Cullen Omori will release his sophomore effort, The Diet worldwide via Sub Pop Records. Omori has shared a brand new video for the song, “Happiness Reigns”, which was directed by Sarah Strunin and is a charming slice of power pop with lyrics that combine fatalistic imagery (“flowers of uranium/ and the kids just play along”) and a wide-eyed apologia to a woman, is perhaps the closest Cullen gets to the classic love-song ideal on The Diet.

“Reigns” was not only inspired by Omori’s current girlfriend—she was intricately involved in his vision for bringing this love song a la Beatles or Rolling Stones “into the 21st century.” “Seldom are songs actually about the women in my life, but when I choose to write them I try to act in conspiracy with my ‘muse,’” he says. “On ‘Happiness Reigns,’ I was consciously trying to prevent the song from lyrically falling into this one-way ode to an idolized muse. Of course some of my favorite artists like T-Rex or John Cale have albums chock full of them but my intention was never to be a rock classicist or to make something that was an extension of my influences. So I had her write it with me. If I was going to write this about someone, even in vague terms, I thought it would be interesting to intertwine their perception of themselves and of our relationship.”

Prior to the release of The Diet, Omori will embark on a seven date tour opening for the Japanese alternative rock band The Pillows. These shows are presented by Adult Swim to celebrate the return of the channels cult-anime hit FLCL. The tour will kick off on July 10th in Boston, with shows in New York, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Cullen Omori
Lice

Jul. 10 – Boston, MA – Royale *
Jul. 12 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre *
Jul. 13 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza *
Jul. 15 – Seattle, WA – Neptune *
Jul. 16 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom *
Jul. 18 – San Francisco, CA – August Hall *
Jul. 19 – Los Angeles, CA – The Mayan *
* w/ The Pillows & Noodles