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

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.

John Vanderslice Drops Free EP

John Vanderslice has always had something of a reputation as being one of the more solid individuals in the indie rock scene. So, when it came over the wire that his new EP Green Grow The Rushes was being given away for free, we can't say we were exactly shocked that he would indulge in such awesomeness.

The record finds the versatile Vanderslice in one of his more experimental modes, and the tracks all have a certain minimalist air that places Vanderslice's multi-tracked vocals atop percussion and subtle instrumentation. Given that the tracks were recorded with a variety of collaborators, it's interesting that they manage to achieve a certain level of sonic unity.

That being said, there is also versatility in the tempos and delivery, and the record is by no means overly staid. While it's bookended by the more meditative "Thule Fog" and "Penthouse Window", the tracks in between offer a solid landscape: "I'll Never Live Up To You" finds Vanderslice dipping his toe in some 8-bit synths, "Pony Express" finds a more organic singer-songwriter vibe, and "Streetlights" is notable as the record's most rock and roll moment.

The fifth track, "Lay Down" (below), was especially notable for us here at HAD, in that it was engineered and produced by Spoon's Jim Eno. Eno manages to harbor Vanderslice's melodic and melancholy side, while at the same time balancing it with a straight ahead drum track and some crunchy atmospheric guitars. Occasionally, JV's darker vibe can get us down, but this track manages to keep things flowing musically and capture the essence of emotion at the same time. Win.

As we mentioned, you can enjoy all this awesomeness for free (mp3 or uncompressed!) by heading to Vanderslice's web site. Alternatively, if you share our fetish (and JV's) for all things analog, then you can bide your time with the digital copies, and pick up the vinyl pressing that's due early next year. Either way - enjoy!

mp3: John Vanderslice - Lay Down

Ryan Adams Drops "Sci-Fi" Metal Concept Album Orion

While we were busy writing something else up on Ryan Adams this morning (forthcoming), we stumbled upon the image above at his website. No, we're not sure what to make of it either, but in short: it appears that Mr. Adams has released a "Sci-Fi Metal Concept Album" entitled Orion, which is available exclusively via an (already sold out) vinyl record on his website.

The project is apparently the product of Adams and long time collaborator Jamie Candiloro, and marks (in theory) Adams coming out of his rock and roll "retirement". While that's all well and good, we have to admit that we're a little skeptical. Adams other "alternative genre" experiments (The Finger,WereWolph, Warren Peace, etc.) have never made a huge impact on us, and have always felt more like novelty experiments than genuine musical pursuits.

That being said, we're not going to write it off right away: Adams is a man of many talents, and it's entirely possible that he put those talents to work and created a brilliant record. Given that the record's already sold out, it seems like we're going to have to seek out other alternatives to hear its greatness - we'll let you know how it goes.

New Blur Single Drops Tomorrow

Now, there are lots of reasons to head out to head out tomorrow and support Record Store Day tomorrow: the economy, the awesomeness of record stores, and all the ridiculously exclusive merch that comes along with the event. But this year, there's something far more monumental on tap for the annual event: The return of Blur.

By all accounts, the band has recorded their first single in seven year for an exclusive 7" that will be available exclusively through shops participating in Record Store Day, and even then in extremely limited (1000 total, according to the band's site) quantities. The 7" will be one-sided (!?!?!) and contain a track called "Fool's Day", which will feature all four members of Blur. Yes!

Obviously it'll make it's way on to the interwebs in no time, but we have say that swiping such an exclusive little piece of wax just might make our Saturday.

We'll see you out there!

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

Phoenix's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix: Deluxe Edition Unboxing

We'll start with this: if you're not prepared for some nerd out fan-boy time, then go now, because that's what this is all about. Specifically, Phoenix's deluxe box set for their record Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Consider yourself warned.

We received the box set (from Europe, par avion) a while back, and we've been meaning to get these pics out to you, dear readers, for a while. In short, the box set fulfills our Phoenix fetish to the max, by offering up a box set that feels distinctively handmade, and gives real insight to the making of this fantastic record.

The set comes in a "pizza box" that was apparently silkscreened by hand by Laurent Brancowitz, which makes sense given that the guitarist designed the record's art in full. It's immediately obvious not only that the materials were hand silkscreened, but also that the sets were assembled by hand.

The set contains the CD of the record, along with an exclusive documentary entitled "Musicvision". We have yet to view the DVD, but keep your eyes peeled for a review. Interestingly, we also decided to rip the CD when we received it, and discovered a vastly different mix from the one we had been listening to. We have no idea where the set of mp3's we have came from, but there are a number of slight differences. More noticeably, "Girlfriend" is a completely different rendition (see below), and "Lasso" is quite a bit faster. Hmmm.

Next up are a number of art pieces that Brancowitz put together for the package. The first is a staple-bound 'zine that is made up of photos taken during the Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix sessions. The 'zine is a neat little assembly, and manages to give a nice abstract vibe, while not feeling too contrived.

The 'zine is backed up by three really nice prints of Brancowitz's photos. The prints are high quality 8x10's, and again: the handmade vibe is immediately apparent. The prints were made in small batches, and the back is even imprinted on the back with the name of Brancowitz's file names. Suffice it to say, these weren't printed at a record plant.

Finally, there's the vinyl: the set comes with two slabs of vinyl: one of the record itself, and another of demos for the album entitled "The Wolfgang Diaries". The record is in a hand silkscreened sleeve, and comes with a nice high-gauge plastic dust jacket. Given our penchant for vinyl goodness, we were extremely pleased.

However, we're even more excited about The Wolfgang Diaries. The vinyl is printed to look much like old school bootleg pressings, and contains a vast number of tracks. We haven't given it a spin yet (turntable's in the shop), but you can bet that hearing these tracks has us more than a little excited.

So, that's about it: is it worth it? To us, absolutely. The handmade feel, loads of exclusive material, and overall "perfect" container for Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is exactly what we've been looking for. The fact of the matter is that this is a record that has ruled our life for the better part of this calendar year, and having it be worshipped in this manner is by no means overkill.

mp3: Phoenix - Girlfriend (Early Mix)

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)

Live Pavement To The Max

Picture of SM at Noise Pop 2009 from the HAD Archive

You may recall that we mentioned a tasty slab of Pavement vinyl that came with the Brighten The Corners vinyl. Well, we did the preorder, and we have the vinyl. We'll be totally honest with you: we live in a digital world, and we've only listened to the record a handful of times since last fall. It's not that it's lacking, rather, it's just that we don't have as much vinyl sit-down time as we'd like.

Given that, we were psyched to discover that The Bat And The Bird took the time to carefully rip that vinyl release to mp3's and kindly put it on the internets. So choice! Are personal pick is a killer version of "Type Slowly" (below), if you want to check out the whole record head to the original post at The Bat And The Bird now.

mp3: Pavement - Type Slowly (Live)

New Port O'Brien Track, Vinyl EP Series Announced

Photo from the HAD Archive

When we heard this latest track from Port O'Brien, we have to admit we were a bit surprised: while their live show has been becoming more rock-oriented and raucus, it seems that their studio chops have been heading in the direction of a more refined, atmospheric sound. Van's vocals are decidedly more refined, and frankly the overall sound seems to ape more than a little bit from Band Of Horses.

Despite a bit of derivative feel, we have to admit we like the track quite a bit, and we're curious where the band is heading with it. Apparently it's part of a series of 7" vinyl releases "celebrating the seasons" that will be released over the next year. The first one (Winter) drops on February 17th, with vinyl version available via the band's web site. Count us in.

Also, as a side note: unless the band has gone decidedly commercial, it seems that perhaps their web site has been hacked by "National Relocation", no?

mp3: Port O'Brien - Is This Really What It's Come To?

Monkey Journey To The West Remixes and Vinyl Drop Tomorrow

It seems that despite the fact that he's knee deep in Blur-reunion hype, Damon Albarn's Monkey: Journey To The West is still continue to wring out a fair dose of relevance. The much-lauded crossover project has received considerable attention, ranging from the BBC to the Olympics, and now it's been subjected to the remix treatment.

Ubiquitous remix-master Diplo, along with Kwes, are the driving forces behind two remixes of "Monkey Bee" that drop tomorrow as a digital single. Diplo's remix (we haven't heard the Kwes remix yet) is a drastic take on the original that travels from downtempo reggae, through some arcade analog synths, and straight on to some hip hop beats. "Journey to the West", indeed.

In addition to the remixes, the record has also been released on vinyl in what appears to be an intricately assembled box set featuring a hardcover book, lithographs, and 200 gram (!) vinyl of the record. The package looks amazing, but with a 255 UK Pound price point, we have to say it's a little rich for our blood. If you find yourself in the market for a copy, however, The Vinyl Factory is where it's at. We'll be green with envy.

mp3: Damon Albarn - Monkey Bee, Diplo Remix (YouSendIt, click through)

Ryan Adams Cardinology Contest Winner Announced

Well, this was probably was our most popular contest yet, and we can understand why! Getting Cardinology on vinyl and CD in one fell swoop is about as good as it gets. The winner of this fine, fine, prize is one Mr. William Bronston. William, we'll be contacting you about the prize shortly. In the meantime, thanks again to Filter magazine for sponsoring the contest - we're sure William thanks you as well!

Reminder: Ryan Adams Cardinology Giveaway Ends Tonight At Midnight

Just a reminder kids: if you're hankering for a free vinyl and CD pairing of the latest from one Mr. David Ryan Adams and his band the Cardinals, then make sure you get in your contest entries by tonight at midnight. If you have no idea what we're talking about, then you may as well go check out the original contest posting. Good luck!

Contest: Ryan Adams Cardinology Vinyl+CD Giveaway

Well kids, this is just cool. We'll be perfectly honest with you: this contest we're about to offer up? We paid our own cold hard cash for the same exact thing just about a month ago. Seriously: it's almost too good to be true. The kind folks at Filter Magazine (ardent Ryan Adams proponents if there ever were some) have offered us a combined vinyl and CD copy of the Cardinals' latest, Cardinology, to give away to one of our ridiculously lucky readers.

So, here's the deal: this is a sicktastic prize, so we're gonna make you work a little to get the goods. By midnight next Friday, send us your name and address and the answer to the following question:

Ryan Adams recorded an unreleased session at Q Division studios in Boston in September of 2000. At that session, another musician sang backup vocals. That musician is now in another band - name the band and the musician.

Replies go to contests@hippiesaredead.com - name, address, and answer. One entry per person, please.

Ready, set, go!

Cardinology Vinyl Pre-Order Announced

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals have released details of a vinyl preorder for their new record Cardinology. The package will feature a t-shirt, post cards, a comic book, translucent red vinyl, and album art exclusive to the first pressing. In addition it'll come with a bonus 7" and a digital download code. No word on pricing, but you can register at the site above for notification of the preorder getting off the ground.

The Walkmen's You & Me Limited Vinyl

We've been sort of staying under the radar in regard to the Walkmen's upcoming release You and Me: Given the band's recent claims that some of their more recent live offerings don't sound like the album, it seemed sensible to avoid mention until we got to hear it ourselves. However, the more we put it off, the more we get psyched to hear the new disc. Stereogum hyping it with a prerelease review didn't help to calm us down either. Well, today we got an email from Insound saying that they'll be the exclusive purveyors of the vinyl edition of the record, pressed on 180 gram red vinyl. Being the vinyl fetishists that we are (and colored at that!), we figured it was worth a mention. The preorder gets you the vinyl, plus mp3s: awesome.