Built to Spill to tour Feb.-Mar., come to Atlanta on 3/12

This news came out a couple weeks ago, but I'm pretty sure I was scrambling at the time to get my school madness under control. Idaho indie rock heroes Built to Spill are hitting the road in February and March, and their travels include a stop at Atlanta's Variety Playhouse on March 12. Last time they came through I gave away my tickets because of another obligation, and I sure hope to make it this time around.

Built to Spill - Alarmed
Built to Spill - Cleo

The complete list of dates, courtesy of the BTS official site:

2/22 Echo Plex, Los Angeles, CA
2/23 Echo Plex, Los Angeles, CA
2/24 The Filmore, San Francisco, CA
2/25 The Filmore, San Francisco, CA
2/27 The Depot, Salt Lake City, UT
2/28 Gothic Theatre, Englewood, CO
2/29 Diamond Ballroom, Oklahoma City, OK
3/01 Ridglea Theatre, Fort Worth, TX
3/02 Stubb's BBQ, Austin, TX
3/03 Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
3/04 Howlin' Wolf, New Orleans, LA
3/05 The Venue, Gainseville, FL
3/06 State Theatre, St. Petersburg, FL
3/08 Free Bird Live, Jacksonville, FL
3/10 Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte, NC
3/11 The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC
3/12 Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
3/13 Bijou Theatre, Knoxville, TN
3/14 Headliner's Music Hall, Louisville, KY
3/15 The Pageant, St. Louis, MO
3/16 The Blue Note, Columbia, MO
3/17 Madrid Theatre, Kansas City, MO
3/19 Launchpad, Albuquerque, NM
3/20 Orpheum Theatre, Flagstaff, AZ
3/21 Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach, CA

For more Built to Spill info, see their Myspace page.

Chairs in the Arno

I managed to get through a number of promo CDs in my 1000+ miles of driving to/from/within the Midwest. Almost surprisingly, the single record I reached for most often was File Folder by St. Helena, California, quartet Chairs in the Arno. Their label, Mushpot Records, describes the album as a collection of "sweet, nerdy songs" but I think that's hardly a sufficient description.

Chairs in the Arno play smart and catchy synth-pop, somewhere along the lines of Looper or The Boy Least Likely To. Although their songs are often bittersweet and understated, they're also lovely and charming. The gang at 3hive described their boy/girl vocals as "like Hershey Kisses," and I'm not going to try and top that.

Chairs in the Arno - Size Thirty

File Folder is available from Mushpot Records.

Beat the Devil returns to Atlanta, Feb. 2

Got back to Georgia last night, and ready for a return to normalcy. That being said, let's get to an Atlanta show preview...

One of my favorite musical discoveries of 2007, punk/blues act Beat the Devil, returns to The EARL in Atlanta on February 2. If you missed Shilpa Ray and company last time through town, you skipped something pretty darn great. They're a New York trio fronted by a little gal with an amazing voice who also happens to play a mean harmonium.

Beat the Devil - Shine in Exile
Beat the Devil - Plea Bargain

They have several shows coming up, including a sold-out 1/29 Bowery Ballroom gig with Vampire Weekend:

1/29 Bowery Ballroom, NY, NY (w/ Vampire Weekend)
1/31 The Union, Athens, OH
2/2 The EARL, Atlanta, GA (w/ The Liverhearts)
2/9 Europa, Brooklyn, NY
2/16 Piano's, NY, NY

Never a dull moment

Apologies for the recent lack of activity, but it's been a crazy ride the last week. Since my doctoral defense I've been traveling, and yesterday my sister in St. Louis decided that my Christmas gift should be a shiny new nephew:

You can probably guess who that is in the Wrigley Field sweatshirt. I made it to town in time for the new arrival, and both he and his mommy are doing fine.

Probably be a few more days until things settle down. Hope you're all having a nice holiday season.

MODOK hearts C&T

MODOK, my guiding light and inspiration, totally noticed me.

I may one day be an A.I.M. henchman yet. All hail MODOK!

The Falconer's Top 10 Films of 2007

Hey all -- I'm in Missouri for holiday stuff, but thanks to The Falconer there's still fresh goodness on ye olde C&T.

For those not in the know, The Falconer writes Do the Thrashers Have Large Talons?, one of the top blogs covering Atlanta Thrashers hockey. He's also a good friend of yours truly. The Falconer is a movie fiend, so I asked him to compile his top 10 films for the year. Some of these we saw together, and some I haven't seen at all. Here's The Falconer's list for review and discussion...


1. The Lives of Others [trailer]
Never in a million years would I have imagined that I would pick a movie with subtitles as my favorite of the year. It is just that reading subtitles is an inherently sub-optimal way to watch a movie. But I must say that this was the best movie I saw all year.

Set in East Germany near the end of the Cold War, it is stark film that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It evokes themes of humanity in a totalitarian state and the human frailty in the face of great pressure. Very little action takes places in most scenes but the viewer suspects that catastrophe could strike at any moment. I walked out the theater feeling like I hadn’t taken a breathe in two hours. It ends with the most satisfying denouement I’ve seen in years.

2. Waitress [trailer]
It was a pretty good year for comedy. Both Waitress and Knocked Up alternated between being deadly serious and downright hilarious from one scene to another. Great characters and good acting were skillfully combined to create a memorable story about a woman who feels trapped in her marriage in a small southern town who finds an outlet in making pies.

3. No Country for Old Men [trailer]
I watched it once and was unsure so I saw a second time. The Cohen brothers write some of the best dialogue to appear in American film. The acting is fantastic all the way though including minor roles such as the sheriff’s deputy and the mother-in-law that are just hilarious. Javier Bardem is a killer who is frightening not because of frenetic mayhem but because of his patient and methodical determination. Tom Cruise ought to watch this film to discover how to be effective without all the bluster.

4. Gone Baby Gone [trailer]
This film opens with some of the most non-glamorous people to grace a Hollywood film. It tries hard to say true to working class Boston and generally succeeds. At first I thought it was just another crime drama/who-dun-it mystery but it ends up forcing the viewer to really wrestle with a heavy moral choice. I’m not sure I would the same decision as the lead character. This film almost requires you to go out for a post-show drink to discuss and mull over it.

5. Knocked Up [trailer]
The second comedy to make my list. Based on the previews I thought “this looks like a dumb comedy about a fairly serious situation.” Rotten Tomatoes had it highly rated so I went anyway, and was very pleased by a movie that was honest about a difficult situation many people have found themselves in over the years. I would dare say that this movie portrays sex and relationships in a manner that is probably more realistic than most Hollywood films.

6. Bourne Ultimatum [trailer]
The only true action/adventure movie to make the grade. It was everything you want in a great action movie: chase scenes, tension, attractive leading actors, a canny hero facing impossible odds, etc. Still too many quick panning camera shots for my taste but it was a nicely paced thrill ride that didn’t make me laugh out loud with too many absurd action sequences (see: Die Hard 4).

7. Michael Clayton [trailer]
I wasn’t a big Clooney fan until he made O Brother Where Art Thou? but he just keeps putting out a steady diet of enjoyable movies. This one features a fast moving story with multiple plots that don’t seem to make any sense until the very end. Not a film for people who have need to be hit over the head with obvious story lines. I love a movie that keeps me guessing until the end and this one did just that.

8. Lars and The Real Girl [trailer]
Like I said it was a good year for comedy. When I read about the premise of this film about a guy who spends his time with an anatomically correct plastic woman I was dubious, but I was wrong. It careens from being deadly serious and earnest one moment to being LOL funny. Ryan Gosling gives a great performance. Who could have guessed that the line “she was elected to the school board” would turn out to be the funniest line of dialogue in any movie released this year?

9. In the Valley of Elah [trailer]
Tommy Lee Jones was even better in this film than in No Country for Old Men in a restrained role as a father searching for his missing son who has just returned from Iraq. It is more of a personal story than a political one. I found the final scene which involves an American flag to be very moving.

10. Sunshine [trailer]
It was a weak year for Sci-Fi but I just have to include this one. I’m a fan of both Danny Boyle films and Cillian Murphy (who worked together in “28 Days Later”). Here they combine to make a film of epic proportions. Much of the movie is a sort of tribute to the classic “2001: A Space Odessy” and has some breathtaking beautiful space shots. Boyle retains his ability to evoke wonder, amazement but also terror and fear.

Honorable Mentions: American Gangster, Hot Fuzz, 3:10 to Yuma, Into the Wild, Stardust.

Best Music Film I had a chance to see one of the North American showings of Sigur Ros concert film/travelogue Heima and it was stunningly beautiful. The people and land of Iceland and the haunting music of the band combine for an unexpectedly delightful hour and half. I liked it much better than the much blogged about Once and the Joy Division biopic Control.

-----------------------------

Those are The Falconer's picks. So, how did he do? The Lives of Others, Waitress, Lars and the Real Girl, and Stardust are certainly among my picks as well...

Kite Flying Society - "This Christmas (December Blues)"

Not much Christmas music has appeared here, or will in the future, but I wanted to share this little nugget. San Diego indie pop act Kite Flying Society have sent along their holiday offering, and it's a nice addition to the winter playlist.

Kite Flying Society - This Christmas (December Blues)

Kite Flying Society is currently recording their sophomore album, The Aviary, which we can all expect to be wowed by in 2008.

------------------------------------------------

Beware, for the spawn of Lily Allen is coming.

The Hobbit is coming to the big screen, but not with Peter Jackson in the director's chair.

Seriously, I would soooo prefer these homemade superhero cookies to the standard Christmas fare. The Thing would clobber your gingerbread man, fool.

C&T, Ph.D.

If you've noticed the pace of things here slow down a bit lately, particularly with regard to new music, there's a reason. Along with end-of-semester shenanigans, I had a personal milestone on the horizon. Today, after 2+ years and 300+ pages of writing, I successfully defended my doctoral dissertation. That's right. Now it's Cable & Tweed, Ph.D. Huzzah!

I'll try to give some attention to my towering stack of promo CDs and 3400 unread e-mails, slowly but surely. For now, I'm just rewarding myself with a pint of Fuller's ESB and a couple hours to relax. And hey, it's New Comics Day. Can't beat that.

The Dark Knight trailer released online!

This unprecedented night of movie previews at C&T is capped off with something special -- the first full trailer for The Dark Knight was just released online. After my reaction, my neighbors probably think they live next door to The Joker. Holy crap.

You can get it in better quality at the official site. Hat tip to Superhero Hype.

Update: See the comments for a special link from Supervillain Sean, as long as it works...

"You guys are almost as good as The Monkees..."

From the forthcoming rock-doc satire Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, as the title character spends quality time with a few boys from Liverpool:

I imagine you'll see some familiar faces. Walk Hard opens December 21.

A longer look at Cloverfield...

If you saw the unlabeled Cloverfield preview before Transformers and were intrigued, you'll like this. Producer J.J. Abrams has released a few more minutes of the film to hype it up. It's a little War of the Worlds meets Blair Witch Project, but could be cool:

Cloverfield is due in theaters on January 18.

Friday Night Fights: Throwdown in the Ivory Tower

In the winter of 1943, with America facing threats at home and abroad, the Black Hood made his debut in Black Hood Comics #9 (not a typo). Did he take on Nazis? Fascists? Imperialists? Nope -- he sought to kick the hindquarters of one Professor Markov, director of his very own school for criminals. Little did Black Hood know that the rigors of academia prepared the good professor to throw down, even while wearing his monocle and beret:

Looks like Professor Markov has a Ph.D. in KICKING ASS.

The full issue of Black Hood Comics #9, and tons of other Golden Age comics, are available online (registration required for free downloads).

For further schooling, report to Professor Bahlactus.

Bonus mp3: Nathan Caswell - Kick My Ass [NSFW]

C&T's favorite music of 2007

It's that time of year again, and I thought it might be fun to add to the flurry of year-end lists cluttering the Internet. It's been a good year for music, even if I've had to pay a little less attention the past couple months because of my work schedule. You won't find some records here that show up other places, and there might be a surprise or two. Maybe not. Away we go...

1. Of Montreal, Hissing Fauna Are You the Destroyer?
Without a doubt, my record of the year. Kevin Barnes and company delivered this gem in January, and from the day I got my mitts on a copy it rarely left the rotation. The record I drove to, the record I ran to, the record I listened to while staring out coffee shop windows. There is no song I listened to more this year than "Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider," which is amazing considering its repeated use of the word "faggy" made me cringe for months. A record that would be career-defining for many bands, but I'm guessing Of Montreal still have some tricks up their sleeves.

Of Montreal - Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse


2. The Builders and the Butchers, The Builders and The Butchers
This criminally overlooked release from Portland's gothic/punk/Americana outfit won me over from the start, and I've been singing its praises since. It baffles me that with all the fluff that attracts attention, this wonderful record has remained under the radar. Ryan Sollee brings passionate vocals and dark lyrics, backed by creaky and raucous accompaniment. Another album with staying power to spare.

The Builders and The Butchers - Black Dresses


3. Black Lips, Los Valientes del Mundo Nuevo
Like many Atlanta-area music enthusiasts, I really enjoy some live Black Lips. I have to say, however, that I've always been disappointed with their studio efforts. The sloppy and muddy production, which I'm sure is intentional, has always turned me off. Perhaps it's no coincidence that their lone album that I've ever adored is a live recording -- Los Valientes del Mundo Nuevo captures the band in its element, rocking out to songs like "Not a Problem" and "Buried Alive." It's still sloppy and lo-fi, but there's heart there that I've always found lacking in their studio material.

Black Lips - Not a Problem


4. Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
It's a bit difficult to resist comparing Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga to its great predecessors, but let's consider this album for what it is -- perhaps the "indie rock" record of the year most packed with memorable and outstanding pop songs. With probably one exception ("The Ghost of You Lingers"), just about every song here is an anthem begging the listener to sing along with Britt Daniel. It's little wonder some of the tracks have found their way into ads and the background of network television shows. Few records in 2007 were this fun from start to finish.

Spoon - The Underdog


5. St. Vincent, Marry Me
Annie Clark of St. Vincent managed to pull off something in 2007 that is all too rare, in my humble opinion -- rode a wave of pre-release hype and actually delivered a damn fine record. Innovative and genre-hopping, St. Vincent's Marry Me dropped in July and ears perked all over. The indie, rock, jazz, and electronic elements mesh wonderfully, and Clark's charm puts it over the top. The presence of a couple songs that also appeared on her earlier EP took a bit away from the album for me, but taken as a whole Marry Me stood out as terrific and unique in a year loaded with quality releases.

St. Vincent - Now Now


6. Beirut, The Flying Club Cup
Whatever niche Zach Condon carved out for himself with his previous releases, The Flying Club Cup was a strong statement that the young artist isn't going anywhere. This record expands the sonic palette found on Gulag Orkestar, improves the production, and sees Condon demonstrate that his craft is only getting better. The Balkan and Gypsy influences are still predominant, but experimentation abounds and the quieter moments with ukulele leads really accentuate Condon's unique and gorgeous voice. This record and a cup of coffee make for a great lazy afternoon.

Beirut - In the Mausoleum


7. Laura Veirs, Saltbreakers
In a year when not many traditional singer-songwriter types kept my attention, Laura Veirs did the job. While I'm sure it helps that I'm smitten with her whole aesthetic, Saltbreakers was a sweet and welcome treat. Veirs again relies on natural phenomena for inspiration as she has on other recent albums, but there seems to be more "oomph" this time around. "Don't Lose Yourself" is punctuated with electronic beats that demand physical response, while songs like "Black Butterfly" and "To the Country" are just lovely.

Laura Veirs - Don't Lose Yourself


8. Jens Lekman, Night Falls Over Kortedala
Like the best, most charismatic lounge singer ever, Swedish import Jens Lekman is crooner, humorist, and a first-rate entertainer. Night Falls Over Kortedala is a record that I doubt any other current artist short of Stephen Merritt could have pulled off. Lekman does it, however, without the first hint of bitter sarcasm; it's as if he's smirking and passing knowing glances to his audience while delivering understated punchlines or commentary on life's little moments. Clever, witty pop all around.

Jens Lekman - The Opposite of Hallelujah


9. Andrew Bird, Armchair Apocrypha
Probably the closest thing to a "grower" in my top albums for the year, Andrew Bird's latest didn't win me over at first. A few songs did, sure, but I think I was expecting something different after his terrific The Mysterious Production of Eggs. With time and repeated listens, however, came further appreciation of this very good record. Bird again delivers his characteristically dark and sometimes sarcastic lyrics, and his well-known violin skill is supported more than in the past by Bird himself on guitar. This is Bird developing in a positive direction even after several releases, and we're fortunate to be able to listen in.

Andrew Bird - Heretics


10. The Shaky Hands, The Shaky Hands
In a year that saw them tour with The Shins and reach some level of indie prominence, Portland's Shaky Hands also released one heck of a record. Their self-titled release is loaded with unique pop, full of terrific melodies and creative use of instruments and sounds. The voice of Nick Delffs quivers juuuuust right, and touches like (faux?) whale songs and whistling are nice.

The Shaky Hands - The Sleepless


Rookies of the year:

Beat the Devil

Beat the Devil - Plea Bargain

Black Kids

Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You

Favorite live shows of the year:

The Decemberists 6-17-2007 at Bonnaroo
Daniel Johnston 8-11-2007 at 40 Watt, Athens Popfest
St. Vincent 7-11-2007 at The EARL

That should do it for now. Feel free to rant and rave in the comments if I've omitted your favorites. Here's hoping for a good 2008!

Greetings from '86

For comic book enthusiasts, the year 1986 is held in high regard. Perhaps the two greatest graphic novels published, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's Watchmen and Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, were both released by DC. That same year Marvel put out a personal favorite, Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's Daredevil: Born Again, as well as the gorgeous and innovative Elektra: Assassin by the dream team of Frank Miller and artist Bill Sienkiewicz. It was a kick in the pants for the industry, and began a trend toward realism and grit that continues two decades later.

While poking around in the bargain bins today at Classic City Comics (1063-B Baxter St., Athens), I came across a 1986 issue of Comics Interview, #34, that features a cover image of Elektra and an interview with the aforementioned Bill Sienkiewicz. That got me to pick up the book, but what got me to buy it ($.33, mind you) were the ridiculous images inside. The '80s were clearly awesome. Por ejemplo:

This is totally sweet.

Obviously the inspiration for Commander Codpiece.

I don't care if it's a file photo. It's Stan Lee with KISS. 'Nuff said!

What do you think of all this, Mighty Thor?

Right on, Thunder God. Right on.

Band of Horses add fourth Atlanta show, 12/30

With sold-out dates on 12/28, 12/29, and 12/31 already on the schedule, Band of Horses have added a new Atlanta data on 12/30. It will also be at The EARL, and tix go on sale Friday morning at 10am via Ticket Alternative. If you want 'em, get 'em quick.

Band of Horses - Is There a Ghost?

"Special guests" are mentioned in the listing, but I don't yet know who will be opening.

Fall semester, be gone!

The fall semester is winding down, and I give my last exam tomorrow. Still have lots of other academic duties for another week or so, but it's nice to see the end is near. I hope your life isn't as crazy as mine right now.

Guided by Voices - Big School
Gert Jan Kole - What Did You Learn in School Today?

Some big personal academic news should follow in about a week...

The Walkmen/Vampire Weekend @ The EARL 3/9/08

Indie favorites The Walkmen and your cute girlfriend's new favorite band Vampire Weekend will be at The EARL on Sunday, March 9. This one is sure to sell out so make sure you buy tickets early.

I don't know if The Walkmen have anything new coming out, but Vampire Weekend's 4AD debut comes out 1/29/2008. I'm excited!

Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma [at Daytrotter]

'The Machine Girl' trailer

Did Grindhouse leave you with a taste for more women with weapons for limbs? Are you fascinated by the prospect of the flying guillotine or the drill bra? It looks like Japanese action/gorefest The Machine Girl has got you covered. Probably not safe for work, unless your boss is cool with dismemberment and beheadings:

It's set for release next year, and if it comes to the U.S. you can bet I'll be there with a tub of popcorn. Hat tip to commenter Kara Z L at the Invincible Super-Blog.

A-hole Santa hearts Atlanta music

A-hole Santa recently made his annual visit to Atlanta's Criminal Records, and he caught up with some of the leading lights of the local scene (and beyond). Luckily, there's photographic evidence.

Jesse of Gentlemen Jesse and His Men/The Carbonas and Cole from Black Lips

Shannon, Adam, and Anna from Anna Kramer and The Lost Cause

Tommy from The Selmanaires, bummed about Andruw Jones

Visiting dignitaries Southern Culture on the Skids

Hat tip to Pecanne Log, which Atlanta locals really should be reading.

The full set of photos is on Flickr. If you find A-hole Santa in your gutter, give Chunklet a call. They're probably looking for him.

Elevado - "Indigo Torch Serenade"

Among the Atlanta bands affiliated with the ISP Music collective, one I haven't given much attention is Elevado. Their This World is on Fire was released a few months back, and I've noticed that each time I reach for it I wind up wanting to listen to a single track repeatedly. That song is "Indigo Torch Serenade," a slightly creepy expression of adulation complete with death threats directed at whomever would keep the narrator from the object of his desire. I'm not sure whether it's sweet or grounds for a restraining order, but I like it.

Elevado - Indigo Torch Serenade

Elevado's music is available via several outlets, as they note on their Myspace. They also have T-shirts that appear to be modeled by the co-star of Lars and the Real Girl (excellent film, btw). That's pretty cool.

Kneel before OWLDOC!

This is Owly.

He is sweet, charming, and adorable.

This is MODOK, the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing.

He is crazed, brilliant, and awesome.

Yesterday in the parallel universe that is Criminal Records, the pen of Andy Runton brought together these two seemingly irreconcilable forces. Now I present to you the result -- OWLDOC, the Overt Worm Lover Designed Only for Cuddling!

Kneel before OWLDOC!

Just look at Wormy with his little A.I.M. henchman outfit. Genius.

Thanks to Criminal, Andy Runton, and Chris Staros from Top Shelf for hosting the event!

Rewind: Revisiting 'So I Married an Axe Murderer'

You think you love Saturday morning cartoons? Charlie McKenzie loves Saturday morning cartoons...

From the 1993 Mike Myers vehicle So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993), which features a hard-hearted harbinger of a haggis, Rod Stewart played on bagpipes, and Phil Hartman being awesome.

To hear Charlie's skillful recitation of "This Poem Sucks," head to Vox.

Hugs, not Uggs

Seriously, if I see one more girl in leggings and Ugg boots on campus I may implode. This appears to be a trend, and it needs to stop now.

Rather than merely whining about campus fashions, let's spend a moment reviewing some ladies who do have their acts together:

Jenny Owen Youngs - Voice on Tape
Georgie James - Cake Parade
Simone White - The Beep Beep Song
Eilen Jewell - How Long
Alison Rae - Birds

It's a regular Lilith Fair up in here.

Atlanta locals note that Andy Runton of Owly fame will be signing books at Criminal Records tomorrow (2-7pm), and Criminal will also be hosting a comic swap meet. Both events will mark the tenth anniversary of indie comics giant Top Shelf Productions.

C&T Cinema: Atlanta music and The Dark Knight

Word is in that The Selmanaires and Anna Kramer & The Lost Cause will share a CD release show on January 26 at The EARL. That is umpteen kinds of awesome.

Anna Kramer and Lost Cause - "I Don't Want to be Left Alone" [at GSU's DAEL]

The Selmanaires - Reason and Chance
Anna Kramer and The Lost Cause - When You See Him

Both have records due January 22 on International Hits.

On the comic-related front, the brilliant YouTube output of action figure theater genius ItsJustSomeRandomGuy continues, this time with a rare Brave and the Bold-style team-up featuring Batman and jolly old St. Nick.

Thank goodness for people who have free time.

Speaking of The Batman... Newsarama has revealed the new teaser poster for the The Dark Knight, due in July 2008.


Heath Ledger's version of The Joker (pic) may be something to behold.

Yo La Tengo coming to Dixie in January

I'd apologize for the lack of posts lately, but it can't be helped. The tail end of the semester is just busy. Now, on to the good stuff...

It appears those of us in the South will break in the new year right, with a run of shows from Yo La Tengo. They'll be coming to Dixie after their Hanukkah shows in New Jersey, and we'll welcome them with open arms. Many (all?) shows will be acoustic, so this should be a treat.

1/09 Satellite Ballroom, Charlottesville, VA
1/10 Carrboro Arts Center, Carrboro, NC
1/11 Visulite Theatre, Charlotte, NC
1/12 Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
1/14 Melting Point, Athens, GA
1/15 Workplay, Birmingham, AL
1/16 930 Listening Room, Louisville, KY
1/17 Belcourt Theatre, Nashville, TN
1/18 Gibson Lounge, Memphis, TN
1/19 Randy Bacon Gallery, Springfield, MO

Yo La Tengo - Beanbag Chair
Yo La Tengo - Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind

More info and the New Jersey dates are at Pitchfork.