Naima Bock’s “Campervan,” is a single and official video from Giant Palm, her acclaimed debut. The song, which Stereogum calls “expansive and lovely,” is now the subject of this live performance by Naima, violinist Oliver Hamilton, and the Institute Collective contemporary vocal ensemble. Filmed at Waverley House in Margate, a small seaside town in the Southeast coast of England, it’s an absolutely exquisite presentation of the song. Watch now.
The Institute Collective was founded by composer, producer and vocal arranger Hughie Gavin, and is a collective of artists in their own right who come together to collaborate and perform with other musicians. Gavin offers this on the performance, “I loved arranging ‘Campervan’ as the song has such a natural ebb and flow. I tried to make sure the voices followed that movement, rising and falling throughout. I also wanted to be true to the song’s clear contrasting sections. As well as the part itself, how the choir sung was really important, from the airy builds in the verses to the almost raucous chorus refrain.”
Naima says of the performance, “It was a real pleasure to work with the Institute Collective, we had a beautiful day meeting all of the singers, arrangers and crew. There was a very special energy whilst filming and the more we sang together the better it got. I’m delighted to release this video and to have worked with such a talented bunch”.
Naima Bock’s international tour schedule in support of Giant Palm resumes Friday, September 2nd at The End of the Road festival in Dorset, UK, and currently run through Thursday, October 27th in London at ICA. A US tour announcement will be made soon. Please find a current list of dates below and on naimabock.com.
September and October 2022 Fri. Sep. 02 - Dorset, UK - End of the Road Festival Sun. Sep. 04 - Dublin, IE - Dun Laoghaire Folk Festival (@ The Lighthouse) Thu. Sep. 08 - Vienna, AT - WAVES Festival (@Fania Live!) Sun. Sep. 11 - Southampton, UK - Joiners* Tue. Sep. 13 - Brighton, UK - Chalk* Wed. Sep. 14 - Margate, UK - Olbys* Thu. Sep. 15 - Oslo, NO - by:Larm (@ Kafé Hærverk) Fri. Sep. 16 - Oslo, NO - by:Larm (@Kulturkirken Jakob) Sat. Sep. 17 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club* Sun. Sep. 18 - Newcastle, UK - The Cluny* Tue. Sep. 20 - Leipzig, DE - UT Connewitz Wed. Sep. 21 - Hamburg, DE - Reeperbahn Festival Thu. Sep. 22 - Berlin, DE - Marie Antoinette Fri. Sep. 23 - Cologne, DE - Wohngemeinschaft Sat. Sep. 24 - Frankfurt, DE - Mounsontum Tue. Sep. 27 - Nijmegen, NL - Merleyn ^ Wed. Sep. 28 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso (upstairs) ^ Thu. Sep. 29 - Bruges, BE - Villa Bota ^ Sat. Oct. 08 - Margate, UK - Elsewhere Mon. Oct. 11 - Brighton, UK - The Hope & Ruin Wed. Oct. 12 - Bristol, UK - The Cube Thu. Oct. 13 - Manchester, UK - Gullivers Sat. Oct. 15 - Norwich, UK - Wild Paths Festival (@Voodoo Daddy Showroom) Sun. Oct. 16 - Birmingham, UK - Hare & Hounds Thu. Oct. 20 - Oxford, UK - Florence Park Community Center Fri. Oct. 21 - Glasgow, UK - Hug & Pint Sat. Oct. 22 - Leeds, UK - Mill Hill Chapel Sun. Oct. 23 - Newcastle, UK - Cumberland Arms Thu. Oct. 27 - London, UK - ICA
Naima Bock’s Giant Palm and its singles, saw praise from the likes of Brooklyn Vegan (“Album of the Week, Indie Basement”), CLASH, DIY, The Line of Best Fit, Loud & Quiet, MOJO, New York Times, Our Culture, The Quietus, Stereogum (“Album of the Week”), The Times of London, Uncut, and more.
Recently, Pitchfork included the album in its “34 Great Records You May Have Missed, Spring/Summer,” and said, “Naima Bock has been unraveling her own heritage and weaving it into something new. Bock spent her early childhood in Brazil before relocating to South-East London, and on her solo debut Giant Palm, she braids together bucolic English folk, fluttering Tropicalia, and elements of ’60s psych rock. With the help of producer and arranger Joel Burton, she enlisted over 30 musicians to record on Giant Palm. The cohort’s contributions add a delightful strangeness to the album: Bent saxophone, jazz flute, and strings wrap around Bock’s hazy voice, suggesting some mystical, askew idyll.”
What People Are Saying About Naima Bock’s Giant Palm: “Exquisite solo debut” - ★★★★ MOJO
“Quiet, melancholy and occasionally divinely uplifting (8/10)” - Uncut
“Hugely ambitious - the individual pieces are delicately arranged, the end product solid as steel” [ “Music of the Month”] - The Quietus
“A real gem…[it’s] cinematic and spectral; it makes one contemplate things like energy flows and meditation and the long arc of history.” [“Album of the Week”] - Stereogum
“Giant Palm, is quietly dazzling, drawing from a wide range of influences including ’70s British folk, jazz, and Tropicalia.” [“Album of the Week, Indie Basement”] - Brooklyn Vegan
“This album has an unforced charm, making it an ideal accompaniment to long summer nights” ★★★★- The Times of London
“Naima Bock’s ‘Giant Palm’ is - frankly - exquisite. A truly special listen” - CLASH
“Steady and calming, intimate and revelatory, sporadically startling - it’s a record as unique as Bock’s history (8/10)” - Loud and Quiet
“As a debut, Giant Palm situates itself in a specific tradition without being constrained by convention - finding a voice in ten tracks that occupy their own lifeforce, almost set in motion by the elements.” ★★★★ - DIY
“Giant Palm is a stellar debut and one of 2022’s more distinct releases (8/10)” - The Line of Best Fit
“Though she took a roundabout path to make and release Giant Palm, the way Bock shares her profound moments and little insights with a generous spirit makes for an often brilliant debut.” ★★★★ - All Music
“There’s a bit of ’70s Brian Eno in her vocal delivery and an echo of John Cale in her arrangements, but the fusion of her disparate cultural influences makes for an enchanting sound entirely Bock’s own.” [“Giant Palm”] - New York Times
A morning trip to the corner coffee spot becomes disorienting and hairy in the new Frankie Cosmos video for “Aftershook,” from filmmaker Andy Rose Fidoten. The song is from Inner World Peace, the group’s forthcoming new album.
Greta offers this on the song, “‘Aftershook’ is about processing the past, and grappling with maintaining a balanced ratio of emotional awareness and hopefulness. The clown represents my fear of growing up into the kind of stunted adult that toxically influenced my youth.”
As for the “Aftershook” video, Greta says, “Lauren had the basic idea for this music video, and we liked it for this song because it has a sort of spooky vibe to it. I love where Andy and their team took it because it feels like it’s about grappling with one’s sense of self/reality, and searching for one’s place in the world/community.”
Frankie Cosmos will release Inner World Peace, their fifth album, on October 21st, 2022 on CD/LP/CS/DSPs worldwide from Sub Pop. The album, which features the aforementioned “Aftershook,” along with standouts “One Year Stand,” “F.O.O.F.”, and “Empty Head,” was co-produced by Frankie Cosmos, Nate Mendelsohn, and Katie Von Schleicher at Figure 8 Recording in Brooklyn, New York, mixed by Mendelsohn and Von Schleicher, and mastered by Josh Bonati at Bonati Mastering. The Inner World Peace album art also features illustrations from band member Lauren Martin.
Earlier this month, Inner World Peace’s first single “One Year Stand” saw praise from the likes of PAPER (“Minimal and impressionistic — a collection of small features that coalesce into a vivid landscape.”), Stereogum (“soft and sad and sweet”), Brooklyn Vegan (“Instrumentally understated, with cheeky and sweet lyrics”), Uproxx (“patient and lush”) and Consequence (“dreamy”).
Inner World Peace is available for preorder now from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com, select independent retailers in North America, the UK and Europe, will receive the album on crystal clear vinyl (while supplies last).
Also available now with LPs preorders is a new limited edition Frankie Cosmos Zine, compiled by Greta Kline. It will include the first three issues of the Zine, bound together and will come with the first 400 Loser LPs of Inner World Peace pre-ordered on the Sub Pop Mega Mart.
Greta says of the zine, “You may not have heard of this zine if you aren’t on our mailing list, but I’ve been handmaking these and producing them in small batches, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to print and share more of them.”
Frankie Cosmos has scheduled an Inner World Peace release show in Queens NY on October 7th 2022 at Knockdown Center’s The Ruins. Hannah Jadagu and Ian Sweet will be opening.
Frankie Cosmos Inner World Peace
Tracklisting 1. Abigail 2. Aftershook 3. Fruit Stand 4. Magnetic Personality 5. Wayne 6. Sky Magnet 7. A Work Call 8. Empty Head 9. Fragments 10. Prolonging Babyhood 11. One Year Stand 12. F.O.O.F. 13. Street View 14. Spare the Guitar 15. Heed the Call
Flight of the Conchords’ Bret McKenzie has released Songs Without Jokes, his solo debut, today worldwide on Sub Pop. He has scheduled an international tour in support of the album, which begins Friday, September 2nd in Nelson, New Zealand at Trafalgar Center and currently ends Monday, November 14th in Los Angeles, CA at The Fonda.
Bret and his 7-piece band will perform selections from Songs Without Jokes as well as favourites from his previous musical adventures with The Muppets, The Simpsons, The Black Seeds and more. Bret has assembled an all-star lineup of Wellington musicians to accompany him on this tour. Get your tickets fast for what will undoubtedly be a very special intimate night with one of New Zealand’s most successful songwriters and his amazing new eight-piece band.
Bret McKenzie Live! Fri. Sep. 02 - Nelson, NZ - Trafalgar Centre Sat. Sep. 03 - Christchurch, NZ - James Hay Theatre Tue. Sep. 06 - Wellington, NZ - Morgan’s Clubhouse Thu. Sep. 08 - Wellington, NZ - Wellington Opera House Mon. Sep. 12 - Whanganui, NZ - Whanganui Opera House Tue. Sep. 13 - Hastings, NZ - Hastings Opera House Wed. Sep. 14 - Auckland, NZ - Town Hall Concert Chamber Wed. Sep. 15 - Auckland, NZ - Town Hall Concert Chamber Fri. Oct. 14 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground Sat. Oct. 15 - Boston, MA - Royale Wed. Oct. 19 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg Fri. Oct. 21 - Washington DC - Lincoln Theatre Sat. Oct. 22 - New York, NY - Webster Hall Tue. Oct. 25 - Toronto, ON - Queen Elizabeth Theatre Wed. Oct. 26. - Detroit, MI - Royal Oak Sat. Oct. 27 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Ballroom Fri. Oct. 28 - Chicago, IL - The Vic Theatre Sun. Oct. 30 - Minneapolis, MN - Fitzgerald Theater Wed. Nov. 02 Denver, CO - Ogden Theater Thu. Nov. 05 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall Sun. Nov. 06 - Seattle, WA - The Moore Mon. Nov. 07 - Vancouver, BC - The Vogue Theatre Wed. Nov. 09 - San Francisco, CA - Fillmore Mon. Nov. 14 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda
Songs Without Jokes is available to preorder from Sub Pop. LP preorders through megamart.subpop.com, select independent retailers in North America, UK and Europe will receive the limited Loser Edition on blue vinyl (while supplies last).
Songs Without Jokes, which features the aforementioned “If You Wanna Go” and “Tomorrow Today” along with “Dave’s Place,” and “A Little Tune,” was produced by Mickey Petralia and McKenzie, mixed by Darrell Thorpe, with songs recorded at East West Studios and United Recordings, and mastered by Dave Ives at 101 Mastering in Los Angeles.
Next Thursday, September 1st at 12:30pm ET, Bret joins “All Of It with Alison Stewart” on WNYC for a Songs Without Jokes Listening Party and interview. New Yorkers can tune in on 93.9 FM/AM 820, and streamed online (worldwide) at WNYC.org.
What people are saying about Songs Without Jokes: “Baroque-pop delight. Evocative of Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman at their most extroverted. McKenzie’s songs provide great warmth (8/10).” Uncut
“Its tracks carry notes of Steely Dan, Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman, its contributors include some of Los Angeles’ most-revered session musicians, and while there is unquestionably great wit at play, there is also sincerity and real tenderness.” - The Guardian
“Surely he must see at least the fun in earnestly singing lyrics like “Look around, the planet is bleeding / A child is crying, the parents are weeping / The air is filthy, they don’t recommend breathing” atop the orchestral pop stylings of Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman, right? The songs grapple with today’s problems, but they’re every bit as charming, silly and heartfelt as one would expect from the motherflippin’ Rhymenoceros.” - Exclaim
“Unlike a lot of modern records, there is nothing bedroom-bound about this production, and you can feel the felicity of its live fanfare in a way that can rig up lighting rigs on its own. With this in mind, Songs Without Jokes is a titillating tour de force that we can’t wait to catch on the road.” [Album of the Week] - Far Out Magazine
“Although this is far from a comedy album, McKenzie’s wry sense of humour is still all over songs like ‘If You Wanna Go’ (“if you wanna go, baby, you should go,” shrugs the deadpan lyric), the sardonic ‘That’s LA’ (“drive down Sunset and the tears roll down my face”) and his breakup song with the US, America Goodbye. Musically, the album is drenched in an aviators-tinted nostalgia, ‘This World’ channelling Randy Newman and first single ‘A Little Tune’ a convincing and fun Harry Nilsson pastiche.” - The Age
Bret McKenzie Songs Without Jokes
Tracklisting: 1. This World 2. If You Wanna Go 3. Dave’s Place 4. Here for You 5. That’s L.A. 6. Up in Smoke 7. Carry On 8. A Little Tune 9. America Goodbye 10. Tomorrow Today 11. Crazy Times
In 2021, CHAI made their Sub Pop debut with WINK, securing their position as “a professional purveyor of whimsy” (The New York Times).
Today, CHAI is releasing the official video for “MY DREAM,” directed by Yasuaki Komatsu. The single was released internationally earlier this month, and written specifically as the theme song for the Japanese film The Fish Tale, which will see its theatrical release in Japan on September 1st, 2022.
YUUKI says, “When you’re doing something you love, in whatever way you want to, those are the times in life when you feel irresistibly great. The things you love so much that you even dream about, are the very things that shouldn’t be left just as dreams! Nothing can beat your “LOVE” for something! That’s what we felt when we saw the film, and we put all of that into this song.”
CHAI’s international tour schedule in continued support of WINK resumes Thursday, September 15th in Anaheim, CA at The Parish at House of Blues and continues through Friday, November 18th with an appearance at Mexico City’s Corona Capital. Along the way, CHAI will will also support Hippo Campus’s fall tour (Sept. 30-30th), and has scheduled festival appearances in South America for appearances at Primavera Sound’s Sao Paolo, Brazil (Nov. 6th), Santiago, Chile (Nov. 12th) and Buenos Aries, Argentina (Nov. 13th). For up to date information on tickets and new shows, please visit https://chai-band.com/en/category/live.
Thu. Sep. 15 - Anaheim, CA - The Parish at House of Blues Sat. Sep. 17 - San Diego, CA - Voodoo Room at House of Blues Sun. Sep. 18 - Los Angeles, CA - Primavera Sound LA Tur. Sep 20 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo Thu. Sep. 22 - Chicago, IL - Garfield Park Observatory Sun. Sep. 25 - Dover, DE - Firefly Music Festival Mon. Sep. 26 - New York, NY - (Le) Poisson Rouge Fri. Sep 30 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa* Mon. Oct. 03 - Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theater * Tue. Oct. 04 - Grand Rapids, MI - 20 Monroe Live * Thu. Oct. 06 - Milwaukee, WI - The Riverside Theater * Sat. Oct. 08 - Omaha, NE - The Admiral * Mon. Oct. 10 - Louisville, KY - Old Forester’s Paristown Hall * Tue. Oct. 11 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theater* Thu. Oct. 13 - Toronto, ON - Queen Elizabeth Theatre * Fri. Oct. 14 - Montreal, QC - Le National * Sat. Oct. 15 - Portland, ME - State Theater * Mon. Oct. 17 - Providence, RI - The Strand * Tue. Oct. 18 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall * Thu. Oct 20 - Harrisburg, PA - XXL Live* Fri. Oct. 21 - Raleigh, NC - The Ritz * Sat. Oct. 22 - Charlotte, NC - The Filmore* Tue. Oct. 25 - Miami, FL - North Beach Bandshell * Wed. Oct. 26 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues * Fri. Oct. 28 - St.Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live * Sat. Oct. 29 - Mobile, AL - Soul Kitchen * Sun. Oct. 30 - Birmingham, AL - Iron City * Sun. Nov. 06 - Sao Paolo, BR - Primavera Sound Sao Paulo Brazil Sat. Nov. 12 - Santiago, CL - Primavera Sound Santiago Chile Sun. Nov. 13 - Buenos Aires, AR - Primavera Sound Buenos Aires Argentina Fri. Nov. 18 - Mexico City, MX - Corona Capital * with Hippo Campus
An unsuspecting Bret McKenzie gets zapped into a series of strange encounters in the bizarre (and humorous) official video for “If You Wanna Go” from Songs Without Jokes, directed by Ezra Simons (who also directed McKenzie’s “A Little Tune” visual).
Songs Without Jokes is available to preorder from Sub Pop. LP preorders through megamart.subpop.com, select independent retailers in North America, UK and Europe will receive the limited Loser Edition on blue vinyl (while supplies last).
Songs Without Jokes, which features the aforementioned “If You Wanna Go” and “Tomorrow Today” along with “Dave’s Place,” and “A Little Tune,” was produced by Mickey Petralia and McKenzie, mixed by Darrell Thorpe, with songs recorded at East West Studios and United Recordings, and mastered by Dave Ives at 101 Mastering in Los Angeles.
Bret McKenzie Songs Without Jokes
Tracklisting: 1. This World 2. If You Wanna Go 3. Dave’s Place 4. Here for You 5. That’s L.A. 6. Up in Smoke 7. Carry On 8. A Little Tune 9. America Goodbye 10. Tomorrow Today 11. Crazy Times
You can now hear new contributions to the Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 7 from Hunx and His Punx and The Shadracks, both out today worldwide on all DSPs from Sub Pop. And you can now watch the music video for the Hunx and His Punx track here.
Hunx and His Punx is a West Coast band formed in 2009 by Seth Bogart (aka Hunx) with Shannon Shaw (Shannon & The Clams) and Erin Emslie (Secret Stare). “White Lipstick” b/w “Lose My Mind” is their first new release since 2013’s Street Punk. “White Lipstick” - named after an as-yet-unmade John Waters movie - is about being a queer teenager seeing women perform in bands and wanting to be just like them. “Lose My Mind” is a reflection on how terrible the world is, America’s abundance of guns, and wanting to give up and die, but deciding instead to keep fighting. It’s about thinking Fuck, what should all the women and queers and weirdos that don’t like guns do? Do we need them to protect ourselves? It’s about hating guns. Hunx and His Punx will celebrate the release with three shows: August 25 in Portland, OR; October 29 in Austin, TX; and October 31 in Brooklyn, NY at the 17th Annual NY Night Train Haunted Hop Halloween Spooktacular with Martin Rev (Suicide), Christeene, and many more.
The Shadracks are a three-piece rock n’ roll group hailing from Medway, Kent, and “Time Slips Away” b/w “Hollow and Uncertain” is their contribution to the Singles Club. “Time Slips Away” talks of the tribulations of making peace with the absolute judge. It’s about yearning to find out who you could be, instead of who you’re told you are. With timeless and expert precision the Shadracks play from 37.3 years in the past 33.7 years into the future. The actual origins of the group date back even further with their cultural appropriation of Babylonian ‘Rhythm and Punk’. A mere 4 years ago Huddie Shadrack and Elisa Abednego had a brief encounter in deserted parkland. Discovering a shared interest in vacant park benches, herbaceous borders and beat music it became paramount that they form a group, which they did on recruiting Rhys ‘Nebuchadnezzar’ Webb on bass guitar. The Shadracks celebrate the single’s release with an August 24 show at Paper Dress Vintage in London.
Subscribe to the Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 7 to get twelve exclusive, limited-to-1,000-copies, colored-vinyl 7” records that you will, undoubtedly, love and adore. In addition to the Hunx and His Punx and The Shadracks singles announced today, subscribers will get 7”s by Bartees Strange, Dummy, Irreversible Entanglements, Party Dozen, Matthew “Doc” Dunn, The William Loveday Intention (feat. Billy Childish!), Sidney Gish, and more TBA. Vol. 7 runs from April, 2022 through February, 2023.
The Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 6 series included subscription-only 7” singles by John Waters, Kim Gordon/J Mascis, Jeff Tweedy, Duma, LIDS, Washed Out, Hand Habits, Porridge Radio, Sheltered Workshop Singers, TV Priest, BNH Deluxe, and The Black Tones. Hear music from the series via the Singles Club playlist, and grab one of the very few remaining subscriptions here (we only made 1,000 and they’re almost gone!).
