On August 31, Tracey Thorn will release Opposites - a special digital-only EP of experimental remixes of tracks from her acclaimed new album Love And Its Opposite. If the album, produced by Ewan Pearson, was heralded for its unadorned and direct honesty, the remixes are deliberately oblique reinterpretations that throw a new sidelight on three of the album’s key tracks.

“If the remixes for the last single ‘Why Does The Wind?‘ were aimed at the dancefloor, these are perhaps aimed more at the head.” says Tracey. “People often only remember the dance remixes I have been involved with, and forget the great futuristic re-works of my voice over the years by people like Photek, Omni Trio and Howie B. If my versions of my songs are often plain and direct, these mixes add question marks and blind alleys, and I like that. It adds a different colour and makes them closer to my work with Massive Attack perhaps.”

For the EP, the album’s closing track, ‘Swimming’ (featuring Nashville’s Cortney Tidwell) is remixed into a psychedelic West Coast journey by Visionquest. Fronted by Detroit’s Seth Troxler, Visionquest is Seth plus American sparring partners Ryan Crosson and Lee Curtiss, who all ran the influential Tesh Club together before Seth moved to Berlin to become resident DJ at the city’s pivotal Club der Visionare and Weekend Clubs in 2008. The move has made Seth one of Europe’s most in-demand DJs of late. Cortney and Tracey’s backing vocals are looped into a swirling head-swim before the track locks onto a killer Fleetwood Mac groove for a deep Balearic summer ride.

WALLS are Sam Willis (from influential electronic music blog, Allez-Allez) and Alessio Natalizia (Banjo or Freakout). Their recent debut album on German uber-label Kompakt has been one of the year’s sleeper hits. Mixing the same influences that pepper the album, their rework of ‘Kentish Town’ is a woozy blissed-out dream, part Krautrock, part Eno-esque ambience.

Kwesi Darko aka Blue Daisy runs Camden Town’s Black Acre and has turned it into one of the labels to watch over the past few months. The imprint has delivered a string of inventive post-dubstep soundscapes for forward-looking dancefloors and afterhours parties alike. Drawing on dub, hip-hop and rich synthetic orchestration, Blue Daisy’s take on ‘Late In The Afternoon’ is blunted and cinematic, heavy on sub-bass and twinkling stressed-out FX.

Tracey Thorn’s Opposites EP will be available beginning August 24 exclusively on Beatport and then on the usual digital outlets beginning August 31. Download a free MP3 of “Kentish Town (Walls Remix)” and feel free to share!

Tracklist:
1. Swimming (Visionquest Remix)
2. Swimming (Album Version)
3. Kentish Town (Walls Remix)
4. Kentish Town (Album Version)
5. Late in the Afternoon (Blue Daisy Remix)
6. Late in the Afternoon (Album Version)

Wye Oak are hitting the road beginning August 17 with Lou Barlow + the missingmen and have just added new dates with The Mountain Goats and David Bazan. Don’t miss the chance to see Wye Oak and hear new songs before they return to the studio to record the follow-up to The Knot!

Their new EP, My Neighbor / My Creator is available via digital download in the Merge store and at your favorite digital outlets and local record stores.

Wye Oak on tour:
* = w/ Lou Barlow
% = w/ The Mountain Goats
# = w/ David Bazan
Aug 17 Milford, CT – Daniel Street Club *
Aug 18 Washington, DC – Rock N Roll Hotel *
Aug 19 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle *
Aug 20 Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle *
Aug 21 Nashville, TN – The Basement *
Aug 23 Madison, WI – The Frequency *
Aug 25 Minneapolis, MN – 400 Bar *
Aug 26 Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern *
Aug 27 Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop *
Aug 28 Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern *
Aug 29 Montreal, QC – Il Motore *
Aug 31 Northampton, MA – Iron Horse *
Sep 01 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge *
Sep 02 Cambridge, MA – Middle East *
Sep 03 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s *
Sep 04 Hoboken, NJ – Maxwell’s *
Oct 04 Lawrence, KS – Bottleneck %
Oct 05 Columbia, MO – The Blue Note %
Oct 11 Lubbock, TX – The Foundation #
Oct 12 Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad #
Oct 13 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress #
Oct 15 Los Angeles, CA – Spaceland #
Oct 16 San Diego, CA – The Casbah #
Oct 17 San Luis Obispo, CA – Downtown Brewing Co. #
Oct 18 San Francisco, CA – The Independent #

Arcade Fire has partnered with American Express, VEVO, and YouTube to present a live stream of their August 5 performance at Madison Square Garden in the new series “Unstaged: An Original Series from American Express.” Featuring surprise musical guests and directed by Terry Gilliam (Brazil, 12 Monkeys), the performance will be live-streamed beginning at 10 p.m. EDT from the world’s most famous arena and will coincide with the band’s highly anticipated third album release, The Suburbs, on August 3.

Watch two special trailers for the event at Arcade Fire’s newly launched YouTube channel!

The August 5 live-stream performance by Arcade Fire will give audiences a visually stunning home viewing experience.  Additionally, viewers can access the Arcade Fire live-stream at: www.youtube.com/arcadefirevevo.

Music enthusiasts can digitally connect to these live music experiences in ways that further blur the line between an at-home and in-concert experience:

Choose Your Cam: The audience will be able to control their viewing experience throughout the concert performance by switching between the main director’s stream and a second camera to capture alternative vantage points, from backstage to the front row.

Digital “Happenings”: Featured artists will collaborate with the online audience in creative ways. In the case of Arcade Fire, fans will have the opportunity to submit photos of their suburbs which may be get featured on stage during the band’s performance of one song off their new album, The Suburbs.

“Unstaged: An Original Series from American Express,” is a new partnership with American Express and VEVO, the web’s leading premium music video and entertainment service, and YouTube, to live-stream five concerts over the course of the year. Bringing both the in-concert and at-home viewing experiences to entirely new heights, “Unstaged: An Original Series from American Express,” will feature some of the music industry’s most breakthrough artists playing at landmark venues across the country, tap some of today’s most influential filmmakers to direct the live-streams, and use digital and social media to connect the online audience to the live shows in unexpected ways.

The Suburbs is available for pre-order on CD, dbl-LP and digital download now in the Merge store.

Superchunk will celebrate the release of their new album Majesty Shredding with a concert on Thursday, Sept. 16, at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.

After releasing their first 7-inch in 1989, Superchunk became one of North Carolina rock’s most famous exports, and excitement for their first new album in nine years is spreading nationwide. Under the Radar Magazine says Majesty Shredding displays “a cohesive band scaling the heights of their formidable powers,” and Time Out Chicago says the album “puts the pedal to the metal with youthful abandon.”

The Superchunk performance, a complement to the Nasher Museum’s exhibition “The Record: Contemporary Art and Vinyl,” will take place after a 7 p.m. talk by New York-based visual artist Xaviera Simmons, whose work is part of the exhibition. “The Record” explores the culture of vinyl records through 50 years of contemporary art and features work by 41 artists from around the world who use vinyl records as their subject or medium.

Superchunk frontman Mac McCaughan wrote an essay for “The Record” catalogue and co-wrote a song with Harrison Haynes of Les Savy Fav for a 12-inch record project by Xaviera Simmons for the exhibition. Visit the Nasher website for more information about “The Record: Contemporary Art and Vinyl.”

The concert will begin at 8:30 and there is no opening band. Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for Nasher Museum Members and $5 for Duke students with I.D. Tickets can be purchased at the Duke University Box Office (104 Bryan University Center, Durham, NC) and at www.tickets.duke.edu beginning Tuesday, Aug. 3.

Majesty Shredding is available for pre-order now on CD and LP in the Merge store, and see Superchunk on tour this fall!

Superchunk visited the now-famous round room at The Onion AV Club headquarters in Chicago to deliver their take on The Cure’s “In Between Days.” The AV Club crew declares this cover “Awesome.” and we agree!

Watch the video at The AV Club “Undercover.”

Superchunk’s new album Majesty Shredding is available for pre-order on CD and LP now in the Merge store, and you can download the first single “Digging for Something” as a free preview! Also, tickets are on sale now for Superchunk’s fall tour dates!

She & Him are the musical guests on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on Monday night. Watch the performance below!

She & Him have just finished a tour in support of Volume Two with more dates planned later this summer. Check out their new video for “Thieves” and order Volume Two on CD, LP and digital download now in the Merge store.

She & Him on tour:
08-26 Salt Lake City, UT Twilight Music Series
08-28 Omaha, NE Anchor Inn
08-29 St. Louis, MO LouFest
08-30 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theatre
09-01 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
09-05 Los Angeles, CA Paramount Studios
10-17 San Francisco, CA Treasure Island

Click here to view the embedded video.

The long-awaited new Versus album, On the Ones and Threes is available for pre-order on CD and deluxe-edition double-LP now in the Merge store. The deluxe-edition double-LP format will feature an alternate sequence and two additional tracks from the album’s recording sessions. These extra tracks are available as a bonus for immediate download when you pre-order the CD or the deluxe double-LP in the Merge store now.

Stream On the Ones and Threes in its entirety now in the Merge store, and check out how cool the double-LP looks on the Merge blog.

Versus have added an Brooklyn CD release show on August 12 at Rock Shop to the recently announced new tour dates with Polvo and Superchunk.

“On the Ones and Threes offers a perfect example of someone’s second or third act being both an achievement worth recognition and a catalyst for a reevaluation of its creators’ body of work.” ~Under the Radar

Versus on tour:
8/12 Brooklyn, NY Rock Shop CD release show w/ True Love Always
8/13 Toronto, ON Lee’s Palace w/ Polvo
8/14 Montreal, QC Cabaret Juste Pour Rire w/ Polvo
9/21 Boston, MA Royale w/ Superchunk
9/22 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero Theatre w/ Superchunk & Jenny and Johnny

Just in time for the end of 2010, Merge Records will release Fucked Up’s Year of the Ox on limited-edition 12-inch and digital download on September 28.

Recorded over 6 months by Jon Drew at Giant Studios in Toronto, Year of the Ox is the band’s fourth record in a continuing 12 year cycle and adds to its evolving retinue of guest musicians. The patient and building Year of the Ox features Nika Rosa Danilova of Zola Jesus for a guest vocal passage and Toronto’s string quartet, New Strings Old Puppets. The b-side “Solomon’s Song”, a gothic vampire love tribute to Twilight, features a 5 minute saxophone solo from Aerin Fogel of the Bitters and heavy synthing from Trust.

Stream “The Year of the Ox” at Pitchfork and pre-order Year of the Ox on limited-edition LP now in the Merge store.

Fucked Up will spend the rest of the year recording, touring and “resting” and will join the party in Vegas at the Matador “Lost Weekend” October 1-3.

Fucked Up on tour:
* = w/ Against Me!
24th July – 1234 Festival, London, UK
24th July – The M**b*th, London, UK
25th July – Truck Festival, Oxfordshire, UK
26th July – Klubi, Tampere, Finland
27th July – Klubi, Turku, Finland
28th July – Tavastia, Helsinki, Finland
29th July – Tanci Venue, St Petersburg, Russia
30th July – Aktzal, Moscow, Russia
6th August – Standon Calling, Hertfordshire, UK
7th August – Hevy Festival, Kent, UK
8th August – Rebellion Festival, Blackpool, UK
9th August – Hoxton Bar & Grill, London, UK
11th August – Oya Festival, Oslo, Norway
5th September – Monticello, NY All Tomorrow’s Parties
9th September – Washington, DC Rock N Roll Hotel
10th September – Raleigh, NC Hopscotch Festival
11th September – Atlanta, GA The Drunken Unicorn
12th September – Charlotte, NC Amos Southend
22nd October – Southampton, Mo’ Live, UK*
23rd October – Manchester, Academy, UK*
24th October – Cardiff, Solus, UK*
25th October – Bristol, O2 Academy, UK*
26th October – Coventry, Kasbah, UK*
27th October – Glasgow, QMU, UK*
28th October – Nottingham, Rock City, UK*
29th October – Leeds, Met Uni, UK*
30th October – Reading, Sub 89, UK*
31st October – Plymouth, University, UK*
1st November – Cambridge, Junction, UK*
2nd November – Oxford, O2 Academy, UK*
3rd November – London, Electric Ballroom, UK*

A new Superchunk t-shirt and new Merge logo t-shirts (for girls & boys) are available now in the Merge store! Also, we have special low prices on penguin tote bags and the few remaining track jackets.

Fill your cart with our great new releases and don’t forget a tote bag to carry it all in! New pre-orders now available for Superchunk, The Clientele, Versus & Arcade Fire!

Conor Oberst will join two concerts in July to raise awareness in protest for Arizona’s controversial immigration law, SB1070, known as the “Fremont Law.”

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band will join Rage Against the Machine who will take the stage at the Hollywood Palladium on July 23rd, 2010 to support organizations combating SB 1070, law set to go into effect July 29^th. Projected proceeds from the concert along with donations raised by The Sound Strike are expected to exceed over $300,000. This will provide much needed resources to community organizations, student groups, legal defense funds and assist activists targeting key voting districts for voter registration. These two organizations need immediate assistance to fight SB1070 on the ground: Puente Arizona, and The Florence Project.

Also, Bright Eyes and Desaparecidos (in their first live performance since 2002) will join Cursive and Lullaby for the Working Class to play July 31st in Omaha, NC to benefit ACLU Nebraska. ACLU Nebraska are currently preparing a law suit against the town of Fremont, Nebraska, the latest in a series of U.S. towns that have decided to take immigration law into their own hands. There will be two shows, an outdoor day time show commencing at 5pm at Downtown Benson, as well as a late night show at the Waiting Room in Omaha, NE. Tickets to the daytime show are $20. Additionally there are a limited number of Deluxe Packages available for $50 which allows access to both shows. Visit One Percent Productions for information on how to buy tickets to the Omaha shows.

At their first ever show in Quebec City,  Arcade Fire announced last night that they will match donations made to the newly founded KANPE up to one million dollars.

Singer Win Butler told 45,000 fans on to the historic Plains of Abraham that “everyone who donates to KANPE, our band will match it up to $1 million,” adding “Please take our money from us!”

The band was then joined by members of the Haitian ensemble Ram, who came from Port-Au-Prince especially to play this show, for an emotionally charged rendition of “Haiti” from its 2004 debut Funeral.

Earlier the same day Arcade Fire’s Regine Chassagne, joined KANPE director Dominique Anglade at a press conference launching the KANPE initiative in Quebec.

To make a $5 donation text STAND to 30333.

For further information on KANPE, visit Kanpe.org.

Today, Superchunk’s “Digging for Something” b/w “February Punk” 7-inch, hand-numbered on multi-colored vinyl and limited to 1000 with cover art by Harrison Haynes of Les Savy Fav is available in stores. “Digging for Something” features backing vocals by John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats. The B-side, “February Punk,” is a non-album track from the same sessions with Scott Solter that gave us Majesty Shredding.

The hand-numbered “Digging for Something” 7-inch is available only in stores and directly from the band on tour this fall. Download a free MP3 of “Digging for Something” now.

You can also pre-order Majesty Shredding on CD and LP now in the Merge store, too!

Superchunk has announced the support bands for many of their shows (including Merge bands Let’s Wrestle, Telekinesis, Versus, and Teenage Fanclub) as well as west coast dates. Get your tickets now!

Superchunk on tour (new dates in bold):
Jul 24 Omaha, NE – MAHA Music Festival
Sep 17 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club w/ Let’s Wrestle & Tommy Keene
Sep 18 New York, NY – The Bowery Ballroom w/ Let’s Wrestle
Sep 19 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
Sep 20 New York, NY – Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Sep 21 Boston, MA – Royale w/ Versus
Sep 22 Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero w/ Versus & Jenny and Johnny
Oct 02 Las Vegas, NV – Matador 21 (SOLD OUT)
Oct 13 Vancouver, BC – Venue Nightclub w/ Telekinesis
Oct 14 Seattle, WA – The Showbox w/ Telekinesis & Teenage Fanclub
Oct 15 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom w/ Telekinesis & Teenage Fanclub
Oct 17 San Francisco, CA – Treasure Island Music Festival
Oct 19 Los Angeles, CA – The Music Box at Fonda w/ Telekinesis & The Vaselines