Joseph Arthur will be touring North America this Summer and Fall in support of his new albumThe Graduation Ceremony. Performing solo with sound loops and painting live onstage, Arthur has been known to create “a dynamic swirl of noise that somehow appears magically around him” (NPR) and “emotional (but tuneful) exorcisms” (Entertainment Weekly). Tour stops include the Pearl Jam 20 Festival (Sept. 3 & 4), Austin City Limits (Sept. 18) and an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (July 20).
Check out Arthur’s new video for Love Never Asks You To Lie:
July 8 – Quebec City, Quebec Festival d’ete de Quebec
July 15 – Arlington, VA IOTA
July 16 – Annapolis, MD Ram’s Head (1pm all-ages matinee)
July 20 – Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
July 22 – Camden, NJ WXPN’s Xponential Festival
July 23 – Calgary, AB Calgary Folk Festival
July 29 – Montreal, QC Osheaga 2011
August 2 & 3 – Toronto, ON Dakota Tavern
August 5 – Pittsburgh, PA Club Café
August 6 – Akron, OH Musica
August 20 – Woodland Park, CO Newhoma Music & Mountain Festival
September 3 & 4 – East Troy, WI Pearl Jam 20 Festival
September 14 – Asheville, NC The Grey Eagle
September 15 – Nashville, TN Bluebird Café
September 17 – Dallas, TX Kessler Theater
September 18 – Austin, TX Austin City Limits
September 22 – Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
September 23 – San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
Beady Eye – essentially Oasis minus the elder Noel Gallagher – have announced a series of gig dates in North America starting in late November. The 2-week tour begins on November 25 in Vancouver and ends in New York City on December 9. The band signed earlier this year to Dangerbird Records, also the American home of the Dears, Delphic, and Minus the Bear. For more information about purchasing tickets, visit the Dangerbird Web site. Most tickets to this tour go on sale this Friday (July 15) at 10 AM.
Beady Eye’s debut album, Different Gear, Still Speeding, was released on February 28 in the UK and March 1 in America.
Seattle indie-rock bandFences and Louisville, KY rocker Mansions will release a 7-inch split EP on Tuesday, July 26. Fences/Mansions – which boasts one new track from each artist – was recorded in April 2011 at Avast Studios in Seattle, WA – where both artists now live. Fences’ “Marketplace” and Mansions’ “On My Way” were recorded over the course of two days by Fences’ guitarist Jonny Warman and showcases a new song and some of the best aspects of each band.
The limited-edition 7″ will be available for purchase at select retail shops in Seattle, San Francisco, LA, Chicago and Louisville, as well on the bands’ websites and digitally through iTunes. Also in July, the bands are embarking on a 10-day tour in support of the disc, which will also be for sale at each tour stop. The trek will kick off on July 22nd at Seattle’s Capitol Hill Block Party and land in Chicago on August 7 at Chicago’s famed Lollapalooza.
“The first time I met Fences, it was clear that we needed to work together,” says Mansions’ Christopher Browder. “We both write bummer songs, and the bummed need to stick together. But the thing I love is that we both approach that type of music from a slightly different angle, which was even more clear in the studio together. While ‘Marketplace’ is a beautiful sigh of a song, my ‘On My Way’ is more like a bottle thrown on the floor in disgust. Our methods and sounds might be different, but it’s just two sides of the same coin. We’re both sad and pissed off, and that is worth celebrating.”
Fences and Mansions Tour:
Friday, July 22 – SEATTLE, WA @ Capitol Hill Block Party Main Stage
Tuesday, July 26 – Split 7″ RELEASE DAY & In-store performance @ Sonic Boom Records in SEATTLE, WA
Friday, July 29 – TACOMA, WA @ Hell’s Kitchen
Saturday, July 30 – SPOKANE, WA @ A Club
Sunday, July 31 – MISSOULA, MT @ Top Hat
Tuesday, August 2 – SIOUX FALLS, SD @ Latitude 44
Wednesday, August 3 – FARGO, ND @ Aquarium
Thursday, August 4 – MINNEAPOLIS, MN @ 7th St Entry
Friday, August 5 – MADISON, WI @ High Noon
Saturday, August 6 – CHICAGO, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club (Official Lollapalooza After Party) w/Titus Andronicus
Sunday, August 7 – CHICAGO, IL @ Lollapalooza
Balance and Composure‘s latest effort, a full length debut “Separation,” has just been released in the States to critical acclaim through No Sleep Records. Kicking off this week (following the band’s recent US dates with Touche Amore and White Wives, and news of their first ever tour of Australia this August) the band will set out on a tour of Canada with label-mates La Dispute.
Now comes the news that the dynamic Pennsylvanian five piece will head out on yet another full tour of the US, this time joining artists Polar Bear Club for a string of dates stretching from September 1 through October 15 and including special guests Fireworks, Make Do And Mend, and Such Gold on select dates.
Sep 01 The Met Cafe - Pawtucket, RI #
Sep 02 The Loft @ The Chance - Poughkeepsie, NY #
Sep 03 First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA #
Sep 04 Ottobar - Baltimore, MD #
Sep 06 Mad Hatter Club - Covington, KY #
Sep 07 The End - Nashville, TN #
Sep 08 The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA #
Sep 09 The Social - Orlando, FL #
Sep 10 Rocketown - Pompano Beach, FL #
Sep 11 The Orpheum - Tampa, FL #
Sep 13 Emo’s - Austin, TX #
Sep 14 Warehouse Live Studio - Houston, TX #
Sep 15 The Prophet Bar - Dallas, TX #
Sep 17 The Underground - Mesa, AZ #
Sep 18 Soma Sidestage - San Diego, CA #
Sep 21 Chain Reaction - Anaheim, CA #
Sep 22 Neighborhood Cafe - Fresno, CA
Sep 23 Oakland Metro Operahouse - Oakland, CA %
Sep 24 The Boardwalk - Orangevale, CA %
Sep 26 Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR %
Sep 27 El Corazon - Seattle, WA %
Sep 28 The Venue - Boise, ID %
Sep 29 Kilby Court - Salt Lake City, UT %
Sep 30 Marquis Theatre - Denver, CO %
Oct 01 Jackpot Music Hall - Lawrence, KS %
Oct 02 Triple Rock Social Club - Minneapolis, MN %
Oct 04 The House Cafe - Dekalb, IL %
Oct 05 Beat Kitchen - Chicago, IL %
Oct 06 Magic Stick - Detroit, MI %
Oct 07 Grog Shop - Cleveland, OH %
Oct 08 Annex Wreckroom - Toronto, Canada %
Oct 09 Altar Bar - Pittsburgh, PA %
Oct 11 Asbury Lanes - Asbury Park, NJ %
Oct 12 Knitting Factory - Brooklyn, NY %
Oct 13 Middle East - Cambridge, MA %
Oct 14 Lost Horizon - Syracuse, NY %
Oct 15 Mohawk Place - Buffalo, NY %
Peter Wolf Crier‘s sophomore albumGarden of Arms, will be released on September 6 (September 5 in the UK). Shortly after that on September 23 the band will celebrate their new release with a party at the Cedar Cultural Center in their home town of Minneapolis, MN. The following day Peter Wolf Crier will embark on their first headlining UStour that will take them coast to coast through November.
“Right Away,” the first offering from Garden of Arms, has already received praise from Paste Magazine, My Old Kentucky Blog, Austin Town Hall and many others. Get the track right here: Download Peter Wolf Crier’s “Right Away”
Tour dates:
09/23 Minneapolis, MN- Cedar Cultural Center
09/24 Chicago, IL- Schubas
09/27 Cambridge, MA- The Middle East (Upstairs)
09/28 Philadelphia, PA- Kung Fu Necktie
09/29 Washington DC- Red Palace
09/30 New York, NY- Mercury Lounge
10/03 Chapel Hill, NC- Local 506
10/04 Atlanta, GA- Drunken Unicorn
10/07 Austin, TX- Lambert’s
10/08 Denton, TX- Dan’s SilverLeaf
10/10 Norman, OK- Opolis
10/11 Columbia, MO- Mojo’s
10/12 Bloomington, IN- The Bishop
10/14 Madison, WI- The Sett
10/25 Omaha, NE- The Waiting Room
10/27 Denver, CO- Hi-Dive
10/28 Salt Lake City, UT- Kilby Court
10/29 Boise, ID- The Neurolux
11/01 Portland, OR- Mississippi Studios
11/02 Seattle, WA- Tractor Tavern
11/04 San Francisco, CA- Hotel Utah
11/05 Visalia, CA- Cellar Door
11/07 Santa Barbara, CA- Muddy Waters
11/08 Los Angeles, CA- Bootleg Theatre
11/09 San Diego, CA- Soda Bar
11/11 Tucson, AZ- Solar Culture
11/12 Santa Fe, NM- SOL @ Santa Fe Brewing Company
English band the Horrors will be releasing their third album, Skying, on August 9th in the U.S. (July 11th in the UK) on XL Recordings. Ahead of the album release, the band has released the first promo video from the album, for the song “Still Life.” Watch it below.
The Horrors will be touring North America in September, starting on September 7 in Vancouver and ending in Washington DC on September 30. More information on these dates can be found on the band’s official website.
An all New York City bill went down at DC’s Red Palace Saturday night. The Postelles were in town to celebrate the release of their debut album on +1 Records on Tuesday. With them were their buddies Ambassadors and a band that surprisingly they had never run into back home, the Dig. I wasn’t about to miss a Postelles show; not counting this gig, I’ve seen them three times, and they never disappoint. Saturday’s show in Washington was as good of an excuse as any for the band to party with what lead singer/guitarist Daniel Balk counts as one of his favorite cities to play in.
Ambassadors was the only act of the night I’d never seen live before. I try not to overuse the word “eclectic” in any of my writing, but I don’t know how else to describe this band’s music. Their song “Bodybag” could have easily fit in Fleet Foxes’ repetoire. In another song, lead singer Sam Harris was using a bow on his bass guitar: unusual, no? Their closing number sounded more MGMT. Lead guitarist Noah Feldshuh had a Nord in front of him, which seemed strange considering Harris’s brother Casey is their dedicated keyboardist. They have some good songs, but I think trying to focus on one general genre would probably serve them well, so they would have a better chance at hawking their debut album (to be released sometime in 2011) around to labels.
Having seen the Dig open for two great British bands (Editors and the Joy Formidable) last year, I knew I was in for a treat. Personally, I feel that the Dig should have a larger profile on the American music scene, already having released a very good debut album last year (Electric Toys, review here). Their hard rock yet fun sound is the kick in the pants that American rock stations need. In addition to playing “Two Sisters in Love,” “You’re Already Gone,” and “Look Inside,” the band also played some new material that I hope will be released on a new EP or album sometime in the very near future.
Then 11:30 rolled around and it was time for the main event. The Postelles’ debut album has 12 songs, yet they only played 8 of them, which was a little disappointing to me, since I love the entirety of The Postelles. “Sleep on the Dance Floor” was peerless, as were “1, 2, 3 Stop” and “Hey Little Sister,” the latter with Balk asking the crowd to sing along at the end on the “hey little sister!” refrain. I don’t know how it’s possible, but the band sound tighter each time I hear them play, and it’s been great seeing their progression from support to headliner. I can’t wait to see where these guys go.
My only complaint: maybe the band is bored of playing the songs off the album, because they played what I considered two completely non sequitur cover songs. In the middle of the set, they played the late ’70s Wreckless Eric hit “(I’d Go the) Whole Wide World,” a song by an English singer/songwriter than I’m sure very few patrons present had even heard of. This was later followed by a cover of the Rivieras‘ “California Sun,” which is a fun summer song for sure, but I never put surf pop and the Postelles in the same sentence, so it seemed a little out of place. Still, it was a really enjoyable show, and it was obvious that the crowd was enjoying it as well. Loud, drunk girls shouted as to how hot bassist John Speyer’s vest and drummer Billy Cadden‘s v-neck t-shirt were. Is this the kind of reception the Beatles got in their early days?
Oddly, the sets grew shorter as the night progressed, with the Postelles only playing about 35 minutes, including the encore. I found out after the show that this had to do with a curfew (rats) but I was promised by Balk that they would return. Whenever the Postelles do, they will have a fanatical crowd waiting for them, no doubt about it.
The Postelles Set List
Stella
She She
Sleep on the Dance Floor
Looking Glass
Hey Little Sister
(I’d Go the) Whole Wide World (Wreckless Eric cover)
1, 2, 3 Stop
Running Red Lights
California Sun (the Rivieras cover)
Can’t Stand Still
White Night
//
Boy’s Best Friend
Tour Dates
Jun 15-16 – NXNE / Toronto
Jun 17 – Schubas / Chicago
Jun 18 – Summer Soulstice Music Festival / Milwaukee
Jun 20 – Tractor Tavern / Seattle
Jun 23 – Popscene @ Rickshaw Stop / San Francisco
Jun 28 – Echo / Los Angeles
Jul 07 – T.T. the Bear’s / Cambridge, MA
Following on from a completely sold out, very well received solo tour this past spring, English folk singer/songwriter Frank Turner has announced a huge tour of North America beginning at the middle of September to the beginning of November. This series of dates takes Turner and his band to many places he hasn’t headlined yet, including several major Canadian cities.
Turner’s new album, England Keep My Bones, will be released on Epitaph Records next Tuesday (June 7) in America.
Tour Dates
Sep 20 – Heirloom Arts Theatre / Danbury, CT
Sep 21 – Bowery Ballroom / New York City
Sep 23 – Ottobar / Baltimore
Sep 24 – Alley Katz / Richmond, VA
Sep 25 – New Brookland Tavern / Columbia, SC
Sep 27 – Social / Orlando
Sep 29 – Culture Room / Ft. Lauderdale
Sep 30 – Crowbar / Tampa
Oct 01 – Masquerade / Atlanta
Oct 03 – Emo’s / Austin
Oct 04 – Loft / Dallas
Oct 05 – Conservatory / Oklahoma City
Oct 06 – Record Bar / Kansas City
Oct 07 – Marquis Theatre / Denver
Oct 08 – Launch Pad / Albuquerque
Oct 10 – Rhythm Room / Phoenix
Oct 11 – Glass House / Pomona
Oct 12 – SOMA Side Stage / San Diego
Oct 13 – El Rey / Los Angeles
Oct 14 – Slim’s / San Francisco
Oct 15 – Hawthorne Theatre / Portland
Oct 16 – Neumos / Seattle
Oct 17 – Biltmore / Vancouver
Oct 19 – Starlight Room / Edmonton
Oct 20 – Republik / Calgary
Oct 21 – Exchange / Regina, SK
Oct 22 – WECC / Winnipeg, MB
Oct 23 – Triple Rock Social Club / Minneapolis
Oct 25 – Turner Hall / Milwaukee
Oct 26 – Bottom Lounge / Chicago
Oct 27 – Magic Stick / Detroit
Oct 28 – Phoenix / Toronto
Oct 29 – Corona Theatre / Montreal
Oct 30 – Mavericks / Ottawa
Oct 31 – Cercle / Quebec City
Nov 02 – Middle East Downstairs / Boston
Nov 04 – TLA / Philadelphia
The Kooks are set to release third albumJunk of the Heart on September 13 on Astralwerks Records, preceded by the release of debut single of the same name on July 11. The band has also announced a limited amount of exclusive U.S. dates in California and New York, which can be seen below.
Having sold out several US tours including two sell-out nights at Terminal 5 in NYC, The Kooks are excited to play to American audiences once again. The upcoming dates will be on sale exclusively for fans on June 1st (passwords will be emailed to Kooks and Astralwerks email subscribers). The public on sale will be June 3 for the NY & LA shows and June 5 for the SF show.
6/22 San Francisco, CA – Slims
6/23 – Los Angeles, CA – The Troubador
6/27 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
Released in the fall of 2008, Friendly Fires‘ self-titled album had me at hello. It was the sonic equivalent to the boy next door: a bit naive, a little rough around the edges, a tad tentative, yet completely unpretentious. It winked with the wide-eyed naivete able to win your heart but was sexy enough to make you feel like you were the prettiest girl in the room. Having had a love affair with its predecessor, I knew Pala had to really wow me like a knight in shining armor to even stand a chance against my darling Friendly Fires. Basically, it was an impossibly tall order.
The album was named after the fictional setting of the Aldous Huxley novel Island, and based on that alone, you can tell this album was conceived, written, and recorded with much thought. This time around, lead singer Ed Macfarlane took advantage of writing songs not just in their hometown of St. Albans like for those on Friendly Fires but also Rye in Sussex, the little village Yvetot in France, and New York. He’s talked about wanting to break out of the stereotypes that the media tried to pin on them after their first album, and certainly, no one can accuse them of writing a Friendly Fires pt. 2 with this effort. The problem? Pala is an example of how (usually) less is more. Despite the great care taken to make every sound on this album resonate beautifully (no doubt with producer Paul Epworth‘s help), there is so much going on here and in so many different directions that it’s hard to find continuity.
Having said that, there are some real winners on here. “Live Those Days Tonight,” the album’s first single, is a carnival. The first time I heard it, I hated it. I had already worried based on the “Kiss of Life” single released in the summer of 2009 that Edd Gibson‘s guitar work was going to be muted on their future recordings in favor of a heavier dance sound; for this song and most of Pala, I was right. But the song grew on me: it’s kind of hard to not eventually fall in love with it, because it’s so damn catchy. And if you’ve ever seen Macfarlane dance when the band performs live, the mental image of him swiveling his hips around to the music pops into your mind and is pretty mesmerizing. A good friend of mine just saw the band play at London’s intimate club venue Heaven on May 9 and assured me that the Friendly Fires live performance is better than ever and completely “lush,” and I take his word for it.
Let’s talk about the good. “Show Me Lights,” having a sensual r&b groove, is the stand out track on the album. Interestingly, when you compare this song’s chorus of “take me back / take me back / take me back in the darkness” to “Strobe” from the first album, which begins with the words “I see you / you come out of the strobe / you come out of the strobe,” you notice both songs are about winning back a love, just in opposite lighting situations. Comparing the new track to the old one side by side is like comparing apples and oranges, and in this case, I approve of the newer apple. “Pull Me Back to Earth” lets guitarist Gibson flex his musical muscles – thank goodness. Title track “Pala” is a fantastic slow jam; with Macfarlane’s dreamy vocals, it would have felt completely out of place on Friendly Fires. But it’s a perfect example of my “less is more” argument.
Less successful are the songs that sound like they’re from an earlier time. “Hurting” would have felt at home in the ’70s, and you almost feel compelled to do the hustle to it. The ’80s sounding “Hawaiian Air” has video game-like bleeps. Both this track and “True Love” (guest starring Holy Ghost!‘s Alex Frankel on clavinet) buzz along with Jack Savidge‘s relentless drumming leading the way, and for some reason, they just don’t ring true with me. I’m going to assume that these translate better live than on record, and I hope when the live Pala and I are formally introduced next week in Washington, we’ll get on like a house on fire.
Pala by Friendly Fires will be released in America on May 24 on XL Recordings.
Tracklisting
01. Live Those Days Tonight
02. Blue Cassette
03. Running Away
04. Hawaiian Air
05. Hurting
06. Pala
07. Show Me Lights
08. True Love
09. Pull Me Back to Earth
10. Chimes
11. Helpless
Tour Dates:
May 25 – Webster Hall / New York City
May 26 – 9:30 Club / Washington, DC
May 27 – Paradise / Boston
May 28 – Corona Theatre / Montreal
May 30 – Phoenix / Toronto
May 31 – Lincoln Hall / Chicago
Jun 01 – Varsity Theater / Minneapolis
Jun 04 – Venue / Vancouver
Jun 05 – Neumo’s / Seattle
Jun 06 – Doug Fir / Portland
Jun 08 – Independent / San Francisco
Jun 10 – Music Box @ Henry Fonda / Los Angeles
Jun 11 – Teatro Chino De Six Flags / Mexico City
Jun 12 – Escenica / Monterrey, Mexico
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Concert Calendar
Nov 23, 2011
HaHa Tonka @ Recordbar, Kansas City MO
Nov 25, 2011
Thee Oh Sees @ The Granada, Lawrence KS
Released in the 
