Boy, I don’t wanna sound like a dick or anything, but…you guys sure are needy!
I mean, can’t you monsters just give Lee Ranaldo a moment’s peace without DEMANDING more galvanizing live appearances and electrifying audio/visual content??
Wasn’t his triumphant, non-exclusive TMT announcement last month of a brand new album entitled Electric Trim (which, yes, yes — is still out September 15 via Mute; calm the fuck DOWN!), along with a sweet music video for lead single "Circular (Right as Rain)" and a reasonable-sized run of US tour dates ENOUGH "content" for you??
Ugh. Jeez. FINE. Twist poor Lee Ranaldo's guitar-strumming arm. I hope you're proud of yourselves, readers.
In order to placate you, the shredmaster has begrudgingly unveiled a new video for album track "New Thing." It was directed by Galaxie 500's Naomi Yang and finds the poor, overworked troubadour "travelling through New York City" "hold[ing] a mirror to our current all-consuming obsession with smartphones and small screens."
"I’ve described ‘New Thing’ as ‘my song about the Internet,’" Ranaldo says, "about our thousands of ‘friends’ and the obsession with accumulating ‘likes.’" And, as Yang explains, “We didn’t have to do anything more than hit the streets of New York to find the familiar scenario of everyone out and about glued to their screens. And so Lee, although he was carrying around a cumbersome vintage screen, was not so out of place."
And YEAH, before you even ask: he’s also agreed (graciously, I might add!) to play one or two dozen MORE shows around the North American continent this fall in order to help satisfy your gluttonous appetites. Check out those dates after the video clip down below. Now, please, let the guy a little rest after that and ENTERTAIN YOURSELVES for like two seconds! (Maybe pull out that smartphone?)
Ranaldo round-up:
10.24.17 - Los Angeles, CA - Zebulon
10.25.17 - San Francisco, CA - The Chapel
10.27.17 - Portland, OR - Bunk Bar
10.28.17 - Seattle, WA - Barboza
10.29.17 - Vancouver, BC - The Cobalt
11.01.17 - Burlington, VT - ArtsRiot
11.02.17 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa
11.03.17 - Toronto, ON - Great Hall
11.04.17 - Detroit, MI - El Club
11.05.17 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean
11.08.17 - Boston, MA - ONCE Ballroom
11.09.17 - Brooklyn, NY - Bell House
11.10.17 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s
11.11.17 - Washington, DC - Black Cat
More about: Lee Ranaldo
