popwreckoning

Partisan Records has announced the release of Deer Tick’s new record, Divine Providence. Set to be released on October 25, 2011, Divine Providence was produced by the band along with Adam Landry and Justin Collins, who were also at the helm for lead singer, main songwriter John McCauley’s highly acclaimed side project, Middle Brother. Deer Tick’s live shows and McCauley’s overall stage aesthetic fueled his desire to create the raw and spontaneous kerosene blaze that is Divine Providence. While the break-neck speed and damn-it-all fury could give one the sense that it all may fall apart in an instant, Deer Tick never loses sight of the song. It is insanity, but there’s obviously a plan in place.

“After so many years of critics praising [and making fun of] us for our ‘folk’ and ‘country’ sounds, and hardly ever mentioning the fact that we’ve also recorded virtually dozens of other kinds of music, we wanted to make a record that was truer to our live set: raw, loud, heartfelt, and completely uninterested in whatever the hell the rest of the music industry is up to,” says McCauley. “The results are unlike anything you’ve heard on a Deer Tick album.”

Divine Providence is the Rhode Island quintet’s fourth album in just five years, and is the first one the band has recorded in their home state. It’s a follow-up to their fantastic Black Dirt Sessions, that New York magazine called “flat-out great,” and inspired the Late Show with David Letterman to give the band its network television debut. The new record features for the first time lead vocal turns on a couple of songs by guitarist Ian O’Neil and drummer Dennis Ryan.

The tracklisting for Divine Providence is:

The Bump
Funny Word
Let’s All Go to the Bar
Clownin’ Around
Main Street
Chevy Express
Something to Brag About
Walkin Out the Door
Make Believe
Now It’s Your Turn
Electric
Miss K.

www.deertickmusic.com

Weary festival goers clutched their Starbucks cups closely on the CTA. The enthusiasm for day 2 of Lollapalooza was there, but the energy was not. Friday had been hot and filled with a combination of lots of dancing and walking. The evening was packed with after shows and after parties, so passengers suavely tried to glance at the tangled wrist bands of others to see what Chicago venues they had ended up at or in some cases, were just now returning home from.

For those that thought Saturday would leave thoughts of Gaga in the dust, they were wrong. One of the first bands I saw that day paid her an early afternoon tribute. Over at the BMI Stage, I caught the pop rock act: Skybox. These guys are Chicago-based, but they also have a Kansas City (where I’m from) connection. So I already, felt a bit of a bond to these grandiose rockers. The band’s singer, Tim Ellis, quickly had the crowd in the palm of his hand as he bounced around the stage singing catchy hooks and amping the crowd up for the rest of the day. When it came time for their last number, he said they were dedicating it to Lady Gaga, and he disappeared. When Ellis re-emerged, he was wearing a sparkly bra with his striped pants. Once past the initial shock of his change, we went with it and started dancing and having fun. It was like a big party in front of the stage. Fantastic.

Wild Beasts were one of those surprise bands that I ended up loving and had just kind of stumbled into. I honestly, didn’t know a thing about these ethereal rockers, but from the sampling I saw, I’m recommending everyone check them out.

Dragonette continued the trend of the BMI stage featuring synth-heavy, up-and-coming rock bands that were great for dancing. Considering that Gaga was able to blow up after her hot mess of a set on the BMI Stage a few years ago, I wouldn’t be surprised if this tight performance launches Dragonette into even bigger stardom.

Speaking of hot messes, I was less of a fan of the poptart I saw at the Hard Rock Music Lounge: Kristine Elezaj. She wants to be the next Britney or something, but with her over the top performance for a bunch of already established music industry people was a bit much. Honestly, we don’t need to see some over produced act feeling herself up while we’re trying to enjoy lunch. Ugh. Disgusted, I hurried back to the festival for some guaranteed good music.

More from day 2 soon to follow!

After finishing a US run with Neko Case late last year, Deer Tick completed a three week European tour – upon their return to the US on Dec. 13 the band entered the studio to put the finishing touches on its as-yet-untitled third album, which will be released in the first half of this year.

The band’s first big show of 2010 will be in Los Angeles, as part of the First Fridays series at the Natural History Museum, then in April and May they’ll head out with Those Darlins, Holy Sons and Dr. Dog where they’ll hit almost every major tour market in the country, including a stop at Coachella. The More Fuel For the Fire EP, which was previously an iTunes exclusive, is now available via all digital services.

Tour Dates:
Mar 05 – Natural History Museum / Los Angeles
Mar 13 - Fountain Square / Cincinnati
Mar 15 – Mojo’s / Columbia, Mo.
Mar 17-20 – SXSW / Austin
Apr 02 - Jerky’s / Providence, Ri. #
Apr 03 – Firehouse 13 / Providence, Ri. #
Apr 04 - Space Gallery / Portland, Me. #
Apr 05 – Il Motore / Montreal #
Apr 06 – Horseshoe Tavern / Toronto #
Apr 07 – Magic Stick / Detroit #
Apr 08 – Bottom Lounge / Chicago #
Apr 09 – Triple Rock Social Club / Minneapolis #
Apr 10 – The Mill / Iowa City #
Apr 11 – Jackpot Music Hall / Lawrence, Ks. #
Apr 12 – Conservatory / Oklahoma City
Apr 14 – The Trunkspace / Phoenix
Apr 16 – Coachella / Indio, Ca.
Apr 20 – Crystal Ballroom / Portland, Or. %
Apr 21 – Biltmore Cabaret / Vancouver %
Apr 22 – Tractor Tavern / Seattle %
Apr 23 – WOW Hall / Eugene, Or. %
Apr 24 – Crepe Place / Santa Cruz, Ca.
Apr 25 – Great American Music Hall / San Francisco *
Apr 27 - Henry Fonda Theatre / Los Angeles *
Apr 28 – Beauty Bar / Las Vegas
Apr 29 – Sante Fe Brewing Company / Sante Fe *
Apr 30 – The Loft / Dallas *
May 01 – Emo’s / Austin *
May 02 – Warehouse Live Studio / Houston *
May 03 – Majestic Lounge / Fayetteville, Ar. *
May 04 – Sticky Fingerz / Little Rock
May 05 – Workplay / Birmingham, Al. *
May 06 – Cannery Ballroom / Nashville *
May 07 – Headliners / Louisville *
May 08 – Beachland Tavern / Cleveland
May 09 – Castaway’s / Ithaca, NY
May 10 – Valentines / Albany, NY
May 11 – Paradise / Boston *
May 12 – Paradise / Boston *
May 13 – Electric Factory / Philadelphia *
May 14 – 9:30 Club / Washington DC *
May 15 – Terminal 5 / New York City *

* = w/ Dr. Dog
# = w/ Those Darlins
% = w/ Holy Sons

Deer Tick: myspace

What is there to say about Day 2 of ACL? After such a beautiful Day 1, the rain came and stuck around for the most part of Day 2. When I realized this rain was not going to pass anytime soon, I invested in a poncho. The beautiful Zilker Park was left a muddy mess in mere hours, but festival goers embraced the rain and mud, most opting for bare foot and whatever plastic they could find to shield themselves from the elements.

Starting off my day was Deer Tick who I had heard such good things from coworkers, but I was left underwhelmed, perhaps due to the dreary weather. I made my way to the Livestrong stage to see Alberta Cross (who later received a shout out from Mr. Dave Matthews during his headlining set). The rained eased up as they made their way through their bluesy set, but I had other places to be so I made my way to the Felice Brothers to get a good spot for Grizzly Bear as well and that’s unfortunately when the skies opened and the downpour began. Grizzly Bear pushed themselves rather far back in the stage and didn’t move or interact all that much. So while I appreciate the songs, I left feeling a little mixed on their set.

With a quick jaunt to the media to load up on free snacks on my mind, I made my way back in the rain. Once I was full of Coca Cola and all natural snacks, I braved the elements to see my personal highlight of the day and that was Bon Iver. I had not heard much about his shows, but I was floored at his soulful vocals and haunting harmonies with his backing band, making the rain feel insignificant. After Vernon’s wonderful set on steel guitar, I made my way through the mud to Mos Def. While I was initially disappointed by his tardiness and hiding behind a drum kit for the first two songs, the showman Mos Def I have come to love and respect graced the front of the stage mic in hand working the rain shocked crowd into a frenzy.

After enjoying the wonderful catered BBQ in the media area, I made my way to Dave Matthews Band. Now while I’m not what I’d consider a fan, I do have an appreciation for the sheer musicianship Matthews and gang demonstrate on a nightly basis; I also have to appreciate a cover of Talking Heads “Burning Down The House” While nothing can live up to David Bryne’s vocals on the track, DMB’s version was rather lively and Dave’s dance moves worked the mud-covered fans into hysteria. After their set, I decided to call it a night and waited for my free shuttle back to my hotel to rest up, clean off my shoes (remember, ALWAYS pack more than one pair of shoes) and rest up for Day 3.

Austin City Limits: website | day 1