So, there’s this bar on Donaustraße in the Neukölln district of Berlin called Das Gift. I was there a couple times while in the city earlier this summer. One instance, I was looking for my friends, who were apparently DJing in the back room of the place. I did not know that said room was another secret room not immediately obvious to view. So, being the American I was (despite Neukölln being this really immigrant-based neighborhood, with a lot of expats and scheiß deutsche being spoken), I looked like a confused puppy, probably to the amusement of this small throng of people near the entryway.
As I was later told, said throng turned out to be Mogwai and friends. Which makes sense, given band member Barry Burns runs the bar with with his (I’m assuming) wife and a couple others. Imagine a stunned Ze and an annoyed Mr P when this happened.
But enough about bar stories, let’s talk about Mogwai. They put out an album earlier this year with the greatest title ever, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (TMT Review), whose rating I say should be flipped with Explosions in the Sky’s latest offering (but that’s just me). And yet, they already got a new EP in the can called Earth Division, which will be up and running September 13 on Sub Pop. To show their enjoyment of bars and bar music, piano will play a larger role than in the previous LP. But, to many, it’s the same old kind of Glaswegian post-rock resonance with a nice malkie touch to it.
To support the EP (and the LP, to a lesser extent), Mogwai will take a brief East Coast bar tour in September. Perhaps they’ll share a round with the Boss (or Jeff Mangum) when they hit Asbury Park on September 30. Who knows?
Earth Division EP tracklisting:
01. Get to France
02. Hound of Winter
03. Drunk and Crazy
04. Does This Always Happen?
Will Be Back Before Last Call in Berlin, Which Doesn’t Really Exist:
09.26.11 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
09.27.11 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
09.28.11 - Philadelphia, PA - Starlight Ballroom
09.29.11 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
10.01.11 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
10.02.11 - Asbury Park, NJ - Asbury Park Convention Center (ATP I’ll Be Your Mirror) *
* Portishead, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Orchestra, Earth, etc. etc. and all that cal
• Mogwai: http://www.mogwai.co.uk
• Sub Pop: http://www.subpop.com
