NEW RELEASE for the week of Feb. 26, 2021 PRIORITIES & HIGHLIGHTS >> Pre-Order Now! CHAI "WINK" (SUB POP) SP1420 CASS/ LP/ CD May 21 street date. Since breaking out in 2018, CHAI have been associated with explosive joy. At the core of their music, CHAI have upheld a stated mission to deconstruct the standards of beauty and cuteness that can be so oppressive in Japan. Like all musicians, CHAI spent 2020 forced to rethink the fabric of their work and lives. But CHAI took this as an opportunity to shake up their process and bring their music somewhere thrillingly new. Having previously used their maximalist recordings to capture the exuberance of their live shows, with the audiences' reactions in mind, CHAI instead focused on crafting the slightly-subtler and more introspective kinds of songs they enjoy listening to at home. Their third full-length and first for Sub Pop, "WINK" contains CHAI's mellowest and most minimal music, and also their most affecting and exciting songwriting by far. CHAI draw R&B and hip-hop into their mix of dance-punk and pop-rock, all while remaining undeniably CHAI. DINOSAUR JR. "Sweep It Into Space" (JAGJAGUWAR) JAG366 LP/ CD DINOSAUR JR. "Sweep It Into Space (JAGJAGUWAR) JAG366LPC1 LP (translucent purple ripple)" April 23 street date. Here is "Sweep It Into Space", the fifth new studio album cut by Dinosaur Jr.. during the 13th year of their rebirth. Originally scheduled for issue in mid 2020, this record's temporal trajectory was thwarted by the coming of the Plague. But it would take more than a mere Plague to tamp down the exquisite fury of this trio when they are fully dialed-in. And "Sweep It Into Space" is a masterpiece of zoned dialing. The only extra musician used this time with Kurt Vile, who co-produced the album. As is typical, Lou Barlow writes and sings two of the album's dozen tunes and Murph's pure-Flinstonian drumming drives the record like a go cart from Hell. But there are very few moments where you wouldn't know you were hearing Dinosaur Jr. in blindfolded needle drop. They have a signature sound as sure as the Stooges or Sonic Youth or Discharge ever did. They continue to expand their personal universe with "Sweep It Into Space", without ever losing their central core. FEELING FIGURES "s/t (7" + postcard)" (CELLULOID CLR04 7" March 12 street date. Debut 7" by Feeling Figures limited 160 copies/black vinyl/stamped labels/fold over screen printed sleeve/post card. Feeling Figures emerges with a confident strut fit for a Cinnamon Girl on side A. “ Stare at the flowers and pull the weeds”. Try. Try not to let it get to your head. Try is an introspective foot print, mellow melodics and a math problem for an ending. On the flip is Never in Time. “Playing Tetris in the heart of a cul-de-sac, the pieces that fit ain’t coming back”. bouncy cloud staring swells, fuzz caterwauls and we’re on to the next statement. Person of Tomorrow: the sure fire hit, chromatically repugnant and spacially tight-wound. I think the photo used on the cover is a storyboard. Heart or Brain, what do you value? Figure it out soon. Feeling Figures is Zakary Slax, Kayley Moon, Thomas M. and Joe C. Songs recorded by Peter Woodford at the Bottle Garden in 2019. Mixed by Peter W. w/Zakary Slax and Kayley Moon. Mastered by Mikey Young. Art by Gart Darley, layout by Joe C and Hélène B. Sleeve printed by Olga A. FFO:Magik Markers, Eric's Trip, Yo La Tengo. FLY PAN AM "Frontera (180g)" (CONSTELLATI CST155 CD/ LP May 21 street date. Fly Pan Am have composed some of their most direct, visceral and immediately satisfying music for the acclaimed modern dance piece "Frontera" by Montréal-based troupe Animals Of Distinction. Juxtaposing stern foreboding electronics and minimalist motorik avant-rock, the "Frontera" studio album superbly captures the bristling, sculpted, intensely evocative instrumental pieces that Fly Pan Am developed in close conception and collaboration with the dancers. The "Frontera" recordings track faithfully to the narrative of the original work, where eight movements (featuring a company of 10 dancers) flow from controlled chaos and tensely choreographed kinetics to slow, wrenchingly austere set pieces. This also music stands powerfully and exceptionally well on its own, resonating with the themes of the devastating dance piece. Deluxe 180g vinyl includes artworked inner and 6-panel fold-out insert featuring photographic stills from the original dance production. GUIDED BY VOICES "Earth Man Blues" (GUIDED BY GBVI103 CD/ LP April 30 street date. Is it really a musical?! The 33rd Guided By Voices album, "Earth Man Blues", is a magical cinematic rock album, full of dramatic and surreal twists and turns. Lyrics and liner notes trace the growth of young Harold Admore Harold through a coming of age and a reckoning with darkness. Vivid scenes appear: snapshots of youth, fantastical nightmares, unknown worlds. The music hasn't softened a bit. One will hear the impossibly perfect melodies and word play that you expect from Robert Pollard, with the band playing at peak-heavy. Doug Gillard's brilliant guitar playing explodes out of the speakers. The rhythm section of Kevin March and Mark Shue, always strong and reliable, has grown into a breathing composite organism. Along with Bobby Bare, Jr on rhythm guitar, they drive the songs and make one's head shake. Producer Travis Harrison ties the talents of the band together, once again recorded remotely and individually, pandemic-style. HATFIELD, JULIANA "Blood" (AMERICAN ALR0054 CD/ LP HATFIELD, JULIANA "Blood (indie exclusive- (AMERICAN ALR00540 LP black with red splatter vinyl" May 14 street date. "Blood" is Juliana Hatfield's 19th solo studio album of originals, and a deep dive into the dark side. The album is a brutal and critical look at modern human psychology and behavior; at personal and societal sickness. "I think these songs are a reaction to how seriously and negatively a lot of people have been affected by the past four years," says Juliana. "But it's fun, musically. There's a lot of playing around. I didn't really have a plan when I started this project". "Chunks" and "Had A Dream" are gritty and abrasive while "Mouthful of Blood" and "Gorgon" are groovy and ultra-melodic. All of it is eminently hummable and thought-provoking. Sophisticated but catchy. Challenging but danceable. ICEAGE "Seek Shelter" (MEXICAN MEX290 CD/ LP ICEAGE "Seek Shelter (indie (MEXICAN MEX290C LP exclusive-clear orange)" May 7 street date. With each new release, Elias Bender Rønnenfelt, Jakob Tvilling Pless, Johan Surrballe Wieth and Dan Kjær Nielsen refigure the contours of a typical Iceage song. This is especially true of "Seek Shelter", their fifth LP and first for Mexican Summer. Enrolling Sonic Boom (Pete Kember of Spacemen 3) to produce the record and an additional guitarist in the form of Casper Morilla Fernandez, "Seek Shelter" sees Iceage's propulsive momentum pushing them in new, expansive, ecstatic directions. A decade on from their first record, Iceage continue to harness their lives together through music. This journey, in music and life, has never progressed in a linear fashion. What precisely makes an Iceage song is still a mysterious thing, and the band wishes to maintain this protean quality. With "Seek Shelter", they've managed to hold onto this core of presence and risk while writing their most ambitious songs. MAN ON MAN "MAN ON MAN" (POLYVINYL) PRC432 CD/ LP May 7 street date. MAN ON MAN (also M.O.M.) is a new gay lover band made up of Joey Holman (HOLMAN) and Roddy Bottum (Faith No More, Imperial Teen, CRICKETS, Nastie Band). Their upcoming self-titled record is infused with indie-rock distortion and soaked in gay pop confidence while still maintaining the dry acerbic sense of humour they both share. MAN ON MAN's music transcends both genre or decade, creating a timeless appeal for so many kinds of listening. The varied influences and textures of the record are a meditation on the myriad of emotions of lockdown, as well as this particular moment in their own lives, collectively and independently. The shoegaze whirlpools of "Stohner" transition into the square wave synths of "1983" with ease, while tracks like "It's So Fun (To Be Gay)" open us up to a new type of queer anthem for the 2020s. MORCHEEBA "Blackest Blue" (FLY AGARIC) FAR009CD CD MORCHEEBA "Blackest Blue (black vinyl) (FLY AGARIC) FAR009LP LP MORCHEEBA "Blackest Blue (indie (FLY AGARIC) FAR009LPB LP exclusive-blue vinyl)" MORCHEEBA "Blackest Blue (indie (FLY AGARIC) FAR009LPW LP exclusive-white vinyl+bonus 7-i" May 14 street date. Pioneers of the British music scene, ‘Blackest Blue’ will be the Morcheeba's 10th studio album in a discography that spans three decades. ‘Blackest Blue’ is a refined 10 track album that fuses previous incarnations and sound of the band - such as downbeat, chill, electro-pop, and soul - into one cohesive record that dives deep into the soul of the band's genre-mashing musical heritage. As usual, the band didn't approach the album with any pre-conceptions, and instead created an organic journey that represents everything great about Morcheeba. Skye Edwards' lyrics are primarily focused on positivity and overcoming personal adversity that lies within. The album includes features with Duke Garwood (known for his work with Mark Lanegan, amongst others) and Brad Barr (The Slip, The Barr Brothers). Morcheeba's global reach is impressive, taking them to every corner of the world. Their signature chilled electronic/organic sound has been border-hopping ever since the London-based band emerged as a household name.