NEWS: Mates of State Remixes out next week

Barsuk is releasing the first in a series of Mates of State remix albums next week, called Re-arranged: Remixes Volume 1. It'll be released on vinyl, but a digital version is scheduled to follow soon. Here's the tracklist:

1. You Are Free (The Mae Shi remix)
2. Re-arranger (Flosstradamus remix)
3. Now (RAC remix)
4. Help Help (DJ Sega Philly Club remix)

The song below is not from that release. Instead, it's a mash-up of the Mates and Black Kids in honor of their current tour. You know - the one that's coming nowhere near Salt Lake City. Enjoy!

Mates of State vs Black Kids - DJA of Mad Decent Mash-up

ALBUM: My Official Summer Album of 2008

So now that summer is officially over (when I'm sitting in my Fall Semester classes, I consider summer to be effectively over), I feel comfortable reporting my official album for the summer. It's a hard call, because there were a few albums that I played pretty consistently over these last few months, but I think the title of "Official Summer Album of 2008" for me has to go to Mates of State's Re-Arrange Us.

When I initially saw the video for the album's first track, 'Get Better', last April, two thoughts crossed my mind: first, that this was something very different than anything the Mates had done before, and second, that this was something very very special. I pretty much played that song into the ground, almost tearing up just about every time the last round of the chorus breaks in - "everything's gonna get lighter/even if it never gets better!" - if I'm going to be totally honest, it still gets me almost every time.

That's why this has become one of my very favorite albums of the summer, probably even the year. Every song has that staying, affecting power - more than a typical indie-pop song should. Not that these songs don't induce toe-tapping and spontaneous car-dancing - this wouldn't be a summer album if they didn't. I'm just saying that there's more here. The instrumentation is significantly different than any earlier Mates of State efforts - straying pretty far from the organ-and-drums-only formula they've built their sound on in the past, and the song structures are a little different too, with more sing-along-able verses and choruses than we've ever heard from these lovebird-rockers. The result is a new sound wrapped around the same two familiar voices, crooning and shouting and harmonizing back and forth, heart-felt through and through.

'Get Better' may still be my favorite song on here, but it's got some fierce competition. 'My Only Offer', with its piano driven melody and tag-team vocals, is the perfect song to drive to in the fading sunlight of a full summers day, and 'Jigsaw', with its toe-tapping rhythm and impromptu guitar action (compliments Chris Walla of Death Cab), is sheer pop perfection from beginning to surprise-reprisal ending. Other favorites include 'The Re-Arranger', 'Help Help', 'Great Dane', and well, just about every song actually. Every single one has a depth that transcends the simple 'pop' moniker, delivered with care for every line, every note. Nothing sounds frivolous, nothing is out of place. That's what makes this such a beautiful record, the sincerity and honest emotion in every song. I just really love this album.

Mates of State - Get Better

from the album Re-Arrange Us (Amazon/iTunes)

Mates of State - Help Help

from the album Re-Arrange Us (Amazon/iTunes)

PS: If you buy the hard-copy of the album, the cd's front cover is actually made of several different sheets so you can actually "Re-arrange" them any way you please! This may or may not have played a part in it being named my Official Summer Album.

NEWS: Stream Mates of State's new album!

In our effort to be your source on everything Mates of State, here's a heads up:

You can stream their entire new album, Re-arrange Us, at their myspace ----> here!

And it turns out that it's as amazing as we'd hoped. Make sure to buy it next Tuesday!

Mates of State - My Only Offer

from the album Re-arrange Us (Amazon)

VIDEO: Forget all your politics for awhile

Two posts in one day!?

I know what you're probably thinking, and yes, I might be trying to avoid what I'm really supposed be doing.

Or I might be so excited that I just couldn't wait.

Here's the video for the first song from Mates of State's new album, Re-Arrange Us. The song is called "Get Better" and it made me kind of cry. It's that good.

Love it? Read about the making of the video here, and listen to the song over and over again on their myspace.

NEWS: Nothing and Everything!!

I'm going to be honest, I'm a little crazy about the husband/wife duo of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel that is Mates of State. It's hard to explain. I just love them. Do I really have to explain any more than that?

So it's understandable when I get so excited about any information regarding their new album that will be hitting our eardrums May 20th. Like when we find out that it's called Re-Arrange Us. Or when we find out that there will be ten songs on it. Or when we find out that these are the names of those ten songs:

Get Better

Now

My Only Offer

The Re-Arranger

Jigsaw

Blue and Gold Print

Help Help

You Are Free

Great Dane

Lullaby Haze

Or when we find that Kori's posted on her mommy blog (Band on the Diaper Run) a video of their little girl singing a song from the new album. Like here:

Mates of State - So Many Ways

from the album Bring it Back (Amazon/iTunes)

NEWS: Happy valentine's day!

So it's that day again, and we just wanted to wish you a happy one.

And to celebrate, here's a track from Mates of State - the husband & wife duo of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel, who seem to love making music just about as much as they love each other. They just had their second daughter together in January, but that hasn't slowed them down any - their new album is set to come out in May.

So consider this post a reminder to go do something special with the one you love - like maybe start a band. Or you know, whatever.

love,

Logg & Tobler

Mates of State - Goods (All in Your Head)

from the All Day EP (Amazon/iTunes)