damn well. He sounds especially great on “I Can’t Find You,” where he is Jack Nitzsche to J’s Neil Young, creating one of the album’s loveliest tunes. The other guest musician, Matthew “Doc” Dunn, is also prominent on this track. Dunn’s steel guitar manages to both widen and soften the musical edges of the music, giving it a full classicist profile. Dunn is an Ontario-based polymath who J met through Matt Valentine. After J played on Doc’s great 2022 Sub Pop single, “Your Feel,” he figured it was time for payback. Both Dunn and Mauri add beautifully to the songs here, helping to transform them from acoustic sketches into full-blown post-core power ballads.
What Do We Do Now is the finest set of solo tunes J has yet penned, and the way they’re presented is just about perfect. Asked if he would be touring to support the album, J says he’ll be doing some weekend dates, but he probably won’t be putting a band together. And I’m sure these songs will sound great solo and acoustic, but the arrangements on this album are truly great and put a cool, different spin on Mascis’ instantly recognizable approach to making music.
So, what do we do now? Not sure. But apparently, what J does is to make one of his most killer records ever. Hats off to him.
-Byron Coley
J Mascis What Do We Do Now
Tracklisting: 1. Can’t Believe We’re Here 2. What Do We Do Now 3. Right Behind You 4. You Don’t Understand Me 5. I Can’t Find You 6. Old Friends 7. It’s True 8. Set Me Down 9. Hangin Out 10. End Is Gettin Shaky
Boeckner is Daniel Boeckner, the multi-disciplinary artist, songwriter, musician, producer, and member of several great bands you may know, including Wolf Parade, Operators, Divine Fits, and Handsome Furs. Last night, in an interview with Chris Wade of Chapo Trap House, he announced signing to Sub Pop Records to release music for the label in early 2024 (see interview Wednesday, November 8th).
Boeckner’s last recorded output was Wolf Parade’s Thin Mind, the group’s fifth effort, from February 2020. Since the release of that album, he’s worked as a producer (labelmates Kiwi Jr’s stellar third record, Chopper), as a touring member of the Arcade Fire, and dived further into his work in the podcasting space as a co-host for The Bottlemen and Fortune Kit podcasts. Boeckner has also relocated to New Orleans, where he is currently putting the finishing touches on his full-length Sub Pop debut.
Label cofounder Poneman says of the signing, “Welcoming Dan to the Sub Pop family is always a thrill.”
On February 16th, 2024, Atlanta trio Omni will release Souvenir, their fourth album and second for Sub Pop, available worldwide on CD/LP/DSP. Souvenir finds Guitarist Frankie Broyles, singer/bassist Philip Frobos, and drummer Chris Yonker converting their creative fuel into sharp, driving songs that land immediately, sporting chopping riffs, staccato beats, and wiry melodies. Each track is a compact unit that stands on its own, reflecting the time and place in which it was created.
Omni has shared an official video for their lead single, “Exacto,” directed by Zach Pyles, concept by Frankie Broyles, Chris Yonker, and Zach Pyles.
The band shares about the song/video: “Exacto was born from a fruitful writing session one night at our main getaway in Vienna, GA. The power in the guitar leads and rhythm were immediately conjured. Lyrics and melodies were written in the back of a van in Sacramento, thinking of being left on the shelf, imagining the odd things people do for attention from people they love and strangers alike.”
And yes, that’s a real TV falling from a 10-story parking deck in downtown Atlanta. No, we did not ask permission. No one was hurt in the making of this video.
Omni has also announced headline shows in 2024 supporting Souvenir, with North American East Coast run from Feb. 28 - Mar. 15 and UK dates from April 10- April 20. Tickets for these shows are on sale this coming Friday, Nov. 10th.
North America Sat. Feb. 24 - Atlanta, GA - The EARL Tue. Feb. 27 - Richmond, VA - The Camel Wed. Feb. 28 - Washington, DC - Songbryd Thu. Feb. 29 - Philadelphia, PA - PhilaMOCA Fri. Mar. 01 - Kingston, NY - Tubby’s Sat. Mar. 02 - Queens, NY - TV Eye Mon. Mar. 04 - Boston, MA - The Rockwell Tue. Mar. 05 - Winooski, VT - Monkey House Wed. Mar. 06 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa Thu. Mar. 07 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison Fri. Mar. 08 - Cleveland, OH - Sat. Mar. 09- Chicago, IL - Schuba’s Mon. Mar. 15 - New Orleans, LA - Gasa Gasa
United Kingdom & Europe Thu. Apr. 10 - Brighton, UK - The Green Door Store Fri. Apr. 11 - Bristol, UK - Strange Brew Sat. Apr. 12 - Falmouth, UK - Cornish Bank Mon. Apr. 14 - Dublin, IE - Workman’s Cellar Tue. Apr. 15 - Glasgow, UK - Hug & Pint Wed. Apr. 16 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club Thu. Apr.. 17 - Manchester, UK - Deaf Institute Fri. Apr. 18 - Birmingham, UK - Hare & Hounds Sat. Apr. 19 - Margate, UK - Where Else? Sun. Apr. 20 - London, UK - Moth Club
Souvenir can now be pre-ordered worldwide from Sub Pop. LP orders in North America from the Sub Pop Mega Mart and the UK and Europe from Mega Mart 2 (the new European sibling to the Sub Pop Mega Mart) will receive the limited Loser Edition on Transparent Silver Souvenir Swirl (while supplies last).
More about Souvenir: The music of Atlanta trio Omni has always swung fast and hit hard. And Souvenir, their fourth album and second for Sub Pop, packs their biggest punch yet. Inactive during the majority of the pandemic–the longest downtime in their history–they approached this recording with lots of pent-up energy. Guitarist Frankie Broyles, singer/bassist Philip Frobos, and drummer Chris Yonker converted their creative fuel into sharp, driving songs that land immediately, sporting chopping riffs, staccato beats, and wiry melodies.
Why does Souvenir sound so sharp? Because each track is a compact unit that stands on its own, reflecting the time and place in which it was created. That’s why Omni called the album Souvenir: it’s a collection of audio objects, a stash of musical miniatures. Think of it as a family photo album, a binder of rare playing cards, a shoebox holding precious gems.
Take “Plastic Pyramid,” the first song Omni wrote after coming out of lockdown. Filled with twists and turns, it’s a journey unto itself, charged by clanging chords, spinning rhythm, and Frobos trading lines with Izzy Glaudini of Automatic, with whom Omni toured with last fall. (Glaudini sings on two other Souvenir tracks, the first guest vocalist the band has collaborated with). Or take opener “Exacto,” a slicing web of intertwined guitar and bass. Its razor-fine notes and syncopated beats perfectly match pointillist Frobos lyrics such as “Exacto, de facto, concise, quite right”–a line that could well be an Omni mantra.
The precision and clarity of Souvenir comes from some new Omni developments. For one, this is their first album with Yonker as their full-time drummer, and his forceful playing adds exclamation points to every pointed moment on Souvenir. In addition, the trio worked with Atlanta-based engineer Kristofer Sampson for the first time. Sampson pushed the band to a higher degree of power, with Frobos’s vocals more upfront in his pulsing mix and the rest of the music leaping out of the speakers.
You might notice that Frobos’ singing is a bit more emotional and even nostalgic this time around. In crafting his vocals, he was inspired by the early college radio rock of formative favorites like REM, the Cure, and Big Audio Dynamite–the kind of bands whose melodies could have been top 40 hits in an alternative universe. The lyrics on Souvenir are also by turns funny, absurd, and even cryptic. A wry humor has always coursed through Omni’s songs, and this time, it comes in shades of both dark and light. In “Granite Kiss,” an “astronomical” love story concludes with the hope that “we can decay together,” while in “PG,” a romantic walk in the park includes a rose-colored mugging.
Immediacy rushes throughout every moment of Souvenir, making it the band’s most powerful album to date. Omni has truly crafted a musical keepsake–a set of songs that you’ll want to keep close, an aural memento you’ll cherish for the rest of time.
“Once deeply idiosyncratic, Earth’s singular sound has become an established style, one emulated by a legion of disciples. But from the vantage point of 2023, Earth 2 endures.” - Uncut
Today, November 3rd, Sub Pop is releasing two records from the pioneering ambient-metal group Earth: the 30th-anniversary vinyl edition of Earth 2 Special Low Frequency Version, and its companion piece, Earth 2.23 Special Lower Frequency Mix. Earth 2.23 highlights the enduring influence of Earth 2 with brand new, exclusive reinterpretations of Earth 2 material by The Bug feat. Flowdan, Robert Hampson (Loop, Main), Justin K Broadrick (Godflesh, Jesu), Brett Netson (Built to Spill, Caustic Resin), and Kevin Richard Martin (aka The Bug).
The 30th-anniversary vinyl edition of Earth 2 Special Low Frequency Version revives the double album’s original packaging - an extra-wide jacket with two color inner sleeves - for the first time since the long out-of-print 1993 pressing. The new vinyl edition adds a double-sided fold-out insert with never-before-seen photos of the band from the Earth 2 era. This edition is available on glacial blue vinyl in the US and blue curacao vinyl in the UK & EU.
The four-track vinyl version of Earth 2.23 Special Lower Frequency Mix is limited to 2,500 copies worldwide and is also on glacial blue (US) and blue curacao vinyl (UK & EU). The digital version includes a bonus remix by Kevin Richard Martin (aka The Bug). The cover of Earth 2.23 features original artwork by underground art legend Savage Pencil.
In addition to the show with SUNN O)))) on November 22nd at the Moore Theatre in Seattle, WA, Earth will perform Earth 2 December 1st at the Alex Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.
Tour Date Wed. Nov. 22 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre # Thu. Dec. 01 - Los Angeles, CA - Alex Theatre $
Earth 2 Special Low Frequency Version 30th Anniversary Edition
Tracklisting: 1. Seven Angels 2. Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine 3. Like Gold and Faceted
Earth 2.23 Special Lower Frequency Mix
Tracklisting: 1. Angels (The Bug Remix feat. Flowdan) 2. May Your Vanquished Be Saved from the Bondage of their Sins (Robert Hampson Remix) 3. Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine (Justin K Broadrick Remix) 4. Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine (Brett Netson Version) 5. Like Gold and Faceted (Kevin Richard Martin Remix)* *digital-only
