Superchunk

Two brand-new Superchunk songs on coke-bottle clear vinyl, with art designed by Mac. This 7-inch features hand-numbered sleeves printed at Barefoot Press (the original printer of all the 7-inches Merge put out “back in the day”) and is limited to 1,000 copies worldwide. It’s only available at your local record store beginning April 20!

Mac shared the inspiration behind the single:

I was in high school when I first heard one of my favorite hardcore records, the split album on Dischord with the bands Faith and Void, two very different DC punk bands. It’s a favorite of a lot of people, I think. I love both sides but everyone always refers to it as “Faith/Void,” so I wanted to have a single called “Void/Faith” and set about to write those songs. Thematically the titles were already in the neighborhood of where Superchunk’s next album was going anyway. The cover is even an abstracted homage to art on the Void side of the original. Musically we aren’t like either of those bands, but that era influences a lot of what we do. We recorded the single at Overdub Lane with Beau Sorenson and John Plymale, and it was mixed by Beau Sorenson.

Time for the latest entry on the remastered & reissued list: 1994’s “Foolish”, following on previous similar treatments for “Here’s Where The Strings Come In”, “On The Mouth” and “No Pocky For Kitty”. From Merge:

On September 13, Merge will reissue Superchunk’s landmark 1994 album Foolish on CD, LP, and digital download! Foolish has been remastered for this reissue and will feature some different album art and extensive liner notes by drummer Jon Wurster.

The deluxe reissue will also include the following bonus material: The Clambakes, Vol. 6: One in a Row, a 64-minute live recording from 1994 of Superchunk’s show at First Avenue in Minneapolis during the Foolish tour; three songs from rehearsals in Jon Wurster’s basement taped just before the band entered the studio to record the album; and the three acoustic b-sides from the “Driveway to Driveway” EP.

Article continues over at Merge »

Ordering info »

Continuing with the R&R treatment of the Superchunk back catalog, 1995’s “Here’s Where The Strings Come In” has been given a makeover. From Merge:

Out of print for years, Here’s Where the Strings Come In has been remastered by Jason Ward at Chicago Mastering Company from the original 1/2” reels and will be available for the first time on 180-gram vinyl (with download coupon) and on CD newly packaged in LP-style cardboard sleeves. The heavy-duty vinyl jackets were reprinted by Stoughton Printing Co., the same plant that produced them for the original 1995 release. Both physical formats will also come with bonus downloads of The Clambakes Vol. 5 a live Superchunk recording from 2003, and several exclusive demos of songs that appear on the album.

Head on over to Merge to order a copy »

Don’t forget, “No Pocky For Kitty” and “On The Mouth” were given similar treatment a few months back, if you slept on that, pick up all three in a bundle on LP or CD! »

Yeah your NPR tote bag is cool and all, but your Superchunk tote bag is cooler (keep donating to NPR though!). Perfect for records, groceries, or other personal cargo, each one features Mac’s original “tube guy” illustration from the cover of Superchunk’s Majesty Shredding. Get one before they’re gone!

Tote up over at Merge »

Merge Records and Temporary Residence Limited have partnered to co-release “Horror Business” b/w “Bullet,” a limited-edition 7-inch from Superchunk and Coliseum for April 16 – Record Store Day. Limited to 1,500 copies and available exclusively in record stores, the 7-inch cover was designed by Coliseum singer/guitarist Ryan Patterson, with a nod to the artwork from the Misfits’ Three Hits From Hell single. The 7-inch will be issued on three different colors of vinyl: Yellow w/ Black Splatter; Magenta w/ Black Splatter; and standard Black (500 copies of each).

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Here are a few of the year-end best-ofs that “Majesty Shredding” has appeared on

Spin
Rolling Stone
The Onion AV Club
Magnet
Washington Post – Allison Stewart
Washington Post – David Malitz

If you know any more, list ’em in the comments after the jump (behave down there!)

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Since releasing their first 7-inch in 1989, Superchunk has run the gamut of milestone albums: early punk rock stompers, polished mid-career masterpieces, and lush, adventurous curveballs. Conventional wisdom holds that a band two decades into its career can only rehash or reinvent, but with Majesty Shredding, Superchunk has done something entirely different.

Neither a return nor a departure, Majesty Shredding telescopes two decades into 41 indelible, action-packed minutes. It is the sound of youthful exuberance fine-tuned with grown-up confidence. And it may very well be Superchunk’s best record yet.

Majesty Shredding is available now at the Merge Records online shop or yer favorite local record emporium. UK and EU shoppers, order a cd copy via the One Four Seven Records Store

Newly remastered and reissued versions of On the Mouth and No Pocky for Kitty are available on CD, LP and digital download at your favorite record store, digital provider and the Merge store.

Remastered by Jason Ward at Chicago Mastering Company from the original 1/2″ reels, both albums will be available for the first time on 180 gram vinyl (with download coupon), and on CD newly packaged in LP-style cardboard sleeves.

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