The Twilight Sad Played Bowery Ballroom - Pictures, Review

On Wednesday night at the Bowery Ballroom, we stopped in to check out the second of The Twilight Sad's two New York dates. Suffice it to say, we were impressed: The band played an unrelenting set that ran the gamut of their catalog and was loaded with genuine emotion, musical passion, and more than a fair dose of pure, unadulterated noise.


Unquestionably, the band's records call for such a performance, and we had our doubts as to whether they'd be able to pull it off as a four man unit. We should not have been worried. Between the screaming guitars, thumping bass, and passionate vocals, the sound not only did the records justice, but (especially at the set's conclusion) outdid them.

However, what grabbed us more resoundingly about the evening was how much the band seemed to appreciate being on stage, having an audience, and being given a forum in which to play their music. Despite two long players and a smattering of EP's, the band still plays with its heart on its sleeve, and with a passion and vigor that you don't always see. This included singer James Graham dropping to his knees at one point to give more than a little input on the drums.

At the conclusion of the set, Graham hopped into the audience to perform a killer version of "Cold Days From The Birdhouse" (which he claimed he had only played a couple of times - really?). At that moment it became extremely clear the high amount of mutual admiration going on in the room. This is a band that appreciates it's fans, and whose fans appreciate it right back. With good reason - they're doing more than a couple of things right.

More pictures at the HAD Archive

The Twilight Sad Heads Out For North American Tour

Well, we couldn't be happier about this one: turns out The Twilight Sad's date with Frightened Rabbit in SF this week is just one of many on a tour of the US. While, sadly, Frightened Rabbit won't be joining them for the whole thing, the band has lined up a thorough tour of the US (and all over the world) in support of their new record Forget The Night Ahead.

The band's last record was one of our faves of 2007, and we're expecting no less from this release. What's more, we've never had the chance to catch them live, and are champing at the bit to do so. The band's waves of noisy guitars and anthemic vocals beg to be heard live, and frankly, we can't wait.

The record doesn't drop until October 5th, but meanwhile you can satisfy yourself by catching the band live as they tour the continent over the course of September.

mp3: The Twilight Sad - Reflections Of The Television

The Twilight Sad Fall 2009 North American Dates
Sep 16 Neumo’s Crystal Ball Reading Seattle, Washington
Sep 17 Dante’s Portland, Oregon
Sep 18 The Independent San Francisco, California
Sep 19 the Voodoo Lounge San Jose, California
Sep 20 Knitting Factory Los Angeles, California
Sep 22 Plush Tucson, Arizona
Sep 24 The Mohawk Austin, Texas
Sep 25 Spanish Moon Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Sep 26 Bottletree Birmingham, Alabama
Sep 27 The Masquerade Atlanta, Georgia
Sep 28 Club Downunder Tallahassee, Florida
Sep 29 The Social Orlando, Florida
Oct 1 Local 506 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Oct 3 North Star Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 5 Black Cat Backstage Washington, Washington DC
Oct 6 Bowery Ballroom New York, New York
Oct 7 Great Scott Allston, Massachusetts
Oct 10 El Mocambo Toronto, Ontario
Oct 11 Blind Pig Ann Arbor, Michigan
Oct 12 Empty Bottle Chicago, Illinois

Frightened Rabbit/Twilight Sad Scottish Supershow Coming To The Independent

Frightened Rabbit at Bottom Of The Hill, from the HAD Archive

If you've been keeping track of our whims here at HAD, you'll know that Frightened Rabbit's record Midnight Organ Fight made our best of 2008, while The Twilight Sad's Fourteen Autumns, Fifteen Winters was among our faves of 2007. That being said, we couldn't be more psyched for yesterday's announcenment: on September 18th the bands will be playing a double header of Scottish goodness at San Francisco's Independent.

The fact of the matter is that Scotland or otherwise, these are two of the most exciting bands out there at the moment, and to get to see them on the same night is simply mindblowing. What's more, we're kind of surprised to see the show at The Independent: we love the venue, but it seems like a small room for such a killer gig. That being said, we never turn down a chance to hear some awesome music in an amazing venue, so we'll see you there. (Thanks to HAD reader Rob for the tip!)

Tickets go on-sale this Sunday

mp3: Frightened Rabbit - Backwards Walk
mp3: The Twilight Sad - Reflection Of The Television

New Twilight Sad Record On The Way

Despite the fact that we still haven't seen them live, and that since 2007 they seem to be avoiding the west coast like the plague, we still love The Twilight Sad. The Scottish band's first full length was one of our picks of 2007, and is still in regular rotation here at the HAD offices. It has a perfect blend of angst, killer vocals, and waves of feedback that make us smile.

Last year's Killed My Parents And Hit The Road was certainly enjoyable, but it offered less than a full record's worth of new material. What's more, with live tracks in the mix, it felt more like a tour EP than it did like a legitimate album. That's why we were so psyched to hear that the band's second full length is on track for release in September of this year.

Forget The Night Ahead drops on September 22nd, and if the first released track is any indication, it's gonna be a doozy. "Reflection Of The Television" opens with some of the band's signature feedback, and an unrelenting drum beat. It then gives way to singer James Graham's vocals, and while his thick Scottish accent is in tact, the mix has definitely been changed. The vocals are far more up front than on any of the band's previous records, and we're definitely not complaining. Graham's vocals do a lot to define The Twilight Sad, and having the effect be a fair bit more pronounced is certainly good thing. What's more, the band definitely manages not to fade away to the background - they come back at Graham with a wave of sound to close the track.

Long story short: we've been waiting for this record for a while, and we couldn't be more excited given this first sampling. The band is clearly stretching their legs a bit, and solidifying their already formidable sound. We can't wait for the record - now we just need to get the band to head west!

mp3: The Twilight Sad - Reflection Of The Television

New Twilight Sad EP On The Way

Despite the fact that we get a little grumpy about their lack of US appearances, we here at HAD are still pretty damned happy whenever there's a new release from The Twilight Sad. The combination of scottish brogue, anthemic songwriting, guitar fuzz, and bleeding heart sadness gets us every time. This time around, the band is releasing an EP that consists of a combination of new material, live tracks, and covers (yes, we get it). To those familiar with the band, the covers should come as no surprise: Smiths, Joy Division, Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Call it "covers with a dose of misery", if you will. Here's the full track listing:

01 - Walking for Two Hours (live)
02 - That Summer, At Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy (live)
03 - Untitled #28
04 - Cold Days From the Birdhouse (live)
05 - And She Would Darken the Memory (live)
06 - Twenty Four Hours (Joy Division)
07 - The Weather Is Bad
08 - Half a Person (The Smiths)
09 - Untitled #27
10 - Modern Romance (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
11 - I Was Hoping the Winter Was Over

Unfortunately, the band still doesn't have any scheduled dates in the US, but we'll keep hoping. In the meantime, those live tracks are about as close as you'll get. Or, if you want to get reduced value for your dollar, you could always take a trip to Europe and see them on the road opening for Mogwai. It could be cool, kids.

Twilight Sad Tour Dates
10-27 Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Rockhal (with Mogwai)
10-28 Paris, France - Casino de Paris (with Mogwai)
10-29 Cologne, Germany - Live Music Hall (with Mogwai)
10-30 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg (with Mogwai)
11-02 Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega (with Mogwai)
11-03 Lund, Sweden - Mejeriet (with Mogwai)
11-04 Stockholm, Sweden - Cirkus (with Mogwai)
11-06 Berlin, Germany - Huxleys (with Mogwai)
11-08 Hamburg, Germany - Grosse Freiheit (with Mogwai)
11-10 Frankfurt, Germany - Mousonturm (with Mogwai)
11-11 Dresden, Germany - Alter Schlachthof (with Mogwai)
11-12 Munich, Germany - Backstage-Werk (with Mogwai)
11-13 Vienna, Austria - Wuk (with Mogwai)
11-15 Prague, Czech Republic - Archa Theatre (with Mogwai)
11-17 Fribourg, Switzerland - Fri-Son (with Mogwai)
11-18 Zurich, Switzerland - Rote Fabrik (with Mogwai)
12-23 Glasgow, Scotland - King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
12-24 Glasgow, Scotland - The Swan