In case you weren’t listening to 89.3 The Current just now, Walker performing arts curator Philip Bither and The Current’s Mary Lucia have announced the honest-Abe lineup of cutting-edge indie rock bands (as opposed to the April Fool’s version posted by some of our friends in the local media) for Rock the Garden at the Walker on June 20:
The Decemberists – bandleader Colin Meloy not only spins hyper-literate, mesmerizing tales, but he and his cohorts are consummate onstage entertainers as well-which explains the borderline obsessiveness of their fans. Their brand-new 17-song rock opera, The Hazards of Love, carries their ambitious, theatrical pop to new heights.
Calexico – these Southwestern experimental folk rockers had their songs “Crystal Frontier” beamed into space last summer as wake-up music for the astronauts on the Space Shuttle Discovery – news the band shared by making a free MP3 of that song available.
Yeasayer have landed on many critics’ buzz lists with their self-described “Middle Eastern-psych-pop-snap-gospel”; they conjure ancient traditions while looking toward an alternately bleak and bright future in songs like “2080.”
Solid Gold – the buzz over these local electro-rockers has grown rapidly since the release of their first full-length recording late last year. During a recent UK tour, NME described “Get Over It” as “exquisite spectral disco and a slow-burn favourite in the making” – and it has a free MP3 of the tune on its website.
If you’re not a member, now is the time to become one – tickets are only available to members of the Walker or MPR through April 22. Click here for all the details – including a special deal for new and renewing members!
You can also check out Rock the Garden on Facebook where we’ll be posting details leading up to the event. Visit rockthegarden2009.com which will take you there.
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