Desaparecidos Announce Reunion Show, New Website
In July 2010, Conor Oberst’s short lived punk side project Desaparecidos quietly reunited for a one-off show in Oberst’s hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. Today on their facebook page, they have just announced another reunion show. On October 11th, they will be playing the Maha Festival in Omaha, and tickets can be purchased for that show HERE.
This show announcement comes with a brand new website, which seems to indicate that there is a full scale reunion tour in the works. With seemingly every punk band from Refused to At The Drive-In reuniting these days, maybe it shouldn’t be such a surprise that Oberst and co. have decided to hop on the bandwagon, especially after Bright Eyes‘ recent The People’s Key LP, which bore some resemblance to Desaparecidos’ 2002 record Read Music/Speak Spanish.
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Listen to “Greater Omaha” from Read Music/Speak Spanish below:
Grandaddy - “Now It’s On”
Today, the wonderful American psychedelic pop band Grandaddy announced that they will be reuniting for shows in the UK. They broke up in 2005 after releasing some great records like 2000’s sprawling The Sophtware Slump and 2003’s more focused Sumday.
This song opens the latter record, and, in light of their reunion, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit it. The endearing, robot-voiced frontman Jason Lytle employs some of his best lyrical imagery on “Now It’s On,” while the band behind him provides one of Grandaddy’s tightest and most instantly-likable musical backgrounds. Without ever seeming too sentimental, Grandaddy’s music never fails to put a smile on my face, and few of their songs affect me as much as this one. Listening to this and knowing that these guys are back together has me positively beaming. This year is proving to be a great year for reunions.
Sebadoh Announces New Album
The past few years have seen ’90s indie rock coming back into style in a big way, and many of the bands that were actually playing it during those years have started capitalizing on that. ’90s lo-fi progenitors Sebadoh reunited in 2007 and have been touring ever since, giving me the chance to see them live back in March of last year. So far, their extended reunion has yielded some nice reissues, but no new music. That’s about to change in 2012.
Like the band’s fellow 90s indie rockers Guided By Voices did just last week, Sebadoh frontman Lou Barlow has announced plans to record new music with bandmates Jason Loewenstein and drummer Bob D’Amico in April. You can find out more information about the forthcoming record — The band’s first since 1999’s The Sebadoh — over at The Backstage Rider. In the mean time, listen to Sebadoh’s 1994 track “Not a Friend” below, which was originally released on their album Bakesale.
Oh look, this song is pretty fitting.
At The Drive-In is back, and suddenly we all have a reason to act like angry fourteen year-olds again.
AT THE DRIVE-IN REUNITES AFTER 11-YEAR HIATUS
The Stone Roses Announce Reunion
Despite only releasing one album that anyone cares about, The Stone Roses were one of the most important British bands of the late 1980s. With their 1989 self-titled debut, the group paved the way for the brit-pop movement in the subsequent decade, pairing power pop melodies and jangly guitars with the psychedelic sounds of the Madchester club scene. The group disbanded in 1996 after a dud sophomore album, but according to The Daily Mail, the legendary band has announced that they are reuniting for two shows in their hometown next summer. It is unclear whether they will expand the tour beyond Manchester, but the mere prospect of The Stone Roses reuniting is sure to excite a lot of fans.
UPDATE: According to Pitchfork, the band will embark on a world tour in 2012 following the Manchester shows on July 29th and 30th.
Stream their 1989 hit “Waterfall” below, from The Stone Roses.
Song of the Day Number 193
Carissa’s Wierd - “Meredith & Iris”
Am I the only one freaking out about this? Seattle sad-core legends Carissa’s Wierd have been one of my favorite depressing bands ever since I first listened to them, which was well after they broke up back in 2003. Last year they played a reunion show (pictured above) which was supposed to be a one-off, but apparently they debuted some new material at the show. Now, seemingly out of the blue, the band has “returned”, so to speak, with their first new material in over seven years.
This track “Meredith & Iris” is going to be the b-side to a 7” single that is being released by Hardly Art records on September 13th. With a more confident sound than earlier Carissa’s Wierd material, this song is absolutely gorgeous. I’ve missed the harmonizing vocals of Jenn Ghetto and Matt Brooke so much, so this new song is incredibly satiating. The lyrics are incredibly sad, but beautiful, as we should expect from Carissa’s Wierd.
The band will be playing some shows soon as well in Seattle and New York. I think that this “reunion” has a lot of potential.
Of course, Hardly Art is not going so far as to call whatever this is a full-on reunion…
“It is too soon to say whether or not Carissa’s Wierd is “back,” but for the time being, we can certainly say that they are here.”
Read the full press release from Hardly Art below:
“Carissa’s Wierd “Tucson” 7”/digital September 13, 2011 A. Tucson B. Meredith & Iris
Hardly Art is proud to share the first new material from Carissa’s Wierd in over seven years. The seminal northwest group - whose members went on to form Band of Horses and Grand Archives, and spawned the solo projects of Jenn Ghetto (S) and Sera Cahoone - has recorded two new tracks, which will be released on a 7” and digitally on September 13. It is fitting that these tracks are presented as odes, both of which pack a wistful wallop that has come to be expected from the group. The first, to “Tucson,” the birthplace of Carissa’s Wierd, with the violin lines of Sarah Standard beaming through the adage “you can never go home again” before things get a bit metal. The second, to “Meredith & Iris,” a dramatic waltz number delivered with an intensity that implies it has been marinating for the past decade. Both tracks feature Mat Brooke (Grand Archives, Band of Horses) and Jenn Ghetto (S) on vocals, and both songs are exclusive to this 7”. Stream the b-side, “Meredith & Iris,” here. Carissa’s Wierd will play a show at Neumos in Seattle on September 24 in support of the 7”, with plans to book a future show in New York. It is too soon to say whether or not Carissa’s Wierd is “back,” but for the time being, we can certainly say that they are here.”
