American folk-pop deconstructionists The Caribbean have teamed up with engineer, producer, mixologist Scott Solter (Spoon, Okkervil River, The Mountain Goats) and Hidden Shoal to bring you Scott Solter Re-Populates The Caribbean. The EP consists of five tracks from The Caribbean’s 2007 Hometapes record Populations which were sent to Solter to deconstruct, warp, and otherwise obliterate. The result is a set of dizzying curve balls that split the difference between glistening songcraft and complete re-construction.

“You’re forced to occupy their barren pop architecture.... You don’t understand it, but, though you might not admit it, you do hope it will understand you. Or at least not destroy you...” – Pitchfork on The Caribbean



Scott Solter Re-Populates The Caribbean is now available in mp3 format from the Hidden Shoal Store and all good third-party digital music stores, and in CD format distributed through n5Mailorder.

Head here to stream the album in full and here to read the press release.

Hotels' amazing new album Where Hearts Go Broke is currently riding high at number 11 in the main KEXP radio chart and number 1 in the KEXP Northwest chart. Hot bananas!

Tune into OPB Radio tomorrow afternoon, April 2nd, to hear an interview and studio session with the band. Then, that evening they're playing live at Doug Fir with Hidden Shoal labelmates and avant-pop maestros Iretsu. Not to be missed!

In support of the recent release of their superb new album Soundcheck For A Missing Movie, HC-B are playing live around Italy throughout April. Check their MySpace page for details.

For anyone who has witnessed the blinding pop brilliance that is Hotels live then you'll be reaching for your diaries about now to engrave these dates. The band will be showering audiences with gems from their rightfully lauded Where Hearts Go Broke For those who have already diarised please note there has been some shifts, cancellations, things falling through, and new things coming up. Here's the up to date schedule:

FRIDAY 3/6 - BOB'S JAVA JIVE - TACOMA, WA
WEDNESDAY 3/11 - THE ROCKIT ROOM - SAN FRANCISCO, CA
THURSDAY 3/12 - R5 RECORDS - SACRAMENTO, CA
THURSDAY 3/12 - KDVS IN STUDIO A (RADIO) - DAVIS, CA
FRIDAY 3/13 - DOWNTOWN 81 @ SILVER FACTORY STUDIOS - LA, CA
SATURDAY 3/14 - THE DAKOTA LOUNGE - SANTA MONICA, CA
FRIDAY 3/20 - EASY STREET RECORDS - WEST SEATTLE, WA
THURSDAY 4/2 - OREGON PUBLIC RADIO IN STUDIO - PORTLAND, OR
THURSDAY 4/2 - THE DOUG FIR- PORTLAND, OR
THURSDAY 5/7 - KEXP IN STUDIO - SEATTLE, WA
THURSDAY 5/7 - CHOP SUEY - SEATTLE, WA

Hidden Shoal Recordings today announced the release of sophomore album Where Hearts Go Broke by Seattle-based sci-fi pop band Hotels.

From the opening salvo of single ‘Hydra’ to glorious finale ‘Flight Of The Navigator’, Where Hearts Go Broke takes the listener on a thrilling musical journey through airports, streets, bars and, yes, hotels, populated with people falling in and out of love, lost in the gutter but always looking to the stars. This is the most relentlessly paced, hauntingly melodic, damn catchy pop music you’ve never heard, each song an end credit for the weary traveller or the romantic dancer; a tune you should listen to just before you die.

“The collision of new-wave and dream-pop dynamics will have the pleasure endorphins accelerating up your spine towards your brain in no time… smart, succinct, sassy and just that little bit special” – [sic]

“Hotels fuse elements of new wave, goth, and surf so seamlessly that genre tags will be the last thing on your mind when you hear their bittersweet, atmospheric pop songs.” - Time Out New York

Where Hearts Go Broke is now available on CD through n5Mailorder, the distribution arm of n5MD, and digitally from the HSR Store and all good digital music stores such as iTunes, eMusic and Amazon. Check the HSR Store for all availability and distribution information. Read the full press release here.

Seattle folk can also catch Hotels playing the 4th annual Dancing on the Valentines benefit gig on the day of the release. Check the Hotels Myspace for details.