Pre-Order Thread

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From the very start of “Runaway,” the opening track on Varsity’s third album Fine Forever, it’s clear that the Chicago quintet has morphed into something new. While still working in indie-pop tradition that recalls groups like Fleetwood Mac, Rilo Kiley, and Alvvays, the band has taken the recognizable pieces of their sound and reached across sonic boundaries to reframe the genre in their own image.

Varsity have built an impressive catalog in a relatively short period of time, and with their 2015 self-titled debut, 2018’s Parallel Person, and a run of singles collected on 2019’s The Basement Takes all under their belt, the band sought a new approach for their third full-length. To record Fine Forever, vocalist/keyboardist Stef Smith, guitarists Dylan Weschler and Patrick Stanton, bassist Paul Stolz, and drummer Jake Stolz, put their trust in producer Ben Lumsdaine
as if he were the band's sixth member. “Ben really helped free our minds and let us focus on playing music,” says bassist Paul Stolz, and the proof is in the final product. Between Lumsdaine’s encouragement and their own willingness to leave behind their music comfort zones, Varsity sound just as confident on the album’s crisp guitar pop (the rousing title track or shimmering jangle of “Shaking Hands”) as they do on its more exploratory cuts (the sprawling “Memphis Group” or the instrumental interlude “Surfin’ Milwaukee”). “Going into it, we just knew ourselves so much better as a band and as a working, collaborative unit than we ever have before. We played these songs so much, they were just in our veins,” says Weschler, who notes that they’d spent nearly three years working on album closer “Sicko World” until it felt totally right. It’s that collective effort that allows Fine Forever to feel deeply considered while still remaining totally and unpredictably human.

That humanity extends to Fine Forever‘s lyrics, where Smith built a series of vignettes that read like a short story collection about the modern world. “I used to be a documentary filmmaker, so narrative nonfiction is sort-of my view of the world,” says Smith. “These songs are all different stories, and I relate to those stories, but I’m not the protagonist.” Throughout Fine Forever, Varsity digs deep into what it means to be a person, without shying away from the ugliness that comes along with it. It’s never prescriptive, but rather textural and evocative, with the band's music and Smith’s lyrics often leaning on one another. “Memphis Group” sees Smith exploring the Italian design group’s rise and fall, while the dynamic arrangement mirrors the shifting story. “Steph is really good at listening to the nuances of the song and writing to that, understanding the song deeply enough to make the lyrics fit with the emotional arc of the music,” says Stolz. It’s something that Smith is conscious of, allowing the band to rehearse the songs to the point where the music brings the lyrics right out of her. The delicate strut in “Reason To Run” is a prime example, the song describes someone trying to muster the courage to leave a negative situation, and Smith notes that its music already told the narrative before she even put pen to paper.

From the title on down, Fine Forever is a pointed declaration of intent. It sees Varsity unified around their vision and achieving a sound they’d always been searching for. It’s a record that defies simple categorizations, taking full advantage of the wide range of sounds and styles that can fall under the umbrella of “indie pop,” all while managing to maintain a welcoming accessibility. “I love when people say they don’t know what genre we are,” says Smith, and the deeper you get into Fine Forever, it’s easy to see why.

 
In collaboration with Markus Acher’s Alien Transistor label, Morr Music presents a collection of hard-to-find Japanese independent music, compiled by Saya, who plays with Ueno Takashi in the iconic duo Tenniscoats. They are part of a current music scene, which is little known outside of Japan. „Minna Miteru“ focuses on that very scene: the featured bands and musicians share a certain idea of DIY, and are also connected through frequent collaborations and mutual appreciation.**

 
In collaboration with Markus Acher’s Alien Transistor label, Morr Music presents a collection of hard-to-find Japanese independent music, compiled by Saya, who plays with Ueno Takashi in the iconic duo Tenniscoats. They are part of a current music scene, which is little known outside of Japan. „Minna Miteru“ focuses on that very scene: the featured bands and musicians share a certain idea of DIY, and are also connected through frequent collaborations and mutual appreciation.**



This seems interesting. Quoting because I don't want to forget tomorrow 🤣

Thanks for sharing
 
Speculation / early heads up: looks like Zia is dropping a Fleet Foxes exclusive tomorrow

Yup, and for some more details. The announcement is coming today at 11AM PST, and it won't go on sale until Friday (I'm guessing 10AM PST, like The Shins exclusive last week).

Based on the photos posted on their instagram it will be the Fleet Foxes self-titled album, and the color is a light green with some blue and yellow marbled in. No word yet on whether the Sun Giant EP is also included, like the original vinyl.
 
I don't have a pre-order link, but psyched to learn that there should be info coming soon for a new The Beths album. They dropped a new single today, and pre-order info for the new album (July 10th release I'm hearing) is coming today or tomorrow.
 
The Beths - Jump Rope Gazers
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Choose your favourite:
Official Store Deluxe Tangerine Vinyl + Bonus 7"
Indies Tangerine Vinyl - you know best where to order
EU Rough Trade Red Vinyl / US Rough Trade Red Vinyl
Vinyl Me, Please Yellow Vinyl
 
Nice! Really looking forward to this
Yeah, that last The Beths album was incredible. It seemed like they came out of nowhere as a fully realized and polished musical organism. Super psyched to see what they have in store going forward. When all this shit is over, catch them live, they are just as impressive live as on the album.
 
Yeah, that last The Beths album was incredible. It seemed like they came out of nowhere as a fully realized and polished musical organism. Super psyched to see what they have in store going forward. When all this shit is over, catch them live, they are just as impressive live as on the album.

and they had a highly addictive mini game on their site
 
Yeah, that last The Beths album was incredible. It seemed like they came out of nowhere as a fully realized and polished musical organism. Super psyched to see what they have in store going forward. When all this shit is over, catch them live, they are just as impressive live as on the album.

Saw them twice last year and I agree. They play great together and their super dry sense of on-stage humor is incredible.
 
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John Prine's 2000 release Souvenirs was a reimagining and re-recording of some of John's favorite songs throughout the years. For the first time, we will be pressing this record to a double LP vinyl.

Due to COVID-19 delays, we do not yet have a release date, but we wanted to give you all the opportunity to preorder this record.

 
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John Prine's 2000 release Souvenirs was a reimagining and re-recording of some of John's favorite songs throughout the years. For the first time, we will be pressing this record to a double LP vinyl.

Due to COVID-19 delays, we do not yet have a release date, but we wanted to give you all the opportunity to preorder this record.


I hope they make the Atlantics Record Box set available widely all things considered now. This was one of my top wanted buys for RSD and figured I would have no problem getting it, but now you'll have flippers taking advantage of his death and marking it up like crazy, which would be a damn shame.
 
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