Remember last fall when America’s blustery free market finally swirled up into a 20-story tornado of economic irresponsibility and came whirling through the trailer park that is the US of A? Remember how it mangled all of our fiscal futures into indiscernible balls of molten VHS tapes and wet pillow shams, until at long last a Barack Obama-shaped sun peeked from behind the clouds and gave us all a wink, harkening us to take solace in the dawning of his radiant new day?
If you happen to be Icelandic, your memory of the current worldwide financial fiasco probably doesn’t jibe that well with my own. Iceland’s economic meltdown cost the nation over 75% of its fucking 2007 GDP, an event more akin to a meteor decimating the gated community across town than the twister that dusted up your grandpappy’s hitchin’ post. But what about Iceland’s throng of messianic political leaders who sailed swiftly to the rescue on the zephyr of hope and change? Fat chance! Iceland’s fearless leaders got the hell out while the getting the hell out was good. Christ, our elected officials won’t even bow out somewhat gracefully after getting caught red-handed blowing hard earned tax dollars on Argentine tug jobs. Anyways, by my humble estimation, things have to be seriously fucked up in Iceland right now. Real talk.
It was within such tumult that those serene old softies in müm found themselves recording their upcoming album Sing Along to Songs You Don’t Know. While Iceland melted, müm remained decidedly cool, addressing their native soil’s burgeoning apocalypse with their established brand of itchy tranquility. The record, their latest since 2007’s Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy (TMT Review ), was recorded primarily in the Icelandic countryside as well as the rural grandeur of Finland and Estonia, where I’m sure the band saw all sorts of super stuff in nature that helped keep their minds off the horrible, horrible state of their nation’s basic infrastructure. In an even greater effort to stay the hell away from home, müm will be on tour consistently from August to November while Sing Along to Songs You Don’t Know is slated for release September 22. Good luck out there, müm, and don’t get captured by insolvency
08.14.09 – Leicester, UK – Summer Sundae Festival
08.15.09 – Edinburgh, UK - Studio 24
08.17.09 - Cardiff, UK - National Museum of Wales
08.18 09 – Norwhich, UK - Norwich Art Center
08.25.09 – Amsterdam, Holland - Melkweg
08.26.09 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Exit 07
08.27.09 – Munich, Germany - Atomic Cafe
08.28.09 – Dresden, Germany - Beatpol (formerly Star Club)
08.30.09 – Katowice, Poland - Nowamuzyka Festival
09.01.09 – Brussels, Holland - Botanique
09.02.09 – Lucerne, Switzerland - Südpol
09.03.09 – Winterthur, Switzerland - Salzhaus
09.04.09 – Vlieland, Holland - The Great Wide Open Festival
09.05.09 – Berlin, Germany - Lido
09.06 09 – Hamburg, Germany - Knust
09.07.09 – Köln, Germany - Gebaeude 9
09.08.09 – Paris, France - Maroquinierie
09.09.09 - Strassbourg, France - La Laiterie
09.10.09 – Lille, France - Radar Festival
09.11.09 – Stavanger, Norway - Numusic Festival
09.19.09 – Kawasaki, Japan - Taico Club Festival
10.21.09 - Somerville, MA - The Somerville Theatre
10.22.09 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
10.23.09 - Washington DC - Black Cat
10.24.09 – New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge
10.26.09 - Montreal, Quebec - Le National
10.27.09 - Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre
10.28.09 - Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium
10.29.09 - Minneapolis, MN - McGuire Theater
11.01.09 - Calgary, AB - Marquee Room
11.02.09 - Vancouver, BC - Richards on Richards
11.03.09 - Seattle, WA - Showbox at the Market
11.04.09 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater
11.05.09 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
11.06.09 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
11.07.09 - Santa Ana, CA - Yost Theatre
