Handsome Furs Tour Dates

Handsome Furs is Dan Boeckner, singer/guitarist for Wolf Parade, and his wife Alexei Perry. They've released two albums so far - Plague Park in 2007 and Face Control in 2009.

With Wolf Parade announcing they're going on 'indefinite hiatus', Handsome Furs may be Dan's primary musical outlet for the foreseeable future. It's rumored that they are recording their third album, to be released in 2011.

Some tour dates have been announced for the group. I saw them open for Spoon a couple of years back - it was a very enjoyable experience.

03/07 Recife, Brazil – Rec-Beat Festival
04/13 Boston, MA – Great Scott
04/14 Brooklyn, NY – Bell House
04/15 Richmond, VA – Gallery 5
04/16 Clemson, SC – Clemson University
04/17 Raleigh, NC – King’s Barcade
04/18 Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie

Thanks go to Wolf Parade Fansite for the info.

Wolf Parade on Indefinite Hiatus

Wolf Parade have announced that they are going on 'indefinite hiatus'.  No one knows for sure exactly what this means, but it seems semi-permanent. [tears]

I was getting so jazzed up about this band.  One of my first great indie rock loves when the released their debut record Apologies to the Queen Mary, Wolf Parade and I have a long history.  I sort of overlooked their sophomore record At Mount Zoomer when it first came out (I now believe to be their strongest album).  I experienced a resurgence in my love for the band in the past year or so, and I've seen them perform twice recently - both times were amazing shows.

Wolf Parade seemed to be on a roll, suggesting that they recorded so much material for their third record Expo 86 that they might release a follow-up EP right away.  So I have no idea what happened...this is a major bummer.

The one consolation is that Wolf Parade members Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner have both made awesome music in other bands, and there's every indication they'll continue to do so.  A new record from Handsome Furs (Dan's band with his wife Alexei Perry) is set to come out in 2011.

Wolf Parade - Semi-Precious Stone + Agents of Love

I had the pleasure of catching Wolf Parade for the 3rd time at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ.  It was kinda weird seeing them at such an uncrowded venue in Jersey...vastly different from the packed crowd at Terminal 5 in NYC.

Regardless of the crowd in attendance, Wolf Parade brought the energy I have come to expect from them, and it was a fantastic show.  The setlist was a good mix of material from their three albums, and also included brand new song "Semi-Precious Stone".

Before the band released their third album Expo 86, they mentioned they had recorded so much material they could have filled a double album, or at least a follow-up EP.  Turns out they're just gonna release these extra songs the modern way - they've dropped a 'virtual single' that includes Spencer tune "Semi-Precious Stone" and Dan tune "Agents of Love".  You can download them via iTunes here.

Wolf Parade - "Yulia" Video

Wolf Parade's new video for Expo 86 highlight "Yulia" can be viewed at the site Bravely Done here.

Wolf Parade @ Terminal 5 - 7/13

Wolf Parade put on an epic fucking show Tuesday night @ Terminal 5.  They played a lot of new material from Expo 86, and it sounded great.  "I'll Believe In Anything", standout from the band's debut Apologies to the Queen Mary, got the most enthusiastic audience reaction.  But I'd say "Fine Young Cannibals", from overlooked-initially-but-is-probably-really-their-best-album At Mount Zoomer, was the 'finest' performance of the night.

I made one song request from each of their three albums (via Twitter), and all three were met!  Not that I think I had anything to do with it, but I got my wish!  My picks were "Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts", "Kissing the Beehive", and "Pobody's Nerfect" (definitely my favorite cut from Expo 86 so far).

"We built this city on cocaine lasers"

I'm gonna have to get more ambitious with my wishlist next time, with some non-album cuts - "Bones", "Killing Armies", and "Lousy Pictures".  I'd REALLY love to hear "Bones" - why the fuck hasn't this amazing song been recorded for an album yet?

I had a few people who I told about the show ask me what the band sounds like, and..."there's one dude who plays keyboard and has a yelpy Bowie vocal delivery, and another dude who plays guitar and has more of a barking voice, and there's MASSIVE energy in the air as they battle each other for supremacy of the audience"...something like that.

Soldier’s Grin
What Did my Lover Say? (It Always Had To Go This Way)
Palm Road
Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts
Ghost Pressure
In the Direction of the Moon
Fine Young Cannibals
Cave-o-Sapien
This Heart’s on Fire
I’ll Believe in Anything
Little Golden Age
California Dreamer
Pobody’s Perfect

Encore:

Cloud Shadow on the Mountain
Shine A Light

Kissing the Beehive

Thanks go to Consequence of Sound for the photo and setlist.

Wolf Parade - Expo 86 Streaming on MySpace

You can stream Wolf Parade's new record Expo 86 on their MySpace here.  And you probably should, if you haven't illegally downloaded it already, it's a great record.  "Pobody's Nerfect" is an early favorite of mine.  I love the line "We built this city on cocaine lasers", even if I have no idea what that's supposed to mean.

MySpace.  It's the future of music.  But seriously, this trend of offering full streams of your upcoming album is a good idea that's catching on.

Wolf Parade - Expo 86 Details

Details on the new Wolf Parade album!  We already knew it was called Expo 86, and we got a look at the cover art.  Now we have a release date (June 29) and a tracklisting:

01) Cloud Shadow on the Mountain
02) Palm Road
03) What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way)
04) Little Golden Age
05) In the Direction of the Moon
06) Ghost Pressure
07) Pobody's Nerfect
08) Two Men in New Tuxedos
09) Oh You, Old Thing
10) Yulia
11) Cave-o-Sapien

Two of the above tracks, "Ghost Pressure" and "What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way" are streaming now at P-Fork.  Check 'em out here.
 

Wolf Parade - Expo 86 Cover

Wolf Parade have revealed the cover for their upcoming third album Expo 86.  Now all we need is a tracklisting (until the album itself actually surfaces, that is).

Expo 86 is set to be released in June/July.  P-Fork has an interview with Dan Boeckner about the record here.

last.fm Artists 26-30

26. Pixies - 320 plays
Legends.  It doesn't get much better than Doolittle or Surfer Rosa.

27. Sunset Rubdown - 317 plays
Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade's other band, or one of his other bands, at any rate.  They've released 3 awesome albums, leading me to wonder, at one point, if Wolf Parade was truly the side project.

I've listened to "Mending of the Gown" a fucking TON.  That song pumps me up.  The riff is incredible.  And I'm big fan of Dragonslayer in general.

28. The Hives - 302 plays
Yikes.  I don't listen to The Hives much any more.  But I've listened to them over 300 times.  It's fun.  "Tick Tick Boom" especially I listened to a bunch.

29. The Decemberists - 266 plays
Again...not really listening to these guys these days.  I was really into The Crane Wife and Picaresque for a little while, I dunno.

30. Wolf Parade - 228 plays
And we're back!  Excited for their imminent third record.

Wolf Parade 3rd Album

More exciting upcoming album news!  According to prefix, Wolf Parade have finished recording their third album.  They recorded so much material that it might end up being a double album - or at least an album and an EP.  Tentative release date is June 29.

I went back to Wolf Parade's previous record, At Mount Zoomer, after being blown away by Dragonslayer, the latest from Spencer Krug's other band Sunset Rubdown.  I found I hadn't really given the album a proper chance - it's totally underrated.  

Also, I was surprised how much I loved the songs lead by Dan Boeckner.  For those of you who don't know, Wolf Parade have two vocalists - Spencer and Dan - and they basically trade off vocals from song to song.  Spencer and his yelpy vocals had been my favorite, but Dan and his raspy voice really shine on Zoomer.

Anyway, add this to the list of my eagerly anticipated new albums.

RS Most Underrated Album of the Decade Part 3

RS Most Underrated Album of the Decade

So here's the full list:

Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
Dixie Chicks - Taking the Long Way
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
U2 - How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

I've covered Hail to the Thief (it's a great album, but nothing Radiohead have ever released can really be considered underrated) and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (weak album from a majorly overrated band).

My Chemical Romance...nope.  I've listened to that album, it's not some hidden gem.

Dixie Chicks...I'll have to sit this one out.  Not a country fan.  If you say that particular Dixie Chicks album is overrated, I'll take your word for it.

There's actually one I agree with!  My friend Jamie certainly does not share this opinion, but I'd say Show Your Bones by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is underrated.

It's still the weakest of their 3 albums, but it's damn good.  Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a fantastic debut in Fever to Tell, with that raw punk garage energy.  And "Maps", which is one helluva song.  2009's It's Blitz! is their foray into some more dancey material, and I love it.  Show Your Bones falls somewhere in between, and it's more of a straightforward rock record, with some acoustic guitar thrown in there.

I recognized "Maps" as an awesome song years ago, but I only really became a big fan of the YYYs in the past year or so.  Since then I've been listening to 'em plenty, and I have to say that all 3 of their albums are essential, including Show Your Bones.  Gold Lion, Way Out, Phenomena, and Cheated Hearts are all fantastic tunes.

My best guess as to why Show Your Bones has been underrated...Fever to Tell was just a tough act to follow.

Here are some of my nominations of underrated albums from this decade:

Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Beck - Guero
Deerhunter - Microcastle
The New Pornographers - Challengers
of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping
Weezer - Maladroit
Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer