I love WHY?. Yet, the last time I wrote about them, I felt the need to obfuscate all of the actual information in the article. I shall now make penance for my misdeeds by explaining why you should buy WHY?’s new LP and see them on tour this spring.

You should do these things because WHY? are goddamn good. WHY? makes music that is abstract, yet relatable. WHY? uses humor in a way that is serious and poetry in a way that is funny. They use indie-style hip-hop vocals in their hip-hop-style indie music. You know what genre WHY? really is? Fuck you, that’s what genre. I’m serious. Fuck you. WHY? are so good that they don’t bend their genre; they transcend genre entirely. One time, they invented a genre, but ended up transcending it later in the same song, so they never even had a chance to decide what it was called.

But if semi-aggressive rants from an unknown music writer who is clearly attempting to make up for some imagined debt aren’t enough for you, perhaps you will respond to music. Their new album’s first single, “The Hollows,” can be freely downloaded here. WHY? also recently covered The Cure’s “Close To Me” for some reason. The track, which will not be on the upcoming album, can be downloaded here.

Is that still not enough for you, hypothetic antagonist? Well then, hear me out once more. WHY?’s third LP, Alopecia, is a shuddering progression of clever, self-deprecating jokes and brutally honest poetry of anguish, accompanied by sparse rhythm and emotionally disjointed instrumentation. This time around, they recorded live as a five-man band, barely using samplers at all. Their upcoming spring tour consists of 39 shows, ending curiously on April 19. They will be accompanied on several dates by myriad other genre-defying artists, such as Br. Danielson.

Fine, don’t trust me. Trust their public relations agency. Here are a few highlights from their press release:

 “...Yoni’s voice comes in strong, sweetly soured like a curdling milkshake.”

 “...the perfect antithesis to the blunt finality of death is nothing more than claiming the lifeblood that is already yours.”

Well, that does it. You are definitely convinced now. Alopecia comes out March 11. Pick it up and go see them on tour. I’m serious.

Alopecia tracklisting:

1. The Vowels Pt. 2 2. Good Friday 3. These Few Presidents 4. The Hollows 5. Song Of The Sad Assassin 6. Gnashville 7. Fatalist Palmistry 8. The Fall Of Mr Fifths 9. Brook & Waxing 10. A Sky For Shoeing Horses Under 11. Twenty Eight 12. Simeon’s Dilemma 13. By Torpedo Or Crohn’s 14. Exegesis

WHY? Spring tourdates:

03.06.08 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall 03.07.08 - Los Angeles, CA - Natural History Museum * 03.08.08 - Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture ^ 03.09.08 - Phoenix, AZ - Modified Arts ^ 03.11.08 - Denton, TX - Rubber Gloves ^ 03.12.08 - 03.15.08 - Austin TX - SXSW 03.16.08 - Houston, TX - Rudyard’s Pub ^& 03.17.08 - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon ^ % 03.18.08 - Atlanta, GA - The Drunken Unicorn ^ 03.19.08 - Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle ^ 03.20.08 - Charlottesville, VA - Outback Lodge ^ @ 03.21.08 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church ^ $ 03.22.08 - New York, NY - The Knitting Factory ^ % + 03.23.08 - New Haven, CT - Sundazed At BAR ^ 03.24.08 - Northampton, MA - The Iron Horse ^ 03.25.08 - Cambridge, MA - The Middle East ^ 03.26.08 - Montreal QC - La Sala Rossa ^ 03.27.08 - Toronto, ON - Silver Dollar ^ 03.28.08 - Ann Arbor, MI - Pierpoint at University Of Michigan ^ # 03.29.08 - Newport, KY - Southgate House 03.30.08 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland 04.01.08 - Columbus, OH - Cafe Bourbon Street 04.02.08 - Bloomington, IN - Bear’s Place " 04.03.08 - Chicago, IL - The Abbey Pub 04.04.08 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club 04.05.08 - Madison, WI - Cafe Montmartre 04.06.08 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry 04.07.08 - Fargo, ND - The Aquarium 04.08.08 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room 04.09.08 - Columbia, MO - Mojo’s 04.10.08 - Lawrence, KS - Jackpot 04.11.08 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive 04.12.08 - Salt Lake City. UT - Urban Lounge 04.14.08 - Missoula, MT - Badlander 04.15.08 - Spokane, WA - Big Easy 04.16.08 - Vancouver, BC - Media Club 04.17.08 - Seattle, WA - Vera Project = 04.18.08 - Portland, OR - Holocene 04.19.08 - Eugene, OR - Indigo District

" thanks Tara! * YACHT ^ Cryptacize & Samara Lubelski % Panther @ Doofgoblin $ Br. Danielson + Son Lux # Hopalong = Mount Eerie

[Photo: Sarah Cass]