Graveyard Club – Cellar Door

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Graveyard Club came together over a mutual appreciation of stories by sci-fi author Ray Bradbury, the music of Ryan Gosling’s project Dead Man’s Bones, and a shared love of 50’s and 80’s pop. The Minneapolis-based band was resurrected in 2013 by founding members Matthew Schufman (vocals, synths) and Michael Wojtalewicz (guitar), and eventually grew into a quartet with the addition of Cory Jacobs (drums) and Amanda Zimmerman (bass, vocals). Together they create a retro blend of Goth-romantic new wave and synthpop noir, inspired by the musical stylings of The Cure and New Order.

Eschewing personal narrative in favor of more overarching thematic pursuits, Graveyard Club cover a range of subjects on their new LP Cellar Door, including nostalgia, love and yes, death. The record’s title track, a gorgeous and melodious dirge is a testimony to this with its swirling, haunting synths and bittersweet lyrics. Over an elegiac soundscape Schufman croons, ‘Close your eyes and count to ten, I’m going to start to love again,’ suggesting a sense of hope in the face of past disappointments. Stream below and support the group by following them on Spotify.

Poliça – Lime Habit

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Prayers are with Paris on this tragic day, but in much less sombre news, Poliça have announced a third album and successor to 2013’s Shulamith. The new LP, United Crushers will be out March 4 via Mom + Pop / Memphis Industries.

Inspired by Poliça’s home base in Minneapolis where they wrote the record, the album is said to be a love letter to their hometown and its tumultuous political history. Listen to the first taste off the LP “Lime Habit” below, plus prior effort “Chain My Name” for good measure.

Along with the news comes the announcement of their US Spring 2016 tour, so be sure to check out the dates below.

Poliça Spring 2016 Tour Dates:

02-11 Berlin, Germany – Berghain Kantine
02-15 London, England – Village Underground
02-19 New York, NY – Rough Trade
02-22 Chicago, IL – Schubas
03-02 Minneapolis, MN – Turf Club
03-03 Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
03-04 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
03-08 Des Moines, IA – Vaudeville Mews
03-09 Omaha, NE – Waiting Room
03-10 Tulsa, OK – The Vanguard
03-11 Houston, TX – Warehouse Studio
03-12 Dallas, TX – The Loft
03-22 Phoenix, AZ – Crescent
03-23 San Diego, CA – Irenic
03-25 Los Angeles, CA – Fonda
03-26 San Francisco, CA – Fillmore
03-28 Portland, OR – Doug Fir
03-29 Portland, OR – Doug Fir
03-30 Vancouver, British Columbia – Imperial
03-31 Seattle, WA – Neptune
04-14 Madison, WI – High Noon
04-15 Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall
04-16 Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
04-18 Ann Arbor, MI – Blind Pig
04-20 Toronto, Ontario – Lee’s Palace
04-21 Montreal, Quebec – Petit Campus
04-22 Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
04-23 New York, NY – Warsaw
04-25 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
04-26 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
04-28 Raleigh, NC – Cat’s Cradle
04-29 Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
04-30 Nashville, TN – Mercy
05-01 Asheville, NC – Mothlight
05-04 Cincinnati, OH – Madison Live
05-05 Columbus, OH – A&R Bar (basement)
05-06 Columbia, MO – Rose Music Hall
05-07 Lawrence, KS – Bottleneck

Bad Bad Hats – Midway

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Minneapolis-based trio Bad Bad Hats released their debut album, Psychic Reader this July via Afternoon Records. The opener of the LP, “Midway” is a dreamy, indie pop track befitting of a languid, summer soundtrack with its steady beat, distorted guitar and singer Kerry Alexander’s sweet warble.

On tour with The Myrnabirds this fall, DC locals can check them out at U Street Music Hall September 26.

Artist Spotlight: Poliça

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Much has been written about the Minneapolis art-rockers Poliça, and frankly it’s criminal they haven’t been featured on poetryinanemptycokecan before. That said, the collection just wouldn’t be complete without their inclusion. So bear with me if you’re already hip to them — and if you’re not — by all means carry on. What started out as an offshoot from producer Ryan Olson’s project Gayngs would rapidly become the vocoderized electropop phenomenon known as Poliça. The following tracks “Dark Star” and “Lay Your Cards Out” derive from their 2012 debut LP Give You The Ghost, an album nocturnal in nature and described by Olson himself as “night as hell.” By far their most beguiling track, “Dark Star” consists of vocalist Channy Leaneagh’s smouldering vocals swept over swaths of synths, steady basslines and sweltering horns. So if you’re not already acquainted with this electronic wunderkind, stream below and be sure to check out their upcoming June tour dates below.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

5/31, Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio
6/2 Buffalo, NY @ Tralf
6/3 Toronto, Canada @ Mod Club
6/5 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
6/6-7 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
6/8 Columbus, OH @ The Basement
6/9 Cincinnati, OH @ Southgate
6/10 Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
6/11 Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
6/12 Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
6/14 Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
6/16 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
6/17 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
6/21 Stodtlen, Germany @Southside Festival
6/22 Scheessel, Germany @ Hurricane
6/24 Munich, Germany @ Freiheiz
6/25 Dusseldorf, Germany @ Zakk
6/29 Ewijk, The Netherlands @ Down the Rabbit Hole