Blitzen Trapper – “Cosmic Backseat Education” [Video]

Blitzen Trapper has announced their new album 100’s of 1000’s, Millions of Billions will be released on May 17, 2024 via Yep Roc. The enthralling 12-track collection arrives nearly four years after 2020’s Holy Smokes Future Jokes, and sees the Portland, OR-based band leaning into their psych rock-washed, classic songwriting roots to create one of the finest works of their career–nearly 20 years in.

Produced by singer/songwriter Eric Earley, 100’s of 1000’s, Millions of Billions was recorded by guitarist Nathan Vanderpool at his studio in rural Washington. The album also includes backing vocals by Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats/Bonny Light Horseman) and Anna Tivel on song “Planetarium” (Tivel also plays violin and sings throughout), while the cover artwork is an abstract collage by Robert Pollard (2020’s Father Collected Fish). 100’s of 1000’s, Millions of Billions is now available for pre-order.

Blitzen Trapper has also shared the ruminative yet urgent lead single “Cosmic Backseat Education” alongside a puppet-starring video, directed by Mychal Sargent. “I remember lying in the backseat of my parents’ car as a kid and just listening to the radio, which I think is where I got most of the education that I’ve used in my life and my career. We’re so brainwashed to have these goals and milestones that we all chase, but music is inherently purposeless outside of joy. If you can learn to see that same purposelessness in life, it frees you up to enjoy every moment,” explains Earley of the song, adding about the contrastingly playful video, “Everybody says the puppeteer is in control, but everybody knows the puppet is actually calling the shots. Mr. Rogers meets Kill Bill, vigilante justice but only cotton stuffing gets spilled in these streets!”

Blitzen Trapper will hit the road in support of the album, beginning with shows at Portland’s Aladdin Theatre and Seattle’s Tractor Tavern on May 17th and 18th, respectively, before performing at the Meadowgrass Music Festival on the 25th.