Category Archives: The Shins

Press Releases, Spoon, The Shins

THE SHINS & SPOON: Together for Four Nights Only

THE SHINS with very special guest SPOON
 Together for Four Nights Only
Tickets On Sale Friday, April 14 at 10am Local Time

Hot off the back to back release of two of the most acclaimed albums of the year—The Shins’ Heartworms (Aural Apothecary/Columbia Records) and Spoon’s Hot Thoughts (Matador)—two pioneering acts whose singular styles defined the sounds of the early aughts and mid-90s respectively will join forces for four once-in-a-lifetime dates.
The Shins and Spoon bill will hit the following cities on the following dates:
Sept. 30 – Berkeley CA – Greek Theater
Oct. 1 – San Diego CA – Cal Coast Credit Union (OAT)
Oct. 3 – Phoenix AZ – Comerica Theater
Oct. 5 – Denver CO – Red Rocks Amphitheater
Tickets will be on sale to the public beginning Friday, April 14 at 10am local time.
Produced by James Mercer, The Shins’ fifth album, Heartworms, was released March 10 to a wave of critical acclaim: Entertainment Weekly called Heartworms the “band’s boldest album yet” and “a rewarding and singular addition to the Shins’ catalog,” Rolling Stone lauded its “home-brewed feel, heavy on Beach Boys grandeur, New Wave kicks, squiggly synth-pop and warm-weather soft rock – with lyrics tenderly balanced between midlife malaise and youthful romanticism. The result is some of the most charming music he’s ever made,” while Time magazine opined “Heartworms works on a grander scale, with ornate sonic tableaux.” Mercer and crew celebrated the release of Heartworms by launching a competition to win the band’s original touring vehicle, the same sweet 1990 Ford 350 Clubwagon in which they gave Stephen Colbert a ride during their week of release Late Show appearance.  To date, 100+ aspiring artists have entered #ShinsVanContest, each submitting a cover version of one of Heartworms’ instant classics. To enter, visit theshins.com/van and submit a video of you or your band covering a track from Heartworms using the hashtag #ShinsVanContest.
Spoon’s ninth album and fourth in a row to crack the U.S. Top 10, Hot Thoughts, landed the following week to yet another cavalcade of critical ecstasy: Rolling Stone awarding it a 4-star rating, New York magazine hailing Spoon as “incapable of releasing a bad record” and Entertainment Weekly agreeing the band “couldn’t make a bad record if they tried,” while The Ringer cited “a case to be made for Spoon being the greatest rock band of the 21st century.”  Spoon commemorated Hot Thoughts’ release week with a trio of shows in their hometown of Austin TX that were the talk of this year’s SXSW festival. The band managed to sneak a film crew past the fire marshalls fighting back the droves at the jam packed SXSW gigs, and the resultant video for the album’s “fascinating” (Stereogum) “scorcher” (Vulture) of a title track captures Spoon in all its raw power and glory. See the “Hot Thoughts” video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrLVAQYfeZ4&feature=youtu.be. These four shows with The Shins are sure to be highlights of an ongoing world tour taking Hot Thoughts‘ “after-dark explorations undertaken in thrilling ways” (Time Magazine) to all corners of the globe, as the new album has achieved the highest chart positions of the band’s 20+ year career in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Portugal, Austria and Switzerland.
Press Releases, The Shins

THE SHINS: NEW ALBUM ‘HEARTWORMS’ OUT MARCH 10

THE SHINS: HEARTWORMS
 
NEW ALBUM OUT MARCH 10 ON AURAL APOTHECARY/COLUMBIA RECORDS
PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE NOW
 
WATCH THE LYRIC VIDEO FOR FIRST SINGLE “NAME FOR YOU” HERE
 
2017 LIVE DATES CONFIRMED

TUNE IN TO “A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION” AT 3PM PST ON JAN. 7 TO HEAR THE SHINS’ VERY FIRST LIVE APPEARANCE OF 2017

Photo by Nikki Fenix

Following their warmly received Halloween gift to fans in the form of “Dead Alive”, The Shins are pleased to announce the release of their fifth studio album, Heartworms. The album will be released on March 10th via Aural Apothecary/Columbia Records.

In contrast to 2012’s Port of Morrow, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 and was nominated for a Best Alternative Album GRAMMY, Heartworms ushers in a return to the handmade.  Heartworms is, as always, entirely written by James Mercer. However, with the exception of “So Now What” (produced by Richard Swift), Heartworms is the first Shins album to be self-produced by Mercer since Oh, Inverted World in 2001.

Heartworms features Mercer’s most diverse lyrical palette to date: From fictional character sketches (“Fantasy Island,” “Rubber Ballz”), autobiographical accounts (“Mildenhall”), to first single “Name For You,” a resounding call for female empowerment inspired by Mercer’s three daughters. Watch the lyric video here.

The result is a cohesive, genre defying album marked by Mercer’s distinct voice and melodic composition. Unified by his singular vision, Mercer creates a sound that is both familiar – a nostalgic nod to the album’s predecessors – and distinctly new.

Heartworms’ track listing is below. The album will be available March 10, 2017, however pre-order is available now here.

Track List

1.    Name For You
2.    Painting a Hole
3.    Cherry Hearts
4.    Fantasy Island
5.    Mildenhall
6.    Rubber Ballz
7.    Half a Million
8.    Dead Alive
9.    Heartworms
10. So Now What
11. The Fear

The record will be supported by a world tour, on which Mercer will be joined by Yuuki Matthews (bass), Jon Sortland (drums), Mark Watrous (guitar, keys, vocals), Casey Foubert (guitar) and Patti King (keys). For those fans who need their fill of The Shins live ASAP, have no fear: the band will be appearing on this weekend’s episode of “A Prairie Home Companion”, which will broadcast live from The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, WA. Find your local station here: https://www.prairiehome.org/listen/stations and listen in on Saturday, January 7 at 3pm PST.

See below for The Shins’ current tour schedule. Tickets on sale Friday, January 13th at 10am local time. And stay tuned for many more announcements including additional tour dates.

2017 Tour Dates
March 28 – Paris, FR – Le Trianon
March 29 – London, UK – Apollo Hammersmith
March 30 – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso
June 15 – Brooklyn, NY – Prospect Park Bandshell

theshins.com

Press Releases, The Shins

THE SHINS: SWIFT SESSIONS BLACK FRIDAY RECORD STORE DAY 7-INCH OUT NOVEMBER 23

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS TV PERFORMANCE TO AIR OCTOBER 27

The Shins have confirmed the November 23 release of a limited edition 7-inch vinyl single, to be available exclusively at select retailers as part of this year’s Black Friday Record Store Day event.

The single will feature the Swift Sessions versions of “No Way Down” and “Fall of 82”–alternate versions of the tracks from The Shins’ current album, Port of Morrow (Aural Apothecary/Columbia) produced by Shins keyboard player Richard Swift.

“No Way Down (Swift Sessions)” and “Fall of 82 (Swift Sessions)” will be released via all digital outlets the following week on November 27.

Between wrapping another U.S. leg of touring later this month and continuing on to Mexico and additional U.S. dates in December, The Shins will appear on the October 27 episode of Austin City Limits. Check local listings and set your DVRs as you won’t want to miss a memorable evening combining highlights from this year’s acclaimed Port of Morrow interspersed with classics spanning The Shins’ canon of Oh, Inverted World, Chutes Too Narrow, and Wincing The Night Away.

THE SHINS

On Tour

10/25/12 – Kent, OH – Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center
11/23/12 – Guadalajara, Mexico – Indio Emergente 2012
11/24/12 – Querétar, Mexico – Indio Emergente 2012
11/25/12 – Guadalajara, Mexico – Indio Emergente 2012
12/10/12 – Portland, OR – McMenamin’s Crystal Ballroom
12/13/12 – Vail, CO – Vail Snow Daze
12/14/12 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up Aspen

Press Releases, The Shins

THE SHINS: “IT’S ONLY LIFE”: NEW VIDEO BY HIRO MURAI

AVAILABLE WEDNESDAY, JULY 11 EXCLUSIVELY ON PITCHFORK X YOUTUBE

This Shins have partnered with Pitchfork on the video for “It’s Only Life” from their acclaimed Port of Morrow (Aural Apothecary/Columbia) and can be viewed exclusively at Pitchfork x YouTube starting July 11 ( http://www.youtube.com/pitchforktv)

The Hiro Murai (St. Vincent, Scissor Sisters, Friends) directed video features James Mercer captured by the creature which ominously lurks within the Port Of Morrow cover art designed by Jacob Escobedo. Shot in Portland, OR the video provides a peek of an abandoned suburban landscape overrun by these mysterious creatures.

Meanwhile, the Shins continue on their marathon world tour with the North American dates recently announced and main support provided by White Rabbits & Washed Out.

Tour Dates:

07/23/12 – Melbourne, Australia – Festival Hall
07/25/12 – Sydney, Australia – Hordern Pavilion
07/27/12 – Byron Bay, Australia-  Splendour In The Grass Festival
07/29/12 – Nigata, Japan – Fuji Rock Festival
08/03/12 – Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
08/04/12 – Toronto, Canada – Molson Amphitheatre
08/17/12 – Biddinghuizen, Holland – Lowlands 2012
08/17/12 – Grosspoesna, Germany – Highfield Festival
08/18/12 – Hasslet, Belgium – Pukkelpop 2012
08/21/12 – Amsterdam, Holland – Paradiso
08/23/12 – Zurich, Switzerland – Open Air Festival
08/24/12 – Paris, France – Rock En Seine
08/25/12 – Reading, UK – Richfield Avenue
08/26/12 – Leeds, UK – Bramham Park
09/22/12 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
09/25/12 – Vancouver, BC – Orpheum Theatre
09/26/12 – Portland, OR – Keller Auditorium
09/29/12 – Mountain View, CA – Harmony By The Bay
09/30/12 – San Diego, CA – SDSU Open Air Theatre
10/02/12 – Universal City, CA – Gibson Amphitheatre
10/03/12 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre
10/04/12 – Albuquerque, NM – Kiva Auditorium
10/07/12 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
10/08/12 – Atlanta, GA – Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
10/10/12 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
10/11/12 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues
10/13/12 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits

Press Releases, The Shins

THE SHINS CONFIRM FALL TOUR DATES

PRE-SALE AT GILT CITY AND THESHINS.COM

The Shins have confirmed the addition of a dozen more dates on their marathon world tour in support of recently released fourth album Port Of Morrow (Aural Apothecary/Columbia). Coming off of a spectacular run with 3 sold out nights at New York’s Terminal 5, they will be embarking on a Summer tour that includes a sold out show at Red Rocks in front of 9000 fans.

The new dates begin September 22  at the Paramount Theater in Seattle, making headline stops at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium and Los Angeles’ Gibson Amphitheater, among others, before wrapping with an October 13 appearance at this year’s Austin City Limits festival.

The new dates  (below in BOLD) will feature an expanded Shins lineup, with James Mercer having added Mark Watrous on additional guitars and lap steel to the existing live Shins roll call of Yuuki Matthews (bass), Jessica Dobson (guitar), Richard Swift (keyboards) and Joe Plummer (drums).

The Shins have partnered up with the lifestyle site Gilt City to sell advance tickets for a portion of the upcoming tour. Pre-sale for those dates will be available tomorrow at noon EST at Gilt City http://gi.lt/KCyRef

Pre-sales for the remainder of the tour is available at theshins.com also at noon EST.

05/29/12 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheater
05/31/12 – Council Bluffs, IA – Harrahs Council Bluffs
06/01/12 – Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theatre
06/02/12 – Kansas City, KS – Livestrong Sporting Park
06/04/12 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
06/05/12 – Columbus, OH – LC Pavilion Outdoor Amphitheatre
06/06/12 – Detroit, MI – Fillmore Detroit
06/08/12 – Cleveland, OH – Masonic Auditorium
06/09/12 – Louisville, KY – Iroquois Amphitheatre
06/10/12 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo
06/22/12 – Frankfurt, Germany – Lüften Festival
06/23/12 – Neuhausen, Germany – Southside Festival
06/24/12 – Scheessel, Germany – Hurricane Festival
06/25/12 – Hamburg, Germany – Grobe Freiheit 36
06/27/12 – Arendal, Norway – Hovefestival
06/29/12 – Helsinki, Finland – The Garden Party
06/30/12 – Borlange, Sweden – Peace & Love
07/02/12 – Gothenburg, Sweden – Pusterviksbaren (headline show)
07/03/12 – Malmo, Sweden – KB Club (headline show)
07/05/12 – Roskilde, Denmark – Roskilde Festival
07/07/12 – Lisbon, Portugal – Super Bock Super Rock
07/23/12 – Melbourne, Australia – Festival Hall
07/25/12 – Sydney, Australia – Hordern Pavilion
07/27/12 – Byron Bay, Australia-  Splendour In The Grass Festival
07/29/12 – Nigata, Japan – Fuji Rock Festival
08/03/12 – Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
08/04/12 – Toronto, Canada – Molson Amphitheatre
08/17/12 – Erfurt, Germany – Highfield
08/18/12 – Hasslet, Belgium – Pukkelpop
08/23/12 – Zurich, Switzerland – Open Air Festival
08/24/12 – Paris, France – Rock En Seine
08/25/12 – Reading, UK – Richfield Avenue
08/26/12 – Leeds, UK – Bramham Park
09/22/12 – Paramount Theatre – Seattle, WA
09/25/12 – Orpheum Theatre – Vancouver, BC
09/26/12 – Keller Auditorium – Portland, OR
09/30/12 – SDSU Open Air Theatre – San Diego, CA
10/02/12 – Gibson Amphitheatre – Universal City, CA
10/03/12 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ
10/04/12 – Kiva Auditorium – Albuquerque, NM
10/07/12 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
10/08/12 – Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre – Atlanta, GA
10/10/12 – House of Blues – Houston, TX
10/11/12 – House of Blues – Dallas, TX
10/13/12 – Austin City Limits – Austin, TX

Press Releases, The Shins

THE SHINS: “THE RIFLE’S SPIRAL”: A FILM BY JAMIE CALIRI

VIDEO PREMIERE LIVE NOW AT Nowness.com

ALSO AVAILABLE TO VIEW IN 3D EXCLUSIVELY ON THE NINTENDO 3DS

The Shins have teamed with Nowness.com to unveil the clip for “The Rifle’s Spiral” from their acclaimed Port Of Morrow (Aural Apothecary/Columbia) album. “The Rifle’s Spiral” is available for the next 24 hours exclusively at http://smarturl.it/theriflesspiralvideo. It can also be viewed in 3D only on the Nintendo 3DS.

The stunning visual interpretation of “The Rifle’s Spiral” was realized by Jamie Caliri, whose animated efforts have garnered accolades including an Emmy and three Annie awards. Caliri’s influential short works include the sweeping end titles for Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, theatrically released spots for KCRW Los Angeles and animated spots for United Airlines. Though currently focused on feature projects, Caliri’s 21-year-plus career has also found him directing music videos, including the Best Music Video Grammy-nominated “Early To Bed” by Morphine.

“The Rifle’s Spiral” follows in the tradition of previous Port Of Morrow videos including the live in studio “Bait And Switch” and its accompanying “Clapping Butter” short feature that premiered atFunnyorDie.com, and  “Simple Song,” which received a brilliantly dark treatment from DANIELS. Port Of Morrow was release March 20 and has been lauded by THE NEW YORKER as an album that brings Shins mainman James Mercer “closer to the lineage he’s been gradually writing himself into: the lush psychedelia of XTC, on an album like ‘Skylarking,’ or even seventies pop acts like Joe Walsh…”

The Shins are currently on tour until further notice.

Press Releases, The Shins

THE SHINS: “BAIT AND SWITCH” VIDEO LIVE NOW AT http://www.theshins.com/baitandswitch

“CLAPPING BUTTER” UP AT FUNNYORDIE.COM

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE MARCH 10

PORT OF MORROW OUT MARCH 20 ON AURAL APOTHECARY/COLUMBIA

The Shins’ excellent new live in the studio “Bait and Switch” video is live now at http://www.theshins.com/baitandswitch.

Fans wanting a more behind the scenes look at The Shins’ studio experience can check out “Clapping Butter” at http://FunnyOrDie.com/m/6m4l. The Funnyordie.com clip is an intimate and triumphant look at James Mercer’s efforts to overcome obstacles in his path to aural perfection.

The Shins will be the musical guest on the March 10 episode of Saturday Night Live.

Port Of Morrow will be released March 20 on Aural Apothecary/Columbia.

Press Releases, The Shins

THE SHINS: SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE MARCH 10

“SIMPLE SONG” VIDEO NOW STREAMING ON YOUTUBE/VEVO

http://youtu.be/RoLTPcD1S4Q

The Shins’ “Simple Song” video is now streaming on YouTube/VEVO at http://youtu.be/RoLTPcD1S4Q. Directed by Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan a/k/a DANIELS, the clip puts a darkly brilliant narrative spin on the first single from the band’s forthcoming Port Of Morrow, which can be pre-ordered now at http://www.theshins.com/shop and is out March 20 on Aural Apothecary/Columbia.

Fans can see The Shins play the song straight on Saturday Night Live on March 10, when The Shins will return to 30 Rock for their second SNL appearance.

Press Releases, The Shins

THE SHINS: U.S. HEADLINE DATES CONFIRMED

“SIMPLE SONG” B-SIDE “SEPTEMBER” STREAMING NOW AT recordstoreday.com

PORT OF MORROW OUT MARCH 20 ON AURAL APOTHECARY/COLUMBIA

The Shins have confirmed another leg of U.S. headline dates in support of the band’s upcoming fourth album Port Of Morrow, out March 20 on Aural Apothecary/Columbia.

Port Of Morrow is currently available for pre-order and its release has been preceded by first single “Simple Song,” out now and hailed in a 4-star ROLLING STONE single review as “magnificent” with “an ascending melody (that) will trail you like a double-espresso buzz.”

As a very special pre-tour present to their beloved fans, The Shins are offering a free stream of “September,” the B-Side to their current smash single “Simple Song,” as a free stream with accompanying custom made visuals inspired by and drawing upon Jacob Escobedo’s artwork for Port Of Morrow.

The video will be streaming at recordstoreday.com as well as on the virtual reel to reel player at  theshins.com. It will be fully shareable and embeddable.

THE SHINS

U.S. HEADLINE DATES 2012

NEW DATES IN BOLD

4/13/12              LAS VEGAS, NV — COSMOPOLITAN–THE POOL — Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – The Pool
4/22/12              SANTA CRUZ, CA — CIVIC AUDITORIUM
4/23/12              DAVIS, CA — ROBERT MONDAVI CENTER
4/25/12              RENO, NV — GRAND SIERRA RESORT & CASINO
05/25/12          BEND, OR – LES SCHWAB AMPHITHEATRE
05/28/12          SALT LAKE CITY, UT – RED BUTTE GARDEN AMPHITHEATER
05/29/12          MORRISON, CO – RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE
05/31/12           COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – HARRAHS COUNCIL BLUFFS
06/04/12          ST LOUIS, MO – THE PAGEANT
06/05/12          COLUMBUS, OH – LC INDOOR PAVILION
06/06/12          DETROIT, MI – FILLMORE DETROIT
06/08/12          CLEVELAND, OH – MASONIC AUDITORIUM
06/09/12          LOUISVILLE, KY – IROQUOIS AMPHITHEATRE