Pop absurdist Man Man is (FINALLY!) embarking on his first headlining tour in support of Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between, his group’s wonderful Sub Pop debut and acclaimed album of 2020. The tour begins Wednesday, June 22nd in Omaha at the Waiting Room and ends on Saturday, August 6th in San Diego at the Casbah, and will have stops in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Brooklyn, St. Louis, Denver, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Los Angeles. Like many others, Man Man’s initial touring for the album was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, and these shows will be the first time to see these “cacophonous…theatrical pop songs (Rolling Stone)” performed live.
Wed. Jun. 22 - Omaha, NE - Waiting Room Fri. Jun. 24 - Chicago, IL - Sleeping Village Sun. Jun. 26 - Grand Rapids, MI - Pyramid Scheme Tue. Jun. 28 - Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe Wed. Jun. 29 - Washington, DC - Union Stage Thu. Jun. 30 - Ardmore, PA - Ardmore Music Hall Fri. Jul. 01 - Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere Sat. Jul. 02 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall Tue. Jul. 05 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop Wed. Jul. 06 - Indianapolis, IN - Hi Fi Thur. Jul. 07 - St Louis, MO - Old Rock House Fri. Jul. 08 - Lawrence, KS - Bottleneck Sat. Jul 09 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Tues. Jul. 26 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Atrium at The Catalyst Wed. Jul. 27 - San Francisco, CA - The Chapel Thu. Jul. 28 - Redding, CA - The Dip Fri. Jul. 29 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios Sat. Jul. 30 - Seattle, WA - Neumos Thur. Aug. 04 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy & Harriet’s Fri. Aug. 05 - Los Angeles, CA - The Roxy Sat. Aug. 06 - San Diego, CA - Casbah Tickets for these headlining shows go on sale Friday, April 1st at 10 am (local).
As an added bonus, Man Man is also releasing the newly remixed and remastered track “Dig Deep,” a song recorded following the release of Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between, and is available now on all DSPs from Sub Pop.
What people are saying about Man Man’s Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between: “It makes sense that Ryan Kattner of Man Man would release his best album to date during a pandemic. His band persona, Honus Honus, is perpetually down on his luck — bizarre and lovelorn, lonely and insane — haunted. In short, he’s all of us right now.” ★★★★Rolling Stone
“In times as chaotic as these, Man Man provides a restless soundtrack to match.” - Exclaim!
“Based on “Cloud Nein” and this [“Future Peg”], it looks like Man Man are picking up where they left off with all the mood-lifting horns and fantastical vocal harmonies you could want.” -Consequence Of Sound
“Honus Honus—a.k.a. Ryan Kattner—is back with his freewheeling off-kilter pop group Man Man, and possibly its most accessible record yet. As eclectic as ever, the sprawling mix of horns, keys, percussion, guitars, and more remains a half-step away from sounding like the most unusual cabaret act in modern times.” - The AV Club
“The songs are served well by more polished production, tunes like “On the Mend” and album standout “Future Peg” molding the band’s unbridled energy into pop structures that would sit well on commercial FM rock radio playlists. The melodies are clear and neatly presented without neutering the group’s signature chaos or adventurous arrangements.” - All Music
“Revives the band’s wry sense of the grotesque, juxtaposed with joyfully unhinged and happily unpredictable music. Dream Hunting is full of other fun musical allusions — to the cartoon soundtracks of Carl Stallings, to Caribbean carnival music, to David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” — and the melodies are more accessible and the hooks more overt than in the past. Lyrically, the songs are bleak, full of breakups and meltdowns, broken dreams and maladies. The contrast is cathartic, and Man Man’s return is a treat.” - Philadelphia Inquirer
“Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between has the feel of a quality thrift store, with lots of unusual pieces in great condition. It also provides the same kind of fun surprises as you wade deeper into the album. Man Man has always had theatrical elements but here those elements feel much closer to the surface, if not ready to burst through, then at least enjoying their time in the in-between of the more familiar tracks (8.5/10)” - Northern Transmissions
“The piano-based songs carry elements of jazz and rock, with Kattner’s keen ear for sing-along melodies matched only by his desire to attack such melodies with unexpected bursts of bedlam. Those tumultuous bursts, occurring frequently and usually without warning, are part of what makes Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between so exciting, with no dull moments even over 17 tracks of content.” - Glide Magazine
Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between is ultimately an enjoyable record from a unique band. - Under the Radar
Man Man
Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between
Tracklisting: 1. Dreamers 2. Cloud Nein 3. On the Mend 4. Lonely Beuys 5. Future Peg 6. Goat 7. Inner Iggy 8. Hunters 9. Oyster Point 10. The Prettiest Song in the World 11. Animal Attraction 12. Sheela 13. Unsweet Meat 14. Swan 15. Powder My Wig 16. If Only 17. In the Valley of the In-Between
Today, March 25th, Guerilla Toss releases their Sub Pop debut, Famously Alive. Guerilla Toss have expanded their North American tour, which now begins on Thursday, April 7th in Greenfield, MA with a show at Hawks & Reed, ending at the Waking Windows Festival in Winooski, VT in May. See below for a full list of dates.
Thu. Apr. 07 - Greenfield, MA - Hawks & Reed Fri. Apr. 08 - Catskills, NY - Avalon Lounge Sat. Apr. 09 - New Haven, CT - Space Ballroom Wed. Apr. 13- Richmond, VA - Richmond Music Hall Thu. Apr. 14 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle Fri. Apr. 15 - Atlanta, GA - Aisle 5 Sat. Apr 16 - Nashville, TN - The Blue Room @ Third Man Records Sun. Apr. 17 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar Tue. Apr. 19 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club Wed. Apr. 20 - Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle Thu. Apr. 21 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop Fri. Apr. 22 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison Sat. Apr. 23 - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz P.D.B Mon. Apr. 25 - Portland, ME - Space Tue. Apr. 26 - Somerville, MA - Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Wed. Apr. 27 - Providence, RI - Columbus Theatre Thu. Apr. 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s Fri. Apr. 29 - Queens, NY - TV Eye Sat. Apr. 30 - Queens, NY - TV Eye Wed. May 11 - Washington, DC - DC9 Thu. May 12 - Kingston, NY - Tubbys Fri. May 13 - Winooski, VT - Waking Windows Festival Sat. May 14 - Winooski, VT - Waking Windows Festival Sun. May 15 - Winooski, VT - Waking Windows Festival
What people are saying about Guerilla Toss:
“Camp art-pop songs matching Kassie Carlson’s surreal lyrics with burbling synths and booming basses, it might snag GT the audience they crave” -MOJO
It’s pop in the sense that it bursts through your speakers like neon bubblegum filled with big open guitar chords and it’s weird in the sense that it’s got extreme metal vocals growling along to the anthemic sugar-rush chorus- Stereogum [Best New Tracks]
…sees them undergoing another really exciting sound change and it’s some very funky weirdo pop music that I’m excited to hear the band dive into.-The Needledrop
“Playful tropical drums and glitches underscore Kassie Carlson’s unnerving harmonies, clashing with fuzzy guitars.” [“Cannibal Capital”] - Paste
“simultaneously their most accessible and most unabashedly maximalist record” - The Wire
“…” Famously Alive” is a full-throttle pop track [Famously Alive] - FADER
“Cannibal Capital’ leads the way, merging distorted guitars with heavenly vocals and layered of DIY electronics.” - Clash
“From the second bar, you know you are about to be floored by yet another ferociously bold offering.” - Podcart
This coming Friday, March 25th, Guerilla Toss will release their Sub Pop debut, Famously Alive. On the heels of their latest single, “Cannibal Capital” and “Famously Alive” comes the new single “Live Exponential.” The band’s frontperson, Kassie Carlson shares of the song: “The song Live Exponential is about living to the fullest and beyond. It’s about having all the experiences possible and using them to build your understanding of yourself and the world around you. It’s about telling yourself you’re special until you believe it and feeling Godly just for yourself. It’s about severing the primal need for outside approval and taking active action to get what you want and need.”
Guerilla Toss have expanded their North American tour, which now begins on Thursday, April 7th in Greenfield, MA with a show at Hawks & Reed, ending at the Waking Windows Festival in Winooski, VT in May. See below for a full list of dates.
Thu. Apr. 07 - Greenfield, MA - Hawks & Reed Fri. Apr. 08 - Catskills, NY - Avalon Lounge Sat. Apr. 09 - New Haven, CT - Space Ballroom Wed. Apr. 13- Richmond, VA - Richmond Music Hall Thu. Apr. 14 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle Fri. Apr. 15 - Atlanta, GA - Aisle 5 Sat. Apr 16 - Nashville, TN - The Blue Room @ Third Man Records Sun. Apr. 17 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar Tue. Apr. 19 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club Wed. Apr. 20 - Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle Thu. Apr. 21 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop Fri. Apr. 22 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison Sat. Apr. 23 - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz P.D.B Mon. Apr. 25 - Portland, ME - Space Tue. Apr. 26 - Somerville, MA - Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Wed. Apr. 27 - Providence, RI - Columbus Theatre Thu. Apr. 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s Fri. Apr. 29 - Queens, NY - TV Eye Sat. Apr. 30 - Queens, NY - TV Eye Wed. May 11 - Washington, DC - DC9 Thu. May 12 - Kingston, NY - Tubbys Fri. May 13 - Winooski, VT - Waking Windows Festival Sat. May 14 - Winooski, VT - Waking Windows Festival Sun. May 15 - Winooski, VT - Waking Windows Festival
What people are saying about Guerilla Toss:
“Camp art-pop songs matching Kassie Carlson’s surreal lyrics with burbling synths and booming basses, it might snag GT the audience they crave” -MOJO
It’s pop in the sense that it bursts through your speakers like neon bubblegum filled with big open guitar chords and it’s weird in the sense that it’s got extreme metal vocals growling along to the anthemic sugar-rush chorus- Stereogum [Best New Tracks]
…sees them undergoing another really exciting sound change and it’s some very funky weirdo pop music that I’m excited to hear the band dive into.-The Needledrop
“Playful tropical drums and glitches underscore Kassie Carlson’s unnerving harmonies, clashing with fuzzy guitars.” [“Cannibal Capital”] - Paste
“simultaneously their most accessible and most unabashedly maximalist record” - The Wire
“…” Famously Alive” is a full-throttle pop track [Famously Alive] - FADER
“Cannibal Capital’ leads the way, merging distorted guitars with heavenly vocals and layered of DIY electronics.” - Clash
“From the second bar, you know you are about to be floored by yet another ferociously bold offering.” - Podcart
On 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. In addition to today’s announcement, the official video for new single “It Just Goes On,” co-directed by Jenn Wasner and Spence Kelly, is out now.
Wasner says of ”It Just Goes On”, “This is perhaps one of the most simple and direct songs I’ve ever made (and, also, one of my favorites!)—so it made sense to try and create a video that was similarly straightforward and heart-on-sleeve. I haven’t been to many parties over the past few years (for obvious reasons) so it felt particularly surreal to stage this one with some of my actual friends in Durham, NC. The party was fake but the feelings were real. Thanks so much to my friends for letting me invite them to a party and then force them to watch me be an absolute bummer the entire time.”
The selection of live recordings here 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.
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
Flock of Dimes will also embark on a 6-date headline in support of Head of Roses that runs through late April and early May.
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 One
Sub Pop is elated to announce the signing of Greek Artist, Σtella to their iconic roster of artists. Hailing from Athens, Greece, Σtella has proven herself a strong storyteller, an old-school pop paean to the pangs and raptures of love.
On her latest offering, “Charmed” Σtella shares: “We strive to charm, and to be charmed. Mirroring each other’s desires like birds-of-paradise in a tropical forest, dancing wildly to impress a potential mate. But despite our best efforts, things don’t always go as planned…
This song was recorded between London and Athens and was produced by Redinho from Swet Shop Boys.
Σtella’s forthcoming full length for Sub Pop will be released later this year and we’ll have a lot more to say about that very soon. In the meantime, please enjoy this sonic sampling of what’s to come. Click here to listen.
What people have said about Σtella: “Σtella’s honey-rich vocals overlie a crisp, no-frills backing that has echoes of classic ’60s pop” - Line of Best Fit
