Chris Mills Announces New Release, First Tour in Three Years

Chris Mills is one of those singer-songwriters who just melts your heart with his lyrics. Word came today that Mills will release a new record, Alexandria and start his first U.S. tour in three years come mid-January 2014. His new album features nine originals recorded in New York, Chicago, and Oslo, Norway, and mixed by Grammy award winning engineer Ryan Freeland (Tift Merrit, Ray LeMontagne, Aimee Mann). Mills will head to Europe for a run of dates in February before returning to the states to perform at SXSW in March. Other U.S. dates to be announced soon.

Chris Mills U.S. tour
 1/19 - Cambridge, MA - Atwoods
1/23 - St. Louis, IL - Off Broadway
1/24 - Chicago, IL - Schuba's
1/25 - Madison, WI - Kiki's House of Righteous Music
1/26 - St. Paul, MN - Amsterdam
1/29 - Yipsilanti, MI - Woodruff's
1/30 - Cleveland - Grog Shop
1/31 - Toledo, OH - Frankies
2/1 - Cincinnati, OH - House Concert
2/2 - Chicago, IL - Saki Store In-store
2/8 - Peacedale, RI - Roots Hoot House Concert

Additional Pulp Live Dates Announced

A lot of bands are reuniting but Pulp's website is one that's done it with creativity than I've seen in some time. Check it out...Pulp People.

The announcement that Pulp is one of the reunited bands playing Coachella this year sent a lot of music fans into a joyous frenzy, so the additional US shows released-one on each coast thus far, with the NYC date preceding Coachella-should send them right into the stratosphere. No announcement of on-sale yet though, but it is interesting the date isn't even on the Radio City Music Hall website yet...

4/11: Radio City Music Hall, NYC
4/13: Coachella, Indio, CA,
4/17: Warfield, San Francisco, CA
4/20: Coachella, Indio, CA
5/4: SOS Festival, Murcia, Spain

Craig Finn's Solo Record, Clear Heart Full Eyes Out in January, Tour Dates Announced

The Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn made a solo record this year while The Hold Steady in on their break. Titled Clear Heart Full Eyes, the 11 tracks come across a tad twangier than the full on testosterone-laden rock normally heard in The Hold Steady.

Craig Finn - Honolulu Blues by Vagrant Records

Finn is touring behind the record as well. Tickets go on sale this Friday (12/16).

Craig Finn 2012 Tour Dates
2/01 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada*
2/02 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory*
2/03 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown*
2/04 - Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club*
2/06 - Iowa City, IA @ The Mill*
2/07 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle*
2/08 - Detroit, MI @ The Lager House*
2/09 - Columbus, OH @ The Basement*
2/10 - St Louis, MO @ Off Broadway*
2/11 - Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar*
2/13 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge*
2/19 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah*
2/20 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour*
2/21 - San Francisco, CA @ Noise Pop at Bottom of the Hill
2/23 - Portland, OR @ The Doug Fir Lounge*
2/24 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile*
2/27 - Ringwood, NJ Live @ Drew's House
2/28 - Allston, MA @ Great Scott#
2/29 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge (Late Show)#
3/01 - Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's#
3/02 - Washington, DC @ Rock N Roll Hotel#
3/03 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506#
3/05 - Atlanta, GA @Earl#
* - w/ Mount Moriah
# - w/ Marcellus Hall

Finn talks some about his inspiration for the songs and the making of the record. Accompanying Finn in the studio were members of White Denim, The Heartless Bastards, Phosphorescent, and Centro-matic. About the title, he says, "I’m calling this record Clear Heart Full Eyes. It’s a juxtaposed reference to Friday Night Lights, a TV show that excited and moved me and also happened in Texas. Further, “Clear Heart” signifies honesty and transparency, and “Full Eyes” suggests experience. Thus, it’s about being optimistic and open without succumbing to the weariness or doubt that comes with age and experience. To me, that is what it’s all about.”

Craig Finn "Clear Heart Full Eyes" from Helms Workshop on Vimeo.

Weekend Announces West Coast Dates for 2012

When shooting a headlining band, and there is no photo pit, I have to get there when doors open. As such, that means hearing the opening act as well. This can span the tolerable-meter spectrum, anywhere from "god-awful" to "how have I lived this long and not heard these guys?"

When I covered and photographed Wire earlier this last year, the San Francisco-based Weekend opened, and I most definitely wondered the latter. Full of feedback and shoegazing thrash, I distinctly recall looking at the folks standing near me after, all of us having that same look of, "Holy shit, did you just see that??"

Weekend have been non-stop touring this year, supporting bands like The Kills and Talk Normal, but they announced today three headlining dates in the new year (sadly, just on the west coast).

02/01: The New Parish, Oakland, CA
02/11: The Loft @ UCSD, San Diego, CA
02/12: The Echo, Los Angeles, CA

Weekend released the 5-track EP Red earlier this year, their follow up to 2010's Sports.

Give a Listen: The One You Want-Weekend/Buy Red

Peter Wolf Crier to Release New Record, Tour in September

Peter Wolf Crier is a Minneapolis, MN-based duo that makes incredibly lush music using just a drum and a guitar. I've long thought their music sounds like that feeling of sitting before a fire during a snowstorm: quiet, warm, and full, with just a hint of danger running underneath (what if we're snowed in forever gaaaah). Their 2010 debut, Inter-Be, includes "Untitled 101" which is quite the stunning pining-for-love-prayer.

PWC will release its follow-up to Inter-Be with the full-length Garden of Arms on 9/6. Says they of it, rather accurately:

Peter Wolf Crier's second album Garden of Arms is a document that paints a vivid portrait of all the pain and beauty of growth. Written with the at-home repose demanded by performing a hundred shows in six months, these eleven tracks were nurtured from their hushed origins with a new-found footing of confidence and experimentation. Adapting the tenets of the grinding live show, the duo of Peter Pisano and Brian Moen transformed the fuzzy distortion, rolling and crashing drums, and laser-focused purposefulness into an intensely dynamic yet supremely polished album.

Give a Listen: Settling It Off-Peter Wolf Crier (from Garden of Arms)

Peter Wolf Crier Tour Dates
09/23 Minneapolis, MN- Cedar Cultural Center
09/24 Chicago, IL- Schubas
09/27 Cambridge, MA- The Middle East (Upstairs)*
09/28 Philadelphia, PA- Kung Fu Necktie*
09/29 Washington DC- Red Palace
09/30 New York, NY- Mercury Lounge*
10/03 Chapel Hill, NC- Local 506*
10/04 Atlanta, GA- Drunken Unicorn*
10/07 Austin, TX- Lambert's*
10/08 Denton, TX- Dan's SilverLeaf*
10/10 Norman, OK- Opolis*
10/11 Columbia, MO- Mojo's*
10/12 Bloomington, IN- The Bishop*
10/13 Bloomington, IL- The Castle Theatre
10/14 Madison, WI- The Sett*
10/15 Milwaukee, WI- Club Garibaldi
10/24 St. Louis, MO- Off Broadway
10/25 Omaha, NE- The Waiting Room
10/27 Denver, CO- Hi-Dive
10/28 Salt Lake City, UT- Kilby Court
10/29 Boise, ID- The Neurolux
11/01 Portland, OR- Mississippi Studios
11/02 Seattle, WA- Tractor Tavern
11/04 San Francisco, CA- Cafe du Nord
11/05 Visalia, CA- Cellar Door
11/06 Santa Cruz, CA- Crepe Place
11/07 Santa Barbara, CA- Muddy Waters
11/08 Los Angeles, CA- Bootleg Theatre
11/11 Tucson, AZ- Solar Culture
11/12 Santa Fe, NM- SOL @ Santa Fe Brewing Company
11/14 Lawrence, KS- Jackpot Music Hall
11/15 Ames, IA- Maintenance Shop

*with Milagres

Surfer Blood to Release New EP, Opening for Pixies This Fall

The big rock sound of Surfer Blood is returning in October (25th to be exact) in the form of a four-track EP titled The Tarot Classics. The record is being released on vinyl, digital, and CD, and each format will include bonus remixes by Totally Sincere (Connor Hanwick of The Drums and Peggy Wang of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart), San Francisco-based Speculator, School of Seven Bells and Allen Blickle. Tarot is the follow up to 2010's Astro Coast.



Tracklist
1. I’m Not Ready
2. Miranda
3. Voyager Reprise
4. Drinking Problem

Surfer Blood will be opening for The Pixies on dates this fall. Check out the coverage we did of their DC show earlier this year for WCP over here .

Surfer Blood Fall 2010 Tour Dates
(Headlining)
8/27: LOUfest Music Festival, St Louis, MO
8/31: Neumo’s, Seattle, WA
9/3: Roseland Theater, Portland, OR
9/10: Firestone Fest, Orlando, FL

9/16: Echoplex, Los Angeles, CA
9/21: Crowbar, Tampa, FL

9/22: Double Down Live, Gainesville, FL


Opening for The Pixies
10/27: The Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ * 

10/28: Asbury Park Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ *
10/29: Palace Theatre, Waterbury, CT * 

10/30: Hampton Beach Ballroom, Hampton Beach, NH * 

11/1: State Theatre, Portland, ME * 

11/2: The Armory, Rochester, NY * 

11/3: State Theatre Center for the Arts, Easton, PA * 

11/5: Paramount Theatre, Huntington, NY *

11/6: Grand Opera House, Wilmington, DE*
11/8: War Memorial Auditorium, Greensboro, NC*
11/9: Louisville Palace Theatre, Louisville, KY * 

11/10: Tennessee Theatre, Knoxville, TN * 

11/11: North Charleston Performing Arts Center, North Charleston,SC*

Sondre Lerche Announces New Record, Tour Dates (Includes SXSW Shows)

Sondre Lerche has one of those other-worldly voices of beauty that can bring light to the deep and dark places. (Check out this video for a perfect example, long one of my favorites.)

Lerche is releasing a self-titled record, his sixth, on 6/7 this year. What will be interesting to hear is that many of the tracks are one-takes. "We recorded a lot of it to tape, forcing ourselves to either commit or burn bridges and move on," said Lerche. "We were killing darlings left and right. It was truly liberating."

Lerche also announced a slew of shows he'll do in support of the record throughout June (and prior to that, SXSW yayayayay!) Pre-sale for shows is on now through tomorrow (3/3) at 8 am on Sondre Lerche.com.

Sondre Lerche Tour
@ SXSW
3/16:
-SXSW Bookstore Signing (1:45pm)
-Paste Day Party (Stage on Sixth - 6:30pm)
3/17:
-Rawkblog Party (The Liberty - 6pm)
-Yep Roc Music Showcase (Maggie Mae's - 9pm)
3/18: Bella Union / Zeitgeist Showcase (Central Presbyterian Church - 11pm)

Headlining Tour
5/31: Mod Club Toronto, ON
6/1: Sala Rossa Montreal, QC
6/2: Paradise Boston, MA
6/3: World Café Philadelphia, PA
6/4: The Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
6/7:The 9:30 Club Washington, DC
6/9: Cats' Cradle Carrboro, NC
6/10: 12th & Porter Nashville, TN
6/11: The Variety Atlanta, GA
6/12: Workplay Birmingham, AL
6/14: Southgate House Newport, KY
6/15: Old Rock House St Louis, MO
6/17: Fine Line Minneapolis, MI
6/18: Schubas Chicago, IL
6/19: Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
6/21: Larimer Lounge Denver, CO
6/22: Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
6/24: Biltmore Vancouver, BC
6/25: The Croc Seattle, WA
6/26: Doug Fir Portland, OR
6/28: Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA
6/29: El Rey Los Angeles, CA
6/30: Belly Up San Diego, CA

Dismemberment Plan Kick Off Reunion Shows on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon"

Members of DC's The Dismemberment Plan are probably the most beloved people amongst this city's music dorks this weekend. D-Plan's reunion shows for the Black Cat tonight and 930 Club tomorrow and Sunday sold out instantly when they went onsale months ago, these being their first live shows since 2007 (the Cal Robbins benefit).

Last night, the Plan kicked off this "reunion tour" in NYC with a few songs on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

"The City"


"What Do You Want Me To Say"


But D-Plan isn't stopping at DC. Up until spring, they're playing an odd collection of cities not really near each other like Japan and then Chicago. I'll be shooting the 930 Club show for the WCP on Saturday so check back.

Dismemberment Plan Reunion Tour Dates
01.21.11 - Washington, DC - Black Cat
01.22.11 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
01.23.11 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
01.27.11 - Philadelphia, PA - The Starlight Ballroom
01.28.11 - Boston, MA - Paradise
01.29.11 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
01.29.11 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
02.07.11 - Kyoto, Japan - Taku-Taku
02.08.11 - Nagoya, Japan - Apollo Theater
02.09.11 - Tokyo, Japan - O-Nest
02.13.11 - Tokyo, Japan - O-West
02.19.11 - Chicago, IL - The Metro
02.19.11 - Chicago, IL - The Metro
03.12.11 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo

What the World Needs Now: David Lowery Releasing Solo Debut, Cracker & Camper Van Beethoven Touring January 2011

RadioVA interviewer, Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven frontman Dave Lowery is releasing his first solo record on 2/1, The Palace Guards.

A little Appalachian-woven folk, a little psychedelia, and a little of the usual suspects for a Lowery song, the record is meant to show many of the musical sides of Lowery and his cohorts. “One of the reasons the album sounds the way it does is that I have pretty strong personalities playing with me,” says Lowery, “guys who I’ve worked with for years, who have done engineering or playing on Camper and Cracker albums. There’s that instant easy rapport that shines through. Working with them brought out the more extreme edges in these songs and amplified them. It was also liberating to start with no preconceived notions of what they would end up sounding like or worrying about how they might sound in a live setting, as I have to do when I write songs for Cracker."

The Palace Guards has many of the musicians that Lowery has played with over the years at his Richmond, VA-based studio (Sound of Music), as well as Cracker bandmates Sal Maida and Johnny Hickman, and the late Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse) who played keyboards on “Big Life.”

Tracklist for The Palace Guards
1. Raise 'em up on Honey
2. The Palace Guards
3. Deep Oblivion
4. Ah, You Left Me
5. Baby, All Those Girls Meant Nothing To Me
6. I Sold the Arabs the Moon
7. Marigold
8. Big Life
9. Submarine

Give a Listen: The Palace Guards-Dave Lowery/Buy The Palace Guards

In January, Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker will join together to perform Key Lime Pie and Kerosene Hat respectively, in their entireties, live as a doubleheader on the east coast. New music from both bands will be out in 2011.

CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN & CRACKER'S "KEY LIME & KEROSENE" SHOWS
1/14: NY, NY, Highline Ballroom
1/15: Toronto, ONT, Lee’s Palace
1/16: Cambridge, MA, Middle East Downstairs

Foxy Shazam and Free Energy to Tour This Fall

Foxy Shazam and Free Energy announced today that they are hitting the road together this fall. The DC date is at Rock and Roll Hotel...be sure to wear earplugs because Foxy's bombastic sound + small space that is RnR=guaranteed deafness without them.

Foxy Shazam/Free Energy Fall 2010 Tour Dates
10/12 – Portland, ME @ Space
10/13 – Providence, RI @ Jerky’s
10/14 – Burlington, VT @ Club Metronome
10/15 – Montreal, QC @ The Juke Box
10/16 – Toronto, ON @ The Horseshoe
10/18 – Columbus, OH @ The Summit
10/19 – Nashville, TN @ The End
10/20 – St Louis, MO @ The Old Rock House
10/21 – Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
10/22 – Dallas, TX @ The Loft
10/23 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
10/25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room
10/26 – San Diego, CA @ 710 Beach Club
10/28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
10/29 – San Francisco, CA @ Slims
10/30 – San Jose, CA @ The Blank Club
11/10 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
11/11 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Café
11/12 – Vancouver, BC @ Media Club
11/14 – Edmonton, AB @ Pawn Shop
11/15 – Calgary, AB @ The Republik
11/16 – Saskatoon, SK @ Amigos
11/17 – Winnipeg, MB @ The Pyramid
11/18 – Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar
11/19 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
11/20 – Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio
11/21 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
11/22 – Albany, NY @ Valentines
11/23 – Boston, MA @ Paradise
11/24 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
11/26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
11/27 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theater of Living Arts
12/01 – Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel

Fountains of Wayne Announce Fall Tour Dates, New Release

From NY but named for a now-defunct fountain store in Wayne, NJ, Fountains of Wayne announced they'll be releasing the follow up to 2007's Traffic and Weather early next year. In the meantime, they're playing a few weeks of live shows starting September 30th, including a two night stand here at the Birchmere 10/4 and 10/5.

Marshall Crenshaw and Jill Sobule will open on select dates.

Fountains of Wayne Fall 2010 Tour Dates
Sep 30: Cashah, San Diego, CA
Oct 1: Troubador, Los Angeles, CA
Oct 2: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, San Francisco, CA
Oct 4-5: Birchmere, Alexandria, VA
Oct 7: Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
Oct 8: Paradise, Boston, MA
Oct 9: Pearl Street, Northampton, MA
Oct 12: Sellersvile Theater, Sellersville, PA
Oct 13: Met Cafe, Pawtucket, RI
Oct 14: Port City Music Hall, Portland, ME

Give a Listen: Hit Me Baby One More Time-Fountains of Wayne

DC's Dismemberment Plan Reuniting for Shows in 2011

I'll take "No One Is Left to Reunite Who is Still Alive" for $200 Alex....

The Washington Post reported today that DC-wunderkins The Dismemberment Plan are planning a brief reunion for five shows in January "to support the vinyl reissue of its beloved 1999 album, Emergency & I," says the Post. After that, they'll play it by ear.

"We're not planning a new record," bassist Eric Axelson tells Click Track. "But we're doing these shows and taking it day to day after that."

Axelson says the reissue has been in the works for over a year, but January's reunion shows weren't initially a part of the discussion -- until the band members all found themselves at drummer Joe Easley's house in Northwest D.C. "We thought, 'Let's go into the basement and play a little bit,'" Axelson says. "That felt kind of good."

Since then, the group has been hustling to re-learn the songs it toured so doggedly behind during its ten year run from 1993 to 2003. "For a long time you play those songs six, seven nights a week and you know them like your own breath," Axelson says. "So it's funny to have to dig them up."

Seattle indie label Barsuk Records will release Emergency and I on Jan. 11. The double LP's gatefold sleeve will include an oral history of the album, conducted by Josh Modell of The Onion.

The Post will be providing ticket sale info later this week.

Updated 3:06 pm: Per bassist Eric Axelson, tickets for all shows go onsale this Friday (9/17) at noon. The Webster Hall show has an AmEx presale on Wednesday, 9/15. Links to each of the venues for purchase can be found here.

The Dismemberment Plan 2011 Reunion Tour
Jan. 21: Black Cat, Washington, D.C
Jan. 22: 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C.
Jan. 27: Starlight Ballroom, Philadelphia, PA
Jan. 28: Paradise, Boston, MA
Jan. 29: Webster Hall, New York, NY

Deer Tick Announces Fall Tour Dates

(Deer Tick at the Americana Music Association Showcase, SXSW 2010. See the rest of the photos here)

Deer Tick is heading back out on the road in October in support of The Black Dirt Sessions. Lead singer John McCauley brings his Camel-corroded rasp and the band's twangy-by-the-fireside riffs across the eastern southeast to Cali this time, then back across through the northern regions,just in time for the cold winter air. But that makes sense somehow; a heavy-chord laden song like "Pieces" just doesn't sound like summertime you know?

Deer Tick will be at the Black Cat on 11/2.

Give a Listen: Pieces-Deer Tick/Buy The Black Dirt Sessions

Deer Tick Fall 2010 Tour

Wed-Oct-06: Chapel Hill, NC, Local 506
Thu-Oct-07: Athens, GA 40 Watt Club *#
Fri-Oct-08: Greenville, SC Fall For Greenville *
Sat-Oct-09: Auburn, AL Bourbon Street *
Sun-Oct-10: Birmingham, AL Zydeco
Mon-Oct-11: New Orleans, LA One Eyed Jacks
Tue-Oct-12: Houston, TX The Bronze Peacock Room @ House of Blues
Wed-Oct-13: Austin, TX Emo's
Thu-Oct-14: Laredo, TX Old No. 2
Sat-Oct-16: Tempe, AZ Sail Inn
Sun-Oct-17: San Diego, CA The Loft / UCSD
Tue-Oct-19: Los Angeles, CA El Rey
Wed-Oct-20: San Francisco, CA Regency Ballroom
Thu-Oct-21: Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
Fri-Oct-22: Vancouver, BC Biltmore Cabaret %
Sat-Oct-23: Bellingham, WA Wild Buffalo
Sun-Oct-24: Seattle, WA Neumos
Tue-Oct-26: Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
Wed-Oct-27: Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
Thu-Oct-28: Omaha, NE TBD
Fri-Oct-29: Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock Social Club
Sat-Oct-30: Chicago, IL Bottom Lounge
Tue-Nov-02: Washington, DC Black Cat
Wed-Nov-03: Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church

* = w/ JASON ISBELL
# = w/ Blitzen Trapper, Malcomb Holcolmbe
% = w/ Phosphorescent

Airborne Toxic Event Doing Acoustic Tour with Calder Quartet in September, Releasing Show Documentary Film

The Airborne Toxic Event is currently at work on their second record, set for a release in early 2011, but they announced yesterday that they will be heading back out this fall to do a series of acoustic dates with The Calder Quartet. This includes a DC date at the Sixth and I Synagogue. Probably be a bit tight on that stage with all of them but if you've been there, you know it's a great place to see a show.

For many of the dates, there is a presale going on now with various packages, including VIP (here). The public onsale for most dates is this weekend (starting tomorrow).



Fall tour dates for The Airborne Toxic Event w/ the Calder Quartet
Sept. 7: Sixth and I Synagogue, Washington, DC
Onsale: Friday, 7/16, 10 AM (here)

Sept. 8: Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA
Public Onsale: Friday 7/16, 10 AM (here)

Sept. 10: Keswick Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
Public Onsale: Friday 7/16, noon, (here)

Sept. 11: Town Hall, New York, NY
Publilc Onsale: Friday 7/16, 11 AM, (here)
Presale Amex Card Members: Wed 7/14-Fri 7/16, 10 AM (here)

Sept. 13: Trinity St. Paul's Church, Toronto, ON
Public Onsale: Friday 7/16, 10 AM (here)
Presale: Thurs 7/15, 10AM-10PM (here)

Sept. 15: Park West, Chicago, IL
Public Onsale: Saturday, 7/17, 10 AM (here)

Sept. 18: Town Hall, Seattle, WA
Public Onsale: Unsure, not even on the Town Hall calendar yet.
Presale: Tickets can be purchased right now (here)

Sept. 19: Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
Public Onsale: Sunday 7/18, 10 AM (here)

Sept. 22: John Anson Ford Ampitheatre, Los Angeles, CA
Public Onsale: Unsure, not even on the venue calendar yet.
Presale: Tickets can be purchased right now (here)

Fun fact: This tour out will also be a family affair for them as Calder violinist Andrew Bulbrook is, in fact, the brother of ATE's violinist Anna Bulbrook. The Calder Quartet has played with ATE often over the past couple of years, including their sold-out show last December at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. That show was filmed and made into a documentary film being released on DVD.

The DVD, titled "All I Ever Wanted: Live from the Walt Disney Concert Hall," is out 9/7. The show features selections from that album, as well as new songs and never-before-recorded cover versions of the Ramones' "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?" (with the Belmont High School Marching Band), the Magnet Fields' "The Book of Love," and Q Lazzarus's "Goodbye Horses."

The Hold Steady Announce September/October Tour Dates, Includes DC!

Hey Craig Finn, we're just as excited as you 'cause The Hold Steady released tour dates today for September and October leg of the Heaven is Whenever tour, and finally, one of them is DC, woot! Fellow Vagrant label-mate Wintersleep will be opening on every date sans 10/20 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Tickets will be available for pre-sale tomorrow (7/14) here. General public sale is 7/16 (Friday).

September
20th - Richmond, VA - The National
21st - Nashville, TN - Exit / In
22nd - Oxford, MS - The Lyric Oxford
23rd - Little Rock, AR - Revolution Music Room
24th - New Orleans, LA - Republic New Orleans
25th - Birmingham, AL - WorkPlay Soundstage
27th - Charleston, SC - Music Farm
28th - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
29th - Lexington-Fayette, KY - Buster's Billiards & Backroom
30th - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue

October
1st - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
2nd - Newport, KY - The Historic Southgate House
4th - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
5th - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero Theatre
6th - Boston, MA - Royale Boston
7th - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
* 20th - Hailfax, NS - Pop Explosion Fest (The Paragon Theatre)

Tommy Keene to Release Retrospective CD, Announces September Shows

930 Club 30th Anniversary Show, Washington, DC (5-31-2010)-7957, originally uploaded by BetweenLoveandLike.

Power pop, when done wrong, can leave a sacchrine taste in one's mouth. But power pop when done right is a massive thing of beauty. Tommy Keene is one who does power pop oh-so-wonderfully-right, and has for many years now. If you're looking for hooks, Keene's music provides them by the armful.

A big ol' collection of Keen's songs is coming out on 6/13 titled Tommy Keene You Hear Me: A Retrospective 1983-2009 (Second Motion Records). The 2-disc set includes 41 previously-released tracks chosen from his first release, Strange Alliance, up to and including to his most recent, 2009's In the Late Bright. If you aren't super familiar with Keene's work, this would be a great place to start.

Give a Listen:
-Places That are Gone-Tommy Keene/ Buy Songs From the Film
-Save This Harmony-Tommy Keene/ Buy In the Late Bright

Keene is also doing a few dates in September, both headlining and as an opening act, including opening for Superchunk's show here in DC (!!!!).

Tommy Keene September 2010 Tour Dates
9/8: Shank Hall, Milwaukee, WI
9/9: Schubas, Chicago, IL
9/16: Club Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA (*** Early Show/Doors at 6:00pm *** )
9/17: 9:30 Club, Washington, DC 9 (opening for Superchunk)
9/18: The Record Collector, Bordentown, NJ
9/22: Spaceland, Los Angeles, CA
9/24: Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco, CA

Arcade Fire Announce Summer Tour Dates, Four to Include Spoon

Arcade Fire announced a slew of July/August tour dates today in support of their forthcoming record, The Suburbs, out 8/3 (Merge Records).

This is Arcade Fire's first US headlining tour since 2007's Neon Bible, but what's also cool is that Spoon will be special guesting at four of the dates (NYC; Philadelphia, PA; Washington, DC, and Atlanta, GA) for this leg of the tour.

$1 from every ticket sold will be donated to to Partners In Health, an organization helping impoverished communities around the world combat disease and poverty.

ARCADE FIRE, TOUR DATES 2010
* = w/ Spoon
6/7: Sherbrooke QC – Theater Granada
6/8: Sherbrooke QC – Theater Granada
6/30: Rättvik, Sweden – Dalhalla
7/2: Tromøy, Norway – Hove Festival
7/4: Werchter, Belgium – Rock Werchter
7/9: County Kildare, Ireland – Oxegen Festival
7/12: Quebec, Canada – Quebec City Summer Festival
7/13: Ottawa, Canada – Ottawa Bluesfest
7/31: Montreal, QC – Osheaga
8/1: Boston, MA – Bank of America Pavillion
8/2: Philadelphia, PA – Mann Centre for the Performing Arts *
8/4: New York, NY – Madison Square Garden *
8/6: Washington, DC – Merriweather Post Pavilion *
8/8: Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
8/9: Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
8/11: Atlanta, GA – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre *
8/14: Toronto, ON – Olympic Island
8/27: Leeds, UK – Leeds Festival
8/28: Reading, UK – Reading Festival
8/29: Saint Cloud, France – Rock En Seine
9/2: Bologna, Italy – I-Day Festival

Public onsale for Boston, Philly, and Montreal dates starts here on Friday, 6/4, with presales via fanclub and such earlier. Brooklyn Vegan proclaims that the NYC tickets have a public onsale of Saturday, 6/12, with an AmEx presale 6/9 and fanclub presale 6/10. Ticketfly doesn't have the date up on their site for the 8/6 DC date at Merriweather, but you'd assume it should be this week with details.

We were told that pre-sale tickets for six of the dates (see below), including three of the four with Spoon, are supposed to be available now at the Arcade Fire website; however, no links are up yet so keep checking back there too.

8/1– Boston, MA – Bank of America Pavilion
8/2 – Philadelphia, PA – Mann Center for the Performing Arts w/ Spoon
8/4 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden w/ Spoon
8/6 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion w/ Spoon
8/9– Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
8/11 – Atlanta, GA – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater at Encore Park w/ Spoon

Darker My Love's New Record Out in August, Announces UK Tour Dates with Band of Horses

Darker My Love announced that their new record, titled Alive as you Are is coming out 8/17 (USA) and 7/26 (UK) on Dangerbird Records.

Give a Listen: Dear Author-Darker My Love/Buy Alive as You Are (out 8/17)

The band is also on the forthcoming The Psychedelic Sounds Of The Sonic Cathedral: A Tribute To Roky Erickson And The 13th Floor Elevators , out 6/7 on Sonic Cathedral Recordings, with a cover of "She Lives (In a Time of Her Own)."

The tribute will be available on limited-edition yellow vinyl, CD, and mp3 download upon release. The full tracklisting is as follows:

1. Roky Erickson & The Black Angels – Roller Coaster
2. The Strange Attractors – Reverberation (Doubt)
3. All The Saints – Don’t Fall Down
4. A Place To Bury Strangers – Tried To Hide
5. Dead Meadow – Kingdom Of Heaven
6. Darker My Love – She Lives (In A Time Of Her Own)
7. Sarabeth Tucek – Splash 1 (Now I’m Home)
8. Lower Heaven – Fire Engine
9. Hush Arbors – Dr Doom
10. Cheval Sombre ft. Sonic Boom – You Don’t Love Me Yet
11. Le Volume Courbe ft. Kevin Sheilds – I Love The Living You
12. Black Acid – Unforced Peace
13. I Break Horses – Goodbye Sweet Dreams

Give a Listen: She Lives (In a Time of Her Own)-Darker My Love (13th Floor Elevators Cover)/Buy The Psychedelic Sounds Of The Sonic Cathedral: A Tribute To Roky Erickson And The 13th Floor Elevators (out 6/7)

Beginning 6/4 in Dublin, Ireland, the band will head out on a six-date run with Band of Horses throughout the United Kingdom. A full North American tour will be announced shortly, most likely for mid-summer/fall.

DARKER MY LOVE TOUR DATES-JUNE 2010
2: King Tuts Glasgow, Scotland *
4: Tripod Dublin, Ireland
5: Autie Annies Belfast, UK *
6: Music Live Festival Middlebrough, UK *
7: Junction Cambridge, UK
8: Ritz Manchester, UK
9: Roundhouse London, UK
10: Boston Arms London, UK - supporting Serena Maneesh
11: O2 Academy Oxford, UK
12: Unit Southampton, UK *
13: Nation of Shopkeepers Leeds, UK *
14: Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton, UK
15: Scala London, UK - supporting Ariel Pink
17: Lexington London, UK

* without Band of Horses

Learn How the Story Ends! EELS Releasing Last Record of Trilogy Set in August, Announce World Tour Dates

Word came today that Mark Everett and his latest combination of players are putting out a new EELS record in August. Out 8/24, Tomorrow Morning (E Works Records) is the final installment of the triology that included 2009's Hombre Lobo and End Times from earlier this year.

A world tour starts 8/3 in Santa Ana, CA as a warm-up show, hits three continents, then returns to the States/Canada in mid-September. Additional dates are to follow.

Give a Listen: Little Bird-EELS/Buy End Times

EELS 2010 World Tour
August 3-Santa Ana, California Galaxy Theater - warm-up show
August 7, 8-Tokyo, Japan Marine Stadium, Summersonic Festival
August 13-Brisbane, Australia The Tivoli
August 14-Sydney, Australia The Enmore Theater
August 15-Melbourne, Australia The Palace
August 20-Hasselt, Belgium Pukkelpop Festival
August 21-Stafford, UK V Festival
August 22-Chelmsford, UK V Festival
August 24-Glasgow, UKAcademy
August 26-Birmingham, UKAcademy
August 28-Zurich, Switzerland Winterhur Festival
August 29-Paris, France Rock en Seine Festival
August 30-Amsterdam, Holland Paradiso
September 1-London, UKBrixton Academy
September 3-Dublin, IrelandElectric Picnic Festival
September 4-Manchester, UKAcademy
September 5-Luxembourg, LuxembourgDen Atelier
September 6-Groningen, HollandOosterpoort
September 7-Hamburg, GermanyGrosse Freiheit
September 8-Copenhagen, DenmarkVega
September 10-Berlin, GermanyAstra
September 11-Munich, Germany Theaterfabrik
September 12-Vienna, Austria Arena
September 13-Graz, Austria Orpheum
September 14-Hohenems, AustriaEventcenter
September 15-Milan, ItalyAlcatraz
September 17-Barcelona, SpainBikini
September 19-Lisbon, Portugal Coliseum
September 22-Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live
September 23-Richmond, VA, The National Theater
September 24-Boston, MA, The Royal
September 25-New York, NY, Terminal 5
September 26-Washington, DC, 9:30 Club
September 28-Montreal, Canada,Le National
September 29-Toronto, Canada, The Mod
September 30-Detroit, MI, The Crofoot
October 1-Chicago, IL, The Metro
October 2-Milwaukee, WI, The Pabst Theater
October 3-Minneapolis, MN, First Avenue
October 5-Denver, CO, The Odgen Theater
October 6-Salt Lake City, UT, The Complex
October 8-Portland, OR, Roseland
October 9-Seattle, WA, (TBA)
October 11-San Francisco, CA, The Fillmore
October 12-Los Angeles, CA, The Henry Fonda Theater

The Postelles Release Cover Art for Debut, Announce Tour Dates

I discovered The Postelles a couple of years ago at SXSW and fell head over heels with their uptempo modern take on surf-pop...think The Strokes playing something like Herman's Hermits. The sheer number of lead singer Daniel Balk's "oh oh oh's" will start your toes tapping and your hips swiveling in time to drummer Billy Cadden's 4/4 drum beats.

They're finally releasing their self-titled full-length debut record on 7/27 (Capitol/Astralwerks) and the cover was put out today (above). They're playing Bonnaroo, as well as headlining at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC in July, but in May they're opening for The Wrens and in June for Alberta Cross. The Wrens will hold their own but Alberta Cross? Boys, you better be ready, your opener is so good they just might steal your audience.

Give a Listen: White Night-The Postelles/Buy The Postelles

The Postelles Tour Dates (June)
(opening for The Wrens)
21 May: First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
22 May: Sonar, Baltimore, MD
(opening for Alberta Cross)
1 Jun: Great Scott, Allston, MA
2 Jun: Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
4 Jun: Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington, DC
6 Jun: Maxwells, Hoboken, NJ
---------------
10 Jun: Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN
12 Jun: Bonnaroo Sonic Stage, Manchester, TN
28 Jul: Bowery Ballroom, NY, NY (record release show)