Spiral Stairs announces new album, shares Origins of lead single “Hyp-No-Tized”: Stream

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Origins is a recurring new music feature that tasks an artist we like a chance with sharing what inspired their latest song.

Following up on the release of 2017’s Doris and the Diggers, Scott Kannberg’s first Spiral Stairs LP since 2009, the founding Pavement member is back with another solo album. Called We Wanna Be Hyp-No-Tized, the “feel-good” LP arrives on March 22nd via Nine Mile Records and Coolin’ By Sound.

“To me We Wanna Be Hyp-No-Tized feels like the records I’ve been listening to and the records I’ve been digging and aspire to sound like,” Kannberg says in a press release. “In my early-twenties I felt like I knew everything — I always knew about new bands before everyone else — but that kind of closed off a lot of bands that I didn’t give much credence to, and now I’m a bit older and it’s, like, ‘Wow, how did I miss that?’”

He cites artists like Nick Lowe, Jim Lowe, and Van Morrison as influences on the album.”I even tried to sing like Van Morrison on a lot of the songs,” he added, “like how he repeats himself a lot. Those are the kind of bands I would never have liked in 1984… or 1994… or 2004 really.”

The album was originally built upon four cuts that didn’t make it on the last Spiral Stairs record, which he elaborated upon. Kannberg also penned new songs alongside Posies bassist Matthew Harris, multi-instrumentalist Tim Regan, and Kelley Stoltz, as well as drummer Jim Lindsay, a touring member of Kannberg’s other band, Preston School of Industry.

Today, Consequence Of Sound shares the album’s rip-roaring first single, “Hyp-No-Tized”, which embodies the aforementioned “feel-good” vibes with some bouncy brass and slick riffs. Hear it below.

We Wanna Be Hyp-No-Tized Artwork:

We Wanna Be Hyp-No-Tized Tracklist:
01. Hyp-No-Tized
02. The Fool
03. Diario
04. Them Cold Eyes
05. Hold On (Til I Figure It Out)
06. Fingerprintz
07. BTG
08. Dear Husband
09. Swampland
10. Borderline

Spiral Stairs will kick off a tour of North America and Australia this spring with a showcase at SXSW in Austin. See below for the full dates.

Spiral Stairs 2019 Tour Dates:
03/12 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
03/19 – Davenport, IA @ Triple Crown Whiskey Bar and Raccoon Motel
03/20 – Chicago, IL @ The Hideout
03/21 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
03/22 – Madison, WI @ Kiki’s Righteous House of Music
03/23 – Detroit, MI @ Third Man Records
03/24 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
03/26 – New York, New York @ Mercury Lounge *
03/27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Brewery *
03/28 – Allston, MA @ O’Brien’s *
03/29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Ortlieb’s *
03/30 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat’s Cradle Back Room *
04/20 – Brisbane, AU @ Stones Corner Pub
04/21 – Tallarook, AU @ Boogie Fest
04/26 – Ballarat, AU @ The Eastern
04/27 – Melbourne, AU @ The Toff
05/30 – Seattle, WA @ Hotel Albatross
06/01 – Portland, OR @ Alberta St. Pub
06/03 – Tuscon, AZ @ Hotel Congress
06/04 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
06/05 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
06/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bootleg Theater
06/08 – Sonoma, CA @ Huichica Festival
06/14 – Austin, TX @ 3TEN

Pre-orders for the album are now live. Read on as Kannberg details a few of the other iconic artists who informed “Hyp-No-Tized”.

Jimmy Barnes and Cold Chisel:

They love ’em in Australia. The song was originally called “I Wanna Headbutt Barnesy” ’cause that’s what I want to do every time I hear their songs.

Mark E. Smith: 

Actually finished vocals the day he died. Kelley Stoltz had a big framed photo of him and I sang with tears. He would’ve hated the song.

Bryan Ferry:

Bryan Ferry, photo by Lior Phillips

I tried to write a song that could’ve ended up on The Bride Stripped Bare. 1978 LA west side vibes! Great videos of the songs from this record.

“Burning Down the House”:

Great Talking Heads song with the second-best solo breakdown in rock. First was the solo in “How She Boogaloo’d it” on Wild Honey.

Trumpsters, Religion, Netflix…:

Lyrics reflect our need to be numbed. I’d rather play golf!

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