Circulatory System Change Release Date for Signal Morning to September, Book Tour
By Kat Gardiner on 08-04-2009
Writing deeply psychedelic musings that run 50 tracks deep, Will Cullen Hart's band Circulatory System is preparing to release its sophomore album. Long awaited, Signal Morning (TMT News) comes eight years after their self-titled debut and nine years after Hart's first band, Olivia Tremor Control, hung up their jacket. Working with many of the same members as OTC, Hart's Circulatory System has continued the tradition of weaving multiple layers of sound, noise, and harmony that take you in and out of chaos.
The record is promised to be a tight 45 minutes and will be released on Cloud Recordings September 8 (not today, as previously scheduled) on CD and digital download. The record version is coming out in October, though they've started taking pre-orders on their site. As of right this second, 150 out of the 300 limited deluxe editions have already sold! These limited packages include another side of music, full of demos and alternate takes and featuring home-spun album covers made by Hart himself.
Oh, and they're also touring.
Dates:
08.15.09 - Asheville, NC - Transfigurations 2009
09.07.09 - Chapel Hill, NC - Nightlight *
09.08.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie *
09.09.09 - New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge *
09.10.09 - Worcester, MA - The Grind at Clark University *
09.11.09 - Purchase, NY - The Student Center at SUNY Purchase *
09.12.09 - Monticello, NY - All Tomorrow's Parties
09.14.09 - Boston, MA - YMCA Theatre *
09.15.09 - Geneseo, NY - Union Plaza at SUNY Geneseo *
09.16.09 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop *
09.17.09 - Pontiac, MI - Pike Room *
09.18.09 - Chicago, IL - Chopin Theatre *
09.19.09 - Lexington, KY - Al's Bar *
09.20.09 - Knoxville, TN - The Pilot Light *
* Pipes You See, Pipes You Don’t and Nesey Gallons
The Mountain Goats and Final Fantasy Nerd Out Together on US Tour
By Elzee on 08-04-2009
John Darnielle, the man behind The Mountain Goats, is a huge nerd about boxing, grindcore, and the Bible. His band has a new album coming out that is inspired by lessons that Darnielle has learned from the Bible. Owen Pallett, the man behind Final Fantasy, is a huge video game nerd. His band is named after the Final Fantasy video game series, and his last album was inspired by that same game. Put them together and you have two of the nerdiest people in music.
Perhaps in an effort to increase nerdiness in the world, Owen Pallett arranged the strings for The Mountain Goats’ upcoming album, The Life Of the World to Come (TMT News). And now, The Mountain Goats have announced that Final Fantasy will open for them on a comprehensive US tour. As his opening act, Owen Pallett will play audience-selected RPGs for 45 minutes. For their set, Darnielle and bandmate Peter Hughes will act out the Bible stories referenced in Life of the World’s titles. No music will be played at any of the shows. Maybe. Find out for yourself at one of the shows!
This Is the Dream of John and Owen:
11.04.09 - Grand Rapids, MI - Ladies Literary Club (Calvin College)
11.05.09 - Chicago, IL - the Metro
11.06.09 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
11.07.09 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Centre
11.10.09 - Seattle, WA - the Showbox
11.11.09 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
11.14.09 - San Francisco, CA - the Fillmore
11.15.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theater
11.18.09 - Austin, TX - Antones
11.19.09 - Dallas TX - Granada Theater
11.20.09 - Nashville TN - Mercy Lounge
11.21.09 - Atlanta, GA - the Variety Playhouse
11.23.09 - Orlando, FL - the Social
11.24.09 – St. Augustine, FL - Café 11
11.27.09 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
11.28.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Theater of Living Arts
11.29.09 - Boston MA - Wilbur Theatre
12.01.09 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
12.02.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Bell House
Apple and the Big Four Combine Revolutionary Ideas to Create a Revolution That Will Revolutionize the Concept of the Album, Name It After Shitty Tom Cruise Movie
By Nat Towsen on 08-04-2009
Comrades, prepare to arms! The Revolution is finally coming! No, not a political revolution to overthrow the powers that be and redistribute the wealth amongst the people. Think bigger! Nope, not a cultural revolution to shock the status quo and replace xenophobia with new, abstract ideals. This is something important! Not even a revolution of the mind that will lift us from our bodies and take us to a state of post-human thought. Today, we speak of something much more important, a true revolution!
I am talking, brothers and sisters, about revolutionizing the album. The Financial Times reported last week that Apple (always leaders of the revolution -- didn’t you see their “Think Different” campaign?) has teamed up with the radicals at EMI, Sony Music, Warner Music, and Universal Music to create a new type of digital album, focused on “re-creating the heyday of the album when you would sit around with your friends looking at the artwork, while you listened to the music.” Remember how you used to do that? With your friends?
The album will be revolutionized by adding extra art, liner notes, lyrics, and... (cue the revolutionary anthem, probably a John Legend song) …interactive content. The project has been codenamed “Cocktail,”, so be sure to use that code word when you see others bearing the symbol of the revolution. There have also been revolutionary rumors of Apple releasing a Kindle-esque tablet-style e-book-reader that would also play music, so be sure to buy that too... if you want to stay on the forefront of the revolution!
Said Tom Cruise, communicating telepathically (he can do that, he’s OT7) from a Scientologist fortress at the center of the Earth, “The revolution will be thoroughly televised.”
Au Announces New EP, Goes on Tour, Celebrates the Magic of Vowels
By E. Nagurney on 08-04-2009
Vowels... where would we be without them? In a world without vowels, this sentence would look like a text message a 14-year-old frantically wrote in the middle of history class. Similarly, Au’s name would be pure silence. And I thought Women was hard enough to Google.
Thankfully, we live in a world rich with vowels, and to celebrate, Portland’s avant-folksters Au are releasing a new EP called Versions on October 8. The six-song EP follows up last year’s grammatically focused Verbs (TMT Review). If you’ve heard that record, some of the song titles on Versions should be familiar: the EP contains reworkings of Au tracks from Verbs and their self-titled debut (TMT Review), along with the completely new track “Ida Walked Away.” An MP3 of the the new song is available here.
Simply releasing a new EP isn’t going to be quite enough to get all that vowels-based excitement out of their system, though. To spread the mighty word of the vowel across the world, Au is doing an impressive amount of touring this fall: first, a short Midwest tour, then a European jaunt, and finally a huge U.S. tour. On this final part of the tour, they will be joined by downbeat anticon. crew WHY? (and I thought Au and Women were hard enough to Google). Hopefully, those WHY? guys learn a thing or two from Au’s love of the English language. A question mark in a proper name? Sounds like someone was sleeping in class.
Vrsns trcklst:
1. Ida Walked Away
2. RR vs. D
3. Are Animals
4. All Myself
5. Death
6. Boute (digital only)
Au fall tour:
08.29.09 - Nampa, ID - Flying M Coffee Garage
08.31.09 - Denver, CO - House Show
09.01.09 - Kansas City, MO - Pistol Social Club
09.02.09 - Bloomington, IN - The Bishop
09.08.09 - Oslo, Norway - Klubbscenen / Chateau Neuf
09.09.09 - Bergen, Norway - Phonofestivalen / Hinsides
09.10.09 - Stavanger, Norway - Numusic Festival
09.11.09 - Ramsgate, UK - Belgian Cafe
09.12.09 - Brighton, UK - The Freebutt
09.13.09 - Wiltshire, UK - End of the Road Festival
09.14.09 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell
09.15.09 - Manchester, UK - Islington Mill
09.16.09 - London, UK - Cafe Oto
09.17.09 - Nancy, France - Le Clou
09.18.09 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Theater Nikker
09.19.09 - Tilburg, Netherlands - Incubate Festival
09.20.09 - Dunkerque, France - Mon Inouie Symphonie Festival
09.29.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall
10.01.09 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East %
10.02.09 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church %
10.03.09 - Pittsburgh, PA - Assembly Room, William Pitt Union (free!) %
10.04.09 - Ann Arbor, MI - The Blind Pig %
10.05.09 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge %
10.06.09 - Madison, WI - UW Madison Terrace %
10.07.09 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock %
10.09.09 - Denver, CO - Bluebird %
10.10.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue %
10.13.09 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios
10.15.09 - Seattle, WA - Jewelbox Theater
10.17.09 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall %#
10.20.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex %
10.23.09 - Phoenix, AZ - Modified Arts %
10.24.09 - Tucson, AZ - Club Congress %
10.26.09 - Denton, TX - Hailey’s %
10.28.09 - Birmingham, AL - Bottletree %
10.29.09 - Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle %
10.30.09 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle %
10.31.09 - Atlanta, GA - Lenny’s %$*
11.02.09 - Orlando, FL - The Social %
11.03.09 - Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds %
11.04.09 - Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder %
11.06.09 - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon %
11.07.09 - Houston, TX - Walter’s On Washington %
11.08.09 - Austin, TX - Venue TBA (Fun Fun Fun Fest After Party)
11.10.09 - Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Music Hall %
11.11.09 - St. Louis, MO - Freebird %
% Why?
# Mount Eerie
$ Islands
* Jemina Pearl
Wouldn’t It Be Nice… If Brian Wilson Toured Again?
By Kenny Bloggins on 08-04-2009
I had the privilege of seeing Brian Wilson speak. Yes, speak. He was the featured keynote speaker at the CMJ 2004 Music Marathon and Conference and discussed his decision to release the Smile sessions. Well, actually, Van Dyke Parks did almost all the talking and would then proceed to ask Brian "isn't that right?" There was something powerful and charming in his shyness, that this legendary savant still lived in his own sunshine-soaked world. I can only imagine that a full performance by the former Beach Boy is even more otherworldly.
Luckily for you, U.S. residents, Brian comes out of seclusion once more this fall to play some fuckin' rock shows. And they all happen to be at some random places, including Lake Tahoe, Kevin Smith's stomping ground of Red Bank, NJ, a ghoulish Halloween show in spooky Virginia Beach, and WVU in Morgantown, which is decidedly in the middle of nowhere
10.23.09 - Mount Pleasant, MI - Soaring Eagle Casino
10.24.09 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre
10.26.09 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
10.27.09 - Englewood, NJ - Bergen Performing Arts Center
10.29.09 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre
10.31.09 - Virginia Beach, VA - Sandler Center for the Performing Arts
11.01.09 - Morgantown, WV - Creative Arts Center at WVU
11.03.09 - Concord, NH - The Capitol Center
11.04.09 - Providence, RI - Lupo's
11.06.09 - Pittsburgh, PA - Carnegie Music Hall
11.07.09 - Rochester, NY - Auditorium Theatre
11.08.09 - Westbury, NY - The Capitol One Bank Theatre
11.10.09 - Albany, NY - The Egg
11.11.09 - Wilkes-Barre, PA - Kirby Center
11.13.09 - Morristown, NJ - Community Theatre at Mayo
12.03.09 - Agoura Hills, CA - Canyon Club December
12.05.09 - Stateline, NV - Harrah's Lake Tahoe
