Sondre Lerche Drops First Bonus Track From Reissues, Tour Dates

Sondre Lerche @ The Great American Music Hall, from the HAD Archive

It's no secret that we here at HAD are huge vinyl fanatics, so when we heard that Sondre Lerche's first four records were being reissued, and simultaneously would be available on vinyl for the first time, we were very, very, excited. However, our excitement was not to end there.

You see, in addition to all that vinyl-flavored goodness, Lerche is giving us so much more: the reissues are backed with bonus tracks that include demos and unreleased tracks. Stereogum has the first one, a demo of "John, Let Me Go", and if it's any indicator of quality, these are going to be a real treasure trove. What's more, Lerche is also releasing his first live record, Bootlegs, from which you can hear the first track at his website. It is equally killer, and definitely representative of the quality of this live shows.

Which brings us to the final gem: Lerche is headed out on a fall tour in support of the records, and he's covering the bases. He'll be in the East, West, and middle of the US, and provided you're somewhere near a major market, you'll be able to see him. And, let us say, as devotees of his live show since his first US tour for Faces Down, it's one that you don't want to miss.

Sondre Lerche Fall 2012 Dates
9/05 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
9/06 Cambridge, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
9/07 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
9/10 Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
9/11 Pittsburgh, PA @ New Hazlett Theater
9/12 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
9/13 Holland, MI @ Hope College – DeWitt Theatre
9/14 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
9/15 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café
9/18 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
9/19 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
9/20 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
9/21 Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
9/22 Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour
9/25 Phoenix, AZ @ Musical Instrument Museum
9/26 Albuquerque, NM @ Low Spirits Bar & Stage
9/27 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
9/28 Waco, TX @ Common Grounds
9/29 Austin, TX @ Stubbs

Paul McCartney Set To Reissue Ram

News of a bunch of reissues came down yesterday, including those from My Bloody Valentine and Van Dyke Parks, but the reissue that had us most excited by far was the latest in Paul McCartney's reissue collection: Ram. The disc is probably the most underrated (by the general public) of McCartney's post-Beatles career, and also the only disc to be attributed to Paul and his late wife Linda.

So, then, why the excitement for the reissue?  Well, for anyone who seriously digs on this disc (like we do), a treasure trove of extras related to the record is being added to the deluxe editions of the disc. On top of a brand new documentary from Macca himself, the collection will also feature the mono mixes of the record, and an instrumental version created under the McCartney pseudonym "Thrillington".

Granted, if you don't already love this disc, then this reissue is probably a bit of overkill for you. But for those of us who have lovingly cherished it as a highlight of Paul's career, it's super exciting to have these rarities and alternate interpretations come to light.  What better way to spend your summer than with what Paul describes as a record that "reminds me of my hippie days and the free attitude with which was created"? Indeed.

The Ram reissue drops May 22nd.


mp3: Paul and Linda McCartney - Too Many People

Archers Of Loaf - Vee Vee Reissue

Here at HAD, we are of two minds when it comes to the imminent "two disc" reissues of classic records.  With bands we obsessed over before the reissues, they can be a bit of a let down:  sometimes they don't include one or two key tracks, sometimes the ordering is less than ideal, and (let's be honest) it just hurts to see the tracks you paid hundreds of dollars to obtain as import B-Sides on one convenient $15 bonus disc.  However, with bands for whom we had never invested that level of time and money the two disc reissue is a treasure trove of affordably-priced awesomeness.  Case in point: Merge Records' latest Archers of Loaf Reissue, Vee Vee.

With their first Archers two disc reissue, Icky Mettle, Merge something of an easy time of it.  The bonus disc consisted of the band's classic The Greatest Of All Time, and a bunch of hard-to-find 7" versions of album cuts.  In short, exactly what you'd expect. Which, while complete, held relatively few surprises. By stark contrast, the reissue of Vee Vee is chock full of new and unreleased material.  The easy stuff is tossed aside in the first few minutes, with single b-sides and alternate mixes filling the first five tracks. However, what follows is the true reward: in addition to a number of rarities from compilations, and an previously unreleased track, "Equinox", the second disc fills out with seven tracks from not one, but two separate demo tapes.

The demo tracks are really the highlight of the bonus disc:  they illustrate not only the depth of these songs and musicians, but also the many sides of Eric Bachmann that had yet to be revealed, and would later surface in Crooked Fingers. The "Marathon Boombox" tracks feature Bachmann on a twangy guitar poking through what are barely fragments of songs.  By contrast, the "Vee Vee 4-track Demo" tracks that follow employ a drum machine and multiple guitar lines and give a much better sense of what Bachmann would wind up as when he went solo.  In both cases, the demos are enough to stand up on their own, and become classics unto themselves.

And then, of course, there's the record itself.  For Archers fans, Vee Vee needs no introduction, and for many it marks the advent of the band becoming something more dynamic than simply another alternative rock band.  It has never occupied our "favorite record" slot for the band, not for lack of awesomeness, but simply because the rest of their output is so great. That being said, the new remaster is fantastic, and it's the best we've ever heard this record sound.  It is crisp, clean, and manages to somehow toe the line between a clean "studio" mix, and feeling like you're in the room with a band.  Good production at its finest.

In short, the Vee Vee remaster is everything we could ask for, and is well worth your while. Not only that, but it's gotten us extremely excited for the additional reissues that Merge has promised in the coming year. During their heyday, the Archers never really got what one would call wide-spread recognition (we recall seeing them at the Grog Shop in Cleveland in 1999 with something like 20 other people), but that seems to be turning around.  With a reunion tour, and these fantastic reissues, the band is finally getting their due, and it's a good thing, because it's most certainly well-deserved.

Bowie Drops Station To Station Reissue

Sure, Reissues are usually the not-so-delicate ploy of a record company to get money out of an already overextended fanbase. To be sure, David Bowie's no stranger to such ploys; his full catalog's been reissued twice in the past 20 or so years, and the last few have seen a wave of double-disc reissues that are yet another stab at the gamut of his work.

As you may have guessed from the above description, the Bowie reissues haven't really served to impress us, and we've been pretty damn content basking in the goodness of the original Ryko Sound + Vision reissue project. Content, that is, until we heard the Young Americans surround mix that came packaged with that reissue. We here at HAD are huge surround fans, and once we got wind of that, we had to have it. And boy did we enjoy it.

Fast forward a couple of years, and Bowie's Station To Station is seeing a truly major overhaul. First off, it's got a surround remix, which would be enough to rope us in right there. But there's more: They managed to unearth the original RCA mix of the record, an 80's CD mix, and a bootleg concert from the era. Moreover, they made a huge reissue package perfect for neurotic collectors (present company included). Top it all off with some primo heavyweight vinyl, and well, you've got a serious reissue package.

Yes, it's abhorrently priced, and yes it's a lot of rehash of material that most obsessives probably already have, but still: we kinda sort of have to have it. That's not saying we'll actually buy it, but if you were thinking of sending a gift anyway, this might not be a bad idea. The ridiculousness is pictured above.

Pavement Playing Greek Theater In Berkeley, Presale Thursday

We were already excited enough that Pavement was descending on New York for 4 nights and hitting up Coachella on the last day. So, suffice it to say that it's pure icing that the band will be at the Greek Theater in Berkeley (probably our favorite summer venue of all time) on June 25th. While it has yet to be seen if the band will have even more reunion dates, we're willing to guess they're going to do more than five headlining shows. The Berkeley date has a presale tomorrow (Thursday) with the password "wowee".

In other news, the band has a "greatest hits" (cover above) on tap for March 9th, entitled Quarantine The Past. Along with that collection comes a full vinyl reissue of their catalog. Sadly, the vinyl reissues weigh in at a paltry 120gm of goodness. So, while we love vinyl as much as the next guy, it's not exactly what we'd call audiophile grade. Ah well, you can always compensate by catching the real thing this summer!

mp3: Pavement - And Then (The Hexx) Original Version

Pavement's Brighten The Corners On Vinyl: Awesome, Expensive

Is this really the way it has to go down? Are the indie record labels really going to start playing us just like the majors do, and keep rereleasing the same material, but tagging on "bonus" tracks to make each new release "essential" to collectors? Argh. It seems that way, doesn't it Matador?

The most frustrating part about this situation, is that this release sounds so awesome. To put it simply: Matador has decided to release Brighten The Corners: Nicene Creedence Edition as a 4-record vinyl set. The set will encompass the entirety of Nicene Creedence, plus eight new tracks that were not included on that disc, five of which are previously unreleased. From the official press release:

This super deluxe M-Pak accordion style box set comes with a 16-page, 12" x 12" full color booklet, MP3 coupon, and huge essay by New Yorker critic Alex Ross. The vinyl edition of this album also contains eight extra tracks not on the CD, five of which are previously unreleased and including the track "Agony of the Stars." Also includes material from the CD version: the re-mastered original twelve song album, ten non-album B-sides, ten outtakes, and fourteen live radio session tracks. The wealth of extra material testifies to the extraordinary creativity of the band in this period.

Here's where we start to get a little cranky: we love vinyl, we love Pavement bonus material, but this kind of sucks. We dropped twenty-some-odd dollars on the Nicene Creedence preorder, and managed to get all the goodies and vinyl that came along with that. It felt pretty complete, you know: all the tracks, in one place, happily arranged. Enter the new vinyl release, and now our completist copy of Nicene Creedence is decidedly un-completist.

To add insult to injury, the set is definitely on the pricey side: a whopping eighty dollars for the package. Now, we know nice vinyl costs cash, but at $20 a disc, that's definitely on the pricey side. Perhaps most frustrating is the fact that we will probably end up shelling out for it. In our eyes, Brighten The Corners is a high point in the band's career, and having a nice crisp vinyl copy of it is more than tempting. If you're in the same boat, you can preorder at Insound.

Argh, to say the least.

mp3: Pavement - Type Slowly (Live, From The Nicene Creedence Bonus LP)

Jimi Hendrix: Retro Video, Electric Ladyland Reissue

Today marks the 40th anniversary reissue of Jimi Hendrix's classic record Electric Ladyland. As such, the Hendrix family has approved a complete reissue of the record, which includes the ubiquitous "digital remaster" as well as a "Director's Cut" making-of DVD. Frankly, reissues usually don't phase us, but this is our favorite Hendrix disc, and the making-of is supposedly spot-on. That, and it gave us an excuse to put up this sick video of Jimi covering "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Word.

Reissue: Eno and Fripp - No Pussyfooting

No Pussyfooting is one of those records that isn't exactly an easy listen. For one, the only two tracks on it, "The Heavenly Music Corporation" and "Swastika Girls", each clock in at around twenty minutes. For another, it's one of the seminal pieces of ambient electronica, and as such may not exactly appeal to those who are looking for melody and structured composition in their music.

Still, when given proper attention, the record opens up to reveal a world of textures and melody that aren't apparent at first listen. Fripp's pioneering "Frippertronics" make their notable debut here, and the usage is fantastic. The lead melodies surge and sway enough to make the listener think that there are a slew of synthesizers shaping the music. Meanwhile, Eno's background textures serve as a foundation that Fripp continually builds upon over time.

For a record that at first glance has no melodies, repeated listens turn it into a remarkably melodic affair. As one familiarizes themselves with the swells of Fripp's guitar, the expectation for their appearance becomes second nature. Seemingly random synth lines turn into mini-symphonic masterpieces, and long deep drones lose the quality of seeming endless. Instead, the drones' termination becomes expected and sensible exactly where it is. It is music that demands attention and time, and once given as much, rewards the listener with an unparalleled sonic landscape. Suffice it to say, we're big fans of the record.

For us here at HAD, the truly exciting news is that No Pussyfighting (along with the second Fripp/Eno disc Evening Star) has been remastered for release as a two disc set. The second disc contains half speed and reversed versions of the original album tracks, all overseen by Fripp himself. For a record that is inherently ambient and abstract, these "redux" versions (apparently inspired by an accidental reversal of one of the tracks by the BBC) allow for a listener already familiar with the originals to take on the very same material in a wholly new and challenging way. And, for those who maybe haven't heard the originals, well - the sky's the limit.

The Eno/Fripp reissues go on sale today.

Matador Ups The Ante On Brighten The Corners Preorder

If you thought that the last Stephen Malkmus Buy Early Get Now promo was a good deal, then hold on to your hats. Matador has just announced that the forthcoming reissue of Brighten The Corners (the Nicene Creedence Edition) is going to be a part of the program, and the benefits are oh-so-nice. Direct from the source:

- Oct 10- 128k Stream of the Entire Album

- Oct 21: 1st Exclusive Bonus Track

- Nov 4: 2nd Exclusive Bonus Track

- Nov 18: street date - pick up the album at your store or receive it in the mail PLUS a vinyl LP containing an unreleased live show AND a free poster

That's right. A free LP if you Buy Early Get Now. The bonus live LP was recorded during the first Brighten tour and scheduled for release as OLE-324 in July 1998, but was then shelved... until now.

Free vinyl, and album stream starting tomorrow. You heard that correctly. If Matador doesn't know how to do things right, we don't know who does. Preorder the record here.

Video: Two Little Kids Singing "Stereo"

New Pavement Remaster On The Way

If you're like us, a doting adorer of Pavement, then you've been champing at the bit for this bit of news (yes, it's "champing", check your references folks): Brighten The Corners is finally on slate for release in the Pavement reissue program. That means a second disc of B-Sides, remastered audio, unreleased tracks, and uber-pretty album art. And it's all arriving on November 18th! So close! Plus there's going to be a "Buy Early Get Now" promotion with even more details. Awesomeness. Get all the track listing details over at the Matador blog. Thanks to Pitchfork for the tip.

The New U2 Reissues

So, no doubt you've seen the press, blogs, and whatever else about the new U2 reissues. If not, a quick sum up: on the heels of the definitive remastered Joshua Tree, the band decided to remaster their first 3 studio albums, plus the live disc Under A Blood Red Sky. Each is a "definitive edition", with a second disc of live and bonus tracks, and in the case of the live disc, a DVD of the performance.

At first, we here at H.A.D. had been hesitant to pick up these releases, as the press kind of reeked of "record company bid for money" vibe. Moreover, most of the material on the second discs we already had in some form, whether it be bootleg or mp3. However, today we decided to pull the trigger, and for a few (we think) pretty solid reasons. Here's a rundown:

1. The Edge was involved in the remastering from the original tapes. This means that the quality will a) be high, and b) has band buy-in, rather than record-company decision making.
2. The second disc. Yes, we already have a lot of this material, but a lot of it is shoddy quality, sourced from radio, tape cassette, or vinyl. Having it remastered in one place in high fidelity is a nice upgrade.
3. The material. This is seminal U2. We've been a bit jaded after the band's heavy exposure of late, but this is the foundation that U2's greatness is built upon. It's nice to revisit.
4. Packaging. We admit it, we're a sucker for nice packaging. These records were all originally issued in the 80's era generic Island Records format. To have original album art is really nice.
5. The video. This is the first and only DVD release of Under A Blood Red Sky, and it has added bonus tracks. The video is source material of the band totally on the brink of complete stardom. If you haven't seen it, (or even if you have), it's fantastic.

So there you have it: good rationalization for going and dropping close to $100 on U2 reissues. You can buy it where you want, but if you get the first three packaged together at Amazon, it's a hair cheaper and you get a free poster. Also of note, the remastered albums are also available in single disc versions.

Classic Elton John Reissued

Typically we here at H.A.D. tend to shy away from the "reissue" market: it seems like a never ending effort to repackage albums with a single bonus track, and then milk some cash out of the diehard fans (yes, Elvis Costello, we're looking at you). Elton John's catalogue has been middle-of-the-road in terms of it's reissue status. There were a few superfluous reissues on Polydor in the early 90's, but the "Classic Years" reissues that followed actually packed quite a punch: remastered by original producer Gus Dudgeon (before his untimely death), the discs sounded great and came with a nice tag on of 3-4 bonus tracks a piece. They were, it seemed, really the defacto representation of John's amazing early seventies career-defining output.

The more recent reissues in the Elton John catalogue have seemed to reenforce this: both the Captain Fantastic and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road reissues have been short on new material, and heavy on repackaging. So, it was with no small amount of surprise that we stumbled upon the reissues of Elton John and Tumbleweed Connection. Released at the beginning of June, the discs each come with a huge amount of bonus material, including unreleased demos, new tracks, and BBC sessions. Moreover, the recording sessions for these two records were the beginning of John's killer 70's combo that would go on to dominate pop music for the next six years. Getting to hear what the demos and alternate takes for these sessions sound like is like getting a private view into John's massively prolific writing style.

If you're already a fan, then these releases are a no brainer. On the other hand, if you're a skeptic whose biggest familiarity with John is The Lion King, then frankly, this would be a good place to start.