Kurt Vile And The Violators with special guest Being Dead
Code RequiredArtist Presale: 4/8 at 10am
Spotify Presale: 4/9 at 10am
Public on Sale: 4/10 at 10am
Kurt Vile & The Violators
Released in God’s year of 2026, the 250th anniversary of the founding of America in Kurt Vile’s fine city of Philadelphia, Philadelphia’s been good to me finds one of our nation’s greatest songwriters staking a claim on his hometown. “This is my ‘bringing it all back home to Philly’ record,” Vile says. “I’m treating it like my last one. I put everything into it. It’s my best vocal record. It’s my best electric guitar record. It’s my most organic record, made in the comfort of my own zone.”
Largely self-produced, with assists from Adam Langellotti, keys wiz Matthew Jugenheimer, drummer Kyle Spence, guitarist Jesse Trbovrich, and longtime Violators boardsman Rob Schnapf, the record embodies Vile’s understanding of music as a conversation between people across time and space. The title track is an ode to his hometown that doubles as an homage to Tom Petty’s homage to California. The barn-burning “Chance to Bleed” features guest spots from Memphis OGs Natalie Hoffman and Greg Cartwright but boasts a music video proudly shot at the Philly venue Kung Fu Necktime and features a cameo by local legend Schoolly D. “You Don’t Know Cuz It’s My Life” is Kurt’s take on a stadium anthem, building up to a laid-back yet triumphant chant of “I’m from Phil-a-del-phiaaaaaaah!” that you can imagine a crowd of Eagles fans screaming along to, Twisted Teas pointed towards the heavens.
Make no mistake: Philadelphia’s been good to me is the sound of Philly’s constant hitmaker coming back to kick ass, son the haters, and put on for the City of Brotherly Love — and in true Kurt Vile fashion, doing so while sounding more relaxed than ever. Between the 250th anniversary of America and its hosting of select World Cup games, 2026 is shaping up to be a big deal for Philadelphia. “And then there’s one other thing,” Vile says. “I gotta be that third thing. Because I am Philadelphia. I gotta own it. I gotta rise to the occasion.”
Being Dead
The Austin, TX-based duo consisting of Falcon Bitch and Shmoofy — announces its new album, EELS, out September 27th on Bayonet, lead single/video “Firefighters,” and a fall headline tour. Being Dead’s records are mosaics, technicolor incantations, each song its own self-contained little universe. And while the dreamlike EELS probes further into the depths of the duo Being Dead’s psyche, it is, most importantly, a 16-track record that is genuinely unpredictable from one track to the next. It’s a joyous and unexpected trip helmed by two true-blue freak bitch besties holed up in a lil’ house in the heart of Austin, Texas.
When Horses Would Run, Being Dead’s “glorious and timeless” (Gorilla vs. Bear) debut record released in 2023, took years to release. The final product was excellent and expertly polished, at odds with the live rowdiness they’d cultivated a reputation for throughout Austin and beyond across seven years of being a band. For the next one, they knew they’d have to do things differently. They decamped to Los Angeles for two weeks to record with GRAMMY-winning producer John Congleton, writing songs for the record until days before they landed in the studio. Working on a much tighter schedule than their debut LP, the radical shift in process was welcome - a good balance and a challenge, with Congleton helping them find new ways to work. Being Dead has grown from a duo to a trio live, including bassist Nicole Roman-Johnston who also co-wrote and recorded bass and vocals on several album tracks.
The resulting EELS is a darker record, tapped more into the devilishness within. It’s a more raucous, rougher ride sonically. There’s heartbreak, excitement, enchantment, dancing – we move through it all at a high-octane pace. Falcon Bitch and Smoofy never want to do the same thing twice on any song, and they don’t. This is never more apparent than on lead single, “Firefighters,” which might be the first of its kind told from the perspective of a Dalmatian who is overworked at their fire station. The pummeling, distorted garage rock ripper’s accompanying video by director URZULKA “came together through a group hallucination.” The band adds, “We love marbles and outdoor play and decided to get it on video for y'all. Making this was like creating an intricate handshake with all your buddies—riddled with inside jokes and giggles.”
