The Besnard Lakes are the insanely long spring tour

By Nobodaddy on

The Besnard Lakes are the insanely long spring tour

This week, your favorite indie rock torchbearers of bombastic psych-prog song suites and wanton abusers of metaphor, The Besnard Lakes, are stopping in for one of those solid haircuts that “will last awhile,” washing one last giant load of laundry, hugging their significant others, and waving goodbye to civilized society before embarking on a giant tour of North America and Europe that is about as EPIC as the damn band is. Yes, yes, they’ll be back. Just not until, like, June.

The tour coincides with the release of their second full-length record of skyscraping ELO-isms and drums v. guns analogies, The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night, which was released yesterday via Jagjaguwar (TMT Review). Hopefully everyone in the band really digs these songs a lot, cuz they’ll be playing ‘em for a long, long time.

03.11.10 - Toronto, ON - The Horseshoe
03.12.10 - Montreal, QC - Il Motore
03.17.10 - Austin, TX - Mohawk (SXSW)
03.18.10 - Austin, TX - Stubb’s (SXSW)
03.25.10 - Liverpool, UK - Academy
03.26.10 - Bristol, UK - Arnoifini
03.27.10 - Leeds, UK - Cockpit
03.28.10 - Glasgow, UK - Captain’s Rest
03.29.10 - Manchester, UK - Dulcimer
03.30.10 - Birmingham, UK - Hare and Hounds
03.31.10 - London, UK - Cargo
04.01.10 - Groningen, Netherlands - Vera
04.02.10 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
04.03.10 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
04.06.10 - Oslo, Norway - Cafe Mono
04.07.10 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser
04.08.10 - Malmo, Sweden - Debaser
04.11.10 - Berlin, Germany - Magnet
04.12.10 - Munich, Germany - 59 to 1
04.13.10 - Basel, Switzerland - Sudhaus
04.14.10 - Neuchatel, Switzerland - Case a Chocs
04.15.10 - Nice, Paris - Theatre Lino Ventura
04.16.10 - Marseille, France - Poste a Galene
04.17.10 - Bordeaux, France - Espace Tatry
04.19.10 - Paris, France - Bus Palladium
04.27.10 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry
04.28.10 - Winnipeg, MB - The Royal Albert Arms
04.29.10 - Regina, SK - The Exchange
04.30.10 - Saskatoon, SK - Amigos
05.01.10 - Edmonton, AB - Pawn Shop
05.02.10 - Calgary, AB - Broken City
05.04.10 - Victoria, BC - The Lucky Bar
05.05.10 - Vancouver, BC - The Media Club
05.07.10 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios
05.08.10 - Eugene, OR - W.O.W. Hall
05.10.10 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
05.12.10 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
05.13.10 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
05.14.10 - Tempe, AZ - Sail Inn
05.15.10 - Tucson, AZ - Plush
05.20.10 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
05.24.10 - Chicago, IL - TBA
05.26.10 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
05.27.10 - Washington, DC - Black Cat
05.28.10 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
05.29.10 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s

• The Besnard Lakes: http://www.thebesnardlakes.com
• Jagjaguwar: http://jagjaguwar.com

[Illustration: Todd Stewart]

Animal Collective to release ODDSAC on DVD

By A Chugg on Mar 10 2010

It has been pretty tough to get access to just about anything Animal Collective have done live since the Merriweather Post Pavilion (TMT Review) beast was unleashed about a year ago. Particularly tough have been the ODDSAC (TMT Review) screenings and the March 4 exhibition of Transverse Temporal Gyrus (review forthcoming!) at the Guggenheim in New York.

Of no coincidence whatsoever, those visually-oriented projects have been the collaboration of both Animal Collective and visual artist Danny Perez, whose visual creations typically feature blacklight trickery and/or an androgynous-looking person eating raw meat. In addition to ODDSAC, he has also directed Animal Collective’s “Who Could Win A Rabbit” and “Summertime Clothes” videos, as well as videos by Kurt Vile and Black Dice. However, ODDSAC is his first visual album, and lucky for us, it’s coming out June 29 on DVD. So, for those of us who want to cozy up at home with an animal sac, this is the perfect opportunity.

Check out the trailer at the Chocolate Grinder and our review here.

Here’s hoping they’ll figure out a way to exhibit Transverse Temporal Gyrus in the privacy of our homes.

• Animal Collective: http://myanimalhome.net
• Paw Tracks: http://www.paw-tracks.com

From the ashes of Desolation Wilderness, Electric Sunset arises

By Liz Louche on Mar 10 2010

Just as it is for adorable cartoon lions, for indie rock bands there is a Circle of Life. Today’s case in point being Olympia-based Desolation Wilderness, K recording artists and purveyors of hazy indie pop. The band recently announced that, after two LPs (one of which was last year’s New Universe (TMT Review)), two 7-inches, and two nationwide tours (plus a European jaunt), they are calling it a day. And then, like a mystical phoenix soaring through the early spring night sky, another band was born from the old band’s ashes! That band is Electric Sunset.

Fronted by Desolation Wilderness’ Nic Zwart, the new project will feature “synthetic rhythms and ringing keyboards,” promised to be both dreamy and totally rock ‘n’ roll. The directional change was inspired by Zwart’s recent move back to his hometown, San Francisco. Expect a September 2010 release on K Records.

• Electric Sunset: http://www.myspace.com/electricsunsetforever
• K: http://www.krecs.com

Flaming Lips making another movie, beg Justin Timberlake to star in it

By Nobodaddy on Mar 9 2010

After a 2009 that saw the release of two albums — Embyronic and the collaborative recitation of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon with Stardeath and White Dwarf — Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne is donning his filmmaker’s beret again.

Coyne tells Billboard that he’s starting work on a project designed to be a bit more modest than 2008’s Christmas on Mars (TMT Review). “My only goal was that I didn’t have to build space station-looking sets every time I wanted to have someone say something,” Coyne notes, “only because I built those sets myself every time we shot something for Christmas on Mars over the seven years we took to make it. This one is set in someone’s house and in a back yard and in a slaughterhouse; all those are available to me right here, so I don’t have to build everything this time.”

Like Mars, Coyne says the new film will be shot primarily with his Flaming Lips bandmates and friends and family in Oklahoma City. “I’m gonna try to get real actors, too,” he adds, “celebrities to show up and have fun with us for a couple of nights. I’m in the process of begging Justin Timberlake to be part of it; if I’m lucky I’ll be able to wear him down in another year.” That, of course, implies that we shouldn’t hold our breath waiting for the finished product. “I think everybody would be relieved if it all got done in six weeks and we could say, ‘Look at that!’ ” says Coyne, who’s also started working on music for the movie with Lips bandmate Steven Drozd. “But because I get to do it with people I love and it’s my art, I don’t care how long it takes.”

Flaming Lips are hardly going on the back burner while Coyne works on the film. The group has already announced 14 shows, including a March 12 stop at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, a performance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival on June 11, and a Central Park Summerstage gig on July 26 in New York City. The Bonnaroo show will include a full run-through of Dark Side — which comes out in limited-edition vinyl for Record Store Day on April 17 and on CD May 4 — but Coyne doesn’t think the Floyd classic will become part of the Lips’ regular repertoire.

• The Flaming Lips: http://www.flaminglips.com

Spring is on its way! And so is a Via Tania tour!

By Liz Louche on Mar 9 2010

There are a couple of things I really like about Australian-born Chicago-based singer Via Tania: (1) She looks a lot like Audrey Horne from Twin Peaks, and everybody knows that Audrey is the best character on Twin Peaks (and she’s super hot). (2) Her glistening, dreamy pop is absolutely hypnotic. And now, lucky for all of us, she’s released her sophomore album, Moon Sweet Moon.

Moon Sweet Moon, available since October 2009 via The Hours, features sessions recorded in all kinds of places I wish I was right now instead of being in Minnesota: places like Iceland, southern France, Australia, and Austin, TX. The album was produced by Craig Ross, a Grammy nominee for his work with Patty Griffin, who has also worked with Daniel Johnston and Red House Painters. Members of Tortoise, Shearwater, Ground Components, and El May guest on the album. Via Tania will be performing at SXSW before embarking on a North American tour with Seabear.

03.13.10 - Chicago, IL - The Hideout SXSW Party *
03.17.10 - Austin, TX - The Velveeta Room (Official SXSW Showcase)
03.18.10 - Austin, TX - Castlemania Afternoon Party
03.18.10 - Austin, TX - Austin Convention Centre
03.20.10 - Austin, TX - Popfrenzy Party at Maggie Maes
03.26.10 - Lawrence, KS - 8th Street Tap Room *
03.23.10 - Washington, DC - Black Cat Backstage
03.24.10 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie
03.25.10 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
03.26.10 - Brooklyn, NY - Southpaw
03.28.10 - Cambridge, MA - T.T. The Bear’s
03.30.10 - Montreal, QC - L’Escogriffe
03.31.10 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
04.02.10 - Chicago, IL - Schubas

* Seabear

• Via Tania: http://www.viatania.com

Jonny Greenwood scores soundtrack for Norwegian Wood film adaptation

By Erika H on Mar 9 2010

Composer Jonny Greenwood, better known as the guitarist for Radiohead, announced following a February show at BBC’s Maida Vale Studios that he is composing the score for a film adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s popular novel, Norwegian Wood.

You may remember Greenwood’s solo work from a few years ago, when There Will Be Blood struck musical gold (or oil, if you prefer) after Paul Thomas Anderson recruited him to provide the film score. The original soundtrack stemmed from “Popcorn Superhet Receiver,” a piece Greenwood debuted in 2005 with the BBC Concert Orchestra. In a similar transformation, Norwegian Wood’s music will be an amplification of “Doghouse,” the piece that Greenwood (BBC Concert Orchestra composer-in-residence since 2004) showcased last month to a select few.

Directed by Tran Anh Hung, the movie is slated for release in Japan before the end of the year (see stills here). If done well, the Murakami/Radiohead association will guarantee every third person between the age of 17 and 27 as a fan. If not, you can always press mute and play The Beatles on your acoustic guitar.

On Friday, March 19, BBC Radio 3 will broadcast the performance of “Doghouse” and a preview of the Norwegian Wood score at 2 PM.

• Radiohead: http://www.radiohead.com

[Photo: Michell Zappa]

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