Japanese quartet CHAI’s new album, WINK, is out today on Sub Pop. In conjunction with its release, they present a new video for one of its tracks, “IN PINK” (feat. Mndsgn). “IN PINK” is in line with a previously released string of fun singles and aesthetically pleasing videos, and is no exception to CHAI’s vibrant sound and visuals. Filled with grooving synth and bass, it champions the affecting and exciting songwriting seen across WINK. The accompanying video, directed by Hideto Hotta, takes the song’s title quite literally, as CHAI appears in various places around Japan while dressed in the color themselves.
CHAI elaborates: “Each and everyone of us has our own color, and each of those colors possess their own kind of power! PINK is a strong yet gentle color, one that has the ability to make any and everyone shine! No matter who or how old you are! CHAI will continue to move forward, alongside the limitless color PINK! It’s that type of song! Enjoy it 〜♡”
“On ‘Wink,’ the scrappiness of Chai’s early records is peeled back to reveal a dreamier collection of melodies” - New York Times
“They traded in their maximalist pop for a more groove-friendly sound, inverting the CHAI formula to great effect.” - The New Yorker
“Delving into everything from twilight ballads to hyperactive chiptune, third album WINK explodes the idea that CHAI have any genre limitations, proving the four-piece can glide between styles off the strength of their songwriting” - Pitchfork
“challenging your expectations is a key tenet of this band.” - NPR Music
“this is the year CHAI breaks through like never before.” - Complex
“Totally original, completely unselfconscious and wonderfully catchy, WINK is one of those rare albums that you can throw on anytime and let it guide you on the journey it has laid out before you.” - Exclaim
Flock of Dimes is thrilled to present “Two Heads,” a pair of NoonChorus concerts in support of Head of Roses, her acclaimed new album. Performances will be held on Thursday, May 20th and 27th, 2021, beginning at 9 pm EST each night, and feature selections from the album performed with a full band, including members of Mountain Man and Sylvan Esso. Fans who purchase tickets for both nights will get to hear Head of Roses performed live and in its entirety.
Flock of Dimes live band for the “Two Heads” performances will feature guests musicians Nick Sanborn (Made of Oak, Sylvan Esso), Amelia Randall Meath (Mountain Man, Sylvan Esso), Alexandra Sauser-Monnig (Mountain Man, Daughter of Swords), Molly Sarlé (Mountain Man), Matthew McCaughan (Bon Iver), Joe Westerland (Megafaun), Alan Good Parker (Natalie Prass, Matthew E. White), and Michael Libramento (Hiss Golden Messenger, Dr. Dog, Floating Action).
Later today, Wednesday, May 19th, Flock of Dimes’ Jenn Wasner will answer fans questions during a r/indieheads AMA at 11 am PST / 2 pm EST/ 7 pm BST.
Flock of Dimes’ Head of Roses, which features “Two,” “Price of Blue,” “Hard Way,” and “One More Hour,” is available now on CD/CS/DSPs worldwide through Sub Pop. The album was produced by Nick Sanborn (Sylvan Esso) and Wasner at Betty’s in Chapel Hill, NC, engineered by Bella Blasko with additional engineering by Sanborn, mixed by Ari Picker and Blasko, and mastered by Huntley Miller. The album features appearances from guitarist Meg Duffy, Bon Iver’s Matt McCaughan, Wye Oak’s Andy Stack, and Landlady’s Adam Schatz. Head of Roses follows the release of Like So Much Desire, her acclaimed digital EP released June 2020 on Sub Pop.
Flock of Dimes’ Head of Roses has earned praise from international outlets including New York Times, The Guardian, The Independent, Sydney Morning Herald, NPR’s Weekend Edition, Uncut, PASTE, NPR Music, Stereogum, Pitchfork, SF Chronicle, Guitar World, Under the Radar, and more. The album also spent 2 weeks at #1 on the NACC 200 college charts.
Live Performances Thu. May 20th - Livestream - “Two Heads” NoonChorus performance Thu. May 27th - Livestream - “Two Heads” NoonChorus performance Fri. Aug. 27th - Charlotte, NC - Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre^ ^ w/ My Morning Jacket
What people are saying about Head of Roses: “More than anything she’s released before, Head of Roses makes room for the multiplicity of Wasner’s artistic voice. None of the singles sound anything alike — not the springy, off-kilter pop of ‘Two’ nor the slow-burning, psych-rock of ‘Price of Blue’ — and none of them quite prepare the listener for the gorgeously subdued second half of the album, which features several of the most stirring ballads Wasner has ever recorded. The common element holding all of these disparate parts together is her luminous, jewel-toned voice.” - New York Times
“Through blistering indie-rock songs and sparse, tender ballads, Head of Roses mines the dissolution of a romantic relationship to reveal the interconnections between loss and love, and between heartbreak and healing.”[“The Best Music of April”] - NPR Music
“An album that is as deeply introspective as it is creatively bold and ambitious (8/10).” - Uncut
“[Head of Roses] sees her incorporating her multifarious musical styles into a bright fusion of organic, dreamy rock and electronic pop.” [“22 albums we can’t wait to hear in April”] - The AV Club
“The album is — as you might expect — strikingly beautiful throughout.” - Stereogum
“Her second full-length outing, Head of Roses, is a triumphant signifier of professional and personal growth.” ★★★★ - The Independent
“A dazzling and harmonious display of styles and influences.” ★★★★ - The Sydney Morning Herald
”Head of Roses feels like an emotional journey where every new feeling, moment of rest and sonic surprise is hard-won.” [8.1/10] - PASTE
“Head of Roses is a journey toward healing and marks another strong entry in Flock of Dimes’ growing catalog of work.” ★★★★ - All Music
“The record is a stylish yet starkly honest amalgam of Wasner’s soul-searching introspection and multi-instrumental wizardry, merging dappled synth lines and woozy six-strings into bright cathartic compositions.” - Guitar World
“A project that ups the ante in her musical complexity… The impact is hypnotic.” - CLASH
“An album of subtle yet emotionally resonant songs.’ - Dusted
“The best material from the North Carolina artist’s prolific musical universe in years.” - SF Chronicle
“Not only a sonic delight, but a lyrical treasure trove full of personal truths that strike a universal chord (83/100)” - Beats Per Minute
“Wasner’s command of grace for herself and others ultimately becomes a source of soothing as Head of Roses unfolds. Layers push aside to reveal a core scented with forgiveness and healing. Flock of Dimes has become the vehicle for Wasner’s most personal reflections, which makes it the one to treasure most.” - Under the Radar
“…Jenn Wasner’s second solo album sounds confident. Textural layers of guitar and synth offer depth, yet allow her voice to lead the way.” - Pitchfork
“The record is full of ornately crafted music where sonics from different genres are plucked and daisy-chained into a distinct creation.” - The FADER
“On Head Of Roses Wasner still manages to deliver an album that feels both highly individual and effective in what it tries to do. It also subtly extends the sense of musical reinvention which has been ongoing since the direction-pivoting Shriek.” ★★★★ - MusicOMH
“Wasner’s sculpting of emotive music through sound and texture rather than key is special, and Head of Roses is by far her most successful rendering of it.” - The Line of Best
“The perfect record to calm anxiety and promote self-acceptance, Flock of Dimes’ Head of Roses will undoubtedly inspire a spark of mindfulness in any listener…” - MXDWN
“Sanborn’s synth textures provide rich layers for her and the listener to swim around, but the production extracts a wholly different kind of magic out of Wasner’s emotive voice, by far the most powerful and engaging presence on the album.” - Our Culture Magazine
Flock of Dimes Head of Roses
Tracklisting: 1. 2 Heads 2. Price of Blue 3. Two 4. Hard Way 5. Walking 6. Lightning 7. One More Hour 8. No Question 9. Awake for the Sunrise 10. Head of Roses
Sub Pop is thrilled to announce that Washed Out, Hand Habits, Porridge Radio, and TV Priest will soon release singles as part of the Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 6. These talented artists join John Waters, Jeff Tweedy, LIDS, Duma, BNH Deluxe, Sheltered Workshop Singers, and more TBA in the 2021-2022 incarnation of Sub Pop’s legendary subscription-only series of limited-edition 7” singles (now with accompanying digital releases, because it’s the 21st century). Fans can – and should! – secure their copies of all twelve Singles Club Vol. 6 singles by subscribing now at the Sub Pop Mega Mart. Act fast – subscriptions are limited to 1,000 and going fast!
Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 6: Washed Out Hand Habits Porridge Radio TV Priest Jeff Tweedy Duma BNH Deluxe John Waters Sheltered Workshop Singers LIDS and more TBA!
On Friday, July 9th, 2021, Clipping will release the fan-favorite Wriggle EP, as a newly remastered and expanded nine-track set on vinyl, available for the first time ever worldwide on Sub Pop. A ten-track digital version is also out today in its new form on all DSPs. Watch the visual for “Wriggle (Homemade Weapons Remix)” directed by Cristina Bercovitz and Jonathan Snipes.
The 2021 edition of Wriggle features new artwork, guests, and previously unreleased remixes. Included are the original versions of the title track, “Shooter,” “Hot Fuck No Love” (Feat. Cakes Da Killa & Maxi Wild), “Our Time” (Feat. Nailah Middleton), along with “Back Up 2021” featuring SB The Moor and a new verse from industrial-rap experimentalist Debby Friday. Wriggle also features remixes of the title track from Drum & Bass/Breakbeat act Homemade Weapons and Classicworks label co-founder Cardopusher, a rework of “Back Up” by producer Dave Quam (formerly Massacooramaan) and a vinyl-only version of “Hot Fuck No Love” from footwork producer Jana Rush.
Wriggle (Expanded) vinyl is now available for preorder through Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com, and select independent retailers in North America will receive the limited Loser edition on turquoise w/black swirl colored vinyl (while supplies last). Preorders through select independent retailers in the UK and Europe will receive the Loser on turquoise transparent/black marbled vinyl (while supplies last). There will also be a new T-shirt design available.
Meanwhile, orders through Clipping’s official website will receive the LP on clear w/opaque white vinyl (while supplies last).
The original, digital-only Wriggle was six tracks that weren’t finished in time to make it onto the group’s 2014 Sub Pop debut, CLPPNG. For “Shooter,” Clipping recorded themselves firing fifteen different guns, the sounds of which exclusively constituted the beat’s drums, augmented only by a synthesized tone-row. The verses referenced the well-worn technique of “hashtag rap,” but instead of using it to boast about the rapper’s personal wealth and masculine prowess, Clipping put forth imagistic narratives of three violent encounters. True to much of the group’s music, “Shooter” was an attempt to reframe a familiar style and test the limits of its formal capabilities. “Hot Fuck No Love” contains what might be the most explicit verse to date from Clipping’s favorite New Jersey rapper Cakes Da Killa. The EP’s title track, “Wriggle,” was built around a sample of the influential power-electronics song “Wriggle Like a Fucking Eel” by Whitehouse, transforming William Bennett’s torturous imperative into a instructional dance-floor banger. “Wriggle” and “Shooter” have become classic Clipping tracks and staples of their live show.
Recently, Clipping delivered an incredible at-home performance for NPR Music’s “Tiny Desk Meets SXSW” concert. The remote performance features, quite possibly, the tiniest desks to ever appear in the series, and includes highlights from Wriggle, along with selections from the band’s acclaimed albums Visions of Bodies Being Burned (2020) and There Existed an Addiction to Blood (2019), and debut mixtape midcity (2013).
Clipping’s Visions of Bodies Being Burned, There Existed an Addiction to Blood and CLPPNG, are available now worldwide from Sub Pop. The self-released midcity is also available at all DSPs.
Clipping Wriggle (Expanded)
Vinyl tracklisting: A1. Shooter A2. Back Up 2021 (Feat. Debby Friday & SB The Moor) A3. Wriggle A4. Hot Fuck No Love (Feat. Cakes Da Killa & Maxi Wild) A5. Our Time (Feat. Nailah Middleton)
B1. Wriggle (Homemade Weapons Remix) B2. Back Up (Dave Quam Remix) B3. Hot Fuck No Love (Jana Rush’s Naughty Bitch Remix) B4. Wriggle (Cardopusher’s EBM Remix)
Digital tracklisting: 1. Intro 2. Shooter 3. Back Up 2021 (Feat. Debby Friday & SB The Moor) 4. Wriggle 5. Hot Fuck No Love (Feat. Cakes Da Killa & Maxi Wild) 6. Our Time (Feat. Nailah Middleton) 7. Wriggle (Homemade Weapons Remix) 8. Back Up (Dave Quam Remix) 9. Shooter (Jana Rush’s Face Rearranged Remix) 10. Wriggle (Cardopusher’s EBM Remix)
No Trace Evidence is a short mini-documentary of Kiwi Jr’s recording process during the Summer of Covid 19, a candid peak into the recording studio as well as al fresco out-door mixing, isolation booths, temperature checks and black cats crossing their path.
Self-released internationally in January 2020, Kiwi Jr.’s Football Money was a critical smash, earning 4 and 5 star rave reviews. Primed for the buzz of a UK tour, festivals and SxSW, Covid 19 pulled the carpet out from under the bands’ plans. But just as suddenly, out of the blue, a record offer arrived via email from Sub Pop Records who had not yet seen, met or spoken to the band.
Pandemic-be-damned, Kiwi Jr. recorded their second album Cooler Returns in July, and full-speed ahead, released the first single in September and the album in January 2021, again to critical accolades and the praise of indie rock connoisseurs.
With Toronto in and out of lock-downs, slow vaccine rollout and the finger-pointing of Ontario Pandemic Politics, the band wonder will they ever tour?
Directed by Sean Egerton Foreman, who previously shot the bands’ videos for “Cooler Returns”, “Maid Marion’s Toast” and “Gimme More”.
Beginning on September 10th, Kiwi Jr will embark on a 9+ dates EU tour, with live performances at this year’s Waves Festival and additional shows in Vienna, Amsterdam, Manchester, London, Paris and Luxembourg (See below for full list of dates.)
