merge records
Album: The Pet Parade – Fruit Bats
Eric D Johnson, aka Fruit Bats, has been releasing the most warmly wonderful folk-rock cosmic-americana for the past 20 years and marks that anniversary with the release of glorious new album, The Pet Parade, out on Merge. If you’re a fan of Johnson’s richly melodic tunes – and we sure are – then you will be …
See: Teenage Fanclub release new video for ‘Home’, plus new album news
In these most desperate of times, we all need something to hold onto, and what better than new music from the most life affirming of all bands, Teenage Fanclub. They’ve released a new video for the track ‘Home’, which is the opening track from the bands forthcoming tenth studio album, Endless Arcade, which is out …
Track: Bob Mould releases new single / lyric video for Forecast of Rain
Following hot on the heels of last month’s blistering single ‘American Crisis’, comes this second track from Mould’s forthcoming album ‘Blue Hearts’. ‘Forecast Of Rain’ has all the hallmarks of a classic Mould song with deft use of distorted guitar, blended with acoustic textures and a solid rhythm which keeps the whole thing moving along. There’s also …
See: Bob Mould releases new video for American Crisis Review
Never one to shy away from a direct message, Bob Mould has spent the last 41 years holding a mirror to society and standing up against injustice. Following on from his unexpected foray into upbeat ‘happy’ songs on the 2019 album ‘Sunshine Rock’, it’s good to hear him return to angst-ridden lyrics, set to the …
Track: Jade Hairpins – Dolly Dreams
Jade Hairpins share their video for track Dolly Dream taken from their upcoming album Harmony Avenue due May 29th via Merge Records. As Falco explains, “‘Dolly Dream’ is a song about searching – not necessarily something you lack and have to ‘find,’ but grabbing hold of that ‘something’ you’ve always had. This search finds a connection …
See: Waxahatchee reveals new video for ‘Can’t do much’
“It’s meant to be an extremely unsentimental love song, a love song with a strong dose of reality” says Katie Crutchfield (aka Waxahatchee) of ‘Can’t do much’, the latest release from her forthcoming Saint Cloud album, out on March 27th via Merge. She continues “It was written early on in a relationship, where the feelings …
Track: Sweet spirit – Behold
Austin six-piece Sweet Spirit, who include amongst their number members of no less than 12 bands, including lauded punks A Giant Dogs, have released a new single, ‘Behold’. It comes on the back of their signing to Merge Records, and the announcement that their third album is to be released later in the year. If …
Track: Jade Hairpins – J Terrapin
Jade Hairpins is the new power pop band from Fucked Up drummer Jonah Falco and lead guitarist Mike Haliechuk. Falco switches to rhythm guitar and lead vocals for the project and Haliechuk to bass, and they’ve enlisted Jack Goldstein and Tamsin M Leach, two London musicians, on lead guitar and drums respectively. They’ve just released …
Album Review: Little Scream – Speed Queen
There’s a certain sun-burnt quality that informed “Dear Leader”, the first single released by Little Scream from her third album Speed Queen. It’s not quite in the realms of Americana, but it comes close. For Laurel Sprengelmeyer (the Little Scream in question, for the uninitiated), that warmth the lead single provided listeners acts not as …
Feature: Merge Records celebrate 30 years – Interview and exclusive playlist
If you follow the brilliant Merge label, you’ll have had some insight into this. They’ve been releasing various limited edtion vinyl to celebrate it, but they’ve been going for thirty years. Started by Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance of Superchunk to release some of their own music (the first album on the label was Superchunk’s …