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Nov 11, 2015 Julianna Barwick By Christopher Roberts

Surfer Blood guitarist Thomas Fekete has been battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer. His health insurance has been covering more than six months of regular chemotherapy treatments, but does not cover an alternative treatment plan he’s also been undergoing. As Fekete is unable to work and tour he’s been relying on fan and friend donations to his GoFundMe page to help pay for treatments. Now several of his fellow musicians have rallied behind him and donated previously unreleased songs to be sold to help pay his medical bills. The artists include Real Estate, Yo La Tengo, Cults, The Drums, Guided By Voices, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Julianna Barwick, ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of the Dead, and, of course, Surfer Blood, among others. Surfer Blood’s contribution is a brand new song only recorded last week. Other tracks are demos, live cuts, and other rare songs. The full list of artists and songs is below.

All 13 songs are available as a digital download with a donation of $10 or more to Fekete’s GoFundMe page via Surfer Blood’s website. Additionally each song has been pressed to hi-fi stereo-lathe-cut 7-inch vinyl, with only one copy being made of each, and each copy is up for auction. Also being auctioned are autographed items from Yoko Ono & The Flaming Lips, Sleigh Bells, Angel Olsen, Interpol & Shepard Fairey, and Sharon Van Etten.

Thomas Fekete Medical Fund Benefit Songs:

Guided By Voices - “Motor Away” (live)
Recorded live 6/24/94 at Threadwaxing Space, New York City on “The Insects of Rock” tour.

Yo La Tengo - “Can’t Forget” (live)
Recorded 8/28/15 at WorldCafe Live, courtesy of WXPN, Philadelphia. Yo La Tengo appears courtesy of Matador Records.

Cults - “Hurting”
An out-take from Cults’ 2013 album Static.

Real Estate - “Talking Backwards” (demo)
This was recorded in Real Estate’s practice space in Bushwick in the summer of 2013. Courtesy Domino Records.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - “Between These Boys” (demo)

Lou Barlow - “Sunshine / Money / Thirsty”
Three previously-unreleased tracks.

The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger - “Rainbows In Gasoline” (unreleased version)
Recorded in 2009 with early line-up of The GOASTT (Sean Lennon, Charlotte Kemp Muhl, Mark Ronson), recorded & mixed by Mark Ronson.

Nick Diamonds (from Islands) - “Be A Comedian”
Recorded spontaneously on September 2nd, 2015.

Julianna Barwick - “Promise”
Recorded in 2012.

Alex Somers - “Well”
Recorded in Iceland in 2015.

The Drums - “Help Him”
2012 unreleased demo.

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - “F Train”
Demo version of “Tao of the Dead Part II”.

Surfer Blood - “Tidal Wave” (demo)
Brand new song recorded last week!

Below also is the video for Surfer Blood’s “Grand Inquisitor.” The song can be found on Surfer Blood’s 1000 Palms album, which came out earlier this year via Joyful Noise. Also below are the band’s upcoming tour dates. Also read our recent My Firsts interview with the band.

Surfer Blood Tour Dates:

11/11: Hamden, CT @ The Space
11/12: Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street Nightclub
11/13: Providence, RI @ Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel^
11/14: Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom^
11/15: Portland, ME @ State Theatre^
11/17: Montreal, QC @ Virgin Mobile Corona Theatre^
11/18: Ottawa, ON @ TBC
11/19: South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground^
11/20: Rochester, NY @ Anthology^
11/21: Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom^
11/22: Toronto, ON @ The Drake
11/23: Kingston, NY @ BSP Kingston
11/24: Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
11/25: Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Upstairs
11/27: Baltimore, MD @ TBC
11/28: Raleigh, NC @ TBC
* w/ Eternal Summers
^ w/ Nate Ruess