LISTEN: Stream The New Bowerbirds LP | WATCH Short Doc

The eagerly anticipated third Bowerbirds album, The Clearing from Raleigh is slated to hit shelves on March 6th on Dead Oceans. However, the entire record is streaming online right now courtesy of Stereogum.

Back at the end of January we revealed some details about the new LP and streamed a new song from The Clearing. Now the whole record is right at the door step of your eager little ear canals.

In addition to stream of the new record, the Bowerbirds site has posted a short documentary on the making of The Clearing. Watch it below.


About "The Clearing" by Bowerbirds from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.


Bowerbirds Tour Dates:03-17 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
03-21 Washington, DC – Black Cat
03-22 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
03-23 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
03-24 Boston, MA – Paradise
03-26 Montreal, Quebec – La Sala Rossa
03-27 Toronto, Ontario – The Garrison
03-29 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
03-31 Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural Centre
04-03 Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
04-04 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
04-06 San Francisco, CA – The Independent
04-07 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
04-08 San Diego, CA – Casbah
04-11 Austin, TX – The Parish
04-12 Dallas, TX – The Loft
04-14 Birmingham, AL – The Bottletree
04-15 Atlanta, GA – The Earl

LISTEN: Stream The New Andrew Bird Album "Break It Yourself"

Andrew Bird will release his newest album Break It Yourself on March 6th via Mom and Pop Records. Perhaps you even heard the first single, "Eyeoneye" when we streamed it just a few short weeks ago. Well, if your patience has waned awaiting the newest release from America's preeminent indie-pop whistler you can find something new to worry about because the kind folks over at NPR Music are streaming the whole record on their site. Writer Stephen Thompson also shares some of his initial thoughts on the record as a primer for those about to take their first listen.

Stream the record now at NPR Music

In addition to the new long-player, Bird and his band will be hitting the road this spring. Below are his upcoming American dates.

Andrew Bird Tour Dates:
03-15 Dallas, TX - Majestic Theatre
03-16 New Orleans, LA - The Howlin' Wolf
03-17 Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
03-19 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
03-20 Columbus, OH - Southern Theatre
03-22 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
03-23 Kansas City, MO - The Uptown Theater
03-24 Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater
04-09 Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
04-10 Vancouver, British Columbia - The Vogue
04-11 Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
04-13 Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
04-18 Mesa, AZ - Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center
04-19 Santa Fe, NM - Lensic Performing Arts Center
04-20 Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theater
05-03 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
05-04 New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
05-05 New York, NY -Beacon Theatre
05-06 Boston, MA - House of Blues
05-08 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
05-09 Baltimore, MD - Ram's Head Live
05-10 Detroit, MI - The Fillmore Detroit
05-12 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre

Surviving Beach Boys To Reunite For Grammy Appearance

If you're a Beach Boys fan who has anxiously awaited the band's proposed reunion with Brian Wilson, prepare to be very excited. All of the surviving members of the seminal California band will reunite for a live performance for the first time in more than twenty years at the upcoming Grammy Awards, according to a report from Billboard Magazine.

Now, prepare to have your hopes dashed back again unless you envisioned that this long awaited reunion should include contributions from Maroon 5 and Foster The People. Yep, two bands that have - at least on the surface - jack shit to do with the Beach Boys are going to muddy the water of what otherwise has the potential to be a very interesting moment in popular music history. It seems like Brian Wilson could arrange some dope harmonies for "Pumped Up Kicks" but imagining how to incorporate the 5 Maroons is beyond comprehension right now.  You'll have to tune into the Grammys on Feb. 12 to find out for yourself.

The Beach Boys are currently working on a record slated for release later this year and will kick off a lengthy tour with the reunited lineup on April 27 in New Orleans.

Shins Release Tour Dates and B-Side

As previously mentioned here before, indie darlings The Shins have a new long player called The Port Of Morrow coming out on March 20. For a few weeks now twee kids in every neighborhood across America have been rocking to the first single from the record, "Simple Song".

Now, the band have unveiled a b-side to the single, entitled "September". In addition to that joyous news, The Shins have also plotted a tour across much of the nation for the spring and early summer.

You can see a video for "September" below and find out what day James Mercer and Co. will hit your town.

The Shins Tour Dates:
April 13—Cosmopolitan/The Pool—Las Vegas, Nevada
April 22—Civic Auditorium—Santa Cruz, California
April 23—Robert Mondavi Center—Davis, California
April 25—Grand Sierra Resort & Casino—Reno, Nevada
May 25—Les Schwab Amphitheatre—Bend, Oregon
May 28—Red Butte Garden Amphitheater—Salt Lake City, Utah
May 29— Red Rocks Amphitheatre—Morrison, Colorado
May 31—Harrahs Council Bluffs—Council Bluffs, Iowa
June 4—The Pageant—St Louis, Missouri
June 5—LC Indoor Pavilion—Columbus, Ohio
June 6—Fillmore Detroit—Detroit, Michigan
June 8—Masonic Auditorium—Cleveland, Ohio
June 9—Iroquois Amphitheatre—Louisville, Kentucky


The Shins: “September” (b-side of “Simple Song” 7”) from Record Store Day on Vimeo.

Stream The New Magnetic Fields Single

Photo by Chris Buck

Stephen Merritt and his Magnetic Fields are famous for their audacious 69 Love Songs set and received even further notoriety when they were the collective subject of the recent documentary, Strange Powers chronicling Merritt's day to day life and his musical approach. Now, Merritt and Magnetic Fields are set to release their tenth album on March 6th.

Entitled Love At The Bottom Of The Sea, it marks the first Magnetic Fields release on Merge Records since the much lauded 69 Love Songs and the follow-up to 2010's Realism. The first single from the record, "Andrew In Drag", is a truly Merrtian pop song that both provokes chuckles and humming from the listener after just one spin.

You can stream the new song below and see upcoming Magnetic Fields tour dates throughout North America and Europe. There is also a track listing for Love At The Bottom Of The Sea.

The Magnetic Fields - Andrew in Drag by MergeRecords

Love at the Bottom of the Sea Track Listing:
1. God Wants Us to Wait
2. Andrew in Drag
3. Your Girlfriend's Face
4. Born For Love
5. I'd Go Anywhere with Hugh
6. Infatuation (With Your Gyration)
7. The Only Boy in Town
8. The Machine in Your Hand
9. Goin' Back to the Country
10. I've Run Away to Join the Fairies
11. The Horrible Party
12. My Husband's Pied-a-Terre
13. I Don't Like Your Tone
14. Quick!
15. All She Cares About Is Mariachi
--
THE MAGNETIC FIELDS - 2012 TOUR DATES
Mar 6 Hudson, NY Helsinki Hudson
Mar 7 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
Mar 8 New York, NY Barnes and Noble
Mar 11 Minehead, UK All Tomorrow's Parties
Mar 14, 15, 16 Austin, TX SXSW
Mar 18 Vancouver, BC The Vogue
Mar 19 Seattle, WA Neptune Theater
Mar 20 Seattle, WA Neptune Theater
Mar 21 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
Mar 23 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theater
Mar 24 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
Mar 26 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Mar 27 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Mar 28 Iowa City, IA Englert Theater
Mar 30 Toronto, ON Sound Academy
Mar 31 Montreal, QC Le National
Apr 3 New York, NY Beacon Theater
Apr 4 New York, NY Beacon Theater
Apr 6 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
Apr 7 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
Apr 9 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Apr 11 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
Apr 12 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
Apr 13 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
Apr 24 Brighton, UK Komedia
Apr 25 London, UK Royal Festival Hall
Apr 27 Manchester, UK RNCM
Apr 28 Dublin, IR Olympia
Apr 29 Cork, IR Opera House
May 1 Porto, PT Casa da Musica
May 2 Lisbon, PT Teatro Maria Matos
May 4 Murcia, ES Estrella Levante SOS 4.8
May 6 Barcelona, ES Sala Apolo
May 7 Madrid, ES Teatro Rialto
May 9 Oslo, NO Rockefeller
May 11 Gothenburg, SE Annedalskyrkan
May 12 Stockholm, SE Filadelfiakyrkan
May 14 Berlin, DE Passionskirche
May 15 Hamburg, DE Kampnagel k6
May 16 Amsterdam, NL De Duif

Hospitality Set To Release Debut LP

Tomorrow marks the official release date for the self-titled debut LP from Hospitality. Being a sucker for well-crafted and intelligent pop songs, it seemed a shame to let this occasion pass unnoticed. To celebrate, watch the video below for "Friends Of Friends". Not only is it a catchy song likely to make you run out to your local record purveyor, but it also features Alia Shakwat of Arrested Development fame. And if there is one thing we love around here more than intelligent pop songs, it's intelligent TV shows that make us laugh our asses off.

Oh, and after the new video, you can spy are a few Hospitality tour dates (imagine the puns they'll have to endure) along the eastern half of North America.


Hospitality - "Friends Of Friends" from stereogum on Vimeo.

Hospitality Tour Dates:
Feb 3 Brooklyn, NY Glasslands Gallery (Record Release Show)
Feb 25 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall (Noise Pop w/ Archers of Loaf)
Feb 26 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour w/ Archers of Loaf
Feb 29 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern w/ Tennis
Mar 2 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall w/ Tennis
Mar 3 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom w/ Tennis
Mar 7 New Haven, CT BAR
Mar 9 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 w/ Tennis
Mar 10 Atlanta, GA The Earl w/ Tennis
Mar 11 Orlando, FL Orange You Glad Festival

Stream And Download New Bowerbirds Song

Photo by D.L. Anderson

On March 6th, North Carolina's Bowerbirds will release their third full length, The Clearing on Dead Oceans. After two records filled with mostly sparse and Appalachian-esque instrumentational approach, The Clearing brings on a bigger, more fulfilled sound. Trading murder ballads for genteel pop - at least a little bit.

In addition to being the supposedly "difficult" third record, the band have also undergone a number of trials and tribulations during the writing and recording process. After the release of 2009's Upper Air, singer Beth Tacular nearly died of a mysterious illness and she and her band mate, Phil Moore have broken up and then reunited. Pretty tough circumstances under which to make a record.

Based on the first two unveiled songs, Bowerbirds sound better than ever. Below, you can find a track listing for The Clearing, catch up on the planned spring tour and stream/download a track from the new album called "In The Yard".





The Clearing Track Listing:

1. Tuck the Darkness In
2. In the Yard
3. Walk the Furrows
4. Stitch the Hem
5. This Year
6. Brave World
7. Hush
8. Overcome With Light
9. Sweet Moment
10. Death Wish
11. Now We Hurry On

Bowerbirds Tour Dates:
03-17 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
03-21 Washington, DC – Black Cat
03-22 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
03-23 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
03-24 Boston, MA – Paradise
03-26 Montreal, Quebec – La Sala Rossa
03-27 Toronto, Ontario – The Garrison
03-29 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
03-31 Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural Centre
04-03 Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
04-04 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
04-06 San Francisco, CA – The Independent
04-07 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
04-08 San Diego, CA – Casbah
04-11 Austin, TX – The Parish
04-12 Dallas, TX – The Loft
04-14 Birmingham, AL – The Bottletree
04-15 Atlanta, GA – The Earl

Spiritualized Announce New Album, North American Tour Dates

Spiritualized have announced plans to release their follow up to their 2008 LP, Songs In A & E. Fat Possum Records will release Sweet Heart Sweet Light in mid-March.

To coincide with the release of the new album, Spiritualized have also mapped out an extensive tour of North America slated for this May.

You can see tour dates and a track list for Sweet Heart Sweet Light below. As an added bonus, you can also find a video of the band playing a track from the LP called "Little Girl." The performance comes from the Other Voices Festival which took place in Ireland last April.



Sweet Heart Sweet Light Track Listing:
01 Hey Jane
02 Little Girl
03 Get What You
04 Too Late
05 Heading for the Top
06 Freedom
07 I Am What I Am
08 Mary
09 Life Is a Problem
10 So Long You Pretty Things

North American Tour Dates:
05-02 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
05-03 Chicago, IL - Metro
05-04 Detroit, MI - The Majestic Theatre
05-05 Toronto, Ontario - The Phoenix
05-07 New York, NY - Terminal 5
05-09 Boston, MA - Paradise
05-10 Washington, DC - The 9:30 Club
05-11 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
05-12 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
05-13 Atlanta, GA - The Variety Playhouse
05-15 Dallas, TX - The Granada Theatre
05-16 Austin, TX - Emo's East
05-18 Tucson AZ - The Rialto Theatre
05-19 Phoenix AZ - The Crescent Ballroom
05-20 San Diego CA - Belly Up Tavern
05-22 Los Angeles CA - The Wiltern
05-23 San Francisco CA - The Fillmore
05-25 Portland, OR - The Wonder Ballroom
05-26 Vancouver, British Columbia - The Rickshaw Theatre

Fanfarlo Set To Release Sophomore Effort

After storming the folk-indie-pop gates with their terrific 2009 debut, Reservoir, London based Fanfarlo played a ton of shows and made a host of really solid acoustic and stripped down web videos. Now, they're prepped to launch their follow-up LP, Room Filled With Light on Feb. 28.

As frontman, Simon Balthazar (yep, that is really his name) explains in the interview piece below, the band have slightly adjusted their sound, but based on what we've heard so far, they're still focused on simple melodies, tight songs and orchestrated arrangements.


405 Focus: Fanfarlo from The 405 on Vimeo.

To celebrate the release of the new long-player, Fanfarlo will also be hitting North America throughout March and April, including stops at SXSW and Coachella. The full list of dates can be found at the end of this post along with one of those terrific aforementioned 'stripped down' vids.


Secret Garden Video Series: Fanfarlo (SXSW Edition) from hoovesontheturf (sarahana) on Vimeo.

Fanfarlo 2012 Tour Dates:
03/05 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
03/06 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
03/07 – Wahsington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
03/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
03/09 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
03/10 – Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
03/13 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
03/14 – Dallas, TX @ The Loft
03/15-18 – Austion, TX @ South by Southwest
03/19 – St. Louis, MO @ Blueberry Hill
03/20 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
03/22 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
03/23 – Ann Arbor, MU @ The Blind Pig
03/24 – Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
03/25 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls
03/27 – Columbus, OH @ Skully’s
03/28 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
03/29 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
03/31 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre
04/01 – Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar
04/03 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird
04/05 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
04/06 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
04/07 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
04/09 – Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore
04/10 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Cafe
04/15 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/17 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
04/22 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival

New M. Ward Record Coming In April, Tour Dates Announced

M. Ward will soon release his first album in three years. Wasteland Companion, the follow up to Hold Time, will arrive via Merge Records on April 10. Ward says he was heavily influenced by his rigorous travel schedule over the last several years, giving the album the feel of a travelogue.
He explains, “Between now and when I made Hold Time there has been a lot of traveling which requires a lot of reckoning with what to leave behind and what to carry – material and otherwise – and thinking about what I want versus what I need, creatively and otherwise. I wanted to get a reflection of that on the album. It was a process of stripping away my security blanket, which is the same four walls I always record in.”

The record was recorded in eight different studios and features contributions from the likes of She & Him bandmate Zooey Deschanel, Mike Coykendall, Howe Gelb, Steve Shelley, Adam Selzer and many more.

In addition to the forthcoming LP, Ward will also be busy out on the road with a host of tour dates across the US in April and May. Scheduled dates for the tour and a track list for Wasteland Companion are below.

Track Listing:
1. Clean Slate (for Alex & El Goodo)
2. Primitive Girl
3. Me And My Shadow
4. Sweetheart
5. I Get Ideas
6. The First Time I Ran Away
7. A Wasteland Companion
8. Watch The Show
9. There’s A Key
10. Crawl After You
11. Wild Goose
12. Pure Joy

M. Ward Tour Dates:
Feb 2 Los Angeles, CA Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Apr 11 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
Apr 12 Santa Cruz, CA The Cocoanut Grove Ballroom
Apr 13 Indio, CA Coachella **SOLD OUT**
Apr 14 Santa Barbara, CA SoHO
Apr 16 San Diego, CA Belly Up
Apr 17 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom
Apr 18 Flagstaff, AZ The Orpheum
Apr 20 Indio, CA Coachella **SOLD OUT**
May 5  Portland, ME State Theatre
May 6  Burlington, VT Higher Ground
May 7  New Haven, CT Toads Place
May 8  Boston, MA House of Blues
May 11 New York, NY Webster Hall
May 12 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
May 13 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
May 15 Durham, NC Duke Performances at Page Auditorium
May 16 Athens, GA Georgia Theatre
May 17 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre
May 22 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
May 24 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue