The Decemberists announce fall tour

The Decemberists have announced a new fall tour in support of their latest rock opus The Hazards of Love. Oh, and get this: they will be performing the entire album in full on all of the tour dates except their one stop at the Newport Folk Festival. Get your tickets fast, you know they will go as quickly as a sea-shanty singing sailor into a pub.

Here are the dates:
08-01 Newport, RI – Newport Folk Festival
08-02 Montreal, Quebec – Osheaga Music & Arts Festival
08-03 Toronto, Ontario – Kool Haus
08-05 Madison, WI – Orpheum Theater
08-06 Chicago, IL – Metro
08-07 Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
08-08 Indianapolis, IN – Murat Egyptian Room
08-10 Louisville, KY – W.L. Lyons Brown Theater
08-11 Detroit, MI – Royal Oak Theater
08-13 Buffalo, NY – UB Center for the Arts
08-14 Pittsburgh, PA – Byham Theater
08-15 Schwenksville, PA – Philadelphia Folk Festival
08-16 Holyoke, MA – Mountain Park
09-20 Burlington, VT – Flynn Theater
09-21 Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theater
09-23 Norfolk, VA – The Norva
09-24 Charlottesville, VA – Charlottesville Pavilion
09-25 Asheville, NC – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
09-27 Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
09-29 St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheater
09-30 Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
10-02 Houston, TX – House of Blues
10-03 Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Music Festival
10-04 Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
10-06 Lexington, KY – University of Kentucky, Lexington
10-07 Columbia, MO – Ninth St. Fall Fest
10-18 San Francisco, CA – Treasure Island Music Festival
11-18 London, England – Forum
11-19 London, England – Coronet

Wait, where is the Portland date? Let’s hope it gets added!

New Mountain Goats album + new song!

While the Mountain Goats may not be from the Northwest, they are certainly held in very high-esteem in this part of the country. The lo-fi folk pop sound that characterized John Darnielle’s early records is a sound very similar to many burgeoning local bands here in Portland and throughout Washington. While his lyrical tales have certainly influenced some of the area’s most celebrated songwriters (see band above). Two days ago, Darnielle announced that he will be releasing his 16th album titled, The Life of the World to Come on October 6th. Each track is named after a bible verse but as Darnielle asserts on his website, this is not due to some religious awakening but more a concept album about “twelve hard lessons the Bible taught me, kind of.” Read more about the album on The Mountain Goats website HERE.

Here is the track “Genesis 3:23” from the forthcoming album. The song exhibits a much more polished sound and features a full band much like recent Mountain Goats releases. However, it still maintains Darnielle’s distinctively simplistic, yet captivating lyrics.

The Mountain Goats – Genesis 3:23