Lawrence Arabia just wrapped up an extremely successful run through the U.S. with Fanfarlo and Robert Francis. The band, London-by-way-of-New-Zealand, is led by George Harrison-loving frontman James Milne and live they comes across much louder (in a good way) than they do on their U.S. debut, Chant Darling (featuring the fantastic pop ditty “Apple Pie Bed”). Milne says that after a run overseas, Lawrence Arabia will be back on these shores, so do your studying now.
I grabbed James for a quick interview before Lawrence Arabia’s set in Columbus on April 1 (no fooling here!).
Here’s “Kill Me Carolyne”, the first single/video from the Athens, Georgia trio The Whigs. The song can be found on the band’s second album, In the Dark, which was released earlier this year. These guys sound a lot like the stuff that was coming out of Columbus, Ohio in the early-to-mid ’90s mixed with the southern stylings of Kings of Leon and Drive-By Truckers.
Upcoming tour dates:
4/12/10 – Riot Room – Kansas City, MO *
4/13/10 – Boulder Theatre – Boulder, CO *
4/15/10 – Zia Record In-Store – Phoenix, AZ
4/15/10 – Martini Ranch – Phoenix, AZ *
4/17/10 – Outside O’Connell’s Irish Pub – Norman, OK
4/18/10 – Cain’s 2nd Stage – Tulsa, OK
4/19/10 – Outside Phoggy Dog – Lawrence, KS
4/20/10 – Mill Creek Bar, Appleton, WI
4/22/10 – Gargolye – St. Louis, MO
4/23/10 – Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL
4/24/10 – University Of Wisconsin – Madison, WI
4/28/10 – The Mod Club Threatre – Toronto, ON *
4/29/10 – Live Lounge – Ottawa, ON *
4/30/10 – Studio JPR – Montreal, QC *
5/1/10 – Valentines – Albany, NY
5/2/10 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT
5/5/10 – The Southern – Charlottesville, VA
5/6/10 – Jewish Mother – Virginia Beach, VA
5/7/10 – New Brookland Tavern – Columbia, SC
5/8/10 – Pour House – Charlestion, SC
5/15/10 – Hangout Music Festival – Gulf Shores, AL
6/5/10 – Mountain Jam – Hunter, NY
6/12/10 – Riverbend Festival – Chattanooga, TN
6/30/10 – Hyde Park w/ KINGS OF LEON – London, UK
* = Dates with Band Of Skulls
Mad props to local musicians who make MTV-ready videos (yeah, yeah, MTV doesn’t show videos anymore but you know what I’m talking about). Colin Gawel was (is?) in Watershed who had a brief dance with the majors back in the mid-90s (1995’s Twister was put out by Epic Records AND was the first major label album to have my name in the “Thank You” credits!). In the last 12 months or so, Gawel has taken to releasing solo EPs and has just put out his second one, Superior. You can download it on eMusic, iTunes, etc., etc., just check out Colin’s site for all the details.
I’m suffering from both a Kissaway Trail hangover and withdrawal after seeing the Danish band perform as the opening act for The Temper Trap this past Friday night in Columbus, Ohio. The five-piece (six if you count the bearded and dancing tambourine player) blew me away with a sound that was equal parts Arcade Fire, Mew, Snow Patrol, Sigur Ros, Long-view, Modest Mouse and Polyphonic Spree. Everything built up into huge anthemic crescendos that rained on the close-to-sold-out audience and kept me (and hundreds others) in a 45-minute state of bliss. After their set was done, I went backstage and threw a few questions at Rune Pedersen (bass), Hasse Mydtskov (drums), and Daniel Skjoldmose (guitars, keyboards). Apologies for the background noise (ie – Temper Trap performing), the dressing room walls were pretty thin.
Rune told me that after this run of dates with The Temper Trap, The Kissaway Trail is heading overseas but will be back in the States this summer/fall and will be performing at some festivals (hmm … maybe Lollapalooza?). You can pick up the band’s U.S. debut release, Sleep Mountain (Bella Union / Yep Roc), on April 20.
Sitting here letting Kasey Anderson’sNowhere Nights CD sink in so that I can properly summarize it in 100-150 words for the next issue of The Big Takeover. It’s a rather fantastic alt-country release, with reference points being Neil Young, Steve Earle, and Tom Petty. You’ll hear shades of all three in the track “I Was a Photograph”.