05/13/08

The Explorers Club announce tour with Lightspeed Champion The Explorers Club are hitting the road in celebration of Freedom Wind, criss-crossing North American with Lightspeed Champion and Flowers Forever. The soundtrack of the summer will be in a town near you very soon -- don't miss out. The Explorers Club have also been cooking up some fun before the release of Freedom Wind. Check out their antics on youtube for a taste. The band has also been trickling out songs to their very own muxtape page. Visit the link below and you can preview songs from Freedom Wind. They'll be posting more songs as the May 20th street date nears, so keep checking back. THE EXPLORERS CLUB TOUR DATES THE EXPLORERS CLUB YOUTUBE MADNESS FREEDOM WIND MUXTAPE

05/12/08

Details of Bowerbirds' "Hymns for a Dark Horse" expanded edition unveiled, summer tour dates confirmed The expanded edition of the Plug Award nominated Hymns for a Dark Horse will be released on June 17 (and August 18 in the UK), featuring two new songs as bonus tracks. Originally released by Burly Time Records in 2007, Dead Oceans is thrilled that this masterpiece will finally be widely available. The bonus tracks are more than just tossed off extras. "La Denigración" has a stunning melodic sensibility - you can hear the band drawing not only from traditional American music, but bringing in elements of music from around the globe. "Matchstick Maker" is a heart breaker, centered around singer / guitarist Phil Moore's aching voice. In addition to these two bonus songs, "Hymns for a Dark Horse" will be issued on vinyl for the first time. A new release would not be complete without a tour. We're excited to announce that the Bowerbirds will be joining Bon Iver on a stretch of dates this July, followed by their first trip to the UK and Europe, where they will be appearing at the Green Man and End of the Road Festivals. Many other UK and European dates will be announced soon. BOWERBIRDS TOUR DATES

05/02/08

Phosphorescent play ATP Festival, release Black Cab Session We are pleased to announce that Phosphorescent will make a speedy return to the UK to play the Explosions In The Sky-curated All Tomorrow's Parties festival on Friday May 16. In addition to the ATP date, Phosphorescent is supporting Black Mountain on select UK and European dates in May. Before Phosphorescent's packed show at the Borderline in London a few weeks back, Matthew Houck was filmed for a Black Cab session. Watch his performance of fan favorite "Wolves" at the links below. ATP FESTIVAL INFO VISIT BLACK CAB SESSIONS WEBSITE WATCH BLACK CAB SESSION ON YOUTUBE PHOSPHORESCENT TOUR DATES

05/01/08

The Explorers Club receives gushing praise in Uncut, now available for pre-order The brand new issue of Uncut features a gushing five star review of The Explorers Club May 20th release, Freedom Wind. Uncut calls the album's opening track, "an instant classic," and added, "it's a toss-up whether Jason Brewer's classically crafted songs or the spot-on arrangements are more irresistible, as the group recasts these magical sounds for the 21st Century." Freedom Wind is now available for pre-order from Dead Oceans' website. You can order it on CD or LP formats, and don't forget, the LP version contains a coupon which can be redeemed online for a free download of the album. With the steamy days right around the corner, why not pre-order the soundtrack to the summer of 2008 right now? PRE-ORDER FREEDOM WIND FROM DEAD OCEANS

04/20/08

Bowerbirds Take-away Show on La Blogotheque Vincent Moon is at it again. His now legendary Take-away show series followed Bowerbirds in New York City's Lower East Side during the fall of 2007, taping performances of "Bur Oak," "In Our Talons," "Dark Horse," and "The Ticonderoga." These breathtaking performances can be viewed or downloaded on La Blogotheque's website or by signing up for the La Blogotheque podcast via iTunes. These videos are not to be missed. VISIT LA BLOGOTHEQUE

04/08/08

The Explorers Club release single, announce tour dates The Explorers Club and Dead Oceans are pleased to announce that the first single from their forthcoming album Freedom Wind is now available. You can purchase "Do You Love Me?" on a beautiful 7 inch record, or if vinyl is not your preferred format, the single is available from iTunes, Emusic, Amazon.com, Other Music and other digital stores. In addition to their first release on Dead Oceans, we are pleased to announce a handful of tour dates for The Explorers Club. Many more dates will follow the release of Freedom Wind. ORDER "DO YOU LOVE ME?" FROM DEAD OCEANS THE EXPLORERS CLUB TOUR DATES

04/02/08

Phosphorescent live videos from Other Music's SXSW party Other Music and Dig for Fire hosted one of the most unusual SXSW parties we attended at the festival this year. Situated on the beautiful lawns of the French Legation Museum, a few blocks away from the chaos of downtown Austin, it was the perfect respite from the madness nearby. Other Music and Dig for Fire videotaped performances from Phosphorescent, as well as the rest of the stellar line-up, and have added them to "Live from Other Music" series. The production and sound quality is tremendous on the two Phosphorescent videos--check them out at the links below. WATCH PHOSPHORESCENT PERFORM "AT DEATH, A PROCLAMATION" WATCH PHOSPHORESCENT PERFORM "A PICTURE OF OUR TORN UP PRAISE"

03/30/08

Bishop Allen "Click Click Click Click" video makes MTV2 debut Bishop Allen's "Click Click Click Click" video will broadcast tonight on MTV2's Subterranean at 1AM ET. Congrats to Bishop Allen and director Randy Bell on making their MTV2 debuts. WATCH THE VIDEO ON DEADOCEANS.COM WATCH THE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE

03/28/08

Dirty Projectors, Evangelicals and White Hinterland included on Stereogum's tribute to Bjork's "Post" Stereogum are curating a song-by-song tribute to Bjork's album Post and we are pleased that they selected three artists from the Dead Oceans roster for the project. Dirty Projectors, Evangelicals and White Hinterland appear alongside Liars, High Places, El Guincho, Xiu Xiu and more. The album will be available for free and legal download for a limited time, starting Monday, March 31st. MORE DETAILS AND FULL TRACK LIST AVAILABLE HERE

03/26/08

Phosphorescent shares new video for "A Picture of Our Torn Up Praise" The second video from Pride is now available for your viewing pleasure. The video for Phosphorescent's "A Picture of Our Torn Up Praise" was shot in the countryside surrounding Fairfield IA, a small town of 10,000 located roughly 70 miles south of Iowa City. The cast and crew spent several days working in the freezing outdoors, utilizing everything from stadium lighting for the night sequences to a horse (named Elaborate Affair) borrowed from a supportive local resident. The video was conceived and directed by Los Angeles filmmakers Zachary Sluser and Matthew Thiesen, and features a cast of 20 individuals, aged 5 to 65 years old, not to mention a sizable crew and the work of a champion local taxidermist. WATCH THE VIDEO IN QUICKTIME HERE WATCH THE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE

03/04/08

White Hinterland release "Phylactery Factory" to lavish praise White Hinterland's "Phylactery Factory" comes out today in finer record stores everywhere. NME gives "Phylactery Factory" an 8 out of 10, while Uncut calls it a "minor classic," going on to say, "Dienel has some of Joanna Newsom's imagination and Jolie Holland's flourish, but is less willfully kooky than either, and from the epic Eno-esque opener, 'The Destruction of the Art Deco House' onwards, this is a sublime recording." White Hinterland will be joining Phosphorescent and Bon Iver on a stretch of west coast dates following three appearances at the SXSW music festival. Then, they head back east for a couple of shows with Throw Me the Statue. Stay tuned for more live dates later this spring and summer. VIEW TOUR DATES HERE

02/28/08

Citay's "Eye on the Dollar" is NPR's Song of the Day We are pleased that NPR has selected the Citay song "Eye on the Dollar" as their song of the day for February 27th. You can stream the track on the NPR website. Don't forget, Citay are about to launch a tour in support of "Little Kingdom" where they will visit many cities for the first time since the release of their towering sophomore album. READ NPR'S REVIEW AND STREAM "EYE ON THE DOLLAR" HERE VIEW TOUR DATES HERE

02/22/08

White Hinterland on the radio and on the road A little over one week ago we posted a link to White Hinterland's session on the NPR show, The Bryant Park Project. Since then, The Bryant Park Project's blog added a live video of White Hinterland in the studio, performing a breathtaking rendition of "Vessels." The Bryant Park Project is not the only radio station that White Hinterland has visited in recent weeks. They stopped by PRI's Fair Game for an interview and live session. Check out the link below, where you can download all four songs White Hinterland taped for Fair Game. Also, don't forget, White Hinterland kick of a tour with Taken By Trees in New York City today. WATCH WHITE HINTERLAND PERFORM "VESSELS" ON THE BRYANT PARK PROJECT DOWNLOAD SONGS FROM WHITE HINTERLAND'S APPEARANCE ON PRI'S FAIR GAME

02/14/08

The Explorers Club reveals details of debut album, new single! This is the one many of you are waiting for. The Explorers Club have put the finishing touches on their debut album, Freedom Wind, which will be released May 20th on CD and LP formats. Lush and undeniably catchy, Freedom Wind is poised to be the benchmark for pop music in 2008. The first single from Freedom Wind is a tasty gem titled "Do You Love Me?" which we are pleased to share as a free MP3 -- the perfect Valentines Day pop treat. But don't mistake this as just another freebie promo track; "Do You Love Me?" is the A-side to The Explorers Club new 7-inch, which will be available on April 8th. The flipside of the single is "Carry Me" - an exclusive non-album track. DOWNLOAD "DO YOU LOVE ME" READ MORE ABOUT FREEDOM WIND HERE

02/13/08

White Hinterland Gear Stolen in NYC (UPDATE!) This is a storyline that is all too familiar. After White Hinterland's show this weekend in Manhattan, drummer Matthew Meyer's van was broken into and a lot of musical equipment was stolen. We will post a list of specifics shortly, but the thieves made away with a drum set, a casio SK-1, a bass amp and an air mattress. More info is coming soon. UPDATE: We have the full list of what was stolen, as well as info on where donations to White Hinterland can be sent. If you happen to spot any of this in second hand shops, or see anything suspicious, please get in touch with us at info@deadoceans.com. This theft is costing the band thousands of dollars, so any contributions you can offer will be a giant help. FULL LIST OF STOLEN EQUIPMENT AND PAYPAL INFO HERE

02/12/08

White Hinterland Appears on NPR White Hinterland recently visited the NPR program The Bryant Park Project for an interview and live performance. Check out the audio at the link below. LISTEN TO WHITE HINTERLAND ON THE BRYANT PARK PROJECT RIGHT HERE

02/11/08

Dead Oceans announces 2008 SXSW showcase Citizens of Earth! Travelers to Texas! Eaters of Mexican food! Goers of shows! Passers out on 6th! Wakers up by the river! Stumblers to breakfast! Hairs of the dogs that bit you! Wakers up in someone's backyard! Stumblers to the river! Takers of a nap! Hailers of a cab out of town! Barfers at airport bathrooms! Sleepers on planes! Forgetters of entire weekends! Whisperers of disbelief back at work on Monday! Citizens of rock! Unite!! Dead Oceans, Jagjaguwar and Secretly Canadian are pleased to announce the line-up for our 2008 SXSW showcase. The showcase will be held at Mohawk on Thursday, March 13. OUTSIDE STAGE: Black Mountain 1:00-2:00 Jens Lekman 12:00-12:45 Bon Iver 11:00-11:45 Evangelicals 10:00-10:45 Bodies of Water 9:00-9:45 Phosphorescent 8:00-8:45 INSIDE STAGE: Parts + Labor 12:30-1:15 Citay 11:30-12:15 The Explorers Club 10:30-11:15 Throw Me The Statue 9:30-10:15 White Hinterland 8:30-9:15 Bowerbirds are also playing at SXSW, at the Central Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, March 12 (time TBA, stay tuned). Also, pretty please be sure to check out tour dates for our bands this spring. http://deadoceans.com/shows.php Stay tuned for an update with the bands' day parties. Thank you very much. Love, SCJAGDO

01/30/08

White Hinterland Joins Taken By Trees for North American Tour Word is getting out about White Hinterland's wonderful Phylactery Factory, as blogs and websites far and wide have chimed in with resounding approval over the first MP3 from the album. In advance of the March 4th release of Phylactery Factory White Hinterland is headed on a quick tour, opening up shows for Victoria Bergsman's (ex-Concretes) new band, Taken By Trees. White Hinterland's wildflower jazz explorations will make a wonderful accompaniment to the lush, sophisticated pop sounds of Taken By Trees. After these dates, White Hinterland heads to SXSW, with several appearances at the festival in the works. VIEW TOUR DATES HERE

01/26/08

Phosphorescent Share First Video From "Pride" and Extend US Tour Back in December, Phosphorescent spent several weeks supporting Akron/Family on a tour that included stops in England, Belgium and Iceland, and during this trek found time to shoot the first video from "Pride." Directed by UK filmmaker Tom Haines, the video for "At Death, A Proclamation" was shot late one night in the outskirts of London, after a Phosphorescent performance. The video captures this late night atmosphere perfectly and makes for a surreal accompaniment to one of Phosphorescent's most mood altering songs. Phosphorescent's continued support of "Pride" is not limited to just a video – they have added a long stretch of dates to their US tour. On the previously announced first leg, Phosphorescent are joined by new label-mates Bowerbirds, but as they head westward after SXSW, Bon Iver will be riding shotgun. WATCH VIDEO ON DEAD OCEANS WEBSITE WATCH VIDEO ON YOUTUBE VIEW TOUR DATES HERE

01/25/08

Bowerbirds and Dead Oceans Join Forces "Only once every ten years or so does one hear a new band this good, this bursting with ideas, this audibly in love with music... It is beyond stunning. This band is the complete package." Ears tend to prick up when a record review sings praises like these, especially when the praises come from the Mountain Goats' John Darnielle. Darnielle said this recently about Bowerbirds debut album Hymns for a Dark Horse on his Last Plane to Jakarta website, and we completely echo his sentiments. This is why we are beyond thrilled that Bowerbirds are joining the Dead Oceans label. First, Dead Oceans will issue an expanded edition of Hymns for a Dark Horse, with more recordings to follow. Bowerbirds are also joining Phosphorescent on a tour to SXSW. If you have not heard the majestic sounds of Bowerbirds yet, be sure to download "In Our Talons" and soak in it. DOWNLOAD "IN OUR TALONS" BOWERBIRDS WEBSITE VIEW TOUR DATES HERE LAST PLANE TO JAKARTA

01/15/08

Evangelicals Announce Seven Week Tour with Headlights, Digital Single for "Skeleton Man" Following the January 22nd release of The Evening Descends, Norman, OK's Evangelicals are headed out on a seven week cross country trek with Headlights. Playing towns big and small, Evangelicals are bringing their unforgettable psychedelic joyride to a club near you very soon. Taking the prodigious musical skill and clever pop sensibility of their recorded work and pushing it into overdrive, Evangelicals live is not just something to listen to, but to fully experience. We are also pleased to announce that Other Music's digital store is exclusively selling the single for "Skeleton Man," which features two non-album b-sides that will not appear on The Evening Descends. Evangelicals revisit themes from The Evening Descends, lifting a melody here, a lyric there, giving away just enough to wet your appetite for the main course. Skeleton Man track list: 1. Skeleton Man 2. Skeleton Man's Bone Crushing Depression (If I Get Well) 3. Strange Visions VIEW TOUR DATES HERE VISIT OTHER MUSIC'S DIGITAL STORE

01/13/08

Phosphorescent Announces Tour With Bowerbirds Following a whirlwind fall that saw Phosphorescent tour across North America and England with stops in Belgium, the Netherlands and Iceland for shows, the band is headed back out on another US tour. On this one they're joined by North Carolina's Bowerbirds as they make the yearly migration south towards the SXSW music festival. VIEW TOUR DATES HERE

01/11/08

Stream Evangelicals "The Evening Descends" on Myspace From now until Monday, you can stream the new album from Evangelicals exclusively on their myspace page. The Evening Descends album will be released on January 22nd, but why not take a sneak peak now. STREAM EVANGELICALS THE EVENING DESCENDS ON MYSPACE

01/10/08

Dirty Projectors Split 7" Available From Fader Dirty Projectors and White Williams each take one side of a 7 inch record that is being given away for free from the fine folks at Fader Magazine. It's an extremely limited single, and the only way to get one is to win the contest Fader is hosting. The Dirty Projectors side is an alternate version of "Police Story" which the band recorded at the Daytrotter Studios during their last North American tour. This song never aired on Daytrotter, so this is the first chance you have to hear it. Hop over to Fader for all the details. ENTER TO WIN A COPY HERE

01/09/08

Evangelicals Offer First Taste of "The Evening Descends" With Free MP3 "Skeleton Man" has been a staple of Evangelicals explosive live sets for years, and early versions of this undeniable tune made their way onto a Daytrotter session as well as a fantastic KEXP broadcast. Finally polished, refined and ready for release, we're thrilled to share the first single from The Evening Descends in a convenient MP3 format. DOWNLOAD "SKELETON MAN" HERE

01/08/08

Evangelicals on Spin.com and Pitchfork Spin.com had the following to say today when featuring Evangelicals as the "Band of the Day": "Tearing down the day song-by-song as The Evening Descends, Evangelicals draw from their Okie idols the Flaming Lips, using everything from pop, soul, prog, and psychedelia to create arrangements that bleed into open skies, sounding like the weird uncanny cousins of Band of Horses." Read the rest at the link below. They also included a link to "Skeleton Man" which is the first single from the Evangelicals January 22nd release, The Evening Descends. Pitchfork also posted "Skeleton Man," calling it "a big, memorable, and slightly strange rock anthem." More kind words and the MP3 are available at the link below. SKELETON MAN MP3 AND TRACK REVIEW ON PITCHFORK EVANGELICALS AS SPIN.COM'S "BAND OF THE DAY"

01/07/08

Preorder Evangelicals "The Evening Descends" From Dead Oceans The Evening Descends is now available for pre-order from Dead Oceans on both cd and lp formats. Vinyl customers will also receive a coupon to download the album in MP3 format. It won't be in stores until January 22nd, but you can order it now with just a few simple clicks. PREORDER "THE EVENING DESCENDS" HERE

01/05/08

Casey Dienel and Dead Oceans Announce White Hinterland's "Phylactery Factory" 2008 is here, and with the new year comes the influx of new albums. Dead Oceans is thrilled to partake in this ritual, and we are enthused to officially welcome White Hinterland to our label family. Led by the talented Casey Dienel, White Hinterland have crafted the mysterious Phylactery Factory, which will arrive in record stores worldwide on March 4, 2008. In the meantime, visit the White Hinterland myspace page for two demos from Phylactery Factory. Also, don't miss the brand new White Hinterland website. Finally, we also hope you'll take the time to read some eloquent words penned by Sean Michaels about the album. Just follow the links below to hear, read and see: WHITE HINTERLAND ON MYSPACE SEAN MICHAELS TALKS ABOUT PHYLACTERY FACTORY WHITE HINTERLAND HOMEPAGE

12/13/07

Dirty Projectors Perform on NPR Dirty Projectors stopped by the NPR program The Bryant Park Project for an interview and on-air performance. You can hear the segment online and The Bryant Park Project also posted a video of the band's performance of "Rise Above" on the show's blog. WATCH THE VIDEO OF "RISE ABOVE" HERE LISTEN TO THE LIVE PERFORMANCE AND HEAR THE INTERVIEW HERE

12/03/07

Evangelicals Spread Holiday Cheer with "The Last Christmas on Earth" Evangelicals recently contributed "The Last Christmas on Earth" to Mistletonia, a Christmas compilation put together by Mistletone Records, the label where Evangelicals releases reside in Australia. We're pleased to share the MP3 from this excellent compilation, which features a slew of like-minded twisted pop mavericks from around the globe. "The Last Christmas on Earth" was recorded following the completion of The Evening Descends, the new album by Evangelicals, which will be released on January 22nd, 2008. To accompany this demented pop nugget, Evangelicals singer/guitarist/main madman Josh Jones posed for a very special holiday themed photo. DOWNLOAD "THE LAST CHRISTMAS ON EARTH" HERE CHECK OUT THE HOLIDAY PHOTO

11/30/07

New Bishop Allen Video for "Click Click Click Click" We are excited to share the video for one of 2007's finest pop songs, Bishop Allen's "Click Click Click Click". Taken from their recent album, The Broken String, this video is the perfect visual accompaniment to the song, using an amazing stop animation technique, made out of real photographs of the band performing "Click Click Click Click". Yes, you read that correctly, these photographs were all really taken to make this video! "Click Click Click Click" was directed by Randy Bell. WATCH THE VIDEO ON DEADOCEANS.COM WATCH THE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE

11/27/07

Evangelicals Announce Details to the First Great Album of 2008 Finally! We are thrilled to unveil the details for the sophomore album from Evangelicals. Let us introduce you to The Evening Descends. The Evening Descends… and worlds collide. First you hear the prodigious musical skill: the deft guitar work, the clever pop sensibility, the wild arrangements. But then on other end of the spectrum there is the innocent and youthful charm of a trio of lost boys who seem to have no business making music with such maturity and sophistication. Taken together, you have Evangelicals, a wholly demented ensemble from Norman, OK. Dabbling in glam, slipping in a little funk and soul, drinking the psychedelic Kool-aid, blasting the synths, cranking up the guitars, and wrapping it all up with a dose of pop smarts, The Evening Descends is the first great album of 2008. The Evening Descends will be released on January 22nd via Dead Oceans. READ MORE ABOUT THE ALBUM AND CHECK OUT THE ARTWORK HERE

11/15/07

Dirty Projectors Nominated for Plug Award Today the 2007 Plug Award nominees were announced and we are thrilled that Dirty Projectors Rise Above was included on the ballot for Best Avant Album of the Year. Please head over to the Plug website and show your support for Dirty Projectors. We've already voted thirty or forty times and encourage you to do the same. Hopefully this will be the first of many accolades that Dead Oceans artists receive for their hard work in 2007. VOTE FOR DIRTY PROJECTORS HERE

11/12/07

Phosphorescent Live Recording, Live Video, Album Stream Phosphorescent just completed a lengthy US tour in support of Pride and are soon heading to Europe and the UK for a string of dates with their bearded friends in Akron/Family. In addition to all this touring, a few exciting items have appeared on the web in recent days. Paper Thin Walls featured Phosphorescent as part of their "Listening Party" series, where you can stream Pride in its entirety and read an in-depth interview with Phosphorescent's Matthew Houck. The Village Voice also ran a feature about Phosphorescent, and in conjunction with the article, they recorded a video of the band performing acoustic and outdoors along the East River in Williamsburg as part of their "Possibly Fourth Street" series. The recording quality is a little bit lo-fi, but if it sounds good enough for Alan Lomax, it sounds good enough for us. Finally, we also stumbled upon an excellent live recording of the band from Denton, TX, from the "Things Chris Recorded" blog and since the current full band incarnation of Phosphorescent is the finest line-up yet, we wanted to share this recording with you. All of the relevant links are below, check them out and enjoy! PAPER THIN WALLS LISTENING PARTY PHOSPHORESCENT ON POSSIBLY FOURTH STREET PHOSPHORESCENT LIVE AT RUBBER GLOVES IN DENTON, TX

11/06/07

New Citay Album In Stores Today We are very excited that Citay's Little Kingdom is on the shelves of finer record stores worldwide today. The band is playing select shows on the west coast this month, and you can expect many more tour dates in 2008. Pitchfork gave Little Kingdom a nice endorsement today and you can read the whole review below. READ PITCHFORK'S REVIEW OF LITTLE KINGDOM

10/31/07

Evangelicals "Halloween Song" on NPR's Morning Edition NPR's Morning Edition included Evangelicals "Halloween Song" in a segment on Halloween music that aired today. Evangelicals appearing alongside "The Monster Mash" sounds pretty good to us! You can hear the piece via the link below. EVANGELICALS ON NPR'S MORNING EDITION

10/29/07

Evangelicals Celebrate Halloween, Play Fun Fun Fun Fest It has been awhile since we have heard from Norman, OK's Evangelicals. Outside of select shows in 2007, the band has been hard at work recording the follow-up to 2006's debut So Gone. Details will be announced very soon for the first great record of 2008. In the meantime, in celebration of this wonderfully spooky time of year, Evangelicals are pleased to share with you their song for the Halloween season. Also, Evangelicals are making their first live appearance since the summer, at Austin, TX's Fun Fun Fun Fest. Alongside Cat Power, New Pornographers, Girl Talk, Diplo, Battles, Final Fantasy, Explosions in the Sky, Okkervil River, Neurorsis, Mates of State and many more, Evangelicals will be dazzling thousands with a taste from their forthcoming album. Minds will melt next weekend in Texas. DOWNLOAD HALLOWEEN SONG HERE EVANGELICALS ON MYSPACE FUN FUN FUN FEST WEBSITE

10/26/07

Dirty Projectors Return to Daytrotter for Encore Session Earlier this year Dirty Projectors visited our friends at Daytrotter and performed songs that were not on their new album, Rise Above. They passed back through Rock Island, IL again this fall and stopped by the Daytrotter studios, this time recording a few selections from Rise Above. These three songs are sparser than the originals, allowing the vocal harmonies to really shine through. Stop by Daytrotter and give it a spin! DIRTY PROJECTORS DAYTROTTER SESSION

10/25/07

Stream Citay's New Album on Virb.com Citay's November 6th release, Little Kingdom, is currently streaming on their page at Virb. Crank up those tiny computer speakers and dive in here. ORDER IT HERE!

10/11/07

New Citay Album Available for Pre-order Citay's Little Kingdom is now available for pre-order in our online shop. It arrives in stores on November 6th, but do not hesitate to order this slab of psychedelic goodness now. Citay will be performing live on the west coast in November, with more touring in 2008. Stay tuned for more tour dates. ORDER IT HERE! CITAY TOUR DATES

10/08/07

Musician Takes Acid, Lives to Tell About It Although we certainly do not condone the use of psychedelic drugs, many of our favorite musicians have dabbled in hallucinogens on occasion. Citay's Ezra Feinberg is one such musician, and we are excited to dive into a copy of "Good Times: Bad Trips" which chronicles, yes, bad acid trips. Alongside Feinberg are tales from Devendra Banhart, Matmos and many others. Aquarius Records calls it, "a killer collection of short stories, all of them fascinating, tales of stolen jet skis, yellow food banquets, secret upper crust sex societies, deflowered virgins, brain loops, dead body mannequins, emergency room freakouts, smoking out with Lee Scratch Perry, football player rapists, midnight calls to Mom, industrial strength lasers, heart murmurs, talking crows, living nude books, grey music, naked hippies, sex with surrealists, skin rashes, mouths full of dough, Cher costumes, stolen Harry Potters, boom box kicking, fake pistols, guitar masturbating, mother meltdowns, Tesla coils and so so so much more." Sounds like a pretty good read to us! BUY IT FROM AQUARIUS RECORDS GALLERY 16 BOOKS

10/05/07

Set Your Tivos, Bishop Allen Songs Used on Ugly Betty, Aliens in America Bishop Allen songs will be appearing on two network television shows airing soon. "Middle Management" appears on the October 11th episode of Ugly Betty, while "Click Click Click Click" is used in the new comedy, Aliens in America, which airs October 15th. Congrats, Bishop Allen! UGLY BETTY WEBSITE ALIENS IN AMEIRCA WEBSITE

10/04/07

Stereogum Loves Phosphorescent The great press about Phosphorescent's forthcoming album Pride continues to roll in. Stereogum posted a fantastic write-up about Pride, calling it "far and away his finest work." They also included an MP3 of the gorgeous song "Wolves" which you can preview by clicking the link below. READ STEREOGUM REVIEW HERE

09/29/07

Pride Available For Pre-order The brand new album from Phosphorescent is available for pre-order from our online store in compact disc and vinyl formats. All vinyl customers also get a coupon to download MP3s from the album. Pick up Pride and learn it from front to back, because Phosphorescent will be on tour supporting this album from October 9th through November 10th and coming to a city near you. We can tell you about how fantastic Pride is, but we think Music for Robots can do it better. Click below for their fantastic review. READ MUSIC FOR ROBOTS REVIEW HERE ORDER IT HERE! PHOSPHORESCENT ON TOUR

09/28/07

Dirty Projectors Nominated for Venus Magazine's Hottt List The editors of Venus Magazine followed their fantastic 10 out of 10 review of Dirty Projectors new album Rise Above by nominating the band for their Hottt List in the "Best Band" and "Best Rock Album" categories. In the spirit of American democracy, we encourage you to head over and stuff the ballot boxes. Thanks, Venus! VOTE FOR DIRTY PROJECTORS HERE

09/18/07

Citay Prepare "Little Kingdom", Offers "First Fantasy" MP3 Welcome to Citay's Little Kingdom. It's an otherworldly place, full of psychedelic swirl, soaring harmonies and grandiose jams. Little Kingdom is the second album from San Francisco's Citay. It's an epic journey, and an album that sounds out of place in 2007 -- a classic in the purest sense. Like Citay's 2006 self-titled debut, the '70s rock sensibility is intact; Thin Lizzy, acoustic Led Zeppelin, Big Star and the Byrds all remain touchstones. But Little Kingdom moves further into ambitious composition, referencing Popul Vuh, Animals-era Pink Floyd, the Fripp-Eno collaborations, and early Mike Oldfield. The twin leads are still huge, the ballads still sweet, but Citay is reaching for more on Little Kingdom. Little Kingdom is lush and beautiful; a grand, epic work that harkens back to day when studio excess was encouraged and a premium was placed on composition. To borrow a line from Arthur's review of Citay's debut, "this is an album without a sell-by date, with a song for every season." DOWNLOAD "FIRST FANTASY" HERE READ ABOUT CITAY ON THE FADER'S BLOG READ PITCHFORK'S TRACK REVIEW OF "FIRST FANTASY"

09/11/07

Dirty Projectors Rise Above Released Today The wait is finally over. Dirty Projectors new album Rise Above is available in finer physical and digital record stores everywhere today. Critics are hailing Dirty Projectors new album as their finest yet, and currently the band is on tour, melting the minds of audiences everywhere. Pitchfork, NPR and Mojo are among the many media outlets who are singing the praises of Rise Above. Also, don't miss Dirty Projectors inclusion in Paper Thin Walls weekly "Listening Party" feature, where they stream an album in its entirety, while getting a track by track commentary from the artist. Not only can you listen to the whole album, but Dave Longstreth shares his insights into the thought process behind Dirty Projectors latest release. READ PITCHFORK'S REVIEW HERE READ A FEATURE IN THE VILLAGE VOICE HERE STREAM THE ALBUM AT PAPER THIN WALLS HERE

09/10/07

Phosphorescent Announces Pride, Offers Free MP3 Musicians often head to New York - it's a familiar story. But something magical happened when Matthew Houck picked up stakes halfway through making his new Phosphorescent record, Pride, and moved to Brooklyn from Athens, Georgia. Pride is something different. Here, Houck channels something mystical and haunting, offering up a dark, meditative set of songs that is all the more spiritual-sounding for its restrained tone. On previous albums, he's recruited guest musicians to fill the gaps, but on Pride, Houck has only enlisted the services of a makeshift choir, otherwise recording every instrument himself. His achingly cerebral delivery recalls Arthur Russell, but honestly, Pride sounds like nothing else we've ever heard. These are poems uttered in an empty field, punctuated by shouts and hollers, as if from a singer either abandoned or possessed. The lyrics are Houck's strongest ever, wrapped in washed out choral etudes that could be channeled from a rural French chapel or a solemn African tribe in prayer. Pride sounds like it was made by a man set free. In fact, Pride sounds broken free of time and place altogether. Yet still it is warm, familiar, and welcoming-a record to call home. Pride will be released Oct 23rd on Dead Oceans. To soak up some of the haunting sounds of Pride listen to the MP3 of "A Picture of Our Torn Up Praise". Pitchfork recently gave this song a ringing endorsement and you can read their praise here. DOWNLOAD "A PICTURE OF OUR TORN UP PRAISE"

08/27/07

Listen to Bishop Allen on KUT and KEXP On their recent cross country trek, Bishop Allen paid a visit to KEXP's studio and recorded several songs. If you didn't happen to be tuned in on that Saturday afternoon, KEXP have been kind enough to feature the session on their excellent podcast. Bishop Allen also visited KUT's Studio 1A in Austin, TX and recorded some songs before their sold-out show at Emo's later that night. Thanks to the powers of the internet, you can hear both of these sessions by following the links below: SUBSCRIBE TO KEXP PODCAST DOWNLOAD KEXP PERFORMANCE AS A SINGLE MP3 FILE STREAM BISHOP ALLEN ON KUT

08/27/07

Dirty Projectors Featured on NPR's Song of the Day The title track from Rise Above was featured today on NPR's Song of the Day, where you can also stream the song. NPR's Michael Katzif said, "On the title track, as with much of the record, Longstreth neatly entangles crisp guitar playing, a chorus of female voices and a sturdy back beat, and takes the songs far away from punk and into less easily labeled territory. The song mixes the soaring vocal heroics of soul, the bite of '60s rock and subtle allusions to the dance grooves of Afrobeat, as Longstreth's voice channels Marvin Gaye and Bob Marley via Antony & The Johnsons." READ FULL REVIEW AND STREAM THE SONG

08/20/07

Dirty Projectors Rise Above Available For Pre-order The wait is finally over. Dirty Projectors new album Rise Above is available for pre-order in the Dead Oceans store on CD and LP formats. Customers who prefer vinyl will also receive a coupon to download an MP3 version of the album. Also, beginning this week Dirty Projectors launch an extensive North American tour. Yacht, Vampire Weekend, White Rainbow and Ecstatic Sunshine are opening dates along the way -- check the link below to see which fantastic line-up is headed to your town. PREORDER RISE ABOVE HERE DIRTY PROJECTORS ON TOUR

07/24/07

Bishop Allen's Sophomore Album "The Broken String" Available Today After literally several years of anticipation, Bishop Allen’s sophomore album, The Broken String is available in finer record stores everywhere today. The inaugural release on Dead Oceans, Bishop Allen have delivered the soundtrack to the summer of 2007. Bishop Allen are currently trekking across the country in support of The Broken String so check their tour dates as they are probably headed to your hometown. The rave reviews are already starting to roll in for The Broken String and we expect these are just the first of many. Also, you can stream the record in its entirety on the band’s VIRB.com page. Plenty of links are below for your enjoyment: LISTEN TO BISHOP ALLEN LIVE ON WNYC'S SOUNDCHECK PROGRAM PRAISE FROM GQ ONLINE PASTE MAGAZINE BAND OF THE WEEK REVIEW IN THE ONION REVIEW FROM NEWSDAY STREAM THE ALBUM ON VIRB.COM

07/18/07

Dirty Projectors Announce Tour, La Blogotheque Posts Take Away Show The legend of Dirty Projectors has been closely tied to their jaw-dropping live performances, so when the band announces a six week headlining North American tour, it is time to pay close attention. Their new album, Rise Above, has finally captured the band’s live energy and momentum, but there is still something undeniable about witnessing Dirty Projectors in the flesh. For an incredibly unique take on the Dirty Projectors live show, check out their recent “take away show” videos recorded by the La Blogotheque. It’s a truly special, one-of-a-kind performance. WATCH DIRTY PROJECTORS TAKE AWAY SHOW DIRTY PROJECTORS TOUR DATES

07/12/07

Citay Joins the Dead Oceans Label, Tours With Howlin’ Rain Dead Oceans is thrilled to announce that Citay has joined the label roster. Citay’s 2006 self-titled debut was one of our favorite records of that year—an instant classic of psychedelic excess, rock guitar balladry, and epic songwriting. Originally the studio project of Ezra Feinberg, Citay has evolved into a full-fledged eight piece band who have performed alongside like-minded space travelers such as Vetiver, Six Organs of Admittance, the Fucking Champs, and Danava. Now the ensemble is headed out for a West Coast tour with Howlin’ Rain before opening up for Yo La Tengo at KUSF’s 30th anniversary show at Bimbo’s in San Francisco. The band is also wrapping up a new album, recorded by Tim Green (the Fucking Champs) in their hometown of San Francisco. More details are on the horizon—stay tuned. For a better idea of what Citay is all about, why don't we just let Arthur Magazine and Mojo do the talking: “Citay really nail that rich acoustic-electric rolling tabla honey harmoney sound that all those heavy bands - Sabbath and Zeppelin, especially-used to do, back when all the best musicians were inspired by what the Incredible String Band were doing, and were still able (or willing) to express a feminine side to go with their preening barbarian or depressive wail aspects...This is an album without a sell-by date, with a song for every season...Monumental.” ---ARTHUR MAGAZINE “Inspired by the acoustic sides of ‘70s rock behemoths Led Zeppelin, Heart and Black Sabbath, they've taken a detoour into lush, baroque folk and sun-kissed Laurel Canyon jams; blending those groups with more pastoral shades with the likes of John Fahey, Pentangle and CSN&Y to very fine effect.”---MOJO If you want audio proof, check out a few MP3s from Citay's debut record, courtesy of Important Records: DOWNLOAD "SEASON'S DON'T FEAR THE YEAR" FROM CITAY'S DEBUT DOWNLOAD "NICE CUFFS" FROM CITAY'S DEBUT Tour Dates

07/05/07

Pre-order Bishop Allen's The Broken String Now 2003 saw the release of Charm School, the infectious pop debut from Brooklyn's Bishop Allen. Now, four years later, Bishop Allen are almost ready to release their sophomore album. Dead Oceans is now accepting pre-orders for The Broken String on both CD and LP, which will ship to arrive on or around the release date. We're not the only ones offering a pre-order for Bishop Allen's latest. Our friends at Insound are running a contest for one lucky customer to win all 12 of Bishop Allen's 2006 EPs. Additionally, the band will be taking pre-orders directly from their own website any minute now. PRE-ORDER THE BROKEN STRING FROM DEAD OCEANS PRE-ORDER THE BROKEN STRING FROM INSOUND PRE-ORDER THE BROKEN STRING FROM BISHOP ALLEN (coming soon)

06/25/07

Phosphorescent Joins the Dead Oceans Family We are thrilled to welcome Phosphorescent to their new home on Dead Oceans. Helmed by native southerner and current Brooklyn resident Matthew Houck, Phosphorescent has released two albums and an EP of haunting, epic and triumphant songs. Currently Houck is putting the finishing touches on a new album, which is slated for a fall 2007 release. "Said the Gramophone" recently discovered Phosphorescent's 2005 album Aw Come Aw Wry, and we particularly enjoyed their take on the song "Dead Heart": "The album is mired, sunken, drenched, in the chords of the 'Aw Come Aw Wry' refrain, which starts this song. Something I haven't seen so clear and used so well since On Avery Island, and it's not the only similarity. Shades of many other artists are here, but I'm not interested in getting caught on that. Instead, I want you to be hypnotized, intoxicated by the drone beneath the falling, tapered melody. I want you to be pulled in and down, like the kind of pull an undertow must feel like, until all of a sudden it all lifts, or falls further, who cares, into a pink and foggy yell." Phosphorescent recently stopped by the Daytrotter studios and the results are magnificent. We strongly encourage you to pay Daytrotter a visit for a taste of a few new songs that will likely make their way onto Phosphorescent's new album. DOWNLOAD PHOSPHORESCENT'S DAYROTTER SESSION HERE

06/21/07

Dirty Projectors Re-Imagine Black Flag’s Damaged on New Album Following the 2006 EP New Attitude, Longstreth went to help his parents move out of the house he grew up in. Among his youthful artifacts was the cassette case from the Black Flag album Damaged. This brought back all sorts of memories – Black Flag was one of Longstreth’s first loves – but the tape itself was missing. So, like the character in the Jorge Luis Borges story “Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote” who sets out to recreate Don Quixote line by line from memory, Longstreth went to the nearest Guitar Center, purchased the cheapest cassette four-track he could find, and embarked on recasting Damaged from memory, without re-listening to a single note or reading any lyrics. The ten songs that make up Rise Above (titled after one of the tracks on Damaged) stem from these four-track demos, recorded at his parents house on an acoustic guitar. All that Jorge Luis Borges-inspired jive might just be hot wind if Rise Above weren't such a hell of a record on its own terms. It resounds with a kind of elegant simplicity: beautiful interlocking guitar parts, gorgeous three-part vocal harmonies, and some great songwriting. Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear manned the knobs, giving Rise Above the same rich sound that he brought to his own band’s acclaimed album Yellow House. Longstreth used the same musicians that appeared on the US tour on which he debuted these songs, and Rise Above captures the inventiveness and raw power of Dirty Projectors' live arrangements at long last. For a taste from Rise Above look no further than this MP3 of "No More". Pitchfork , The Fader, Gorilla vs. Bear and Fluxblog all seem as enthused as we are about Rise Above, which arrives in stores on September 11, 2007. DOWNLOAD MP3 FOR "NO MORE"

06/04/07

Dead Oceans Welcomes The Explorers Club, Offers Free MP3 About halfway through the first song, we knew we were witnessing something special. Already having been charmed by the Explorers Club’s self-released recordings, seeing this band live was a head-over-heels moment. It was love at first sight. We are thrilled to announce that Dead Oceans will be releasing new material from the Explorers Club, first with a single this fall, followed by their debut album in early 2008. The Explorers Club’s sunny psychedelic pop, replete with lush arrangements and cushy four-part harmonies, harkens back to a decade long ago, when kids turned on their FM radios to find the cool new thing. The band draws on the soul-satisfying vocal style made famous by the Beach Boys and the Association, and pairs it with arrangements patented by the likes of Phil Spector, the Left Banke and the Zombies. These 1960s pop reference points are undeniable, but this is not a band that sounds influenced by the Beach Boys records in their collection – the Explorers Club’s pop songs sound as authentic as if they had actually just been unearthed for a new Nuggets collection or compiled for a deluxe Sundazed or Rev-Ola reissue. In other words, this bunch of early-twentysomethings fairly channels a bygone era without sounding burdened by it. This type of pleasure-seeking pop sound historically hails from beachside towns, and the Explorer’s Club is no exception; their home is not an iconic California surfing city but Charleston, South Carolina. Twenty-six-year-old Jason Brewer does the songwriting and arranging, while the complex vocal harmonies come courtesy of James Faust, Nathan Hussey, and David Ellis. Filling out the instrumental sound of the Explorers Club on organ and drums, respectively, are Stefan Rogenmoser and Neil Thomas. This six-man band has been charming new fans with epic live shows since July of 2005, and with a debut album on the horizon, the Explorers Club is primed reintroduce some splendor into the pop music world. We are pleased to offer the MP3 of "Last Kiss", which was mixed by Stuart Sikes (Loretta Lynn, White Stripes, Cat Power) and originally appeared on the band's limited edition UK 7 inch. DOWNLOAD MP3 FOR "LAST KISS"

06/01/07

Bishop Allen Daytrotter Session From SXSW Posted Bishop Allen's trip to SXSW this past March was both exhilarating and exhausting, as they performed five shows in three days. Following their five shows, Bishop Allen visited Daytrotter's mobile SXSW set-up (at Austin's Big Orange Studios) and recorded a blow out set. Perfectly capturing the energy of a whirlwind festival, Bishop Allen recorded glorious and ragged renditions of "Butterfly Nets", "The Monitor", "Flight 180" and "The Same Fire" and you can download all four from Daytrotter. BISHOP ALLEN DAYTROTTER SESSION

05/17/07

Dirty Projectors European Tour Dates Announced Dirty Projectors are headed to Europe for the first time this summer. They will be supporting Beirut in London, Paris and Berlin, as well as appearing at several European festivals. In addition to these shows, Dirty Projectors will also headline a handful of dates during their travels. All of the Dirty Projectors tour dates can be found here. Dirty Projectors also have a special New York City appearance tonight, supporting Deerhoof at the David Bowie curated High Line Festival.

05/14/07

Daytrotter Posts Dirty Projectors Session The fine folks at Daytrotter are at it again. Dirty Projectors stopped by the Daytrotter studios while out on tour with Grizzly Bear and recorded four songs for Daytrotter. This session features a scorching rendition of the live favorite and unreleased song "New New Attitude". Download the entire session here

05/03/07

Bishop Allen Announce New Album Details The long awaited sophomore album from Bishop Allen is on the horizon. We are thrilled to announce that The Broken String arrives July 24th. To hold you over until mid-summer, Bishop Allen offer a sneak preview--check out Rain for a taste from The Broken String. Bishop Allen will be announcing a lengthy summer tour soon, but New York City residents can already look forward to their free appearance at the Seaport Music Festival at South Street Seaport on July 20th.

04/24/07

Evangelicals Support Sunset Rubdown in Texas Taking a break from recording their sophomore album, Evangelicals are supporting Sunset Rubdown in Austin and Denton this weekend. Expect plenty of new material from Evangelicals, who have spent most of the winter holed up recording their new album.

04/20/07

Dirty Projectors Added to NYC Shows With Pulp's Jarvis Cocker Dirty Projectors are a last minute addition to Jarvis Cocker's New York City shows on April 22nd and April 23rd. Both shows take place at Webster Hall. We expect that after witnessing the Dirty Projectors live show, Jarvis will have designs on recruiting them as a new backing band.

04/12/07

Bishop Allen Announce April Shows Brooklyn's Bishop Allen are playing a handful of dates in April, visiting Boston, New York, Philadelphia and a one-off show in Austin. Presented by the Onion, their New York show is a rare all-ages event in Manhattan. Check out the tour page for dates and venues. If you need more of a Bishop Allen fix, check out the fantastic in-depth interview with Justin Rice at 30Music.com.

04/06/07

Dead Oceans Succumbs to Modern Technology, Joins Myspace It was only a matter of time. Dead Oceans has joined the masses and has a page on Myspace. We would love to be your (myspace) friend, so visit us at myspace.com/deadoceans and we can hang out.

03/27/07

Mutual Appreciation (Starring Bishop Allen's Justin Rice) Now Availabe on DVD Justin Rice is best known as half of Bishop Allen's songwriting tandem, but he's also quickly gaining notoriety as the star of Andre Bujalski's film Mutual Appreciation. Mutual Appreciation was released in theaters in 2006 and critics endlessly praised the film and Bujalski, calling him "the fresh voice of a generation (Entertainment Weekly)." After a successful theatrical run, the film has just been released on dvd and is available for purchase. For more information or to watch a trailer, visit the Mutual Appreciation website.

03/08/07

Evangelicals Daytrotter Session Available for Download Last fall, Evangelicals lapped North America several times, playing shows with Serena Maneesh, Annuals, Beach House and even Flaming Lips. Along the way, they stopped off in Rock Island, IL and recorded a session for Daytrotter. The four song session features the live staple "Skeleton Man" -- a new song that will be rerecorded for their second album. Download the whole session here.

03/01/07

Dirty Projectors Announce U.S. Tour With Hella Currently taking a break from recording their new album, Dirty Projectors are headed out on a month long tour with Sacramento noise-makers Hella. Joining Dave Longstreth on this tour is Amber Coffman (guitar, vocals), Angel Deradoorian (bass, vocals), and Brian Mcomber (drums). You can expect to hear a sneak peak of new Dirty Projectors material, as well as some older material. Check out the tour dates here.

02/27/07

Bishop Allen Launches US Tour For the first time in nearly three years, Bishop Allen will be headlining an extensive U.S. tour, visiting cities all across the east coast and midwest, as well as a stop off in Austin, TX for SXSW. Traveling as a six piece band, the live show will feature deluxe arrangements of all of your favorite Bishop Allen songs. You can find all of the tour dates here.

02/15/07

Welcome to the Dead Oceans website 2007 is here, and with it the launch of the Dead Oceans record label. Run side by side with sister labels Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans is co-owned by the partners behind SC and Jag (Ben Swanson, Chris Swanson, Darius Van Arman, Jonathan Cargill) with Phil Waldorf, former label manager of Misra. Like Jagjaguwar and Secretly Canadian, Dead Oceans will focus on bold and timeless recordings, not emphasizing a particular genre or scene, but instead fostering a diverse stable of sound-creators. Dead Oceans is extremely thrilled to announce the first members of the new label family. 2007 will see the release of new albums from Bishop Allen, Dirty Projectors, Evangelicals, and Iran, with much more on the horizon. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements, including information on our inaugural SXSW showcase. To read our formal announcement click here.