popwreckoning

Steel Train’s self-titled CD, which also happens to be their newest album out June 29, features an eclectic mix of indie rock and pop.

It has an edgy sound thanks in part to the guitars and the staccato drums, while the piano and smooth vocals bring the pop influence to the scene. However, it is done very well and the melodies work synergistically with the harmonies. It is slightly more upbeat than their last album and you can thank the synthesized feel for that.

Steel Train only boasts two slower songs, “You and I Undercover” and the final track “Fall Asleep,” which feature several strings instruments for a softer feel, but every other song invites you to get up and move along with the music. And with song titles like “Turnpike Ghost” and “S.O.G. Burning in Hell,” you can’t help but want to give this album a listen. “Touch Me Bad” and “Children of the 90’s (I’m Not the Same)” are definitely the dance tracks of the album.

In addition, Steel Train is offering a complementary album called Terrible Thrills Vol. 1, which is a different version of Steel Train. Terrible Thrills Vol. 1 offers the exact same track listing as Steel Train but each song is remixed by various female artists such as Scarlett Johansson and Tegan and Sara.

Track Listing:
1. Bullet
2. Turnpike Ghost
3. You and I Undercover
4. You Are Dangerous
5. S.O.G. Burning In Hell
6. Touch Me Bad
7. Behavior
8. Children of the 90′s (I’m Not the Same)
9. Soldier In the Army
10. Bloody Lips
11. Speedway Motor Racers Club, The
12. Fall Asleep

Written by Sara Monahan

Sunday morning of Sasquatch came for me with a hot shower and special birthday blueberry muffin at my campsite, as it was my 21^st birthday. Come to find out that day, it was several people’s birthdays. But I’ll get to that later.

The line getting into the venue moved a lot faster that day, and it was met with a bit more cloud coverage, so less burning sunlight directly overhead at noon when we entered the grounds. As the Bigfoot Solar Stage was almost directly inside the gates, I went into the crowd, not really knowing who was playing. As soon as the band got on stage, I checked my schedule, and it turned out that it was Local Natives. When I got there, it was far too crowded for me to get close to get any decent photographs, but I was close enough to fall in love with their sound. I’d heard “Camera Talk” off their album Gorilla Manor about a month ago, but as I stood through the rest of their hour-long set, there were so many more songs I liked. Gorilla Manor was actually the only album I bought at the festival, and I’m glad that I did. I’ve listened to it several times. The band’s soft harmonies work so well both live and on the record, and I can see why they had such a large crowd, even so early in the day. About halfway through their set came the first coincidence of the day. Prefacing their song “Who Knows Who Cares,” guitarist and vocalist Taylor Rice came up to the mic and said, “I’d like to dedicate this song to my special lady, Bethany,” (or something like that), “It’s her thirtieth birthday today. The golden year, 30 on 30.” And everyone in the crowd said “Happy Birthday Bethany!” in unison. Of all days – that was weird. After that, my sister told me that she was going to try to get Flavor Flav to wish me happy birthday. Sure, like that would happen. Anyway, Local Natives were awesome. I’d have to say that they’re my favorite discovery from Sasquatch.

Then I took the familiar stroll to the main stage for the only time on Sunday to see They Might Be Giants. Of all the acts booked for Sasquatch, They Might Be Giants might be the most random. However being a fan of them myself, I was excited to see them on the lineup. As I expected, TMBG were perhaps the goofiest 50-year-olds I’d ever seen. At one point their broke out The Avatars of They, a duo of sock puppets who have been part of their live show since last year. Much to my delight, TMBG did play the hilarious “The Mesopotamians,” the one and only thing I like about the subject of Mesopotamia. The only buzzkill of their set was the fact that a large portion of their crowd was Kid Cudi fans waiting to get close for Kid Cudi’s set directly after TMBG. But that was poor planning. I felt bad actually, because the Kid Cudi fans were restless and a bit rude to TMBG. At one point during the appearance of The Avatars of They, I heard someone shout “Get off the stage, we wanna see Cudi!” Sure I wanted to see Kid Cudi too, but I wanted to see They Might Be Giants as well.

I regret that former statement, because I would have much rather seen Kid Cudi from afar, rather than being stuck in the insane pit of pain present throughout all of Kid Cudi’s set. The only reason I stayed in the pit was so I could get close to see Tegan and Sara after, and get some good photos. What I do for good photos, sheesh.

Now, I’m not much of a hip-hop fan, but I honestly enjoy Kid Cudi. He’s confident on stage without being too arrogant like some rappers can be. But I will never see him live again. Nothing against Cudi, but I feared for my life and my camera in that pit. It’s like they didn’t know the meaning of personal space. I just had to lock my knees and plant my feet. I didn’t really have to hold up my own weight, but I also couldn’t breath comfortably half the time. But regardless, Kid Cudi was really good. Toward the end of his set, he brought this guy out on stage. “You guys remember when I punched that guy in Vancouver? Here he is! Michael and I are cool now!” And Michael Sharpe, the guy whom Kid Cudi punched at his Vancouver show joined him for a man hug on stage in front of thousands of people.

As soon as Kid Cudi’s set was over, I scurried out of the pit to catch some air before venturing back in for Tegan and Sara’s set. But naturally, their fans wouldn’t be quite as insane. It was a nice cool down from the overwhelming body heat trapped in the mosh pit from before, and Tegan and Sara’s music was a nice cool down as well. As much as I like their music, it was bit lackluster for the venue we were in, but what made their set especially enjoyable was the sharp banter between the two of them. If they weren’t twins, you could still totally tell that they were sisters by how they acted toward each other. That was my time at the main stage that night, as I spent the next 2 hours at the Bigfoot Solar Stage and turned in early for the night to eat birthday cake and make hot dogs over a camp stove.

First on the Solar Stage that night was Girls, whose album I fell in love with last year. It’s still weird listening to them because it’s like Elvis Costello reincarnate, and Elvis Costello isn’t even dead. It was a mellow and groovy way to move the evening right along, and like the album, seeing Girls live made me feel nostalgic. I don’t know when I was feeling nostalgic about, but the music just sounds so aged, but not outdated. And the music actually fit quite nicely in the setting sunlight in the middle of a flat field. Peaceful, yet not exactly peaceful. It’s hard to explain, but that’s why I advise you to see them. They were good. You won’t be disappointed.

The last act I’d see Sunday night was the Dirty Projectors, and I truly only saw them because I felt like I needed to understand something about them. I listened to Bitte Orca. Several times. And I just didn’t get why everyone was so gaga over them, so I figured seeing them live would illuminate it for me somehow. I was right. I get it now. I’m not going to try and explain why I get it now, because the Dirty Projectors are one of those bands that you love or you hate, because they’re that weird, but the vocals that this band consistently produces is the most amazing part of their live act. During “Remade Horizon,” I swear Amber Coffman and Haley Dekle did this crazy vocal riffing for over a minute that sounded like nothing I’ve heard in a live show before. Also, with how many singers they have on stage at one time, David Longstreth, Angel Deradoorian, Coffman, and Dekle, there is a strange harmony on stage that is also unlike most bands.

This was where the second coincidence came in. Nearing the end of the show, after “Stillness is the Move,” Coffman told the crowd that it was her father’s 51^st birthday, and she wanted us all to sing happy birthday to him and record it for someone to put on YouTube for him to watch. Another birthday? So we all sang happy birthday to her dad Joel.

That was the end of day two for me. I’ll be right with you for the final recap shortly.

For more photos of Sunday’s festivities, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbigshmail/sets/72157624067347657/

Saturday’s coverage: http://popwreckoning.com/2010/06/02/sasquatch-festival-saturday-with-ok-go-the-national-vampire-weekend/

Monday’s coverage: http://popwreckoning.com/2010/06/04/sasquatch-festival-monday-with-the-temper-trap-the-mountain-goats-mgmt/

British punk-pop-dance-goth band New Young Pony Club deliver as complex an array of songs as that four-part adjective implies. On their sophomore album, The Optimist, the group mixes dark, driving percussion with vocals that beg singing along. They borrowed a brooding mood from The xx, threw in some Tegan and Sara-esque harmonies and intelligent lyrics and created an album to which I can’t stop listening (and dancing).

The irony of The Optimist is that it sounds anything but (kind of like the “joy” in Joy Division). NYPC opens and closes with songs about breaking up, on the (relatively) more upbeat first track “Lost a Girl” and contemplative closer “Architect of Love.” Appropriately for this three-fourths female group, “Lost a Girl” takes a ‘too bad for him’ approach to the situation, and the speedy synths and la-la-la’s in the chorus keep the song semi-cheerful.

First single “Chaos” employs the same dark/dance formula. For every heavy bass song intro on the album there’s bright, toe-tapping synthesizer to relieve the gloom. On “The Optimist,” lead vocalist Tahita Bulmer even goes so far as to sing “I’m an optimist/you’re a clean slate, maybe/…I try not to be disappointed.” “We Want To” and “Dolls” sound unabashedly pop with their bouncy electronic backgrounds and group choruses.

Despite the fact that no one track stands out on The Optimist, it’s never boring. They create a cohesive sound without being monotonous, and – maybe it’s something about the British accent and girl-power attitude – but I can’t not sing along with most tracks. Glass half-full or not, The Optimist is catchy fun.

Track Listing:
1. Lost a Girl
2. Chaos
3. The Optimist
4. Stone
5. We Want To
6. Dolls
7. Before the Light
8. Oh Cherie
9. Rapture
10. Architect of Love

Cha cha slide, Macarena, Soulja Boy, but now there might be an indie dance you don’t have to feel guilty knowing all the moves too. Tegan & Sara just released a new video for “Alligator” and not only is it complete with confetti-made igloos, but it also features what maybe the next dance sensation. Who knows?

So, here we are my musical playmates, at the tail end of 2009 with “Top Ten” lists jamming your inboxes, twitter feeds, and collective unconscious. I find myself overwhelmed when faced with the task of writing down that looming “Top Ten.” In an attempt to narrow down the scope of my list, as well as in taking full advantage of the opportunity to write about what is near and dear, I offer you my humble thoughts on the best music North of the border, 2009. That’s right folks, Canada: home to free health care, equality, and just about the best avant garde, trendsetting, F’d up music around.

10. MSTRKRFT

Hailing from Toronto, MSTRKRFT, pronounced Master Kraft, released their second EP in ‘09, Fist of God. Swooping synths, scratchy white noise, and chunky, electro dance beats landed these guys on my list. The duo has remixed songs by fellow Canadian crew members Metric and Wolfmother as well as The Kills and Bloc Party. In 2009, the boys signed to Dim Mak/Downtown and collaborated with hip-hop heavy weights Ghostface Killah and E-40. Boom! A fan of Crystal Castles? Daft Punk? Check these guys out and be prepared to break out your best robo-moves.

9. GENTLEMAN REG

I had the chance to catch Reg Vermue, a.k.a. Gentleman Reg at The Bowery Ballroom in New York this Fall. His stunning 2009 album, Jet Black, released on “It” Canadian label Arts &Crafts, home to big-ups like Broken Social Scene and Feist, blew me away. It’s not often you stumble upon music that has you aghast and asking, “Why isn’t everyone listening to this?!” Over the past year, Gentleman Reg’s eclectic genre-mashing musings have sort of been my little secret, my go-to album for everything from inky 80s inspired dance to tethered and bluesy, sly, indie chill. He won’t be staying under the radar for long, so I suggest you beat the crowds while you still can.

8. OHBIJOU

Ohbijou is a group of people from Canada who sing and play instruments together and make music, but don’t call them a band. OK? Preferring, “friends, a curatorial movement, familial unit, assembly of musicians, and philanthropic initiative” to the former, Ohbijou are my number eight reason to love Canada this year…and maybe next? I’m predicting an unbearably long line at their SXSW showcase this year. Another great big Canadian collective to fuss over, Ontario-based Ohbijou sound like pillowy exchanges during a late-night slumber party: nostalgic, delicate embroidering of the heart. There’s a certain intimate yet orchestral gleam to lead singer Casey Mecija’s sympathetic choiring. The critically acclaimed, Beacons, was released on Last Gang Records in 2009, and features some of the loudest, feverish rustling I’ve heard all year.

7. K’NAAN

A Somali-born rapper who landed in Toronto at the age of 13, inspired by Eric B and Rakim, and raps about everything from his war-torn homeland to learning ones “ABCs,” K’Naan’s heavily buzzed-about 2009 release, Troubadour, didn’t need much help but certainly picked up steam with guest spots from Damian Marley and Mos Def. On the top of almost every critic’s 2009 watch list, K’Naan offers some of the freshest, most intelligent beats around and boasts an authentic sense of self that challenges the tired, hip-hop stereotypes still being regurgitated in the mainstream.

6. JAPANDROIDS

They hit SXSW last year, rocked CMJ in October, played NYC’s Siren Festival this past summer, and are already slotted for SXSW 2010 return. Beyond buzz, you should be listening to Japandroids if you dig raw, mashed up, cymbal crashing, fuzzed out, beat up, rock with an infectious heart. The emo-steeped “coming of age” tale we know all too well is at the core of this duo, and honestly, it’s what really makes them so damn hard to resist. You know the yearning, bratty chorus by heart: “We used to dream/ Now we worry about dying/ I don’t want to worry about dying,” but this time it’s packaged in a rousing, busted up, pure punk-drunk adrenaline shot.

5. THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE

I have to admit, I just sort of stumbled upon this trio not that long ago, but boy do they deserve to be on this list. Signed to Saddle Creek, in 2009 they released Hometowns, 13 indie rock love letters that pay homage to everything from the beauty of the Alberta wild rose flower to summers in the Rockies to rising towns and hometown honeys. The organic beauty and soil of the rural Canadian countryside is mirrored in this affectionate and nostalgic collection of songs. They are also playing SXSW 2010; stay tuned for my full report.

4. TIMBER TIMBRE

I caught Timber Timbre (a.k.a. Taylor Kirk) at his packed to capacity Arts & Crafts CMJ showcase in October at Union Pool in Brooklyn. It was worth being sardined in a tiny bat cave to witness this rising dark horse summon the souls of many to his hearth. Timber Timbre’s self-titled 2009 release is a chilling folk-blues foray into a strange world of soulful and haunted hymns, acoustic stillness, cloaked and rising choirs and gloomy, hollow pastoral visions…it’s what you would imagine it sounds like as your passing from this life to the next; vacant, washed out coolness punctuated with flashes of recognition—chirping sparrows, leaves rustling, and cinematic last glances. Kirk had produced one of the most original artistic visions I’ve come across in the past year.

3. HANDSOME FURS

There’s no denying that Sub Pop had a big 2009. Celebrating an anniversary and a kick-ass roster which includes Fleet Foxes and my #3 pick on this list, The Handsome Furs. Face Control, the band’s second release garnered a lot of enthusiasm and kept the two touring for the better part of ‘09. The album is punchy, electro boss with a Soviet slink-all the heart and rumble of Springsteen matched with some of the raunchiest keyboard clout I’ve ever heard. This Montreal match made in heaven, husband and wife duo, Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry, are so damn sexy when they perform the music pretty much seeps from their pores. The sweaty kinetics between these two live trumps for best live show of 2009 in my book.

2. FUCKED UP

Whether you like hardcore or not, Fucked Up is a band that you need to know about. Winners of the elite 2009 Polaris prize for their album The Chemistry of Common Life, these Toronto-based breakneckers have pretty much owned top spots on almost every list over the past two years. Some critics have been bold enough to claim that the band’s second release has even “redefined hardcore.” With intelligent, provoking lyrics and melodic subterfuges this isn’t your mama’s hardcore. Maybe it’s the fact that they’re on Matador, played a twelve hour marathon album release show last year which featured drop-ins from Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig and Dinosaur Jr’s J. Mascis, or that they open the album with a wind instrument that has all the indie-kids perched, but one listen and you have to admit Fucked Up is bringing something different to the game. Now we could get all huge with how many overdubs there are on a particular track or the nerdiness and wonder of the atypical instrument choices they’re batting with or I could just tell you that it’s one of the most thrilling, charging, genre-bending, pioneering albums of the past ten years, never mind 2009.

1. TEGAN AND SARA

Tell me you’re not surprised that my favorite Canadians took top honors on my list of reasons to heart Canada 2009. Tegan and Sara are a PopWreckoning favorite and we’ve been all over coverage for the girls’ highly anticipated, stellar sixth album, Sainthood, released in October to wide critical praise. Fans of the twins have been pining for new music since wearing out 2007’s The Con. The new material is a creative push forward for the sisters, one that boasts a heart-wrenching, hyper-analytic, intellectual aplomb and is decidedly more experimental; marking the first time the sisters penned tracks together. I can’t deny my love for the twins’ addictive, power-pop, motives of love and I’m already anxious for new music…most anticipated album of 2012?

Tegan and Sara: website | myspace | interview with: Tegan pt. 1, pt. 2 | @ terminal 5 | @ town hall | Sainthood review
Alkaline Trio: website | myspace

Tegan and Sara christened the birth of their 6th labor of love, Sainthood, at New York City’s historic Town Hall on October 30th and 31st, an event that Tegan confessed had been a dream of Sara’s since they began their career ten years ago.  The twins played two sold out shows debuting the new album in its entirety on both nights as well as beloved fan favorites such as “The Con,” “I Bet It Stung,” “Knife Going In,” and “Where Does the Good Go,” among other classic T&S gems.  Having been a certified fan of the girls upon seeing their show last year at Terminal Five in New York, I was anxious to relive the infectious way in which they engage with their audience and the awe-inspiring way the band beasts through a two-hour set with muscularity and prowess.

After losing yourself in the angsty wrench of “Nineteen,” it’s easy to resurface and doltishly think, She’s singing that to me, right? While revisiting the hits was definitely a priority, fans were feverish for a live peek at new tracks from Sainthood, screaming loudest for Sara’s slinky ode to 80s synth-pop, “Alligator.”  The new material, which the girls recorded with a live band in the studio, translated seamlessly to the stage and proved the oft-overshadowed fact that T&S are a masterful live band.

In addition to the epic set list, the girls entertained adoring fans with their ever-endearing, self-deprecating, twin-teasing banter.  Sara treated us to a ten minute monologue on Friday night, in response to Tegan’s taunting admission that “Sara has the asthma,” sharing her thoughts on Armageddon, survival of the fittest, and concluding with an offering of her body to Tegan for food and clothing should the end of the world, in fact, come.  Sara says she’s not going to fight it if it happens.  It’s just this kind of dark, antagonistic banter between the twins that their fans have come to cherish, that keeps them connected, and that sets them apart from other artists.  In this sense, T&S are pioneers, “tweeting” from the stage before the Internet even existed.

Other highlights included a dedication on Halloween night to Sainthood producer Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie), who was in the audience Saturday and rumored to be dressed as “Kenny The Page” from 30 Rock as well as a gushing thank you from Tegan on behalf of both twins, for continuing to support the band after so many years, turning the raucous encore applause around on the fans, house lights up, urging us to applaud ourselves for a job well done. Despite a restless nod to unrequited love inherent in many T&S songs, the sentiment bouncing around in the theatre this weekend definitely found a welcome place to rest.

Tegan and Sara: website | myspace | interview with: Tegan pt. 1, pt. 2 | @ terminal 5 | Sainthood review

Written by Reni Papananias.
Photos by Dese’Rae L. Stage.

I’m not even going to try to pretend that I am some sort of casual “Yeah, I like that ‘Walking with A Ghost song’” kind of Tegan and Sara fan or an impartial stringer  covering the events of yet another album release. I’ve been a junkie for T&S ever since I stumbled upon The Con via Chris Walla via Death Cab for Cutie about a year ago. After devouring the 2007 critical-darling and its feast of dark confessional lullabies and musings on the mythos of love, I needed more. I remember listening and thinking that I had never heard voices like that or been so deeply taken with music before, better yet, as my little cousin and Greek mini-me put it, “How do they know the inner workings of my emotional being?” Over the past year, I’ve worn-out the B-sides. I find myself regularly browsing YouTube for the latest concert footage meticulously documented by die-hards, and have been known to, you know, lurk the message boards on a lonely night. What?

The release of Sainthood (Vapor/Sire) on October 27th will be Tegan and Sara’s 6th full-length studio album produced once again by Chris Walla and Howard Redekopp. It’s the first time we’ve heard new music from the sisters in two years. It’s a very exciting week to say the least. Rest assured, PopWreckoning has got this covered for you from every angle. Let this review serve as a teaser leading up to our exclusive three-way interview with Tegan, PW contributor Dese’Rae Stage, and I. Oh, and did I mention an upcoming in-person with Sara as well as full concert coverage of the twins’ two sold out shows at New York’s historic Town Hall on Halloween weekend? Tegan’s a fan of PW. She said so when we spoke. We’re cool like that.

Without further ado, I give you my humble thoughts on Sainthood.

The album, inspired by Leonard Cohen’s wrist-cutting ode to unrequited love, “Came so Far for Beauty” plays with the notion of romantic idealism, devotion, and the risk inherent in loving another. In the words of Tegan and Sara themselves, “Inspired by emotional longing and the quiet actions we hope may be noticed by the objects of our affection, Sainthood is about obsession with romantic ideals. We practice our sainthood in the hope that we will be rewarded with adoration.” Throughout the album we learn that this act of loving according to the twins is analytical, fragile, neurotic, unforgiving, and is ultimately in pursuit of truth.

I will say at the outset that it’s a grower, but after two listens, you won’t be spinning anything else in your pods. Sainthood is different than anything Tegan and Sara have done in the past. There’s no “Call it Off” here. Some tracks push at breakneck speed while others hold back and are more complex and layered. It’s got a gruff exterior, but underneath, it’s classic Tegan and Sara. There’s even an exotic, slick samba-esque dance track, “Alligator” that’s all keys. It may be different than what we’ve heard in the past from the Canadian twins, but Sainthood is in my opinion, some of the most electrifying stuff the girls have ever done. You can feel them pushing themselves on this album, playing with and juxtaposing themes such as love, truth, idolatry, authenticity, and the imagined.

On the opener, “Arrow,” a sharp-shooting, synthy surge, Sara Quin, soul mate, sultan of cool, and the twin known for bringing us the more complicated musical arrangements and quirkier sound compared to Tegan’s hookier, hard-driving half, jumps into the ring, gloves on and asks, “Would you take a straight and narrow, critical look at me?” alongside buff guitar jabs and electronic punchiness. The girls took a different approach to the process as well, recording with a live band in the studio, the result yielding a fuller, more in-the-thick-of-it kind of fever. Sainthood also marks the first time in the twins’ lengthy career that they penned tracks together. While only one song, “Paperback Head,” ended up on the album, the fleshy thrill of experimentation is noticeable throughout. Their distinctive singing voices are even different on a lot of the tracks, and we find different stories and characters uncovered in the tonal and tempo changes to their signature tweets. On “Red Belt,” my favorite, a track Sara says was inspired by a David Mamet film of the same name, we’re introduced to a rich, golden, slow-to-boil tenor with an almost sci-fi trance to it, complete with a bell toll and lyrics that have you believing in fiction, “Slow down, you have a tendency to rush back into your past, slow down, you transfer all your weight and disappear…you kneel, to condition all the feelings that you feel.” On “Hell,” the album’s first single and tracks like “The Cure” and “Northshore,” Tegan toys with the best of post-punk intentions with an accelerated pace, lyrical rawness, and synthetic undertow.

The twins, who have never been shy musically, waxing sophisticated pop tracks for ten years now that fearlessly document the depths of their emotional experience and puzzling through their unique coming of age, continue to offer a stark reflection of themselves and the contours of their hardworking hearts on Sainthood. While the momentum of the album may be escalated compared to past T&S, the process shaken up a bit, the cuts more genre-fusing and risky, the lyrics more cryptic at points, the perspective tossed around, the surface a little steely, Sara’s still not afraid to ask, “Would you take a calm and tender, terminal kind of care? Would you wage an intimate fight for me?” and in this sense stays true to the vulnerability and romanticism that the girls have come to be known for. It’s truly rare to find artists as prolific as Tegan and Sara at such a young age, who have skillfully navigated the challenges of the music industry on their own terms while continuing to produce work that is relevant and that pushes their talent and ideas in new directions. Sainthood secures Tegan and Sara’s spot among the few.

Sainthood comes out tomorrow, October 27. Preview the album now, for FREE at www.myspace.com/teganandsara.

Tracklisting:
01. Arrow
02. Don’t Rush
03. Hell
04. On Directing
05. Red Belt
06. The Cure
07. Northshore
08. Night Watch
09. Alligator
10. Paperback Head
11. The Ocean
12. Sentimental Tune
13. Someday

Tegan and Sara: website | myspace | interview with: Tegan pt. 1, pt. 2 | @ terminal 5

Burbank, CA – Beloved Canadian pop-rock icons Tegan and Sara have announced that they will launch their first extensive tour of the U.S. in nearly two years in February 2010. The tour kicks off February 12th in Northampton, MA, and criss-crosses the country before finishing up on April 6th in Salt Lake City, UT. The ticket pre-sale begins this Wednesday, October 14th, at 10 a.m. The password for all pre-sales is “Sainthood.” Tickets will go on sale to the public on Friday, October 16th, at 10 a.m.

Twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin are hitting the road in support of their eagerly awaited sixth studio album Sainthood, which is due from Sire/Vapor Records on October 27th. Sainthood was produced by Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla (who also produced 2007’s critically applauded The Con) and Howard Redekopp (who produced 2004’s groundbreaking effort So Jealous) and mixed by Grammy Award winner Dave Sardy (Oasis, Primal Scream, Marilyn Manson). Tegan and Sara began recording Sainthood in May at the legendary Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, CA, where Tom Petty, Nirvana, and Fleetwood Mac have all recorded. They finished laying down tracks at Seattle’s Two Sticks Audio, owned by Death Cab drummer Jason McGerr.

“Hell,” the first digital single from Sainthood, is now available for purchase from all digital service providers and is currently streaming live on the band’s website www.teganandsara.com. It is the band’s first new song released to fans since July 2007. Fans who pre-order Sainthood on iTunes will receive the track as a free digital download. An iTunes exclusive deluxe version of the album will feature two bonus tracks: “Wrists” and “Light Up.”

As previously mentioned, a triumvirate of books entitled On, In, At, will be released in conjunction with the release of Sainthood. The three-book set, which chronicles different time periods from the past year in the lives of Tegan and Sara, will be available through teganandsara.com. These books are a Must Have item for fans and have been beautifully photographed, annotated and packaged. Check the site for additional details.

To celebrate the release of Sainthood, Tegan and Sara will perform four very special shows: October 25th and 26th at Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theater, and October 30th and 31st at New York City’s Town Hall. The band will also appear on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien on November 2nd.

Tour Dates:
Feb. 12 – Calvin Theatre / Northampton, MA
Feb. 13 – The Orpheum / Boston, MA
Feb. 16 – Tower Theatre (Upper Darby) / Philadelphia, PA
Feb. 17 – Warner Theatre / Washington, DC
Feb. 18 – The National / Richmond, VA
Feb. 20 – Tampa Theatre / Tampa, FL
Feb. 21 – Sunset Cove / Miami, FL
Feb. 23 – Variety Playhouse / Atlanta, GA
Feb. 24 – Tipitina’s / New Orleans, LA
Feb. 25 – Palladium / Dallas, TX
Feb. 26 – Bass Concert Hall / Austin, TX
Feb. 27 – The Warehouse / Houston, TX
Mar. 02 – House of Blues / Las Vegas, NV
Mar. 03 - Copley Symphony Hall / San Diego, CA 
Mar. 05 – Fox Theater / San Francisco, CA
Mar. 06 – Fox Theater / San Francisco, CA
Mar. 24 – The Orpheum / Minneapolis, MN
Mar. 25 – The Riverside / Milwaukee, WI
Mar. 26 – The Aragon / Chicago IL
Mar. 27 – Royal Oak Theatre / Detroit, MI
Mar. 28 – Lakewood Civic / Cleveland, OH
Mar. 30 – Promo West Pavilion / Columbus, OH
Apr. 02 – The Pageant / St. Louis, MO
Apr. 03 – Uptown Theatre / Kansas City, MO
Apr. 04 – The Ogden / Denver, CO
Apr. 06 – In The Venue / Salt Lake City, UT 

Tegan and Sara: website | myspace | interview with: Tegan pt. 1, pt. 2 | @ terminal 5

Photo by: Dese’Rae L. Stage

Here at Popwreckoning, we’ve officially hit a level of mail that makes it impossible for us to give full reviews to every band. However, this does not mean we believe that these bands shouldn’t be granted some for of press.  It simply means we have to scale it down a bit. Therefore, we have opted to create a feature called Bite Size Reviews, which shall appear several times a week.  This feature will contain 5 reviews each under 100 words and links to the albums website, MySpace page or label.  We believe this is the best use of our mail and hope you too enjoy the reviews. They are as follows:

Greg Laswell – Covers
In the history of the world, I would have never imagined anyone could pull off a collection of covers featuring songs by the likes of Echo and the Bunnymen, Morphine, Mazzy Star, Kristin Hersh and Kate Bush without fucking up at least one. However, the aptly named Covers, the latest EP from singer/songwriter/twitter comedic genius Greg Laswell, does just that.  Managing to add his signature sound to each number without butchering the significance of 5 bands with very contrasting styles is impressive to say the least.   His ability to handle these individual sounds while tweaking them just enough to make them his helps make Covers an album and make Laswell an artist instead of that guy singing Jimmy Buffet at for beer money at your local bar.  (8 out of 10 stars)

website | myspace | @ beaumont club | Three Flights from Alto Nido review | @ world cafe live | @ sxsw 2009 | @ martyrs

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Tiësto – Kaleidoscope
So, I need to start off by confessing to fans of Tiësto that I may not be the best person available to give a fair review of this CD.  This is because I really could live a perfectly happy life without house music.  Remixes and samples seldom give me goosebumps.  Generally, I wish the originals has been left the hell alone. However, I’m going to do my best to stay positive regarding Kaleidoscope and simply say that I was rather impressed by the selections of artists Tiësto tapped to sample. When I think of house music, I seldom expect the likes of Priscilla Ahn, Cary Brothers and Tegan and Sara to touch my ears.  This alone should warrant this CD a single listen. I’ll let you choose if you want to keep spinning it after that.  (5 out of 10 stars)

website | myspace

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Asobi Seksu – Transparence
If Asobi Seksu can somehow fail to make you feel alive you might want to run down the street to your neighborhood family physician and place your order for a bottle of uppers.  There are few bands in the business with more charm and addictive tendency than this one.  Their new EP Transparence is par for the course. Sporting three songs and a remix this vinyl only release is the perfect follow up to the groups February 2009 full length Hush.  The only drawback I can find is that i personally have trouble moving past side A, which features a pair of brilliant songs in the title track “Transparance” and “Urusai Tori”. Rather than move on to a fairly reasonalbe side B, I often find myself simly starting the disc again. (9 out of 10 Stars)

myspace

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Imogen Heap – Ellipse
Anyone who knows me, or has been stumbled across my Facebook page in the past 3 months, has no doubt I am a fan of Imogen Heap. I’ve hyped her new album Eclipse the way the United States hyped Obama as the answer for change.  Her last album Speak For Yourself was just short of perfection and her work with Frou Frou doesn’t look bad on her resume either.  However, Ellipse to me feels a bit like a step backward for Imogen.  Her songs lack the catch that sucked you in on her previous records.  There are no golden tracks like “Let Go,” “Hide and Seek” or “Goodnight and Go” mixed in with the filler of her new work, noticeably leaving little reason for me to drop a twenty on the counter.  To date, I would have to call this album the biggest bust of 2009. It is a real let down. (5 out of 10 Stars)

website | myspace