 The album was released on May 2 , 2006 . The Sony BMG merger lead to some problems in the international distribution , something the band took into consideration during the release of the self @-@ published Backspacer three years later . While Pearl Jam is normally averse to press , to promote the album they performed the album songs on Sessions @ AOL , and went to various television shows , including Saturday Night Live and Late Show with David Letterman . Vedder said the exposition happened because " it seem [ ed ] like a critical time to participate in our democracy . " The band also decided to shoot their first conceptual music videos in eight years , " World Wide Suicide " and " Life Wasted " . 
