{"title":"Bob Mould","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBob Mould\u003c\/strong\u003e’s career has spanned decades, from his pioneering early ’80s work with Hüsker Dü to his solo work in singer-songwriter, electronic, and rock modes, to the deafening pop sparkle of Sugar. \u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"bob-mould-silver-age","title":"Bob Mould - Silver Age","description":"\u003cp\u003eThose familiar with the decades-spanning oeuvre of \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/bob-mould\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBob Mould\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e—from his pioneering early ’80s work with Hüsker Dü to his solo work in singer-songwriter, electronic, and rock modes, to the deafening pop sparkle of Sugar—might expect a new album bearing the title \u003ci\u003eSilver Age\u003c\/i\u003e to be a somber and reflective set in the mode of his last album, 2009’s \u003ci\u003eLife and Times\u003c\/i\u003e…and they’d be way off the mark. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSilver Age\u003c\/i\u003e is an intense and concise ten-song blast far more reminiscent of Bob’s latter-day Hüsker Dü output.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I’d been batting around the idea of another aggressive pop record for some time,” Bob says, “especially as the 20th anniversary of \u003ca href=\"\/products\/sugar-copper-blue-beaster-deluxe-edition\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eCopper Blue\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e kept getting closer.\" It’s no surprise, then, that \u003ci\u003eSilver Age\u003c\/i\u003e careens out of the speakers with a sense of exhilaration that reflects the excitement with which Bob and his live band cranked out the record in a tight whirlwind of a window in early 2012.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":52739169714487,"sku":"MRG450lp","price":21.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52739169780023,"sku":"MRG450cd","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739169747255,"sku":"MRG450digital","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/3aaf1da94e65b27dab3dee384fde193e3706d652_cc04a1515cb0d8240f17de9a85620232b32d4ad1_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785380393"},{"product_id":"bob-mould-beauty-ruin","title":"Bob Mould - Beauty \u0026 Ruin","description":"\u003cp\u003eDescribed as  “a compact epic,” \u003ci\u003eBeauty \u0026amp; Ruin\u003c\/i\u003e packs a staggering lifetime’s worth of emotion and experience into a 36-minute package sure to be hailed as a landmark addition to Bob Mould’s formidable body of work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs with 2012’s highly acclaimed \u003ca href=\"\/products\/bob-mould-silver-age\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eSilver Age\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBeauty \u0026amp; Ruin\u003c\/i\u003e finds Bob joined by his longtime band of bassist Jason Narducy and drummer Jon Wurster.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":52739187736887,"sku":"MRG520LP","price":21.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52739187704119,"sku":"MRG520CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739187671351,"sku":"MRG520digital","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/98ed7781d588b2c5c5506cbafbc4ae7d43c5531f_4015baa0d6938f975f9517d9f6221467bb389178_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785380939"},{"product_id":"bob-mould-patch-the-sky","title":"Bob Mould - Patch The Sky","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIncluded in:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.wbez.org\/shows\/jim-derogatis\/the-best-albums-of-2016-savages-teen-la-femme-sneaks-gotobeds-and-the-next-35\/3fc76136-f08e-48b7-834a-f500612ab4b3\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWBEZ\/NPR Sound Opinions Best Album of 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e (#28)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/lists\/50-best-songs-of-2016-w452313\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRolling Stone's 50 Best Songs of 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e (#42 \"Voices In My Head\")\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBob Mould writes:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHere’s the deal. In 2012, people loved \u003ca href=\"\/products\/bob-mould-silver-age\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eSilver Age\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e (to a degree that surprised me, pleasantly), likewise \u003ca href=\"\/products\/bob-mould-beauty-ruin\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eBeauty \u0026amp; Ruin\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e in 2014 (despite the heaviness of the subject matter, which I thought might be a bit alienating… apparently not. Another pleasant surprise.).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBut\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Patch The Sky\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e is the darkest one.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter the Letterman performance in February 2015 where “dust fell from the rafters,” it would have seemed logical to go the punk rock route—an entire album of two-minute songs—but that wasn’t where my soul was at.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI withdrew from everyday life. I wrote alone for six months. I love people, but I needed my solitude. The search for my own truth kept me alive. These songs are my salvation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI’ve had a solid stretch of hard emotional times, and thanks for the condolences in advance. I don’t want to go into the details—more death, relationships ending, life getting shorter—because they’re already in the songs. Just listen and see if you can fit yourself into my stories. The words make you remember. The music makes you forget.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBut \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePatch The Sky\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e is also the catchiest one.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI always aim for the perfect balance of bright melodies and dark stories. I’ve used this juxtaposition for years. This time, I’ve tuned it to high contrast.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe first side of the album is generally simple and catchy. The second side is heavier in spirit and tone. Opposing forces and properties. I love both sides of \u003ci\u003ePatch The Sky\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the core of these songs is what I call the chemical chorus—you hear it once and your brain starts tingling. The heart rate picks up. It gets worse—you know it’s coming again and you can barely stand the anticipation. Then, the beautifully heartbreaking bridge appears, and you’re all set up—hooked for life. Music is an incredibly powerful drug. I want to be your drug dealer. I have what you need.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":52739205857591,"sku":"MRG580LP","price":21.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52996576444727,"sku":"MRG580CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739205824823,"sku":"MRG580digital","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/005cc5c7592b4e47c54b8cf8c42fe0740a85e8e4_bf253371a8411961c567f07ab61c65a123becd04_medium_jpg_b8c7a051-8098-467f-bc3a-da480183ccb8.jpg?v=1789587518"},{"product_id":"bob-mould-sunshine-rock","title":"Bob Mould - Sunshine Rock","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD:\u003c\/strong\u003e Housed in a 4-panel wallet with a poster-style lyric insert, both featuring spot gloss detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLP:\u003c\/strong\u003e Black vinyl inside a heavyweight inner sleeve with full lyrics and spot gloss detail. Includes digital download.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePeak Vinyl:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pressed on limited-edition yellow and red swirl vinyl. Includes digital download. **This version is sold out on the Merge Records store. Check with your favorite local record shop to see if they have it in stock!***\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSunshine Rock\u003c\/i\u003e can also be found at your \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.recordstoreday.com\/Stores\"\u003elocal independent record store\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e+++\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEver-evolving artist \u003cstrong\u003eBob\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eMould\u003c\/strong\u003e—whose face belongs on the Mount Rushmore of alternative music—decided to “write to the sunshine,” as he describes it, not because he likes the current administration. It comes from a more personal place—a place found in Berlin, Germany, where he’s spent the majority of the last three years. Here Mould would draw inspiration from the new environments.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe theme, the cathartic vocals, and the strings all amount to Mould’s catchiest, grabbiest album since \u003ca href=\"\/products\/sugar-copper-blue-beaster-deluxe-edition\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eCopper Blue\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, the acclaimed 1992 debut of his trio Sugar. Back then, Mould’s work in Hüsker Dü, as a solo artist, and in Sugar helped define the sound of guitar rock in the alternative age. \u003ci\u003eSunshine Rock\u003c\/i\u003e finds him doing it again for an era that has ostensibly eschewed rock.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSunshine Rock \u003c\/i\u003efollows the 2016 release of \u003ca href=\"\/products\/bob-mould-patch-the-sky\"\u003e\u003ci\u003ePatch the Sky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, which was hailed by Rolling Stone as “conjuring the ecstatic rage of his earlier bands for a grim new era” and as “tight, sharp musings on aging, fizzled relationships and death that are melodic enough to sound like songs of victory” by the New York Times. \u003ci\u003ePatch the Sky\u003c\/i\u003e completed a trilogy including its 2014 predecessor \u003ca href=\"\/products\/bob-mould-beauty-ruin\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eBeauty \u0026amp; Ruin \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003eand 2012’s \u003ca href=\"\/products\/bob-mould-silver-age\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eSilver Age\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":52739236135223,"sku":"MRG650LP","price":21.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52739236167991,"sku":"MRG650CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739236200759,"sku":"MRG650digital","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/0c6ba463664899935c461392c723378ba070022a_9ceef4d972e8ac85df940de0555bf3a085004397_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785381849"},{"product_id":"bob-mould-blue-hearts","title":"Bob Mould - Blue Hearts","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the winter of 2019, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/bob-mould\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBob Mould\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e bucked the era’s despair with his most melodic, upbeat album in ages, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/bob-mould-sunshine-rock\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eSunshine Rock\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCut to spring of 2020, and he has this to say: “We’re really in deep shit now.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat sentiment informs the new full-length album, \u003ci\u003eBlue Hearts\u003c\/i\u003e, the raging-but-catchy yin to \u003ci\u003eSunshine Rock\u003c\/i\u003e’s yang.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRecorded at the famed Electrical Audio in Chicago with Beau Sorenson engineering and Mould producing, \u003ci\u003eBlue Hearts\u003c\/i\u003e nods to Mould’s past while remaining firmly planted in the issues of the day.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP (Black)","offer_id":52739236987191,"sku":"MRG730LP","price":21.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52996578017591,"sku":"MRG730CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739237052727,"sku":"MRG730digital","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/7e836f4ca17b8abdda4785eb83a321d317f16e5a_f864f1bfcdea01ab902de526a5cf662218732d08_medium_jpg_bf8b88df-8240-4565-a332-07314c116652.jpg?v=1789600483"},{"product_id":"bob-mould-bob-mould-blue-hearts-t-shirt","title":"Bob Mould - Bob Mould Blue Hearts T-shirt","description":"\u003cp\u003eCreated for \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/bob-mould\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBob Mould\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e’s 2020 album \u003ca href=\"\/products\/bob-mould-blue-hearts\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eBlue Hearts\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, this exclusive t-shirt features the cover art in blue and white ink screenprinted on a black, 100% cotton unisex tee.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"XS","offer_id":52739237740855,"sku":"MRG730-TS-XS","price":18.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Small","offer_id":52739237773623,"sku":"MRG730-TS-S","price":18.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Medium","offer_id":52739237806391,"sku":"MRG730-TS-M","price":18.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Large","offer_id":52739237839159,"sku":"MRG730-TS-L","price":18.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"XL","offer_id":52739237871927,"sku":"MRG730-TS-XL","price":18.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/bfbbe81b22ed17c54dc48965cec6304570a0c3fd_004f64f44a3a85b99fefb0d370b0d45913b1d475_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785381911"},{"product_id":"bob-mould-the-ocean-ep","title":"Bob Mould - The Ocean EP","description":"\u003cp\u003eSolo acoustic performances of songs from 2020’s acclaimed \u003ca href=\"\/products\/bob-mould-blue-hearts\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eBlue Hearts\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003ealong with the Hüsker Dü classic “Divide and Conquer.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProduced, Engineered, and Mixed by Bob Mould\u003cbr\u003eMastered by Matthew Barnhart, Chicago Mastering Service, Chicago IL\u003cbr\u003eOriginally broadcast on October 30, 2020, this session was recorded at Granary Music, San Francisco CA, for World Cafe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBob Mould: Guitars, Vocals, Percussion\u003cbr\u003eArt Design: Daniel Murphy\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739286139191,"sku":"MRG803digital","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/dfe0b2359ea11a847a311e2692908c80bd8851e1_f88d5ec930c6b1defb030867dd55a46fe8e2d3ec_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785382218"}],"url":"https:\/\/mergerecords.com\/collections\/bob-mould.oembed","provider":"Merge Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}