white vinyl LP includes coupon for full album download PORTASTATIC's "The Summer of the Shark" will be available for the first time on vinyl as part of a monthly series of reissues to mark the 25th anniversary of Merge Records. Mac McCaughan, co-founder of Merge Records and frontman of the band SUPERCHUNK, began recording solo albums under the name PORTASTATIC in the early 90's. Beginning with this album, PORTASTATIC evolved from a lo-fi side project to become McCaughan's main focus throughout SUPERCHUNK's long hiatus in the early '00s. McCaughan wrote the songs on ,The Summer of the Shark" in 2001 while SUPERCHUNK was on tour in support of "Here's to Shutting Up", which was released mere days after the September 11 attacks and would be the band's last studio album for nine years. The resulting batch of songs was the last PORTASTATIC album recorded almost entirely at home; it was also the most emotionally resonant, and musically compact collection to date. Recorded at McCaughan's home studio in Chapel Hill, ,The Summer of the Shark" included contributions from Janet Weiss (WILD FLAG, QUASI, SLEATER-KINNEY), Tony Crow (LAMBCHOP), Margaret White (VERSUS, MATT POND PA), Matthew McCaughan (BON IVER, HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER), Aaron Oliva, and John Plymale.