Today, Flock of Dimes (aka Jenn Wasner) is sharing the official video for “Hard Way,” directedby Lachlan Turczan. “Hard Way” is another standout from Wasner’s second solo LP, Head of Roses, an album that showcases her ability to embrace new levels of vulnerability, honesty and openness, combined with the self-assuredness that comes with a decade-plus career as a songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and prolific collaborator.
In the video – which was shot in Joshua Tree, CA, outside in the freezing dark on a windy winter’s night – Wasner’s face acts as a canvas for an array of pulsing patterns of light. It turns something as straightforward as a first-person delivery into something deeper and more disorienting than it first appears.
Wasner says of the song, “Although I didn’t fully understand when I wrote it, this song is an example of the power of the subconscious mind to hide truths from ourselves that we’re not yet ready to see. When I wrote this song I was still in the throes of new love, and I thought I was writing a straightforward, earnest love song. But when I tried to record it, something about the tone of it was eerie, strange, a bit darker than I would have expected. It wasn’t until long after I wrote it that I became aware of its odd foreshadowing of what was to come—that something I intended to be bright and hopeful in the moment was floating on top of a deep current of unease.”
Head of Roses, and singles “Two” and “Price of Blue,” have seen praise from outlets like The Guardian, who say, “Her solo album out in April is superb. This sweetly shuffling [“Two”] is so rich in charm.” The New York Times had this to say, ‘Can I be one? Can we be two?’ Jenn Wasner asks on her stirring new single…‘Two’ is driven by an irregular beat, as if to mirror the hesitant questioning of its lyrics. Even when she’s being somber or ruminative, Wasner has a touch of gallows humor, as when she muses memorably, ‘We’re all just wearing bodies like a costume til we die.’” Stereogum offers this, “Between the restrained LIke So Much Desire EP last year and the bubbly, infectious ‘Two,’ the lead single from her forthcoming album Head of Roses, it’s become clear that Flock Of Dimes has room for whatever songs Wasner wants to write and whatever stories she wants to tell. So that brings us to “Price of Blue,” a breakup reckoning that finds Wasner tapping into the autumnal, reflective rock sound that’s always been such a mesmerizing side of her songwriting.” Meanwhile, PASTE calls “Price of Blue” a “six-minute masterpiece of psychedelic guitar riffs and haunting vocal…,” and Guitar World raves, “Jenn Wasner is a bewitching guitarist… Head of Roses will find Wasner elevating her already otherworldly playing to new heights.”
Flock of Dimes’ Head of Roses, which features “Two,” “Price of Blue,” “Hard Way,” and “One More Hour,” will be available on CD/CS/DSPs on April 2nd, 2021, and on LP April 30th, 2021. 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.
What people are saying about Flock of Dimes: “Not only a sonic delight, but a lyrical treasure trove full of personal truths that strike a universal chord.” [“Two”] - Beats Per Minute
“A project that ups the ante in her musical complexity… The impact is hypnotic.” [“Two”] - CLASH
“Wasner sounds stunning here as she sways between swaths of keys and bursts of tone.” [‘Two”] - Closed Captioned
“A bright, gauzy song awash in clarity and the desire for connection” [‘Two”] - Indy Week
“…Her robust delivery is accompanied by lush meadows of harmonies.” [“Price of Blue”] - Consequence of Sound
“She digs deep and takes you on the journey through a sound as immense as it is engaging.” [“Price of Blue”] - Closed Captioned
“‘Price of Blue’ sees Wasner’s dreamy vocals on a pivot toward a more rock-oriented sound compared to “Two”. This six-minute composition sees Flock of Dimes at her most vulnerable, over a distorted guitar, including an impressive guitar solo.” [“Price of Blue”] - MXDWN
“‘…Be ready to keep this one on repeat as you absorb its intensity and brilliance.” [“Price of Blue”] - The Revue
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
Written and recorded during the 2017 Strange Peace sessions with Steve Albini, these two beloved offerings, initially left on the cutting room floor, were revisited, reworked, and ultimately reinvigorated during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. With “Acid” and “Slow Decay” the Canadian trio continue to break new ground while honing their ever-evolving, nuanced approach to pummeling rhythms and off-kilter melodies. The band describes “Acid” as, “…a song about having a fresh perspective, a newly widened outlook on the world and one’s life. Being shaken awake from a malaise and realizing there is no time for petty bullshit. Love what you love, love who you love! Embrace it and don’t wait.” Indeed, a fresh perspective and a sense of urgency is something METZ always manages to offer. These two songs are available physically on a 7” from Three One G, limited to 1,000 copies, with one side of the vinyl custom printed by The Black Moon Design, and featuring cover art by Jonathan Bauerle. Both songs are also now available for streaming and download from Sub Pop.
On April 30th, 2021, Sub Pop will release Indian Yard, the debut record from Sitka, Alaska project Ya Tseen.
Indian Yard is an intense illumination of feeling and interconnectedness. Following the group’s debut offering, “Close the Distance”, comes the new single and stop-motion animated official video for “Knives.” Directed by Carlos Cruz at Dos Dios productions, the song features guest vocals from Portugal. The Man frontman, John Baldwin Gourley. As described by the group’s frontman, Nicholas Galanin “Knives is a love song about softening a calloused heart and experiencing the edge of magnetic desire, romantic connection, vulnerability, and risk that love opens us up to.”
There will also be a North American deluxe edition on clear vinyl available for preorder in the coming weeks. The deluxe packaging will include a 24-page hardcover LP-sized book with covers featuring a sci-fi landscape populated by a toddler-wearing artist Merritt Johnson’s sculpture Mindset, a VR headset woven from sweetgrass. The interior art was designed by Galanin. This deluxe edition will be available while supplies last.
Ya Tseen Indian Yard
Tracklisting: 1. Knives (feat. Portugal. The Man) 2. Light the Torch 3. Born into Rain (feat. rum.gold and tunia) 4. At Tugáni 5. Get Yourself Together 6. Close the Distance 7. We Just Sit and Smile Here in Silence 8. A Feeling Undefined (feat. Nick Hakim and Iska Dhaaf) 9. Synthetic Gods (feat. Shabazz Palaces and Stas THEE Boss) 10. Gently to the Sun (feat. Tay Sean) 11. Back in That Time (feat. Qacung)
The famed Jeff Tweedy, Nairobi techno-punk-metallers Duma, and the Pacific NW’s own BNH Deluxe will join John Waters, LIDS, Sheltered Workshop Singers, and more TBA in releasing singles as part of the Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 6. The Singles Club Vol. 6 continues Sub Pop’s habit of sporadically releasing series of limited-edition, subscription-only 7” singles by artists that we, and hopefully you, like. Subscribe now because these 7”s will be limited to a mere 1,000 copies, and once they are gone, they are gone forever!
Sub Pop Records is seeking a full-time Digital Operations Specialist to join the Digital Operations team. This is currently a remote position during west coast business hours, eventually based in our Seattle, WA office.
About the team
The Digital Operations team oversees the delivery and preservation of the company’s digital assets and products, manages associated metadata, and runs the company’s physical archive.
The primary responsibilities of the Digital Operations Specialist are delivering new releases on a busy schedule, assisting with digital asset management, compiling metadata reports, and supporting the department’s projects.
An ideal candidate for this position will have excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, a strong knowledge of media file formats and metadata concepts, and the ability to work well independently and on a team.
We are accepting resumes through the position closing date of Mar. 14, 2021.
To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to Kara Mattaini at karam@subpop.com.
Main Tasks and Responsibilities
Deliver and maintain digital products with digital service providers
Manage assets and claims in the YouTube CMS
Receive and archive digital assets and associated metadata
Assist staff with digital asset retrieval and delivery
Compile and deliver metadata reports
Assist in the physical archive
Provide support on department projects
Required Experience & Qualifications
Ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines
Strong communication skills
Knowledge of audio, image and video formats
Editing and transcoding experience with audio, images, or video
Experience with file transfer technologies
Conceptual understanding of metadata and its uses
Excellent troubleshooting skills
Proficiency in Mac, MS Office, Google Workspace
Ability to learn and master new technologies
Relevant college degree or equivalent experience
Preferred Experience & Qualifications
Experience delivering products to digital service providers
Experience with digital asset management systems or processes
Audio, video, or image cataloging, preservation, or library work
Management of YouTube CMS or YouTube assets via a distributor
Database implementation or use
Degree in Library and/or Information Science
Music industry experience
Media catalog management experience
Supervisor:
Digital Operations Director
Sub Pop Records is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, national origin, veteran or disability status. Sub Pop Records will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.
To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to Kara Mattaini at karam@subpop.com no later than March 14, 2021.
