Both our reissue of John Vanderslice's Mass Suicide Occult Figurines, and the new single Midnight Blue / Long Dark Blues are out now! All standard editions have shipped, and Deluxe LPs will be shipping within the next two weeks – the wrap-around jackets were delayed at the printers, but will be arriving shortly.
The great people at Spin Magazine just premiered John Vanderslice's cover of "Long Dark Blues", originally by Songs: Ohia, aka the late great Jason Molina. As you may know, the song comes off the "Midnight Blue / Long Dark Blues" flexi disc, exclusive to our reissue of JV's debut LP Mass Suicide Occult Figurines.
John said this to Spin about the song:
I really dislike covers. Usually they are too deferent to the source, too timid. They need to be a reaction to or an undermining of the original. This song was originally commissioned for a Molina comp and was rejected; I wasn’t surprised… Everyone hears the confessional folk, the Oldham, and the On The Beach-era Neil Young in Molina. I heard the Pink Floyd, the drugs, and the loneliness.
Pre-order the deluxe edition of Mass Suicide Occult Figurineshere (out May 19th), and listen to the song below:
Former Ghosts and Funeral Advantage's Split is out today! The 7"/ Digital EP is streaming in full at BrooklynVegan for those who want to give it a listen before purchasing. If you pre-ordered a copy, those have been shipping for over a week, so check your mailbox! Below you will find a list of digital outlets where you can download or stream the EP.
Noisey ran an incredible interview with John Vanderslice – among many things, it covered his relationship with his debut LP, Mass Suicide Occult Figurines 15 years later, his love of hip-hop, and of course thoughts on streaming platforms and BitTorrent. Read the interview here, and listen to their exclusive premiere of "Confusion Boats" remastered.
This of course follows news that on May 19th we will be reissuing Mass Suicide Occult Figurines on vinyl for the first time ever. Pressed at QRP, arguably the best plant in the country, the 12" will be released on 200 gram vinyl, feature brand new art from Joe Williams, and a download of the entire remastered record. A Deluxe Edition will also be available, including a hand-numbered slip cover, and double-sided 7" flexi disc featuring the new song, "Midnight Blue" and a cover of Songs: Ohia's "Long Dark Blues". Pre-order here.
Here's a few stand-out quotes from the interview:
On Mass Suicide: "... there’s a kind of reckless, I don’t know, intuitive kind of vibe that I hear on Mass Suicide that I don’t have anymore. And that’s fine, that’s evolving."
On Tidal, and streaming services: "I highly encourage everyone to Bittorrent records unless you’re buying records from independent artists. You should probably Bittorrent the new Rihanna record. [Laughs.]"
On recording new music: "I stopped ... When I almost flipped the van on tour, that’s what made me stop. Like “let’s not do this for a while.” I got back and thought, hey, I made ten records, what a fucking great run."
Earlier today, Exclaim.ca premiered the second song off of Funeral Advantage's side of their Former Ghosts split 7"/ digital EP, "I Know Him"! They called it, "a jangly, swirling guitar pop number, featuring hazy back-and-forth male and female vocals awash in layers of echoing reverb" (ps. those "female vocals" are Tyler, ha!).
If you haven't yet, pre-order the Former Ghosts/ Funeral Advantage split 7" at our webstore and iTunes. Also check out our Starter Pack, including every single one of Funeral Advantage's past releases.
Funeral Advantage also announced a tour with Soft Fangs – check out the dates below:
April 8 – Jamaica Plain, MA – White Haus w/ Soft Fangs
April 9 – Cambridge, MA – Middle East w/ Whirr and Adventures
April 10 – New Brunswick, NJ – The Banana Stand w/ Soft Fangs
April 11 – Philadelphia, PA – The Nest w/ Soft Fangs
April 12 – College Park, MD – University of Maryland w/ Soft Fangs
April 13 – Arlington, VA – CD Cellar w/ Soft Fangs
April 14 – Boone, NC – Black Cat Burrito w/ Soft Fangs
April 15 – Savannah, GA – Turin Horse Hotel w/ Soft Fangs
April 16 – Jacksonville, FL – Burro Bar w/ Soft Fangs
