On Friday, July 12th (the night before our free, utterly vainglorious Silver Jubilee festival in Georgetown on July 13th), Sub Pop Records will be hosting Silver Jubil-eve: An Anniversary Comedy Thing (for Charity!) staring Eugene Mirman, Marc Maron, Kristen Schaal, Jon Benjamin, and Kurt Braunohler at the Moore Theatre. In this week’s edition of Getting To Know Us, we’re going to tell you a little bit about the comedians who will make you laugh.

Let’s start with the one and only Kurt Braunohler. I have to admit, I didn’t know who the one and only Kurt Braunohler was before we announced the lineup to the Silver Jubil-eve Comedy thing, but I don’t “get” jokes, so not only do the laughs go over my head, but apparently, so do the comics. Upon researching (this particular edition should be called Us Getting To Know Us), I’ve found out some wonderful things about Kurt, like the fact that he lends his wonderful voice to the very good TV show, Bob’s Burgers and also, according to Wikipedia, Kurt Braunohler is active on Vine—which seems like a low point of information delivery for Wikipedia. But none of the Kurt Braunohler things I found out about was as wonderful as the fact that this past spring, Kurt successfully raised $4,000 on the crowd-funding site, Kickstarter, in order to hire a plane to skywrite “How Do I Land?” in Southern California in order to promote his new comedy record. Amazing. Also, Kurt hosts the IFC show, Bunk.

You’ll likely know Kristen Schaal from her unsettling roles on Flight of the Conchords, 30 Rock, or, less unsettlingly, Bob’s Burgers, playing aggressively weird, restraining order-inducing, yet somehow charming characters. She’s also a correspondent on a news program called The Daily Show, which is a very informative romp through the international happenings of the day with a focused mistrust of the fine folks over at Fox News. Kristen’s been a friend of Sub Pop’s for a some time now and whenever she pops into the office, she’s kind and we laugh our collective ass off. Simply put, she’s one of our favorite people.

Jon Benjamin’s prolific career includes lending his voice to a lot of animated characters in magical shows like Aqua Teen Hunger Force (number one in the hood, G), Dr. Katz, Archer, and most recently, the voice of the patriarch of the weirdest G-D family on TV, Bob’s Burgers’, Bob Belcher. He’s also hosted his own show on Comedy Central called, Jon Benjamin Has a Van. But perhaps most importantly, he guest starred on HBO’s Sex And The City, a show about four women having sex in a city. It’s very interesting.

Marc Maron hosts what seems to be the world’s preeminent podcast, WTF with Marc Maron, a podcast that has become so popular that even my mom is misquoting Marc. He’s also had countless other roles in the American comedysphere over the past couple of decades, a fact that would be a huge disservice to Marc’s colossal reputation if I glossed over—a disservice I am very willing to commit for the sake of brevity and to focus on the importance of what Marc has created with WTF, a hilarious and poignant podcast with over 400 episodes boasting a list of guests so heavy that picking the highlights is impossible—an impossibility I’m willing to overcome by listing some of my personal favorites here: Bob Saget, Bobcat, Patton, Henry Rollins, Iggy Pop, Cheech as well as Chong, Gallagher (!), Conan, Paul Reiser, Richard Lewis, and Andrew Dice Clay—I should remind you that this impressive list goes up to 400. What I’m trying to say is, you should really be listening to WTF on the reg.

Having two hilarious records out on Sub Pop, Eugene Mirman has been a part of the family for several years now. He’s also the event creator and host for the Sub Pop Jubil-eve 25th Anniversary Comedy Thing (for Charity!). Eugene’s done time as a cast member on Flight of the Conchords and most recently, on the fine folks at Fox’s show Bob’s Burgers. (It should be noted that BB is currently streaming on Netflix and I’ve been watching a lot of it lately. Clearly.) Eugene’s also written and performed what I consider to be the absolute best joke on homophobia that there ever will be —it involves Teenwolf, the Saxons, and the gay wars of Mesopotamia. If you join us on the Sub Pop Silver Jubil-eve, you’re going to be in great, hilarious hands with Eugene. We couldn’t be happier or more honored to have him host our comedy event.

Just to recap, the evening will be hosted by Eugene Mirman and features performances from Marc Maron, Jon Benjamin, Kristen Schaal, & Kurt Braunohler. Tickets for the event are $25 and will be on sale June 7th at 10 a.m. You can purchase tickets via phone at 1-877-784-4849, online at STGPresents.org and tickets.com or available with NO service charge at the Paramount box office open M-F, 10am-6pm, plus show nights. Tickets available with a $1.50 service charge at 24 hr electronic kiosks located outside the Paramount, Moore, and Neptune- and with a reduced service charge at Sonic Boom Records. All proceeds from this event will benefit local organizations 90.3FM KEXP, Northwest Harvest and the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation.

This event is in conjunction with our altogether FREE Sub Pop Silver Jubilee music festival on Saturday, July 13th in Seattle’s historic Georgetown neighborhood. The festival will feature a number of Sub Pop artists both past and present. It’s truly going to be a massive orgy of proto-grunge, grunge, and post-grunge—all not to be missed. So join us. More information can be found here.

Take a quick, behind the scenes look at the temporarily-returned-to-its-former-glory Sub Pop Mega Mart in this video honoring the classic, short-form documentary style (it’s effectively a commercial advertisement) starring Sub Pop art directors, Jeff Kleinsmith and Sasha Barr, as well as Lacey Swain, Sub Pop’s own go-to emcee. The doc highlights the Sub Pop Mega Mart art installation, some limited-edition SP merch items, and the fact that we’re interested in selling you these things. If you’ve ever been a fan of Sub Pop and/or any Sub Pop recording artists, there’s definitely something for you at the Sub Pop Mega Mart; located at 6003 12th Ave S. Seattle, WA 98108 in Seattle’s historic Georgetown neighborhood. Bring quarters, there are Sub Pop gumballs.

If you’re in Seattle tonight, we’re hosting the big, hard launch marking the official, official opening (there were a few snafus the first time around). There will be donuts, DJs from KEXP, and good times. Details here.

Pissed Jeans are back with another subtly astounding video for “Romanticize Me”, off of their excellent release, Honeys. Watch “Romanticize Me” in the accompanying player.

Pissed Jeans are playing Sub Pop’s Silver Jubilee on Saturday, July 13th in Seattle’s historic Georgetown neighborhood. This event is free and boasts a line-up of past and present artists in the SubPopsphere and it’s a free event. The Silver Jubilee is free. More information can be found here.

Sub Pop recording artists, METZ, in conjunction with the wonderful weirdos over at [adult swim] have gifted the world with a new METZ digital single called “Can’t Understand” available for download here. Here’s (some of…) what Pitchfork had to say about it: ""Can’t Understand" is a physical proposition first and foremost, everything responding to the cerebral woes of its title with equal and opposite brute force." So, download “Can’t Understand” and rebuke those cerebral woes with an equal and opposite brute force (we believe that to be a Newtonian response to woe).

This upcoming Friday, June 28th from 5-8pm, we have an exciting proposition for you relating to the official, “Big, Hard Launch Event” for the actual, physical, Sub Pop Megamart. If you’re precious about your Friday evenings, then you’re likely wondering to yourself, “What’s all the hubbub for, Sub Pop?!”, GOOD QUESTION! The hubbub is this: Troy & Sharlese from our beloved KEXP radio station will be on hand DJ’ing the event, Top Pot is providing free, Friday night donuts, there could very well be free beverages, limited-edition SP merch currently only available at the Megamart is for sale, and some rare, out-of-print Sub Pop vinyl for sale, too. One thing that will be certain, it will very fun. Also, free.

This temple of commerce is temporarily available to you, the Seattle-based music connoisseur, until July 21st.

The Sub Pop Megamart is located at 6003 12th Ave S. Seattle, WA 98108 next to the Georgetown Via Tribunali.

His Electro Blue Voice are the newest artists on the Sub Pop roster and their label debut, [ahem] Ruthless Sperm comes out on August 20th. Listen to the sonic barrage that is the accompanying track, “Sea Bug”, from said record.

Pre-order Ruthless Sperm here.

Watch the lyric video for “Don’t Give Up”, the second peek into the imagination of Washed Out’s Ernest Greene as it’s manifested into the August 13th release of the bands’ forthcoming Paracosm. The song’s visual accompaniment continues in the rich, hazy vein that Washed Out has established with the dream-like Paracosm album trailer and the first track released for "the equally magical “It All Feels Right.”

Pre-order Paracosm on CD and Loser Edition colored-vinyl LP here.

We’re just under the three-week mark until the masses (our goal is to attract “the masses”) descend on the great Georgetown neighborhood of our beautiful and bountiful (cherries, apples, crab, grunge, et cetera) city, Seattle, WA, to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of consecutive years of business operation in what we’re calling the Sub Pop Silver Jubilee. On July 13th, a large number of bands in the immediate and extended Sub Pop family will populate a few stages scattered around Georgetown in this entirely FREE-TO-ENTER celebration of ourselves. In the previous several weeks, we’ve been introducing/reintroducing you to the artists playing the festival in a weekly column we’ve been calling Getting To Know Us; this week, we’re here to tell you a bit about the Toronto band, METZ, and a legendary Seattle-based band called The Mudhoney.

Canadian good guys Hayden, Alex, and Chris are the building blocks of METZ, the Toronto-based noise mongers. They punish ears with the basic formula of drums, bass, guitar and vocals, but they manage to do it in a way completely unto themselves and in a manner that will have you saying after every song, “Thank you, sir, may I have another”, and they will oblige. Watch the video for “Wet Blanket” from their 2012 debut, METZ.

Mudhoney are a difficult band to introduce/reintroduce to you in such short form because of their legendary status and their lynch pin-importance to the formation (and sustainment) of Sub Pop—which is to say, I’m going to blow it trying. Mudhoney have been a band for 25 years now, have released a lot of records, toured endlessly, and were one of the triggers that placed Seattle squarely in the center of the universe in the early nineties. They’re also possibly the only band that left Sub Pop for a different record label and later got back together with us so we could continue to make sweet music together—if Sub Pop had a spouse, it’s certainly Mudhoney. Like I said, I was going to blow it trying to tell you about the Mudhoney’s greatness, and I have succeeded in that. So, please just watch the accompanying video for “I Like It Small” from Vanishing Point and than you should probably watch the video for my favorite Mudhoney song ever, “Good Enough”, from 1991’s Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge.

METZ and Mudhoney, two bands by themselves that could fill the entire neighborhood of Georgetown with “masses”, but only two of many bands playing the FREE Sub Pop Silver Jubilee. Join us July 13th for the festivities; your ears will be ringing with bliss when it’s all over.

For full event details, this is hyperlinked sentence you’re looking for.

Sub Pop is pleased to announce a partnership with TOMS (www.TOMS.com) for a limited edition shoe collection in conjunction with the Sub Pop Silver Jubilee 25th anniversary celebration.

We are immensely excited about this partnership, and we are proud to work with TOMS. Sub Pop and TOMS share a commitment to philanthropy and a creative, responsible approach to our respective businesses. We at Sub Pop admire TOMS mission statement – “With every product you purchase, TOMS will help a person in need. One for One.” – and we try, in whatever small ways we can, to give back to our community in a similar fashion. And, of course, we are happy to be associated with footwear as comfortable and stylish as TOMS.

The collection includes the lace-up Paseo shoe in gray for men, and two versions of the slip-on Classic in navy for men and red for women, all with a unique Sub Pop design incorporated into the shoe.

Each pair includes a download code for a Sub Pop sampler featuring new and rare tracks from the likes of Shabazz Palaces, Mudhoney, Father John Misty, Pissed Jeans, METZ, Shearwater, King Tuff, and more. As with all TOMS shoes, for every shoe purchased, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need.

The shoes will be on sale July 1st, 2013 at TOMS.com and TOMS Flagship Store in Venice, CA. They will also be available online at Nordstrom.com and at the retailer’s flagship store in Downtown Seattle. Additionally the shoes will be sold inside the Nordstrom Men’s Shop tent at the FREE Sub Pop Silver Jubilee on July 13th. Sub Pop’s Silver Jubilee festival will be held on July 12th and 13th in Seattle. The event will benefit Seattle nonprofits 90.3 KEXP FM, Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation and Northwest Harvest. For more information on the festival visit http://silverjubilee.subpop.com.

Take a couple of minutes to watch the brand new METZ video for the stellar track, “Get Off”, from the band’s 2012 s/t debut. The video was illustrated and animated by the band’s labelmate and fellow Canadian, Chad VanGaalen, who, if you’re familiar with his visual work, you’ll know to be prepared for a slightly unsettling but somehow delightful experience. Enjoy the weird ride.

METZ are touring Europe this fall. Luck you guys.

Jun. 21 – Calgary, Canada – Royal Canadian Legion #1
Jun. 22 – Calgary, Canada – Broken City
Jun. 23 – San Francisco, CA – Slims
Jun. 28 – St. Gallen, Switzerland – St. Gallen Festival
Jun. 29 – Helsinki, Finland – Rock the Beach Festival
Jul. 4 – Arendal, Norway – Hove Festival
Jul. 6 – Roskilde, Denmark – Roskilde Festival
Jul. 12 – Toronto, Canada – Downsview Park
Jul. 20 – Chicago, IL – Pitchfork Music Festival
Jul. 26 – Guelph, Canada – Hillside Festival of Guelph
Aug. 1 – Venlo, Netherlands – Julianapark
Aug. 2 – Liege, Belgium – Micro Festival
Aug. 3 – Katowice, Poland – Off Festival
Aug. 8 – Oslo, Norway – Oya Natt Festival
Aug. 9 – Rees-Haldern, Germany – Haldern Pop Festival
Aug. 11 – Castelbuono (Palermo- Sicily), Italy – Ypsigrock Festival
Aug. 24 – Los Angeles, CA – F Yeah Fest
Sep. 26 – Champaign, IL – Pygmalion Festival
Sep. 27 – Cincinnati, OH – Midpoint Music Festival
Oct. 30 – Reykjavik, Iceland – Iceland Airwaves Festival
Oct. 31 – Reykjavik, Iceland – Iceland Airwaves Festival
Nov. 1 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg – Den Atelier
Nov. 2 – Brussels, Belgium – Witloofbar
Nov. 3 – Eindhoven, Holland – Hit The City Festival
Nov. 4 – Hamburg, Germany – Hafenklang
Nov. 6 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Beta
Nov. 7 – Stockholm, Sweden – Debaser Strand
Nov. 8 – Oslo, Norway – John Dee
Nov. 9 – Gothenburg, Sweden – Pustervik
Nov. 11 – Berlin, Germany – Bi Nuu
Nov. 12 – Warsaw, Poland – Hydrozagadka
Nov. 13 – Wroclaw, Poland – Bezsennosc
Nov. 14 – Prague, Czech Republic – 007 Club
Nov. 15 – Wurzburg, Germany – Cafe Cairo
Nov. 16 – Lausanne, Switzerland – Le Romandie Club
Nov. 17 – Milan, Italy – Lo Fi Club
Nov. 19 – Lyon, France – Marche Gare
Nov. 20 – Paris, France – La Gaite Lyrique
Nov. 22 – Manchester, United Kingdom – Deaf Institute
Nov. 23 – Glasgow, United Kingdom – Broadcast
Nov. 25 – Leeds, United Kingdom – Brudenell Social Club
Nov. 26 – Bristol, United Kingdom – Start the Bus
Nov. 27 – Brighton, United Kingdom – The Haunt
Nov. 28 – London, United Kingdom – Village Underground

Hey, there! We’re excited to share the brand new video from The Postal Service for their new song, “A Tattered Line of String”! Available on Give Up (Deluxe, 10th Anniversary Edition).

Getting to Know Us

With less than a month left until Seattleites, Washingtonians, fellow Northwesterners, national and international travelers, and the great unwashed (Sub Pop employees) arrive en masse in Seattle’s historic Georgetown neighborhood for the Sub Pop Silver Jubilee, we’re running out of time to tell you all about ourselves in an effort to coerce you into thinking to yourself, “This free, all day concert-going experience, featuring many of my favorite artists and musicians, and possibly introducing me to additional favorite artists and musicians, is how I will spend Saturday, July 13th. I should tell all of my friends about this now”. And you know what, you’re right, you should tell your friends about this; it’s going to be the best G-D day of all. This week’s Getting to Know Us, the feature intended to acquaint/reacquaint you with the artists playing the Jubilee, features King Tuff and Chad VanGaalen, two overwhelming creative hubs of music and art and wonderful weirdness of all kinds. Here, let me show you about them:

Led by long-haired, self-taught Bedazzler virtuoso and all around natural creative force, Kyle Thomas, King Tuff came to Sub Pop on the heels of their near-perfect debut, King Tuff Was Dead, (which, if you’re a connoisseur of good times, you should own (lucky for you, it just got reissued on the vinyl formatway)). Instead of releasing the King Tuff follow-up, Thomas reengineered his formula for his next project and came up with the KT bridge project, Happy Birthday, and we released their brilliant self-titled, laid-back pop anthem-laden debut in 2010 to much hoo-ha from the press. In 2012, Thomas refocused on King Tuff and gave the world King Tuff, pleasing virtually all who chose to gaze their ears upon its fuzzy glory. Watch the embedded video for KT’s “Bad Thing” to get an earful of what we’re clumsily trying to tell you about. OH! It’s always worth noting that AllMusic.com decreed upon King Tuff the musical theme: “TGIF”; those guys clearly get it.

Sub Pop has had the privilege of putting out four of Chad VanGaalen’s records in just eight years. They’ve each been haunting, beautiful and weird—a sort of weird beauty. In addition to being a uniquely gifted and prolific musician/songwriter, Chad is also a visual artist with an output similar to his musical output, which is to say, he’s like a nuclear reactor of creative energy. He has illustrated and animated most of his own music videos, adding an additional sensory dimension through which his haunting songs can are conveyed. Watch the accompanying “Molten Light” to get the eerie and enthralling CvG experience. Chad has also illustrated and animated music videos for Sub Pop labelmates like J Mascis (also playing the Jubilee), as you can see here.

Chad and Kyle are just two of Sub Pop’s many creative weirdos, and two more very convincing reasons why the July 13th Sub Pop Silver Jubilee is going to be a wonderfully absurd place to park yourself for the day—we hope to see you there. Thanks again for getting to know us.

This is the link to clicl for complete Silver Jubilee details.

Sub Pop is very happy to be able to share with you Low’s new video for “Plastic Cup” directed by Ryley Fogg. You can watch the video in the embedded player.

We’re also pleased to announce screenings of Low Movie (How to Quit Smoking) all over the United States this summer. The film follows the band’s entire career and relationship with director, Philip Harder. For twenty years, we made music videos and short films together, filming on ice, in railroad yards, and in rapidly disintegrating rooms.

So far, screenings have been scheduled in the cities below. You can see the full list of screenings and ticketing links here, but make sure to check back often as cities are still being added.

Iowa City, IA – Duluth, MN – Philadelphia, PA – Washington, DC – Chicago, IL Harrisburg, PA – Tulsa, OK – Omaha, NE – Seattle, WA – Grand Rapids, MI Cleveland, OH – New York, NY – Hartford, CT – San Francisco, CA – Arcata, CA Los Angeles, CA – Washburn, WI – Auburn, NY – Columbia, SC – Boston, MA – Madison, WI

Low have also just announced two shows in the southeast in September. Tickets for both shows are on sale on Friday, June 14. You can also get more information about each here.

Sept. 5 – Mercy Lounge – Nashville, TN
Sept. 6 – Terminal West – Atlanta, GA

Don’t forget about Low’s shows next week with Mike Doughty, Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival and July shows with Swans. They return to Europe in August and November. Details below.

June 14 – Red Star – Duluth, MN
June 15 – Rock the Garden – Minneapolis, MN
June 17 – Sixth and I Synagogue – Washington, DC
June 18 – Altar – Pittsburgh, PA
June 19 – Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY
June 20 – Spaceland Ballroom – Hamden, CT
June 21 – World Cafe Live – Philadelphia, PA
June 22 – Solid Sound Festival @ Mass Moca – North Adams, MA
July 18 – Old National Centre – Indianapolis, IN
July 19 – The Majestic – Detroit, MI
July 20 – Pitchfork Music Festival @ Union Park – Chicago, IL
Aug. 16 – Pukkelpop @ Kiewet Hasselt Festival Grounds – Hasselt, Belgium
Aug. 17 – Green Man Festival – Glansuk, Wales
Aug. 19 – Cyprus Avenue – Cork, Ireland
Aug. 20 – Whelan’s – Dublin, Ireland
Aug. 21 – Empire Music Hall – Belfast, Ireland
Aug. 30 – Big Top Chautauqua – Bayfield, WI
Sept. 5 – Mercy Lounge – Nashville, TN
Sept. 6 – Terminal West – Atlanta, GA
Sept. 7 – Hopscotch Music Festival – Raleigh, NC
Nov. 4 – Sala Petrassi: Auditorium Parco della Musica – Rome, Italy
Nov. 5 – Teatro Puccini – Florence, Italy
Nov. 6 – Teatro Martinitt – Milan, Italy
Nov. 7 – Bogen F – Zurich, Switzerland
Nov. 8 – Le Bourg – Lausanne, Switzerland
Nov. 9 – Manufaktur – Schorndorf, Germany
Nov. 11 – Stadsschouwburg – Groningen, Netherlands
Nov. 12 – Lux – Nijmegen, Netherlands
Nov. 13 – Het Depot – Leuven, Belgium
Nov. 14 – Junction – Cambridge, United Kingdom
Nov. 15 – Rescue Rooms – Nottingham, United Kingdom
Nov. 16 – Queens Social Club – Sheffield, United Kingdom
Nov. 18 – Anglican Cathedral – Liverpool, United Kingdom
Nov. 19 – Queens Hall – Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Nov. 20 – Brudenell Social Club – Leeds, United Kingdom
Nov. 21 – Arts Centre – Norwich, United Kingdom
Nov. 22-24 – ATP Festival – Camber Sands, United Kingdom

As we’ve previously reported, the stunning follow up to No Age’s Everything In Between, An Object, comes out on August 20th. And for a band well known for their holistic approach to the use of the album as an artistic expression—maximizing all aspects of the album as expression, not just the sonic experience—No Age take it several notches further by stepping into virtually all aspects of the creation of An Object, from creating the music to printing, all the way to assembling and packaging each of the CDs and LPs in the first run of the record, the band redefine the entire artistic process of the recording artist; and they do it to wonderful effect. And though you’ll have to wait until August 20th to hear, see, and feel the aptly titled, An Object in all of it’s sonic and tactile glory, today, we give you a taste of what the record sounds like with “C’mon Stimmung”. Welcome back, No Age.

Look for pre-order details for An Object next week.

In continuity with the aesthetic that Washed Out established when they released the summer fever-inducing album trailer for the forthcoming, summer anthem-packed Paracosm, they now give us the similarly floral and kaleidoscopic music video for “It All Feels Right”, the massive, hazy, lead off hitter for the new record. Out August 13th on Sub Pop Records.

If you pre-order Paracosm on CD or LP, you’ll receive the very limited-edition Washed Out 7" single, featuring “Pull You Down” b/w “Exit”, at no charge. Speaking of limited edition vinyl, if you pre-order the record on the larger, fidelity-maximizing LP format, you’ll receive the limited, colored-vinyl Loser Edition of Paracosm. But, as is the nature of limited things, the sooner you order, the better your chances are of receiving them. Lastly, we have two brand new Washed Out t-shirts, both available at a discount when bundled with the Paracosm CD or LP.

Pre-order Paracosm on CD or LP.

Another week is already on top of us, June’s entering its awkward tweens, and we’ve got another issue of Getting to Know Us, the weekly column in which we go on and on (and on) about a few of the artists playing our self indulgent 25th anniversary party (the Sub Pop Silver Jubilee—July 13th—Seattle), with the tedium of proud parents in an effort to acquaint/reacquaint you with the artists playing. This week, we’re going to tell you all about Greg Dulli, Shearwater, and The Baptist Generals.

Among Sub Pop’s many prodigal sons, Greg Dulli stands out because we’ve been fortunate enough to be able to work with him on not just one, but three different projects: The Afghan Whigs, The Gutter Twins, and most recently, The Twilight Singers; each sonically unique unto themselves yet somehow all clearly branded “Dulli”—all with truly astonishing releases. Greg Dulli is going to have an unparalleled depth in which to pull songs from, so a performance from him is likely to be a multi-decade-spanning trip from the past to the present with stops everywhere in between—we’re excited to board any ship with Greg Dulli at the helm—it’s going to be a great ride. Watch the video for “On The Corner”, from Twight Singers’ 2011 Dynamite Steps to hear what we’re saying.

Shearwater’s prolific career has been on high speed for over a decade, but we’ve only just recently been lucky enough to work with them having released their seventh full-length record, Animal Joy, in 2012. Without a background in poetry, it’s difficult to accurately describe exactly the sound that Shearwater has so developed over the years—dark with a healthy dose of pirated optimism?—yikes, that’s not it. Check out their cinematic video for “You As You Were”, my personal favorite Shearwater song.

The Baptist Generals hold the Sub Pop Records record for longest time span between debut and sophomore record—No Silver/No Gold and Jackleg Devotional to the Heart—2003 and 2013, respectively; a full decade. It’s no small feat reintroducing a band to a generation of music listeners and record collectors who were forced to move on after the long wait, but upon our first hearing Jackleg, there was no question that we had to share this record with anyone and everyone who we could play it for, which is to say, it may have been a long time, but The Baptist Generals sound is as good as ever. They’re like the Meryl Streep of Denton, TX-based musicians. To hear proof of this well-aged sound, listen to “Broken Glass.”

With last Friday’s announcement expanding the already get-here-July 13th-no-matter-what caliber lineup for The Silver Jubilee to include METZ, King Tuff, Built To Spill, Chad VanGaalen, and brand new Sub Pop artists, clipping., this festival is shaping up to be the best we’ve ever been to—here’s to hoping you can join us.

More info for the event can be found here.

To say that we’re tediously excited to share the news that Italian band His Electro Blue Voice will release Ruthless Sperm, their Sub Pop debut, on August 20th is a gross understatement. The self-produced album is the band’s first full-length release, and it’s remarkably noisy and perfect in its devastating execution. All of which is to say, it’s so good and we think you’re going to love it as much as us.

Watch the Ruthless Sperm album trailer on the embed, listen to the track, “Kidult”, from the Sub Pop 1000 comp, and look for more HEBV news in the weeks to come.

We here at Sub Pop are feeling even more self-congratulatory than usual in sharing further details on our 25th anniversary celebration: the Sub Pop Records Silver Jubilee. To be held July 12th-13th in Seattle, Washington, the event will feature music and comedy performances by past and present Sub Pop and Sub Pop-related artists.

On Friday, July 12th, the previously announced Silver Jubil-eve: A 25th Anniversary Comedy Thing (for Charity!) takes place at the Moore Theatre. The evening will be hosted by Eugene Mirman and feature performances from Marc Maron, Jon Benjamin, Kristen Schaal, and Kurt Braunohler, with additional guests to be announced shortly. Tickets for the event are $25 and are on sale now, right here. More information is here.

Then, on Saturday, July 13th, our entirely FREE, all-ages festival will happen to a stretch of Airport Way in Seattle’s historic & colorful Georgetown neighborhood. The music lineup has been expanded to include friends of Sub Pop Built to Spill (fun fact: Built to Spill recorded their landmark album There’s Nothing Wrong with Love, for the Sub Pop offshoot and respected indie label Up Records in 1994). Also added to the lineup are Sub Pop artists “King Tuff”http://www.subpop.com/artists/king_tuff/, METZ, Chad VanGaalen, and the newest addition to the Sub Pop roster, clipping., from Los Angeles. Our sister label, Hardly Art, will host the “Hardly Art Sideshow Stage” at the Georgetown venue The Mix. The 21-and-over show, which features Hausu, Protomartyr, Deep Time, and more, will begin at 9pm. Please find full updated music lineup details below.

We’d also like to officially welcome clipping. to the Sub Pop family. The group joined the label earlier this month, and will release their label debut in 2014. In the meantime, listen to their album midcity here or watch their latest video for “bout that” here.

Finally, the temporary Sub Pop Mega Mart store, located in the heart of the Georgetown neighborhood, will open its doors on June 8th. Discerning music lovers will find records—including lots of rare and out-of-print colored vinyl—and merchandise from the label’s storied catalog, and take in an art exhibit featuring little-seen materials (sketches and artwork, label ads and press sheets, blue-lines and cutting room floor scraps) from throughout the label’s history. The store hours are Thursday-Saturday 12-8pm, and Sunday 12-6pm. The Sub Pop Mega Mart is at 6003 12th Avenue South in Seattle and will be open from June 8th until July 21st.

All proceeds from both the ticketed Silver Jubil-eve comedy night and donations collected from the Silver Jubilee music event will benefit local organizations 90.3FM KEXP, Northwest Harvest and the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation. In addition to these worthy organizations, Sub Pop is fortunate to be working with the Georgetown Merchants Association and great businesses like Nordstrom, STG Presents, Uber, Top Pot Doughnuts, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Georgetown Brewing Company, the Sandbox, Fantagraphics Books, Georgetown Records, Via Tribunali, Elysian Brewing Company, and the Georgetown Inn to create a one-of-a-kind event in a one-of-a-kind neighborhood.

For more information and updates on the event, please visit silverjubilee.subpop.com.

Friday July 12, 2013
Sub Pop Records’ Silver Jubil-eve
A 25th Anniversary Comedy Thing (for Charity!)
At The Moore Theatre
7p.m. Door

Tickets $25, All Ages

Ticketing info here.
Lineup:
Eugene Mirman
Marc Maron
Jon Benjamin
Kristen Schaal
Kurt Braunholer

Saturday July 13th
Sub Pop’s Silver Jubilee
On Airport Way in Georgetown
10am-11pm

FREE, All Ages

Lineup:
Built to Spill
J Mascis
Mudhoney
Greg Dulli
Father John Misty
Shabazz Palaces
Shearwater
METZ
King Tuff
Pissed Jeans
Chad VanGaalen
The Baptist Generals
clipping.
Brothers of the Sonic Cloth (featuring Tad Doyle)
Jack Endino’s Earthworm
And special guest TBA

Hardly Art Sideshow Stage
The Mix
6006 12th Ave. S
9pm / 21+ / FREE

Lineup:
Hausu
Protomartyr
Deep Time
and special guests

Father John Misty has had a very busy year—he’s played countless shows, countless festivals, serenaded a boat or two, he’s performed on the TV several times, has made music videos for nearly half of 2012 masterpiece Fear Fun, and now, this consummate performer can also add the title of perfumer to his resume. But more on that in the paragraph after next.

First, let’s talk about the new Father John Misty clip for the song that gets Fear Fun rolling—track one/side one—“Fun Times in Babylon”. It’s a delightful, post-apocalyptic romp through a thoroughly ravaged Everytown, USA co-directed by and starring Father John Misty leader, Josh Tillman, who had this to say about the video: "Music videos don’t need blurbs. It’s like putting a brief summary before a Garfield comic strip. Also when did everyone start calling them “clips”? A “clip” is an excerpt of a whole, I thought. Whoever post’s this, don’t spoil the ending in your blurb, which will probably read like this: "Seattle based folk beardo Father John Murphy mopes around a deserted, apocalyptic landscape (and shows off some of those infamous dance moves) in this Josh Tillman directed clip for “Funtimes In Babylon”." Well, at least we didn’t spoil the ending.

And on to pleasures of a different sense, if you will (we really hope you’re still reading). As we said earlier, Father John Misty recently, and yes, seriously, got into the perfume making business, officially earning himself the additional title “perfumer”. Watch the, umm, trailer for his new, unisex fragrance, Innocence by Misty, it’s a wonderful introduction into the process of perfuming as guided by the always charming Father John Misty. Enjoy.

Sub Pop only turns 25 once! Did you think that we were going to mark such a momentous milestone simply by spending the better part of a year planning the Sub Pop Silver Jubilee which entailed booking a large number of Sub Pop-related bands that span the entirety of our tenure, shut down an ENTIRE Seattle neighborhood for one full day, figure out how to feed and tipsify a massive crowd of thousands, provide many other forms of entertainment and time-passery, and charge you absolutely nothing for entry? Well, what I’m saying here, in an incredibly convoluted way, is if you did think that long thing above, you were dead wrong. We’re also having a comedy show at The Moore Theatre in Seattle on July 12th—the Sub Pop Silver Jubil-eve (clever, no?). Watch the accompanying video starring the evening’s host, Eugene Mirman, and read on for more details.

The important things to know:

On Friday, July 12th (the night before our free, utterly vainglorious Silver Jubilee festival in Georgetown on July 13th), Sub Pop Records presents Silver Jubil-eve: A 25th Anniversary Comedy Thing (for Charity!) at the Moore Theatre. The evening will be hosted by Eugene Mirman and features performances from Marc Maron, Jon Benjamin, Kristen Schaal, & Kurt Braunohler. Tickets for the event are $25 and will be on sale June 7th at 10 a.m. You can purchase tickets via phone at 1-877-784-4849, online at STG Presents or in person at The Paramount Theatre box office. All proceeds from this event will benefit local organizations 90.3FM KEXP, Northwest Harvest and the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation.

Ticketing info:

Tickets avialable online at stgpresents.org and tickets.com, also available with NO service charge at the Paramount box office open Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm, plus show nights. Tickets available with a $1.50 service charge at 24-hr electronic kiosks located outside the Paramount, Moore, and Neptune, and with a reduced service charge at Sonic Boom Records.