as if you needed any other reason to attend, keep in mind that whenever the Sklar Bros. make a public appearance, there’s always the smallest chance Mary J. Blige might turn up in support of her former collaborators.
(there will be plenty of time for questions, just as soon as I’m finished with my speech)
Ever notice how government officials (and/or the New York Mets) try to bury stories that don’t entirely flatter themselves on Friday nights or weekends? No? GOOD, you’re just my kind of person! In the spirit of helpfulness (and perhaps acknowledging that every member of our constituency doesn’t read popular music blogs 75 times a day), we’d like to issue the following friendly reminders ;
a) On April 26, Merge (U.S.) and Wichita (UK) will be releasing the new Times New Viking album, ‘Dancer Equired’. We’ve heard it, and no matter what hyperbole our rec. biz pals are throwing around, it’s even better than whatever they’re saying. .
b) On Feb. 22, Jagjaguwar is issuing the 3rd album from The Cave Singers, ‘No Witch’. I’ve not heard this one (damn you, Web Sharrif!), but when we’re promised the new full-length exhibits “a ferocity and bite we’ve yet to see from the band”, you can be certain I’m getting my rabies vaccination cash in order. Hope you do the same.
Three more Thai dishes, all adapted from David Thompson’s Thai Food. The first and second were served together.
Above is a Thai street food called neua pat bai grapao – stir-fried minced beef with chiles and holy basil. It’s unbearably delicious and very simple and quick to make. For an individual serving: Pound 2 long green chiles with 4 bird chiles and a large pinch of salt to make a paste in your mortar. Pound in 3 peeled garlic cloves. Heat a wok over high heat until extremely hot, add 1 tbs vegetable oil until extremely hot, fry the paste for about a minute, add 1/5 pound ground beef. Continue to fry and stir while breaking up the beef until mostly browned, about a minute. Add 3 tbs chicken stock (unsalted), a large pinch of white sugar, 1 tbs dark soy sauce, 1 tbs light soy sauce, sprinkle over a handful of holy basil leaves and serve.
I accidentally misread dark soy sauce as “black” soy sauce, a Thai variation that is sweet as well as salty. I’ve tried it both ways and can report that the black soy adds an extra dimension – make sure to taste and adjust seasoning at the very end though.
Holy basil is the basil generally used in spicy basil stirfries that you have encountered in Thai restaurants. It’s bitter and sharp and spicy compared to “Thai basil,” which is the Thai variant of sweet basil, the fragrant purple-stemmed garnish added to curries at the very end.
Kaffir lime juice dressing with grilled prawns (saeng wa gung pao) is confusingly listed under relishes in Thompson’s book, a hint that the Thai think of dish classification very differently from Americans. This looks and tastes like a salad to us. Thompson writes with typical understatement, “It has an unusual combination of flavors and textures that stimulates a flagging palate,” and that is true – it makes an excellent accompaniment to the minced beef stirfry above, served with jasmine rice and some prik nam pla.
The shrimp are grilled unpeeled, yielding a pleasant flavor of char. Once cool, you must peel, devein and shred them. They are then dressed with this fantastic dressing:
2 tbs kaffir lime juice
2 tbs Asian citron or mandarin orange juice
1 tbs fine white sugar
2 tbs fish sauce
and combined with the remaining ingredients. I used regular lime juice and mandarin orange juice (conveniently in season right now – the oranges are particularly juicy and rich) and the result is eye-poppingly delicious.
The remaining ingredients are idiosyncratic, to say the least:
2 bird chiles, pounded
3 red shallots, very finely sliced
1 tbs very finely sliced lemongrass
4 kaffir lime leaves, very finely julienned
2 tbs julienned young ginger
1 tbs julienned long red or green chile
handful of mixed mint and coriander leaves
If you’ve ever tried to eat even very fine slices of raw lemongrass or ginger, it doesn’t seem like this would work at all. For some reason, when all the ingredients are combined, they become perfectly edible, their texture and flavor balancing out the dressed shrimps perfectly. “The amount of shredding and the uncommon ingredients in this recipe suggest that it was originally royal food.”
Heavenly beef (neua sawarn) is another street food, “served with chile sauce and an ice-cold beer.” Totally fantastic. I used round, but Thompson recommends rump. The strips are marinated in a paste of coriander root, salt, garlic and white peppercorns, along with sugar and light soy, for three hours. You then press crushed coriander seeds into the beef and dry it in the sun until almost, but not quite, dry – about a full day. I used an oven set to just warm. You then DEEP FRY them in hot oil. Delicious!
By the way, Thompson has a new book devoted to Thai street food. If it’s anything like Thai Food, it should be fantastic, and the photos are supposed to be gorgeous. Unfortunately it’s coffee-table sized and difficult to use in the kitchen. Link is here.
As we welcome the mighty Interpol back to their native shores today, we offer you three brand new live performance clips by our friends at Yours Truly.
Interpol – buy their excellent self-titled album here. Catch them on the road here(s):
January
Thursday 27 – Vancouver, BC – Orpheum
Friday 28 – Seattle, , WA – The Showbox SODO
Saturday 29 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
Monday 31 – San Francisco, CA – Warfield Theatre
February
Wednesday 02 – La Jolla, CA – RIMAC Arena
Friday 04 - Santa Barbara, CA – UCSB Events Center
Saturday 05 – Tempe, AZ - The Marquee
Monday 07 – Salt Lake City, UT – In The Venue
Tuesday 08 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
Wednesday 09 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown
Friday 11 - St Louis, MO – The Pageant
Saturday 12 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theater
Sunday 13 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
Tuesday 15 – Toronto, ON – The Sound Academy
Wednesday 16 – Montreal, QC – The Metropolis
Thursday 17 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall
Saturday 19 – Boston, MA – House of Blues Boston
April
Wednesday 13 – Reno, NV – Knitting Factory
Thursday 14 – Sacramento, CA – Crest Theatre
Friday 15 – Indio, CA – Coachella
Sunday 17 – Tuscon, AZ – Rialto Theatre
Monday 18 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theatre
Wednesday 20 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
Thursday 21 – Austin, TX – Austin Music Hall
Friday 22 – Helotes, TX – Josabis Amphitheatre
Sunday 24 – Kansas City, MO – The Beaumont Club
Monday 25 – Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall
Tuesday 26 – New Orleans , LA – House of Blues – New Orleans
Thursday 28 – Tampa, FL – The Ritz
Friday 29 – Miami Beach, FL – Fillmore Miami Beach
Saturday 30 – Lake Buena Vista, FL – House of Blues – Lake Buena Vista
May
Monday 02 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
Tuesday 03 – Charlotte , NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
Wednesday 04 – Raleigh, NC – Disco Rodeo
July
Tuesday 05 – Chicago, IL - Soldier Field Stadium
Friday 08 - Montreal QUE, UE – Hippodrome
Saturday 09 – Montreal QUE, UE – Hippodrome
Monday 11 – Toronto ONT, NT – Rogers Center
Thursday 14 – Philadelphia, PA – Lincoln Financial Center
Sunday 17 – St. Louis, MO – Busch Stadium
Wednesday 20 - East Rutherford, NJ – New Meadowlands Stadium
Saturday 23 – Minneapolis, MN – MN TCF Bank Stadium
Today you have the chance to learn all about Esben and the Witch’s upcoming debut album that we’ve been telling you about for a little while now. Hopefully you’ve heard the record via one of the streams we linked the other day or have maybe even caught a glimpse of them in one of their sinister music videos, but you might still be left wondering “When did you learn about Argyria?”, or “What are those Light Streams you’re talking about in track 4?” or maybe you’re just what thinking “What the hell did they make of that Jack Black video?!”, well worry no longer as you can now find out by following this link.
You’re also in luck if you’d like to see them play one of their upcoming UK shows, at the Quietus are giving away a pair of tickets, just for answering the question “Which song features the lyrics ‘Violet Cries’?”. Easy right? Well get over to the Quietus and grab yourself a pair of tickets!
The UK tour starts next Monday (upon the release date of the album in the UK), followed by shows around Europe and then the USA and Canada. Long list of upcoming shows below…
(Chavez, photographed sometime between 1956 and 2011)
Having already blown away a global audience with the webcast of their Matador at 21 set, the men of Chavez return to the stage next September 30, playing Asbury Park’s Convention Center as part of the Portishead-curated All Tomorrow’s Parties. Said auditorium holds a rather special place in rock lore ; in addition to hosting early gigs by the Rolling Stones, Kiss, the Who and Led Zeppelin, the Convention Center was also the host for a 1956 Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers set that ended with three attendees being stabbed. While we’re hopeful history doesn’t repeat itself, it might be a good idea for Chavez to consider a reenactment/exorcism of sorts — surely there are any number of out of work thespians / supernaturalists (or perhaps a combination of the two) that might be available to assist. We promise to forward all suggestions to the appropriate persons.
While this is hardly the most comprehensive or definitive profile of Stuart, it is a quick look at the man behind the impending Belle and Sebastian song about Mr. J. Ficenec.
What is your name?: Stuart Leopold Murdoch
Where are you from?: Clarkston, Glasgow
How old are you?: 42
Of all the amazing entries, why did you pick John Ficenec’s?: It was different, it was easy to read, it was funny and I thought the advice was good!
Have you ever been to Omaha?: No, never, but I’ve heard it is a nice town, with a nice zoo.
What do you plan on doing with John when you get there? I’m going to try real hard not to embarrass him.
so it was 6 degrees F (-14 Celsius) when I left for the office this morning. A crisp, bright, and beautiful winter morning. Admittedly I’m in quite a positive head space for a frigid, January, Monday morning but I digress. Esben & The Witch appear to be in an equally friendly mood this winter’s day and have premiered their debut album Violet Cries, in full,via Stereogum
and if you missed it last week, please be sure to check out Esben & The Witch’s second music video “Warpath” and remember they’ll be touring throughout Europe and the US this February + March.
Mon, 1/31 Bristol, UK The Louisana
Tue, 2/1 Brighton, UK Pavillion Theatre
Tue, 2/8 Birmingham, UK Hare & Hounds
Wed, 2/9 London, UK XOYO
Fri, 2/11 Brussels, BE Botanique/Rotonde
Sat, 2/12 Amsterdam, NL Paradiso
Mon, 2/14 Hamburg, DE Molotow
Wed, 2/16 Copenhagen, SE Loppen
Thu, 2/17 Berlin, DE Comet
Sat, 2/19 Saint Malo, FR Route Du Rock Festival
Mon, 2/21 Paris, FR Point Ephemere
Thu, 3/3 Washington, DC Red Palace
Fri, 3/4 Brooklyn, NY The Bell House
Sat, 3/5 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
Sun, 3/6 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall
Mon, 3/7 Philadelphia, PA Kung Fu Necktie
Tue, 3/8 Pittsburgh, OH Brillobox
Wed, 3/9 Akron, OH Musica
Thu, 3/10 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
Fri, 3/11 Toronto, ON Wrongbar
Sat, 3/12 Denton, TX 35 Conferette
Sat, 3/19 Austin, TX Mess With Texas
Tue, 3/22 Los Angeles, CA Bootleg Theater
Wed, 3/23 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill
Thu, 3/24 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
Fri, 3/25 Seattle, WA Sunset Tavern
Sat, 3/26 Vancouver, BC The Waldorf Hotel
Well, not a lot. But those of us who got hooked on Delorean last year will take what we can get. In addition to the Coachella appearance you may have read about, Delorean will be hitting San Francisco, Chicago and New York this summer. They may have some new treats (songs, lights, dances, holographic new band members, etc.) in store. We’ll just have to wait and see!
Thursday, April 14 – San Francisco – Slim’s Buy Tickets
Sunday, April 17 – Coachella Buy Tickets
Tuesday, April 19 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
Thursday, April 21 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
Cucumber salad with crispy dried shrimp (yumm taeng kua). Sliced cucumber and red shallots in a dressing of fish sauce, palm sugar, white sugar, salt and lime juice, garnished with mint and coriander. Adapted from Su-Mei Yu.
Tamarind relish (nahm prik makam boran). Served with raw tomatillo, endive, baby carrots and pickled garlic. The relish consists of dried red chiles, tamarind pulp, salt, garlic, dried prawns and palm sugar pounded to a paste in a mortar and pestle. From David Thompson.
A dry red curry of shrimp (chuu chii haeng gung). The curry is called “dry” because it does not contain a large amount of soupy sauce, as “wet” curries do. A simple red curry paste is pounded (dried red chiles, salt, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime zest, coriander root, red shallots, garlic and shrimp paste), and then fried in the vegetable oil used to fry the shrimp, seasoned with white sugar and fish sauce, moistened with chicken stock (I simmered the shrimp bodies in the stock first), and garnished with kaffir lime leaves and coriander. I brined the shrimp beforehand; I should have cut down on the saltiness of the curry to compensate for this. Adapted from David Thompson (who uses lobster instead).
Crying tiger (seur rong hai), one of my favorite Thai dishes. Full details at the link. I used 20 bird chiles this time, but could have gone for even more. Next time I will try it with 30.
The crying tiger was even better cold a few days later. You can really see the green color imparted by the chiles and the crushed green peppercorns:
The meal was served with nam pla prik (chopped bird chiles in fish sauce, with a splash of lime juice in this case), and prik dong nahm som (minced chiles in vinegar sauce, with garlic and salt) on the side.
Earlier this week we answered the question that everyone had been asking; “Who is going to win the Belle and Sebastian ‘Write About Love Contest?’”
But as questions beget questions, now everyone wants to know “Who the hell is John Ficenec?”
Well, after a short but relatively arduous search, we’ve located the lucky fella behind the billion dollar essay about young love (no, he doesn’t get a billion dollars*. Even better. He gets to hang out with Stuart Murdoch for a day and then have a Belle and Sebastian song written about him to be released as a limited 7″).
A little more about John:
When/where did you first hear of Belle and Sebastian?: I heard The Boy with the Arab Strap in a skate video.
What else do you listen to?: Animal Collective, Panda Bear, Bright Eyes, Elliott Smith, Owen Pallett, Vampire Weekend, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.
What are your favorite new bands?: James Blake, Smith Westerns.
Old bands?: The Clash, The Pixies, Simon & Garfunkel, The Kinks.
Why did you decide to enter the contest?: Just for the heck of it and for fun.
What was it like when you found out you were in the Final 5?: Crazy. I had a free period at school and starting freaking out.
We informed you on a Thursday that you were one of the 5 but didn’t tell you that you’d won until the next Tuesday. What was the wait like?: Not that bad, just a little anxiety here and there.
What was it like when you found out that you’d won?: Amazing. I had gotten done with gym class and checked my phone and saw a missed call and voicemail and decided to call back and found out I won. I was very ecstatic.
Do you have a record player? Will you be able to play the 7″ that is YOUR SONG?: My grandmother has one so yes.
What do you plan on showing Stuart when he comes to Omaha?: I would like to show him around the Old Market, my neighborhood, a restaurant called Amsterdam Falafel and Kebab, and a bakery called Jones Bros Cupcakes.
What’s the one thing Stuart should know about you?: I am an avid photographer.
Our man, Carl Newman (A.C. Newman, The New Pornographers Maestro) wrote a 20 second theme song for the new NBC show, “Perfect Couples” that officially premieres tonight at 8:30pm between “The Office” and “Community”.
If there’s one night for you to watch TV, this is it. TV is good.
Earlier this week we announced Cold Cave’s North American tour with The Kills this Spring.
Starting this Friday Matador will be partnering with The Kills’ record label Domino and Ticketmaster to give you the option of upgrading your ticket order to include either the new Cold Cave album “Cherish The Light Years,” the new Kills album “Blood Pressures” on CD for $13 each* or to bundle both albums with your tickets for $25*.
In addition to one or both CDs, any upgraded orders will get the first singles from these albums a full two months before their April 5 release dates. Delivered as high quality MP3s (320kbps) including artwork, you will receive the first single from “Cherish the Light Years” on February 4 or soon after and the first single from The Kills on January 31 or soon after.
Go to Ticketmaster starting tomorrow to get your tickets and CDs.
(This album upgrade option is only available at participating Ticketmaster venues along the upcoming Kills/Cold Cave tour. Participating venues listed below in BOLD after the jump.)
Tuesday, April 19 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater (supporting The Kills)
Wednesday, April 20 – Austin, TX – La Zona Rosa (supporting The Kills)
Friday, April 22 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom (supporting The Kills) Saturday, April 23 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade (supporting The Kills)
Sunday, April 24 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club (supporting The Kills) Tuesday, April 26 – Boston, MA – Royale (supporting The Kills)
Wednesday, April 27 – Philadelphia, PA – Theater of Living Arts (supporting The Kills)
Friday, April 29 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 (supporting The Kills)
Saturday, April 30 – Montreal, QC – Olympia (supporting The Kills)
Sunday, May 1 – Toronto, ON – Sound Academy (supporting The Kills) Tuesday, May 3 – Detroit, MI – Majestic (supporting The Kills)
Wednesday, May 4 – Chicago, IL – Vic Theater (supporting The Kills) Thursday, May 5 – Minneapolis, MN – First Ave (supporting The Kills)
Sunday, May 8 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom (supporting The Kills) Monday, May 9 – Seattle, WA – Showbox (supporting The Kills)
Tuesday, May 10 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom (supporting The Kills)
Wednesday, May 11 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore Auditorium (supporting The Kills)
*These costs are in addition to the ticket charge.
One day after kicking off their next leg of North American touring on behalf of their self-titled 4th album, Interpol will make their first appearance on Conan O’Brien’s new TBS program — the inventively dubbed “Conan” (hey, great minds think alike) — on Thursday, February 3, performing “Lights”. Since it’s a bit early to be setting your DVR, expect a few reminders from us between now and then.
As anticipation continues to grow for Esben and the Witch’s debut full-length Violet Cries (album out Jan 31 in UK/Feb 8 in US/Feb 23 in Japan, pre-order it here), Pitchfork brings us the band’s second breathtaking video (following last year’s awesome “Marching Song” clip). Both videos were directed by David Procter and Peter King of The Agenda Collective.
In other Esben news, the band is touring the US in March (with a couple of dips into Canada – see the just-announced dates below), as well as the UK and Europe in February. Tickets are hyper-linked where possible:
January
31st – The Louisiana – Bristol
February
1st – Pavilion Theatre – Brighton
2nd – Marc Riley Manchester Radio Show
3rd – Other Rooms – Newcastle
4th – Sneaky Pete’s – Edinburgh
5th – Rescue Rooms – Nottingham
7th – The Harley – Sheffield
8th – Hare & Hounds – Birmingham
9th – XOYO – London
11th – Botanique/Rotonde – Brussels, Belgium
12th – Paradiso – Amsterdam, Netherlands
13th – Gebäude – Cologne, Germany
14th – Molotow – Hamburg, Germany
16th – Loppen – Copenhagen, Denmark
17th – Comet – Berlin, Germany
19th – Route Du Rock Festival – Saint Malo, France
21st – Point Ephemere – Paris, France
On April 5 Cold Cave will release their second album, Cherish The Light Years. Recorded with Chris Coady in New York City, the record is a tour de force of pounding synths and soaring romantic melody. Bandleader Wesley Eisold has taken Cold Cave worlds beyond 2008′s Love Comes Close with a massive, ambitious love letter to his adopted city. With Eisold’s newfound vocal strength fully to the fore on every track, Cherish The Light Years is a remarkable progression and we are confident that it will shake your world.
Other players on the album include longtime Cold Cave associates Dominick Fernow on electronics and Jennifer Clavin on backing vocal and synthesizer, plus Tonie Joy, Nick Zinner and Sean Martin on guitars, Daryl Palumbo on bass and guitar, Matt Sweeney on bass and Gae Licata on drums. Several of these will be joining Eisold on the road as the touring band, with other players to be announced.
The track list is as follows:
1. The Great Pan Is Dead
2. Pacing Around The Church
3. Confetti
4. Catacombs
5. Underworld USA
6. Icons Of Summer
7. Alchemy and You
8. Burning Sage
9. Villains of the Moon
There will be three different preorders available:
As announced yesterday, Cold Cave will be touring extensively this spring, both headlining and supporting The Kills. Keep your eyes on this space to order a bundle comprised of tickets and either or both the Cold Cave and Kills CDs.
Visit coldcave.net RIGHT NOW to preorder a limited-edition handmade version of the Cold Cave album on vinyl, with a special cover designed by the band. This is limited to 123 copies.
Alternatively, go directly to the Matador Store to preorder the regular LP or CD with a 15% discount.
All preorders will come with a free poster as well.
Though the above poster is not entirely accurate, we can finally confirm (ie. after everyone else has already reported it) the following members of the Matador / True Panther Sounds family will be appearing at The 12th Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival this coming April 15-17
Interpol
The New Pornographers
Cold Cave
Delorean
Glasser
As for the rest of the bill, well, we all have our favorites, but I’d like to issue a deep personal thank-you to the organizers for NOT BOOKINGTHESE DUDES.
As many of you have read, Yo La Tengo is embarking on a tour where the band will go into each night putting the fate of the evening’s setlist in the hands of a lucky wheel spinner.
To take the wheel concept into 2011 online contest mode, the band has posted a mesmerizing spinning contest wheel on their site – http://yolatengo.com/thewheelylt/.
Winning two free concerts tickets via the wheel is simple:
As previously mentioned on the Matablog, Kurt Vile is heading out on the road this Spring in support of the March 8 release of Smoke Ring For My Halo.
Well we’re now happy to announce that Kurt Vile And The Violators will be supporting J Mascis on the following run of dates (tickets on sale this Friday and Saturday):
Thursday, March 10 – Ithaca, NY – Castaways #
Friday, March 11 – Toronto, ONT – The Great Hall (Canadian Music Fest) #
Tuesday, March 22 – Battleboro, VT – Headroom Stages #
Wednesday, March 23 – Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live #
Thursday, March 24 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge #
Friday, March 25 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg #
Saturday, March 26 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall #
Tuesday, March 29 – Pittsburgh, PA – Andy Warhol Museum **
Wednesday, March 30 – Cleveland Hts, OH – Grog Shop #
Thursday, March 31 – Ann Arbor, MI – Blind Pig #
Friday, April 01 – Chicago, IL – Subterranean #
Saturday, April 02 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry #
Thursday, April 07 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl #
Friday, April 08 – Athens, GA – Melting Point #
Saturday, April 09 – Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle #
Sunday, April 10 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle #
# Supporting J Mascis
** Kurt Vile And The Violators Headline
And on top of all this live goodness, Kurt and the Violators will also be making their way through this year’s SXSW (further details to be announced).
Pre-order Smoke Ring For My Halo on LP/CD here
Listen to “Jesus Fever” here
The Belle and Sebastian Write About Love contest is closed and the band has judged.
AND THE WINNER IS…
John Ficenec, of Omaha Nebraska!
We reprint his winning essay below. John will be getting a personal visit from Belle and Sebastian singer Stuart Murdoch, and the band will then be writing a song about him, to be released this spring on Matador. (He will also receive the autographed album and Belle and Sebastian medal.)
Advice for Young Lovers: Never in ANY instance believe that you are going to marry someone you are dating/fond of before you are 18. Play the field while you are young. Don’t cheat or be a whore but see what all the fish are like so you’ll know what you like and what you don’t. Don’t dwell on past loves; they are ex’s for a reason. Don’t go out with someone if you have to keep it a secret because when it ends since no one knows you were dating there will be no one there but your actually ex to comfort you and chances are pretty good that they won’t. While you can show some public affection keep it to a minimal of holding hands or a cheek kiss. I always find myself disgusted walking by and seeing people swap tongue right in the middle of public. Yes, we get you are dating and whatnot, but really get a room. Don’t have sex without a condom. Don’t date your best friend. It may sound like a good idea at the time and even while you are going out with them but you know what when the relationship is over so is the amazing friendship. Don’t date people up to 2 years or older until you are 18. Don’t make someone your rebound. It makes them feel like shit and you feel like a monster. Talk to your significant other. Laugh with them ask them questions but DON’T interrogate them. Don’t become too jealous of anyone else. And never EVER get into the friends zone with someone you are fond of. It will scratch away at your heart and soul knowing that you will get no further than friends but that your heart wants to be more than friends.
Cold Cave will be touring this coming April and May, including many dates supporting the Kills on their upcoming spring tour.
To celebrate both bands’ forthcoming releases, Ticketmaster will be running a special bundle that will include options to purchase the upcoming spring releases from both Cold Cave and The Kills.
Keep an eye on the Matablog, this week for the on-sale details, along with our Cold Cave album announcement.
Wednesday, April 6 – Pittsburgh, PA – Brillobox (CC headline)
Thursday, April 7 – Cincinnati, OH – MOTR Pub (CC headline)
Friday, April 08 – Bloomington, IN – The Bishop (CC headline)
Saturday, April 09 – St. Louis, MO – Luminary Center for the Arts (CC headline)
Sunday, April 10 – Kansas City, MO – The Record Bar (CC headline)
Monday, April 11 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge (CC headline)
Wednesday, April 13 – Salt Lake City, UT — Urban Lounge (CC headline)
Thursday, April 14 – Tucson, AZ – Club Congress (CC headline)
Tuesday, April 19 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater (supporting The Kills)
Wednesday, April 20 – Austin, TX – La Zona Rosa (supporting The Kills)
Friday, April 22 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom (supporting The Kills)
Saturday, April 23 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade (supporting The Kills)
Sunday, April 24 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club (supporting The Kills)
Tuesday, April 26 – Boston, MA – Royale (supporting The Kills)
Wednesday, April 27 – Philadelphia, PA – Theater of Living Arts (supporting The Kills)
Thursday, April 28 – Hartford, CT – The Mill (at Trinity College) (CC headline)
Friday, April 29 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 (supporting The Kills)
Saturday, April 30 – Montreal, QC – Olympia (supporting The Kills)
Sunday, May 1 – Toronto, ON – Sound Academy (supporting The Kills)
Tuesday, May 3 – Detroit, MI – Majestic (supporting The Kills)
Wednesday, May 4 – Chicago, IL – Vic Theater (supporting The Kills)
Thursday, May 5 – Minneapolis, MN – First Ave (supporting The Kills)
Sunday, May 8 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom (supporting The Kills)
Monday, May 9 – Seattle, WA – Showbox (supporting The Kills)
Tuesday, May 10 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom (supporting The Kills)
Wednesday, May 11 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore Auditorium (supporting The Kills)
If for some reason you don’t catch Interpol on their upcoming North American Tour, kicking off next Thursday, we’re happy to announce that the band will be back on the road this Spring.
Wednesday, April 13 – Reno, NV – Knitting Factory
Thursday, April 14 – Sacramento, CA – Crest Theatre
Sunday, April 17 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre
Monday, April 18 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theatre
Wednesday, April 20 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
Thursday, April 21 – Austin, TX – Austin Music Hall
Friday, April 22 – Helotes, TX – Josabis Amphitheatre
Sunday, April 24 – Kansas City, MO – The Beaumont Club
Monday, April 25 – Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall
Tuesday, April 26 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
Thursday, April 28 – Tampa, FL – The Ritz
Friday, April 29 – Miami Beach, FL – Fillmore Miami Beach
Saturday, April 30 – Lake Buena Vista, FL – House of Blues
Monday, May 02 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
Tuesday, May 03 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
Wednesday, May 04 – Raleigh, NC – Disco Rodeo
Currently on the promo tour for his abomination of Jonathan Swift’s classic Gulliver’s Travels, Jack Black recently visited the offices of the great Intro magazine in Germany for an interview. Our very own Esben and the Witch are currently the cover stars for the magazine, so they asked Mr Black to offer his thoughts on the record and the band.
We’d like to thank Jack for supplying us with our lead quote for the album : “Someone may be going for a music Oscar here.” Jack Black, 2011. Perhaps we’ll ask Rachel, Thomas and Daniel to review Gulliver’s Travels once it reaches UK screens. Enjoy !
By truepanthersounds on Friday, January 14th, 2011
Those of you who need some more Magic Kids in your life are in luck. Those of you who know you do, prepare to find out. Magic Kids are going for another spin around the country with New York’s Cults. If you’re in Australia, see below for some dates for you too!
Wed. 3/30 Brooklyn, NY @Knitting Factory*
Thu 3/31 New York, NY @Mercury Lounge*
Fri 4/1 Boston, MA @Brighton Music Hall*
Sat 4/2 Montreal, QC @Il Motore*
Mon 4/4 Toronto, ONT @The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern*
Tue 4/5 Buffalo, NY @Soundland*
Wed 4/6 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop*
Thur 4/7 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle*
Fri 4/8 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry*
Mon 4/11 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile*
Tue 4/12 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios*
Thu 4/14 San Francisco, CA @The Independent*
Wed 3/9 Sydney, Australia @ Manning Bar $
Fri 3/11 Melbourne, Australia @Northcote Social Club
Sat 3/12 Meredith, Victoria @ Golden Plains Festival
*= w/Cults
$= w/Wavves
(some of those sickening Austin hipsters you’ve read so much about participate in a gang chorus of The Lewd’s “Kill Yourself”)
Persons lucky enough to attend Matador’s 21st birthday party in Vegas last November might recall the enterprising duo of Kaleb Asplund & Hanna Ford, masterminds behind Austin, TX’s Karaoke Underground. For two nights, this lovely couple helped entertain some of the city’s most inebriated individuals with the world’s only karaoke songbook in which the works of Mary Timony outnumber those of Steve Perry or Desmond Child. I’m no Desmond Child hater — heck, I even wake up in the middle of the night sometimes hoping Rouge are doing alright — but KU’s astonishing repertoire of punk/indie-era hits and non-hits is the sort of thing that had numerous persons that weekend saying, “why, oh why isn’t there something this amazing in our sickening backwater of a hometown?”
(granted, I’m taking some liberties with these quotes)
Anyhow, I’m sure you’re thrilled to learn that Kaleb is putting the Karaoke Underground gear in the back of a truck and will be hitting the following exciting nightspots very soon. Feel free to let him know that some of KU’s biggest fans are eagerly awaiting the day this total fucking classic makes the song list.
Wednesday, 1/26 @ Hexagon Bar, Minneapolis
Thursday, 1/27 @ Quenchers Saloon, Chicago
Friday, 1/28 @ Mickey’s Tavern, Madison
Saturday, 1/29 @ Cactus Club, Milwaukee
We announced the twenty-one honorable mention winners of Belle and Sebastian’s Write About Love contest on Tuesday. Today we have Stuart Murdoch’s top 5 selections — from which we will be choosing one GRAND PRIZE WINNER (to be announced later this week, stand by!) We have published all five essays below. These formidable writers will each receive a Belle and Sebastian medal in addition to an autographed LP — and one of these five finalists will win the GRAND PRIZE; a visit from Stuart and have a song written about her/him!!
Here are the winning essays:
John Ficenac, Omaha NE:
Advice for Young Lovers: Never in ANY instance believe that you are going to marry someone you are dating/fond of before you are 18. Play the field while you are young. Don’t cheat or be a whore but see what all the fish are like so you’ll know what you like and what you don’t. Don’t dwell on past loves; they are ex’s for a reason. Don’t go out with someone if you have to keep it a secret because when it ends since no one knows you were dating there will be no one there but your actually ex to comfort you and chances are pretty good that they won’t. While you can show some public affection keep it to a minimal of holding hands or a cheek kiss. I always find myself disgusted walking by and seeing people swap tongue right in the middle of public. Yes, we get you are dating and whatnot, but really get a room. Don’t have sex without a condom. Don’t date your best friend. It may sound like a good idea at the time and even while you are going out with them but you know what when the relationship is over so is the amazing friendship. Don’t date people up to 2 years or older until you are 18. Don’t make someone your rebound. It makes them feel like shit and you feel like a monster. Talk to your significant other. Laugh with them ask them questions but DON’T interrogate them. Don’t become too jealous of anyone else. And never EVER get into the friends zone with someone you are fond of. It will scratch away at your heart and soul knowing that you will get no further than friends but that your heart wants to be more than friends.
Rebecca Armendariz, Washington DC:
Clark’s cancer had spread to his hip and so two months before he died he couldn’t really walk. At least not without my help so I was his human crutch crushed on one side anytime he wanted his 33-year-old body moved to another spot in our apartment. After a period of decline he traded me in for a desk chair on wheels and I pushed him around scooping him up from under his armpits when we reached the bathroom. I’d use a firm but tender grip to lower his eggshell body into the tub where he’d sit for hours to make the effort worth it.He hardly left the house except for doctor’s appointments. I’d finally convinced him to wear an adult diaper after too many laundry loads of soaked pants and bed sheets. The first night he slept in it I put one on too and we giggled under piles of blankets together sharing a secret before he nodded off. One spring day we let the air breeze through the front and out the back of the apartment. The buried idea of what he’d been missing was exhumed; he wanted to go outside. We drove a few blocks to a friend’s where we sat in lawn chairs in a sun-soaked driveway. A snapshot of any one particular moment from that afternoon would appear unremarkable to an outsider. We gossiped and laughed. I drank a beer. After a few hours we were home refreshed by our peek at normalcy. I’d almost forgotten what it was like to see that mischievous amorous look in his eye but after helping him to the couch it disappeared. He wanted to do something for me for once. He wanted me to relax. And for the last time before he died I did.
Lia Braswell, Van Nuys CA:
I fell in love this summer. He was my first love. We spent every day together hand in hand and unaware of the people around us. Then summer came to an end as the leaves started to change colors. He moved away to Rhode Island. He never loved me back. I know he cared about me but the feeling of his subtle disappearance from my life leaves me no choice but to smile and walk away. So as of today I’m forgetting about it. I’m leaving it all behind because in this moment after hours and hours of biking around the valley I realized that the person I love most is someone who changed my life as soon as he left the world. He would have been thirty-one on October 11 2010. He has been gone for almost twelve years. That man is my brother. Still nineteen and no longer in pain. I had an epiphany that I am a musician because of his love. I am who I am because of his love. People tend to let go of loved ones who pass on but I can’t seem to part ways with him. The spirituality in me says that he is still around and he’s coming to life every second of the day. Even though I can’t see him I can feel him. I feel him whisper in my ear “Fuck it. You can do better” and I listen with an everlasting smile. It’s not that I’ll never find someone to love again. I will know when the time is right and when he is capable of loving me back. I will know when it is no longer Adam whispering in my ear. Every night is different and though it is lonesome I will never be completely alone.
Christina from Ridgewood NY:
One day my best friend and I went to a guitar shop in midtown Manhattan. I was and always have been a musical dope unable to read music or remember where to put my fingers. My childhood piano teacher gave up on me. My friend Lo was quite talented with violin and guitar. A lanky young man with long hair covering his face assisted us showing us acoustic and electric Fender and Gibson. I’m certain neither Lo or I remembered anything he showed us because every time he put his fingers on the frets he flashed us a tattoo on his wrist. It was a big red heart and inside the heart in beautiful script was the word “Nervous Nervous Heart.” Afterwards Lo and I talked about how it was the best tattoo we’d ever seen that the young man seemed such a gentle shy soul it fit him well. We wondered if we wore our heart on our wrist what would it say about us “Bold Skittish Free” I think back on this moment from time to time how we were and how we are. I still cannot play music but I can sing and Lo owns a trendy consignment shop. She lives far away to the North with her husband and child their marriage on the rocks. I still live in NYC with my husband and child going strong surviving disasters and laughing. What would our tattoo hearts say now “Brave Adapting Fractured”.
Daniel Montano, Pittsburgh PA:
I could not contain the Great Love I had inside my Heart. So I went around the city on a bike to Write about Love. I wrote on the walls along the traint racks the rivers and the bridges. In abandoned buildings and on fancy storefronts in the busy shopping area. To express my Love for the Beauty of the World. To reflect the Light of The Sun Moon and Stars. To honor and pay tribute to the simple Beauty of my beloveds face. To place value on feelings of the Heart over the material world. To cover the bricks with precious kisses and sorrowful tears so they too could experience Love. To wake up the sleeping people of the world with Bold Statements of Love. And the people said that my Love was prolific and would go down in History. And they displayed my Love all over the evening news. And when they showed the policeman taking me away even he would say that my Love was profound. And the Judge said so too at my trial when he sentenced me to five years. But my Love was so strong that I took it with me to prison. My love was so determined that it would not diminish but always grow. So in my cell I wrote about Love…I wrote about Love at all costs for it is the noblest cause on Earth and is valued accordingly by God in Heaven. So I got on my knees and prayed I would purify my Love so it wouldn’t cause harm. So the World may receive it. God answered my Prayers when a young girl sent me a letter in prison: “I enjoyed reading your Poetry all over the city walls. Please write them in a book so they will last.”
Winners: we will be in touch with you shortly to get you your prizes. (If you haven’t heard from us in the next day or so, please email Mike V.)
Though we’re just getting started with the new year we’ve already started counting down days again here as we eagerly await the street date of the debut Esben and the Witch album, Violet Cries, out on January 31st (UK/Europe) and February 8th (US, Rest of World). We’re so eager in fact, that we’ve got a great offer on at the Matador store where you can pre-order the CD or LP for just $10 which also includes a free poster!
Whilst we’ve been arranging that the band have been busy working on a new website that is now up at www.esbenandthewitch.co.uk, offering not only a glimpse to the booklet artwork but also a free download of an exclusive remix of ‘Marching Song’ by Snorkel.
The band start their UK and European tour on January 31st, with a full list of dates below.
As you may have read over on the Belle and Sebastian site, Stuart has chosen the shortlist of winners for the Write About Love contest. We are pleased to announce our Part One winners, the Honorable Mentions, today:
Ann Orsini – Carrboro, NC
Paul Sotrop – Maplewood, NJ
Brett Hall – Lawrence, KS
Michele Muller – Brooklyn, NY
Mike Janzen – Spruce Grove, Alberta (Canada)
Michael Henriksen – Salt Lake City, UT
Blake Gibson – Cincinnati, OH
Ryan Johnson – Ludington, MI
Brian Pfeiffer – Oakland, CA
Tyler Ring – Columbia, TN
Keith Kuramoto – Glendale, CA
Megan Helstone – Bellflower, CA
Chad Johnston – Lawrence, KS
Evan Minsker – Dexter, MI
Joshua Cagan – Los Angeles, CA
Camille Akers – Omaha, NE
Joanna Blauer – Ypsilanti, MI
Nicholas Burica – Tinley Park, IL
Daryan Reay Farrell – Urbandale, IA
Trudy Haley – Scandinavia, WI
Andrew Weber – Bloomington, IN
Honorable Mention winners will receive autographed LPs of Write About Love. (If your name is on the list above and you haven’t heard from us, keep checking your email – you should be contacted shortly. If you still haven’t heard, please email Mike V and ask him what’s up.)
Keep checking back here this week to see Part 2 and Part 3 announcements: the Runner Ups and the Grand Prize – a get-to-know-you meeting with Stuart himself followed by a Belle and Sebastian song written about the winner.
We are excited to announce that Damian Abraham of Fucked Up has his own TV show. That’s right, he’ll be appearing on Canada’s MuchMusic network every Wednesday night at 10 PM, as host of the relaunched Wedge. The Wedge is all original music programming, and Damian’s encyclopedic knowledge of underground music history (and indeed mainstream music history) is sure to make the show engrossing and entertaining in equal measures.
“The Wedge played a huge part in my musical development,” said Damian Abraham, host of revamped series The Wedge. “I’m honoured to be able to have the same impact on a new generation of music fans.”
