News

While we Chicago heads try and fail to tame March's wild lion, David Grubbs is one full step ahead of the calendar with The Plain Where The Palace Stood set to drop on the 16th of April. Cultured man that he be, Professor Grubbs love a jaunt through Europe every opportunity he gets - and what better opportunity than those presented by the release of such a rockingly erudite LP of songs and meditations, a track of which is available for free listenin' here on... (read more)

Anticipating the parallel track of a solo existence rolling next to the formidable bahn of Sic Alps, singer Mike Donovan's got an l'art event under his own pre-Sic name way out in the un-cozy confines of SFCA coming up in just a minute here. Of course, the Bay area is stomping-grounds for Sic Alps and all who travel with 'em, so the photos and drawings that Mike's got on display will likely resonate with the stoners, junkies and dropouts (as well as... (read more)

It's been a long road through time and other things from "Get On Jolly" to "Solemns," but suffice to say, thirteen and some increasingly endless years later, the Bonnie 'Prince' and the Marquis de Tren have not only sat down for another royal audience with each other, but have also several reports from their sessions to share with all of us.

That their paths managed to converge after all this long was both incredible and yet inevitable - after all, the... (read more)

Face it, for all the green types out there obsessed with minimizing their carbon footies, there's at least two more born every minute whose interests lie with collecting as much carbon as possible! We like these people, because they remind us of us, and that's always a good experience. In addition to collecting paper and plastic and other entertaining stuff that's guaranteed to clog the planet's drains in the end (but in the meantime, is awesomely enjoyable, and isn't going anywhere near the drain anytime... (read more)

April showers peel back the dirt from our greenish earth, often revealing previously hidden roots 'n' gems either lost for a time or in some cases never rightly appreciated in the first place. This April, that gem comes to from the mysterious urban graveland we call, Detroit and one of the minds drifting free there sometime in the indeterminate past. Back when the Motown scene was uprooting, and the city's Vietnam protesters were looting, a young Rich Ristagno went from jamming in the garage with... (read more)

Hey there and hello - pleased to stream you! Don't be alarmed should you feel the earth shaking, we feel it, too! And for once it isn't simply due to the fact we've gone off our meds - which, by the way, is everybody else's fault and not ours. Nope; instead, all this rumble comes from the freely streaming debut album from Ensemble Pearl! Crazy shit, that - we're letting folks in on the listening game a little early for once, just to see... (read more)

The man that brought you the Apocalypse now brings you the first rays of the sweet sunshiny new spring -- yes, you read the subject line of this email correctly -- YOUR (anti)HERO, Bill Callahan, is coming soon to a venue near you! How near is up for you to determine; we're simply bearing fruits, not planting fruity trees in your own personal back yard! That would be kind of trespass-y, and when it comes to misdemeanors we're more about being verbally assaultative than... (read more)

We warned you a coupla weeks ago, "Mercury Retrograde" is now upon us. When Purling Hiss first premiered their burning lead single, the astrological retrograde hadn't yet begun; but now---- well, shit-- it's in FULL JACK SWING! Lucky for everyone, the mercurial madness of the retrograde - the lack of continuity, the fruitless quality of communications, the endless breakdowns on mechanical, emotional and logistical fronts - will be over soon, like March 17th to be exact (and super-hopeful!). In the meantime, the Hiss... (read more)

Hey you little West Coasting, graveyard shiftless, couch-potatoes you (tokers and strokers, line up)! We know you saw those freaky little What The Brothers Sang adverts on cable television last week, all up in the Comedy Central, Food Network, Oprah Network ('cept in Spokane- racists!), History Channel and more. Intriguing, weren't they? Indeed, they're indicative of the latest release from Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, a batch of covers from the songbook of a coupla bros named Everly. As sweet and subliminal... (read more)

Couple years back, when a repress of the Drag City "Pus Head Dylan" t-shirt was made, we frantically posted regarding the strange disappearance of one red-headed flapper brave enough to don the DC T, issuing the following statement:

Warning: the Drag City T-shirt is now back in print, but don't try to get through customs wearing one - they're just too sick! We tried to warn this unlucky fellow, and look where he is now. Actually, do you know where he is? This photo was... (read more)