Pelican Release Details on New Album, Promise "The Apex of Pelican’s Creative Output"; Plans for Follow-Up LP Scrapped Due to Band Having Already Reached Its Apex
Recently signed as the newest Disciples of Southern Lord Records, Pelican are presently finishing up their newest album, entitled What We All Come To Need. The album, the band’s first full-length for their new label, is impressively described by guitarist Laurent Lebec as “the most perfect synthesis of everything we've done to date, sonically.”
The new album also features such a long list of guest stars that perhaps the name of the album should have been Metal House Party 3 featuring Martin Lawrence and sunn 0))). The album features Greg Anderson of sunn 0))), Aaron Turner of Isis, Ben Verellen of Harkonen, and Helms Alee and Allen Epley from The Life & Times and Shiner.
Lebec elaborated further on the content of the album, saying, “There is a current of inspiration that feels particular to each album's music and titles. Though we lack a singer, the song names are often conceptual. This new album speaks to a rapidly decaying world, the fulfillment we find in each other, as well as the resolve to move beyond disillusionment.”
When queried further about what a band does once they reach “the apex of (a band’s) creative output,” Lebec merely looked at me with a coy smile, bought me a beer, and said “Listen, Kid Midnight, quit being so concerned with what MIGHT happen tomorrow and start enjoying what IS happening today.” Well spoken, Laurent, well spoken. Now, can we actually go to a bar and have you buy me a drink?
“No, but here’s the tracklist for the album:”
1. Glimmer
2. The Creeper
3. Ephemeral
4. Specks of Light
5. Strung Up from the Sky
6. An Inch Above Sand
7. What We All Come to Need
8. Final Breath
Wham, Bam, Thank You, Hoboken: Thee Oh Sees Embark on Whirlwind Tour of These Here United States
Extremely prolific San Francisco garage rockers Thee Oh Sees apparently take the same no-holds barred/no-city-unvisited approach to touring as they take to releasing records. Hot off the success of their recent album on In The Red, Help (TMT Review), the party-startin’ four-piece are gearing up for an epic series of tourdates across the U.S.A. Aside from our review, Help has been getting the thumbs-up from music critics and discerning '60s rock enthusiasts, so former Coachwhips mastermind John Dwyer and team are primed to tear up festivals like Portland’s Smmr Bmmr festival and Pop Montreal, as well as the dark, eternally beer-scented venues where their high-energy garage music sounds most at home.
I’m totally getting carpal tunnel from typing out all those dates and my late-night Red Bull is sadly losing its power, so I’m gonna keep this one — yes, like a track by Thee Oh Sees — short but sweet.
Dates:
08.19.09 - Eugene, OR - Sam Bond's *
08.20.09 - Seattle, WA - Funhouse *
08.21.09 - Portland, OR - Rotture/Smmr Bmmr Festival
08.22.09 - Arcata, CA - Arcata Theater Lounge *
09.22.09 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge **
09.23.09 - Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon **
09.25.09 - Memphis, TN - Gonerfest 6
09.26.09 - Bloomington, IL - Uncle Fester's **
09.27.09 - Chicago, IL - Schuba's Tavern **
09.29.09 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Brass Rail **
09.30.09 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick **
10.01.09 - Toronto, ON - Wrong Bar **
10.02.09 - Ottawa, ON - Babylon **
10.03.09 - Montreal, QC - Pop Montreal **
10.05.09 - Providence, RI - The Dark Lady **
10.06.09 - Allston, MA - Great Scotts **
10.07.09 - Middletown, CT - Wesleyan **
10.08.09 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge **
10.09.09 - Brooklyn, NY - The Bell House **
10.10.09 - Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell's **
10.11.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Danger Danger Gallery **
10.12.09 - Washington, DC - Black Cat
10.13.09 - Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle Tavern
10.14.09 - Atlanta, GA - The EARL
10.15.09 - Mobile, AL - Alabama Music Box
10.16.09 - New Orleans, LA - Saturn
10.17.09 - Houston, TX - Mangos
10.18.09 - Austin, TX - Beerland
10.19.09 - Lubbock, TX - Bash Riprocks
10.21.09 - San Diego, CA - Bar Pink Elephant **
10.22.09 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo **
10.25.09 - San Francisco, CA - Budget Rock
* Sic Alps
** The Fresh & Onlys
Arrington de Dionyso Debuts New Band, Then Says "Fuck You, Guys -- I'm Going Solo"
With a name like Arrington de Dionyso, you can only expect something extremely exotic, and the man always knows how to dish it up. If you've had your ear to the ground, you may have already heard about Arrington premiering his new Indonesian-influenced band, Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat Dan Singa, during the last month or so. The new group brings the same "hallucinogenic/ecstatic heavy grooves" as Dionyso's more famous band, Old Time Relijun, but with the "transcendent bliss of William Blake translated into Indonesian."
For most of us, it has been nearly impossible to hear this new band, unless you live in Portland or Olympia, but in November we will get to experience Arrington's Malaikat dan Singa when he releases their debut record, Malaikat dan Singa. The record was recorded with Karl Blau in four days at Olympia's Dub Narcotic Studio and will see release in November.
Dionyso recently told The Portland Mercury, "I'd like to think of the album as a stranger third kind of beast, because they are like Old Time Relijun songs in a sense, except I'm playing almost all of the instruments. A return to form you might say, the first version of OTR was established to work out my four-track tapes into a live setting."
Before the new record hits stores, Arrington will be setting off on a solo tour, "interchanging bass clarinet and throat-singing with homemade instruments and vocal modifiers," creating "a raga-influenced anthropological meditation; locating the tones between tones and the overtones within overtones." He'll be doing select dates with Calvin Johnson (K, Beat Happening) as he makes his way from Portland to New York.
Here are the dates:
08.21.09 - Rochester, WA - Helsing Junction Sleepover+
08.29.09 - Portland, OR - East End
08.30.09 - Boise, ID - Visual Arts Collective
09.02.09 - Denver, CO - Rhinoceropolis
09.03.09 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
09.04.09 - St. Paul, MN - The Turf Club
09.05.09 - Iowa City, IA - Public Space One
09.06.09 - Milwaukee, WI - Eagle's Nest
09.07.09 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
09.08.09 - Detroit, MI - Magic Theatre Center
09.10.09 - Pittsburgh, PA - Morning Glory*
09.11.09 - New York City, NY - Market Hotel
09.12.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Danger Danger Gallery*
09.14.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Death By Audio^
09.15.09 - New York City, NY - Bowery Poetry Club*
09.18.09 – Providence, RI - AS220#
* Calvin Johnson
^ Desolation Wilderness, Calvin Johnson
+ Karl Blau, LAKE, Angelo Spencer
# Chain and The Gang
In a Typically German Style, Kraftwerk to Release Eight Remastered Albums Under the Title 12345678 The Catalogue
You can’t really get more German than with an album title like 12345678 The Catalogue. "Acht Remastered Alben" ("Eight Remastered Albums," according to Google Translate) would probably run fairly close. "Ändern der Welt der Musik ein effizientes Album zu einer Zeit" ("Changing the world of music one efficient album at a time" – thanks again Google) would also be a contender. As you can see, coming up with German album titles is serious business.
You know what's also serious business? Kraftwerk. The completely serious group will be releasing eight remastered albums on October 5, showcasing their ordered, consistent, umm German approach to electronic music. The albums to be reissued are: Autobahn (1974), Radio-Activity (1975), Trans Europe Express (1977), The Man Machine (1978), Computer World (1981), Techno Pop (1986), The Mix (1991), and Tour De France (2003).
Of course it would have been far more efficient to just click on this link to find out this information, but whoever gave a damn about that.
EMI Receives Half A Trillion Dollars Through Parent Company; Meanwhile, I Had Ramen For Lunch Again Today
Today, while I ate Ramen for the third day in a row and Febreezed the same pair of jeans I’ve been wearing for two weeks straight because I’m too poor to spend my quarters on laundry, I found out that EMI, the gigantic British music conglomerate, received $495 billion in equity from a deal with their parent company, Terra Firma, to refinance their $4.3 billion debt.
Wow, EMI, it must be really nice to have other companies and their investors relieve you of your debt. On that note, any loyal TMT readers want to front some money for my outstanding student loans? I’ll make you a mean cup of noodles in return.
Jaguar Love Loves Fat Possum, Fat Possum Signs Jaguar Love as a Sign of Mutual Affection
Remember the heyday of 2003? The Blood Brothers had just put out their breakthrough record, Burn, Piano Island, Burn, and Fat Possum was still exclusively putting out records from Mississippi blues musicians. At the time, the two worlds couldn’t seem farther apart. But time goes by, bands break up, labels start signing bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Wavves, and the two worlds come closer together. So close that Fat Possum ends up signing Jaguar Love, the current band of former Blood Brothers Johnny Whitney and Cody Votolato.
At the moment, the band is preparing to enter the studio with producer John Goodmason, who worked on the final two Blood Brothers records, to record the group’s Fat Possum debut. The Take Me to the Sea (TMT Review) follow-up should be out sometime in early 2010. Whitney and Votolato currently have 18 songs written for the new record, 10 or 11 of which should make it onto the album. The duo plan to release the rest of the songs via online channels, giveaways, and bonus tracks.
Sufjan Stevens Continues to Do Everything in the World Other Than Put Out a New Record, Schedules Fall Tour as a Middle Finger to You and Me
Dear Sufjan:
On behalf of everyone everywhere, please stop stalling and make another “U.S. state” record. Everyone is waiting, man. Seriously. The live show is cool, and another U.S. tour scheduled for this fall is a really nice gesture and all... but you’re totally pissing everyone off here. I don’t care how handsome and non-threatening you are; you can’t just wink and smile and tour and smile and Christmas-album and b-side-comp and pray and BQE-box-set and smile and another-Christmas-album your way out of this thing here, dude. So once again, please-and-thank-you: stop fucking stalling. Get to work.
Respectfully Yours,
Everyone everywhere
P.S. Seriously, get to work.
Tourdates:
09.12.09 - Monticello, NY - ATP New York
09.21.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
09.22.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
09.23.09 - Ithaca, NY - Castaways
09.24.09 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
09.25.09 - Pontiac, MI - Crofoot Ballroom
09.26.09 - Champaign, IL - The High Dive
09.27.09 - Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
09.28.09 - Madison, WI - The Majestic
09.29.09 - Bloomington, IN - Buskirk Chumley
10.01.09 - Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Place
10.02.09 - Montreal, Quebec - Cabaret
10.03.09 - Portland, ME - Port City Music Hal
10.04.09 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
10.05.09 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
10.06.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
10.07.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
P.P.S. Have you gotten to work yet?
Circle the Wagons! The Meat Puppets Are in Town!
The Meat Puppets have always done things their own way. Their shift from a more hardcore sound to the now-legendary underground rock/country hybrid known as “cowpunk,” their well-known battles with drugs, and all that touring with Stone Temple Pilots; it’s all well-documented, and it’s all part of the legend, for better or for worse. Original members/brothers Cris and Kurt Kirkwood have been performing under the Meat Puppets name since the band formed in the early 1980s and started releasing output for SST Records. The Meat Puppets reunited a couple years ago and are touring in support of their most recent album, Sewn Together, out now on Megaforce. When I saw them this summer, it was sweltering, packed, and totally awesome. And now you yourself can relive the magic of that night, but hopefully with less of a chance of heatstroke and your shorts getting all sweat-drenched and clingy. Gross.
Back in 1993, the band hit it big after appearing with Kurt Cobain on MTV’s Unplugged in 1993. The Kirkwoods and co. then embarked on their first tour with STP, and their album Too High to Die went gold. The band began working together again in 2006. Today, Sewn Together has got the critics all in a tizzy, and after a weekend stint with old tour buds Stone Temple Pilots, The Meat Puppets are ready to rock a venue near you. Taking over opening duties on much of the tour will be Athens, GA country/grunge practitioners Dead Confederate
09.05.09 - Tuscon, AZ - Club Congress
09.16.09 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theater *
09.17.09 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern *
09.18.09 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theater *
09.19.09 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's *
09.20.09 - Sebastopol, CA - Hopmonk Tavern *
09.22.09 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom *
09.23.09 - Chop Suey - Seattle, WA *
09.24.09 - Boise, ID - Grizzly Rose *
09.25.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge *
09.26.09 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre *
10.24.09 - Atlanta, GA - 40 Watt Club *
10.31.09 - Houston, TX - Rudyard’s
11.01.09 - New Orleans, LA - Voo Doo Music Experience
11.03.09 - Oxford, MS - Proud Larry’s
11.04.09 - Little Rock, AR - Revolution Room
11.05.09 - Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ball Room
11.06.09 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
11.07.09 - Omaha, NE - Waiting Room
11.08.09 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews
11.10.09 - Columbia, MO - Mojo’s
11.11.09 - DeKalb, IL - Otto’s
11.12.09 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
11.13.09 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
11.14.09 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
11.15.09 - Indianapolis, IN - Radio Radio
11.17.09 - Louisville, KY - Headliner’s
11.18.09 - Cleveland, OH - The Grog
11.19.09 - Ithaca, NY - Castaways
11.20.09 - Albany, NY - Valentines
11.21.09 - Teaneck, NJ - Mexacali Live
11.25.09 - New York City, NY - Bowery Ballroom
11.27.09 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
11.28.09 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live
* Dead Confederate
Pope Benedict to Release First Album; Yes, the Real Pope
Hot on the heels of the rapidly developing Christian music scene and the recent resurgence of Christian Doctrine, Pope Benedict of Rome has recorded his first album, Alma Mater, due November 30 on Geffen Records (home to Snoop Dogg, M.I.A., and the Kung Fu Panda soundtrack). The album will show off the multilingual abilities of the Popester through a selection of litanies, chants, recitations of prayers, and Bible passages, backed by The Choir of the Philharmonic Academy of Rome and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Said Colin Barlow, president of Geffen Records: “I think in this day and age, as the public are, as I am, people are fascinated by all kinds of music. We're not fed on one type of music.”
Can't get enough Pope? Check out the Vatican's official YouTube channel, and maybe you can find the video of the Pope in studio with Jesus Christ laying down some overdubs on online-only single "Pope B Blessing."
Mario Speedwagon’s Under The Radar News Round Up: !!! Tour North America, Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele Tour Europe, Basement Jaxx Release Scars This Fall, Shonen Knife Announce North American Dates (And Haven’t Aged Since 1981)
- !!! are heading out on a bunch of mini weekend tours in September and October. In the beginning of September, they’ll hit up New York, Boston, and Washington DC. At the end of September, they’ll go to Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Tucson. Finally, in October, they will play Emo’s in Austin and Austin City Limits. To my knowledge, they don’t have any album plans, but you should check them out anyway because they’re fun live. You can check out the dates on the Touch and Go website.
- Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele is going on tour in August and September in Europe. They head to Paris on August 18 and end their tour September 13 in Bristol, UK. Dent May released his record The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele (TMT Review) in February 2009 via Paw Tracks, which is also where you can find a list of tourdates.
- Basement Jaxx will release their fifth studio album, Scars, on October 6, 2009 via XL Recordings. The album features appearances by Lightspeed Champion, Yo! Majesty, Sam Sparro, Santigold, Kelis “and some other chick” (according to their Wikipedia page, however the press release says its Maleka & Chipmunk), Eli “Paperboy” Reed, and Yoko Ono. Their last album was 2006’s Crazy Itch Radio.
- Shonen Knife has announced North American tourdates, shortly after exciting news of a new album, Super Group, dropping in the United States on August 25 via Good Charamel Records. To celebrate, the band will embark on a North American tour that starts October 16 in New York and ends November 18 in Buffalo. Tours in Europe and Australia to follow. All the tourdates are listed on the Good Charamel website.
Satan Forces Spencer Krug to Go On Tour with Sunset Rubdown Again
Not so long ago, the Devil was feeling a little bored down in the underworld and decided to check out what was up with Spencer Krug. The man had been a particular nuisance to the Devil for a long time. Many who might have sworn their allegiance to evil instead bought Sunset Rubdown’s latest LP, Dragonslayer (TMT Review), thinking it was a metal epic. This bothered the Devil, so he summoned Spencer Krug into the depths of Hell and demanded that Spencer Krug cease making epic rock music.
Spencer Krug, in his gracious and zen-like way, politely refused. This angered the Devil but also gained him some respect; instead of damning Krug to an eternity in Hell, the Devil challenged him to a game of skee-ball. Being the withdrawn composer that he is, Krug lost and is now damned to tour with his various bands for eternity.
And so it is that just after their exhaustive North American tour, Sunset Rubdown will be traversing Europe and some of America in the coming months. Give Spencer a high-five if you can – most people don’t even try to beat the Devil at skee-ball.
Europe:
09.02.09 - Groningen, Netherlands - Vera
09.03.09 - Malmo, Sweden - Debaser
09.04.09 - Goteborg, Sweden - Parken
09.05.09 - Stockholm, Sweden - Strand
09.06.09 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Loppen
09.07.09 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust
09.08.09 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
09.10.09 - Glasgow, UK - Stereo
09.11.09 - Belfast, UK - Spring and Airbrake
09.12.09 - Dublin, Ireland - Crawdaddy
09.13.09 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
09.14.09 - Manchester, UK - The Deaf Institute
09.15.09 - London, UK - Garage
09.16.09 - Cardiff, UK - The Glode
09.18.09 - Leffinge, Belgium - Leffingeleuren
09.19.09 - Brussels, Belgium - Botanique
09.20.09 - Berlin, Germany - Magnet Club
09.21.09 - Leipzig, Germany - Ut Connewitz
09.22.09 - Munchen, Germany - 59:1
09.23.09 - Vienna, Austria - B72
09.24.09 - Zagreb, Croatia - KSET
09.25.09 - Ljublijana, Slovenia - Menza Pri Koritu
09.26.09 - Pisa, Italy - Caracol
09.27.09 - Carpi, Italy – Mattatoio
09.30.09 - Lille, France - L'Aeronef
10.01.09 - Paris, France - Point FMR
U.S.A.:
10.16.09 - New York, NY - Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom
10.17.09 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar
10.18.09 - Columbus, OH - The Summit
10.19.09 - Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium
10.20.09 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
10.21.09 - St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway Nightclub
10.22.09 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
10.24.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
10.26.09 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
10.27.09 - West Hollywood, CA - The Troubadour
