KCRW WELCOMES THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS

The New Pornographers were live in the KCRW studios for Morning Becomes Eclectic yesterday. They also played the Fonda in Hollywood yesterday and play it again tonight. If you didn't make it to the show, at least you can watch them on MBE.

A SOLO PORNOGRAPHER

Kathryn Calder of the New Pornographer's preps for her solo debut album!  Some things are worth waiting for, and this couldn't be more true of Kathryn Calder's debut solo album Are You My Mother? - a recording jam-packed with contributions from her amazing friends Neko Case, Kurt Dahle and Todd Fancey of The New Pornographers and members of Ladyhawk and Frog Eyes.

After playing keyboards and singing for Immaculate Machine and The New Pornographers for the past several years, a little voice in Kathryn Calder's head started to ask her, 'What would it be like to put out your own record?' When she couldn't wait any longer to find out, she and her producer, Colin Stewart, took over her childhood home in Victoria, BC and set up an impromptu recording studio. With little in the way of props or technology, the pair started to cobble together the songs that would become Are you my Mother?.

Kathryn is the first to admit that she had no idea of what she wanted out of the experience before beginning to work on this CD. She'd made lots of records before, but she'd always been one of many collaborators working together on a project. She was used to half writing songs and then taking them to band members who would each have their input to help transform them. This time, she didn't have that option and was forced to focus, work through her blocks, and go on a voyage of discovery that allowed her to finish the songs by herself.

Sprightly, innovative, and optimistic, the ten original songs that came out of Calder and Stewart's hard work will surely make Are you my Mother? one of 2010's most enduring releases.

Are you my Mother? is a transitional record from an already accomplished artist firmly hitting her stride as a solo performer. With this record, Kathryn Calder proves herself as a musician to watch, and as someone who makes music that's built to last. Are you my Mother? offers a timeless collection of songs, and years from now you'll be able to say that you were there.

http://www.myspace.com/kathryncalder

THIS WEEKS NEWS!

A few great things happened this week in music and for musicbleep. For starters, two of our favorite collaborators released two new albums; the National and the New Pornographers. Both very different, but both sets of artists have one thing in common, they are collaborators. This will be the New Pornographer's 5th studio release, but this does not compare to their other collaborative efforts [Dark Was the Night]. For the National (one of my favorite bands), this will be their 6th studio release, and, like the Pornographers, they collaborate quite a bit, including spear-heading the success of the 'Dark Was the Night's double CD masterpiece.

I have had the opportunity to listen to both albums for quite some time now, and I have to say that I think that it is both their finest. I do have my nostalgic pieces from previous records, and I do hold them close to me, but they both stepped it up and proved it to me and music that they are established and here to stay. From strong compelling lyrics and melodies, whether dark or bright, as these two bands are so different, but have so much in common.

Stay up to date with musicbleep as we will be doing a full review of both the National and the New Pornographers when they are in LA as well as.....(more news!!!)....

THE SASQUATCH FESTIVAL IN WASHINGTON STATE! WHERE MUSICBLEEP WILL BE THERE REVIEWING SHOWS AND GIVING UP TO DATE INFORMATION ON THE FESTIVAL AND PERFORMANCES. THE NATIONAL AND NEW PORNOGRAPHERS ARE BOTH PERFORMING AMONGST MANY, MANY OTHER GREAT BANDS. CHECK OUT OUR EARLIER POST ON THE FESTIVAL AND WE WILL BE KEEPING YOU UPDATED AS WE PREPARE FOR THE FESTIVAL AND INVITE YOU TO JOIN US; VIDEOS, PHOTOS, REVIEWS!! IT'S GOING TO BE AMAZING!

I highly recommend checking them out and you can find them on iTunes or check them out at:

the National: http://www.blogger.com/www.americanmary.com
the New Pornographers: http://www.blogger.com/www.thenewpornographers.com



Story by Cory Radke

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS ARE HITTING THE ROAD!

The New Pornographers will return May 4th with Together, their new LP via Matador. "Crash Years," the album's first single, is available today via iTunes, and if you pre-order Together from the Matador store, you get a free 7" featuring the New Pornographers covering three songs by Detroit band Outrageous Cherry.

The band will head out on an expansive tour, hitting North America in May. The Mountain Goats, the Dodos, the Dutchess and the Duke, and Imaad Wasif will all provide support at various dates.

The New Pornographers Tour Dates

May
31 George, WA – Sasquatch Music Festival

June
11 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue ^#
12 Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater ^#
13 Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall ^#
15 Toronto, Ontario – The Sound Academy ^#
17 Montreal, Quebec – Le National ^#
18 Boston, MA – House of Blues ^#
19 New York, NY – Terminal 5 ^#
21 Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero Theatre ^#
22 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club ^#
23 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club ^#
25 Chapel Hill, NC – Memorial Hall at UNC ^#
26 Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse ^#
27 Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom ^#
28 St Louis, MO – The Pageant ^

July
15 Vancouver, British Columbia – The Vogue Theatre ^%
16 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom ^%
18 Oakland, CA – Fox Theater ^%
19 Los Angeles, CA – Henry Fonda Theater ^%
20 Los Angeles, CA – Henry Fonda Theater ^%
21 Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre ^%
23 Austin, TX – Stubb's BBQ ^%
24 Dallas, TX – The Showroom at Palladium ^%
25 Tulsa, OK – Cain's Ballroom ^%
26 Lawrence, KS – Liberty Hall ^%
28 Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre ^%
30 Boise, ID – Egyptian Theatre ^%

August
04 Madison, WI – Orpheum Theatre ^

! with Here We Go Magic
* with the Mountain Goats
^ with the Dodos
# with the Dutchess & The Duke
% with Imaad Wasif