An Horse Return With New Record and North American Tour

We've been huge fans of An Horse ever since we caught them on tour for their first record, Rearrange Beds.  The band is a two piece that manages to manifest a much fuller sound than just the drum/guitar/vocal combo would indicate.  Through a solid base of guitar/drum interplay, Kate Cooper's vocals are cutting and made up the soul of the band's delivery.  On their latest full length Walls, none of that's changed, and that's very, very, good news.

The band's first record has been one that we've come back to frequently, and as such, we weren't exactly hoping for a boatload of change on their next album.  on Walls, the bulletproof songwriting is still in tact, and wonderfully addictive melodies are ever-present.  The biggest change is a subtlety in production:  the percussion is less in your face, and the arrangements feel slightly more delicate and well considered.  Where Rearrange Beds was the sound of a live band banging out parts in the studio, Walls is a road-tested band making careful choices in the studio.

All of this has us very excited, of course, as the band is mounting a US tour this month, and we'll get a chance to hear how these new, more subtle, tracks work out in a live environment.  The band positively kills it live, and given the strength of the new record, we highly recommend you catch up with them when they're in town.  For us, that means the Highline Ballroom on the 22nd, which suits us just find.  See you there!

An Horse 2011 North American Dates
10/06/11 Los Angeles, CA The Troubadour
10/07/11 San Diego, CA House of Blues
10/08/11 Phoenix, AZ Hard Rock Cafe
10/10/11 Austin, TX Emo’s
10/11/11 Dallas, TX Club Dada
10/12/11 Houston, TX Fitzgerald’s
10/14/11 Atlanta, GA Vinyl
10/15/11 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits
10/16/11 Orlando, FL Will’s Pub
10/17/11 Columbia, SC Manifest Records
10/18/11 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
10/19/11 Washington, DC Red Palace
10/20/11 Boston, MA Royale
10/21/11 Philadelphia, PA North Star Bar
10/22/11 New York, NY Highline Ballroom
10/23/11 New Haven, CT Toad’s Place


Edit: Removed because it refused not to auto-play.

mp3: An Horse - Walls

An Horse Deliver Remix EP, Return To US

It's been a while since we last saw An Horse, but we will tell you this: we've missed them. The Australian duo have a swagger and sensibility that's all their own, and carries over equally well on record and in a live room. Given that, we were pretty psyched to learn that the band has taken their killer debut Rearrange Beds and wrapped it into a five track remix EP.

The EP (which is available digitally, and as a physical bonus for a limited time) features remixes from Gerry Smith (of TV On The Radio) and Bodega Girls (mp3 below), among others. More importantly, the release of the record marks the band's return to the US, as they open for Kaki King throughout the spring.

We have to say, we're glad to have some interim material from these guys (we eagerly await their next full length), and moreover, you should definitely check them live. It's a show well worth your while.

An Horse Spring 2010 US Dates
Apr 23 La Sala Rossa w/ Hannah Georgas Montreal, Quebec
Apr 24 Mavericks w/ Dan Mangan Ottawa, Ontario
Apr 25 The Red Dog w/ Hannah Georgas Peterborough, Ontario
Apr 26 The Garrison w/ Hannah Georgas Toronto, Ontario
Apr 28 Theatre Of Living Arts w/ Kaki King Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Apr 29 9:30 Club w/ Kaki King Washington DC, Washington DC
Apr 30 at’s Cradle w/ Kaki King Carrboro, North Carolina
May 1 Criminal Records instore w/ Local Natives Atlanta, Georgia
May 1 Variety Playhouse w/ Kaki King Atlanta, Georgia
May 2 3rd & Lindsley w/ Kaki King Nashville, Tennessee
May 4 Beachland Ballroom w/ Kaki King Cleveland, Ohio
May 5 The Ark w/ Kaki King Ann Arbor, Michigan
May 6 Park West w/ Kaki King Chicago, Illinois
May 7 High Noon Saloon w/ Kaki King Madsion, Wisconsin
May 8 Varsity Theatre w/ Kaki King Minneapolis, Minnesota
May 9 The Waiting Room w/ Kaki King Omaha, Nebraska
May 11 The Fox Theatre w/ Kaki KIng Boulder, Colorado
May 12 Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom w/ Kaki King Denver, Colorado
May 14 Neumo’s w/ Kaki King Seattle, Washington
May 15 Wonder Ballroom w/ Kaki King Portland, Oregon
May 16 WOW Hall w/ Kaki King Eugene, Oregon
May 19 Knitting Factory w/ Kaki King Reno, Nevada
May 20 Mystic Theatre w/ Kaki King Petaluma, California
May 21 The Fillmore w/ Kaki King San Francisco, California
May 22 El Rey Theatre w/ Kaki King Los Angeles, California
May 23 elly Up Tavern w/ Kaki King San Diego, California
May 25 The Glasshouse w/ Kaki King Pomona, California

mp3: An Horse - Listen (Bodega Girls Remix)

An Horse And Wintersleep Played The Hotel Utah - Review, Pictures

It's extremely awesome when you catch a band that you've never seen live, and they truly deliver. What's even better is when you get there early enough for the opener, and they not only deliver, but do so with enough uniqueness and poise that you end up walking away feeling like you caught a double bill. At the Hotel Utah, that's exactly what happened: not only did we get to catch An Horse's incendiary live set, but we got to see Wintersleep deliver an awesome set of noisy rock as well.

Wintersleep took to the stage, and we'll be honest with you: we were feeling slightly shallow, and highly skeptical. The band's appearance seemed to scream default-indie-rock, and we were mentally preparing for something of a middling, mediocre set. Thankfully, what we got was completely the opposite. Lesson learned: book, cover, do not judge.

The band delivered a set that was a fantastic blend of uber-tight instrumentation and noisy dischord. At first we weren't convinced that the vocals were our style. Yet as the set progressed, the tunes were just so solid and the delivery so adept that we were completely won over. The band's style (we hate saying this for another Canadian band, but it's true) had strong echoes of Broken Social Scene for us, but with a bit more straight ahead rock and roll vibe. Still, comparisons are seldom conclusive. Let us just say that Wintersleep is definitely worth your time and attention.

An Horse followed soon after, and we have to say that it was everything we expected and more. The same ice cold energy that came across in the Letterman performance was equally, if not more, apparent in the band's delivery. Kate Cooper's vocals simply take on a more poignant tone in the live environment, and the effect is one that resonates with the listener long after. In short, this is a band who represent so well live that it transforms the way one listens to the records. They're the sort of band who exemplify just why we go to see live music.

On top of really delivering in a live setting, the band is also remarkable technically. At times it was tough to believe that all this noise was coming from only the two people on stage. Cooper successfully used an array of pedals to beef up her guitar sound to seem far more populous than the one guitar that was actually in attendance. Similarly, drummer Damon Cox managed to lay down a drum track that was remarkably polyrhythmic for such straight ahead rock and roll. On top of all the instrumental talent, the band also managed some awesome harmonized vocals throughout the set. To be frank, we were pretty stunned at the level to which it all came together.

If you haven't gotten the idea yet, we're really digging An Horse. A lot of it has to do with an almost unquantifiable feel that we get from their live show. The thing is, with music that feel is definitely enough to go on. We could (and did, it seems) list the things that make An Horse great on paper, but the reality is that they deliver a spark that we can't really define. All we can do is strongly recommend you check it out for yourself.

More pictures at the HAD Archive

New Music: An Horse

It's no secret that we love live music around here, and a lot of times our perspective on a given band is almost entirely defined by the live experience. Sure, there's a lot to be said for making great records, but if you can't bring that greatness to the live environment, then it certainly loses something for us. That being said, the reverse can also be true. A record that might not grab us right away can really gain a new foothold after an amazing live experience. It's happened to us with Radiohead with Kid A and U2 with All That You Can't Leave Behind, just to name a couple. This week, it definitely happened with An Horse.

We had been marinating on the Australian duo's upcoming record Arrange Beds for a while here. While it certainly is an enjoyable record, it didn't manage to rope us in for the fully-addicted-to-this-record-and-cannot-stop level of interest. Still, it delivered enough that we had that innate vibe of "it's got potential". So on Tuesday, when we saw that the band was going to be on Letterman, we decided to stay up past our bedtimes and see what the band had to offer. We're extremely glad we did.

On the show, the band played the first track from their upcoming record, entitled "Camp Out". On the record, the track is a rocker with a steady beat, and an easy going vocal. In the live environment, however, the whole delivery is kicked up a notch. The drums were more aggressive and urgent, the guitar more chunky and distorted, and the vocals more stained with blatant vitriol. The performance was very, very good.

And therein lies the interesting part about live performance: now when we head back to the record, we can hear all those pieces that drew us into it. They were certainly always there, but it took the forthright live delivery to "wake up" the recognition in our brain. There can be little doubt that the live experience hold a huge amount of value, but it's always nice to see it validated in such a direct and real way.

So being that we were so stoked up by An Horse's live performance, you've got to be wondering when you can catch that live show, right? Well, you're in luck: the band is mounting a North American tour that started in Canada last night. Check the dates below - we'll be seeing you at Hotel Utah!

Meanwhile, you can check out the Letterman vid above.

An Horse Spring 2009 Dates:
MARCH
12 Guelph, ONT University of Guelph
13 Toronto, ONT Canadian Music Week - Tranzac
15 Chicago, IL The Abbey
16 Covington, KY Mad Hatter
18 Austin, TX SXSW - Maggie Mae's (mindnight)
19 Austin, TX SXSW - Friends on 6th (1:30pm)
19 Austin, TX SXSW - Red River (4:30pm)
21 Austin, TX SXSW - Emo's JR. (9:00pm)
24 Los Angeles, CA Echoplex
25 San Francisco, CA Hotel Utah
26 Portland, OR Lola's
27 Seattle, WA The Vera Project

APRIL
9 Nashville, TN The End
10 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
11 Orlando, FL Back Booth
12 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits
13 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
14 Washington, DC DC9
17 Poughkeepsie, NY The Polish Club
18 New York, NY The Mercury Lounge (7:00 PM)
18 New York, NY The Mercury Lounge (10:00 PM)
19 Hamden, CT The Space
20 Boston, MA Middle East
22 Mt. Pleasant, MI Rubbles
24 Columbia, MO Mojos
25 Kansas City, MO Record Bar

Rearrange Beds is out March 17th on Mom & Pop Music