We Are Wolves Announce April Tour Dates / Invisible Violence CD Review

DOWNLOAD: We Are Wolves - "Blue" (from Invisible Violence)
DOWNLOAD: We Are Wolves - "Holding Hands" (from Invisible Violence)

Montreal dance-rock band We Are Wolves are extending their current tour and have just announced a cross-country run of April tour dates. The band is touring behind their third CD Invisible Violence which came out in February on Dare To Care Records.

Invisible Violence is twelve cuts of predominately raw dance-rock which has a ferocious groove. The band combines angular, chugging guitar riffs with psychedelic keyboards to create a sound that would be right at home alongside the Klaxons' "new rave" sound. Some of the standout 'rock' tunes are the disc opener "Paloma" and the punky "Me As Enemy" (which is streaming on the band's MySpace page). Across this disc, the band doesn't stray much from their core dance-rock sound but there are some exceptions which gives the listener a chance to catch their breath.

The band doesn't really slow down until close to the end of the disc. The fourth track, "Dreams", starts off slowly but this is just a tease as the guitar hooks and exploding choruses kick in mid-song. It isn't until the tenth track, "La Rue Oblique", when things truly start to slow. This song relies on a 60's sounding psychedelic keyboard riff to carry the song while singer Alex Ortiz sings blissed-out vocals all in French. "Bounty Waterfalls" is an instrumental track that closes out the disc and it sounds like something that could have come out of the early Pink Floyd songbook. While somewhat schizophrenic at times, Invisible Violence is an intense and engaging listen.

We Are Wolves - "Paloma", Live at Arlene's Grocery, CMJ, 2009




We are Wolves Upcoming Tour Dates:
MAR. 13 -- SAINT-DONAT-DE-RIMOUSKI, QC, MONT-COMI
MAR. 18 -- AUSTIN, TX, PARADISE, (M for Montreal showcase; 1AM set time)
MAR. 19 -- AUSTIN, TX, GUEROS (set time TBA)
MAR. 21 -- AUSTIN, TX, ENCORE (Obscure Magpie Party, set time TBA)
APR. 01 -- QUEBEC, QC, IMPERIAL*
APR. 06 -- KINGSTON, ON, THE ALE HOUSE*
APR. 07 -- TORONTO, ON, PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE*
APR. 08 -- LOS ANGELES, CA, THE ECHO
APR. 09 -- VISALIA, CA, THE CELLAR DOOR
APR. 10 -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA, BOTTOM OF THE HILL
APR. 12 -- PORTLAND, OR, ROTTURE
APR. 13 -- SEATTLE, WA, THE VERA PROJECT
APR. 15 -- VANCOUVER, BC, THE BILTMORE CABARET**
APR. 16 -- KAMLOOPS, BC, HEROES PUB**
APR. 17 -- CALGARY, AB, THE REPUBLIK**
APR. 18 -- EDMONTON, AB, PAWN SHOP**
APR. 19 -- SASKATOON, SK, AMIGO'S**
APR. 20 -- WINNIPEG, MB, ROYAL ALBERT HALL**
APR. 21 -- MINNEAPOLIS, MN, 7TH STREET ENTRY**
APR. 22 -- CHICAGO, IL, SUBTERRANEAN**
APR. 23 -- LONDON, ON, CALL THE OFFICE**
APR. 24 -- TORONTO, ON, THE GARRISON**
MAY 15 -- LYON, FR, NUITS SONORES
* in support of Wolf Parade
** the POP OFF! tour with Parlovr

Links:
We Are Wolves' MySpace Profile

Cursive Hits the Road With Alkaline Trio Next Month / Tour Stops in NYC and NJ in March

DOWNLOAD: Cursive - "Dorothy at Forty" (From Happy Hollow)

Cursive are heading out on a two month tour starting in February supporting Alkaline Trio. The tour stops at Nokia Theatre on March 12 and Starland Ballroom on March 13th.

Cursive has spent most of last year on the road since releasing their sixth studio album, Mama, I'm Swollen, in March.

Here are the upcoming tour date (all in support of Alkaline Trio):

FEB. 16 -- POMONA, CA, GLASS HOUSE
FEB. 17 -- LOS ANGELES, CA, HOUSE OF BLUES (SUNSET STRIP)
FEB. 18 -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA, REGENCY BALLROOM
FEB. 19 -- PORTLAND, OR, WONDER BALLROOM
FEB. 20 -- SEATTLE, WA, NEUMO'S
FEB. 23 -- BOISE, ID, KNITTING FACTORY
FEB. 24 -- SALT LAKE CITY, UT, IN THE VENUE
FEB. 25 -- DENVER, CO, GOTHIC THEATRE
FEB. 26 -- LAWRENCE, KS, GRANADA THEATRE
FEB. 27 -- CHICAGO, IL, METRO
FEB. 28 -- CHICAGO, IL, METRO
MAR. 02 -- ROYAL OAK, MI, ROYAL OAK MUSIC THEATRE
MAR. 03 -- COLUMBUS, OH, NEWPORT MUSIC HALL
MAR. 04 -- CLEVELAND, OH, HOUSE OF BLUES
MAR. 05 -- PITTSBURGH, PA, CLUB ZOO
MAR. 06 -- TORONTO, ON, PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE
MAR. 08 -- CLIFTON PARK, NY, NORTHERN LIGHTS
MAR. 09 -- HARTFORD, CT, WEBSTER THEATRE
MAR. 11 -- PHILADELPHIA, PA, TROCADERO
MAR. 12 -- NEW YORK, NY, NOKIA THEATRE
MAR. 13 -- SAYREVILLE, NJ, STARLAND BALLROOM
MAR. 14 -- PROVIDENCE, RI, LUPO'S HEARTBREAK HOTEL
MAR. 16 -- TOWSON, MD, RECHER THEATRE
MAR. 17 -- CHARLOTTE, NC, AMOS' SOUTHEND
MAR. 18 -- CHARLESTON, SC, MUSIC FARM
MAR. 19 -- ATLANTA, GA, MASQUERADE
MAR. 20 -- JACKSONVILLE, FL, FREEBIRD LIVE
MAR. 22 -- ORLANDO, FL, HOUSE OF BLUES
MAR. 23 -- FT. LAUDERDALE, FL, REVOLUTION
MAR. 25 -- NEW ORLEANS, LA, HOUSE OF BLUES
MAR. 26 -- HOUSTON, TX, WAREHOUSE LIVE
MAR. 27 -- DALLAS, TX, PALLADIUM BALLROOM
MAR. 28 -- AUSTIN, TX, EMO'S
MAR. 30 -- TEMPE, AZ, THE MARQUEE
APR. 01 -- SAN DIEGO, CA, HOUSE OF BLUES
APR. 02 -- LOS ANGELES, CA, HOUSE OF BLUES (SUNSET STRIP)

Links:
Cursive

Cursive - Photos from Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ 8/6/09

I'm somewhat of a Cursive novice as I hadn't given the band a lot of attention prior to last Thursday's show at Maxwell's. I was expected a fairly mellow show after watching the band perform "From The Hips" on Letterman and was floored to see a Fugazi-like energy in the room.

A leaky ceiling panel over the stage seemed to slow down the set change-over so the room was completely packed prior to Cursive's set. When Cursive made their way through the crowd to take the stage, they were greeted and back-slapped like hometown heroes.



The band started off with a bang as Tim Kasher eyeballed the crowd as the band started into "Butcher the Song". The minute Tim took the mic, the crowd went wild with singing and dancing along.







When the band didn't slow down after the first 4 - 5 songs, the dancing turned into an on-again/off-again pit and crowd surfing.





This was one of those nights where 'anything goes' but it never got to the point of being out of control (like some matinees at CBGB). The band finally slowed down when Tim went off on a rant about how the devil is real which ultimately segued into the song "Big Bang".



After a few more songs, which included a cover of David Bowie's "Modern Love" and "From the Hips", the band finished their set. It is nights like this that made the walk down Washington Street and the long train ride back to Brooklyn worth it. (How frequently does that bloody PATH train run? I swear I was on the platform for more than 30 minutes.)

Tomorrow night is the final show of the current tour:
Aug. 11 2009, 7:00PM, CD Central - FREE In-Store, Lexington, Kentucky
Aug. 11 2009, 8:00PM, The Dame, Lexington, Kentucky

Links:
Cursive's MySpace Profile

Cursive Announce June/July West Coast Tour Dates (Mama, I'm Swollen)

DOWNLOAD: Cursive - We're Going to Hell (Live on WOXY.Com)

Photo by Wendy Lynch Redfern
Cursive's latest disc, Mama, I'm Swollen, came out this past March to strong reviews. The band has been touring behind this release for the last few months and they have extended their tour to include some June/July dates on the West Coast.

Cursive - Summer 2009 West Coast Tour Dates
JUNE 13 - Denver, CO, WESTWORD MUSIC SHOWCASE
JUNE 18 - Sioux Falls, SD, NUTTY’S NORTH
JUNE 20 - Billings, MT, YELLOWSTONE VALLEY BREWERY
JUNE 21 - Missoula, MT, THE OTHER SIDE
JUNE 22 - Spokane, WA, KNITTING FACTORY
JUNE 23 - Seattle, WA, NEUMO’S
JUNE 24 - Portland, OR, WONDER BALLROOM
JUNE 27 - San Francisco, CA, GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL
JUNE 28 - Los Angeles, CA, EL REY THEATRE
JUNE 29 - Pomona, CA, GLASSHOUSE
JULY 01 - Salt Lake City, UT, IN THE VENUE


Cursive - Live on Shockhound.com


Links:
Cursive's MySpace Profile

From Autumn to Ashes - Holding a Wolf by the Ears CD Review

I caught From Autumn to Ashes at their co-headlining show at Irving Plaza with Haste the Day in April. I was one of those people who thought the band might go in an emo direction after the departure of singer Ben Perri. I was very wrong -- Fran Mark really delivers in his role of sole frontman. I hadn't heard Mark scream before this show and disc was released but he seamlessly ranges between a scream and a melody (an immediate point of comparison would be Phil Labonte).

To get back on track with the CD review -- all of the cuts thrash. The songs are a good bit more melodic than anything that Perri had sung in the past but the melody doesn't take away from the intensity of the tunes. Don't let the comment about melodies scare anyone off -- none of the tracks are anything like "Inapprope" or "Streamline" (from Abandon Your Friends). The melodic hooks are closer to All That Remains but Mark doesn't have quite as guttural a scream/bark as either Labonte or Perri. The CD really gels and sounds like the work of a coherent band rather than just being centered around the voices of the two front-men.

I just found out that there are two iTunes b-sides to this release and they are called "Hang the Mason" and "What Good is My Virtue?".

Holding a Wolf by the Ears is a great CD by a band that has really grown musically over the last two years. I read an interview with guitarist Brian Deneeve who said "We went through a lot and came out the other side". I like the direction the band is going in and am looking forward to future releases.


FAtA is touring Canada and then the West Coast later this month.

Canadian Tour
With It Dies Today, The End, I Hate Sally
7/03/07 Saint Catherines, ON @ Level 3 Night Club
7/04/07 London, ON @ Embassy Hotel
7/05/07 Guelph, ON @ Cowboy Bar
7/06/07 Toronto, ONT @ Opera House Concert
7/07/07 Quebec City, QC @ L'ANTI

Canadian Tour
With The End, I Hate Sally
7/08/07 Sherbrooke, QC @ Theatre Granada
7/09/07 Trois-Riviere, QC @ Makisart
7/10/07 Montreal, QUE @ Les Foufounes Electriques

Canadian Tour
With The End, Sick City, I Hate Sally
7/12/07 Sault Ste Marie, ON @ Glow Nightclub
7/13/07 Thunder Bay, ON @ 201 Concert Hall
7/14/07 Winnipeg, MB @ The Collective Cabaret
7/15/07 Portage le Prairie, MB @ Keeshkeemaquah Conference
7/16/07 Regina, SK @ The Distrikt
7/17/07 Edmonton, AB @ The Starlite Room
7/18/07 Calgary, AB @ Macewan Hall Ballroom

US
With Aiden, I am Ghost, Night Kills the Day
7/20/07 Boise, ID @ Big Easy Concert House
7/21/07 Salt Lake City, UT @ Avalon Theater
7/23/07 Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep
7/24/07 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
7/25/07 Tucson, AZ @ The Rock
7/26/07 Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
7/27/07 Pomona , CA @ The Glasshouse
7/31/07 Ventura, CA @ Apline
8/01/07 San Luis Obispo, CA @ Downtown Brew
8/02/07 Fresno, CA @ The Exit
8/03/07 Orangevale, CA @ The Boardwalk (no I am Ghost)

Links:
From Autumn to Ashes MySpace page (link)