Pitchfork posted a fun little interview with members at Sunset Rubdown. You can read it here. Here’s my favorite part:
Best thing I Did This Year
Spencer: Hung out in Mexico for three weeks with my 2-year-old nephew. He called me “Uncle Panther” the whole time– a good name. I watched him slowly get over his fear of water and then splash around in the waves giggling– classic stuff. And he loves music, so I showed him the new Sunset Rubdown record. He was the first in my family to hear it. More importantly, it was the first time he’d ever worn headphones, and the look on his face was what I imagine mine would be if I got that call from Wes Anderson. Can anyone remember the first time they heard music on headphones? It must have been so trippy.
Camilla: Go to Mexico for the first time. I saw lizards.
Michael: Winning the 2008 World Telekinesis Championship with the Discriminating Gentlemen’s Club.
Handsome Furs began the next leg of their North American tour today in Detroit at the Comerica Cityfest. For a full list of tour dates, go here.
Also remember that on July 7th the short list Polaris Music Prize nominees are announced. Keep your fingers crossed for both Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs!
Dragonslayer is out now! You can listen to a full stream of the record at Spinner.com and NPR.org. Sunset Rubdown are tour, check out the full list of tour dates here.
A belated congratulations is due to both Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs. They are 2 of 40 bands that have been long-listed for this years Polaris Music Prize. Check back on July 7th for the announcement of the short list, with the award being presented on September 21st in Toronto.
Handsome Furs did a live session recently with KEXP. Hopefully it will be in podcast form soon. Also, it looks like the never ending tour will be making it’s way to Australia and New Zealand!
Dan recently did a short interview with the LA Times music blog. Here’s what he had to say about an upcoming Handsome Furs release and the next Wolf Parade record:
Are there any plans for you guys to record another Wolf Parade record?
We’re going back to Montreal in November to write and record the new album. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to going to China and Beirut, and recording a 12-inch that will be a split between a cover of a Canadian industrial band named Skinny Puppy and an original song.
Sunset Rubdown are out on tour in the US at the moment. If you haven’t done so already, you need to pre-order Dragonslyer! Only 1 more day until it’s finally officially released! Check their tour dates page for an updated list of European tour dates. Also, rumor has it that the rubdown will return to North America in October. We will post those dates as soon as we know them.
Tomorrow begins the North American leg of Sunset Rubdown’s tour in support of Dragonslayer! Their first show being at the Middle East Club in Boston. Check here for a full list of tour dates, including new editions to their fall European tour. You can also stream Dragonslayer in its entirety over at NPR.com.
Handsome Furs are also back on the road in the U.S. They’re playing some west coast dates at present, and it seems like they may be on tour forever. Check their tour dates page for more info.
The wait is over!! It is an amazing feat these days to not have your record leak before release, and now Sunset Rubdown have achieved this lofty goal. Starting today, Jagjaguwar has Dragonslayer available for pre-order, which “entitles you to a free high-quality digital download of this album and/or bonus material which can be redeemed immediately for semi-instant gratification.”
I don’t usually post about bands outside of the Wolf Parade realm, but my love for Think About Life needs to be shared with all. Some of you might have seen them open for Wolf Parade back in 2005. Their new record ‘Family’ comes out May 26th on Alien 8 Records.
Family is broken-toy disco rock, served funky, like a big friendly bowl of sugary breakfast cereal. Upon a base of hearty synths and sweaty drums these tunes bubble with ‘80s pop guitar licks and are bedazzled with meta-marshmallows of electronic drones and glitchy samples. This alt-dance exterior is a framework from which hang beautifully rhythmic vocals, either musing empathetically about high-school lovers and guilt-ridden bus rides or issuing vaguely strange missives about mysterious wizards and black champagne. The tone is sometimes sly, sometimes frantic but never menacing, ironic or fey. Sounds like LCD Sound System, Outkast, Blur, TV on the Radio, Cars and Quincy Jones-era Michael Jackson done in the ramshackle, outsider style of Public Enemy’s producers the Bomb Squad. Family is probably as influenced by cartoon theme songs and 8-bit video game music as the L.A. riots. Beyond its charming pop heart and playful nouveau-disco trimmings, Family can also serve as a floatation device in case of bad-vibes. Step into their rad imagination, they got the magic touch.
You can listen to a stream of the entire record here. You can purchase an mp3 version of the record now in in the digital format of your choice! (FLAC Lossless, 320 Kbps MP3, Variable Bit Rate MP3).
Just wanted to let you know that all pre-orders for Dragonslayer at Insound will get the MP3s of the entire album sent to customers inboxes FOR FREE on 5/21 – A FULL MONTH before the 6/23 release date! Just pre-order and an email will be sent out on the 21st with a link to download the entire Dragonslayer album. Links to the CD and LP are below.
Sunset Rubdown were in Krakow, Poland last week where they filmed a short news video (interview + some music) for KTVI. You can watch it here. It appears the band will definitely be returning to Europe in September, and so far a string of UK dates are already on sale:
Sunset Rubdown visited Radio.Wave in Prague while on tour last month for an in studio interview. You can hear the full interview here and see some in studio photos here. There is a rumor that Sunset Rubdown will be back in Europe in the fall, starting with some UK dates in September. Thanks to Biscuit for the info.
