News

Mess Esque was born, like so much of us, in the percussive impact of a big bang! In this case, it was a hoped-for collision of two musical comets - Helen Franzmann and Mick Turner - who've long cut individual paths through the empyrean sea that surrounds our worlds. Their courses were subtly altered when Mick sought a singer to collaborate with on new material. In this new combustion, Helen and Mick direct intuitions and meditations from the remote confines of their individual selves into a greater mass, one... (read more)

An artists’ book born of an ongoing collaboration between Friedrich Kunath and the late musician, writer, and friend David Berman. Published on the occasion of Kunath’s 2019 exhibition at Soccer Club Club, Chicago, IL, presented by Blum & Poe in partnership with Drag City. Designed by longtime mutual friend and collaborator Michael Schmelling.

Hardcover; 48 pages
Edition of 1000
Published by Blum & Poe and Drag City



Special edition of 50 with hand-painted paper-wrapped slipcases by Friedrich Kunath, $150, coming soon.

The Blind Date Party hosted by Bill Callahan and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and featuring AZITA, Matt Sweeney, Alasdair Roberts, Matt Kinsey, Sean O’Hagan, Bill MacKay, George Xylouris, Dead Rider, David Pajo, Mick Turner, Meg Baird, Ty Segall, Emmett Kelly, Cory Hanson, Six Organs of Admittance, David Grubbs, Cassie Berman, Cooper Crain and Sir Richard Bishop happened online in the fall and winter of ’20–’21 — but party planning began in... (read more)

Drag City is grieved to convey the news of Irwansyah Harahap’s passing; his long-running musical project, Suarasama, remains an inspiration to us all. When we heard his music for the first time (at the Bonnie ‘Prince’s enthused recommendation), we knew immediately that we wanted to be a part of bringing it to the world. Grounded in Southeast Asian music traditions, Suarasama’s delicatepan-nationalist fusion of styles to convey a ‘one-world’ quality that, lifted up by the band’s fervent, soulful playing and singing of, reminds us of the shared ground in all the music of the world.

        “Like some/many people, I heard Suarasama because of the inclusion... (read more)

As we've seen proven definitively here in 2021, Superwolves are "Not Fooling": they are real and among us. With the lifeblood of a new album coursing within them, Matt Sweeney & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy have dared believe in a live musical salve, playing shows through summer into fall where they could, whenever possible. In the chaos of these times, however, the scheduled sightings have been reported, retracted, rescheduled...it's insanity, but the 'wolves are determined to roam in the name of us all, and do it... (read more)

Riding upon the ashes of a seismically shifted world, Wand are breaking free from the chains around them to share the sense of unrecognizable change with the rest of us. First stop: the almighty PNW, home of peace-loving tribes SO committed, they're ready to fight about it!

That sounds about right. Presiding over a musical fusion that slips hooks, subverts genres, suspends time and space to rock the listener (you, dummy!) with a defiantly neoteric assault of guitars and drums, electronically chilled with innate... (read more)

Come one, come all for another exclusive look at The Intimate Landscape! For this third and final pre-release single before its November 5th release, Ben Chasny has chosen to shine a bright, "Second Moon" down upon us, correctly predicting we're ready for lunar illumination while keeping both feet on terra firma. Go on, get blissed while woodsy guitar notes pull you deeply inward to the core - those rusty accoustics are balanced by gauzy synth notes sure to evoke a sense of yearning and zen-like... (read more)

We are pleased to announce a new song from Laetitia Sadier, her first since 2017's Find Me Finding You album.

"New Moon" is the first track from Laetitia Sadier's, as yet untitled, forthcoming album that is due to be released in 2022 via Duophonic Super 45s and Drag City. Recorded in London by Laetitia and Hannes Plattmeier, Laetitia says "New Moon" is about:

"This is a song about the nature of trauma and how by going through a process of... (read more)

It’s almost four years since their last opus — two years since the most-recent run of live shows! Now, Bitchin Bajas return (from whatever kind of rare ether they occupy when they’re at home), bearing the riches of the whole cosmos in their hands. And straight OG as well — on cassette only!

Switched On Ra is the outcome of a typical Bajas exercise: pouring some out for the pioneers that came before. Aka, a deep delve into the song-book of one of... (read more)

Joel Vandroogenbroeck's uniquely trippy catalog of music vignettes are long overdue for their day in the library music sun. His style, fusing inspirations from jazz, traditional music of the world and the psychedelic rock experience, gave Joel a unique sound in a world of unusual sounds. Far View collects exotic drifts of library music from Joel's Coloursound releases of the 1980s, transmitting his singular vision of so called 'stock' music while also evolving the heavy spiritual vibes of his incendiary work in the 70s with... (read more)