Mass Gothic’s Jessica Zambri says of the song, “The lights turned on for me. Committing to something can be relieving, even pleasurable. I used to think I had to protect myself from anything that I perceived to get in the way of making music, but all that did was close me off. Whatever is happening I want to enjoy it. I wrote this song as a reminder to live and not be lived.”
Director Evan Fellers had this to say of the visual, “I wanted to create strange realistic feeling environments that also felt a bit digital. I used a process called photogrammetry to grab a bunch of real-world elements and turned them into 3d models which make up most of everything you see. Anything from small rocks to large sections of woods, trees, moss and dirt, to Jess and Noel.
“I knew I wanted to take the viewer through these different environments, but I wanted it to be more than just a camera flying around — something simple and purposeful, searching for something. I wanted there to be this feeling of a journey. I also wanted to trace specific paths through the environment I thought were pleasing. Creating a single red orb that illuminated the environment was a nice way to accomplish all of those goals with the story, and control the way in which I revealed each scene at the same time. The red orb also came to represent the voice of the song to me.”
Mass Gothic’s I’ve Tortured You Long Enough is available on CD/LP/DL/CS worldwide through Sub Pop.
What people are saying about Mass Gothic: “Essential…Their earworm-ready songs are made to fight for their right to party.” - Loud and Quiet
“Mass Gothic’s identity is nearly undefinable, with the pair blasting through genres and ideals with a sort of unsettled energy. Whether losing yourself to the starry synths and complimentary vocals found in the spacey fuzz of “J.Z.O.K.” or floating off in the dazzling airiness, throbbing rhythms and vast instrumental expanse of the album’s title track, the release is one sure to keep you enraptured.” - The Grey Estates
“Mass Gothic’s greatest strength has always been their freedom to avoid any sort of strict definition…By taking an anything goes approach on their latest album and balancing their creative duties, there’s a through-line that holds the various sounds of their record together…This is a highly intriguing record with so much packed into every moment you’ll be dying to come back.” [8/10] - Northern Transmissions
“A compelling listen…a record worthy of your time.” - Bristol Live
International tour dates include Japan (April) & Europe (May & July)
J Mascis has shared a cover of the classic Tom Petty song, “Don’t Do Me Like That” available today via all Digital Service Providers. This cover is chock-full of the classic Mascis shred that we’ve come to know and love. You can listen to this reconstructed ripper here above, and also on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Music.
Featured throughout the month of April, J Mascis will be hosting the weekly “Artist in Residence” feature on the Australian Radio station, Double J. You can listen to J share his record collection with you each Sunday Night (AU)/Saturday (US) here. The first playlist features the likes of Discharge, Joni Mitchell, Nirvana, America and, of course, some Neil Young. It’s going to be an exciting month of music, programmed by one of the truly great artists of our time.
[Photo Credit: Cara Totman]
J Mascis Tour Dates
Mascis has confirmed 2 headline shows on April 16th and 17th in Japan before crossing the pond in May, playing shows in Brighton, Leeds, Glasgow, Nottingham, Liverpool, Bristol, and Manchester. He will then return to Europe in late June/early July with shows in Athens, Berlin, Paris, Geneva, and Rome.
Apr. 16 - Tokyo, Japan - Shibuya WWWX Apr. 17 - Osaka, Japan - Drop May. 09 - Brighton, United Kingdom - Concorde 2 May. 10 - London, United Kingdom - Islington Assembly Hall May. 11- Leeds, UK - Belgrave Music Hall May. 13 - Glasgow, United Kingdom - St. Luke’s [SOLD OUT] May. 14 - Oxford, UK - O2 Academy Oxford May. 15 - Nottingham, United Kingdom - Rescue Rooms May. 17 - Liverpool, United Kingdom - Arts Club May. 18 - Bristol, United Kingdom - Thekla [SOLD OUT] May. 19 - Manchester, United Kingdom - Manchester Gorilla Jun. 15 - Provincetown, MA - Twenty Summers @ The Hawthorne Barn Jun. 21 - Athens, GR - AN Club Jul. 01 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust Jul. 03 - Berlin, Germany - Festsaal Kreuzberg Jul. 06 - Paris, France - La Maroquinerie Jul. 08 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso Noord Jul. 09 - Rotown - Rotterdam, Netherlands [SOLD OUT] Jul. 11 - Genova, Italy - Giardini Luzzati Jul. 12 - Prato, Italy - Festival Delle Colline Jul. 14 - Rome Unplugged in Monti - Rome, Italy
The Good News will be available everywhere May 17th, 2019 through Sub Pop.
Minor Poet’s Andrew Carter had this to say about new song “Museum District” , “When Minor Poet became a touring band, I was confronted with just how badly I struggled with social anxiety. Being a musician requires so much public interaction with strangers on top of the soul-bearing of playing intensely personal songs every night. On the other hand, when writing “Museum District,” I wanted to really emphasize how severe social anxiety is not one-dimensional. Everyone who deals with social anxiety also deals with a longing for the life they’re not living, a desire to be there for that one amazing night or life-changing party they’ll always miss because they couldn’t bring themselves to go. All while simultaneously knowing they couldn’t enjoy it even if they were there. Social anxiety is a mess of contradictions that add up to one powerfully limiting state.
“Even from an early demo stage, I knew that I wanted “Museum District” to feel outsized, like a person struggling to get outside of themselves. As soon as I wrote the opening drumbeat, I could hear the horns, the sleigh bells, the harmonies, and most of all the disparate yet interlocking rhythms coming from each instrument. In that sense it needed to be kinetic, like a weirdly constructed puzzle that had to fit together perfectly or the whole thing would fall apart.”
The Good News, which features the aforementioned “Museum District” and “Tropic of Cancer,” was produced by Andrew Carter and Adrian Olsen (Natalie Prass, Foxygen) at Montrose Recording in Richmond.
The Good News is now available for preorder through Sub Pop Mega Mart. Preorders of the LP through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers in North America, UK and Europe will receive the limited Loser edition on clear with red and blue swirl vinyl (while supplies last).
Available now, worldwide in all the digital places via Sub Pop.
Loma is sharing an official video for its sublime new single “Half Silences,” which is available today through all DSPs worldwide from Sub Pop. The group are currently working on the follow-up to their acclaimed debut, and band member Jonathan Meiburg offered this on the new song and accompanying visual: “We’re deep inside the new album, but didn’t want to wait to release this song. That’s not CGI, by the way; Dan and I held the fireworks while Emily danced and our friend Sam yelled ‘Lower! Higher! To the left!’. Watch for a cameo by Noodle the cat.”
Loma, the project comprised of Meiburg (also known as the singer of Shearwater), and Emily Cross and Dan Duszynski of Cross Record, released their self-titled debut via Sub Pop in February 2018 to critical raves—including a nod from Brian Eno, who’s had the song “Black Willow” on repeat. “I just kept listening to that song over and over,” he told the BBC. “I don’t often do that these days.”
What people are saying about Loma: “A joint project that heightens each member’s individual strengths and shows off their surprising musical chemistry.” - Pitchfork
“Beautiful…” **** - Q Magazine
**** - Mojo
“A manifestation of brilliant musical minds in organic workspaces.” - The Line of Best Fit
“A breathtakingly rich record” -Drowned In Sound
“Compelling” - Uncut
“Sad, slow, dark folk, with delightful homemade touches” - Sunday Times
“Immediately engrossing” - GoldFlakePaint
“Hypnotic” - DIY
“[Loma] promises to be one of the most fascinating and exciting musical moments of 2018” - For The Rabbits -----------
Seattle’s own Tacocat are set to release This Mess Is a Place, their new full-length album on LP/CD/Digital and Cassette on Friday, May 3rd. The sparkly new album is their first for Sub Pop, and heralds a more pop-driven and ebullient direction in their sound.
Today, Stereogum premiered ”Hologram” (as seen here), the second single from the highly-anticipated record. “Just remember if you can, power is a hologram,” lead singer Emily Nokes intones on the track, which smuggles a discourse on power dynamics and the nature of reality inside of a candy-colored pop-rock coating.
Pre-orders are available now from Sub Pop Megamart, with limited Loser Editions on jade green vinyl. Read more about Tacocat and This Mess is a Place right over here.
Tacocat have also announced a run of 2019 North American tour dates. Full list of performances is as follows:
May 09 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club May 10 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club May 11 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall May 12 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Pyramid Scheme May 13 - Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe May 15 - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair May 17 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg May 18 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle May 19 - Washington, D.C. - U Street Music Hall May 21 - Durham, NC - The Pinhook May 22 - Atlanta, GA - The Drunken Unicorn May 23 - Nashville, TN - The High Watt May 24 - St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway May 25 - Kansas City, MO - The Record Bar Jun. 08 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox at the Market Jun. 12 - Spokane, WA - The Bartlett Jun. 13 - Boise, ID - Neurolux Jun. 14 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court Jun. 15 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge Jun. 17 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada Jun. 18 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall Jun. 19 - Austin, TX - Barracuda Jun. 21 - Sante Fe, NM - Meow Wolf Jun. 22 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar Jun. 23 - San Diego, CA - The Casbah Jun. 25 - Los Angeles, CA - The Bootleg Theater Jun. 26 - San Francisco, CA - The Chapel Jun. 28 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater
The band will perform Our Endless Numbered Days in its entirety (and with an orchestra) in Cincinnati, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
Sub Pop and Iron & Wine celebrate the 15th anniversary of Our Endless Numbered Days with the release of a newly expanded deluxe edition on CD/2xLP/DL and it’s in stores now. This version features eight previously never before heard demos, new artwork, and a 12-page booklet including liner notes from author Amanda Petrusich. You can hear the demo version of ”Passing Afternoon” here.
Iron & Wine received its second Grammy nomination in two years as “Best Folk Album” for 2018’s Weed Garden. Their previous nomination was for “Best Americana Album” for 2017’s Beast Epic.
Our Endless Numbered Days (Deluxe Edition) is available from Sub Pop and independent retailers.
