Sweden's First Aid Kit Returns to the US in October // "Hard Believer" Posted as a Free Download ~ BrooklynRocks: NYC Music Blog

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Sweden's First Aid Kit Returns to the US in October // "Hard Believer" Posted as a Free Download

DOWNLOAD: First Aid Kit - "Hard Believer"

Sweden's First Aid Kit Returns to the US in October // Sweden's First Aid Kit is the poster children for the power of social media as their video cover of Fleet Foxes’ "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" has now gotten over 1.5M views.

The band released their debut CD, The Big Black and the Blue (Witchita Recordings), earlier this year and completed their well-received first US tour in June.

The Big Black & the Blue was recorded intermittently throughout 2008 -2009 with the help of their father, Benkt Soderberg, at their home studio Cellar Door. The collected work transports the listener via shimmering, almost telekinetic harmonies and thoughtful lyrical imagery. The songs on The Big Black & the Blue seep under the skin and claw at you. Surface playfulness is deceiving as the tracks take on a darker hue in moments, creating a surefooted yet interesting balance. By the first strokes of the acoustic fused opener, “In the Morning,” we enter the warm and spell binding nature that is First Aid Kit’s world. Transitioning to the mesmeric “Hard Believer,” where a real-life argument about religion provoked the rousingly urgent line: “And it’s one life / and it’s this life / and it’s beautiful,” then resting in the jauntiness of “Sailor Song,” which is underpinned by a driving Autoharp and a classic lost-love motif. Yet another album highlight “I Met Up With the King” borrows a line from Gram Parsons to marvelous effect and “Heavy Storm” soothes with its loosely swing. First Aid Kit penned all of the material for the album in addition to lovingly designing the sepia-toned artwork.

First Aid Kit is coming back through the US in October and I would assume that a NYC date will be slotted in around the Philly/DC dates.

Here are the upcoming tour dates:
9/30 - Seattle, WA - Vera Project
10/1 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
10/3 - San Fransisco, CA - Bottom of The Hill
10/4 - Los Angeles, CA - Largo at the Coronet
10/5 - Los Angeles, CA - Echo
10/9 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits
10/11 - Nashville, TN - The End
10/13 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
10/15 - Toronto, ON - El Mocambo
10/16 - Montreal, QC - Le Divan Orange
10/17 - Allston, MA - Great Scott
10/19 - Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's
10/20 - Washington, DC - DC9

Links:
First Aid Kit