New Band Of Horses On Tap For May

While it took a while for it to happen, Band Of Horses' second record Cease To Begin quickly became one of our favorite records of the past few years. The record is an expertly crafted songbook, with melodies and arrangements that are as at home on a sweet pair of headphones as they are on an old mono radio.

Given that, we were psyched to hear that the band's third full length, Infinite Arms (cover art above) is on tap to drop on May 18th. The band has released a single from the record entitled "Laredo" (stream below), and if it's any indication, they're right on track with the same elements that made Cease To Begin such a treat.

On top of the new material, the band is also touring in support of the record, with dates (below) throughout the spring. Apparently, more people are (deservedly) digging on these guys then we realized: most of the dates are at arenas or amphitheaters. While it breaks our hearts a little to see bands get away from the up close and personal, we have to admit these dudes deserve it.

Band Of Horses Spring 2010 Dates

Apr 23 Walnut Creek Amphitheater Raleigh, North Carolina
Apr 24 Walnut Creek Amphitheater Raleigh, North Carolina
Apr 26 40-Watt Athens, Georgia
Apr 28 The Fillmore Miami, Florida
Apr 29 House of Blues Orlando, Florida
May 1 Jazzfest New Orleans, Louisiana
May 2 Beale Street Music Festival Memphis, Tennessee
May 3 Sprint Center Kansas City, Missouri
May 4 Scottrade Center St. Louis, Missouri
May 6 Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio
May 9 Quicken Loans Arena Cleveland, Ohio
May 10 HSBC Arena Buffalo, New York
May 13 Jiffy Lube Live Bristow, Virginia
May 15 XL Center Hartford, Connecticut
May 17 Verizon Wireless Music Ctr. Noblesville, Indiana
May 17 TD Garden Boston, Massachusetts
May 21 Madison Square Garden New York, New York
May 30 Les Schwab Amphitheater Bend, Oregon
May 31 Sasquatch George, Washington

Outside Lands 2009: Day 3 - Pictures, Review

Day 3 at Outside Lands brought about the return of what many would consider to be "typical" concert weather in San Francisco. Which is to say, blustery, foggy, and significantly colder than the rest of the weekend. That being said, it was a bit of a refreshing change, and it certainly didn't stop us from taking in a set of shows that was loaded with heavy hitters over the course of the day.


We started out by catching Modest Mouse, and were surprised to discover that Johnny Marr had taken a leave from being the band's guitarist. Clearly we need to do a better job at keeping up on our news. With this new knowledge, we got a little anxious, as Isaac Brock's live show can be a little screamy for us, and having Johnny to balance it was pretty crucial. Our worries, however, were ill founded, as the band has managed to recruit former Grandaddy guitarist Jim Fairchild to take over guitar duties. Fairchild didn't just meet the needs of the band; he added an immense amount to the show, to the point where we almost didn't notice Marr's absence. Long story short: MM delivered.

After Modest Mouse we made our way to catch M.I.A., and were rewarded with a set that was just as flamboyant as her sound would lead you to expect. Big video screens, crazy dancers, and bright clothes all combined to make for a show that had the entire crowd bouncing like there was no tomorrow. Given M.I.A.'s legendary showmanship (even when 9 months pregnant!), this wasn't exactly a shock, but it was great to see her deliver in a live environment.

Soon after, we (along with a massive swarm of the crowd) dug our way into catch Band Of Horses. We've been digging on these guys for quite a while, but had never caught their live show: you need to make sure you do so next time you have the opportunity. The band (who are surprisingly gritty looking given their melodic sounds) really delivered a set that was musically tight and completely enjoyable. There's a reason that these guys have garnered so much acclaim, and it's not limited to their recorded output.

We wrapped up the night with the third day headliners, Tenacious D. We have to admit: we had been extremely skeptical of the inclusion of the duo as a headliner, but it did sorta work. There's no question that Jack Black is a showman, and the band actually do have rock and roll chops. While they might not quite have the artistic integrity of some acts, their combination of rock and roll, comedy, and ridiculousness (including a Black's body double doing cartwheels) managed to be a fun way to wrap up an amazing weekend.

Photos By Rick Audet
Many more photos at the HAD Archive

Band Of Horses Lines Up California Shows Including Fox Theater, Presale Tomorrow

Seattleites Band Of Horses have been off the radar a tad since 2007's Cease To Begin (apparently recording a new record down in Muscle Shoals, AL), but now it appears as though they're lining up to get the ball rolling again. The band has booked two California dates for April, one at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz, and one at the newly renovated Fox Theater in Oakland.

To be frank, after seeing the Fox's opening lineup, we were a tad worried that it was going to exclusively host reggae and jam bands (not that that's a bad thing). However, it seems that they're getting on top of the good old fashioned rock and roll. We definitely approve.

We're not really which show to recommend to you here: we're amped to see the newly renovated Fox, but at the same time we're always psyched for the Catalyst's small club vibe. Regardless of which you decide on, you'll need to get tickets. The Catalyst show isn't listed for sale yet, but the Fox Theater show will be having a presale tomorrow morning at 10 AM. You can get in on that action by clicking here. The password is "fox". Good luck!

Band Of Horses, Spring Dates:
April 15, 2009 Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA
April 17, 2009 Fox Theater, Oakland, CA

Band Of Horses Moved To Fillmore

If you're planning on attending the Band Of Horses day-after-Thanksgiving show, heads up that it's been moved from the Mezzanine to the Fillmore. Depending on your perspective this could be a bad or a good thing, but we think it looks pretty good from where we're sitting. The Fillmore is San Francisco's classic venue, not to mention that bands go on before midnight, which is always a plus. We'll be cross-continent, but for those sticking around - hey, free poster!

Band Of Horses Returning To Mezzanine As Headliner, New MP3

In what is presumably a reaction to heavy ticket sales for last night's show with Dinosaur Jr., Mezzanine has already booked Band Of Horses for a return date as headliner on the 23rd of November. The show was sneakily announced in the "calendar" section for last night's show, and has yet to appear on the site's November schedule. The tickets go on sale this Saturday, September 15th via ticketweb, so get your web browsers up and running. The date seems a little odd (night after Thanksgiving), but I guess the long weekend will at least give the folks who are in town a reason to party....

As an added bonus, the band has put forth the single from their new album Cease To Begin. Linkage kind courtesy of Aquarium Drunkard....

mp3: Band Of Horses - Is There A Ghost

Sunday Night Music: Band of Horses and Dinosaur Jr. @ Mezzanine

If you're up for some music late on a Sunday night, then you're in luck. Tonight at Mezzanine Band of Horses and Dinosaur Jr. will be doing a set that will undoubtedly follow Mezzanine's notorious late night trend. Pre-sale tickets are sold out, but depending who you believe, there are still some to be had. According to the Mezzanine web site, doors are at 8 PM and the show is completely sold. According to ticket web, doors are at 9 and there should still be some available at the door. Judging by craigslist, there are lots of "for sale"'s, and very few "wanted"'s - I'd imagine you can dig something up.

Wait-in-line time for Dinosaur Jr....

If you're planning on seeing Dinosaur Jr. and Band Of Horses at Mezzanine in September, you'd better get out your hats and mittens - looks like the pre-sale is completely sold out. Here's hoping for a little Indian Summer...

mp3: Dinosaur Jr. - Almost Ready
mp3: Band Of Horses - Funeral