DATES
It’s already shaping up to be quite an upwardly eventful year for the indie-psychedelic quintet Dr. Dog. They recently found their way onto the roster at Anti records and have a new album, Shame, Shame, coming out on April 6. In the meantime, the Philly-based group will be touring the U.S. (with a brief border cross-over into Canada) on a 39 stop venture between now and mid May with more dates to be added in the coming months. It would be likely that some of these added performances would include appearances at some of the many spring and summer festivals happening this year and various guest spots on late night talk shows (they’ve held a spot on Conan O’Brien in support of their last two albums, though with the ongoing NBC scheduling fiasco they may not make it on the show for a third round).
The wander-lusting experimental trio Liars must have the skin of a rhinoceros. Their original appeal as a post-punk band from the New York rock scene was met with critical dismay with their exploration of sound possibilities on They Were Wrong, So We Drowned, an atmospheric conceptual “story album” about witches, but they persevered. Their next album, Drum’s Not Dead, was even more of a rejection of the traditional rock concept as they toyed with electronic drum processors, relaying said productions through multiple effects pedals, and recording in various non-studio venues in exploration of their acoustic qualities. The album they produced was one of their proudest achievements. Their latest album, Sisterworld, was unceremoniously pirated on the internet in full as low quality mp3s on December 24, over three months prior to its actual release date on March 8.
In my efforts to report on the latest touring schedules for the New Year, it has come to my attention that labeling the encompassing stigma surrounding the band of Montreal as “art-rock” is as much an understatement as labeling Jersey Shore as an intellectual stimulating program full of wit and merit (I know, two Jersey Shore slams in one week is a little trite, but I just hate that show so much. Go “pump that fist” right into your stupid f’n faces!). Where musical visionaries like David Bowie and Roxy Music brought a much needed visual element to a lack-luster rock environ, the live music performances of of Montreal have thoroughly exemplified the gonzo-zen statement uttered by the late Hunter S. Thompson:
While so many other artists, record labels, and magazines are taking a break from the daily grind for the holidays, the ever-diligent heads over at Rhymesayers Entertainment have announced that Minnesotan emcee P.O.S. (a.k.a. Stefen Alexander) will be making the rounds across the U.S. and Canada for the “Every Never Is Now” tour. This upcoming tour will mark a full year since the emcee dropped his third album Never Better, which found its way onto several year-end “top” lists, including Spin Magazine’s “Top 10 Best Albums You Might Have Missed.”
The folksy, indie-pop band The Clientele has announced plans to take their eclectically groovy sounds on tour across the U.S. in February and March. This is a chance for true fans of indie music to congregate around an intellectually stimulating group who know how to show their influence without overzealously attempting to outdo their contemporaries. There is no competition with The Clientele. They simply exist for the pleasure of those who seek something wonderful.
With no prior knowledge of the foursome, one might imagine that this would be the kind of music flowing out of a San Francisco head-shop along with billows of patchouli and anti-establishment rhetoric, but the group actually hails from across the water, London specifically. Originally formed in 1991, the group struggled to find any major-label interest until the late-nineties/early ’00 when they released Suburban Light, a compilation of various 7” recording released previously. The continued working on refining their sound and releasing albums until their latest record, Bonfires on the Heath, where we find them expressing their expressionistic sentiments to their fullest extent. Their sound, which resembles, yet is significantly different from, bands such as The Association and other mellow, folk acts from the 1960’s, is a breath of refreshment in the midst of the slew of indie groups obsessed with conforming to the “I’m-so-independent” mentality. As previously stated, The Clientele isn’t trying to fit into a certain mold; they simply exist for the sake of existing.
The experimental Brooklyn-based psych-pop trio known as Yeasayer will be touring next year in support of their sophomore album, Odd Blood, which is due to hit stores on February 9, just in time for Valentine’s Day. The tour will consist of three select shows immediately following the release, one in Los Angeles and two in New York, before the band sets off on an extensive European tour. But don’t you worry your sweet little head, because after traversing the vast Euro countryside, they will be returning to North America in March for a full-on tour with extensive performance dates.
Riding the crest of their critically acclaimed fifth studio album, The Resistance, Muse will be continuing their ongoing world tour regime by advancing their travels into the northwest hemisphere. After their scheduled gigs in East Asia and sold out shows in Australia, the British rock group will be making select appearances throughout the U.S. and Canada. Even though more dates are likely to be added, presale tickets for the previously announced shows are already on sale and are expected to go fast.
You don’t have to be an acid-fried, VW driving, hippie-burnout to appreciate a good jam-band, nor do you have to be a hoity-toity, pinky-flaring, culture snob to appreciate the subtle nuances of good improvisation. In fact, the presence of a loyal fan-base is far from evidence proving notable talent (need I cite the existence of multiple Paris Hilton fan-clubs?). But, there is one so-called “jam-band” that transcends the barriers between underground appeal and critical notoriety. Regularly treading their own successful path through the journey toward musical greatness is the Chicago-based improvisational conglomerate, Umphrey’s McGee.
Although normally reserved for upcoming musical performances, I feel it necessary to include comedian Eddie Izzard in the list of imminent tour dates. It has been nearly six years since the acclaimed comedy staple has embarked on a stand-up comedy tour and information such as this cannot be ignored.
Eddie Izzard has been a performing stand-up since he was unceremoniously ejected from the University of Sheffield and began working as a street performer during the eighties. He slowly began to grow in notoriety throughout England and eventually took his act to stand-up comedy clubs that began popping up throughout Britain. He continued refining his material and, after several successful comedy tours, he gained noted public appeal as the result of his “Dress to Kill” tour, whose video was regularly run on HBO. Izzard continued performing stand-up, but his growing public demand allowed for a successful transition into other facets of entertainment, including various voice-over projects, numerous roles in major motion pictures, and the lead character of Wayne Malloy on FX network’s defunct drama series The Riches beside co-lead Minnie Driver.
Searching for upcoming tour dates can often be a hit-or-miss endeavor. With the upcoming winter season rushing up like a creepy, perma-grinned relative visiting for the holidays who wants to show you their new “wrestling moves” in private, many of us are looking for a much-needed escape. Fortunately, numerous bands have announced numerous upcoming tours where one can escape from the winter-lows and repressed memories that have forever damaged your mental psyche.
The first, and perhaps most anticipated upcoming tour, is by the British art-pop quartet Wild Beasts. After scheduled tour dates in Europe and Australia in November and December, respectively, the group will be coming to the U.S. in their first ever North American tour to support their new album Two Dancers. (Dates below)
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