We are happy to announce some details on our latest recording.   The new album is called CRUSHES (THE COVERS MIXTAPE) and will be released this summer.   This is our first full length recorded and produced by ourselves,  and our longtime collaborator Peter Katis (The National, Swell Season, Interpol, etc.) mixed the record.   We've been talking about doing a covers record for a long time.  We'd hear a great song at 2 AM while driving the straight line from one part of Texas to the next, and all we'd want to do is play that song as if we had written it.  There are so many artists we considered, some for the mere fact that they wrote a perfect song, some for nostalgia's sake, some because more people need to hear them, some for the challenge, and some to shed a whole different light on a song: Our light... make it a duet, more optimistic or maybe less traditional.  

To get things started, we are offering a free download of the first track "Laura."   Just goto www.matesofstate.com and you can stream the track as well as download it from the homepage. 

And here is the complete Tracklisting to Crushes (The Covers Mixtape) ! 

1. Laura (Girls)

2. Son et Lumiere (The Mars Volta)

3. Sleep the Clock Around (Belle & Sebastian)

4. Technicolor Girls (Death Cab for Cutie)

5. Long Way Home (Tom Waits

6. Love Letter (Nick Cave)

7. Second Hand News (Fleetwood Mac)

8. 17 Pink Sugar Elephants (Vashti Bunyan)

9. Roller Coaster Ride (Dear Nora)

10. True Love Will Find You in the End (Daniel Johnston)

Stay tuned as we will have more updates soon on the album's release and more...

Happy New Year everyone!   We wanted to let you know about a couple  
shows coming up in San Francisco and a short Northeast US tour going on sale. 

First off,  Mates will be the  musical guests for the Red Wine Boys featuring comedians Todd Barry  & Jon Benjamin during the annual SF Sketchfest. The show is coming  up on Jan 31 at the Mezzanine.  These guys are extremely funny and will also have John Hodgman and  Larry Murphy with them.  CLICK HERE to get advance tickets.

And the next evening on Feb 1, Mates of State will be playing a very  
intimate headlining show at Cafe Du Nord.   Tickets are sold out. 

And here are the new east coast dates: 

2/17 South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
2/18 Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall
2/19 Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall
2/21 Brooklyn NY @ The Bell House 

That's it for now, but we should have some more info to share with you soon as 2010 unfolds.    
See you soon.

 For those of you in the Minneapolis area, there is a special show coming up  at the Weisman Art Museum.  As part of a new late-night series at WAM, WAMplified! presents a live performance by a band or musician with a thematic connection to the major exhibition in the galleries.In conjunction with the WAM exhibition To Have It About You: The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection, Mates of State headline the inaugural installment on December 12, 2009 (doors at 9 p.m.). The event also includes food, drink, a video game lounge, and a midnight tour of the exhibition led by curator Diane Mullin and artist Lisa Bradley.  Ticket info available in the shows section.  

We have have been keeping busy and wanted to send an update.   It's been fun to get out and play the recent shows and we have a few more this year coming up.

Also, Mates of State Re-Arranged: Remixes Vol. 1 is now available digitally!  You can get the MP3 versions from iTunes ,  eMusic , and other digital retailers.

The EP features four reinterpretations of tracks from Mates of State's 2008 release, re-arrange us, with contributions from noted remixologists DJ Sega, Flosstradamus, The Mae Shi, and RAC.  The digital version also features a bonus track remixed by our friend Amp Live. 

There are still some copies of the 12" available in the Barsuk Records store. Packaged in a classic DJ white sleeve, the 12" EP was limited to 1000 copies worldwide.

Upcoming Shows:

WED OCT 21 - HALIFAX POP EXPLOSION - GET TIX

SUN NOV 01 - VOODOO FEST, NEW ORLEANS - GET TIX

Take care and we will be in touch, 

Jason and Kori
matesofstate.com

Check out:

Jason's Twitter

Kori's Twitter

Facebook

MySpace

Merch Store

Kori's Blog - Band on the Diaper Run

Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q55sFVltYXw

Nice review :

http://twincities.decider.com/articles/recap-mates-of-state-and-black-kids-at-the-varsity,26545/

Check out a new Boston Globe article/interview that was just published...

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2009/04/03/one_big_happy_indie_pop_family/

Later this week, Mates of State and Black Kids kick off a US trek that runs the length of April. In celebration of the double-barreled coast-to-coast barnburner, DJA of Mad Decent has created a Black Kids vs. Mates of State mash-up, premiered by the folks at RCRD LBL yesterday. Mates’ “Re-arrange Us” and the Kids’ “Look At Me” act as source material for the bass-heavy mixture, available at the RCRD LBL link below.

Share The Black Kids vs. Mates Of State DJA Mash Up
http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Black_Kids_vs_Mates_of_State/track/DJA_of_Mad_Decent_Mash-Up

And as previously mentioned, Mates will be releasing Re-Arranged: Remixes Volume 1 April 14th on Barsuk Records. This limited-edition 12" vinyl features four reinterpretations of tracks from Mates of State's 2008 release, Re-arrange Us, with contributions from noted remixologists DJ Sega, Flosstradamus, The Mae Shi, and RAC. Packaged in a classic DJ white sleeve, this 12" EP is limited to 1000 copies worldwide and will be available exclusively on vinyl several weeks before hitting digital retailers.

For those who can’t make it out, rest assured, NPR will be webcasting (and archiving!) the DC show at the 9:30 Club on April 4th. Check out the stream here: 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102602167

Mates of State / Black Kids Spring 2009 Tour:

04/02 Richmond, WA - The National
04/03 Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
04/04 Washington D.C - 9:30 Club
04/05 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
04/06 New York, NY - Webster Hall
04/07 Boston, MA - House of Blues
04/09 Montreal, QC - Cabaret Musee Juste Pour Rire
04/10 Toronto, ON - Phoenix Theatre
04/11 Chicago, IL - Metro
04/12 Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
04/13 Kansas City, MO - Beaumont Club
04/15 Denver, CO - Oriental Theater
04/17 Seattle, WA - Neumos
04/18 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
04/19 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
04/20 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
04/21 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
04/23 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theater
04/24 Pomona, CA - The Glass House
04/25 Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse
04/27 Dallas, TX - Granada
04/28 Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
04/29 Houston, TX - Warehouse

Tour Information, Free MP3 and Twitter Feeds at:
http://www.columbiarecords.com/artist/blackkids/matesofstate/

Cover Art:
http://www.barsuk.com/img/bark86.jpg

Order Re-Arranged: Remixes Volume 1
http://www.barsuk.com 

We are getting ready for the upcoming tour with Black Kids, Judgement Day and Sunbears!. Please know that many of the tickets are available without service charge if you go to the box offices of each venue. You will need to check with them on their hours. See you soon.

Mates of State is putting the final touches on a new release entitled:  Mates of State - Remixes Volume 1 (Barsuk).    The first in a series of Mates remix EP, Re-Arranged: Remixes Vol. 1 will feature songs from Re-Arrange Us remixed by Flosstradamus, The Mae Shi, RAC,  DJ Sega and set to be released on 12-inch vinyl April 7th.   Prior to the release and April tour with Black Kids,  Jason will be appearing in Austin for SXSW 2009 to DJ a bunch of events.  Check the TOUR for info if you will be there!