January 11, 2011

The Head and The Heart sign with Sub Pop Records

the head and the heart - conor byrne

After the ink dried way back in November, Sub Pop finally announced one of the worst kept secrets in Seattle for the past few months: they have signed The Head and The Heart, and will be digitally re-releasing their self-titled debut album on the Sub Pop label today!

If you haven’t been following my Amway-salesman-like enthusiasm for this band since summer, then you can read about why I think they are great over on the band bio I penned for Sub Pop.

The new 2011 version of the album includes a studio recording of “Rivers and Roads” (which gutted me most excellently in August, in that parking garage show) and a re-recorded version of “Sounds Like Hallelujah.” The whole album has been remastered, and will also be released on vinyl in April for Record Store Day. Sweet!



To celebrate today, the band has released a moody, acoustic, brand-new song, “No One To Let You Down” (which we saw them perform on beach cliffs at the Doe Bay Festival last summer) for free download on their website, along with “Down In The Valley,” one of the standout tracks on their album.

STREAM: No One To Let You Down – The Head and The Heart

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Free download here



sub popAnd hey, while we’re at it: let’s all reminisce about why Sub Pop Records is so damn cool in the first place, shall we?

Congrats, kids.







MORE SHOWS THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A STICK AT IN 2011
* – w/Dr. Dog
** – w/The Walkmen

Jan 13 – Bellingham, WA – Green Frog Acoustic Tavern
Jan 14 – Seattle, WA – Neumo’s
Jan 15 – Spokane, WA – Empyrean Coffee House
Jan 19 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir
Jan 23 – Birmingham, UK – Glee Club **
Jan 24 – London, UK – The Lexington
Jan 25 – London, UK – Shepherd’s Bush Empire **
Jan 26 – Berlin, Germany – Privatclub
Jan 28 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club *
Jan 29 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club *
Jan 31 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre *
Feb 1 – Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall *
Feb 3 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm *
Feb 4 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade *
Feb 5 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom *
Feb 7 – Birmingham, AL – WorkPlay Theatre *
Feb 8 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel *
Feb 9 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater *
Feb 11 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory *
Feb 14 – Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theater *
Feb 15 – South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground *
Feb 17 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Small’s Theatre *
Feb 18 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 *
Feb 19 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club *
Mar 2 – New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks **
Mar 3 – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s **
Mar 4 – Austin, TX – Stubbs’ Bar-B-Q **
Mar 5 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater **
Mar 7 – Lawrence, KS – Jackpot Saloon
Mar 11 – Englewood, CO – Moe’s
Mar 13 – Albuquerque, NM – Low Spirits

8 Comments

  • I’m super excited to see what this band does. I’ve been hooked since you introduced us all to them and have been telling everyone I know to get to know their music. My one wish is that they would stop on by Chicago (heck, I would take Milwaukee or Minneapolis) and play.

    I was talking about ‘Rivers and Roads’ today with my sister before I was able to get home to download it. I probably have 5 or 6 versions of the song from various videos of it and I was worried that somehow it was going to let me down. That was silly. The new studio version is really fantastically well done. That song is just satisfying on so many levels, and no matter how many times I hear it, I always am blown away by the moment everything cuts out and Charity starts in with ‘Rivers and roads…’

    Adam — January 11, 2011 @ 4:59 pm

  • Also, sorry to be that guy with two straight comments, but that write up you did for them is absolutely fantastic. Kudos.

    Adam — January 11, 2011 @ 5:05 pm

  • [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by The Bellingham Wire. The Bellingham Wire said: The Head and The Heart sign with Sub Pop Records | Fuel/Friends … http://bit.ly/fIbsZy [...]

    Tweets that mention The Head and The Heart sign with Sub Pop Records | Fuel/Friends Music Blog -- Topsy.com — January 11, 2011 @ 5:11 pm

  • thank you so much Adam!! I wrestled a lot with it, and was pleased at how it turned out. :)

    browneheather — January 11, 2011 @ 5:23 pm

  • I’m so excited about this. Also, I’m glad they’re coming to DC – I’ve watched videos of them performing online and can’t wait to see them live. The track you included on your winter mix reminded me of how much I enjoy their work and have been taking in as much of them as I can since then.

    Also, to echo Adam, great job with the bio!

    angelheadedhipster — January 13, 2011 @ 7:12 am

  • A short swing through Europe and no stop in Paris, Quel horror! Maybe next time.

    MarkO — January 15, 2011 @ 9:37 am

  • Head up to London, MarkO! A short trip through the Chunnel? I’d do it ;)
    Charity lived in Paris for the year last year, studying at the Sciences Po and playing music all around the city. I am 99% sure they will be back in Paris as soon as they possibly can swing it.

    browneheather — January 15, 2011 @ 11:16 am

  • I have also been hooked since you introduced them to me on your blog, and CAN’T WAIT for their toronto show in a month’s time. Fantastic write up, and congrats to you!

    Ruby — January 23, 2011 @ 10:00 pm

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Bio Pic Name: Heather Browne
Location: Colorado, originally by way of California
Giving context to the torrent since 2005.

"I love the relationship that anyone has with music: because there's something in us that is beyond the reach of words, something that eludes and defies our best attempts to spit it out. It's the best part of us, probably, the richest and strangest part..."
—Nick Hornby, Songbook
"Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel."
—Hunter S. Thompson

Mp3s are for sampling purposes, kinda like when they give you the cheese cube at Costco, knowing that you'll often go home with having bought the whole 7 lb. spiced Brie log. They are left up for a limited time. If you LIKE the music, go and support these artists, buy their schwag, go to their concerts, purchase their CDs/records and tell all your friends. Rock on.

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