YELLOW OSTRICH THE MISTRESS

bark120LPE / LP + bonus download tracks

STREET DATE: JUNE 9, 2023

Barsuk is excited to present a new pressing of Yellow Ostrich’s The Mistress, available now on standard black vinyl. Each copy is prominently stickered touting its download code containing the original 10-track album and 18 bonus tracks, including the 2011 Barsuk bonus material, four previously unreleased b-sides, an early alternate version of the hit “WHALE”, plus 10 covers (recorded in 2010) of songs that inspired founder Alex Schaaf during the writing and recording of The Mistress: songs by Beach House, Jon Brion, Dirty Projectors, The National, Joanna Newsom, The Replacements, The Rural Alberta Advantage, The Tallest Man on Earth, Sharon Van Etten, and Yeasayer

Since songwriter and band-leader Alex Schaaf first uploaded The Mistress (at age 22) to Bandcamp as a free download at the beginning of the last decade, it has captivated listeners: the team at Barsuk (who reissued it within a few months of Schaaf’s initial self-release); fans who fell under the hypnotic spell of standout track “WHALE”; and a host of fellow musicians (notably including Moses Sumney, who included it on his short list of favorite albums of the 2010s, not to mention future Yellow Ostrich members Michael Tapper [Bishop Allen] and the great indie sideman and composer Jon Natchez [Beirut/The War on Drugs/David Byrne/St. Vincent/etc]).

The 10th anniversary reissue of The Mistress at the start of the pandemic heralded something of a rebirth of the Yellow Ostrich moniker as the band went on to release a slew of new music over the past few years including their latest album Soft in 2021; Like a Bird: An Alex Schaaf Anthology (2010-2021), a compilation spanning the career (so far) of the quietly brilliant songwriter/producer Schaaf; and Make It Make Sense EP, released earlier this spring.

Critical Acclaim For Yellow Ostrich

New and fresh and totally original… Amazing. – NPR

Yellow Ostrich is equal parts Vampire Weekend's sharp-angled pop and Andrew Bird's whimsical multitasking. – Time Out New York

Kaleidoscopic vocal loops, sparse drums, and electronics into a bubblegum whole with a nuanced, dark edge. – Village Voice

Schaaf's songs have grown impressively dexterous, nimbly hopping from aching verse to pleading chorus. – Pitchfork

Music that has never stopped being fearless and full of risks. – Line of Best Fit

They don't make 'em like this anymore. – Austin Chronicle