Tag Archives: The Black Swans

Video: Kelley Deal covers The Black Swans

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Here’s the Breeders’ Kelley Deal covering the Black Swans song “Slide on Down” from the album Change. On accordion is Christie Hunt and Paige Bellar of the Dayton band “Jasper the Colossal” is on electric.

You can catch Kelley Deal’s newish band R. Ring Friday at Skully’s, part of the Ohio Film + Music Festival.

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Jerry DeCicca from The Black Swans on Richard Buckner

MP3: Richard Buckner – Escape

Editor’s note: In anticipation of Richard Buckner’s long-awaited Our Blood, out today (8/2) on Merge Records, I asked Buckner fan Jerry DeCicca of The Black Swans (a band that has shared the stage with Buckner) to say a few words about the man:

I’m submitting this text as my end of a barter: I received the new Richard Buckner album, Our Blood, several months before its release in exchange for typing about it for this “website.” Summation, however, isn’t really my bag and, for Buckner, I have no critical eye. Instead, I’ll state why I made this agreement and try not to gush much.

Long ago, in a pre-Internet world, I became a Buckner-head, tracked him cross-country whenever word spread of a show. The road was his home, so opportunity abound! Then, he was something of a folksinger, or maybe he just sounded like one because he played an acoustic guitar. Like Mark Eitzel, Vic Chestnutt, and Mark Linkous, he used language and a guitar in a way that made everyone else sound square and safe and dumb. He channeled Creeley and cummings and William Carlos Williams and Townes Van Zandt and the mountains. Every record released was an event. Collaborators ranged from Butch Hancock and Lloyd Maines to Calexico to Marc Ribot and Dave Schramm to a Canadian (future ex-wife) drummer.

Back then, people talked to one another about music. They left their homes, sometimes read books. It seems hard to believe that Buckner the musician would be born in this world of blogs and Twitterbrains that repeat and delete anything their comrades/co-hackers “publish” as temporarily relevant. His music is rarely immediate, always unpredictable, gentle and feral, and reminds me of musicians I love from the 60s and 70s because you sense that all music and art informs what noises he makes. I hear Tony Conrad and John Martyn in his newer songs and recent performances (can I say there are melodic leitmotifs?). Buckner is a big man in a world of little boys. As an artist, he’s a role model, though I doubt I’ll ever have as much guts to give as much to my music as he has his. It’s easy to meet other songwriters that agree with me about all of this. Oh, and his website used to have a homepage that said only (paraphrasing), “Go stare at the sun.” Love that guy.

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The Black Swans Return to Daytrotter

The Black Swans return to Daytrotter for another great session. Songs include Don’t Blame the Stars, Rooster, and Mean Medicine.

Daytrotter illustration by Johnnie Cluney

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New Columbus videos: The Black Swans, The Lost Revival

The videos from The Black Swans’ Don’t Blame the Stars just keep on coming. Today Paste premiered “Mean Medicine,” directed by Sam Craighead and Paul Rentler. Catch the Swans’ Jerry DeCicca with Southeast Engine‘s Adam Remnant on their living room tour. Dates, details at Misra.

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The Lost Revival‘s new video for “Cotton and Lace” was shot, edited and directed by Monolithic Cloud Parade‘s Corey Fry, and “filmed over the course of two separate very sweaty evenings in Columbus, Ohio with a Canon T2i.” Kevin Collins and crew will be at Comfest’s Offramp stage at 6:30pm Saturday.

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Video: The Black Swans “Joe Tex”

The Black Swans have put together a lot of great videos for their new album, Don’t Blame the Stars, but “Joe Tex” just might be my favorite. Check it out and then read this review they just got on Pitchfork.

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This week in Columbus: Foals, Southeast Engine, Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Swag Like Ohio w/ Lil B

Wednesday, 4/27:
MP3: Foals – Spanish Sahara
Foals, Freelance Whales, The Naked and the Famous @ Outland (sold out; when did Foals get so popular?)
Steel Train (CD101 Low Dough show) @ The Basement
Cleveland Invasion w/ Delurium, Evasion, Fuzz, Carma/Attak, Cornelius Jackson @ Circus
The N.E.C. @ Cafe Bourbon St.

Thursday, 4/28:
MP3: Southeast Engine – New Growth
Southeast Engine, Black Swans @ The Treehouse
sun drop, vug and the stallions, ghost shirt @ carabar
Dead Set Ready, Beggars, JFK Didn’t Even See It Coming, Ignorant Mo Fo’s @ Circus

Friday, 4/29:
MP3: Fly Union (feat. GLC) – “Top of the World”
KVLT of the rejected adult, Mike Carney, txtbk @ Skully’s
Lil B the Based God & “Swag Like Ohio” tour: Lil B, Fly Union, Freaky Franz, Cornelius Jackson, Kreg & Dez, Kingpin, Johnny Cashola @ The Newport
Ax Cx with Bastards, Scavenger, Drug Money @ The Summit
steam boat, nathan snell and the country sounds @ carabar
The Energy Clinic, Lionel the Jailbird, Your Average Criminals, Onironaut @ Circus
Independents day kickoff @ Kobo
Title Tracks (ex-members of Q and Not U) @ The Treehouse
The Wet Darlings, Molehill, Yellow Light Maybe @ Rumba
Discount Tents, The Energy Clinic, Dream Sequence, Jimmy’s Pizza, SunGlass, Leafridge Armory, Jim Cassell @ Scarlet & Grey
Karate Coyote, Chelsea Automatic @ A&R Music Bar

Saturday, 4/30:
Stream: Pains of Being Pure at Heart – “Belong”
Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Twin Shadow, Weakness @ The Basement
Wex Off the Grid: Shuttle (Nate from Passion Pit – DJ set), Shin Tower Music, DJ Patrick (OGee) @ Wexner Center
andrew graham, dane terry @ carabar

Sunday, 5/1:
The Appleseed Cast, Old Worlds @ The Summit

Monday, 5/2:
Cowtown Round: Megan Palmer, Jenny Lute, Jason Quicksall @ Rumba

More shows welcome in the comments. The “Columbus” tab up top is an easy way to return to this post, and don’t forget about Touring Bands Visiting Ohio. Death Cab and Devo shows just announced.

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Video: The Black Swans – “Windshield Wipers”

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The Black Swans Update: Brooklyn, Spain, Portugal, Kickstarter

The Black Swans‘ new album is coming out digitally and CD via Misra Records this spring. They’re trying to raise the money to release the album out on vinyl using Kickstarter. They’re almost at the halfway point and you can help push it to its goal here.

The band is in Brooklyn tonight (Zebulon) and tomorrow (Union Hall) and then head off to Spain and Portugal.

25.02 Santander . Cafe de las Artes
26.02 Ourense . Cafe-Pop Torgal
27.02 Bueu . Bar Labranza
28.02 Zamora . Sala Berlin
01.03 Coimbra (Pt) . Sala Arte e Parte
02.03 Lisboa (Pt) . Bar Lounge
04.03 Don Benito . Rincon Pio Sound
06.03 Castellón . Veneno Stereo (SONS)

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Misra Records relaunches, releases free, artist-curated “Legacy Compilation”

Download: Misra Legacy Compilation Volume I (zip)

This new Misra re-launch and compilation is a fitting bookend to some recent Columbus news. So, Lydia Loveless is now on Bloodshot. Bloodshot is now the distributor for Misra Records. Misra Records’ first signing is the Black Swans, whose new record Don’t Blame the Stars will be out in the spring. And the newly relaunched label is now artist-run, managed by Leo Deluca, drummer for Athens folk-rockers Southeast Engine.

Ohiooooo.

Here’s the full press release and track listing for that free, artist-curated compilation, which includes previously unreleased tunes from Southeast Engine (“New Growth”) and the Black Swans (“I Forgot to Change the Windshield Wipers in My Mind”) from both bands’ upcoming releases:

Misra Legacy Compilation Volume I – Artist-Curated
1.) Phosphorescent – “Joe Tex, These Taming Blues”
Chosen by John J. McCauley III of Deer Tick
MSR030 – Aw Come Aw Wry

2.) The Mendoza Line – “Catch a Collapsing Star”
Chosen by John P. Strohm of The Lemonheads & Blake Babies
MSR037 – Full of Light & Full of Fire

3.) Destroyer – “The Bad Arts”
Chosen by Zachary Gresham of Summer Hymns
MSR007 – Streethawk: A Seduction

4.) Sleeping States – “London Fields”
Chosen by Kevin Hendrick of Male Bonding
MSR062 – In the Gardens of The North + Old vs. New + Bonus Material*

5.) Southeast Engine – “New Growth”
Chosen by Gregory Saunier of Deerhoof
MSR060 – Canary*

6.) Great Lake Swimmers – “I Will Never See the Sun”
Chosen by Stephen M. Deusner of Pitchfork, Village Voice, Paste, etc.
MSR032 – Great Lake Swimmers
Performed & Written By: Great Lake Swimmers
Copyright: Harbour Songs Publishing Inc. / SOCAN

7.) Summer Hymns – “New Underdressment”
Chosen by Matthew LeMay of Get Him, Eat Him, Pitchfork, 33 1/3, etc.
MSR002 – Voice Brother & Sister**

8.) Palomar – “Surprise Us”
Chosen by Charles Bissell of The Wrens
MSR042 – All Things, Forests 9.) Hallelujah the Hills – “Blank Passports”
Chosen by Matt Besser – Founding Member of The Upright Citizens Brigade
MSR052 – Colonial Drones

10.) Bears – “How to Live”
Chosen by Elizabeth Nelson Bracy of Bird of Youth & Collection Agency
Bears**

11.) The Bruces – “Fine Solutions”
Chosen by Simon Joyner
MSR026 – The Shining Path

12.) Theodore – “I Won’t Be a Stranger”
Chosen by Adam Remnant of Southeast Engine
JAW001 – Hold You Like a Lover**

13.) The Black Swans – “I Forgot to Change the Windshield Wipers in My Mind”
Chosen by James Jackson Toth of Wooden Wand
MSR061 – Don’t Blame the Stars*

14.) Emily Rodgers – “Hurricane”
Chosen by Kramer of Bongwater, Ween, Butthole Surfers, etc.
MSR054 – Bright Day

15.) Centro-matic – “Flashes & Cables”
Chosen by Patterson Hood of Drive By Truckers
MSR020 + MSR022 – Love You Just the Same + Flashes & Cables EP

*Never-Before-Heard – From Forthcoming Misra Release
**This Band Will Have a Misra Release TBA

With great joy, we would like to announce the relaunch of Misra Records. In conjunction with this development, the label will be offering the Misra Legacy Compilation Volume I at misrarecords.com. The artist-curated comp features favorite tracks from the Misra canon hand-chosen by artists from The Lemonheads, Deer Tick, Deerhoof, The Wrens, Wooden Wand, Drive By Truckers, Male Bonding, and more.

After a quiet 2010, the label is now under the management of Misra artist and partner Leo DeLuca. DeLuca plays drums in Misra band Southeast Engine, managed Misra imprint Moon Jaw Records, and runs the label out of Durham, NC. As of 2011, Chicago-based Bloodshot Records – home of albums by Ryan Adams, Neko Case, Justin Townes Earle, Jon Langford, Dex Romweber, and more will distribute Misra.

To highlight Misra’s new position as an artist-run entity, 2011’s first release will be Southeast Engine’s Canary – due out March 29. The Black Swans – the label’s newest signing – will follow shortly with their album Don’t Blame the Stars. In the early part of this year, U.K.’s Sleeping States will release In the Gardens of the North + Old vs. New + bonus material. The songs by both Southeast Engine and The Black Swans featured on the legacy comp appear there for the first time, and each will be on their new albums.

2011 will also see albums by Misra greats Summer Hymns, Timothy Bracy of The Mendoza Line’s new project Collection Agency, former Moon Jaw artists Theodore, Bears, Human Cannonball, and Joseph Remnant. Remnant, the illustrator of Harvey Pekar’s forthcoming posthumous book Cleveland, will release his comics alongside an album. Set for release later this year, The Misra Legacy Compilation Volume II will include artist-curated tracks from Shearwater, Bablicon, Evangelicals, Will Johnson, Jenny Toomey, South San Gabriel, and more.

All at Misra are extremely excited to be back in action. With Misra’s place already secured in the annals of independent music, we look forward to preserving and furthering its legacy. This is the label that introduced bands like Destroyer, Great Lake Swimmers, Shearwater, and Phosphorescent to the world; an institution that forged a troubled industry to bring you Centro-matic, Palomar, Sleeping States, Hallelujah the Hills, Southeast Engine, and more; an entity rooted in the strong belief that music has the curative power to inspire and change people for the better. The Misra legacy will continue.

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The Black Swans on Tour, New Album on MISRA, Twitter

The Black Swans have a new tour, a new album, and a new web presence. You can download all their albums on Bandcamp. See some videos on Youtube. Be their friend. And finally, something I’ve been begging Jerry to do for some time: The Black Swans are on Twitter.

The band’s new album, Don’t Blame the Stars, comes out April 26 on MISRA. Keep reading for tour dates.

Jan. 8th- Bloomington, IN- The Bishop

Jan. 9th- St. Louis, MO- Foam

Jan. 11th Albuequerque, NM- Low Spirits

Jan. 12 Phoneix, AZ- Trunk Space

Jan. 13 San Diego, CA- Soda Bar

Jan. 14th- L.A., CA – Museum of Public Fiction

Jan. 15th Santa Cruz, Ca- Crepe Place

Jan. 19th Merced, Ca- Partisan

Jan. 20- Oakland, Ca- Stork Club

Jan. 21- San Francisco, CA- Red Devil Lounge

Jan. 22- San Francisco, CA- Rite Spot (early show 5pm-7pm)

Jan. 23-San Francisco, CA-Knockout

Jan. 26- Sacramento, CA- Luigi’s Fun Garden w/ Laura Gibson

Jan. 27- Chico, CA- Town Lounge w/ Barbara Manning

Jan. 29- Eugene, OR- Sam Bonds

Feb. 1- Portland- The Woods w/ Rebecca Gates

Feb. 3 Bellingham, WA- Acoustic Tavern

Feb. 4th Seattle, WA- Josephine w/ Jordan O’ Jordan

Feb. 5th Olympia, WA- house show (email for details: theblackswansband(at)
gmail.com

Feb. 6th Spokane, WA- house show (email for details): theblackswansband(at)
gmail.com

Feb. 7th Missoula, MT- Bandlander

Feb. 8th Bozeman, MT- Fuel Station

Feb. 11th- Madison, WI- house show

Feb. 16th-Brooklyn, NY- Zebulon w/ Matt Bauer

Feb. 17th- Brooklyn, NY- Union Hall w/ Antietam, P.G. Six, Rope

Feb. 23- March 4, Spain/ Portugal

March 4-13, France

March 14-April 15, UK, etc.

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