The Church Release Free 'Xmas' Song / March '15 Shows at Bowery Ballroom and Rough Trade

Two years ago, I had re-posted a post from Steve Kilbey's Facebook page where he had stated that he was quitting The Church over his frustration with the band's then label Second Motion.

Fast-forward two years and The Church have a new album Further/Deeper coming out in early February of 2015 (out already in Australia/NZ) and the band is starting their 2015 North American tour on the West Coast in late February. On this new album and upcoming tour, Marty Willson-Piper "was/is unavailable" so he has been replaced by Ian Haug from Powderfinger.

"The only place you can pre-order now is The Church merch store. When purchasing the CD or digital album you will receive an download of first taste from the album “Pride Before A Fall” within 48 hours and you will also receive a bonus track of “The Girl Is Buoyant” on 17 October. The vinyl is a double album and comes with a digital download card and contains 3 extra tracks than the CD. The release of Further/Deeper will be followed by live dates where the band will play the new album in full! Steve Kilbey has also been creating a series of paintings as memes for the albums lyrical themes, some of which will be available to purchase from the merch store. To start with there are 4 available depicting each of the band members. They are high quality prints made with museum grade paper and inks. And there are T-Shirts featuring the album cover and the 4 prints."



The Church 2015 North American Tour Dates
2/21/2015 - Vancouver, BC - Rio Theater
2/23/2015 - Seattle, WA - Triple Door
2/24/2015 - Seattle, WA - Triple Door
2/26/2015 - San Francisco, CA - The Chapel/Noise Pop Festival
2/27/2015 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
2/28/2015 - San Diego, CA - The Casbah
3/02/2015 - Aspen,CO - Belly Up Tavern
3/03/2015 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theater
3/05/2015 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
3/06/2015 - Chicago, IL - Double Door
3/07/2015 - Cleveland, OH - The Grog Shop
3/09/2015 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
3/10/2015 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live
3/12/2015 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair

3/13/2015 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom (Advance tickets are $30)
3/14/2015 - Brooklyn, NY - Rough Trade (Advance tickets are $30)

3/15/2015 - Raleigh, NC - Cat’s Cradle
3/17/2015 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West
3/18-21/2015 - Austin, TX - SXSW

Links:
The Church

Cursive Releases Deluxe Edition of 'The Ugly Organ' on Nov. 24th / Shows at Bowery Ballroom in March '15

Cursive has announced additional dates of their Winter 2015 tour that begins on February 10th in Denver, CO and includes a two-night stop at Bowery Ballroom on March 10 and 11th.

The tour will follow the November 24, 2014 release of an expanded, deluxe edition reissue of Cursive's 2003 breakthrough album The Ugly Organ via Saddle Creek, and each night's setlist will feature songs culled from across the band's seven albums - including their most recent, 2012's I Am Gemini - in addition to drawing heavily from The Ugly Organ. A cellist will also accompany the band throughout the tour to perform on all songs from that album's era. A current itinerary is below.

The Ugly Organ (Deluxe Edition) [Remastered] will be available on 2xCD and 2xLP 180-gram vinyl, with eight additional tracks on the accompanying disc. These tracks - written during the same sessions as and originally intended for The Ugly Organ - were previously found across the band's 2002 split with Eastern Youth, 8 Teeth To Eat You, their 'Art Is Hard' and 'The Recluse' singles, and the Saddle Creek 50 compilation. The packaging for both the 2xCD and 2xLP includes a booklet with extensive liner notes comprised of rare photos, original artwork drafts, handwritten lyrics, a list of all tour dates from the era, and an introduction written by Kyle Ryan of The AV Club. A pre-order is now available via the Saddle Creek webstore, while a stream of "Am I Not Yours? [Remastered]," first released on 8 Teeth To Eat You, can now be heard and is shared above.

From the maniacal opening notes and carnival barker howl that launch the album, The Ugly Organ wasted no time searing itself into a listener's ears and quickly established Cursive as a musical force with which to be reckoned. The album arrived three years after the underground success of their 2000 LP Cursive's Domestica, which introduced frontman Tim Kasher's particularly confessional and conceptual songwriting style, and saw him delving even further into and refining that craft. A self-aware examination of artistic constraints (or lack thereof), relationships, sex, and the intersection of all three, The Ugly Organ wowed critics and audiences alike with its cerebral, cathartic blend of songs that are alternately hushed and restrained, riotous and dissonant. Fiercely intelligent and cohesive - the liner notes laid the songs out like a play, complete with stage directions - across its diverse sonic landscape, the album landed Cursive on the Sunday Arts and Leisure section cover of The New York Times (which also called it "a marvelous collection of riddles and left turns, conceived as a single piece of musical theater") and earned accolades from Rolling Stone ("a brilliant leap forward"), Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, Alternative Press (★★★★★), MAGNET ("The best punk record you'll hear all year"), Esquire, and SPIN, among many others, as well as a place on numerous year-end best lists.

The Ugly Organ feels as vibrant and vital today as it did upon release more than 10 years ago. A landmark album, it not only catapulted Cursive from the simmering indie underground to the forefront of a genre, and was the second Saddle Creek album to break the 100,000 sold mark, but also served to inspire a host of young bands in its wake.

Cursive Tour Dates:
FEB. 10 - DENVER, CO BLUEBIRD THEATER
FEB. 12 - SALT LAKE CTY, UT URBAN LOUNGE
FEB. 13 - BOISE, ID NEUROLUX
FEB. 14 - SEATTLE, WA NEUMOS
FEB. 15 - PORTLAND, OR DOUG FIR LOUNGE
FEB. 17 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL
FEB. 20 - LOS ANGELES, CA ECHOPLEX
FEB. 21 - POMONA, CA GLASSHOUSE
FEB. 22 - SAN DIEGO, CA THE CASBAH
FEB. 23 - PHOENIX, AZ CRESCENT BALLROOM
FEB. 24 - ALBUQUERQUE, NM SISTER
FEB. 25 - EL PASO, TX TRICKY FALLS
FEB. 27 - AUSTIN, TX THE MOHAWK
FEB. 28 - DALLAS, TX TREES
MAR. 1 - HOUSTON, TX FITZGERALD'S
MAR. 3 - ORLANDO, FL THE SOCIAL
MAR. 4 - ATLANTA, GA THE EARL
MAR. 5 - CARRBORO, NC CAT'S CRADLE
MAR. 6 - WASHINGTON, DC BLACK CAT
MAR. 7 - PHILADELPHIA, PA UNION TRANSFER
MAR. 8 - ASBURY PARK, NJ ASBURY LANES
MAR. 10 - NEW YORK, NY BOWERY BALLROOM
MAR. 11 - NEW YORK, NY BOWERY BALLROOM
MAR. 13 - AMITYVILLE, NY REVOLUTION BAR AND MUSIC HALL
MAR. 14 - CAMBRIDGE, MA THE SINCLAIR
MAR. 16 - CLEVELAND, OH THE GROG SHOP
MAR. 17 - FERNDALE, MI LOVING TOUCH
MAR. 18 - CHICAGO, IL LINCOLN HALL
MAR. 20 - MINNEAPOLIS, MN TRIPLE ROCK SOCIAL CLUB
MAR. 21 - OMAHA, NE THE WAITING ROOM

Links:
Cursive

Wild Cub (Keegan DeWitt) Plays Bowery Ballroom on August 9th / Natalie Prass and SACCO (Andy & John from Guards' Touring Band) are Opening

DOWNLOAD: Wild Cub - "Black Tide" (hosted on http://blog.kexp.org)



(Photo: Will Morgan Holland)

I love this quote from KEXP (and am envious that I didn't write this): Wild Cub's "brand of darkly-tinged new wave recalls elements of the youthful abandon of John Hughes soundtracks, the baleful allure of Greg Dulli, and the clockwork electronics of New Order’s middle period."

Formed in early 2012 by songwriter-composer Keegan DeWitt and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Bullock, Wild Cub’s debut LP, Youth, was released last August in the US, and showcases the now five-piece band’s dexterity in seamless transitions between infectious electro-pop, tropical rhythms, and quiet washes of cinematic reflection.

Wild Cub is headlining a show at Bowery Ballroom on August 9th and is supported by Natalie Prass and SACCO.   The show starts at 9PM (doors at 8PM) and tickets are $13 in advance and $15 DOS.




Wild Cub is: Keegan DeWitt (vocals/guitar), Jeremy Bullock (guitar/synths), Dabney Morris (drums), Harry West (bass), and Eric Wilson (keys/synths).

Links:
Wild Cub

AlunaGeorge (UK Electronic Music Duo) Sign to Vagrant / First US Tour in Sept. Includes Stops At Music Hall of Williamsburg and Bowery Ballroom

I'm generally not much for dance music but I've been getting into the minimalist trip-hop glitch meets R and B/soul sound of London duo AlunaGeorge.   I like the quote from the BBC which describes the band as "strik[ing] a rare balance between dancefloor legitimacy and pop nous."

The band just signed with Vagrant Records and their debut disc, Body Music, will be released July 30th. The band is also kicking off their first US tour at the end of August at Chicago's North Coast Music Festival and are making their NYC debut with shows at Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg on Sept. 5th and 6th.   At both shows, AlunaGeorge is supported by Chicago's Supreme Cuts. Tickets for each show (Bowery Ballroom, MHOW) are $15 in advance and $18 DOS; each of these shows start at 9PM.



Taking the boom of British bass culture and marrying it to the sweet slickness of classic American R&B, AlunaGeorge – aka Aluna Francis and producer George Reid – are excited to announce the details of their eagerly awaited debut album Body Music, released on July 30th via Vagrant Records.

Body Music – Track List:
1. Outlines
2. You Know You Like It
3. Attracting Flies
4. Your Drums, Your Love
5. Kaleidoscope Love
6. Bad Idea
7. Diver
8. Lost And Found
9. Best Be Believing
10. Superstar
11. Just A Touch
12. Body Music
13. Friends to Lovers
14. This is How We Do It (bonus track)

In the 12 months since their first release went viral, AlunaGeorge’s DIY video for “You Know You Like It” has clocked up over 2 million views, the band were crowned the most blogged artist of 2012, they sold out a European tour, performed at Moschino’s catwalk show during London Fashion Week and made the top 3 for both last year’s prestigious BRITS Critics Award and the BBC Sound of 2013 (#2). On top of all of the above, scored a #2 single in the UK with their Disclosure collaboration “White Noise”.





Links:
AlunaGeorge

The 1975 Announce Two Headlining Shows at Bowery Ballroom in October (Vagrant Records)

(Photo: Dave Ma)

Manchester buzz band The 1975 have announced a 23-date US tour, which includes two headlining shows at Bowery Ballroom on October 9th and 10th.  The band made their NYC debut this past March with a show at Mercury Lounge and this upcoming headlining tour is in support of the band's full-length debut, which is due out on Vagrant Records in September.

Tickets for the Bowery Ballroom shows go on-sale this Friday, July 12th, at 12PM and the cost is $16 in advance and $18 DOS.




The 1975 Fall 2013 US Tour
Oct 5th - Short Mountain Distillery – Woodbury, TN
Oct 8th – The Sinclair – Cambridge, MA
Oct 9th – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
Oct 10th – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
Oct 11th – Black Cat – Washington, DC
Oct 12th – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA
Oct 13th – The Mod Club - Toronto, Canada
Oct 15th – A&R Music Bar – Columbus, OH
Oct 18th – Firebird – St. Louis, MO
Oct 19th – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
Oct 20th – The Rave Bar – Milwaukee, WI
Oct 21st – Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN
Oct 23rd – Marquis Theatre – Denver, CO
Oct 24th – Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT
Oct 26th – Neumos – Seattle, WA
Oct 27th – Venue – Vancouver, Canada
Oct 28th – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR
Oct 30th – The Independent – San Francisco, CA
Oct 31st – The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA
Nov 1st – The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA 
Nov 2nd – Vinyl @ Hard Rock Casino – Las Vegas, NV
Nov 3rd – Belly Up Tavern – Solana Beach, CA
Nov 4th – Club Congress – Tucson, AZ

The 1975 Press Bio:
Critics have been bemused and thrilled by the Manchester four-piece and their amorphous drifts between brooding art rock, crisp electronica, dance-floor R and B, and 80s gloss pop. “I don’t think it’s confusing,” says singer Matty Healy of his band. “Feeling a lack of identity and the searching within oneself to acquire a real understanding of what you want to be, that’s something that loads of people can connect with. It’s so strange that with music people want so many rules.”

Matty has known what The 1975 is for some years now, just waiting for the right moment to unveil their stories of lust, intoxication and the unabashed grittiness of modern youth.  “This record is a proper soundtrack to our formative years,” he says of their debut album, co-produced with Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys, Foals, The Kooks). “It’s everything that I know and every single song on the album, at some point, has been the most important thing in my life. I’ve spent my adult life working towards this album. It’s literally everything I am.”

Matty’s adult life’ started young. He picked up the guitar when his dad’s best friend died, leaving him two guitars. His confrontational attitude was in place early too - the private school kick-out (“I didn’t really care for being there, I got in a couple of fights. I got asked to leave, I never actually got expelled...”) transitioning to public school at the age of fourteen he started drumming in a punk band with eventual band mates Adam Hann (guitar) and Ross MacDonald (bass).

One day, “This weird kid turned up at school, he was really tall but he looked about nine and was this odd character”. This was George Daniel, drummer and soon to be Matt’s co-songwriter and “My kind of boyfriend. Well, not really, but he might as well be, we don’t really leave each others’ sides.” The pair bonded over their dislocated childhoods – Matt moved between London and Newcastle while George was born in Belgium and grew up in Seattle – and the sense of isolation they felt in their new homes in the Manchester suburbs.

Adam had heard of a “hippy council worker” who rented out local space for kids to play shows, and the band formed in order to get involved. “Everyone would go and get drunk and it was a proper scene at a time when there wasn’t really much going on.”  They developed an artful sophistication and electronic adventurism to their punk rumbles, it was an intriguing track called ‘Robbers’ that earned them a manager in 2009.  Based around a violent, cinematic tale of lust on the lam. “I got really obsessed with the idea behind Patricia Arquette’s character in True Romance when I was about eighteen,” Matty recalls “That craving for the bad boy in that film it’s so sexualized, and the gore with the sexual lust really merges together. It was something I was obsessed with.”  For two years, they relentlessly toured the country and interest began trickling in. But the band, operating under a variety of names, waited. They’d seen contemporaries get snapped up, restyled and spat out by the music industry and wanted everything to be in place– the sound, the songs, and the aesthetic – before they announced their arrival.

“We said ‘we’re not desperate to be famous, we’re not desperate to be in a massive band, let’s do it our way, on our terms, and make sure that our projection of ourselves is controlled by us’.” Throughout 2011, as their cache of self-produced demos grew to album size they decided to sign to Dirty Hit in the UK and spent 2011 touring and getting the songs just right live.  Though 1975 was the year The Sex Pistols formed and Talking Heads played their first gigs, the moniker has nothing to do with the date itself. Matty found it in the back of a beat-era book given  to him by a “gregarious artist” he met at a yard sale in northern Majorca at the age of 19. “He showed me round his house, it was like a sixties bizarre haberdashery. He had photos of him with Hendrix, I thought this guy was fucking crazy!  He gave me loads of beat generation literature, Kerouac and stuff. When I went home I read them and in the back of one of them there was all these mental scribblings, it was almost suicidal, and it was dated at the bottom ‘1st June, The 1975’. I was quite freaked out when I read it, the use of the word ‘The’ really stuck with me. It was the perfect band name.”

The newly monikered group headed to the studio in December of 2011 resulting in the‘Facedown EP’ - the first in a trilogy of EPs to be produced by the band, released in August of 2012. ‘ Sex’ shortly followed in November of 2013. The final EP installment is ‘Music For Cars', which was co-produced by Mike Crossey with the band. The band and Crossey quickly reunited to work on the band’s debut  album, which will be released in September of 2013.

Links:
The 1975

Mission of Burma Plays Bowery Ballroom on Friday, January 18th

DOWNLOAD: Mission of Burma - "Second Television"

(Photo: John Foster)

Mission of Burma are coming back through town next Friday night, Jan. 18th for a show at Bowery Ballroom. The band is touring behind their gloriously noisy and rumbling disc Unsound, which came out last summer on Fire Records, and the band is bringing along a full horn section for this show.

Opening for Burma is Exclamation Pony (featuring Ryan Jarman from The Cribs and Jen Turner from Here We Go Magic) and the show starts at 9PM. Tickets are $20 in advance and $22 DOS.



Unsound is Mission of Burma’s fifth studio album, continuing their remarkable legacy. It seems redundant now to even call it a comeback because they’re a dynamic, current band, but having disbanded just four years after they formed in 1979, when they reformed eighteen years later and went on to record ONoffON in 2004, no one expected them to keep putting out records; let alone records that were every bit as vital and influential as their seminal early recordings. Their first album, Vs, is down in the annals of music as being one of the most important post-punk records of all time. Their subsequent recordings continue to expand on that and grow in scope, depth and accomplishment with every step.

As part of the manifesto to stretch musical boundaries, Roger wrote two of his songs “Opener” and “ADD in Unison” on the bass rather than guitar, and another ("Dust Devil") was based on an acoustic guitar improvisation. Both Clint and Peter also tweaked their writing just enough to make them feel it was actually worthwhile making another record. They also decided to use trumpet on the record, so Bob pulled out his trumpet playing skills to oblige.

Peter Prescott describes the experience: “We are a four headed hydra trying to create unity without canceling or censoring each head. So we juggle melody, groove, noise, depression, disruption, ecstasy… tension, release. I guess it’s thrilling for us to walk that musical plank.”

Clint Conley describes being in the studio: “There were certain technological advances as well, that might have been unthinkable just a few short years ago, in a distant time and century. During the mix at Woolly Mammoth, Peter occasionally opted for a virtual presence. From time to time a hologram of his head would appear, hovering in a darkened corner, issuing directives and encouragement. Not to say there weren't occasional glitches in the system. For a few days the hologram seemed locked in a mystifying loop, calling for more cymbals, regardless of whether the band were working on a mix or ordering Vietnamese food.”

Links:
Mission of Burma

Two Gallants - "The Bloom and The Blight" CD Review (ATO Records)

After an extended period of inactivity, San Francisco duo Two Gallants is back with their first album in five years – The Bloom and the Blight – which also serves as the band’s debut for ATO Records. Wikipedia refers to the band as a “folk rock duo” but there is an explosive record whose lineage is equal parts 90’s grunge (Meat Puppets and/or Dinosaur Jr. are immediate points of comparison) and gritty alt-country with only a slight element of Dylanish folk thrown into the mix. The aptly titled The Bloom and the Blight is a meditation on past and present – melodic fury matched with the eloquent, confessional lyricism that has made Two Gallants an enduring favorite of both fans and critics.

“Our past albums have been a lot more folk and blues-based, and I tried to move away from that to some extent,” guitarist/vocalist Adam Stephens says of the band’s fresh direction, “I wanted to find a rawness in the music and take us back where we’d come from, from punk rock and grunge in particular, to our childhood, in some ways. We had taken time off, and we did different things, played in different bands. And in doing those things, being apart and redefining ourselves in that way, we were able to come together with a fresh approach.”

A number of tracks on the disc follow a verse-chorus-verse structure with exploding choruses. The opening track, “Halycon Days”, kicks off the album on a strong note with a frenetic alt-rock number which builds up a fuzz-drenched wall of guitar noise on top of a sludgy bottom-end. This is followed by “Songs of Songs” which is an alt-country number with exploding choruses. There are a couple of other alt-country numbers on the disc – which includes “Willie”, an alt-country boot stomper – but the disc is weighted toward the fuzzed-out grunge of tracks like “Ride Away” and “Cradle Pyre”. The band keeps things fresh by switching gears with a whisky-blues/folk number on “Broken Eyes” (this disc’s first single), hazy psychedelic space rock on “Decay” and winds up the disc with the gritty acoustic number (which sounds somewhat like Beggars Banquet era Stones), “Sunday Souvenirs”.

The Bloom and the Blight will be released September 4th and the band is also heading out on an extensive tour in September, which includes shows at Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg later in the month. Pre-orders for the new LP come with a bonus 7 inch record that includes a cover of Abner Jay's "I'm so Depressed" on the A side and on the B side an etched in design drawn by Tyson.

Two Gallants’ September 2012 Tour Dates
1: Los Angeles, California / FYF Fest
2: San Diego, California / The Casbah
4: Tucson, Arizona / Club Congress
5: Phoenix, Arizona / Crescent Ballroom
7: Dallas, Texas / House of Blues
8: Austin, Texas / 29th Street Ballroom
9: Houston, Texas / Fitzgerald's
10: New Orleans, Louisiana / One Eyed Jacks
11: Birmingham, Alabama / The Bottletree Café
12: Atlanta, Georgia / Terminal West
13: Asheville, North Carolina / Grey Eagle
14: Nashville, Tennessee / The High Watt @ Americana Music Festival
15: St. Louis, Missouri / Plush
17: Cincinnati, Ohio / MOTR Pub
18: Bloomington, Indiana / The Bishop
19: Cleveland, Ohio / Beachland Tavern
20: Buffalo, New York / The Ninth Ward


24: New York, New York / Bowery Ballroom
PAPA is opening the show and advanced tickets are $20

25: Brooklyn, New York / Music Hall of Williamsburg
PAPA is opening the show and advanced tickets are $20

Links:
Two Gallants

Cursive Plays Headlining Shows at Bowery Ballroom on Apr. 3 & 4

STREAM: Cursive Live on Minneapolis Radio 3/23/12


On Cursive's seventh disc, I Am Gemini (Saddle Creek), the band tells the story of Cassius and Pollock, twin brothers who had been separated at birth. “One good and one evil, their unexpected reunion in a house that is not a home ignites a classic struggle for the soul, played out with a cast of supporting characters that includes a chorus of angels and devils, and twin sisters conjoined at the head.”

Cursive kicked off their US tour in February and the band is playing two nights at Bowery Ballroom on April 3rd and 4th with support from Cymbals Eat Guitars and Conduits. Tickets for each of the nights are $16 and doors are at 7:30PM.



Later this month, Cursive will reissue their classic 2001 EP "Burst and Bloom" as a limited edition 12-inch in celebration of Record Store Day 2012 on April 21st via Saddle Creek. Available in this format for the first time in years, the EP will be pressed on RSD-exclusive yellow, white, and black marbled vinyl, with only 1,500 copies issued. A list of participating stores can be found here.

Burst and Bloom track listing:
Sink To The Beat
The Great Decay
Tall Tales, Telltales
Mothership, Mothership, Do You Read Me?
Fairytales Tell Tales

Links:
Cursive

Cursive Release "The Sun and Moon" As Free Download // Shows at Bowery Ballroom on Apr. 3 & 4

Cursive's seventh disc, I Am Gemini, will be released February 21st, 2012 via Saddle Creek and the band just posted the first MP3, "The Sun and Moon", from this disc as a free download.

I Am Gemini is currently available for pre-order in Saddle Creek's online store and via iTunes. The album can be purchased in multiple formats (CD, LP, digital) and bundles through Saddle Creek, including a deluxe package that contains: exclusive colored vinyl; CD; a limited edition (only 500 copies printed) 10" picture disc featuring "The Sun and Moon" and "The Cat and Mouse" plus two B-sides; t-shirt; and poster, among other goods. MP3s of "The Sun and Moon" and "The Cat and Mouse" can be downloaded instantly after placing a pre-order, and all pre-orders will ship two weeks ahead of release on February 7th (at which point the album will also be available to purchasers as a full MP3 download).

Known for their explosive, cathartic live show, Cursive has announced an additional four weeks of shows this spring, from March 22nd to April 21st. This new run of dates includes two shows in New York City on April 3rd and 4th at the Bowery Ballroom. Tickets for these shows go on-sale on Fri., Jan. 06 at 12PM and are $16.

The band had previously announced shows throughout the west coast, southwest, and midwest, and is also now confirmed to perform at the 20th anniversary Noise Pop festival in San Francisco, CA on February 22nd. Cursive also recently added two early March shows, at Abode in Wichita, KS on the 1st and Record Bar in Kansas City, MO on the 2nd. A current itinerary is below.

I Am Gemini is the surreal and powerful musical tale of Cassius and Pollock, twin brothers separated at birth. One good and one evil, their unexpected reunion in a house that is not a home ignites a classic struggle for the soul, played out with a cast of supporting characters that includes a chorus of angels and devils, and twin sisters conjoined at the head. Recorded at Omaha, NE's ARC Studios and mixed at Red Room in Seattle, WA with producer Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Minus The Bear, Isis), the album marks the first time front man Tim Kasher, with the completed story already in mind, wrote album lyrics in a linear fashion from song 1 to song 13. The result is thirteen singularly cohesive song chapters that blend effortlessly into one unique narrative to create a dynamic, mind-bending, and imaginative ride.

Cursive is the longtime trio of Kasher (vocals, guitar), Matt Maginn (bass), and Ted Stevens (guitar, vocals), with Patrick Newbery (keys) and Cully Symington (drums).

Cursive Tour Dates:
FEB. 12 -- DENVER, CO -- LARIMER LOUNGE*
FEB. 14 -- SALT LAKE CITY, UT -- URBAN LOUNGE^
FEB. 15 -- BOISE, ID -- NEUROLUX^
FEB. 17 -- SEATTLE, WA -- NEUMO'S**
FEB. 18 -- VANCOUVER, BC -- MEDIA CLUB**
FEB. 19 -- PORTLAND, OR -- BUNK BAR**
FEB. 22 -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL**
FEB. 24 -- LOS ANGELES, CA -- TROUBADOUR**
FEB. 25 -- POMONA, CA -- GLASSHOUSE**
FEB. 26 -- SAN DIEGO, CA -- CASBAH**
FEB. 27 -- TEMPE, AZ -- CRESCENT BALLROOM**
FEB. 28 -- ALBUQUERQUE, NM -- LAUNCHPAD**
MAR. 1 -- WICHITA, KS -- ABODE**
MAR. 2 -- KANSAS CITY, MO -- RECORD BAR**
MAR. 3 -- OMAHA, NE -- SLOWDOWN**
MAR. 22 -- IOWA CITY, IA -- THE MILL#
MAR. 23 -- MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- 400 BAR#
MAR. 24 -- MADISON, WI -- HIGH NOON SALOON#
MAR. 25 -- CHICAGO, IL -- LINCOLN HALL#
MAR. 26 -- CHAMPAIGN, IL -- HIGH DIVE#
MAR. 27 -- ANN ARBOR, MI -- THE BLIND PIG#
MAR. 28 -- PITTSBURGH, PA -- MR. SMALL'S#
MAR. 29 -- CLEVELAND, OH -- GROG SHOP#
MAR. 30 -- BUFFALO, NY -- MOHAWK#
MAR. 31 -- TORONTO, ONT -- HORSESHOE TAVERN#
APR. 2 -- BOSTON, MA -- MIDDLE EAST#
APR. 3 -- NEW YORK, NY -- BOWERY BALLROOM#
APR. 4 -- NEW YORK, NY -- BOWERY BALLROOM#
APR. 5 -- PHILADELPHIA, PA -- UNION TRANSFER#
APR. 6 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- BLACK CAT#
APR. 7 -- RALEIGH, NC -- KING'S BARCADE#
APR. 8 -- ATLANTA, GA -- THE EARL#
APR. 9 -- ST. AUGUSTINE, FL -- CAFÉ ELEVEN#
APR. 10 -- ORLANDO, FL -- THE SOCIAL#
APR. 11 -- TALLAHASSEE, FL -- CLUB DOWN UNDER#
APR. 13 -- HOUSTON, TX -- FITZGERALD'S#
APR. 14 -- AUSTIN, TX -- MOHAWK#
APR. 15 -- DALLAS, TX -- TREES#
APR. 17 -- MEMPHIS, TN -- HI TONE#
APR. 18 -- LEXINGTON, KY -- COSMIC CHARLIE'S#
APR. 20 -- ST. LOUIS, MO -- OFF BROADWAY#
APR. 21 -- COLUMBIA, MO -- MOJOS#
* Ume support
^ Ume and M. Moriah support
** Ume and Virgin Islands support
# Cymbals Eat Guitars and Conduits support

Links:
Cursive

Wyldlife - "Wyldlife" CD Review / Show at Bowery Ballroom on Sept. 19th

If Wyldlife had come up ten years earlier, they would easily have been picked up by a major label alongside The Strokes and The Star Spangles.

Forming out of Purchase College, Wyldlife quickly strided into the New York music scene with a pair of leather boots on their feet and a mission in their hearts: to bury the days of tame rock and roll. Still digging on their collection of 70's punk and power pop, perhaps the boys were born into the entirely wrong decade altogether? Or perhaps they realize that to get an audience on its feet, all that's need is a fast beat and a loud melody- a timeless simplicity enhanced with refined grit that has (nearly) been lost in today's clutter of rock boredom.

Wyldlife plays glammed-up, old-school punk and the closest reference points are Hanoi Rocks and D Generation as the band mixes sing-along, anthemic punk along with greasy Rn'B Stones' licks. The band released their 10-track (31 min.) self-titled debut last month and it is a welcome return to the sound of the bands that used to play the Continental and CBGB in the late 90's. While the rhythm section holds down a steady beat and keeps the band grounded, the focal point of Wyldlife is on Samm Allen's guitar licks and Dave Feldman's sneering, nasal vocals. Lyrically, the band touches on break-ups, bl*wjobs and serial killers along with 70's junk culture and the band has included covers of "California Sun" and the Bay City Rollers' "Saturday Night" in their live sets.





Wyldlife is playing the Bowery Ballroom on Monday, Sept. 19th with The Pain of Being Pure at Heart and Twin Sister. Tickets are $20 and doors are at 7PM.

Links:
Wyldlife

A.A. Bondy Premiers "The Heart Is Willing" from Forthcoming Disc "Believers" // Headlining Show at Bowery Ballroom on Nov. 22nd

AA Bondy - The Heart Is Willing by fatpossum

(photo: Ted Newsome)
A.A. Bondy premiered the first song, "The Heart Is Willing," off his upcoming third album Believers earlier this week on NPR Music's All Songs Considered blog. Believers will be released September 13th, 2011 via Fat Possum and a pre-order is now live on the label's website (click on the photo above to go to the pre-order site).

Bondy has also announced an extensive month-long US headlining tour in November, launching on the 1st at the Urban Lounge in Salt Lake City, UT, and wrapping up at the Bowery Ballroom in New York, NY, on the 22nd. He's already confirmed to play a handful of West Coast shows in late September and early October. A full itinerary is below and more dates will be announced soon.

Believers offers ten new songs by Bondy, "conjured during and between dreams, in bare rooms, and on the late night streets of America." The album was recorded in spring 2011 by Rob Schnapf at Mant/Kingsize Studios in Glassell Park, California, with help from musicians including Ben Lester (drums, piano, pedal steel) and Macey Taylor (bass). Believers is the follow-up to Bondy's 2009 album When The Devil's Loose, which was praised by American Songwriter, Filter, NPR, Nylon, Relix, SPIN, Time Out New York, and V Magazine, among many others. American Hearts, his debut, was released in 2008.

A.A. Bondy Tour Dates:
SEPT. 28 -- SAN DIEGO, CA -- THE CASBAH
SEPT. 30 -- LOS ANGELES, CA -- EAGLE ROCK CENTER FOR THE ARTS
OCT. 4 -- PORTLAND, OR -- MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS
OCT. 6 -- SEATTLE, WA -- TRACTOR TAVERN
OCT. 7 -- VANCOUVER, BC -- MEDIA CLUB
NOV. 1 -- SALT LAKE CITY, UT -- URBAN LOUNGE
NOV. 2 -- DENVER, CO -- HI DIVE
NOV. 4 -- OMAHA, NE -- THE WAITING ROOM
NOV. 5 -- MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- 7TH STREET ENTRY
NOV. 7 -- MADISON, WI -- HIGH NOON
NOV. 8 -- CHICAGO, IL -- LINCOLN HALL
NOV. 10 -- NASHVILLE, TN -- MERCY LOUNGE
NOV. 11 -- LITTLE ROCK, AR -- STICKYZ CHICKEN SHACK
NOV. 12 -- DALLAS, TX -- PROPHET BAR
NOV. 13 -- AUSTIN, TX -- THE PARISH
NOV. 15 -- OXFORD, MS -- PROUD LARRY'S
NOV. 16 -- ATLANTA, GA -- THE EARL
NOV. 17 -- KNOXVILLE, TN -- PILOT LIGHT
NOV. 18 -- CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA -- THE SOUTHERN
NOV. 19 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- ROCK 'N ROLL HOTEL
NOV. 21 -- PHILADELPHIA, PA -- FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH
NOV. 22 -- NEW YORK, NY -- BOWERY BALLROOM

There is no opening act (currently) listed for A.A. Bondy's show at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets are $15 the Bowery Ballroom's site lists doors at 8PM and the show at 9PM.

Links:
A.A. Bondy

Active Child Release Second Track from Debut CD as Free Download / Show at Bowery Ballroom on Sept. 10th

DOWNLOAD: Active Child - "Hanging On" (from You Are All I See)
Active Child - Playing House (Ft. How To Dress Well) by VagrantRecords

Active Child, the musical project from choirboy-turned-indie-pop musician Pat Grossi, have announced their first North American headlining tour. Having opened for the likes of School of Seven Bells, White Rabbits, and James Blake, fans will be treated on this tour to the first performances of Active Child as a full band.

Active Child will be touring in support of their debut album You Are All I See which will be released on August 23 via Vagrant Records. The album comes as a follow-up to last year’s critically-acclaimed "Curtis Lane" EP which NPR praised as “a young singer and musician already living up to his own promise”. You Are All I See was produced by Ariel Rechtshaid (Cass McCombs, Glasser, We Are Scientists, Major Lazer) and features 10 brand new tracks, including “Playing House” – a collaboration with lo-fi r&b singer How To Dress Well – which Pitchfork praised in their premeire saying, “Active Child’s sound now seems positively ahead of its time.”

The local tour stop is at Bowery Ballroom on Sept. 10th and Active Child are playing with Com Truise. Tickets are $15 and doors are at 8PM.

Links:
Active Child

Buffalo Tom Release Free Acoustic EP // Show at Bowery Ballroom on April 28th

DOWNLOAD: Buffalo Tom - "Bones" EP
(note: click-through and enter email address to download)

DOWNLOAD: Buffalo Tom - "Arise, Watch" (from Skins)

After taking a hiatus for the majority of the last decade, Buffalo Tom will be releasing their eighth disc, Skins, on March 8th.

The band surprised fans this week with Bones, a free acoustic EP released exclusively via their website. The short-player features four songs, including two Buffalo Tom favorites and a rendition of "Arise, Watch," the lead track from the band's forthcoming disc, Skins. The digital-only release also includes a rousing cover of New Order's "Age Of Consent."

Bones EP Tracklist:
01 Arise, Watch
02 C.C. & Callas
03 Treehouse
04 Age Of Consent (New Order Cover)

In addition to offering a free download, the band's website also features in-studio video performances from the Bones recording sessions at Q Division in Boston, and a live rendition of "Age Of Consent" from a recent performance at The Paradise. All video was shot by Michael Gill, and offers a unique and intimate glimpse at a seminal act in their element.

In other news, the band has recently announced a run of European and US tour dates. March finds the band touring across Europe before an April return to the States. The tour stops at Bowery Ballroom on April 28th and tickets are $20. Doors are at 8PM and the show starts at 9PM.

Buffalo Tom Tour Dates:
03-05 Groningen, NL - Vera
03-06 Brussels, BE - AB
03-07 Amsterdam, NL - Melkweg
03-08 Cologne, DE - Luxor
03-10 London, UK - Dingwalls
03-11 Manchester, UK - Sound Control
03-12 Glasgow, UK - Oran Mor
04-08 Boston, MA - Paradise
04-28 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
04-29 Philadelphia, PA - M Room
04-30 Washington, DC - The Black Cat

Links:
Buffalo Tom

Jarrod Gorbel and Hurricane Bells Play Bowery Ballroom on Jan. 28th

I'll Do Better- Jarrod Gorbel by Little Operation

Ten Years Older- Jarrod Gorbel by Little Operation

Jarrod Gorbel, formerly of The Honorary Title, kicked off a national tour last week and he is playing a headlining show at Bowery Ballroom on Jan. 28th. Gorbel released his debut solo album, Devil's Made A New Friend, on August 31st, 2010, and recently completed fall tours with Fun and Steel Train and Hanson. Prior to starting the current tour, Gorbel posted an email addres where fans could request any five songs from The Honorary Title catalog that they'd like to hear Gorbel perform at their city's tour stop. The five songs that received the most votes in each city are then added to that night's setlist.

Opening the show is Hurricane Bells who released a new EP, "Down Comes The Rain", late last year. The five song EP includes two new songs, the gently ringing guitars and brushed drums of "The Waiting Song" and the cascading "The Deep End", along with three cover songs: the jangly power-pop of "Make A Deal With The City" by East River Pipe; the reverb-heavy, undulating "Into The Ocean" by Blue October (with whom Hurricane Bells toured in April); and the sweet acoustic yearnings of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow." The latter, made popular by The Shirelles, is here sung with Ashen Keilyn in a duet that has become a staple at Hurricane Bells' live shows.

Tickets are $15 and doors are at 8PM. Opening the show is Brooklyn duo Kaiser Cartel.



Links:
Jarrod Gorbel

Tennis Releases First Video in Advance of Debut CD "Cape Dory" // Shows in Brooklyn and NYC in March

Denver lo-fi duo Tennis are releasing their debut CD Cape Dory next Tuesday on Fat Possum. SPIN has already called the disc “(almost) too good to be true”, giving it an 8 out of 10 review in their current issue. The release includes all songs from this summer’s 7” EP, "South Carolina", which is lauded by The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly and more.

The pair, consisting of guitarist Patrick Riley and vocalist Alaina Moore, met while studying philosophy in college. Motivated by stories shared by sailors including Joshua Slocum, and Lin and Larry Pardey, the two sold their collective possessions, bought an old sailboat and embarked on 7-month journey along the Eastern seaboard. Upon their return, and in search of an outlet to catalog their experience, the couple began writing music together.

The resulting lo-fi sound is inspired by the minimalist lifestyle they experienced on their adventure. Riley explains, “Simplicity and self-sufficiency were our highest priorities. When we were on the boat—no cell phones, no internet, no electricity most of time, having to do everything yourself—made its way into our album by not having a producer, recording it ourselves, mixing it ourselves, very little production, etc.”

Riley continues “Anytime we could make a song simpler, we did. There is very little tracking or overdubbing on the album. We didn’t want to use production tricks to make things sound ‘better.’ No vocal doubling, no harmonizers, no auto-tune.”

The band just made available a video for the song "Pigeon" (directed by Jeremy D'Souza and Scott Laidlaw) and are touring the East Coast in late February/early March.



Tennis' Tour Dates
January 27 -- Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
January 28 -- The Neurolux, Boise, ID
January 29 -- Mississippi Studios, Portland, OR
January 31 -- Media Club, Vancouver, BC
February 01 -- The Crocodile, Seattle, WA
February 03 -- Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA
February 04 -- Echo, Los Angeles, CA
February 05 -- The Tin Can Ale House, San Diego, CA
February 07 -- Hotel Congress, Tucson, AZ
February 08 -- Rhythm Room, Phoenix, AZ
February 10 -- Hi Dive, Denver, CO
February 17 -- Jackpot, Lawrence, KS
February 18 -- Slowdown, Omaha, NE
February 19 -- 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN
February 21 -- High Noon Saloon, Madison, WI
February 22 -- Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL
February 25 -- Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON
February 26 -- Il Motore, Montreal, QC
February 27 -- Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
February 28 -- Great Scott, Boston, MA
March 02 -- Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
March 03 -- The Bell House, Brooklyn, NY
March 04 -- Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA
March 05 -- Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington, DC
March 07 -- Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC
March 08 -- Grey Eagle, Asheville, NC
March 10 -- The Basement, Nashville, TN
March 11 -- The Earl, Atlanta, GA
March 12 -- The Social, Orlando, FL
March 13 -- The Orpheum, Tampa, FL
March 15 -- The Parish @ HOB, New Orleans, LA

Here is a live video from the band's performance last year at Glasslands.



Links:
Tennis

Black Taxi Release New Video for "Shoeshine" // Show at Bowery Ballroom on Jan. 29th

When listening to Brooklyn new-wave/psych-rock band Black Taxi, one can hear a diverse range of influences in the band’s dance-punk sound that range from Daft Punk to The Clash. The band’s sound is meant to be heard in a live setting and their explosive live sets have led to sold-out shows at Bowery Ballroom, Brooklyn Bowl and Bowery Electric.

Black Taxi just released a video for the song "Shoeshine" (which is the lead-off track from 2009’s Thing of that Nature).



Black Taxi welcomes 2011 with a local show on January 29th at the Bowery Ballroom. Sharing the bill is Deadbeat Darling, Frontier Brothers and Miniboone. Advanced tickets are $13 and $15 (DOS). Doors are at 7:30PM and the show starts at 8:30PM.

Links:
Black Taxi

Cavalier Rose Plays Bowery Ballroom on Nov. 20th w/ Earl Greyhound

DOWNLOAD: Cavalier Rose - "Daytrotter Session" 1/16/10 (requires free registration)

Here is how Daytrotter described Cavalier Rose's music: "Cavalier Rose make sounds that you must take loudly, ingest them as you would the roar of a thunderstorm pelting a roof and windows with a storm that is trying desperately to get into your house, to reach you and knock you out." Cavalier Rose play a mix of sparse blues and atmospheric rock -- imagining a heavier version of the Cowboy Junkies should provide a good initial frame of reference for the band's sound.

Cavalier Rose is playing Bowery Ballroom next Saturday, Nov. 20th with Earl Greyhound and Knights on Earth. Tickets are $15 and the show starts at 9PM.



Links:
Cavalier Rose

Pete Yorn Releases Fifth Solo Disc on Sept. 28th (Vagrant) // Show at Bowery Ballroom on Oct. 5th

DOWNLOAD: Pete Yorn - "Velcro Shoes"
DOWNLOAD: Pete Yorn - "Precious Stone"

(Photo by Jim Wright)

Pete Yorn has his fifth solo studio effort and Vagrant Records debut coming out on September 28th. The forthcoming album departs from the baroque orchestrations of his critically acclaimed previous work to expose a beating rock ‘n’ roll heart. Much of the eponymous album’s remarkable raw power comes courtesy of producer Frank Black, who in 2008 invited Yorn up to a Salem, Oregon studio for some spontaneous sessions. The result is exuberant and edgy, with songs like “The Chase” and the album-opening “Precious Stone” ringing out loud and strong with chiming guitars, soaring harmonies, and Yorn’s soul-wrenchingly wrecked vocals.

“Frank Black is one of my heroes,” Yorn says, “I grew up a big fan of his work, so I was like, ‘Well, I’ve gotta do that.’ I just felt there was no way I could not take advantage of the opportunity.”

When asked about producing the album, here's what Black Francis had to say: "we headed down a path of realization I stripped Pete down a whole bunch. We battled in the best sort of way. I tried to get the session into a fearless and raw place, and to his artistic credit Pete took his songwriting to a fearless and raw place. This listener will find his or herself sitting right next to Pete on the couch. And the record totally rocks out."

The show at Bowery Ballroom is sold out but there are plenty of tickets on eBay so you can probably pick up tickets for close to face value closer to the day of show.

Links:
Pete Yorn

The Canon Logic: "The System" & "Avenue of Criminals", Live @ Piano's, NYC 5-11-10

The Canon Logic played a free show at Piano's last Tuesday as part of the weekly Cross Pollination showcase. Here are the last two songs from the set - "The System" and "Avenue of Criminals".



The Canon Logic released their debut full-length, FM Arcade, this past March and are now starting to play headline shows at bigger venues. The band's next show is at Bowery Ballroom on June 19th. The Canon Logic are playing with The Upwelling and tickets are $13.00.

Links:
The Canon Logic

Adam Green's "Teen Tech" Art Show Opens April 23rd / Headlining Shows at Bowery Ballroom on April 23 - 24

Former Moldy Peaches singer/songwriter, Adam Green’s debut art show, Teen Tech, will open at the Morrison Hotel Gallery (313 Bowery / former location of CBGB Gallery) on Friday, April 24th. Teen Tech showcases another side of Green, who has had a prolific (six albums in eight years) career as a solo musician and for his work as half of the band Moldy Peaches. Last year, he composed the soundtrack for a German theatrical adaptation of Paul Auster’s novel Timbuktu, which he titled Musik For A Play. Fat Possum Records released Green’s most recent solo album, Minor Love, in February.

The exhibition will consist of original works by Green: 12 sculptures of plaster, papier-mâché, or papier-mâché and mixed materials; 18 large-scale (30” x 40”) acrylic or watercolor paintings; 19 drawings; and 20 collages (created together with model Cory Kennedy). The art will be for sale and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the charitable organization Artists for Peace and Justice, which directs 100% of all funds raised towards rebuilding and maintaining long-term sustainability in Haiti.

Green says of the exhibition, “Teen Tech is an art show I've prepared over the last year and a half. Perhaps because I'm an entertainer in showbiz, I found myself trying to make this art show more entertaining than average. It focuses on cartoon subjects. I don't often read comics but I've always liked to draw cartoons. I contend that all artists work in caricature. The pieces in Teen Tech are caricatures of cartoons, which I feel distill the subjects down to their bare essence.”

Teen Tech coincides with Green’s two-night headlining stand at the Bowery Ballroom. These two shows, April 23rd and 24th, will be the final of his current U.S. tour in support of Minor Love. Green is playing with Nickel Eye and The Dead Trees on Friday night and Savoir Adore and The Dead Trees on Saturday night. Tickets for each night's show is $15 and doors are at 8PM.

Links:
Adam Green