Wire Announce New Album

Legendary U.K. post-punkers Wire has announced it will release its 12th studio album Red Barked Tree on January 11th. Recorded throughout 2010 by Colin Newman, Graham Lewis and Robert Grey; the record will be released on the band’s own Pink Flag label.

While the album comes out in January on CD, the band will issue it early — on December 20th via digital outlets. Fans who purchase it through Wire’s mail order store will also receive a free live EP called Strays.

Wire is previewing the new album by offering up a free MP3 download of “Two Minutes” (via Pitchfork) - a raucous and exciting two minute affair well worth your download bandwidth. You can download the full track here.

Album tracklist below:

Wire - Red Barked Tree

1. “Please Take”

2. “Now Was”

3. “Adapt”
4. “Two Minutes”
5. “Clay”

6. “Bad Worn Thing”

7. “Moreover”

8. “A Flat Tent”

9. “Smash”

10. “Down To This”

11. “Red Barked Trees”

The band is also hinting at an extensive tour with details to be announced soon. Thirty five years in, it’s nice to see the band producing relevant and exciting material.

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Epic Comes in Silver and Black

I can only think of a handful of bands currently making challenging and creative music thirty two years into their careers. One of those bands is Wire. Colin Newman, Graham Lewis and Robert Grey are the current members of the other London’s most influential punk bands and have just completed an extended trek throughout North America in support of their latest album Object 47. On the heels of their final 2008 date at Chicago’s legendary Metro, the band stopped by the Daytrotter studios to record a session of old and new music. Colin Newman explains:

In keeping with Daytrotter’s “played” feel we chose four songs from the set we have been touring throughout Europe & North America during 2008. We did this session the day after the last date of the North American tour (in Chicago), which was in fact our last date of 2008! We never attempt to “reproduce” album versions in our live sets, so each piece must find its expression as a live entity. In that way this studio recorded version of Wire playing live was a unique document. Falling at the end of our most extensive touring year since 1987 it became a unique document recorded at a unique time!

Download here.

Also on Daytrotter, a new session from the Department of Eagles. Their latest, excellent recording In Ear Park has been playing endlessly in my cd player and will no doubt figure prominently in my 2008 Year End List. This exceptional session works as a well worn “folklore-ish" accompaniment to that. Department of Eagles is the the side project of Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen and his New York University college roommate Fred Nicolaus.

Download here.


Last, and by no means least, the Athens, Ga., band Of Montreal has been making some of the most eclectic music of the past decade. On the band's latest cd, Skeletal Lamping, Of Montreal plunges listeners into the freakishly surreal world of Georgie Fruit, the "transsexual alter ego" of singer Kevin Barnes. Barnes, has built a reputation on meticulously crafted, synth-driven psych-pop, with flamboyant production* and gleeful sonic flourishes. Of Montreal brought this musical spectacle to Washington, D.C. for a show at the legendary 9:30 Club and NPR were there to record it.

Listen and download here.


* The peak of recent onstage theatrics came mid-set in NYC during "St. Exquisite's Confessions," when Kevin Barnes mounted a very nervous looking white pony, singing the song's first minute or so from atop it.

Wire on Tour

No, the Hit HBO Series Has Not Come to Broadway

As you have no doubt surmised if you read this blog, ‘music lists’ are a big part of my being. Formed after listening to countless hours of music and reading far too many music magazines my brain is equal parts itunes, the remainder- rebellious jukebox. For the record then, #19 of my favourite recordings of all time is Wire’s seminal recording Pink Flag. (Hands up if you knew the song ‘Strange’ on R.E.M.’s Document was a cover from Pink Flag.) Needless to say, my excitement was palpable when I heard news that their newest release Object 47 had finally seen release on July 7th. Even better, Wire have announced a late summer/autumn tour. Details below.

Wire on tour:

08/30 London, England - Hainaut Forest Country Park (Offset Festival)
09/08 London, England - The Scala
09/09 Leeds, England - Met University
09/10 Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms
09/11 Glasgow, Scotland - The Arches
09/12 Manchester, England - Academy 3
09/19 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
09/20 Ghent, Belgium - Minnemeers
09/21 Tilburg, Netherlands - ZXZW Festival
09/22 Brussels, Belgium - Botanique
10/05 Montreal, Quebec - Le National
10/06 Ottawa, Ontario - Barrymore's
10/07 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace
10/08 Cambridge, MA - Middle East Downstairs
10/10 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
10/11 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
10/12 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
10/14 Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex
10/15 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
10/16 Vancouver, British Columbia - The Commodore Ballroom
10/17 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
10/18 Chicago, IL – Metro

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And who doesn’t love free music. The band has a number of other free and legal downloads at their official site.