THE WHIGS: New Album, Tour

The Athens, GA three-piece, The Whigs have just released their latest (and greatest) album "Mission Control" on which they've perfected the raucous rock-filled maelstrom that made me a fan in the first place. If you're in the Atlanta area please pick this baby up over at Criminal Records, if not you can point that mouse towards Insound.com.

The Whigs are playing two hometown CD release shows to kick off their US tour, one this Friday (1/25) over at The EARL in Atlanta, GA, and another on Saturday (1/26) at The 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA (you can pick up their new album at one of these shows as well).

TOUR DATES:
01-25-08: Atlanta, GA - CD RELEASE SHOW @ The Earl w/ Wax Fang, Sammies
01-26-08: Athens, GA - CD RELEASE SHOW @ The 40 Watt w/ Ginger Envelope
01-30-08: Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 w/ the Sammies and Bull City
01-31-08: Baltimore, MD - 8 x 10 w/ Spinto Band and Plants and Animals
02-01-08: Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ Spinto Band and Plants and Animals
02-02-08: Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's w/ Spinto Band & Plants and Animals
02-04-08: Buffalo, NY - The Mohawk w/ Handsome Jack and Johnny Nobody
02-05-08: Toronto, ON - The Horseshoe (small room)
02-06-08: Pontiac, MI - Crofoot – at Pike Room w/ Tulsa
02-07-08: Cincinnati, OH.- Madhatter w/ Tulsa
02-08-08: Cleveland, OH.- The Grog Shop w/ Tulsa
02-09-08: Chicago, Ill.- Schubas w/ Tulsa
02-12-08: Minneapolis, MN - The Varsity w/ Tulsa and Wild Sweet Orange
02-13-08: Madison, WI - Majestic w/ Wild Sweet Orange and Midwest Beat
02-14-08: St. Louis, MO - Creepy Crawl w/ Tulsa and Wax Fang
02-15-08: Indianapolis, IN - Birdy's w/ Tulsa and Wax Fang
02-16-08: Milwaukee, WI - Rave Bar w/ Tulsa and Wax Fang
02-22-08: Fayetteville, AR -Majestic
02-23-08: Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge w/ Spinto Band
02-26-08: Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle w/ Spinto Band and The Sammies
02-27-08: Charlotte, NC - Visulite Theatre w/ Spinto Band
02-28-08: Charlottesville, VA - TBA w/ Spinto Band
03-01-08: Lexington, KY - The Dame w/ Wax Fange and the Spinto Band
03-03-08: Lawrence, KS - Granada w/ The Spinto Band
03-04-08: Omaha, NE - Waiting Room w/ Spinto Band
03-06-08: Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge w/ Spinto Band
03-07-08: Colorado Springs, CO - Black Sheep w/ The Spinto Band
03-09-08: Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad w/ Spinto Band
03-11-08: San Antonio, TX -The Rock Bottom w/ Spinto Band
03-13-08: Austin, TX. - SXSW - Austin Music Hall supporting My Morning Jacket and Yo La Tengo
03-14-08: Austin, TX. - SXSW
03-15-08: Austin, TX. - SXSW

[MP3] The Whigs - Like a Vibration from "Mission Control" (via Box.net)
[MP3] The Whigs - Technology from "Give 'Em All a Big Fat Lip" (via Box.net)

The Whigs - website | Myspace

BLITZEN TRAPPER: Tour dates

Experimental folky/southern rockers by-way-of-Portland, Blitzen Trapper, will be making their way back through the US starting on 2/22 in Seattle, WA. And for those lucky Atlanta natives, they will be playing The Drunken Unicorn on 3/20.

TOUR DATES:
02-22 Seattle, WA - University of Washington #
02-28 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill *
02-29 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour *!
03-01 San Diego, CA - Casbah *
03-02 Phoenix, AZ - Modified *
03-04 Denton, TX - Hailey's *
03-05 Houston, TX - Walter's on Washington *
03-06 Hattiesburg, MS - Thirsty Hippo %
03-07 Tallahassee, FL - The Beta Bar *
03-08 Everglades National Park, FL - Langerado Festival
03-09 Jacksonville, FL - The Eclipse *
03-11 Birmingham, AL - BottleTree *
03-13 Austin, TX - Yard Dog Gallery (Schubas SXSW party)
03-14 Austin, TX - SXSW
03-15 Austin, TX - SXSW
03-16 Norman, OK - The Opolis *
03-17 Columbia, MO - Mojo's *$
03-19 Nashville, TN - Exit In *
03-20 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn *
03-21 Columbia, SC - New Brookland Tavern *
03-22 Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle *
03-23 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 *
03-25 Washington, DC - Black Cat *
03-26 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's *
03-27 Cambridge, MA - Middle East *
03-29 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
03-30 Worcester, MA - Clark University *
04-01 Montreal, Quebec - La Salla Rossa *
04-02 Toronto, Ontario - El Mocambo *
04-03 Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place *
04-04 Cleveland, OH - The Grog Shop *
04-05 Detroit, MI - The Magic Stick *
04-06 Chicago, IL - Schubas *
04-08 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon *
04-09 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry *
04-10 Grinnell, IA - Grinnell College *
04-11 Omaha, NE - The Slowdown *
04-12 Lawrence, KS - Jackpot *
04-14 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive *
04-15 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge *
04-17 Vancouver, British Columbia - Media Club *
04-18 Seattle, WA - Neumo's *
04-19 Portland, OR - Holocene *

# with Menomena
* with Fleet Foxes
! with Grand Archives
% with Beach House, Papercuts
$ with Mahjongg

Atlas Sound "Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel"

As you may have read, I was pretty sick last week and one of my only comforts (other than hot tea) was the new Atlas Sound album "Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel". You all know of my deep admiration for the music of Deerhunter (Atlas Sound is the brain-child of Deerhunter's Bradford Cox), and when I got a hold of this album I was more than a little excited. And what great timing too...I was confined to my bed or the couch for a week with nothing to do but listen to music. The beauty of this record was nothing short of a healing force for me last week...it is simply one of the most beautiful albums I've heard EVER. I tend to get really depressed when I'm sick, and to say that it wasn't so bad this time is an understatement. Do yourself a huge favor and pick this album up when it comes out on February 19th via Kranky Records. Bradford has also very generously uploaded almost 70 non-album Atlas Sound/Deerhunter songs for download via the Deerhunter blog (this guy seriously prolific!!).

Atlas Sound will performing as a full band, with members Bradford Cox, Brian Foote, Adam Forkner, Stephanie Macksey, and Honey Owens starting 2/16 at The 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA. Valet and White Rainbow will be opening for most of the tour.

TOUR DATES:
2/16 Athens, GA - The 40 Watt Club
2/19 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn w/ Valet, White Rainbow
2/20 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 w/ Valet, White Rainbow
2/21 Washington, DC- Black Cat w/ Valet, White Rainbow
2/22 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's w/ Valet, White Rainbow
2/23 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge w/ Valet, White Rainbow
2/24 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Brooklyn w/ Valet, White Rainbow
2/26 Boston, MA - Middle East w/ Valet, White Rainbow
2/27 Montreal, CN - Casa Del Popolo w/ Valet, White Rainbow
2/28 Toronto, CN - Horseshoe Tavern w/ Valet, White Rainbow
2/29 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick w/ Valet, White Rainbow
3/01 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle w/ Valet, White Rainbow
3/02 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club w/ Valet, White Rainbow
3/05 Vancouver, BC - Pat's Pub w/ Valet, White Rainbow
3/06 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe w/ Valet, White Rainbow
3/07 Portland, OR - Holocene w/ Valet, White Rainbow
3/08 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill w/ Valet, White Rainbow
3/09 Palo Alto, CA - Stanford College w/ Valet, White Rainbow
3/11 Los Angeles, CA - Echo w/ Valet, White Rainbow

[MP3] Atlas Sound - Recent Bedroom from "Let The Blind Lead..." (via Box.net)

MARITIME "And I Was a Boy From School (Hot Chip cover)"

I just became aware of this this fantastic cover Maritime did of Hot Chip's "And I Was a Boy From School", which was apparently included as a bonus track on the Japanese version of their latest album "Heresy and the Hotel Choir". And it's pretty damn good if I do say so myself.

[MP3] Maritime - And I Was a Boy From School from "Heresy and the Hotel Choir (Japan bonus track)" (via Box.net)

Maritime - website

NEW RELEASE TUESDAY: The Selmanaires / Anna Kramer & The Lost Cause

New albums from two of Atlanta's finest come out today via International Hits: The Selmanaires "The Air Salesmen" AND Anna Kramer & The Lost Cause "The Rustic Contemporary Sounds of...". Get them both from the wonderful Criminal Records, where they are are also both doing an in-store performance at 7pm tonight. (Thanks to Ohmpark for the heads up!)

You can also stream both albums HERE.

Both The Selmanaires AND Anna Kramer & The Lost Cause are playing their joint CD release show The EARL this Saturday Jan. 26th, I highly suggest you go as both bands are amazing live performers.

[MP3] The Selmanaires - Reason & Change from "The Air Salesmen" (via Box.net)
[MP3] Anna Kramer & The Lost Cause - When You See Him from "The Rustic Contemporary Sounds of..." (via Box.net)