So what does it mean to be left-handed? There’s got to be more to it than an affinity with Helen Keller, Jimi Hendrix, and Michelangelo, or the need for a left-handed can opener. Mice Parade just might have the answer — or perhaps Adam Pierce simply has no qualms about false advertising. What It Means to Be Left-Handed, Pierce’s next album (marking the first of the second decade in which he has taken on a rodent moniker, and first since 2007) will be released September 14 on FatCat Records.
According to the press release, “splashes of West African Highlife mingle with Flamenco, Brazilian jazz, and the late 80s indie rock that band founder Adam Pierce was stuck on in high school.” Such a trendy hodgepodge of cultures is bolstered by an almost absurdly multifarious list of collaborators: Pierce’s tour lineup includes classical guitarist Dan Lippel, Caroline Lufkin, and Doug Scharin (drummer for HiM — insert shrug), but for various What It Means tracks, he’s also recruited Gregory and The Hawk’s Meredith Godreau, the Swahili singer Somi, and members of Clammbon. To satisfy that “80s indie rock” promise, the album includes a cover of “Mallo Cup” by The Lemonheads, in addition to the swirls of stylistic appropriation encompassing all the rest. There is also a cover of Tom Brosseau’s far more recent song, “Mary Anne” (originally on Empty Houses Are Lonely [TMT Review]) As of now, you can listen to “In Between Times” on Stereogum, a poppy, heavily percussive ditty replete with hand-claps and pleasantly melodic vocals from Caroline Lufkin. Fall tourdates coming soon!
What It Means to Be Left-Handed tracklisting:
01. Kupanda
02. In Between Times
03. Do Your Eyes See Sparks
04. Couches & Carpets
05. Pond
06. Recover
07. Old Hat
08. Mallo Cup
09. Remember the Magic Carpet
10. Even
11. Tokyo Late Night
12. Fortune of Folly
13. Mary Anne
09.23 - Allston MA @ Great Scott
09.24 - Philadelphia, PA @ TBA
09.25 - New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
09.27 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
09.28 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
09.29 - Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo
09.30 - Montreal, QC @ Le Divan Orange (Pop Montreal)
10.01 - Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
• Mice Parade: http://www.myspace.com/miceparadeband
• FatCat Records: http://fat-cat.co.uk
