Sub Pop has (FINALLY!) signed the beloved Pacific Northwest rock band Built to Spill for the entire known universe, to release music for the label in 2022 and beyond. Over the course of 8 studio albums, a compilation, a live record, and consistently legendary live shows, Doug Martsch and his band have created some of our favorite music of the last few decades. We’re feeling pretty pleased with ourselves on this one.
In celebration of this news, Built to Spill is sharing its first round of western US tour dates for 2022 which begins with a two-night stand January 26th-27th at The Crocodile in Seattle, and runs through February 11th-12th with a two-night stand at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Tickets for these shows go on sale Friday, October 8th at 1 pm (local). The 2022 dates will feature direct support from Prism Bitch, with Oh, Rose, and Itchy Kitty opening on select dates. Visit Built to Spill’s official website for more info.
Built to Spill also has a few headlining shows preceding the early 2022 run. This includes four dates with Team Dresch (December 16th-19th, 2021). Please find the band’s current tour schedule below.
Built to Spill is currently working on its Sub Pop debut, the follow-up to 2015’s Untethered Moon, due in 2022. The band also recently released Built to Spill Plays the Songs of Daniel Johnston, a covers album featuring 11 songs from Johnston’s storied career.
Built to Spill is Doug Martsch, Melanie Radford, and Teresa Esguerra.
Thu. Dec. 16 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox at the Market* Fri. Dec. 17 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall [SOLD OUT]* Sat. Dec. 18 - Olympia, WA - Capitol Theatre* Sun. Dec. 19 - Tacoma, WA - Spanish Ballroom at Elks Temple* Wed. Jan. 26 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile ^ ! Thu. Jan. 27 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile ^ ! Sat. Jan. 29 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom ^ ! Sun. Jan. 30 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom ^ $ Mon. Jan. 31 - Eugene, OR - Sessions Music Hall ^ ! $ Wed. Feb. 02 - Sacramento, CA - Harlows ^ $ Thu. Feb. 03 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory ^ $ Fri. Feb. 04 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl ^ # Sat. Feb. 05 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy & Harriet’s (Outdoors) ^ $ Mon. Feb. 07 - San Diego, CA - Belly Up ^ $ Tue. Feb. 08 - Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex ^ $ Wed. Feb. 09 - Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex ^ $ Thu. Feb. 10 - Santa Cruz, CA - Rio Theatre ^ $ Fri. Feb. 11 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore ^ $ Sat. Feb. 12 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore ^ $
* w/ Team Dresch ^ w/ Prism Bitch # w/ Dinosaur Jr. ! w/ Oh, Rose $ w/ Itchy Kitty
Built to Spill’s There’s Nothing Wrong With Love is the second full-length album released by legendary indie rock band Built to Spill. (stream the album here) It was originally released September 13, 1994 on the Up Records label. The line-up for the album was Doug Martsch, bassist Brett Nelson, and drummer Andy Capps, with Phil Ek producing. The album features the enduring singles “In the Morning,” “Car,” and “Distopian Dream Girl.”
Pitchfork recently reviewed There’s Nothing Wrong With Love, giving the album “Best New Reissue,” and had this to say: “With its focus on childhood, the nature of existence, and the search for meaning, it’s possible to hear There’s Nothing Wrong With Love in the terms of “What if there was another universe in my fingernail?” - style stoner dorm-room philosophy. But Martsch’s open heart keeps you on his side…To borrow one last line from “Car”, on this album Martsch remembered when he wanted to see “movies of his dreams.” For the vast majority of us that wish is never fulfilled, but There’s Nothing Wrong With Love is a celebration of the desire itself, the vulnerability that comes with allowing yourself to imagine possibility (see October 23rd review).
Sharpen Your Teeth is the underground classic and lone offering from Ugly Casanova. (stream the album here) The long, out-of-print vinyl edition will come with the original 13 track album and 4 bonus songs: “Babies Clean Conscience,” “Diggin Holes,” “Roads to Go to Roads to Go to…“ (which were available as limited edition singles around the album’s release); And the unreleased “They Devised A Plan to Fuck Forever,” recorded during the Sharpen Your Teeth sessions. The album, which was co-produced by Brian Deck and Isaac Brock at Glacial Pace Studios (Oregon), features guest appearances from John Orth (Holopaw), Tim Rutili (Califone, Red Red Meat), Pall Jenkins (The Black Heart Procession), and a handful of like-minded collaborators.
Ugly Casanova is Isaac Brock, of Modest Mouse. Or, possibly, it is a mysterious savant named Edgar Graham, who imposed himself on Modest Mouse at the Denver show of the band’s 1998 tour, introduced himself as Ugly Casanova, and, through a haze of unnerving instability, shared some rough songs with the band. His songs, though delivered hesitantly… shamefully, even… displayed unmistakable talent. By the end of Modest Mouse’s tour, Casanova, with much reluctance, was persuaded to record some of these songs and hand them over to record labels for issue as singles or parts of compilations. Predictably, immediately after he had done so, he disappeared (read more about Ugly Casanova here).
Built to Spill’s There’s Nothing Wrong With Love and Ugly Casanova’s Sharpen Your Teeth are now available for purchase through Sub Pop Mega Mart and fine independent retailers everywhere.
Speaking of exciting news: Up Records (via Sub Pop) will reissue Built To Spill’s much loved classic There’s Nothing Wrong with Love, the second full-length album released by the legendary indie rock band. It was originally released September 13, 1994 on the Up Records label with the stellar line-up of Doug Martsch, bassist Brett Nelson, and drummer Andy Capps, with Phil Ek producing. The album features enduring singles “In the Morning,” “Car,” and “Distopian Dream Girl.”
There’s Nothing Wrong With Love will be available October 30th from Up Records - distributed through Sub Pop - and is now available for preorder from Sub Pop Mega Mart.
On a related note, theThere’s Nothing Wrong With Love playlist is also available for your audio visual consumption, featuring official videos for “In The Morning,” “Car,” “Fling,” and “Big Dipper” via Up Records YouTube channel [view it here]
There’s Nothing Wrong with Love was exceptionally well received by critics upon its release. It went on to earn “Best Albums of 90’s” notices from the likes of Pitchfork, PASTE, SPIN, and has sold nearly 140k copies to date. This new, vinyl edition is the first time the album has been available on vinyl since its original run. Let the rejoicing commence!
What people have said about There’s Nothing Wrong With Love:
“Built To Spill’s Doug Martsch put Boise, Idaho, on the musical map with sprawling guitars, nasally vocals and heartfelt lyrics. Before the group fleshed out their sound with the guitar bits, BTS won over listeners with these straightforward, poignant songs. It’s an intimate glimpse inside one of indie rock’s great songwriters before he found himself.” [90 Best Albums of the 90’s] - PASTE
“The second album by Doug Martsch’s long-running band is a declaration of his awesome powers as a songwriter and guitarist…There’s Nothing Wrong With Love is the work of an artist who gets to treat Boise, Idaho, as a rock capital because he can outplay anyone: The sheer variety of instrumental textures Martsch crams into these songs’ riffs and fills and raw solos is amazing on its own.” - Wondering Sound
“True or false: Doug Martsch is the Peter Frampton of 1990s indie? Sure, he might not have the hair, the tight pants, or the voice box, but it’s difficult to think of another soul more worthy of resident guitar god; maybe J Mascis, but he never brought the pop side like King Framp. That’s the side most in evidence on There’s Nothing Wrong With Love, before Martsch started bringing the sprawl in spades. Humble, wry song-tales about heads-up-seven-up, Albertson’s stir-fry, and Bowie-hating stepdads abound, while earnest tracks like “Twin Falls” and “Big Dipper” set the pace for the entire Northwestern indie-pop scene.” [Top 100 Albums of the 1990’s”] - Pitchfork
“…Their second full-length and first genuinely great record…There’s Nothing Wrong With Love is the sound of scrappy mountain manchildren toying with their powers, pushing the limits of their form, setting the table for future tours de force.” - STEREOGUM
“The second album by Boise, Idaho’s Built to Spill was the cuddliest little guitar epic of the decade. Just as the luster was wearing off the grunge gold rush, singer guitarist Doug Martsch challenged slacker cynicism with basement-band symphonies that turned his own private Idaho into indie rock’s last unknown territory.” [Greatest Albums of the 90’s] - SPIN
“…Love is an absolute classic from the decade..” [“Dusting ‘Em Off”] - Consequence of Sound
