{"title":"Mac McCaughan","description":"\u003cp\u003eThroughout his musical career fronting \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/superchunk\"\u003eSuperchunk\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/portastatic\"\u003ePortastatic\u003c\/a\u003e, Mac McCaughan has channeled more than his share of angst and tumult into a microphone, resulting in straight-up undeniable rock anthems. So how can a voice so familiar to others still seem foreign to its owner? On \u003ci\u003eThe Sound of Yourself\u003c\/i\u003e, McCaughan’s second record released under his own name, he explores that question fully, shooting his voice through a prism and refracting it across these songs in new and rewarding ways.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"mac-mccaughan-non-believers","title":"Mac McCaughan - Non-Believers","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIncluded on:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/year-in-review\/2015\/favorite-indie-pop-and-indie-rock-albums\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAllMusic's Favorite Indie Pop and Indie Rock Albums of 2015\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/superchunk\"\u003eSuperchunk\u003c\/a\u003e frontman \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/mac-mccaughan\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMac McCaughan\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e has released \u003ci\u003eNon-Believers\u003c\/i\u003e, his first solo album under his own name. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMcCaughan wanted to use the album to explore his attraction to that early-’80s era of music when punk evolved into something more introspective, focusing on themes of isolation and eventually turning into post-punk and new wave. As he puts it, he was thinking about a time when bands were “using keyboards and drum machines to relate through their music a disaffection or alienation” from society, school, whatever.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe record is about a fascination with art that could only be made by someone far from where you are, but who maybe shares the frustrations and awkwardness of youth. It’s about “the irony that comes with being 16 and having a car but not knowing where to go in it, or having a keyboard or a guitar and not knowing how to play it.” McCaughan’s songwriting isn’t limited to sheer nostalgia; it’s also about the more relatable theme of the point when people who grow up feeling isolated have to choose if and when they are going to join the mainstream, and about the emotional journey tied to weighing those options. “What appeals to me is songs that deal with the messiness and ambiguity that come with any transitional period,” says McCaughan.        \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eComing from the indie and punk rock worlds, McCaughan has always shied away from the perceived hubris of putting out a record under his own name. “There’s something about it that’s way too ‘look at me,’” he admits. However, given the fact that \u003ci\u003eNon-Believers\u003c\/i\u003e explores a very personal set of influences, putting out an album as simply Mac McCaughan for the first time just makes sense.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":52739190980919,"sku":"MRG555LP","price":19.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52996576411959,"sku":"MRG555CD","price":13.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739191013687,"sku":"MRG555digital","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/de3d5d56e0ea53218edd74076576d2ce8034b625_b382062596c676b9b162f6eeedc2f2388aafe234_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1789600350"},{"product_id":"mac-mccaughan-box-batteries-b-w-whatever-light","title":"Mac McCaughan - \"Box Batteries\" b\/w \"Whatever Light\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn ode to making sure you have the power to listen to your homemade cassettes in even the most remote locations, “Box Batteries” is perhaps the most rocking song from \u003ca href=\"\/products\/mac-mccaughan-non-believers\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eNon-Believers\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e and captures of the spirit of the album. The special 7-inch version features a pounding Farfisa, various types of distortion, and a tireless drum machine. The non-LP B-side “Whatever Light” is likely set about 10 years after the A-side and showcases human drumming and instrument-playing.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739191570743,"sku":"MRG554digital","price":1.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/3632074d47f01f29fd38c4b7a9e325da1e454750_22ca920ac7b451f5e01c144d563b9bc4ea697fb2_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785381033"},{"product_id":"mac-mccaughan-staring-at-your-hologram","title":"Mac McCaughan - Staring at Your Hologram","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"gmail_default\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/mac-mccaughan\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMac McCaughan\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e’s full instrumental remix and deconstruction of his \u003ca href=\"\/products\/mac-mccaughan-non-believers\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNon-Believers\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e album. Forty minutes of music accompanied once again by cover art and photography by Trudy Benson and Lucas Blalock, respectively. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLimited to 500 copies on translucent yellow vinyl, each hand-numbered by Mac.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cfont style=\"color: red; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;\" color=\"red\"\u003eLP does not include download code.  \u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP (Translucent Yellow)","offer_id":52739205759287,"sku":"NB01lp-C1","price":19.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/7e63ce819e154f6e6bd37558bd1d492ad6fcac27_86948f1387296721fe005c613fd4b3e11199625c_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785381115"},{"product_id":"mac-mccaughan-new-rain-duets","title":"Mac McCaughan - New Rain Duets","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom our friends at \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/threelobed.com\/tlr\/home.html\"\u003eThree Lobed Recordings\u003c\/a\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn an age full of exhausting noise, chaos and unconscious verbalism, Mary Lattimore and Mac McCaughan's \u003ci\u003eNew Rain Duets \u003c\/i\u003eoffers an impossibly gorgeous antidote. Diaphanous melody emerges from the strings of Lattimore’s harp, at times reminiscent of a room full of antique music boxes playing different songs but in accord. The synthesizer textures from McCaughan float in and around the harp’s arpeggios, warm like cloud cover, then disturbed and more harshly electronic. Like the textures on Bowie’s Berlin albums with Eno, there is a constant sense of beauty and foreboding coexistent. The collaboration's four movements snake and float through a liminal sonic universe, without a linear sense of tension\/release but rather a calm and brooding build into a widening pool of immersive sound. \u003ci\u003eNew Rain Duets\u003c\/i\u003e proves that \"cosmic music\" lives not just in the notes played but also the ones in between. When rendered in such a way as this album, it yields a thing of true beauty and wonder.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMary Lattimore – Harp \u0026amp; Effects\u003cbr\u003eMac McCaughan – Synthesizers \u0026amp; Sampling\u003cbr\u003eRecorded April 2017 at the McColl Center for Art + Innovation, Charlotte NC\u003cbr\u003eMastered by Patrick Klem\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e1. I (11:07)\u003cbr\u003e2. II (9:21)\u003cbr\u003e3. III (7:22)\u003cbr\u003e4. IV (12:48)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":52739225518391,"sku":"TLR127lp","price":21.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/86210de3ffd4376b36e7c365a12047aaec9c88c2_64ebe731623ca4828e952b4f86e60cb4051ab49d_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785381514"},{"product_id":"mac-mccaughan-new-rain-duets-tour-poster-may-2019","title":"Mac McCaughan - New Rain Duets Tour Poster, May 2019","description":"\u003cp\u003eA beautiful three-color silkscreened keepsake celebrating Mary Lattimore and Mac McCaughan's first run of shows supporting their 2019 release on Three Lobed Recordings, \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/mac-mccaughan-new-rain-duets\"\u003eNew Rain Duets\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e. Poster designed by \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/cargocollective.com\/lucycahillillustration\"\u003eLucy Cahilll\u003c\/a\u003e and printed by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/kitchenislandshowprint.com\/\"\u003eSteve Oliva\u003c\/a\u003e at Kitchen Island in a numbered edition of 45.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003ePoster measures 18” x 24” and will ship in a tube.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52739232366903,"sku":"MRGO001-Poster-Mac-RainDuet","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/6b9734dfaff522108f6a452aa464f72d2901febc_cfcce4fdbcf391799f0b63a8d33e0348f61502fa_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785381744"},{"product_id":"mac-mccaughan-the-sound-of-yourself","title":"Mac McCaughan - The Sound of Yourself","description":"\u003cp\u003eThroughout his musical career fronting \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/superchunk\"\u003eSuperchunk\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/portastatic\"\u003ePortastatic\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eMac McCaughan \u003c\/strong\u003ehas channeled more than his share of angst and tumult into a microphone, resulting in straight-up undeniable rock anthems. So how can a voice so familiar to others still seem foreign to its owner? On \u003ci\u003eThe Sound of Yourself\u003c\/i\u003e, McCaughan’s second record released under his own name, he explores that question fully, shooting his voice through a prism and refracting it across these songs in new and rewarding ways. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn January 2021, McCaughan found himself at his home studio in Chapel Hill staring down a clean slate after wrapping up a film score and several other music projects. This setting—a distant light at the end of a figurative tunnel, and a literal room full of instruments—was integral to \u003ci\u003eThe Sound of Yourself\u003c\/i\u003e. His thought process was simple: “Each day is blurring into the next, so what are we doing today? How can I disrupt this? I think what resulted was a theme of subdued... ‘joy’ is the wrong word, but it’s at least comforting if not propulsive to have something open-ended to work on every day without any kind of structure or deadline or rules.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor a record titled \u003ci\u003eThe Sound of Yourself\u003c\/i\u003e, the irony in having many contributions from friends near and far is not lost on McCaughan: “I’m constantly inspired by the work of my peers. I feel lucky to be able to collaborate with them despite the distances between us. Sending off a song into the ether and having it returned greatly improved and in often surprising and moving ways was one of the most satisfying aspects of making this record.” Michael Benjamin Lerner (\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/telekinesis\"\u003eTelekinesis\u003c\/a\u003e) and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/annie-hayden\"\u003eAnnie Hayden\u003c\/a\u003e (\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/spent\"\u003eSpent\u003c\/a\u003e) provide shimmering vocal harmonies on “I Hear a Radio.” Sabrina Ellis (\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/a-giant-dog\"\u003eA Giant Dog\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/sweet-spirit\"\u003eSweet Spirit\u003c\/a\u003e) sings on “Sleep Donor” and Mackenzie Scott of \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/torres\"\u003eTORRES\u003c\/a\u003e lends her voice to “Burn a Fax,” a song that also features three moody saxophone tracks that Matt Douglas of \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/the-mountain-goats\"\u003ethe Mountain Goats\u003c\/a\u003e offered McCaughan, layered on top of one another. Mary Lattimore introduces and concludes \u003ci\u003eThe Sound of Yourself\u003c\/i\u003e with her singular harp playing. The bittersweet single “Dawn Bends” is bolstered not only by Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster but the esteemed trio of Yo La Tengo on bass, organ, guitar, and vocals.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Peak Vinyl (Pink \u0026 Orange Swirl)","offer_id":52739244294455,"sku":"MRG783lp-C1","price":22.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":52739244327223,"sku":"MRG783LP","price":21.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52739244359991,"sku":"MRG783CD","price":13.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739244392759,"sku":"MRG783digital","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/fe2f4d5be7730a10d0e17b63632b8deb69670e93_1a85d86a0c5e906142143b9c8bde6824603fd872_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785382081"},{"product_id":"mac-mccaughan-the-sound-of-yourself-t-shirt","title":"Mac McCaughan - The Sound of Yourself T-shirt","description":null,"brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"XXL","offer_id":52739301015863,"sku":"C-Tee-Mac21-XXL","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/b6e045fec7738aaceac7f0d8877139e1a78bace5_dfe9021f80e2d01d2fc130e2ea13a9ce8f5bf626_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785382235"},{"product_id":"mac-mccaughan-the-sound-of-yourself-acoustic-versions","title":"Mac McCaughan - The Sound of Yourself (Acoustic Versions)","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom Mac McCaughan:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen I toured for the album [\u003ca href=\"\/products\/mac-mccaughan-the-sound-of-yourself\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Sound of Yourself\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e], I had to learn how to play these songs on guitar when for the most part they had been written on bass or keyboards, so these are kind of the versions of these songs I’d be playing if I were doing a solo acoustic show (except “Dawn Bends (Piano)”—I cannot play the piano to save my life). There are just a couple embellishments, and the only guest is Matt Douglas on \"Sleep Donor (Acoustic)\" playing sax as he did on this song during the tour.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003eRecorded at home August 2022.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003eAll songs played and sung by Mac McCaughan.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003eSaxophone on “Sleep Donor (Acoustic)” by Matt Douglas.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003ePhoto by Oona McCaughan.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739326837047,"sku":"MRG783digital-EP","price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/178786443127b4aeab9bf2a9706019b31bcfa9d2_e75420f92deb501cdd61960788057d88c31dbbad_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785382328"},{"product_id":"mac-mccaughan-for-some-other-reason-b-w-fair-warning-what-would-you-say","title":"Mac McCaughan - \"For Some Other Reason\" b\/w \"Fair Warning\" \u0026 \"What Would You Say?\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eA three-song 7-inch by \u003cstrong\u003eMac Krol\u003c\/strong\u003e, the blistering combo of labelmates \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/mike-krol\"\u003eMike Krol\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/mac-mccaughan\"\u003eMac McCaughan\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo longer an abandoned recording session from Krol's 2015 Merge debut \u003ca href=\"\/products\/mike-krol-turkey\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eTurkey\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, Mac Krol arrives, sounding like lost \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/portastatic\"\u003ePortastatic\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/superchunk\"\u003eSuperchunk\u003c\/a\u003e B-sides, as vital and inventive as you’d expect from a dream pairing like Krol and McCaughan. “Without Mac,” Krol says, “these songs would still be discarded instrumentals, so I’m very thankful that he brought them across the finish line so they can finally be heard!”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl (Black)","offer_id":52739332440375,"sku":"MRG792-7","price":12.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739332473143,"sku":"MRG792digital","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/d74e53ce4a70b39d08f0649e7ffec227d65109ca_44cb4b486032ab8091b8bd6d51a6ecbb74374954_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785382493"}],"url":"https:\/\/mergerecords.com\/collections\/mac-mccaughan.oembed","provider":"Merge Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}