I guess I have some catching up to do. Last year Brooklyn’s Bishop Allen took on the ambitious task of recording and releasing an EP for every month of the year. Aside from the feat getting attention all over the blogosphere (ugh, I hate that word), the band also found themselves getting press from such unlikely sources as The Wall Street Journal and NPR’s Song of the Day. All the hard work and attention paid off for the band, as it lead to a deal with the new Dead Oceans imprint (part of the Jagjaguwar/Secretly Canadian record label partnership). Prior to now the band had been doing things on a strictly DIY level - everything from booking to recording and releasing their own material.
This summer will see the release of Bishop Allen’s first full length album for Dead Oceans, The Broken String, which will be released on July 24th. If you’re one to believe a press release then “there isn't going to be a better summertime pop record”. Based on the two advance tracks graciously provided by the label, I may believe that bold statement too. Both “Rain” and “Click Click Click Click” shimmer with easy melodies, continuing the band’s way around a contagious hook and vulnerable story. “Rain” rides a steady, propulsive rhythm and features some beautiful and off-kilter harmonies. “Click x 4” features a 60’s Kinks-like acoustic guitar intro that wouldn’t sound out of place on the Rushmore Soundtrack. Lead singer Justin Rice sings a quirky tale of feeling at home after crashing a stranger’s wedding, getting himself into pictures with smiling guests that wind up on someone’s mantle. This has quickly become one of my most anticipated summer releases.
MP3 :: Click Click Click Click
MP3 :: Rain
(from The Broken String)
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Bishop Allen will spend the summer touring the country in support of The Broken String, They will kick things off in New York with a free show as part of the Seaport Music Festival on July 20th. Later on in the summer they will team up with Pop Headwound favorites Page France as their support. The dates:
07/20/07 New York, NY - Seaport Music Festival @ South Street Seaport
07/21/07 Philadelphia, PA - North Star **
07/22/07 Washington, DC - The Black Cat **
07/23/07 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 **
07/24/07 Atlanta, GA - The Earl **
07/25/07 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon **
07/26/07 Houston, TX - Proletariat **
07/27/07 Austin, TX - Emo's **
07/28/07 Denton, TX - Haileys **
07/29/07 Dallas, TX - Free Instore @ Good Records 2PM
07/30/07 Phoenix, AZ - The Paper Heart *
07/31/07 Los Angeles, CA - Echo *
08/01/07 San Francisco, CA - The Independent *
08/03/07 Portland, OR - Doug Fir *
08/04/07 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe *
08/07/07 Denver, CO - Hi Dive *
08/08/07 Omaha, NE - The Slowdown *
08/09/07 Chicago, IL - Subterranean *
08/10/07 Bloomington, IN - Rhino's *
08/10/07 Bloomington, IN - Rhino's *
08/11/07 Dayton, OH - The Nite Owl *
08/17/07 Cambridge, MA - Middle East Downstairs *
08/18/07 New York, NY - The Bowery Ballroom *
* Page France open
** Page France and The Teeth open
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Bishop Allen on myspace
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