Today, August 2nd, J.R.C.G. has released Grim Iconic…(Sadistic Mantra), the second album and Sub Pop debut from the Tacoma, WA-based artist Justin R. Cruz Gallego. Conceived and executed primarily in Gallego’s home studio, Grim Iconic…(Sadistic Mantra) was co-produced by Gallego and Seth Manchester (The Body, Battles, and Mdou Moctar). Together, they retained the intimacy of Gallego’s home recordings while taking advantage of the hi-fi stylings of Manchester’s Machines With Magnets Studio in Rhode Island.
Driven by opposing forces, Grim Iconic…(Sadistic Mantra) weds scouring electronics to hooky, powerful beats in a way that feels visceral and new. Its nine tracks feature the standout singles “Dogear,”“34,”“Drummy,” and “Cholla Beat,” the latter of which has a brand new video directed by Mitch Wells of New Orleans metal band Thou. (Wells also directed the video for “Drummy.”)
J.R.C.G. will begin a 17-date headline tour on August 2nd in Portland, OR, with shows in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Nashville. This initial run of dates ends August 30th in Providence, RI. Another leg of shows begins September 25th in Brooklyn, NY, with shows in Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles. See below for a full list of shows.
Today, musician Suki Waterhouse shares a new single titled “Blackout Drunk,” a standout from Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, her forthcoming 18-track double album.
“Blackout Drunk” intoxicates with its swinging handclap-laden bounce, woozy riffing, doo-wop harmonies, and chantable chorus. The blistering new bop was produced by Fred Ball, Hazey Eyes, and the album’s executive producer, Eli Hirsch, and written by Suki, Ball, and Natalie Findlay.
Watch the new visualizer by filmmaker and animator Callum Scott-Dyson (who directed Suki’s “My Fun” and “Faded” visuals).
Memoir of a Sparklemuffin will be available on Friday, September 13th, 2024 on CD/2xLP/CS/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com (US), Mega Mart 2 (UK/EU), and your local record store will receive the limited Loser edition vinyl on Sparklemuffin Pearl (North America), and Sparkle Starlight (UK/Europe). There is also an Afterglow Purple vinyl, along with new Suki merch available from her Official Merch Store (All limited edition vinyl colors available whilst stock lasts!).
Suki’s The Sparklemuffin Tour, her previously announced 25-city North American headlining jaunt in support of the album, begins at Salt Lake City’s Love Letters Festival on Friday, September 27th, and will make stops in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Boston, Toronto, Montreal, and more. Preceding the tour, Suki will also appear at London’s All Points East (August 18th), and will support Mitski at Portland, OR’s Moda Theatre (September 21st).
SUMMER/FALL 2024 Sun. Aug. 18 - London, UK - All Points East Festival Sat. Sep. 21 - Portland, OR - MODA Center +
“THE SPARKLEMUFFIN TOUR” FALL 2024 Fri. Sep. 27 - Salt Lake City, UT - Love Letters Festival Sat. Sep. 28 - Denver, CO - Mission Ballroom * Thu. Oct. 17 - Houston, TX - House of Blues ^ Fri. Oct. 18 - Austin, TX - ACL Live at the Moody Theater ^ Sat. Oct. 19 - Dallas, TX - The Factory in Deep Ellum ^ Mon. Oct. 21 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren ^ Tue. Oct. 22 - San Diego, CA - The Sound ^ Wed. Oct. 23 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre ^ Fri. Oct. 25 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield Mon. Oct. 28 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom ^ Tue. Oct. 30 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater ^ Mon. Dec. 02 - Kansas City, MO - The Truman ^ Tue. Dec. 03 - St. Louis, MO - The Factory ^ Wed. Dec. 04 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room at Old National Centre ^ Fri. Dec. 06 - Cleveland, OH - The Agora ^ Sat. Dec. 07 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Paramount ^ [Sold Out] Sun. Dec. 08 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Paramount ^ Tue. Dec. 10 - Philadelphia, PA - Franklin Music Hall ^ Wed. Dec. 11 - Washington, DC - The Anthem ^ Fri. Dec. 13 - Boston, MA - Roadrunner ^ Sat. Dec. 14 - Montreal, QC - MTELUS ^ Sun. Dec. 15 - Toronto, ON - HISTORY ^ Tue. Dec. 17 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre ^ Wed. Dec. 18 - Chicago, IL - The Salt Shed ^ Thu. Dec. 19 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium ^ Sat. Dec. 21 - Atlanta, GA - The Eastern ^
^ w/ Bully * w/ Debbii Dawson + w/ Mitski
Suki Waterhouse Memoir of a Sparklemuffin
1. Gateway Drug 2. Supersad 3. Blackout Drunk 4. Faded 5. Nonchalant 6. My Fun 7. Model, Actress, Whatever 8. To Get You 9. Lullaby 10. Big Love 11. Lawsuit 12. OMG 13. Think Twice 14. Could’ve Been A Star 15. Legendary 16. Everybody Breaks Up Anyway 17. Helpless 18. To Love
Today, The Bug Club is adding US shows to their 2024 tour schedule in support of On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System, their forthcoming Sub Pop debut. These new dates will begin Tuesday, October 15th in Brooklyn, NY at Baby’s All Right and run through Thursday, October 24th in Seattle, WA at The Black Lodge.
Their previously announced UK tour dates, which bookend the tour, resume on Thursday, August 1st, with a sold-out show at London’s Shacklewell Arms. Please see a full list of dates below.
Thu. Aug. 01 - London, UK - Shacklewell Arms (SOLD OUT) Fri. Aug. 02 - Pikehall, UK - Y Not Festival Thu. Aug. 29 - Brighton, Resident Records (instore) Fri. Aug. 30 - Brighton, UK - Brighton Psych Fest Sat. Aug 31 - Hull, UK - The Adelphi Sun. Sep. 01 - Edinburgh, UK - Edinburgh Psych Fest Mon. Sep. 02 - Riley & Coe Session, BBC Radio 6 Music Tue. Sep. 03 - Liverpool, UK - Rough Trade (instore) Wed. Sep. 04 - Nottingham, UK - Rough Trade (instore) Thu. Sep. 05 - London, UK - Rough Trade East (instore) Tue. Oct. 15 - Brooklyn, NY - Baby’s All Right Sun. Oct. 20 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo Mon. Oct. 21 - San Francisco, CA - Kilowatt Wed. Oct. 23 - Portland, OR - Showbar Thu. Oct. 24 - Seattle, WA - Black Lodge Thu. Nov. 07 - Bournemouth, UK - Bear Cave Fri. Nov. 08 - Margate, UK - Lido Sat. Nov. 09 - Bedford, UK - Esquires Wed. Nov. 13 - Newcastle, UK - The Cluny Thu. Nov. 14 - Hebden Bridge, UK - The Trades Club Fri. Nov. 15 - Leicester, UK - The SoundHouse Sat. Nov. 16 - Norwich, UK - Norwich Arts Centre
Earlier this month, The Bug Club announced release details for On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System, which will be released worldwide on Friday, August 30th, 2024. The album features the previously released highlights “Quality Pints,” and “Lonsdale Slipons,” along with other feel-good ditties like “War Movies,” “A Bit Like James Bond,” “We Don’t Care About That.”
On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System sees the band serve up a beefy slab of their signature Modern-Lovers-meets-Nuggets garage rock, featuring B-52’s call-and-response fun mixed with AC/DC power chord grunt (read more at Sub Pop).
The Bug Club’s On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System is available to preorder on CD/LP/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com (North America), Mega Mart 2 (UK/EU), and independent retailers worldwide will receive the limited Loser edition vinyl on Transparent Grey Smoke (US) and Orange/Red Marble (UK/EU) (whilst stock lasts!). On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System’s album cover artwork is from UK illustrator and comic book artist Willem Hampson.
What people are saying about The Bug Club: “‘Quality Pints’ is a wild two-minute rager that reminds me of the Buzzcocks and the Vaselines. It’s all about something the band has surely experienced during all that touring: the search for a decent beer in various cities around the world. In addition to the explosive punk-rock energy, the song has a hip-shaking rock ‘n’ roll element, manifested in a rattling tambourine and occasional outbursts of electric-shock lead guitar” - STEREOGUM
“…the kind of indie punk ripper that feels custom built to send audiences into a shout-along, beer-fueled frenzy.” [“Quality Pints”] BROOKLYN VEGAN
“The amped-up punk track is a blast of shout-along energy, and vicious guitar solos following the pair’s journey to secure a solid pint of beer… It’s as ridiculous as it is fun, and Harris and Willmett are bringing their particular flavor of absurdity to Sub Pop’s legendary roster. Cheers, indeed.” [“Quality Pints”] “Best New Songs” - PASTE
The Bug Club On The Intricate Inner Workings of the System
Tracklisting: 1. War Movies 2. Quality Pints 3. Pop Single 4. Best Looking Strangers in the Cemetery 5. A Bit Like James Bond 6. We Don’t Care About That 7. Lonsdale Slipons 8. Better Than Good 9. Actual Pain 10. Cold. Hard. Love. 11. The Intricate Inner Workings of the System
Today, Lael Neale is sharing the sparkling official video for “Electricity,” a new song available now worldwide on all DSPs from Sub Pop.
“Electricity” was written and composed by Neale and produced and arranged by longtime creative collaborator Guy Blakeslee. The video was directed by Neale, and features cinematography by Chance Gray, with movement direction and choreography by Sandi Denton and a performance by the Rated Z Dancers.
Neale says, “I wrote the song during an ice storm a couple of winters ago that caused a 5-day power outage while I was living on my family’s farm in Virginia. I experienced intense withdrawal from all these things we’ve come to depend on so heavily in our modern life - like lighting, heat, refrigeration, and entertainment. I felt a range of sensations from utter emptiness to complete liberation. I realized we’re essentially electrified beings now, but through unplugging entirely we have a chance to gain a new perspective and reset ourselves.”
Lael Neale will hit the road for a string of dates supporting Ben Howard (August 10th-15th) and an appearance at San Francisco’s Outside Lands (August 11th). Neale, a painter, will have a solo art show titled “Altogether Stranger,” held at AndPens Gallery in Eagle Rock, CA, on Friday, August 2nd. The current list of dates are below, and tickets for these shows are on sale now.
Fri. Aug. 2 - Eagle Rock, CA - AndPens Gallery (“Altogether Stranger” Solo Painting Show) Sat. Aug. 3 - San Pedro, CA - Genuine Souvenirs Festival Sat. Aug. 10 - Los Angeles, CA - The United Theater on Broadway * Sun. Aug. 11 - San Francisco, CA - Outside Lands Festival Tue. Aug. 13 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater * Wed. Aug. 14 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre * Thu. Aug 15 - Vancouver, BC - Queen Elizabeth Theatre *
* w/ Ben Howard
Neale’s most recent full-length is the beguiling Star Eaters Delight, her second album released in April 2023. The album reveals an expansion of Neale’s sonic collaboration with producer and accompanist Guy Blakeslee and arrives on the heels of her Sub Pop debut Acquainted With Night, which won international acclaim for its crystalline vocals, clever songwriting, and excellent use of Omnichord to build a world of beautiful reveries.
Forged in isolation, Star Eaters Delight is a vehicle for returning, not just to civilization, but to celebration. She explains: “The unbroken silences on the farm compelled me to break them with sound. This album is louder and more external, calling out to the world.”
Lael Neale’s Star Eaters Delight, is also available now from Sub Pop.
What people are saying about Lael Neale: “A unique, boldly weird proposition, and one that proudly carries the faint hint of tractor grease. Half of it comes on like cult 70s folk artist Karen Dalton hanging out with the Velvet Underground and Suicide, while the rest offers somewhat more modern balladry, placing her more in the world of Angel Olsen and Cat Power.” - THE GUARDIAN
“Spellbinding” ★★★★★ - SHINDIG!
“There’s something a little haunting about her voice, it helps too that she writes primarily on the Omnichord, which has a little bit of spookiness built into it. But this is kind of an album for Luddites about how to exist in a world that demands too much of your attention and how you can be intentional about the way you move through it. It was recorded on cassette, which I love because it brings a real warmth to it, and a real presence of being in the room, which I think really delivers that message home.” “New Music Friday: The Best Releases Out April 21st” - NPR MUSIC
“…An excellent new album” - STEREOGUM
“Neale has placed her trust in life’s meanders—and in its source—and the result is her best work yet: a golden mean between experimentation and pop, lo-fi and hi-fi, vitality and rest.” - PASTE
“Neale is imaginative, but she’s steeped in songwriting craft and she knows her way round a whopping chorus.” ★★★★ - MOJO
“Star Eater’s Delight…was recorded on cassette, and tape hiss acts like a third band member here. She sings of flowers, rivers, seas, and trees; holy water, perfect deaths; bells of time, patience, and the speed of medicine. Carried by words and rhythm, she’s barreling towards something just beyond the horizon.” - AQUARIUM DRUNKARD
“Neale has put together a tight package of an album with no stray notes but one also brimming with a sly multitude of ideas. Kudos to Neale for not playing it safe and simultaneously doing something wholly different than anyone else out there.” 9/10 - UNDER THE RADAR
“This collection of versatile songs acts as a tour of different neighborhoods in the beautifully smeary nocturnal dream world Neale began building on her last album.” ★★★★ - ALL MUSIC
“A collection of songs with the weight and conviction of hymns. Some have a more spare, lo-fi feel, with Neale’s voice accompanied by vintage instruments, including her signature mellotron, but the real centerpiece is the eight-minute “In Verona,” which brings a real sense of urgency to its invocations of Shakespeare.” “Notable Releases of the Week” - BROOKLYN VEGAN
“An elegantly spare showcase of her radiant voice, a tremulous yodel tinged with gospel and country inflections. Bathed in antique analog acoustics, spine-tingling ballads of romantic yearning....” - UNCUT
Today, July 29th, Sub Pop is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the release of Shabazz Palaces’ Lese Majesty, his acclaimed second album and the follow-up to his label debut Black Up, with a new repress on red and black vinyl.
Lese Majesty is a seven-suite, eighteen-track sonic mythmap of new black wave and ghetto psychedelics, featuring singles and official videos for “They Come In Gold,”“Ishmael,”“#CAKE” (directed by Hiro Murai), and “Forerunner Foray” (directed by Chad VanGaalen).
Lese Majesty features Shabazz Palaces leader Ishamel Butler alongside Black Constellation collaborators Tendai Maraire, THEESatisfaction’s Catherine Harris-White, Erik Blood and Thadillac. The album was produced by Shabazz Palaces and mixed by Blood at Protect and Exalt Labs in Seattle, Washington.
Upon its release, Lese Majesty earned raves from the likes of New York Times, NPR Music, Entertainment Weekly, FLOOD, All Music, and would go on to see placement on “Best of 2014” lists from the likes of Gorilla Vs Bear (“Album of the Year”), Pitchfork, PASTE, SPIN, The Wire, Passion of the Weiss, Stereogum (“Best Rap Albums”), and more.
What people said about Shabazz Palaces’ Lese Majesty: Lese Majesty is Shabazz Palaces getting interstellar, a set of intricate, enigmatic, yet meaningful suites complete with an (initially) impenetrable multidimensional blueprint/map connecting it all in the liner notes. Beneath the visuals, the album contends with a strain of Afrofuturism that puts its faith in finding unities in contradictions and clarity in riddles (“I’m having my cake and I’m eating cake,” “facts stated to enhance what is pre-born,” “we try to unreproduce six tension intervals”), reconciling structure and formlessness, forethought and spontaneity….meter-defying breaks and tactile, synthesized bass-church/musique concrète production that turns human language into primordial elements of cosmic influence. It’s humbling stuff that urges you to dance but knows full well that, to do so, you’ll need to relearn new and better steps [50 Best Albums Of 2014] - Pitchfork
“Unlike their previous, also brilliant full-length Black Up, Shabazz Palaces’ new “sonic move” Lese Majesty is not necessarily conducive to absorption in small doses. The record is a massive, dense monolith, divided into suites that only start to make sense after countless repeat listens. It’s a bridge from rap’s beginnings in the early ’70s into its future — structurally, thematically, lyrically, sonically, all of it — that sounds so many light years ahead of everything else in the genre that its nods to the past only reveal themselves after one invests real time immersed in what we called “the impossibly deep, singular astral landscape” that the group has created.” [Album of the Year] - Gorilla Vs. Bear
“With their second album, Seattle hiphop duo Shabazz Palaces unshackled Afrofuturism from cliche in order to present a holistic almost familiar worldview that the future is already here, before demanding an honest response to that revelation. Hua Hsu said: Abstraction is only useful insofar as it shakes our reliance and this is what makes Lese Majesty’s primal futurism such a bewildering experience. Palaceer raps with secularity and conviction as all that was once solid melts into air - rules and codes vanish, leaving nothing but ghosts while beats dissolve into pretty colors.” [#7 / Albums of the Year] - The Wire
Shabazz Palaces Lese Majesty
Tracklisting: 1. Dawn in Luxor 2. Forerunner Foray 3. They Come in Gold 4. Solemn Swears 5. Harem Aria 6. Noetic Noiromantics 7. The Ballad of Lt. Maj. Winnings 8. Soundview 9. Ishmael 10. …down 155th in the MCM Snorkel 11. Divine of Form 12. #CAKE 13. Colluding Oligarchs 14. Suspicion of a Shape 15. MindGlitch Keytar TM Theme 16. Motion Sickness 17. New Black Wave 18. Sonic MythMap for the Trip Back
