Hey, music fans, do you like music? I mean, really like music? If you answered “yes” (and then yes again, I guess), then you’ll want to keep reading at least until the end of this sentence wherein I tell you the news about the new Superchunk album, I Hate Music! Sounds delightful, doesn’t it? It comes out August 20 via everyone’s favorite indie-punk label, Vagrant Records. Haha, just kidding of course! It’s coming out on Merge, duh. You know, because the singer works there? I think he’s a janitor or something. Don’t know how he got hooked up with that sweet gig. Anyway! Let’s not get bogged down in “accurate” or “detailed information.” On to more content!
I Hate Music is the band’s freakin’ tenth studio album, believe it or not; and it’s also their first since 2010’s pretty cool Majesty Shredding. In fact, the press release calls I Hate Music Majesty Shredding’s “dark twin” — which totally sounds racist, doesn’t it? — before clarifying that statement a little. Turns out that the new one is “similarly aggressive” and “every bit as energetic” but with a “dark undercurrent” as well. It also assures all the young Turks out there that the new title “isn’t tongue-in-cheek, but it’s really more a question than a statement: When you’re 20, lazy co workers and romantic missteps number among your biggest worries; two decades later, life’s bigger questions knock louder and louder, demanding answers.” Hear that? Life’s gonna get a lot worse, suckers!
Speaking of purchasing it, though (I was, wasn’t I?), it’s coming out on CD, LP, and digital, with a limited-edition deluxe LP that comes on colored vinyl and includes a bonus 7-inch with two non-album tracks and a sweet “I Hate Music” stencil (oh, and both the standard and deluxe version LPs are 150-gram vinyl with a die-cut sleeve, and all pre-orders from the Merge store will come with a sweet poster, the first 200 of which will be signed by the band). Whoa, whoa, not so fast! It’s 2013 folks, so you can check out the trailer below and find out for yourself before you just mindlessly buy a product you’ve never heard based on the band’s solid reputation alone. Come on now. Don’t act like such a bunch of pop-punk oldsters! You’ll embarrass me in front of Superchunk.
I Hate Music tracklisting:
01. Overflows
02. Me & You & Jackie Mittoo
03. Void
04. Staying Home
05. Low F
06. Trees of Barcelona
07. Breaking Down
08. Out of the Sun
09. Your Theme
10. FOH
11. What Can We Do
Tourdates:
06.20.13 - Calgary, AB – Sled Island @ Republik
08.22.13 - Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
08.23.13 - Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle
08.24.13 - Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
09.02.13 - Seattle, WA – Bumbershoot
09.03.13 - San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
09.04.13 - Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
09.06.13 - Portland, OR – MusicFestNW @ Crystal Ballroom
09.23.13 - Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater#
09.24.13 - Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer#
09.26.13 - Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club#
09.27.13 - New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom#
09.28.13 - New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom#
09.29.13 - Washington, DC – 9:30 Club#
# Spider Bags
• Superchunk: http://www.superchunk.com
• Merge: http://www.mergerecords.com