M. Ward’s highly anticipated sixth solo album, A Wasteland Companion, is available today on CD, LP, and digital download at your favorite retailers.

See M. Ward on Conan tonight and listen to his appearance on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic now.

In the three years since Portland, OR-based troubadour M. Ward released his last solo album, the universally lauded Hold Time, he’s toured the globe and released two albums as one-half of GRAMMY-nominated duo She & Him as well as one with a talented group of friends collectively known as Monsters of Folk.

“Taking cues from rockabilly charms and simpler, sorrowful melodies, Ward easily enchants with a collection of songs that everyone will call their own.” ~Bust

Watch the video for “The First Time I Ran Away” from A Wasteland Companion.

Pick up your copy of A Wasteland Companion on CD, gatefold LP, and digital download now in the Merge store. M. Ward can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and at mwardmusic.com.

M. Ward on tour:
# w/ Lee Ranaldo Band
Apr 11 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore w/ Jonathan Richman
Apr 12 Santa Cruz, CA – The Cocoanut Grove Ballroom w/ fIREHOSE
Apr 13 Indio, CA – Coachella (SOLD OUT) Apr 14 Santa Barbara, CA – SoHo (SOLD OUT)
Apr 16 San Diego, CA – Belly Up w/ fIREHOSE (SOLD OUT)
Apr 17 Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom w/ fIREHOSE
Apr 18 Flagstaff, AZ – The Orpheum w/ fIREHOSE
Apr 20 Indio, CA – Coachella (SOLD OUT)
May 05 Portland, ME – State Theatre #
May 06 Burlington, VT – Higher Ground #
May 07 New Haven, CT – Toads Place #
May 08 Boston, MA – House of Blues #
May 11 New York, NY – Webster Hall #
May 12 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer #
May 13 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club #
May 15 Durham, NC – Duke Performances at Page Auditorium #
May 16 Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre #
May 17 Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre #
May 18 Gulf Shores, AL – Hang Out Music Festival #
May 20 Nelsonville, OH – Nelsonville Music Festival #
May 22 Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre #
May 23 Madison, WI – Barrymore Theatre
May 24 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
May 26 Missoula, MT – Wilma Theatre
May 27 George, WA – Sasquatch! Music Festival

Record Store Day is Saturday, April 21, and Merge has four very special vinyl releases to mark the occasion of one of our favorite days of the year! The only way to get your hands on these releases is to visit your local independent record store on April 21.

Richard Buckner – “Willow” b/w “Lost” 7-inch “Willow” b/w “Lost” is Richard Buckner’s first 7-inch ever and will be available exclusively on Record Store Day! Containing two new songs and a free download with purchase, the 7-inch will also include a digital-only cover of The Cars’ “Candy-O.” Listen to “Willow” via the Merge SoundCloud page.

M. Ward – “Primitive Girl” b/w “The Twist” & “Roll Over Beethoven” 7-inch M. Ward’s limited-edition Record Store Day exclusive 7-inch comes less than two weeks after the release of his highly anticipated new solo album, A Wasteland Companion. The 7-inch features “Primitive Girl,” the first single from his new record, as well as two non-album b-sides including long-time live favorite “Roll Over Beethoven” and an original song titled “The Twist.”

M. Ward will be performing at Fingerprints in Long Beach, CA, on Record Store Day. If you live in the area, secure a spot for the show by pre-ordering your copy of A Wasteland Companion on CD or LP directly from Fingerprints.

Arcade Fire – “Sprawl II” b/w “Ready to Start” (Remixed by Damian Taylor & Arcade Fire) 12-inch The original versions of “Sprawl II” and “Ready to Start” can be found on Arcade Fire’s GRAMMY-winning album The Suburbs, but this special 12-inch pressing marks the first physical release of the remixes of those two songs by Damian Taylor and Arcade Fire. The remix of “Sprawl II” can be heard in the dance motion-activated music video by Vincent Morisset at Sprawl2.com, while the “Ready to Start” remix has previously only been available as a bonus download with the deluxe film-bundled version of the album.

Destroyer – Destroyer’s Rubies dbl-LP reissue Destroyer’s Rubies will be released on vinyl for the first time in the US! The double-LP reissue will be pressed in limited quantities on ruby red vinyl exclusively for Record Store Day and will include a free download of the entire album. Side 3 features “Loscil’s Rubies,” a 20-minute bonus track remixed by Scott Morgan, who also remixed the bonus tracks on 2011’s Kaputt double-LP.

Lambchop will kick off a month-long US tour this week in support of the band’s latest album, Mr. M. A full list of dates as well as links to purchase tickets is included below, and be sure to visit the Merge tour page for updates.

It’s been nearly two decades since Lambchop released its first album, at the time pronouncing itself “Nashville’s most fucked-up country band.” Provocative it may have been, but the description made sense: at the heart of all that ruckus was a band at once defying and embracing the musical legacy of its hometown. Since then, Lambchop has evolved into an accomplished ensemble, adding palpable depth and substance to singer-songwriter-guitarist Kurt Wagner’s songs–and the band sounds as commanding as ever on its 11th album, Mr. M, a collection of meditations on love and loss and the detritus of everyday existence.

“Kurt Wagner and co.’s masterful 11th album is one of the best to emerge from their strange, modest universe.” ~Pitchfork, Best New Music

“The best American songwriter working today.” ~Salon.com

Order Mr. M now on CD or limited-edition dbl-LP in the Merge store.

Watch the video for “Gone Tomorrow”

Lambchop – Gone Tomorrow by Merge Records

Find Lambchop on Twitter, Facebook, and at Lambchop.net.

Lambchop on tour: Apr 13 Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle w/ Crooked Fingers
Apr 14 Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall w/ Crooked Fingers
Apr 15 Arlington, VA – IOTA
Apr 16 Annapolis, MD – Ram’s Head
Apr 17 Boston, MA – Paradise
Apr 18 Philadelphia, PA – World Café Live
Apr 19 New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge w/ Charlie Horse
Apr 20 Brooklyn, NY – The Bell House
Apr 21 Pittsburgh, PA – Club Café
Apr 22 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
Apr 23 Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark
Apr 24 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
Apr 25 Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon
Apr 26 Minneapolis, MN – The Dakota
Apr 27 Omaha, NE – The Slowdown
Apr 28 Boulder, CO – The Fox Theatre
Apr 29 Salt Lake City, UT – The State Room
May 01 Seattle, WA – The Tractor Tavern
May 02 Portland, OR – Doug Fir
May 04 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
May 05 Santa Monica, CA – McCabe’s Guitar Shop (early show: doors at 7pm, show at 8pm)
May 05 Santa Monica, CA – McCabe’s Guitar Shop (late show: doors at 9:30pm, show at 10pm)
May 06 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
May 08 Dallas, TX – Club DaDa
May 09 Austin, TX – The Cactus
May 11 Birmingham, AL – Secret Stages
May 12 Nashville, TN – VFW Post 1970

The Magnetic Fields returned to Merge last month with their new album Love at the Bottom of the Sea. The band kicked off its tour with an inaugural visit to the SXSW festival and has traversed the country by plane and van to some of the most beautiful venues in the country. Merch girl and author Emma Straub is keeping us up-to-date on the tour at the “Tour at the Bottom of the Sea” blog as well as entries posted at The Paris Review.

Listen to Stephin’s KEXP performance live from the men’s room at KEXP.org, and read a great interview with Stephin about his favorite musical gear at the Village Voice’s Sound of the City blog. And don't miss this video of the soon-to-be-hit song “Hookers and Blow” by the ladies of the Magnetic Fields.

The “Tour at the Bottom of the Sea” wraps up this weekend, and Love at the Bottom of the Sea is available on CD, LP and digital download now in the Merge store.

The Magnetic Fields on tour:
Apr 11 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
Apr 12 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
Apr 14 Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse

Will, Jone, Roddy, and Lynn of Imperial Teen visited KEXP, who were broadcasting live from Mellow Johnny’s bike store in Austin, TX, during SXSW. Playing hits both old and new, Imperial Teen brought the party!

Set list:
Imperial Teen
All the Same
No Matter What You Say
Over His Head
Runaway
Shim Sham

Listen to Imperial Teen’s KEXP performance from SXSW

And don’t forget our Imperial Teen contest! Download and print this PDF of the masks from the “Runaway” video, take pictures of you and your friends disguised as Will, Jone, Roddy, and Lynn somewhere fun in your hometown, and send your photos to us! The best contest photo will win a personalized Imperial Teen prize pack!

Their latest, Feel the Sound, is available on CD, LP and digital download now in the Merge store.

Imperial Teen on tour:
May 11 Seattle, WA – Barboza w/ BOAT
May 12 Portland, OR – East End

Eleanor Friedberger is bringing her full band back out on the road in April with Merge labelmates Hospitality. Eleanor’s band on this tour is Matt Asti (MGMT), Andy Mcleod (White Magic), and John Eatherly (Be Your Own Pet & Turbo Fruits).

Also, Paper magazine premiered the new video for “I Won’t Fall Apart on You Tonight” from Last Summer today. The video was directed and produced by Matt Asti with Ry Russo-Young. Featuring backstage dance parties and other tour antics, this video will get you even more excited to see Eleanor and Hospitality when they come to your town.

Last Summer is available on CD, LP and digital download. Watch the recent video for “Heaven” too!

“Last Summer sounds more intimate and accessible than any of her band’s nine albums; it’s a perfect soundtrack for an afternoon spent sifting through a box of old Polaroids.” ~NPR Music

Eleanor Friedberger on tour:
(all dates w/ Hospitality)
Apr 18 Brooklyn, NY – The Bell House
Apr 19 Washington, DC – Black Cat
Apr 20 Durham, NC – Casbah
Apr 21 Atlanta, GA – The Basement
Apr 23 Birmingham, AL – Work Play
Apr 24 New Orleans, LA – Circle Bar
Apr 26 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s
Apr 27 San Antonio, TX – Korova
Apr 28 Austin, TX – Frank
May 01 Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern
May 02 Evanston, IL – SPACE
May 03 Ferndale, MI – Magic Bag
May 04 Toronto, ON – The Garrison
May 05 Montreal, QC – Il Motore
May 06 Allston, MA – Great Scott

Welcome Bob Mould to Merge Records! The legendary frontman for Hüsker Dü and Sugar recorded his new solo album with his bandmates Jon Wurster (Superchunk, the Mountain Goats) and Jason Narducy (Telekinesis, Robert Pollard band). The album is slated for release this fall on Merge.

Bob performed Sugar’s Copper Blue album in its entirety for the first time at Noise Pop in February and more recently at the MOG party at SXSW. More Copper Blue dates are scheduled for Europe this summer; visit BobMould.com for more information.

Richard Buckner performed the A-side of his Record Store Day 7-inch live at Horizon Records in the Bohemian Café in Greenville, SC, on February 26.

Watch an exclusive video of his performance now at RecordStoreDay.com

The limited-edition “Willow” b/w “Lost” is the very first Richard Buckner 7-inch, and you can only get it at your local independent record store on Saturday, April 21–Record Store Day! Containing two new songs and a free download with purchase, the “Willow” 7-inch will also include a digital-only cover of The Cars’ “Candy-O.” Be sure to pick up Buckner’s latest full-length album, Our Blood, too!

Listen to “Willow” via the Merge SoundCloud page, and see the other exclusives Merge has planned for Record Store Day here.

Richard Buckner on tour:
Apr 11 Felton, CA – Don Quixote’s International Music Hall
Apr 14 San Francisco, CA – Brick & Mortar Music Hall
May 01 Winchester, UK – The Railway w/ Richmond Fontaine, Peter Bruntnell
May 02 York, UK – Dutchess of York w/ Richmond Fontaine, Peter Bruntnell
May 03 Bury, UK – The Met w/ Richmond Fontaine, Peter Bruntnell
May 04 Kilkenny, IE – Kilkenny Festival w/ Richmond Fontaine
May 05 Kilkenny, IE – Kilkenny Festival w/ Richmond Fontaine
May 06 Belfast, IE – Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival w/ Richmond Fontaine
May 07 London, UK – Cecil Sharp House w/ Richmond Fontaine, Peter Bruntnell
May 08 Newcastle, UK – The Cluny 2 w/ Richmond Fontaine, Peter Bruntnell
Jul 27 Edmonton, AB – Interstellar Rodeo July 27–29 (date TBA)

Hospitality have steadily been winning the public over since the January release of their self-titled debut album. Scott Jacobson directed their first video for “Friends of Friends,” and Rolling Stone invited the band on stage during SXSW and has their full set available for you to watch now. The L.A. Times’ Pop & Hiss blog called Hospitality “Pop, at its most exquisite,” and The Atlantic said, “The sky was overcast when they took the stage overlooking the grassy knoll outside the French Legation museum; when the sunshine emerged midway through their bright set, it was as if they’d summoned it.” The band continues to tour, so you have even more chances to see them on the road! They head out with Eleanor Friedberger this week and make their way west with Here We Go Magic. Stay tuned for even more live dates from Hospitality!

Hospitality is available on CD, LP and digital download in the Merge store, or from your favorite music retailer now.

Hospitality on tour:
# w/ Eleanor Friedberger
% w/ Here We Go Magic
Apr 18 Brooklyn, NY – The Bell House #
Apr 19 Washington, DC – Black Cat #
Apr 20 Durham, NC – Casbah #
Apr 21 Greenville, SC – Horizon Records (FREE in-store performance at 1:30pm in the Bohemian Café)
Apr 21 Atlanta, GA – The Basement #
Apr 23 Birmingham, AL – WorkPlay #
Apr 24 New Orleans, LA – Circle Bar #
Apr 26 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s #
Apr 27 San Antonio, TX – Korova #
Apr 28 Austin, TX – Frank #
May 01 Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern #
May 02 Evanston, IL – SPACE #
May 03 Ferndale, MI – Magic Bag #
May 04 Toronto, ON – The Garrison #
May 05 Montreal, QC – Il Motore #
May 06 Allston, MA – Great Scott #
May 12 Charlottesville, VA – Tom Tom Festival
May 15 Pittsburgh, PA – Brillobox %
May 16 Bloomington, IN – The Bishop %
May 18 Milwaukee, WI – Stonefly Brewery %
May 19 Minneapolis, MN – 400 Bar %
May 21 Denver, CO – Hi Dive %
May 22 Aspen, CO – Belly Up %
May 23 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge %
May 25 Portland, OR – Bunk Bar %
May 27 George, WA – Sasquatch! Music Festival

Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me! is the weekly NPR News quiz show. Carrie from Wild Flag played their “Not My Job” game in which she was asked questions about Singapore by host Peter Sagal. Stream or download Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me! to listen.

Also, Carrie visited comedian Marc Maron’s infamous “cat ranch” for an interview that aired on April 2. Merge sponsored the episode, so listen for a code to save 20% in the Merge store! Download WTF with Marc Maron to listen.

Wild Flag are on tour now, and their debut album Wild Flag is available on CD, LP and digital download now in the Merge store. Keep up with Carrie and Wild Flag on Twitter.

Wild Flag on tour:
Apr 15 Indio, CA – Coachella
Apr 18 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
Apr 19 Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
Apr 22 Indio, CA – Coachella
May 04 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
May 27 George, WA – Sasquatch! Music Festival
July 14 Chicago, IL – Pitchfork Music Festival

The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle performed with vocal quartet Anonymous 4 in New York last weekend as part of the Ecstatic Music Festival. NPR streamed the show, and you can listen to the archive now.

Listen to the Mountain Goats perform live with Anonymous 4 from the Ecstatic Music Festival now on NPR

The Mountain Goats on tour:
Apr 21 St. Louis, MO – Gargoyle
May 01 Perth, AU – The Bakery
May 03 Byron Bay, AU – The Great Northern
May 04 Brisbane, AU – The Zoo
May 06 Sydney, AU – The Metro
May 08 Katoomba, AU – The Clarendon
May 10 Melbourne, AU – The Corner Hotel

Jeff Mangum will finally make his way to the west coast this month, including the new consecutive-weekend Coachella Festival. A portion of the proceeds for these shows (except Coachella) will benefit Children of the Blue Sky, which aims to place orphaned Mongolian children with foster families. A full list of Jeff Mangum US tour dates and all up-to-date ticket information can be found at GroundControlTouring.com.

After Mangum’s NYC Town Hall show, RollingStone.com said, “Few dared to expect it, but Jeff Mangum is back, and the music world is immeasurably richer for it.” Spin.com offered “Five Reasons Why Jeff Mangum is Magical,” saying, “For two generations of listeners who grew up with Mangum’s intimate voice coming through the headphones, alone in that peculiar sound-world he conjured and feeling they were its sole inhabitant, this is the moment they’ve all been waiting for.” Pitchfork awarded the recently released limited-edition Neutral Milk Hotel box set “Best Reissue,” and the AV Club commended the beautiful packaging and vinyl experience.

Neutral Milk Hotel releases can be found on CD, 180-gram LP and digital download now in the Merge store.

Jeff Mangum on tour:
Apr 10 Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
Apr 14 Indio, CA – Coachella (SOLD OUT)
Apr 16 Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre (SOLD OUT)
Apr 17 Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre
Apr 18 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
Apr 19 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
Apr 21 Indio, CA – Coachella (SOLD OUT)
Apr 23 Los Angeles, CA – Orpheum Theatre
Apr 26 Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
Apr 29 Austin, TX – Moody Theater at ACL Live
May 30 Barcelona, ES – Primavera Sound, May 30-Jun 3 (date TBA)
Jun 07 Porto, PT – Primavera Sound, Jun 7–10 (date TBA)

Touring season is officially here! Be sure to check the Merge tour page frequently for all the latest rock shows in your area. Richard Buckner, Crooked Fingers, Hospitality, and The Love Language have been making their way around the country, and they yearn to see your happy faces! Please bookmark the Merge tour page, and note that you can now sort by Artist, City, or State!

M. Ward, The Magnetic Fields, Hospitality, Archers of Loaf, and the full-band Lambchop all hit the road in support of new releases, while Destroyer, Caribou (with Radiohead!), The Clean & Times New Viking, Eleanor Friedberger, Jeff Mangum, Conor Oberst, and Wild Flag provide you with a second chance to see their live shows. These are very special occasions, so don’t miss them!

A few Merge artists have paired up to bring you a twofer, including Eleanor Friedberger & Hospitality, Wild Flag & Hospitality, The Clean & Times New Viking, and Crooked Fingers & Lambchop. We think these all make for exceptional pairings, and we hope you will make it out and spread the Merge love!

As always, you can sample our current releases at the Merge SoundCloud page or in the Merge Store.