Wow, my heart really sank when I realized that I will be unable to catch the Andrew Bird / Loney Dear show in San Francisco. Andrew Bird issued one of thebest performances I caught at SXSW 2007, and Loney Dear’s “I Am John” never gets rest with me, appearing on pretty much every mix tape I’ve made in the last two years.

I guess I missed the memo that Loney Dear split from Sub Pop, but they (or he, as the band is basically centered around Emil Svanängen) will have a new album out on Polyvinyl entitled “Dear John” early 2009. In the meantime I’ll just have to watch this video over and over and over….
“I Am John”

And in keepign with the theme, here’s an animated Andrew Bird video:
“Lull (Daytrotter Version)”

LONEY DEAR

12/10 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
12/12 Brooklyn, NY Union Hall
01/29 Northampton, MA Iron Horse
01/30 Boston, MA The Orpheum*
02/03 Washington, DC The 930 Club*
02/04 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse*
02/06 Orlando, FL The Plaza*
02/07 New Orleans, LA House of Blues*
02/09 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon
02/10 Houston, TX Rudyard’s British Pub
02/11 Denton, TX Hailey’s
02/12 Austin, TX The Paramount Theater*
02/13 Albuquerque, NM The El Rey*
02/14 Tucson, AZ The Rialto*
02/17 Visalia, CA Howie and Son’s Pizza
02/18 Los Angeles, CA The Orpheum*
02/19 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore*
02/20 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore*
02/21 Portland, OR Roseland*
02/23 Seattle, WA The Moore*
02/24 Boise, ID The Knitting Factory*
02/25 Murray, UT The Murray*
02/26 Denver, CO The Ogden*
02/27 Omaha, NE Slowdown*
03/01 Chicago, IL Schubas

* = w/ Andrew Bird

Loney Dear press release following the jump.
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Los Angeles indie-pop has something new in the works. Army Navy is set to release their debut album in October on the band’s own label, The Fever Zone. Army Navy frontman Justin Kennedy co-fronted the band Pinwheel with Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard.

Army Navy will also be featured on the upcoming comedy film “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” starring Michael Cera. Check their MySpace and give a listen to “Saints” because I’m sure you’ll be hearing from them in the future!

I’m happy to announce that it took nearly a year after its renovation for our downtown park to once again attract drug dealers. Walking through the other day I heard a “hey you!” whistle, and a scruffy older hippy approached, asking if I wanted a 20 sack of “the kind.” Ah, the perks of being a longhair… Hippies like to use the word “the kind” around here to denote quality marijuana, and although Seattle’s The Kindness Kind includes a longhaired drummer, I’d like to think their band name has more interesting connotations than the sticky weed. Maybe they’re just super nice…

I’m really feeling their track “The Rain came late,” expansive indie-pop with twinkling keyboards and sultry, sleepy vocals. Then it gets WAY big with churning waves of guitar and retro-tone synthesizers. That they recorded their album A Novel at Bear Creek where Blonde Redhead laid down tracks is fitting. You can purchase their new album, A Novel Here.

Check out their West Coast tour stops after the jump;
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