Forbidden rice
Saw this at Kalustyan the other day and decided to pick it up. It looks like wild rice but actually has nothing in common with it. The inimitable Kalustyan description says: "GROWN IN CHINA, ONCE EXCLUSIVE GRAIN OF THE EMPERORS & KNOWN AS BLOOD ENCHRICHIN & LONGEVITY RICE. IT IS A MED GRAIN RICE WITH WHITE KERNALS INSIDE THE BLACK BRAN. VERY TENDER WHEN COOKED, HAS NUTTY TASTE, IT IS BEAUTIFUL WHEN SERVED WITH CHEESE AND GREEN VEGETABLE."
First however you need to rinse it. Startlingly, after the description above, it gives off vast quantities of dark red colored liquid when rinsed. You then cook it as one might cook basmati despite the fact that it's medium grain. If you happen to buy yours from Kalustyan and are following the cooking instructions on the label, note that the second line of the instructions has been transposed with the fourth. And very importantly, you do not want to cover "lightly". The correct instruction is to cover "tightly."
The rice was delicious with roast chicken and green beans. The description above is accurate: nutty and tender, with almost a walnut taste. Recommended.
Rage of the mastering engineers
The pent-up frustration of mastering and recording engineers who have had to deal with members of an ignorant public for years has finally found in an outlet in a series of viral YouTube videos featuring computer animated characters speaking in computer-generated English accents.
The videos are brilliant, and point to the REAL revolution in the music industry over the past two decades, which is the proliferation of affordable (if often crappy) home-recording solutions. Someone needs to tell all those newspaper reporters that ProTools and GarageBand have had at least as much effect on the industry as P2P and torrents. It's hard to believe now, but in 1980 it cost a lot of money even to cut a 2-song hardcore single. Analog recording is slow, expensive and requires a ton of skill. Actually, the same goes for decent digital recording, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper and faster than it used to be. There are now approximately 200 times as many releases coming out annually as there were in 1980, and that doesn't even account for the huge quantity of music that doesn't see a commercial release and just lives on MySpace pages, YouTube videos and CDRs.
The above video would be enlightening and hilarious all on its own, but there are tons more. The videos have apparently struck a chord: "OMFG classic? bigtime relate to this!" and "BAHAHAAAAA. ? I am approached by so many douche-bags like that guy all the time. Stupid FruityLooping, clip-activating, preset-selecting chumps!!!"
Enjoy:
Jon. Wow. I have to say you really made those beats bang. Bro. Bro. Get me?
Girls Atlanta Instore
Next Friday Girls will add one more name to the list of the record shops they've rocked over the last 6 months or so.
Friday February 5 @ 7pm
Criminal Records
1154-A Euclid Ave. NE
Atlanta
404 215 9511
Oh and by the way, the show at The Earl is sold out... so if you DON'T have a ticket this is your only chance until next time...
Calling All Fucked Up Superfans: 7" Collection Contest
We were sitting around Matador World HQ the other day, talking about our favorite hardcore/punk/psychedelic/experimental band and their fans. Fucked Up has some pretty hardcore ones (no pun intended), which makes sense; with a discography as epic as their live show, you too would tend to attract the fanatical types. This got us to thinking: what do you get the Fucked Up fan who already has everything? How about a custom made, one-of-a-kind copy of their new, only-available-at-fine-indie-retailers, Couple Tracks 7" with YOU on the cover art? If you win this contest, we will add your photo to the outlined area of the cover art above and ship this one of a kind record to your door. Kinda cool, I know.
So how then do you get yourself immortalized on this 1 of 1 Couple Tracks 7" cover? Simple. Gather together all your Fucked Up singles and display them in some way. Sure, your collection can be laid out on your bed but we'll look favorably upon people who go the extra mile here. What's the "extra mile"? Hard to say. Impress us. Feel free to take inspiration from Extreme Ironing. Prove yourself to be worthy of this honor.
Now take a picture of your collection and e-mail it to [email protected]. Deadline for entries is midnight on February 6th. How will a winner be chosen? Like pornography, we will know it when we see it. Completeness/a massive collection is important but a generally epic photo is also helpful. Feel free to incorporate other acts of Fucked Up devotion: shirts, LPs, tattoos, children named Damian, etc. Win this contest and you'll surely be the envy of every other Fucked Up fan at their Fucked Up Saves Music SXSW showcase in March.
Now take a picture of your collection and e-mail it to [email protected]. Deadline for entries is midnight on February 6th. How will a winner be chosen? Like pornography, we will know it when we see it. Completeness/a massive collection is important but a generally epic photo is also helpful. Feel free to incorporate other acts of Fucked Up devotion: shirts, LPs, tattoos, children named Damian, etc. Win this contest and you'll surely be the envy of every other Fucked Up fan at their Fucked Up Saves Music SXSW showcase in March.
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists Free At Noon show TODAY live on air
Photo by Rob ScheuermanIn a mere 30 minutes, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists shall rock the house together at Philadelphia's World Cafe Live for a Free At Noon extravaganza. If you weren't lucky enough to get tickets ahead of time (you may still be able to weasel your way in, but I can't promise anything), you can listen live on XPN.org, or 88.5 terrestrially, as well as on a host of stations all around the country. Check npr.org to find stations in your varied 'hoods (as well as KUT in Austin, WBFO in Buffalo, and Vermont Public Radio) so you can tune in and rock out to jams from the new album, The Brutalist Bricks.
Casual Victim Pile - 3 Nights At Beerland (Update)
While this week's release of Matador's 19-band Austin/Denton compilation, 'Casual Victim Pile' has met with mostly favorable notices, some have rightly raised the question, "where's the inflammatory, entirely unnecessary attacks on other genres / scenes etc.?" So with that in mind, we commissioned Denny Schmickle to design (and Obsolete Industries to print) a limited edition poster for next week's 3-night stand at Beerland. Please, if 60 of these managed to completely obscure the entrance to the Saxon Pub, rest assured this was purely the handiwork of an overzealous street team.
That said, a limited quantity of the above poster will be free with paid admission ($5) to next Thursday's NIGHT ONE featuring Follow That Bird!, Dikes Of Holland, Kingdom Of Suicide Lovers, The Distant Seconds and The Persimmons. On the subsequent Friday (Woven Bones, The Young, Wild America, Flesh Lights, Elvis, The No No No Hopes) and Saturday (Harlem, The Golden Boys, Bad Sports, Love Collector, The Stuffies, Lost Controls) nights, Alan B will be playing records between sets and our good friends from End Of An Ear Records will be peddling LP & CD copies of 'CVP'.
(Wild America, photo taken from ballrogs kill's Flickr stream)
WOXY.com co-sponsor of next week's shows (along with Austinist), will be broadcasting live sessions from Follow That Bird! (February 4, 4:30pm), Wild America (February 5, 12:30pm) and Love Collector (February 6, 4:30pm) as part of their Lounge Acts series.
(Order 'Casual Victim Pile' on LP, CD or digital album from The Matador Store)
The Ponys - New U.S. Dates
(yes...it's a old photo. new ones, soon!)
After a handful of don't-call-it-a-comeback shows around the midwest last Autumn, The Ponys will be hitting the road for the first time in well, far too long, starting next week. We'll have some news about a forthcoming commercial-available-recorded-product of some sort or another very soon (unless you read about it elsewhere. We're not the only credible source in the world!)
Fri Feb 05, 2010 Grinnell, IA Gardner Lounge - Grinnell College with Rank Strangers
Sat Feb 06, 2010 St. Paul, MN Turf Club with France Has the Bomb, Bonbay Sweets, Chambermaids
Tue Apr 27, 2010 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern with Disappears
Wed Apr 28, 2010 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge with Disappears, Meth Teeth
Fri Apr 30, 2010 San Francisco, CA Bottom of The Hill with Disappears, Spencey Dude and the Doodles
Sat May 01, 2010 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland with Disappears, Static Static
Sun May 02, 2010 San Diego, CA Casbah with Disappears, Christmas Island
Fri May 28, 2010 Austin, TX Mohawk (Chaos In Tejas)
Say Hello to Magic Kids
(photo by Gabe Spierer)
We're very proud and honored to announce Memphis, Tennessee's Magic Kids as the newest addition to the True Panther family.When we first saw Magic Kids on three different NY stages on three different days last summer, we fell in love. A cacophony of pop music; 6 band members, numerous guitars, violins, horns, keyboards, everyone in summer mode- three different chilly NY audiences melted.Magic Kids make swelling, heartfelt and beautiful pop gems that recall some of our favorite eternal rock melodies but with an intimacy and excitement that is fully theirs. They do something that is increasingly rare these days- take the time and care to to create pure, perfect, romantic and joyful music.
Here's a little clip we put together from footage a friend sent us. They perform live at Gonerfest, lead-singer Bennett talks in a fake-Michael Jackson voice, they record some music, make some hats, eat some food.
To date, the band have released a tremendous single called "Hey Boy" on Goner Records, and have a forthcoming split 7" w/Chicago's Smith Westerns on Fat Possum. They're leaving for a tour with Girls and Smith Westerns TONIGHT (tour dates below), then getting serious in the new Easley Studio in Memphis. Their debut album will be in your hands later this year.
Mon 1/25 Detroit Bar. Costa Mesa, CA
Tue 1/26 Club Congress. Tucson, AZ
Wed 1/27 The Launchpad. Aburquerque, NM
Fri 1/29 The Parish. Austin, TX
Sat 1/30 House of Blues. Dallas, TX
Sun 1/31 Walter’s On Washington. Houston, TX
Tue 2/2 One Eyed Jacks. New Orleans, LA
Thu 2/4 Bottletree. Birmingham, AL
Fri 2/5 The Earl. Atlanta, GA
Sat 2/6 Exit/In. Nashville, TN
Sun 2/7 The Gargoyle. St. Louis, MO
Mon 2/8 The Blue Note. Columbia, MO
Wed 2/10 Bluebird Theater. Denver, CO
Fri 2/12 Urban Lounge. Salt Lake City, UTSun
2/14 Great American Music Hall. San Francisco, CA
Tue 2/16 The Echo, Los Angeles w/Pearl Harbor, Dunes (no Girls & Smith Westerns)
Wed 2/17 Trunk Space, Phoenix, AZ (no Girls & Smith Westerns)
Thu 2/19 Opolis, Norman, OK (no Girls & Smith Westerns)
3/18-3/21 SXSW. Austin, TX
Girls meet the fans
This Sunday, January 31st at 3pm Girls will stop by Cactus Music in Houston for a meet-and-greet and signing sesh...
Let's put it this way... I won't say they DON'T like when you bring them cookies.
Cactus Music
January 31 @ 3pm
2110 Portsmouth Street
Houston, TX 77098
(713) 526-9272
Jonathan Meiburg on The Huffington Post
Photo by Chris La Putt
Check out The Huffington Post for a guest blog piece from Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg entitled "A New Kind of Refugee". Now up on the Green Page (scroll down, left side). Or go right here.
And just a reminder that there are a mere matter of days to purchase a copy of the beautiful limited edition Golden Dossier via Kickstarter (ends on January 31). Go here to purchase and read more about the dossier.
And a little more time remains to pre-order Shearwater's upcoming release, The Golden Archipelago (February 23) via the Matastore.
Check out the MP3 for "Black Eyes" and Spring tour dates here.
Harlem In The Western United States
(Jose, Coomers and Curtis dealing with the elements at Fun Fun Fun last November. pic taken from Pooneh Ghana's Flickr page)
In addition to a mid February trio of shows in New York City and a Feb. 6 appearance as part of Matador's Casual Victim Pile revue at Austin's Beerland, Harlem are pointing their compass in a western direction at the end of the month, previewing selections from their forthcoming 'Hippies' LP/CD/digital album. Or so we hope. We're not really in the business of dictating repertoire, mostly because it's embarrassing when we get the song titles wrong (admittedly, this doesn't happen so often with Harlem, but keep in mind, they're pretty new on the label). A video for "Friendly Ghost" will be unveiled pretty soon, once we've received a thumbs-up from the extremely powerful Ghost Lobby that tends to control most of the entertainment business.
Thu, 2/18 - Phoenix AZ - Trunk Space (tickets)
Fri, 2/19 - Los Angeles CA - L'KEG Gallery
Sat, 2/20 - Los Angeles CA - Spaceland (tickets)
Sun, 2/21 - San Diego CA - Casbah (tickets)
Tue, 2/23 - San Jose CA - Blank Club (tickets)
Wed, 2/24 - San Francisco CA - Cafe Du Nord - Noise Pop (tickets)
Fri, 2/26 - Portland OR - Dantes (tickets)
Sat, 2/27 - Seattle WA - Funhouse (tickets)
Wed, 3/3 - Santa Cruz CA - The Crepe Place (tickets)
Thu, 3/4 - Costa Mesa CA - Detroit Bar
Fri., 3/5 - Tucson, AZ - Club Congress (tickets)
(Preorder 'Hippies' on LP or CD for 15% before April 6 from The Matador Store - poster included)
"Friendly Ghost" (192k mp3)
Pavement Best Of Track Listing and Contest Winner
So we got more than 1200 entries to the Pavement Guess The Track Listing contest for the Quarantine The Past best-of collection. As you may recall, first prize was for the track listing closest to the actual track listing. The actual track listing is:
1. Gold Soundz (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
2. Frontwards (WATERY, DOMESTIC EP)
3. Mellow Jazz Docent (PERFECT SOUND FOREVER EP)
4. Stereo (BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS)
5. In The Mouth A Desert (SLANTED & ENCHANTED)
6. Two States (SLANTED & ENCHANTED)
7. Cut Your Hair (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
8. Shady Lane / J Vs. S (BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS)
9. Here (SLANTED & ENCHANTED)
10. Unfair (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
11. Grounded (WOWEE ZOWEE)
12. Summer Babe (Winter Version) (SLANTED & ENCHANTED)
13. Range Life (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
14. Date w/ IKEA (BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS)
15. Debris Slide (PERFECT SOUND FOREVER EP)
16. Shoot The Singer (1 Sick Verse) (WATERY, DOMESTIC EP)
17. Spit On A Stranger (TERROR TWILIGHT)
18. Heaven Is a Truck (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
19. Trigger Cut/Wounded-Kite At :17 (SLANTED & ENCHANTED)
20. Embassy Row (BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS)
21. Box Elder (SLAY TRACKS 1933-1969 EP)
22. Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence (NO ALTERNATIVE COMP)
23. Fight This Generation (WOWEE ZOWEE)
All tracks are fully remastered from the original tapes (including for the early material) and will be available on mid-priced CD and mid-priced dbl LP as well as digital album. Low-priced vinyl reissues of all five Matador LPs plus the Watery, Domestic EP will land on the same date - March 9 - and keep your eyes peeled for other interesting Pavement issues to come over the course of this year.
Winner of the first prize expenses-paid trip to NYC to see Pavement in Central Park next September is Flavio Seixlack of São Paolo, who submitted this sequence, hitting 17 out of the 23 tracks:
1. Gold Soundz (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
2. In The Mouth A Desert (SLANTED AND ENCHANTED)
3. You're Killing Me (SLAY TRACKS 1933-1969 EP)
4. Heaven Is a Truck (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
5. AT&T (WOWEE ZOWEE)
6. Shady Lane / J Vs. S (BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS)
7. Major Leagues (TERROR TWILIGHT)
8. Date w/ IKEA (BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS)
9. Frontwards (WATERY, DOMESTIC EP)
10. Painted Soldiers (KIDS IN THE HALL: BRAIN CANDY OST)
11. The Hexx (TERROR TWILIGHT)
12. Cut Your Hair (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
13. Range Life (CROOKED RAIN, CROOKED RAIN)
14. Grounded (WOWEE ZOWEE)
15. Debris Slide (PERFECT SOUND FOREVER EP)
16. Spit On A Stranger (TERROR TWILIGHT)
17. Here (SLANTED AND ENCHANTED)
18. We Dance (WOWEE ZOWEE)
19. Summer Babe (Winter Version) (SLANTED AND ENCHANTED)
20. Box Elder (SLAY TRACKS 1933-1969 EP)
21. Trigger Cut/Wounded-Kite At :17 (SLANTED AND ENCHANTED)
22. Stereo (BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS)
23. Fight This Generation (WOWEE ZOWEE)
Second prize will be awarded to the most imaginative track listing - which will be pressed up into a limited-edition double vinyl LP for Record Store Day (April 17). We will be announcing this later this week, along with the 3 runner-up winners of complete sets of Pavement Matador vinyl.
Keep your eyes on this spot.
Preorder Quarantine The Past with a 15% discount
crookedrain.com
Catch Cold Cave live on WXPN Y-Rock tonight at 9PM EST
Philly/New York City tagteam agitsynthers (say that five times fast) Cold Cave paid a visit recently to the hallowed halls of the WXPN studios and recorded a session for Y-Rock on XPN. Luckily for you, that session is due to air tonight at 9PM EST. In the greater 215, tune in at 88.5FM and for the rest of you darkwave fanatics, feel free to listen online.
Yo La Tengo / Times New Viking U.S. Tour Kicks Off Tonight
It's the greatest thing to hit Pontiac, MI since Wayne Fontes' hair. Greater, perhaps. Yo La Tengo and Times New Viking hit the road starting today in support of their respective 2009 masterpieces, 'Popular Songs' and 'Born Again Revisited'. While the Jan. 29 show in Austin, TX is a sellout, tickets still remain for the rest of the following shows (prices below include NO ADDITIONAL SERVICE CHARGE) ;
Fri., 1/22 - Pontiac MI - Crofoot Ballroom - $17
Tickets available from Stormy, 13210 Michigan Ave., Dearborn MI 48126
Wazoo, 336 1/2 State St., Ann Arbor MI 48104
Crofoot box office, 1 South Saginaw St., Pontiac MI 48342
Sat., 1/23 - Madison WI - Barrymore Theatre - $20
Tickets available from B Side, 436 State St., Madison WI 53703
Barrymore box office, 2090 Atwood Ave., Madison WI 53704)
Sun., 1/24 - St Louis MO - The Pageant - $19.50
Tickets available from Vintage Vinyl, 6610 Del Mar Ave., St. Louis MO 63130
Euclid, 601 East Lockwood, St. Louis MO 63119
Pageant box office, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis MO 63112-1200 (cash only)
Tue., 1/26 - Lawrence KS - Granada Theatre - $17
Tickets : Love Garden, 822 Massachusetts St., Lawrence KS 66044
Granada box office, 1020 Massachusetts St., Lawrence KS 66044
Weds, 1/27 - Tulsa, OK, Cain's Ballroom
Thu., 1/28 - Houston TX - Warehouse Live - $20
Tickets Vinal Edge, 13171 Veteran's Memorial Drive, Houston TX 77014
Sound Exchange,1846 Richmond, Houston TX 77098
Cactus, 2110 Portsmouth, Houston TX 77098
Fri., 1/29 - Austin TX - Antone's (SOLD OUT)
Sat., 1/30 - Dallas TX - Granada Theatre - $20
Good Records, 1808 Greenville Ave., Dallas TX 75206
Granada box office, 3524 Greenville Ave., Dallas TX 75206
Girls Waterloo Instore
Friends, Austinites, Countrymen...
Let Girls help you shake off the long week at a free, all-ages instore next Friday, January 29 at Waterloo.
If there was any time to cut out of work 15 minutes early, this is it...
600-A N. Lamar Blvd. in Austin... but you knew that already.
(512) 474-2500
Coming May 4: The New Pornographers 'Together'
Coming on May 4: the new album from The New Pornographers, entitled Together. Their fifth full-length was produced by the band and Phil Palazzolo, and recorded in Vancouver, Brooklyn, Woodstock, and Catskill, NY. The album is comprised of 9 A.C. Newman songs and 3 Dan Bejar numbers, and features the full eight-person lineup of Carl, Dan, John Collins, Neko Case, Kurt Dahle, Kathryn Calder, Todd Fancey and Blaine Thurier. Additional musicians include Annie Clark (St. Vincent), Zach Condon (Beirut), Will Sheff (Okkervil River), and the Dap-Kings Horns, among other talents.
You don't need us to tell you the album is great... but we'll say it anyway. It's amazing, more varied, deeper, and broader than its predecessors. Please just look forward to extreme enjoyment. First MP3 coming soon.
In the meantime, check out the brand new look on the New Pornographers site (and check out the photo page for over 100 photos from the recording of Together):
newpornographers.com
And keep in mind - Carl a/k/a A.C. Newman will be joining other luminaries onstage
Preorder information coming soon... keep your eyes on this site.
Yo La Tengo performing at Support Haiti event tonight
Tonight in Manhattan, Yo La Tengo are slated to appear alongside Patti Smith, The Antlers, The Swell Season, John Wesley Harding and others as part of the City Winery's four day benefit concert series for emergency relief in Haiti.
More information here: http://www.citywinery.com/events/59379
The Cave Singers - New US Dates
Was there a more unjustly slept on 2009 long-player than The Cave Singers' amazing 2nd album, 'Welcome Joy'? Possibly, but a straight answer to that question suggests some culpability on our part. Rather than play The Blame Game, let's instead concentrate on your favorite Seattle trio and ours returning the highways and biways of this great nation later this month, for a lengthy tour (mostly) accompanied by The Dutchess & The Duke. And The Cave Singers will be hitting SXSW, too (more news on that front later on).
Tue, 2/23 - Olympia WA - Northern*
Wed, 2/24 - Bremerton WA - Hi-Fidelity Lounge*
Thu, 2/25 - Spokane WA - Empyrean Coffee House*
Fri, 2/26 - Kennewick WA - The Red Room*
Sat, 2/27 - Anacortes WA - Dept of Safety*
Fri, 3/5 - Vancouver BC - UBC - Pit Pub^
Sat, 3/6 - Seattle WA - The Showbox*
Sun, 3/7 - Portland OR - Doug Fir Lounge^
Tue, 3/9 - San Francisco CA - The Independent^
Wed, 3/10 - Santa Cruz CA - The Crepe Place^
Thu, 3/11 - Los Angeles CA - The Echo^
Fri, 3/12 - San Diego CA - Casbah^
Sat, 3/13 - Tucson AZ - Plush^
Mon, 3/15 - Albuquerque NM - Low Spirits^
Tue, 3/16 - Lubbock TX - Bash Riprock's^
Wed, 3/17 - Denton TX - Hailey's^
Mon, 3/22 - Norman OK - The Opolis
Tue, 3/23 - St Louis MO - Billiken Club
Thu, 3/25 - Bloomington IN - The Bishop
Fri, 3/26 - Fort Wayne IN - The Brass Rail
Sat, 3/27 - Chicago IL - Empty Bottle
Mon, 3/29 - Milwaukee WI - Mad Planet
Tue, 3/30 - Iowa City IA - The Mill
Wed, 3/31 - Lawrence KS - Replay Lounge
Thu, 4/1 - Denver CO - Walnut Room
Fri, 4/2 - Salt Lake City UT - Kilby Court
Sat, 4/3 - Boise ID - Neurolux
* = with The Dutchess & The Duke
^ = with The Dutchess & The Duke + The Moondoggies
'Welcome Joy' - LP/CD/digital album available from the Matador Store
Shearwater - a new song from The Golden Archipelago, plus tour dates
| Here's a new song from Shearwater's The Golden Archipelago (out Feb 15 UK / Feb 23 US). A haunting call to arms, it is entitled "Black Eyes:" Black Eyes (192k mp3) |  |
Photo by Kathryn Yu |
 | Preorder the album with 15% discount plus limited-edition perfect-bound book. |
At the same time we can announce the Shearwater Spring US tour:
Sat 3/13 AUSTIN, TX - Red 7 (Jonathan Meiburg solo, supporting Xiu Xiu)
Wed 3/24 ATLANTA, GA - The Earl - with Wye Oak
Thu 3/25 CHAPEL HILL, NC - Local 506 - with Wye Oak
Fri 3/26 WASHINGTON, DC - Rock N Roll Hotel - with Wye Oak
Sat 3/27 NEW YORK, NY - Bowery Ballroom- with Wye Oak
Sun 3/28 PHILADELPHIA, PA - Johnny Brenda's- with Wye Oak
Tue 3/30 BOSTON, MA - T.T. the Bears - with Wye Oak
Wed 3/31 MONTREAL, QC - La Sala Rosa - with Wye Oak
Thu 4/1 TORONTO, ON - Lee's Palace - with Wye Oak
Fri 4/2 ITHACA, NY - Castaways - with Wye Oak
Sun 4/4 CHICAGO, IL - Lincoln Hall - with Wye Oak
Tue 4/6 MINNEAPOLIS, MN - 400 Bar - with Wye Oak
Wed 4/7 GRINNELL, IA - Gardner Lounge at Grinnell College - with Wye Oak
Thu 4/8 LAWRENCE, KS - Bottleneck - with Wye Oak
Fri 4/9 NORMAN, OK - The Opolis - with Wye Oak
Thu 4/22 PHOENIX, AZ - Rhythm Room
Fri 4/23 TUCSON, AZ - Club Congress
Sat 4/24 LOS ANGELES, CA - Spaceland
Sun 4/25 SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Bottom Of The Hill
Tue 4/27 PORTLAND, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
Wed 4/28 VANCOUVER, BC - The Biltmore Cabaret
Thu 4/29 SEATTLE, WA - Triple Door
Fri 4/30 PULLMAN, WA - The BellTower
Sat 5/1 BOISE, ID - Neurolux
Tue 5/4 DENVER, CO - The Walnut Room
Fri 5/7 AUSTIN, TX - The Parish
* Some more information on "Black Eyes." Every track on The Golden Archipelago is associated with an island somewhere around the world, in this case the buried South Pacific city of Nan Madol, off the eastern shore of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. The name means "spaces between" - it was actually a series of artificial islands linked by a network of canals, and inhabited until about 1500 A.D. The city was gradually abandoned and exists today in a state of decay and can only be visited by governmental permission.
The band have completed work on the limited-edition dossier that explains and enlarges upon the themes of the album. Contents range from the national anthem of the displaced Bikini Atoll islanders to photos of isolated islands where animals remain unafraid of human beings. The dossier is 73 full-color 8 1/2 X 10" sheets in a stamped envelope. You still have to the end of January to donate to secure your own copy (via kickstarter.com).
shearwatermusic.com
Girls "Laura" Single (mp3/flac)
A new year, a new single from Girls. Laura is probably our favorite track from the album. Such a ripper! At this point, you've probably heard enough of us going on and on about our love for this thing so just know that the 7" comes with an exclusive b-side, the haunting and heartbreaking "Oh, Boy".
Laura (256k mp3)
Laura (FLAC)
Pre-order from the Matador Store and get a free 3" Girls button, previously available only at shows and a few days during CMJ.
Pre-order the single HERE from the Matador Store
Order "Album" HERE
Girls are also embarking on yet another US tour with some of our favorite bands right now, Magic Kids, Smith Westerns and Hunx and His Punx. A real family jam. The tour culminates Valentines Day, which features all four bands and marks the almost two-year anniversary of Girls' first show ever at Cafe Du Nord. Just found this old post from back in the day and got a little teary-eyed.
Mon 1/25 Detroit Bar. Costa Mesa, CA $@
Tue 1/26 Club Congress. Tucson, AZ $@
Wed 1/27 The Launchpad. Aburquerque, NM $@
Fri 1/29 The Parish. Austin, TX *@
Sat 1/30 House of Blues. Dallas, TX *@
Sun 1/31 Walter’s On Washington. Houston, TX *@
Tue 2/2 One Eyed Jacks. New Orleans, LA *@
Thu 2/4 Bottletree. Birmingham, AL *@
Fri 2/5 The Earl. Atlanta, GA *@
Sat 2/6 Exit/In. Nashville, TN *@
Sun 2/7 The Gargoyle. St. Louis, MO *@
Mon 2/8 The Blue Note. Columbia, MO *@
Wed 2/10 Bluebird Theater. Denver, CO *@
Fri 2/12 Urban Lounge. Salt Lake City, UT *@
Sun 2/14 Great American Music Hall. San Francisco, CA *@$
* w/Magic Kids
$ w/Hunx and His Punx
@ w/Smith Westerns
Laura (FLAC)
Pre-order from the Matador Store and get a free 3" Girls button, previously available only at shows and a few days during CMJ.
Order "Album" HERE
Girls are also embarking on yet another US tour with some of our favorite bands right now, Magic Kids, Smith Westerns and Hunx and His Punx. A real family jam. The tour culminates Valentines Day, which features all four bands and marks the almost two-year anniversary of Girls' first show ever at Cafe Du Nord. Just found this old post from back in the day and got a little teary-eyed.
Mon 1/25 Detroit Bar. Costa Mesa, CA $@
Tue 1/26 Club Congress. Tucson, AZ $@
Wed 1/27 The Launchpad. Aburquerque, NM $@
Fri 1/29 The Parish. Austin, TX *@
Sat 1/30 House of Blues. Dallas, TX *@
Sun 1/31 Walter’s On Washington. Houston, TX *@
Tue 2/2 One Eyed Jacks. New Orleans, LA *@
Thu 2/4 Bottletree. Birmingham, AL *@
Fri 2/5 The Earl. Atlanta, GA *@
Sat 2/6 Exit/In. Nashville, TN *@
Sun 2/7 The Gargoyle. St. Louis, MO *@
Mon 2/8 The Blue Note. Columbia, MO *@
Wed 2/10 Bluebird Theater. Denver, CO *@
Fri 2/12 Urban Lounge. Salt Lake City, UT *@
Sun 2/14 Great American Music Hall. San Francisco, CA *@$
* w/Magic Kids
$ w/Hunx and His Punx
@ w/Smith Westerns