In case you’re not subscribed to this, here’s the latest e-mail newsletter from Touch and Go Records.

Note that The Black Heart Procession are only playing dates in London :(

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NEWS
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Calexico, Calexico, Calexico!!!

The new Calexico record, “Garden Ruin” will be released on
April 11th and here’s just a taste of what’s going on:

Download Code: Contained in the initial pressing of
the new Calexico CD will be a code that will allow you to
download exclusive unreleased Calexico tracks. The vinyl
version of the record contains a code for the exclusive
tracks AND a code to download the entire album in MP3 form.
Be sure to act quick, this download coupon is only available
in the first pressing.

Instore Mania: Calexico will do a series of instores at
select stores across the country. See tour dates below
for details.

Video Spectacular: Calexico recently completed a video
for the first single of the new record, “Cruel”. You
can watch it at www.tgrec.com, where you can also
download an MP3 of the song.

Live On-Air: Calexico will be performing live on the
stations below. Check it out on the FM or the intraweb.

KFOG, April 11th, 8am
www.kfog.com

KCRW, Morning Becomes Eclectic, April 13th, 9am -12pm
www.kcrw.com

KEXP, April 14th, 11am
www.kexp.org

Free Emo’s Show: If you live in or around Austin, TX,
you can see Calexico for free at Emo’s on April 15th.
Doors at 7pm.

New Quasi Release + Shows.

Quasi released their seventh record, “When the Going Gets
Dark” on March 21st. You can stream the record at our
website, or catch them live when they take the new songs on
the road in April. See below for tour dates.

!!! Tour with RHCP.

!!! will be playing a number of UK tour dates with the Red
Hot Chili Peppers beginning on June 30 and winding down
in mid-July with a series of four shows at London’s world
famous Earls Court. And people will dance. Oh, how they’ll
dance. Tickets for the shows are on sale now and available
at getLIVE.co.uk or Ticketmaster.

The Shipping News Play Japan.

RSMN, Shipping News, Noble, Mueller, Crabtree and Cook.
However you know them, the aforementioned bad boys will
be treating Japan to a series of shows in March and
April. For complete show details check out
www.valsehot.com.

New Year Play Wall of Sound Fest, Fort Worth TX.

The New Year will be playing the two-day Wall of Sound
festival starting 04/08/06 in Fort Worth TX. For more
information and full line-up check out the festival website
www.wallofsoundfestival.com.

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NEW RELEASES
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March 21st, 2006

Quasi - When The Going Gets Dark CD/LP

3 years in the making, through various ups and downs,
and assembled into one loud beast by audio whiz Dave
Fridmann, “When The Going Gets Dark” will jump out, grab
you by the ears and rattle your brains. Enjoy!

Blight - Detroit : The Dream Is Dead - The Collected Works
of a Midwest Hardcore Noise Band 1982. CD

1982, Lansing Michigan. Steve Miller and Mike Achtenberg
from The Fix. Tesco Vee from The Meatmen. Pat Clark.
Contains the original Blight EP, a pair of 4 track demos,
and live recordings. Visceral, intimidating, artful, and
completely essential.

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TOUR DATES
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The Black Heart Procession

Mon Apr 03 London, UK - Boogaloo
Tue May 09 Bologna, Italy - Estragon
Fri May 12 Torino, Italy - Hiroshima Mon Amour
Sat May 13 Firenze, Italy - Auditorium Flog
Sun May 14 Mestre, Italy - Rivolta
Mon May 15 Luzern, Switzerland - BOA Bar
Tue May 16 Zurich, Switzerland - Rote Fabrik
Thu May 18 Frankfurt, Germany - Brotfabrik
Fri May 19 Koln, Germany - Gebaude
Sat May 20 Camber Sands, UK - ATP Festival
Mon May 22 Hamburg, Germany - Knust
Tue May 23 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
Wed May 24 Eindhoven, Netherlands - Effenaar
Thu May 25 Groningen, Netherlands - Vera
Fri May 26 Brussels, Belgium - Botanique
Sat May 27 Diksmuide, Belgium - 4AD
Mon May 29 Paris, France - La Maroquinerie
Wed May 31 Lyon, France - Le Epecerie Moderne
Thu Jun 01 Angouleme, France - La Nef
Fri Jun 02 St. Brieuc, France - Art Rock Festival
Sat Jun 03 Tourcoing, France - Le Grand Mix
Tue Jun 06 London, UK - Koko
Wed Jun 07 London, UK - Koko

Calexico

* with Iron and Wine

Sat Apr 08 Hamburg, Germany - Fabrik
Sun Apr 09 Koln, Germany - Palladium
Tue Apr 11 San Francisco, CA - Ameoba
Wed Apr 12 Los Angeles, CA - Ameoba
Thu Apr 13 Seattle, WA - Easy Street (Queen Anne)
Sat Apr 15 Austin, TX - Emo’s (Free Show)
Mon Apr 17 Chicago, IL - Tower Records (Clark
Tue Apr 18 New York, NY - Virgin Union Square
Fri Apr 21 Manchester, UK - Academy 1 *
Sat Apr 22 Bristol, UK - Academy *
Sun Apr 23 London, UK - The Forum *
Tue Apr 25 Frankfurt, Germany - Mousontrum *
Wed Apr 26 Utrecht, Netherland - Tivoli *
Thu Apr 27 Bourges, France - Printemps BourgesFest *
Fri Apr 28 Brussels, Belgium - Cirque Royal *
Sat Apr 29 Copenhagen, Denmark - Amager Bio *
Sun Apr 30 Stockholm, Sweden - Berns *
Mon May 01 Oslo, Norway - Rockerfeller*
Tue May 02 Gothenburg, Sweden - Tradgarn *
Thu May 04 Berlin, Germany - Colombiahall*
Fri May 05 Munchen, Germany - Tonhalle*
Sat May 06 Graz, Austria - Orpheum *
Sun May 07 Wien, Austria - Arena *
Tue May 09 Zagreb, Croatia - Pauk *
Wed May 10 Treviso, Italy - New Age *
Thu May 11 Milan, Italy - Rolling Stone *
Fri May 12 Luzern, Switzerland - BOA Bar *
Sat May 13 Zurich, Switzerland - Volkhaus *
Sun May 14 Haarlem, Netherland - Patronaat *
Mon May 15 Krefeld, Germany - Kulturfabrik *
Tue May 16 Eindhoven, Netherla - Effenaar *
Sat Aug 05 Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza

!!! (Chk Chk Chk)

* With Red Hot Chili Peppers

Fri Jun 30 Ipswich, UK - Portman Road *
Sun Jul 02 Coventry, UK - Ricoh Arena *
Mon Jul 03 Reading, UK - Madejski Stadium *
Wed Jul 05 Derby, UK - Pride Park *
Thu Jul 06 Sheffield, UK - Don Valley Stadium *
Tue Jul 11 Manchester, UK - Evening News Arena *
Wed Jul 12 Manchester, UK - Evening News Arena *
Fri Jul 14 London, UK - Earls Court *
Sat Jul 15 London, UK - Earls Court *
Mon Jul 17 London, UK - Earls Court *
Tue Jul 18 London, UK - Earls Court *

CocoRosie

Sat Apr 15 Rotterdam, Netherlands - Fest. Hotel Mozaiq
Sun Apr 30 Bourges, France - Printemps BourgesFest
Mon May 01 Paris, France - Cabaret Sauvage
Wed May 03 Brussels, Belgium - Cirque Royal
Sun May 14 Camber Sands, UK - ATP Festival
Mon May 15 London, UK - Koko
Wed May 17 Reyjkavik, Iceland - Nasa

Effigies

Sat Apr 15 Urbana, IL - Courtyard Cafe
Fri May 05 Madison, WI - Club 770
Sat May 13 Indianapolis, IN - Melody Inn

Enon

Fri Mar 24 Telluride, CO - Sheridan Opera House
Sat Mar 25 Denver, CO - Bluebird
Fri Apr 14 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
Sat Apr 15 Richmond, IN - Earlham College
Tue Apr 18 Akron, OH - The Lime Spider
Wed Apr 19 Cleveland, OH - The Spot
Thu Apr 20 Newport, KY - Southgate House
Fri Apr 21 Columbus, OH - Little Brothers
Sat Apr 22 Notre Dame, IN - Legends

The Ex

Sat Apr 01 Groningen, Netherlands - Grand Theatre
Sun Apr 02 Rotterdam, Netherlands - Worm
Wed Apr 05 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Bimhuis
Thu Apr 06 Diksmuide, Belgium - 4AD
Fri Apr 07 Paris, France - Banlieu Bleu Festival
Sat Apr 08 Tourcoing, France - Le Grand Mix
Thu Apr 20 Koln, Germany - Kulturbunker Mulheim
Fri Apr 21 Bremen, Germany - Schlachtof
Sat Apr 22 Braunschweig, Germany - Drachenflug

Pinback

Thu Apr 20 Santa Barbara, CA - UCSB
Fri Apr 21 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo’s
Sat Apr 22 Portland, OR - Berbati’s Pan
Sun Apr 23 Seattle, WA - Showbox
Mon Apr 24 Vancouver, Canada - The Plaza
Tue Apr 25 Moscow, ID - Student Union Blrm.
Thu Apr 27 Salt Lake City, - UT The Depot
Fri Apr 28 Denver, CO - Bluebird
Sat Apr 29 Lawrence, KS - Granada
Sun Apr 30 Chicago, IL - Logan Square Aud.
Tue May 02 Newport, KY - Southgate House
Wed May 03 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
Thu May 04 Toronto, Canada - Lee’s Palace
Fri May 05 Montreal, Canada - Plaza St Hubert
Sat May 06 Boston, MA - Paradise
Sun May 07 Burlington, VT- Higher Ground
Mon May 08 Portland, ME - Space Gallery
Tue May 09 Brooklyn, NY - Northsix
Wed May 10 New York, NY - Irving Plaza
Thu May 11 Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar
Fri May 12 Washington, DC - Black Cat
Sat May 13 Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle
Sun May 14 Orlando, FL - The Social
Tue May 16 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
Wed May 17 Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits
Thu May 18 Atlanta, GA - Coca Cola Roxy Theatre

Quasi

Mon Apr 10 New York, NY - Knitting Factory
Tue Apr 11 Brooklyn, NY - Northsix
Fri Apr 14 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
Sat Apr 15 Seattle, WA - Neumos
Mon Apr 24 San Diego, CA - Casbah
Tue Apr 25 Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar
Wed Apr 26 Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
Thu Apr 27 San Francisco, CA - Cafe Du Nord
Fri Apr 28 San Francisco, CA - Cafe Du Nord

Rachel’s

Wed May 24 Boston, MA - Museum of Fine Arts
Thu May 25 New York, NY - Kaufman Center/Merkin

Shellac

Sat Jun 03 Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound Fest.

Supersystem

Wed Apr 12 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom

Ted Leo

Thu Mar 23 Charlotte, NC- Casbah at Tremont
Fri Mar 24 Washington, DC - Black Cat
Sun Mar 26 New York, NY - Knitting Factory
Sun Apr 30 Indio, CA - Coachella Music Fest

Tara Jane O’Neil

Wed May 10 Chicago, IL - Schuba’s
Thu May 11 Cleveland, OH - Beachland
Sat May 13 Somerville, MA - Nave Gallery
Sun May 14 Portland, ME - Local 188
Mon May 15 Portsmouth, NH - Red Door
Wed May 17 Providence, RI - AS220
Fri May 19 Montague, MA - Bookmill

The New Year

Sat Apr 08 Fort Worth, TX - Ridglea Theater

The Shipping News

Thu Mar 23 Kashiwa, Japan - Fat Time Bar
Fri Mar 24 Tokyo, Japan - O-Nest
Sat Mar 25 Tokyo, Japan - O-Nest
Sun Mar 26 Kyoto, Japan - Ooh La La
Mon Mar 27 Kobe, Japan - Blueport
Tue Mar 28 Fukuoka, Japan - Decadent Deluxe
Thu Mar 30 Shizuoka, Japan - Spiral Mart
Fri Mar 31 Nagoya, Japan - Tight Rope
Sat Apr 01 Kawasaki, Japan - Bottoms Up
Sun Apr 02 Tokyo, Japan - O-Nest

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UPCOMING RELEASES
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April 11th, 2006

Calexico - Garden Ruin - CD/LP

“This album was a conscious decision to try something new
and tap into strains in our musical fabric that haven’t been
highlighted in the past,” - Joey Burns.

The result of the thousands of miles traveled since 2004’s
Feast of Wire, GARDEN RUIN takes into account the enlarged
line up of the band, its multicultural roots, the band’s
growing input into the songwriting and arrangement process,
the arrival of a producer, new domestic arrangements,
international affairs, broadening horizons, developing
ambitions and changing scenery. GARDEN RUIN is definitely
not the sound of a band standing still.

May 9th, 2006

The Black Heart Procession - The Spell - CD/LP

The Spell is the most fitting name yet for a Black Heart
Procession record. Spells are cast over a person, a love
affair, a nation, a world; they enchant and entrap, disorient
and delude. They are the heart of this record, both the webs
they spin and the snap that occurs when they’re broken. And
there is no better word to describe the spooky intoxication of
The Black Heart Procession’s sound.

John Reis is the fucking don. Consider the entire Reis rock pantheon - Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes, Sultans and Back-Off Cupids - all four of these being some of my very favourite bands, especially the first two. But what about his most successful project - Rocket From The Crypt - how come I’ve never really been into them?

Bizarrely enough, my initial disdain for this band dates back to Bolton Computer Centre. There used to be a fair few regular customers at this place, the majority of which were harmless but one kid that came in was a really annoying shit-talker who used to harp on about RFTC and how they were his favourite band (doggers might remember this kid, maybe not though!). At the time I concluded that anything this fucking idiot likes must suck, and so didn’t really need to take it any further.

Not long after, RFTC achieved fairly major commercial success with ‘On A Rope’ being blasted out everywhere. “Ah, so this is what they sound like? They have a saxophonist?? Fuck that!”. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate ska, so anything that comes across vaguely ska-like (i.e with trombones / sax / whatever) just isn’t going to get played.

The final nail in the coffin was that I later found out that RFTC was one of the reasons for my beloved Drive Like Jehu’s demise as Reis decided to pursue that project full time instead.

So yeah, just recently I decided to give them another chance purely on a whim. I’ve downloaded their discography (don’t tell the RIAA…) and I’ve been listening to most of their stuff just to see if they’re really as bad as I’ve made them out to be in my mind. Truth is, they’re not - I’m finding that I actually quite like them. I still prefer the stripped down sound of Sultans, so I’m drawn more to their songs like on `Circa: Now’ over `Scream, Dracula, Scream!’ for example.

And I’m still not sure about that sax.

So I imported all the old blog entries from Movable Type into this Wordpress installation, mucked about with some pre-made themes as I haven’t been bothered to sort a brand new one out (more on that in a sec), and here we are. Now I’ll just have to start writing some stuff again.

So yeah, a redesign. Boothy has done a new design which is ace, but I don’t know if I can be fucked figuring out yet another theme syntax for getting it to play nicely with Wordpress. So for now I’m using a theme developed by someone else (with some minor customisations) called ‘Hemingway‘ which isn’t too far from what I wanted anyway.