You can now hear the new contributions to the Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 7 from Sydney, Australia’s Party Dozen, and Toronto, Ontario’s Matthew “Doc” Dunn, both out today worldwide on all DSPs from Sub Pop.
Sydney, Australia two-piece Party Dozen - saxophonist Kirsty Tickle and percussionist Jonathan Boulet - set forth a pair of blistering, sax-heavy noise-rock tracks, including the A side “Fat Hans Gone Mad,” about a mysterious gentle giant named Hans. Hans is liked by his colleagues and generally quite a polite henchman. Violence is never his first response to a situation, he’s so large it rarely comes to that. Hans is at peace with the world, it seems to move around his 250 pound frame and most days Hans feels pretty good. But today is a bad day. Fat Hans Gone Mad. Party Dozen’s new full-length The Real Work is out on Temporary Residence later this year, and will tour the UK for the first time ever, this May 14th-17th, 2022. The single is pressed on brown vinyl.
Toronto polymath multi-instrumentalist and underground-music icon Matthew “Doc” Dunn (also known for work with The Cosmic Range, U.S. Girls, Jennifer Castle, Kevin Morby, Sunburned Hand of the Man, and more) contributes a spellbinding pair of tunes with a little help from his friends. “Your Feel” dances into frame with a zigzagging solo from Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis and swelling mellotron from producer Asher Gould-Murtaugh, as Dunn’s insistent vocals conjure the pains of longing for a lover’s touch. B side “Look In” mellows the tempo to a country slow-dance with glistening slide guitar, as Dunn wipes the tears from his eyes and moseys off into the sunset. It won’t be long until he returns to channel his latest experiences into song. This single is pressed on opaque yellow vinyl.
Subscribe to the Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 7 to get twelve exclusive, limited-to-1,000-copies, colored-vinyl 7” records that you will, undoubtedly, love and adore. In addition to the singles from Party Dozen and Matthew “Doc” Dunn announced today, subscribers will get 7”s by Bartees Strange, The William Loveday Intention (feat. Billy Childish!), The Shadracks (feat. the son of Billy Childish!), Sidney Gish, Dummy, Hunx and His Punx, and more TBA. Vol. 7 runs from April, 2022 and ending February, 2023.
The Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 6 series included subscription-only 7” singles by John Waters, Kim Gordon/J Mascis, Jeff Tweedy, Duma, LIDS, Washed Out, Hand Habits, Porridge Radio, Sheltered Workshop Singers, TV Priest, BNH Deluxe, and The Black Tones. Hear music from the series via the Singles Club playlist, and grab one of the last remaining subscriptions here (we only made 1,000 and they’re almost gone!).
You can now watch Father John Misty’s official video for “Kiss Me (I Loved You)”, directed by David Raboy and starring Annie Hamilton and Alexander Zuccaro, from Chloë and The Next 20th Century, his internationally acclaimed new album, out now worldwide from Sub Pop and in Europe from Bella Union.
Father John Misty and his band have also added new dates to its previously announced international headlining tour schedule for 2022 and 2023 in support of Chloë and The Next 20th Century.
New shows added to the North American (June 26th-October 8th) and UK/European (February 25th-March 17th) tour schedule include: Thursday, August 4th in San Diego at Humphreys Concerts By The Bay, Friday, August 19th in Los Angeles at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and Thursday, March 16th in Glasgow, UK at Barrowlands. Please find a full list of dates below.
2022: Summer/Fall (North America) Sat. Jun. 26 - Greenfield, MA - Green River Festival Fri. Jul 08 - Des Moines, IA - 80/35 Music Festival Sun. Jul. 31 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre w/ The Colorado Symphony * Wed. Aug. 03 - San Diego, CA - Humphreys Concerts By The Bay * [Sold Out] Thu. Aug. 04 - San Diego, CA - Humphreys Concerts By The Bay * Fri. Aug. 05 - Las Vegas, NV - The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas * Sat. Aug. 06 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren * Mon. Aug. 08 - Oklahoma City, OK- The Criterion * Tue. Aug. 09 - Kansas City, MO - Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland * Thu. Aug. 11 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall * Fri. Aug. 12 - Austin, TX - Moody Amphitheater * Sat. Aug. 13 - New Orleans, LA - Orpheum Theater * Sun. Aug. 14 - Dallas, TX - The Factory in Deep Ellum * Thu. Aug. 18 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Forever Cemetery * [Sold Out] Fri. Aug. 19 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sat. Aug. 20 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater * Tue. Aug. 23 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theatre * Thu. Aug. 25 - Vancouver, BC - Orpheum * Fri. Aug. 26 - Port Townsend, WA - THING Festival Sat. Aug. 27 - Portland, OR - Pioneer Square * Mon. Sep. 12 - Columbus, OH - KEMBA Live! * Tue. Sep. 13 - Philadelphia, PA- The Met Philadelphia * Thu. Sep. 15 - Louisville, KY - Bourbon & Beyond Festival Fri. Sep. 16 - Richmond, VA - Brown’s Island * Sat. Sep. 17 - Asheville, NC - Rabbit Rabbit * Mon. Sep. 19 - Charleston, SC - The Riviera Theater * Tue. Sep. 20 - Washington, DC - The Anthem * Thu. Sep. 22 - New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall w/ The New York Pops * Fri. Sep. 23 - Boston, MA - Leader Bank Pavilion * Sat. Sep. 24 - Bridgeport, CT - Sound on Sound Festival Mon. Sep. 26 - Montreal, QC - MTELUS * Tue. Sep. 27 - Toronto, ON - Roy Thomson Hall * Thu. Sep. 29 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre * Fri. Sep. 30 - Saint Paul, MN - Palace Theatre * Sat. Oct. 01 - Saint Paul, MN - Palace Theatre * Mon. Oct. 03 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater * Tue. Oct. 04 - Indianapolis, IN - Clowes Memorial Hall * Thu. Oct. 06 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium * Fri. Oct. 07 - Atlanta, GA - The Eastern * Sat. Oct. 08 - Durham, NC - DPAC * * w/ Suki Waterhouse
2023: Late Winter/Spring (Europe) Sat. Feb. 25 - Oslo, NO - Sentrum Scene Tue. Feb. 28 - Stockholm, SE - Cirkus Thu. Mar. 02 - Denmark, DK - KB Hallen Fri. Mar. 03 - Berlin, DE - Columbiahalle Sat. Mar. 04 - Amsterdam, NL - AFAS Live Mon. Mar. 06 - Brussels, BE - Ancienne Belgique Tue. Mar. 07 - Paris, France - Salle Pleyel Thu. Mar. 09 - London, UK- O2 Academy Brixton Mon. Mar. 13 - Gateshead, UK - Sage Gateshead Wed. Mar. 15 - Glasgow, UK - Barrowlands Thu. Mar. 16 - Glasgow, UK - Barrowlands Fri. Mar. 17 - Manchester, UK - O2 Apollo Manchester
For those living in or traveling to Seattle, Father John Misty’s Chloë and the Next 20th Century pop-up/installation at Sub Pop on 7th in the city’s Belltown neighborhood is now open.
Fans can find Chloë and the Next 20th Century-related merchandise, including a new T-shirt design, poster and 2-sided puzzles that are exclusively available at the store. A limited selection of Father John Misty’s official tour merchandise will also be available, including diner mugs, limited edition “Funny Girl” posters, enamel pins, slip mats, and embroidered trucker hats (while supplies last).
What People Are Saying About Father John Misty’s Chloë and the Next 20th Century: “Over his 10-year career as Father John Misty, we’ve seen this wild orchid of an artist gradually bloom into a generational singer-songwriter…Chloë and the Next 20th Century serves as a gorgeously crafted highlight reel of the singer’s many previous styles and guises.” ★★★★★ NME
“Chloë and the Next 20th Century is his best yet. He still takes his cues from the great storytellers of the 1970s but this effort is also on thrall to glamor of old Hollywood and the jazzy show tunes of the 30s and 40s. Pianos twinkle and strings swirl. The singing is warm and rich.” ★★★★★ The Mail on Sunday
“Album number 5 from Father John Misty is his most widescreen yet… astonishing music full of big ideas… A triumph.” ★★★★★ Shindig
“A ravishing magnum opus… he creates a world all his own (9/10).” The Sun
“Stunningly melodic… Tillman’s voice sounds fantastic throughout… It feels like an artist who’s spent time wondering what the point was, making peace with what he does, even – or especially – if it involves escapism. Sinking into Chloë and the Next 20th Century’s lush, sepia-toned arrangements, escaping with him is a pleasure (“Album of the Week”).” ★★★★ The Guardian
“For such a project to come off, the compositions have to feel like standards, with chord progressions and whistleable tunes that become more interesting with repeated listens. And Mr. Tillman pulls it off.” Wall Street Journal
“Tillman’s writerly skills would have shone in any era… He offers a moving reminder of the beauty of life’s impermanence…As Chloë and the Next 20th Century sees Father John Misty escaping into his own parallel Hollywood reality, it’s highly entertaining to slip in alongside him.” ★★★★ MOJO
“On Chloë and the Next 20th Century, Father John Misty is transporting himself to another world; it sounds pretty damn sweet over there.” ★★★★ ½ DIY
“Father John Misty’s Chloë and the Next 20th Century is filled with deeply imaginative arrangements and sophisticated, textured songwriting (9/10).” PopMatters
“Chloë represents a very stark, yet impressive left turn for Tillman, a record that sees him grow not only as a narrative lyricist, but also a master arranger (8.8/10)” PASTE
“The student has become the maestro (B+).”Entertainment Weekly
“With delicate orchestral arrangements, a dead Turkish Angora, and an overlying Old Hollywood theme, Chloë and the Next 20th Century is the most un-Misty-like album yet. We’re OK with that.” Rolling Stone
“Even though we’ve spent 10 songs becoming accustomed to Chloë’s milieu, Tillman upends that comfort on the 11th song. Ultimately, Chloë and the Next 20th Century signifies something larger. Father John Misty will always be interesting.” SPIN
“Father John Misty’s new album is unlike anything he’s ever done before, in the best possible way…This latest one is excellent, and if anything, it serves as proof that Tillman doesn’t need the crutch of the FJM role. Maybe now, five years after he first contemplated killing him, he can finally let Father John Misty rest in peace.” Inside Hook
“A cinematic masterpiece. With a full orchestra at his heels, Father John Misty’s fifth album is likely to be one of the classiest and most ambitious records of the year; only he could pull this off.” ★★★★ DORK
“An epic, orchestral album that recalls the Golden Age of Hollywood (9/10).” Hot Press
“Achingly beautiful melodies, lyrics embed with ennui and romanticism, vocals of extraordinary richness… yes, it’s another Father John Misty album” ★★★★ Sunday Times
“A talented and original musician stepping outside expectations.... Influences from past epochs of Los Angeles bohemia can be heard, but Tillman inhabits his Father John Misty persona so confidently that the songs transcend pastiche.” ★★★★ Financial Times
“Inclusive, playful and connective.” ★★★★ NARC
“Chloë.. is maximum Misty from tip to twinkly toe… As woodwinds flutter and strings swoon, Tillman’s voice rises to the occasion: his rich, warm delivery pulls you into the songs, barbed asides and beautiful melancholy impeccably balanced… Tillman’s writing brims with story-song riches, countering 21st-century cynicism with old-school romanticism.”★★★★Record Collector
“Fans who fell in love with Tillman’s sharp social commentary will find plenty to hone in on, but the lush sounds take some of the bite out of his clever barbs and cynical perspectives on love and connection. Even with the strong, considered design of his previous albums, Father John Misty has never sounded so pleasant.” ★★★★ All Music
“For all their evocations, the dreamscapes on Chloë are not actually nostalgic. Instead, the songs seem to underline the artist’s gallows humor at our collective doom, repeating various destructions of humanity — both on the scale of an endless century and every love affair.” Consequence
“The band—including frequent collaborators Drew Erickson and Jonathan Wilson, plus a string quartet and eleven orchestra members—play with silvery poise and high drama. The characters may be odious and dissolute, but the way Misty sings about them is delightful, from the debonair delivery of ‘Chloë’ to the little retro-microphone vibrato that creeps into ‘Kiss Me.’” Pitchfork
“Josh Tillman’s new album is a foray into old Hollywood that goes down like a smooth martini (B+).” The AV Club
“Sophisticated orchestral pop… utterly delectable… a luxuriously irresistible affair (8.3/10).” Far Out
“Right from the start, ‘Chloë’ raises the curtain on an MGM Tinseltown of muted trumpets and colourised aesthetic… a romantic and intriguing world to fall into.” ★★★★ The Telegraph
“These are smart, amusing songs with sumptuous instrumentation.” The New Statesman
“It’s a big, bold, beautiful statement that doesn’t hit you over the head but gently and carefully makes its way into your heart (8/10).” Northern Transmissions
“Affecting and nuanced… these are warm, gentle, and often stunning songs that charm before they have the time to creep up on you.” ★★★★ Our Culture
“Brilliant and moving… His vivid, imaginative fifth album swerves between lounge jazz and romantic reveries.” - PROG
“Unmistakably a Father John Misty record, he ranges across a number of styles with panache… It’s great to have Tillman back in all his grandiose brilliance.” ★★★★ - Morning Star
On July 1st, 2022 London-based artist Naima Bock will release her debut album Giant Palm via Sub Pop Records/Memorials of Distinction. Born in Glastonbury to a Brazilian father and a Greek mother, Naima spent her early childhood in Brazil before eventually returning to England and various homes in South-East London. This heritage combines with more recent pursuits in Naima’s music; from the Brazilian standards that the family would listen to driving to the beach, to the European folk traditions she tapped into on her own, and the pursuits that interest her today – studies in archaeology, work as a gardener, and walking the world’s great trails – Naima’s music draws from family, the earth and the handing down of music through generations.
Naima’s debut album Giant Palm is undoubtedly infused with the Brazilian music of her youth and regular family visits. She found inspiration in “the percussion, the melodies, chords - and particularly the poetic juxtaposition of tragedy and beauty held within the lyrics”.
On the heels of the single releases of “30 Degrees,” her cover of the classic Brazilian song “Berimbau”, and single “Every Morning” comes the official video for her album-title track “Giant Palm.”
Naima says of the track: “Giant Palm was written collaboratively by myself and Joel Burton (who arranged and produced the whole album), I wrote the vocal melody and lyrics and he wrote the instrumentation. The recording process was limited (which I always find the most creatively productive way to record) by what we had in Joel’s room and recorded during the summer of 2020, resulting in mostly electronic instruments apart from the acoustic guitar. The vocals were later recorded by my dad, Victor Bock. We named the album after this song as it was the one that most reflected our collaboration as musicians and the innocence and freedom that characterised the making of the record.”
The music video for “Giant Palm” was directed by Max McLachlan. Naima adds “he projected the contrast of elevation and submission that is present in the song into a physical visual format. I’ve struggled to express in writing the meaning of this song so I feel it is best to leave the listener to make of it what they will. It’s a deeply personal song which means it can be reflected in whichever way one feels they want it to be.”
Naima’s headline show at London’s The Lexington on 23rd May follows UK and EU tours with Porridge Radio and Dana Gavanski (with additional opening support coming in September), and a stint at SXSW. She will also open 17 dates as main support for Rodrigo Amarante starting on 18 April throughout Europe. She will have additional festival plays at The Great Escape Festival, The Great Eastern Festival, Sea Change Festival, Hidden Doors Festival, and End of the Road Festival. See below for a full list of shows.
Mon. Apr. 18 - Porto, PT- Casa Da Musica % Tue. Apr. 19 - Lisbon, PT - Capitolio % Thur. Apr. 21 - Madrid, ES - Sala Mon % Fri. Apr. 22 - Barcelona, ES - La 2 % Sat. Apr. 23 - Lyon, FR - L’Epicerie Moderne % Mon. Apr. 25 - Milano, IT - Santeria % Tue. Apr. 26 - Zurich, CH - Mascotte % Wed. Apr. 27 - Munich, DE - Ampere % Thur. Apr. 28 - Cologne, DE - Stadtgarten % Fri. Apr. 29 - Hamburg, DE - Nochtspeicher % Sat. Apr. 30 - Berlin, DE - Lido % Mon. May 02 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso Noord % Thur. May 04 - London, UK - Scala % Fri. May 05 - Brussels, BE - Botanique (Orangerie) % Sat. May 06 - Paris, FR - Cabaret Sauvage % Sun. May 07 - Lille, FR - Aeronef % Mon. May 08 - Nantes, FR - Le Lieu Unique % Wed. May 11 - Sat. May 14 - Brighton, UK - The Great Escape Sat. May 21 - The Great Eastern Festival, Edinburgh, UK Mon. May 23 - London, UK - The Lexington Sat. May 28 - Totnes, UK - Sea Change Festival Fri. Jun. 17 - Edinburgh, UK - Hidden Door Festival Fri. Jul. 01- - London, UK - London’s Rough Trade East Thur. Sep. 01 - Sun. Sep. 04 - Dorset, UK - End of the Road Festival Fri. Sep. 09 - Sat. Sep. 10 - Vienna, AT - Waves Festival Thur. Sep. 15 - Sat. Sep. 17 - Oslo, NO - by:Larm Tue. Sep. 20 - Leipzig, DE - UT Connewitz # Wed. Sep. 21 - Hamburg, DE - RBF # Thur. Sep. 22 - Berlin, DE - Prachtwerk # Fri. Sep 23 - Cologne, DE - Theater der Wohngemeinschaft # Sat. Sep. 24 - Munich, DE - Heppel & Ettlich # Tue. Sep. 27 - Nijmegen, NL - Doomrosje # Thur. Sep. 29 - Brugge - BE - Cactus # ___ % w/ Rodrigo Amarante # w/ Dana Gavanski
What People are saying about Naima: “Flashes of jazz and Americana bolt across her songs, and with each brush of warmth and familiarity there’s something to claw you back to the edge of your seat.” - [30 Degrees] The Line of Best Fit
“…filled with interweaving vocal harmonies and a transcendent sense of stillness. - [“Every Morning”] Stereogum
“…dark, smoky, folk sound, close harmonies and production touches that nod towards her upbringing in Brazil.” [30 Degrees] Brooklyn Vegan
““30 Degrees” is hushed and mournful, with Bock’s deep voice at the center. “ - [30 Degrees] Stereogum
“A strong contender to be one of 2022’s breakout stars” - For The Rabbits
More on Naima Bock’s Giant Palm: The roots of Naima Bock’s music are far-reaching. Born in Glastonbury to a Brazilian father and a Greek mother, Naima spent her early childhood in Brazil before eventually returning to England and various homes in South-East London. This heritage combines with more recent pursuits in Naima’s music; from the Brazilian standards that the family would listen to driving to the beach, to the European folk traditions she tapped into on her own, and the pursuits that interest her today – studies in archaeology, work as a gardener, and walking the world’s great trails – Naima’s music draws from family, the earth and the handing down of music through generations.
Naima’s debut album Giant Palm is undoubtedly infused with the Brazilian music of her youth and regular family visits. She found inspiration in “the percussion, the melodies, chords - and particularly the poetic juxtaposition of tragedy and beauty held within the lyrics”. By the age of 15 Naima was embedded in the music scene of South-East London, slotting into a group of like-minded friends writing and playing music. This led to the creation of Goat Girl, the band she toured the world with playing bass and singing alongside her school friends. After six years, Naima decided to leave Goat Girl to try something new. In the intervening years she set up a gardening company and started a degree at University College London in archeology because, as she jokes, “I liked being near the ground”. During this time she was writing music, playing guitar, and learning violin. She was also introduced to producer and arranger Joel Burton through Josh Cohen and his label, Memorials of Distinction. Over the time he and Naima worked together, Joel’s burgeoning interest in Western Classical music, global folk music, experience in large scale arrangement and orchestration informed the collaborative process that eventually culminated in Giant Palm. Naima had been writing songs for years without any strong idea of where to take them. However, over a gradual process of rehearsing and performing with Joel, the compositions began to settle into something more concrete. It wasn’t until restrictions began to ease post- lockdown that they were able to focus on getting the songs finished and recorded. Fortunately, Dan Carey of Speedy Wunderground offered his spare studio space in Streatham, in south east London, free of charge. Informed by a desire to create music that was considered and intentional, they spent the month leading up to the recording expanding the arrangements, to be performed by a large and varied group of musicians - with Joel scoring parts and recording the synth and electronic elements in advance. Once they managed to schedule slots for the more-than 30 musicians on the record - the expansive yet delicate arrangements were brought to life and captured with the help of engineer Syd Kemp. Naima loves the collective voice of traditionals that belong to everyone. She’s recently found a home for this passion in her role in the ever-shifting line-up of South-London folk collective Broadside Hacks, but it’s long been a way for her to explore her own artistry. She learned to play guitar and violin through these songs, but she also found her voice in them. “All the other representations that I’d had of singing felt so unattainable” she recalls, but in folk music she found that singing can take on so many forms without the need to exactly replicate something. Here, qualities that make her voice unique were able to flourish. This is present all through her music, as well as a feeling of community and the sharing of ideas. Written over the space of years, each of Naima’s songs represents a snapshot of a specific feeling, of brief moments in Naima’s life that make up a larger whole. “I never change lyrics” she says, “even if I don’t relate to them anymore, I related to them once which means someone else could, somewhere”. Whether that’s in the playful humour of ‘Campervan’, the peaceful exhale of ‘Giant Palm’ or in the darker moments like in the stark, self-critical honesty of ‘Every Morning’, whatever the form it’s always laid bare. There’s also a feeling of clarity to the songs, which Naima largely credits to the fact that many of them were written while walking. She finds inspiration in the meditative and revealing nature of long walks with a fixed but far-off destination. “There’s a stripping away that takes place”, she says, the slowing of thoughts by the rhythm of walking is often to thank for the sharp focus of her lyrics. Be that during a period of three years where she would return to Spanish pilgrimage network Camino de Santiago for weeks at a time, or simple hours spent in the English countryside.
Naima Bock Giant Palm
Track Listing: 1. Giant Palm 2. Toll 3. Every Morning 4. Dim Dum 5. Working 6. Natural 7. Campervan 8. Enter the House 9. Instrumental 10. O Morro
On September 9th, 2022 Sub Pop will release Built to Spill’s When the Wind Forgets Your Name, the group’s excellent new album and first for the label. The nine-track effort, which features the highlights “Understood,” “Fool’s Gold,” “Spiderweb,” “Rocksteady,” and “Gonna Lose,” was produced by Doug Martsch, mixed by Martsch, Lê Almeida, João Casaes, and Josh Lewis, and mastered by Mell Dettmer. When the Wind Forgets Your Name is the first new Built to Spill album since the release of 2015’s Untethered Moon.
Watch the very psychedelic and humorous official video for the album’s lead single “Gonna Lose,” directed by Jordan Minkoff and featuring animations from Minkoff and Lee McClure.
When the Wind Forgets Your Name is now available for preorder on CD/LP/CS/DSPs through Sub Pop. LPs purchased through megamart.subpop.com, and select independent retailers in North America will receive the limited Loser Edition on Rainforest Green vinyl (while supplies last). Meanwhile, LP preorders in the U.K and Europe through select independent retailers will receive the album on Misty Kiwi Fruit Green vinyl (while supplies last).
When the Wind Forgets Your Name’s cover art was designed by comic artist Alex Graham (Dog Biscuits; Fantagraphics Books), who also illustrated the fifty-panel comic strip for the album’s gatefold (available with the CD, LP, and cassette editions of the album).
Built to Spill have also scheduled over 70 headlining, festival and support shows for the spring, late summer and fall of 2022, which kick-off with a four-night stand Wednesday, April 13th- Friday, April 16th at Chicago’s House of Blues (supporting Jawbreaker), and currently run through Saturday, September 24 in Salt Lake City, UT at Metro Music Hall. The tour will feature songs from When the Wind Forgets Your Name along with fan favorites from the band’s catalog.
Support for these shows (select dates) will come from Oruã (the Brazilian band featuring When the Wind… collaborators Almeida and Casaes), along with Prism Bitch, Itchy Kitty, Wetface, Blood Lemon, The French Tips, Sunbathe, Distant Family, and Braided Waves. The live band for these Built to Spill tour dates will consist of Martsch, bassist Melanie Radford, and drummer Teresa Esguerra. For updated information on tickets, please visit builttospill.com.
Wed. Apr 13 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues ** Thu. Apr. 14 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues ** Fri. Apr. 15 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues ** Sat. Apr. 16 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues ** Tue. Apr. 20 - Reno, NV - The Holland Project ^ ! Wed. Apr. 21 - Las Vegas, NV - Rockstar Bar ^ ! Fri. Apr. 22 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom ^ ! Sat. Apr. 23 - Tucson, AZ - 191 Toole ^ ! Sun. Apr. 24 - Phoenix, AZ - Orpheum Theater ^ ! Mon. Apr. 25 - Albuquerque, NM - Launch Pad ^ ! Wed. Apr. 27 - Oklahoma City, OK - Tower Theatre ^ ! Thu. Apr. 28 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater ^ ! Fri. Apr. 29 - Austin, TX - Mohawk ^ ! Sat. Apr. 30 - San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger ^ ! Sun. May 01 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall ^ ! Mon. May 02 - New Orleans, LA - Republic New Orleans ^ ! Wed. May 04 - Nashville, TN - Basement East ^ ! Thu. May 05 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse ^ ! Fri. May 06 - Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle Tavern ^ ! Sat. May 07 - Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theatre ^ ! Sun. May 08 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle ^ ! Tue. May 10 - Richmond, VA - The Broadberry ^ ! Wed. May 11 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer # % Thu. May 12 - Washington, DC - 930 Club # % Fri. May 13 - Jersey City, NJ - White Eagle Hall # % Sat. May 14 - Boston, MA - Paradise # % Sun. May 15 - Pawtucket, RI -The Met # % Tue. May 17 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bowl # % Wed. May 18 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bowl # % Thu. May 19 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls # % Fri. May 20 - Indianapolis, IN - Hi-Fi # % Sat. May 21- Detroit, MI - St. Andrew’s Hall + $ Sun. May 22 - Kalamazoo, MI - Bell’s Eccentric Cafe & Brewery + $ Tue. May 24 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall + $ Wed. May 25 - Maquoketa, IA - Codfish Hollow Barnstormers + $ Thu. May 26 - Omaha, NE - Waiting Room + $ Fri. May 27 - Fort Collins, CO - Aggie Theater + $ Sat. May 28 - Boulder, CO - Boulder Theater + $ Sun. May 29 - Grand Junction, CO - Mesa Theater + $ Fri. Jun. 03 - Hood River, OR - The Ruins Thu. Jun. 23 - Calgary, AB - Sled Island Festival Sat. Jul. 23 - Carnation, WA - Timber! Festival Sat. Jul. 30 - Stanley, ID - Sawtooth Family Gathering Sat. Aug. 06 - Happy Valley, OR - Pickathon Sun. Aug. 07 - Happy Valley, OR - Pickathon Thu. Aug. 11 - Spokane, WA - Lucky You Lounge ^ @ Fri. Aug. 12 - Bozeman, MT - The ELM ^ @ Sat. Aug. 13 - Billings, MT - The Pub Station ^ @ Mon. Aug. 15 - Fargo, ND - The Hall @ FBC ^ @ Tue. Aug. 16 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue ^ @ Wed. Aug. 17 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theater ^ @ Thu. Aug. 18 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall ^ @ Fri. Aug. 19 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall ^ @ Sat. Aug. 20 - Louisville, KY - Headliner’s Music Hall ^ @ Mon. Aug. 22 - Cincinnati, OH - Woodward Theater ^ @ Tue. Aug. 23 - Cleveland Heights, OH - Grog Shop ^ @ Wed. Aug. 24 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall % Thu. Aug. 25 - Montreal, QC - Corona Theatre # % Fri. Aug. 26 - Portland, ME - State Theatre # % Sat. Aug. 27 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall # % Mon. Aug. 29 - South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground # % Tue. Aug. 30 - Holyoke, MA - Gateway City Arts # % Fri. Sep. 02 - Baltimore, MD - Ram’s Head Live # % Sat. Sep. 03 - Asbury Park, NJ - Stone Pony # % Sun. Sep. 04 - Bethlehem, PA - Musikfest # % Tue. Sep. 06 - Columbus, OH - The Athenaeum Theatre * = Wed. Sep. 07 - Knoxville, TN - The Mill & Mine * = Thu. Sep. 08 - Wilmington, NC - Greenfield Lake Amphitheater * = Fri. Sep. 09 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Music Hall * = Sat. Sep. 10 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live * = Sun. Sep. 11 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room * = Tue. Sep. 13 - Orlando, FL - The Social * = Wed. Sep. 14 - Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits * = Thu. Sep. 15 - Pensacola, FL - Vinyl Music Hall * = Fri. Sep. 16 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn Birmingham * = Sat. Sep. 17 - Memphis, TN - Growler’s * = Sun. Sep. 18 - Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom * = Mon. Sep. 19 - St. Louis, MO - Red Flag * = Tue. Sep. 20 - Columbia, MO - Blue Note * = Wed. Sep. 21 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theater * = Fri. Sep. 23 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater * = Sat. Sep. 24 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall * =
About Built to Spill’s When the Wind Forgets Your Name: Since its inception in 1992, Built to Spill founder Doug Martsch intended his beloved band to be a collaborative project, an ever-evolving group of incredible musicians making music and playing live together. “I wanted to switch the lineup for many reasons. Each time we finish a record I want the next one to sound totally different. It’s fun to play with people who bring in new styles and ideas,” says Martsch. “And it’s nice to be in a band with people who aren’t sick of me yet.”
Following several albums and EPs on Pacific Northwest independent labels, including the unmistakably canonical indie rock classic, There’s Nothing Wrong With Love, released on Sub Pop offshoot Up Records in 1994, Martsch signed with Warner Brothers from 1995 to 2016. He and his rotating cast of cohorts recorded six more, inarguably great albums during that time – Perfect From Now On, Keep It Like a Secret, Ancient Melodies of the Future, You in Reverse, Untethered Moon, There Is No Enemy. There was also a live album, and a solo record, Now You Know. While the band’s impeccable recorded catalog is the entry point, Built to Spill live is an essential FORCE of its own: heavy, psychedelic, melodic and visceral tunes blaring from amps that sound as if they’re powered by Mack trucks.
Now in 2022, Built to Spill returns with When the Wind Forgets Your Name, Martsch’s unbelievably great new album (and also his eighth full-length)… with a fresh new label. “I’m psyched: I’ve wanted to be on Sub Pop since I was a teenager. And I think I’m the first fifty year-old they’ve ever signed.” (The rumors are true, we love quinquagenarians…)
When the Wind Forgets Your Name continues expanding the Built to Spill universe in new and exciting ways. In 2018 Martsch’s good fortune and keen intuition brought him together with Brazilian lo-fi punk artist and producer Le Almeida, and his long-time collaborator, João Casaes, both of the psychedelic jazz rock band, Oruã. On discovering their music Martsch fell in love with it right away. So when he needed a new backing band for shows in Brazil, he asked them to join. “We rehearsed at their studio in downtown Rio de Janeiro and I loved everything about it. They had old crappy gear. The walls were covered with xeroxed fliers. They smoked tons of weed,” Martsch says.
The Brazil dates went so well Martsch, Almeida, and Casaes made the decision to continue playing together throughout 2019, touring the US and Europe. During soundchecks they learned new songs Martsch had written, and when the touring ended, they recorded the bass and drum tracks at his rehearsal space in Boise. After Almeida and Casaes flew home, Martsch began overdubbing guitars and vocals by himself.
Martsch, Almeida, and Casaes had planned to mix the album together later in 2020 somewhere in Brazil or the US, but the pandemic kept them from reuniting in person. “We were able to send the tracks back and forth though, so we were still able to collaborate on the mixing process.”
What emerged is When the Wind Forgets Your Name, a complex and cohesive blend of the artists’ distinct musical ideas. Alongside Built to Spill’s poetic lyrics and themes, the experimentation and attention to detail produces an album full of unique, vivid, and timeless sounds.
The spare, power trio guitar riff in “Gonna Lose” is an anxiety-fueled joyride in song (“What could be more disorienting than being on acid in a dream?”). “Spiderweb” and “Never Alright” are classic-sounding, guitar-driven odes to REM and Dinosaur Jr (“No one can ever help no one not get their heart broken”). If there is such a thing as a Built to Spill sound, “Rocksteady” is maybe the band’s furthest departure from it yet with its reggae and dub-inspired instrumentation.
The album also contains bittersweet songs like the lo-fi ‘60s-style anthem “Fool’s Gold,” with its mellotron strings, and bluesy, wailing guitars (“Fool’s gold made me rich for a little while”), and “Understood,” a song about misunderstanding, which also takes inspiration from Evel Knievel’s failed stunt in Martsch’s hometown when he was a child. (“The deaf hear, the blind see. Just different things than you and me.”)
Martsch was also able to champion his love of comics by recruiting Alex Graham to illustrate the cover of When the Wind Forgets Your Name. “Alex published Dog Biscuits (Fantagraphics Books) online during the pandemic and it really spoke to me. I was thrilled when she agreed to paint the album cover.” What evolved was even better than he had imagined, with Graham also drawing a fifty panel comic strip for the gatefold. “I just asked for a painting and a comic. She created it all completely on her own.”
Almeida and Casaes have returned to their duties in Oruã, and Martsch has begun playing with yet another Built to Spill lineup that features Prism Bitch’s Teresa Esguerra on drums and Blood Lemon’s Melanie Radford on bass. Built to Spill and Oruã are currently touring and have a string of shows planned together in September.
Martsch concludes, “Making When the Wind Forgets Your Name was such a great experience. I had an incredible time traveling and recording with Almeida and Casaes. I also learned so much about Brazilian culture and music while creating it. My Portuguese was terrible when I first met Almeida and Casaes, but by the end of the year it was even worse.” (He also learned that when Billy Idol sings “Eyes Without a Face” it sounds like “Help the Fish” in Portuguese.)
It may have taken us 30 years of obvious fandom and courtship, but on September 9, 2022, Sub Pop Records is unabashedly proud to finally release an excellent new album from Built to Spill: When the Wind Forgets Your Name. Sometimes persistence pays off.
Built to Spill When The Wind Forgets Your Name
Tracklisting: 1. Gonna Lose 2. Fool’s Gold 3. Understood 4. Elements 5. Rock Steady 6. Spiderweb 7. Never Alright 8. Alright 9. Comes a Day
This Friday, April 15th, 2022, Sub Pop will digitally release Flock of Dimes’ Head of Roses: Phantom Limb, a collection of unreleased tracks written around the same time as Head of Roses, previously unheard demos, favorite live performances, and covers. You can now hear “Go With Good”, a new offering from the release.
Wasner says of the song, “‘Go With Good’ is about making peace with those moments in which what we believe we want for ourselves doesn’t end up aligning with what life actually has in store for us. It’s about trying to step outside of ourselves enough to see and accept things as they truly are— letting go of the illusion of control that keeps us stuck, and revising the false narratives that we may have constructed to protect ourselves from pain.”
The selection of live recordings for Head of Roses: Phantom Limb run the spectrum, from solitary to exuberant. Some were made solo, in the summer of 2020, while other tracks are electrified with the energy that comes from a day cooped up making music with your friends. The versions of “Spring in Winter” and “Like So Much Desire,” from Wasner’s 2020 Like So Much Desire EP, were both recorded alone, on a grand piano in the rural sprawl of Pittsboro, North Carolina at Manifold Studios. The undulating, subdued version of “Hard Way” was recorded live for a KEXP session while Wasner was holed up in the Californian desert, and the live versions of “Two,” “One More Hour,” and “Price of Blue” that live on the bonus disc were recorded with the help of Wasner’s friends Mountain Man, Matt McCaughan, Joe Westerlund, Michael Libramento, Alan Good Parker, and Nick Sanborn out at Betty’s in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. There are also covers of two of Wasner’s favorite songwriters — Joan Armatrading’s “The Weakness in Me” and Joni Mitchell’s “Amelia,” the latter featuring contributions from former bandmate Aaron Roche.
Among the second disc of bonus material is a Head of Roses beginning – the acoustic demo of “Lightning,” recorded ages ago in the secondary room at Betty’s, before the song hit its final shape on Head of Roses. There’s also a handful of previously-unreleased Head of Roses outtakes – “Wonder” and “Go with Good,” both written at the same time as the rest of the record, but ultimately left on the cutting room floor. And then there’s a kind of postscript: Wasner wrote and recorded “It Just Goes On” in one afternoon at her friend Stella Mozgawa’s studio, and the version that exists here—guitar, bass, vocals and drums—are those first unedited performances of hers, along with some invaluable production contributions by Ethan Gruska. Head of Roses was complete by that time, but she knew this brand new song was still connected to that collection —a last word, a sort of epilogue. In that same way, Phantom Limb serves as a bid adieu, a final reflection on the past two years of Wasner’s songwriting.
Flock of Dimes’ previously announced six-date headline in support of Head of Roses begins April 28th in Asheville, NC at Isis Music Hall and ends May 4th at Brooklyn, NY at Elsewhere Zone 1.
Thu. Apr. 28 - Asheville, NC - Isis Music Hall Fri. Apr. 29 - Saxapahaw, NC - Haw River Ballroom Sat. Apr. 30 - Charlottesville, VA - The Southern Sun. May 01 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar Tue. May 03 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s Wed. May 04 - Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere Zone 1
Flock of Dimes Head of Roses: Phantom Limb
Tracklisting:
1. It Just Goes On (Recorded at Sunfair Studios in Joshua Tree, CA)* 2. Go With Good (Recorded at Betty’s in Chapel Hill, NC)* 3. Price of Blue (NPR “Tiny Desk” version; Recorded at Betty’s in Chapel Hill, NC) 4. Through Me (Adult Swim Singles Series contribution; Recorded at Betty’s in Chapel Hill, NC) 5. Wonder (Recorded at Betty’s in Chapel Hill, NC)* 6. Two (Live at Betty’s Version; Recorded at Betty’s in Chapel Hill, NC) 7. Hard Way (Live at KEXP version; Recorded at Sunfair Studios in Joshua Tree, CA)* 8. The Weakness in Me (Joan Armatrading cover; Recorded at Betty’s in Chapel Hill, NC)* 9. Like So Much Desire (Live piano version; Recorded at Manifold Recording in Pittsboro, NC)* 10. One More Hour (Live at Betty’s Version; Recorded at Betty’s in Chapel Hill, NC) 11. Lightning (Acoustic Demo; Recorded in the B room at Betty’s in Chapel Hill, NC)* 12. Amelia (Joni Mitchell cover; Recorded at home in Carrboro, NC & Ko Arts Residency program at The Columns in New Orleans, LA)* 13. Awake for the Sunrise (Live at Betty’s Version; Recorded at Betty’s in Chapel Hill, NC)* 14. Spring in Winter (Solo piano version; Recorded at Manifold Recording in Pittsboro, NC)* *Available for first time on DSPs
