On the heels of their latest album, Cooler Returns,Kiwi Jr. cooly announces their first series of live dates, kicking off with River & Sky Festival in Sudbury, Ontario on July 17. Fall and Winter dates include support with TUNS, Surfer Blood, Tobin Sprout, Trace Mountains and Nap Eyes, as well as a hometown Toronto headline show at the Horseshoe Tavern on Friday, Oct 15. Want a taste of what to expect at the band’s upcoming live shows? You can watch the group’s performance on famed Seattle radio station KEXP by clicking here. See below for a full list of dates.
Kiwi Jr. has partnered with cartoonist Dmitry Bondarenko on a 24-page booklet of illustrated lyrics, which is available at Bandcamp and on tour. Jeremy Gaudet, Kiwi Jr singer/lyricist says “To see all of the insanity of our lyrics represented visually is wild. There’s stuff I saw in here that surprised even me, and I wrote the damned thing.” For more information on Cooler Returns Comic, visit the group’s merch table or Bandcamp page.
Due to continued uncertainty about international travel restrictions, Kiwi Jr. are unfortunately postponing their September UK & Europe tour dates to February (& September) 2022. Tickets for their London show at Dalston Victoria will be honored on Saturday February 12, 2022. The band will also be supporting fellow Sub Pop artist Chad VanGaalen on several UK dates that week, as well as announcing headline dates in Scandinavia. More information will be forthcoming at www.KiwiJr.com/live
Tour Dates:
Fri. Jan. 14 - Washington DC, Songbyrd ++ @
Sat. Jan. 22 - Montreal, Bar le Ritz &
Fri.. Feb. 11 - London, UK - Dalston Victoria
Sun. Feb. 13 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club ~
Mon. Feb. 14 - Manchester, UK - Night & Day ~
Tues. Feb. 15 - Bristol, UK - Louisiana ~
Thur. Feb. 17 - Copenhagen DK - Ideal Bar
Fri. Feb. 18 - Stockholm, SE - ObarenNew tour dates:
Sat. Jul. 17 - Sudbury, ONT - River & Sky Festival
Fri. Oct. 1 - Los Angeles, CA - Gold Diggers
Fri. Oct. 15 - Toronto, Horseshoe Tavern !
Thur. Nov. 11 - New Haven, CT - Cafe Nine %
Fri. Nov. 12 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Made % $
Fri. Nov 19 - Columbus OH - Ace Of Cups $
Fri. Dec. 3 - London, ON - Rum Runners *
Sat. Dec. 4 - St. Catharine’s, ON - Warehouse *
Fri. Dec. 17 - Hamilton, ON - Bridgeworks *
Sat. Dec. 18 - Ottawa, ON - Club Saw *
Mon. Dec. 28 - Charlottetown, PEI - Trailside Music Hall &
Tues. Dec. 29 - Halifax, NS - Seahorse Tavern &
2022:
Fri. Jan. 7 - Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe &
Sat. Jan. 8 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s & @
Sat. Feb. 19 - Oslo, NO - Blaa
! w/ Sahara and Dorothea Paas
% w/ Surfer Blood
$ w/ Tobin Sprout
* w/ TUNS
& w/ Nap Eyes
++ w/ Trace Mountains
@ w/ Gladie
~ w/ Chad VanGaalen
The returns on Kiwi Jr’s Cooler Returns: “…The accomplished successor to this band’s promising 2019 debut finds Kiwi Jr having their cake and eating it.” - ★★★★ The Observer/TheGuardian
“Sustaining momentum near-flawlessly across 13 songs… Kiwi Jr. have the skills to match their smarts” - ★★★★ MOJO
“Canadian absurdists’ return is a lyrical delight” - Uncut
“Kiwi Jr. songs unfold like the aisles of a cluttered curio shop, their retro-rock melodies overflowing with non sequiturs and hyper-specific scraps of story.” - The AV Club
“The band rattle through a seemingly inexhaustible supply of hooks and melodies” - ★★★★ DIY
“Packed with golden hooks and subtle weirdness” - [8/10] Exclaim
“Crammed full of wry, observational wit and pop smarts in taut fashion” - [8/10] CLASH
“…still light and agile, basking in the sunlight as their vivid guitar work and straightforward vocals do the talking. They love a good hook as much as they love a charismatic, illuminating one-liner.” - PASTE
“The band’s knack for simple but sticky melody is in even clearer view on Cooler Returns.” - ★★★★ All Music
[“Cooler Returns” is] “a jangly, indie rock earworm that’ll lodge itself in your brain” -NME
“Shambolic yet catchy songs are loaded with fractured riffs and lyrical non-sequiturs” - Uproxx
“Ook de referenties zijn dik in orde: the Chills, The Strokes, The Kinks, Pavement en de vroege R.E.M. ‘Fonkelende gitaarplaat die refereert aan heden en verleden.” - [Best Albums of the Month”] OOR
“…Another mighty fine record.” - Under the Radar
“An impressive set of ‘90s-influenced slacker-rock with jangly guitars, rollicking piano and occasional organ, harmonica, and other instrumentation, along with observational, often-sardonic lyrics and an abundance of catchy song hooks. - KEXP
“Cooler Returns is all hits, a baker’s dozen of ridiculously catchy three-minute pop nuggets that deliver massive sing-along-choruses…” - Brooklyn Vegan
“A bloody good album full of vivid charm” - ★★★★ NARC
“They understand sarcasm, can write clever, funny lyrics and don’t take themselves completely seriously.” [9/10] - God Is In The TV
“Perfect pop-songs” - Louder Than War
“Cooler Returns is everything you might expect from a band like Kiwi Jr., and so much more.” - [4/5] Stereoboard
“Angular, catchy as hell, revved up power-pop racket” ★★★★ Shindig
“What sets Kiwi Jr. apart from their peers though is their madcap view of the world and Cooler Returns establishes them as a band too confident to conform; a band who have all the skills to match their lyrical smarts” - [8/10] Line Of Best Fit
“L’année 2021 ne pouvait mieux commencer qu’avec cet excellent disque a l’entrain communicatif, d’une inspiration jubilatoire, veritable rayon de soleil au cour de l’hiver”- [4/5] Rock & Folk (France)
“Les quatre musiciens de Toronto ne changent pas leur formule gagnante et livrent une guitare jangly élégante et efficace.” - Les Inrocks (France)
“…Timeless, memorable, beautifully crafted pop songs” - Echoes and Dust
”Cooler Returns is an impressive achievement” -Our Culture
“…A jangle-pop delight filled with tight hooks and creative tales” - The Revue
Kiwi Jr. Cooler Returns
Tracklisting 1. Tyler 2. Undecided Voters 3. Maid Marian’s Toast 4. Highlights of 100 5. Only Here for a Haircut 6. Cooler Returns 7. Guilty Party 8. Omaha 9. Domino 10. Nashville Wedding 11. Dodger 12. Norma Jean’s Jacket 13. Waiting in Line
Today you can stream “Best Couple Friends” and the new Linda’s Playlist, featuring a selection of songs from the forthcoming The Bob’s Burgers Music Album Vol. 2, available today on all streaming services for the first time-ever from Sub Pop.
Bob’s Burgers Music Album Vol. 2 features nearly every single musical morsel from seasons 7 through 9, and is a 90-song smorgasbord that features the Belcher family - Bob (H. Jon Benjamin), Linda (John Roberts), Tina (Dan Mintz), Gene (Eugene Mirman), and Louise (Kristen Schaal) - as well as the show’s numerous recurring and special guests. This includes actors, comedians, and musicians Adam Driver, Tiffany Haddish, Jenny Slate, Daveed Diggs, Max Greenfield, Toddrick Hall, Aparna Nancherla, and Matt Berninger (of The National).
The Bob’s Burgers Music Album Vol. 2 will be released on August 20th, 2021 as a 2-CD set, a 3-LP regular version, a 3-LP deluxe limited-edition boxset, double cassette, and on all DSPs.
The limited deluxe edition gift box will come pressed on ketchup, mustard and relish colored vinyl in a book-style jacket with die-cut pages shaped liked burger fixings, a hardbound lyric book with original Bob’s Burgers artwork, a soft bound sheet music book, 2 sheets of colorforms with background scenes, 2 original posters, and more (available while supplies last).
For fans of the show, enjoying the music of Bob’s Burgers on its own is both an irresistible to-go bag and ultimately a world unto itself. Lose yourself in the strangely epic disco celebration of “Hot Pants Rain Dance”! Sing along with the musical theater gem, “The Wedding Is My Warzone”! Or do whatever you’re gonna do to “Sexy Little Tiger”! But do not miss the Bob’s Burgers Music Album Vol. 2. Fans, your order is up.
About Bento Box Entertainment
Bento Box Entertainment (BBE) is an Emmy® award-winning entertainment content and technology company. With studios in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Toronto, BBE produces animated comedy series for broadcast, cable and digital networks. This includes Bob’s Burgers, the Primetime Emmy®-winning FOX series with 20th Television and creator Loren Bouchard; Comedy Central series Legends of Chamberlain Heights; The Great North, the new series from FOX and 20th Television, among many others. With creative thinking, disruptive content and innovative technology at its core, BBE is dedicated to extending its reach to new audiences through its digital; Sutikki (kids); content rights; and live events, merchandise and brand management business units. BBE can be followed across social media channels @bentoboxent.
Bob’s Burgers
The Bob’s Burgers Music Album Vol. 2
Tracklisting:
1. Not the Forgiving Type
2. That Fortress Is the Worstest (Bakaneko)
3. That Fortress Is the Worstest (Akkoro Kamui)
4. That Fortress Is the Worstest (Mizuchi and Dodomeki)
On the heels of her previously released single, “Rare to Wake,” Shannon Lay shares the official double video for the gorgeous singles “Awaken and Allow “ and “Geist,” from her forthcoming record Geist, which will be available worldwide on October 8th from Sub Pop Records.
Watch the new video for “Awaken and Allow “ and “Geist” now, which was directed by Kai MacKnight. Lay says of the singles “Awaken and Allow” is a prayer and a promise. A quiet moment to reflect on transformation and what it means to me. California represents my comfort zone and in this song, I am urging myself and everyone listening to move out of their comfort zone in order to push ourselves to grow and evolve. We are all in a constant state of change and the way we can learn to move and flow with that change completely elevates our experience with it. The most amazing thing we can do for ourselves is recognize where and how we are standing in our own way and move aside. “Awaken and Allow” your greatness to emerge.
“Geist” is a testament to the power we all have within. We are so much more amazing than we know ourselves to be. With this video, I really wanted to acknowledge some of the incredible people who make shows possible. We filmed at Zebulon in Los Angeles; a venue that has brought so much to the community here and I am so happy they have survived this uncertain time. There is so much going on behind the scenes to create the amazing memories we all have of live music and every part of that took a hit with the pandemic. With all we have been through it has been awe-inspiring to see the strength of the human spirit. Let us move forward with kindness and love toward ourselves and others. Let us see the beauty and wonder in the lives we get to live and appreciate every moment of it.”
Lay has confirmed a handful of live performances this fall in support of Geist. These include appearances at this year’s Huichica Festival in Sonoma, California on October 16th and 17th, and NYC-area shows on October 19th at TV Eye in Brooklyn, and October 20th at the Mercury Lounge in Manhattan. More shows to be announced soon.
Fri. Oct 8 - Long Beach, CA - Living Room Show Thurs. Oct 15 - Sonoma, CA - HUICHICA Festival Fri. Oct 16 - Sonoma, CA - HUICHICA Festival Tue. Oct. 19 - Brooklyn, NY - TV Eye Wed. Oct. 20 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
Geist feels like a window - or a mirror - into possibilities of the self and beyond. Lay’s new album is tender intensity, placeless and ethereal. It exists in the chasms of the present – a world populated by shadow selves, spiritual awakenings, déjà vu, and past lives.
“Something sleeps inside us,” Lay insists on the opening track, and that’s the guiding philosophy throughout. A winding, golden, delicate thread of intuition that explores the unknown, the possibility. Its title, Geist, the German word for spirit, is rife with an otherworldly presence, the suggestion of another. The promise that you are never alone.
Lay tracked vocals and guitar at Jarvis Tavinere of Woods’s studio, then sent the songs out to multi-instrumentalists Ben Boye (Bonnie Prince Billy, Ty Segall) in Los Angeles and Devin Hoff (Sharon Van Etten, Cibo Matto) in New York; trusting their musical instincts and intuition. She then sent those recordings to Sofia Arreguin (Wand) and Aaron Otheim (Heatwarmer, Mega Bog) for additional keys, while Ty Segall contributed a guitar solo on “Shores.”
As a whole, Geist is both esoteric and accessible. There’s the concise, pared-back cover of Syd Barrett’s tilt-a-whirl-esque “Late Night,” while “Rare to Wake,” inspired by Dune, is existential and meditative, a circular guitar riff looping at the core of it. “Awaken and Allow,” is ancient-feeling and mainly a cappella, its melody channels her deep Irish roots, a moment of reflection, before a drop happens – its intensity mirroring the anticipation and anxiety that come with taking the first step to accepting change for yourself.
“Time’s Arrow,” with its refrain of heading downhill, was inspired by something a close friend said. Lay notes: “I wanted ‘Time’s Arrow’ to be this gentle reminder that we’re on our way, and we’re moving forward. There is medicine in every moment so don’t rush.”
“Thread to Find,” which Lay wrote after walking into an old hotel in Switzerland and being struck by the feeling like she’d been there before, is a testament to the energy we leave behind and stumble across.
And the title track “Geist,” a song about the power living in all of us, is a love song to the possibility of healing, an ode to falling into the arms of what you’re becoming. It’s a glimpse into the parts of yourself you have yet to meet. But you can, if you want to.
Geist is now available for preorder on CD/LP/CS/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com, select independent retailers in North America will receive the limited Loser edition clear with orange and green hi-melt vinyl (while supplies last). Meanwhile, LP preorders in the U.K, and in Europe will receive the limited Loser edition on sun yellow vinyl (while supplies last).
Shannon Lay Geist
1. Rare to Wake 2. A Thread to Find 3. Sure 4. Shores 5. Awaken and Allow 6. Geist 7. Untitled 8. Late Night 9. Times Arrow 10. July
Iron & Wine is excited to announce his return to the stage with a back-to-basics tour of intimate venues that brings him across the Midwest and the Northeast starting this November. Ready to engage with fans once again, these solo acoustic shows follow-up Sam Beam’s recent release of Tallahassee, his critically acclaimed, lost-in-time collection of recordings.
As the touring world began to switch its lights on, Beam was thinking of ways to head back out on the road. He factored in as well the expectation of what fans might want to see and hear after so much turmoil and it became clear that a simple return to roots was the answer. This fall, Beam will load up a van with a handful of acoustic guitars, dust off his trusty songbook and offer up some well needed comfort food in the way of the Iron & Wine catalog each night. These shows will take place in some of the smallest and most intimate venues Beam has played in over fifteen years. And while loads of bands are serving the big markets, Iron & Wine will be taking to the back roads of the Midwest and Northeast to bring its gospel to the heartland.
Predating his debut album, The Creek Drank the Cradle, his latest release, Tallahassee, garnered excellent review from critics. Pitchfork raved “… throughout Tallahassee, Beam demonstrates a knack for devastating succinctness […] understanding how to settle into a song and simply let it breathe on its own,” while Uncut noted, “The songs, while still lo-fi, ring out clearer and more confidently than the bedroom recordings of Beam’s debut proper: six-minute opener ‘Why Hate Winter’ stands among his most gorgeous and evocative work.”
Beam has recognized over the years how much these early recordings, many of which were bootlegged, have meant to long-time fans and Tallahassee is yet another way of thanking them for still being on this crazy journey.
A fan presale for the “Back to Basics” Tour begins Wednesday, July 14th at 10 am EST with passcode backtobasics. Tickets are on sale to the general public Friday, July 16th at 10am EST. Support for all dates by Squirrel Flower.
Fri. Nov. 05 – Appleton, WI – The Refuge Sat. Nov. 06 – Davenport, IA – Raccoon Motel Sun. Nov. 07 – Milwaukee, WI – Back Room @Colectivo Wed. Nov. 10 – State College, PA – The State Theater Thu. Nov. 11 – Homer, NY – Center for the Arts Fri. Nov. 12 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm’s Studio Sat. Nov. 13 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Events Gallery Mon. Nov. 15 – Buffalo, NY – Asbury Hall Tue. Nov. 16 – Cleveland, OH – Cleveland Museum of Art Wed. Nov. 17 – Detroit, MI – The Chapel at Masonic Thu. Nov. 19 – Bloomington, IN – Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Tallahassee is the fifth entry in the ongoing Iron & Wine Archive Series and is available on LP/CD/CS/DSPs from Sub Pop, select independent retailers in North America, the U.K. , and the EU.
Iron & Wine Archive Series Volume No.5: Tallahassee
Tracklisting: 1. Why Hate the Winter 2. This Solemn Day 3. Loaning Me Secrets 4. John’s Glass Eye 5. Calm on the Valley 6. Ex-Lover Lucy Jones 7. Elizabeth 8. Show Him the Ground 9. Straight and Tall 10. Cold Town 11. Valentine
Sub Pop has signed Bria, the intimate and incisive labour of love from multi-instrumentalists Bria Salmena and Duncan Hay Jennings. Bria has recorded Cuntry Covers Vol. 1, a six-song EP that will be available digitally on September 24th, and on CD, cassette, and vinyl December 10th worldwide from Sub Pop.
You can now watch the official video for their lead single, “Green Rocky Road,” which was co-directed by Andrew Matthews & Maitland Austin-Olsen. Bria had this to say about the video, “We wanted the video for “Green Rocky Road” to act as an homage to the concept of Cuntry Covers – a small window into the world in which it was created, highlighting the collaborative nature of the project and the friendships behind it.”
Catapulted by a deep sense of dread and confusion in the depths of 2020, Salmena decided to forgo writing her own music. “I wanted to listen for what might reflect my life back to me,” she says, “six tracks that could be my mirror.” The result is a pointillistic knockout of an EP that weaves a landscape both luscious and a little rogue; showing us exactly what good songs can do.
Bria’s internal turbulence seemed to mirror last year’s external instability. When Jennings and back-up singer Jaime McCuaig moved to The Outside Inn, a hobby farm in Hockley Hills, Ontario, Bria soon joined. The farm’s living-room-turned-studio proved an ideal setting for the long-time friends to compile a record of handpicked country covers. They went searching for songs that could speak to our everyday loneliness; outside and in. Cuntry Covers Vol. 1 houses it all well-worn favourites and lesser-known gems.
Cuntry Covers Vol. 1 opens with “Green Rocky Road,” as performed by Greenwich Village legend Karen Dalton. Jennings’ twangy guitar carries Bria’s original inflection and richly textured vocals, complete with dreamy overlay. “Dreaming My Dreams With You,” a rendition of the Waylon Jennings hit, is followed by John Cale’s “Buffalo Ballet,” a lyrical journey through Abilene, Texas, the endpoint of the infamous Chisholm Trail. Engineered and mixed by Jennings, each song brings desire and sexuality front and center, with all the swagger you’d expect – and more. Bria hopes the record will be understood as a small contribution to the subversion of a genre with deep patriarchal roots. Mistress Mary’s “I Don’t Wanna Love Ya Now,” from the 1969 album Housewife, served as the original inspiration. “It was the first song Duncan and I worked on,” Bria notes. “It definitely set the tone for the other tracks we picked.”
Bria’s voice – described as wavering between “sultry and howitzer” – shines on “Fruits Of My Labour,” written and performed by country great, Lucinda Williams. The Walker Brothers’ “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore” is a harmonic (and hypnotic) standout.
A musical explorer who moves fluidly between styles, Bria doesn’t consider herself a country artist “I feel as though I’m a visitor here, paying respect to a style that has informed a part of my musical identity. Country music, as much as any other art form, should be an arena for representation, expression, and provocation. I have a ton of reverence for artists who came before me and challenged the primarily white-heterosexual status quo.”
Salmena and Jennings have toured for years as members of Toronto four-piece FRIGS, whose 2018 debut Basic Behaviour was long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize. Making a mark in diverse genres from country to punk, both play as permanent members of Orville Peck’s band. Cuntry Covers Vol. 1 was recorded on the territories of the Anishnaabe, the Haudenosaunee, the Wendat, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. The release also features contributions from FRIGS drummer Kris Bowering and vocals by Ali Jennings. Bria’s first release is a gorgeous debut, a homage to the songs that brought solace and relief in the stillness of last year.
Tracklisting: 1. Green Rocky Road (Karen Dalton) 2. Dreaming My Dreams With You (Waylon Jennings) 3. Buffalo Ballet (John Cale) 4. Fruits of My Labour (Lucinda Williams) 5. The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore (The Walker Brothers) 6. I Don’t Wanna Love Ya Now (Mistress Mary)
