After a hectic 2007 filled with touring, more touring, rooftop parties and mystery illness, surely no one would begrudge members of The Decemberists a little time off for some R&R, right? Right. But from the looks of it, frontman Colin Meloy is fully rejecting your would-be empathy. Instead, he’s rolling out three new solo endeavors, coming soon to a mid-sized venue and/or music-listening contraption near you.
On April 7, Meloy will kick off his second solo acoustic U.S. tour in the fine city of Austin, Texas, wrapping up a month later with a homecoming show in Portland. April 8 will see the release of Colin Meloy Sings Live!, a collection of 14 tracks culled from his 2006 solo outing—which, among favorite Decemberists tunes and a few covers, includes a throwback to Tarkio, Meloy’s surprisingly excellent college band ("Devil's Elbow"), and a few unreleased tracks. ("Dracula’s Daughter" appeared on The Decemberists' setlist at last September’s Austin City Limits festival—here’s hoping this earlier version is just as hilariously awful.) And finally, throughout the tour he'll be offering up the limited-edition EP Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke, which is exactly what the name indicates and follows his previous, also-frankly-titled Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey and Colin Meloy Sings Shirley Collins.
Kill Rock Stars, the label Meloy and the Decemberists called home before signing with Capitol, will release both Sings Live! and Sings Cooke.
So, is there a Colin Meloy Sings New Decemberists Album in the works? We’re curious, too. Stay tuned for an upcoming Q&A with the bespectacled one himself.
Colin Meloy Sings Live! tracklist:
1. “Devil's Elbow”
2. “We Both Go Down Together”
3. Evoking a Campfire Singalong*
4. “The Gymnast, High Above the Ground”
5. “Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect” > “Dreams”
6. “Dracula's Daughter” (previously unreleased)
7. “Wonder” (previously unreleased)
8. A Brief Introduction to Shirley Collins*
9. “Barbara Allen”
10. “The Engine Driver”
11. “On the Bus Mall”
12. A Skull, a Ship, and a Sheep*
13. “California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade” > “Ask”
14. “The Bachelor and the Bride”
15. “A Cautionary Song”
16. “Red Right Ankle”
17. “Bandit Queen”
* Between-song banter
Spring solo tour dates:
April
7 - Austin, Texas @ La Zona Rosa
8 - Dallas, Texas @ Granada Theater
10 - Atlanta, Ga. @ Variety Playhouse
11 - Asheville, N.C. @ Orange Peel
12 - Charlottesville, Va. @ The Satellite Ballroom
13 - Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
15 - Somerville, Mass. @ Somerville Theatre
16 - Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
17 - Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
21 - Chicago, Ill. @ Park West
22 - Milwaukee, Wisc. @ The Pabst Theater
23 - Madison, Wisc. @ Barrymore Theater
25 - Lawrence, Kan. @ Liberty Hall
26 - Boulder, Colo. @ Fox Theatre
28 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ Henry Fonda Theatre
29 - Santa Cruz, Calif. @ The Rio Theatre
30 - San Francisco, Calif. @ The Fillmore
May
2 - Seattle, Wash. @ Showbox
3 - Portland, Ore. @ Wonder Ballroom
Related links:
Colin Meloy on MySpace
Paste: Blogs: 1,000 Words: The Decemberists with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra - Chastain Park - 7/13/07
KillRockStars.com
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