Hello all-
Another huge week for us with the release of the long-awaited debut album from Veronica Falls and the amazing new EP from Weekend. We’ve got a lot of bands on tour now or going on tour soon, so be sure to read on for tour dates and info about forthcoming releases.
*** Veronica Falls release long-awaited debut album ***
The very best type of pop music is the kind that mixes sweetness and light with dissonance and darkness, the sort which injects a perfectly addictive harmony with something sadder, stranger. Welcome to the slanted and enchanted world of Veronica Falls, where serendipity, subversion, providence, and a shared love for Beat Happening, Velvet Underground, Galaxie 500, Felt and Roky Erickson’s worldview all have a crucial part to play.
Initially forming two years ago when drummer Patrick Doyle and Roxanne Clifford (guitars, vocals) moved to London from Glasgow and met James Hoare (also on guitars and vocals), later recruiting bassist Marion Herbain. The band quickly worked up a set of songs and released a string of singles on taste-making labels such as Captured Tracks, No Pain in Pop and Trouble Records. Debut single “Found Love In a Graveyard” is a great example of what Veronica Falls are about; it’s a singalong slice of deliciously morbid pop, the breezy harmonies and chant-along choruses slyly belying the off-kilter undercurrent of falling in love with a ghost, and neatly setting the tone for what was to follow – instantly addictive pop songs streaked with shades of grey.
With this superb album, Veronica Falls have crafted a brilliantly concise, superbly concentrated hit of spiky, marvelously contagious indie pop with a twist – these are songs which will lodge themselves in your head as well as your heart, with style and attitude to burn. Smashing new tunes like “Right Side Of My Brain,” “The Fountain” and “Misery” fit right in next to “Found Love…” and “Beachy Head,” making for a gorgeous, well-rounded album. A limited number of mail order copies are available on blue vinyl with free poster; two per customer, please.
info, order, listen: http://www.slumberlandrecords.com/catalog/show/187
Also, be sure to catch Veronica Falls on tour this September:
Sep 23 – San Diego, CA @ Til Two Club # (tix: http://goo.gl/kSi8p)
Sep 25 – Los Angeles, CA – Part Time Punks @ The Echo + (tix: http://goo.gl/sP7gD)
Sep 27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands % (tix: http://goo.gl/c1hpg)
Sep 28 – New York, NY @ Pianos (tix: http://goo.gl/dd4r0)
Sep 29 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall * (tix: http://goo.gl/PnAEX)
Sep 30 – Montreal, QC @ Il Motore * (tix: http://goo.gl/0QT0h)
Oct 1 – Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club * (tix: http://goo.gl/O9hsw)
Oct 3 – Cleveland, OH @ The Grog Shop * (tix: http://goo.gl/SzRrH)
Oct 4 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean * (tix: http://goo.gl/KgW80)
Oct 5 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry * (tix: http://goo.gl/xeIGh)
Oct 6 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews * (tix: http://goo.gl/uNl0q)
Oct 10 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir * (tix: http://goo.gl/hARWT)
Oct 11 – Vancouver, BC @ Venue * (tix: http://goo.gl/zIO6j)
Oct 12 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile * (tix: http://goo.gl/SYmUk)
# with La La Vasquez, Plateaus and Divers
+ with Neverever and Sea Lions
% with German Measles, Darlings and Tanks Amigo
* with The Drums
*** Weekend return with amazing new EP ***
After spending the bulk of the past year on the road in support of last November’s excellent “Sports” LP on Slumberland Records, Weekend have also been hard at work on their followup record. Prior to their European tour in July, the band spent three weeks in the studio with producer Monte Vallier crafting their new EP, simply titled “Red.” Prepare yourself for yet another gorgeous, violent sonic assault, because this EP packs a serious punch.
Opener “Sweet Sixteen” is mesmerizing grind, stately bass and drums underpinned by soaring vocals and echoed shards of guitar feedback and plucked notes. This leads directly into the noise-pop gem that is “Hazel” — 3:50 of cascading bass chords, guitar clangor and a melody and chorus most pop bands would kill for. Amazing. “Your Own Nothing” is clattering piece of post-punk, spiked with layers of guitar noise and a dubbed-out atmosphere.
“The One You Want” is a rather more straight-forward tune in the manner of “Hazel” and further proof that Weekend can craft melodies just as well as they can innovate with guitar textures and dazzle with sonic overload. The EP concludes with “Golfers,” a song that downshifts into an extended minimal intro before building to a gorgeous crescendo of rumbling drums, chiming/fizzing guitars and as always that unerring sense of melody that Weekend always have in even the most noise-laden tunes. The standard edition 12″ vinyl is expected in stock by October 4th. We are still accepting pre-orders for the limited edition 12″; target date for that format remains October 11.
info, order, listen: http://www.slumberlandrecords.com/catalog/show/185
Weekend are also on tour right about now, with Talk Normal:
09/20 Phoenix, AZ Rhythm Room * (tix: http://tinyurl.com/3w3hxzs)
09/22 San Diego, CA The Casbah *
09/23 Los Angeles, CA The Echo * (tix: http://tinyurl.com/3zlqfms)
09/26 Seattle, WA The Crocodile * (tix: http://tinyurl.com/3nv5yhl)
09/27 Portland, OR The Holocene * (tix: http://tinyurl.com/3gkwn34)
* = w/ Talk Normal
*** Big Troubles Fall Tour ***
Big Troubles are planning a BIG season of touring to accompany the release of their excellent new album “Romantic Comedy” on September 27th. See below for a packed schedule of dates with Young Prisms and Real Estate.
Big Troubles are planning a BIG season of touring to accompany the release of their excellent new album “Romantic Comedy” – out now!. See below for a packed schedule of dates with Young Prisms and Real Estate.
10/08 Oakland, CA – Vitus # $5
10/09 Los Angeles, CA – The Echo / Part Time Punks #$ . $10. 18+ (tix: http://goo.gl/xJk44)
10/10 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress # $8/$10. All ages. (tix: http://goo.gl/bpKkY)
10/12 Norman, OK – Opolis # $8. (tix: http://goo.gl/QTHmY)
10/13 Lawrence, KS – Replay Lounge # (tix: no presales)
10/14 Des Moines, IA – Vaudeville Mews # $7 21+ (tix: no presales)
10/15 St. Louis, MO – Stylehouse # $7. (tix: no presales)
10/17 Washington, DC – Black Cat #+ $10/$12. (tix: http://goo.gl/JRZKe)
10/19 Boston, MA – TT The Bears # $10. 18+ (tix: http://goo.gl/6LRPi)
10/31 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall % $15. 18+ (tix: http://goo.gl/9swmY)
11/01 Minneapolis, MN – 400 Bar % $10 18+ (tix: http://goo.gl/sJB8t)
11/02 Omaha, NE – The Slowdown % $10 All Ages (tix: http://goo.gl/OItYc)
11/03 Denver, CO – Moe’s % $12/$14 16+ (tix: http://goo.gl/zZeZW)
11/04 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge % $10/$12. 21+ (tix: http://goo.gl/VuJZu)
11/05 Boise, ID – Neurolux % $8/$10 21+ (tix: http://goo.gl/OaHsZ)
11/11 San Francisco, CA – Slim’s % $17 6+ (tix: http://goo.gl/CvP9p)
11/12 Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex % $12/$14 18+ (tix: http://goo.gl/OczL9)
11/13 San Diego, CA – Sunset Temple %
11/14 Tempe, AZ – Sail Inn % $12/$13 21+ (tix: http://goo.gl/CzIMk)
11/16 Austin, TX – The Parish % $13/$15 All ages (tix: http://goo.gl/KzO29)
11/17 Dallas, TX – Club Dada % $10/$13 18+ (tix: http://goo.gl/UtTL6)
11/18 Memphis, TN – Hi Tone Cafe % $10 18+ (tix: http://goo.gl/XA8Y8)
11/19 Lexington, KY – Cosmic Charlie’s % $10/$12 18+ (tix: http://goo.gl/I1Zh2)
11/20 Pittsburgh, PA – Garfield Artworks %
11/21 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s % $12 21+ (tix: http://goo.gl/7QUjF)
11/23 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom % $15 18+ (tix: http://goo.gl/oQXXa)
# with Young Prisms
$ with Kids On A Crime Spree
+ with John Maus
% with Real Estate
*** Frankie Rose Fall Tour ***
Frankie Rose and her new band are hitting the road with Dirty Beaches for a sure-to-be-amazing co-headline tour. Frankie and her band will be playing loads of new songs from their upcoming album, due early 2012.
09/20 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge*
09/21 Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall*
09/23 Montreal, QC – Il Motore (Pop Montreal)*#
09/24 Toronto, ON – The Phoenix Concert Theatre*
09/26 Indianapolis, IN – White Rabbit Cabaret*
09/27 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle*
09/29 Cleveland, OH – Happy Dog*
09/30 Philadelphia, PA – Voyeur*
* w/Dirty Beaches
# w/Peter Hook
*** The Pains of Being Pure At Heart playing just about everywhere ***
The Pains’ world tour continues throughout these hot autumn months. If these aren’t the hardest working kids in pop then I’d like to know who are!
9/23/2011 Philadelphia, PA Popped Fest
9/24/2011 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom^
9/25/2011 Urbana, IL Hidive^
9/26/2011 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon^
9/28/2011 Winnipeg The Lo Pub^
9/30/2011 Calgary Dickens Pub^
10/1/2011 Edmonton Starlite Ballroom^
10/3/2011 Vancouver Biltmore Cabaret^
10/4/2011 Seattle, WA The Crocodile^
10/5/2011 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom^&
10/7/2011 San Francisco, CA Slim’s*
10/8/2011 Los Angeles, CA The El Rey Theater*
10/9/2011 Costa Mesa, CA Detroit Bar*
10/10/2011 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
10/11/2011 Denver, CO Bluebird *
10/13/2011 Lawrence, KS The Bottleneck*
10/14/2011 Ok City, OK University Of Oklahoma*
10/15/2011 Memphis, TN Hi Tone*
10/16/2011 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge*
10/18/2011 Baltimore, MD The Ottobar*
10/19/2011 Halifax, NS Halifax Pop
* with Twin Sister
% with Wyldlife
^ with Big Troubles
& with Starfucker
*** Other recent releases still hitting ***
Devon Williams “Euphoria” LP (mail order color vinyl going fast!)/CD: http://www.slumberlandrecords.com/catalog/show/182
Big Troubles – “Sad Girls” 7″: http://www.slumberlandrecords.com/catalog/show/184
Veronica Falls – “Bad Feeling” 7″: http://www.slumberlandrecords.com/catalog/show/183
Brilliant Colors – “Again And Again” LP/CD: http://www.slumberlandrecords.com/catalog/show/181
Devon Williams – “Your Sympathy” 7″: http://www.slumberlandrecords.com/catalog/show/178
Art Museums – “Dancing With A Hole In Your Heart” 7″: http://www.slumberlandrecords.com/catalog/show/179
*** Up next ***
Big Troubles’ brilliant second LP “Romantic Comedy” is in stores September 27th, and we have Spectrals’ excellent debut album “Bad Penny” slated for release on October 25. A little later this fall we’ll release new records from Terry Malts, Sea Lions, Neverever and English Singles. Busy times!
Until then-
Ma and Pa Slumber