09.03.08
As the reviews roll in and the day draws closer, more people are asking: “What’s the new Rahim record like?” It’s a question that the band has chosen to answer themselves by creating a short promotional video that explains what the laughter is all about. Enjoy.
Acoutic versions! Bandanas! Phil interviewed in a mirror! Need we say more?
Again, the record is out September 9th. You can Order it Now the store and find tour dates on the shows page.
08.31.08
Rahim's new full-length Laughter is out on September 9th and already there's a lot of chatter on the (Al Gore invented-)interweb about this remarkable record. Here we'll defer to the ever-celebrated/contentious Pitchfork who gave the record 7.6 out of 10 stars. Their analysis went like this:
"Singer Michael Friedrich's slightly nasal voice is a bit like Elvis Costello's, and he wraps it around surprisingly mobile melodies, making this the rare post-punk record that you can hum. The band's guitar parts are spiky and spangled, but avoid the genre-pitfall of rigidity; they actually swing a bit, in periodic surges and glides. Tactful horns, synth washes, and vibraphones ruffle the limber yet ironclad core instrumentation like faint updrafts. Instead of variations on clangor, we get genuine diversity: "The Same" drones majestically, "Tired Man" slouches with the aid of wheezy synths, and "Of Course" shaggily unfurls.
Rahim seem to take the same bird's-eye view of their albums as they do of history. They have perceived Laughter as whole and enlivened it, strategically, with inventive embellishments. Drummer Phil Sutton deserves a lot of the credit on this score-- he's great at dropping in a few agile clicks or subtle cowbells to unobtrusively color or complicate a rhythmic structure."
Convinced? Even if it sounds like babble to you I'm pretty sure the message is that this record rules. How fortunate that you can order it now in our online store. They're also hitting the road this fall. We'll be adding dates on our shows page as they are announced.
Also, don't forget to pick up the vinyl/digital release of the Subs & Dubs 7” which are available now and can also be ordered in our store. All records come with a free digital download code.
07.01.08
We’ve been quiet on the new release front, but Pretty Activity is coming back strong in the second half of 2008.
To start, a classic pairing returns in the form of a split 7” between The Subjects and The End of the World. If you’re in need of an easy way to shake off the summer heat you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got a brand new song from each band and, conveniently, they’re the exact same length.
The vinyl and digital of the Subs & Dubs 7” will be available on August 12th, but Pre-Order Now and we’ll get it to you on or before that date. All records come with a code for a free digital download, so you can have these two gems on your stereo and on your “MP3 player.”
So, go get it now. It looks like this:
Secondly, we’re extremely excited to welcome Rahim to the Pretty Activity family. On September 9th we’ll be releasing Laughter, the follow-up to their critically praised 2006 release Ideal Lives. The first single, "Through A Window" can be downloaded now on their artist page.
Rahim will be hitting the road this fall but if you’re in or around Brooklyn we’d recommend coming out to their July 22nd for their show at Union Hall with Bound Stems, whose wonderful new record The Family Afloat also comes out September 9th through our Chicago comrades Flameshovel.
We’ll keep bringing you updates on Rahim as the release date draws near. In the meantime, keep checking the shows page and come out to say hello.
Summertime rolls,
The PA staff
03.19.08 The Subjects are currently featured on online label/blog RCRD LBL where in addition to the already available “I Could Never Tune” you can download “Numbers”—both from their debut full-length with the ease grace precision and cleverness of human beings.
We just returned from Austin where our SXSW showcase with brothers-in-arms Flameshovel Records was a great success. If anyone has pictures or video of the 20 person sing-along to Mannequin Men playing “22nd Century” we’d love to see them.
We’ve been quiet, but there are several new projects on the way. Stay tuned.
11.28.07
Please go check out this newest project from Pretty Activity BFFs/honorary interns. It's an online magazine (don't say blog!) called Take the Handle. It even features, among other notable articles, an explanation by Dave from The Subjects on how to build a record player in one minute. So, yes, Take the Handle.
10.22.07
Thanks to everyone who came out to our CMJ showcase at The Tank in New York. It was incredible! Ume, ALOKE, The End of the World and The Subjects all played incredibly well and at the end there was an intimate but ecstatic dance party with The Stable.
The Subjects and The End of the World even wound up on MTV News as part of the network's CMJ coverage. Check out the link an stay tuned for more Pretty Activity excitement.
07.31.07 The Subjects are currently in the middle of a mega tour through the Midwest and along the East Coast. When they return they’ll be playing at Brooklyn’s newest venue – The Music Hall of Williamsburg – on September 14th opening for The Walkmen. Advance ticket buying is highly recommended.
A little while back the fine people at Grouper shot some footage of ALOKE playing live and discussing their music. The final cut is in and it looks ill. The band is currently in the studio recording with famed “engineer” Steve Albini. We’re expecting a tell all essay from him in about two years.
If we haven’t been adamant enough about it already, all literate Vague Angels and Pretty Activity followers should pick up a copy of Chris Leo’s second novel 57 Octaves Below the Middle C Buzzed the Bee (or Really) How I Lost This Place. If you enjoy hyper-intelligent discourse on New York City, etymology and the history of the world as we know it, this book is for you! Also, for anyone in search of the first Vague Angels record “Truth Loved,” it is now available in cd only form from a wonderful label in Germany called Expect Candy. Chris Leo will be escaping the allure of autumn in New York in order to close out 2007 in Italy. Europeans beware.
The End of the World has been working on finishing the recording of a new record and playing shows around New York with the beautiful addition of a pedal steel player. The video for “Show Your Age” has been chosen as a centerpiece of a dance festival in Berlin. If you haven’t seen the video – directed and filmed by the talented duo of Nathaniel Johnson and Michael Bloch – you can watch the whole thing or check out the trailer for the German Festival featuring part of the video. They also have rough mixes of a new song and an old song up at Snowghost Music as well as videos of the recording session and an interview. Check it out.
For those of you in Texas, Ume will be playing the Wall of Sound festival in Fort Worth with big names like Explosions in the Sky, Pinback, The Books and many more. You can buy advanced tickets on the festival website.
We’ve been laying low on new releases, but we’ll have some new material for you soon to expand your musical palette. Thanks for listening.
04.05.07
Pick up a copy of the newest Magnet magazine for a feature on The Subjects in the Magnified section. Cobra is wearing his fake-fur winter coat. Not to be missed. They also have a few east coast dates with the French Kicks and rumors of summer tours are floating through the city.
Vague Angels have returned from an extensive trek across Europe and if they work at the same rate that they did before leaving the city they'll have a defacto residency across Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx. Someone please remind Chris about Qeens and Staten Island. They'll also be heading up to Canada. Check out the shows page.
The End of the World will be travelling down the west coast with The Narrator (whose upcoming record All That To The Wall became an instant Pretty Activity classic this winter) in early June. Exact dates should be announced soon.
ALOKE has a new video for the song "Pennywhistle." We'll put it up as soon as we get the final cut. They've been making recordings of some incredible songs that are often up on their MySpace page.
Ume is in a perpetual state of recording. They blew minds at SXSW and we expect big things.
