It’s been about one year since Toronto experimental hardcore wunderkinds Fucked Up released their impressive and “mature” (with all the baggage that word carries around these parts, it can still be a positive attribute) fourth full-length Glass Boys, but it’s also been a year since the band released the last single in their ongoing Zodiac series. ‘Year of the Dragon’ was an absolute beast of a piece, trouncing through 18 minutes of sludgy psychedelic prog and stoner metal. This year the group is upping their game again in complexity, but in a completely different direction. Get the details on ‘Year of the Hare’ and listen to the B-side off of the upcoming 12″, ‘California Cold’, after the jump.
According to Deathwish, Inc., who are releasing the single, the two songs were recorded over a 2-year period in 3 studios. ‘Year of the Hare’ will be a “21 minute epic that frantically mixes traditional instrumentation, piano/synths, flutes and sax, experimental editing/soundscapes, and guest vocals from great Isla Craig into one dizzying experience.” The track above, ‘California Cold’, should at least provide a glimmer into what this expanded instrumentation might sound like on the other track. For a B-side, ‘California Cold’ is certainly no slouch, as it kicks hard in the beginning and settles into a psychedelic groove, a side to the band that they appear to enjoy exploring in their non-LP work.
The band have also announced a string of tour dates that will feature all parts of the Zodiac series singles along the way. To accommodate the more expansive sound of these tracks the band will expand into a gargantuan 9-piece ensemble, swallowing fellow experimental Torontonians Doomsquad to form an incredibly destructive (albeit polite) machine that will conquer your eardrums and hearts. Tour dates are below.
5/01 Normal, IL @ Firehouse Pizza & Pub
5/02 Ferndale, MI @ Loving Touch (Blowout Festival)
5/09 Ottawa, ON @ Ritual Nightclub
5/22 Dublin, Ireland @ Hangar
5-23 Liverpool, UK @ Liverpool Sound City, Cargo Stage
5-24 Bristol, UK @ The Marble Factory
5-25 Leeds, UK @ Gold Sounds, Leeds University Student Union
5/26 London, UK @ Koko
5/28 Nantes, France @ Stereolux
5/29 Nimes, France @ This Is Not A Love Song Festival, Paloma
5/30 Barcelona, Spain @ Primavera Sound Festival
5/31 Barcelona, Spain @ Apolo – Barcelona, Spain
6/26 Brooklyn, Ny @ The Wick
6/27 Jersey City, NJ @ Monty Hall
6/28 Philadelphia, PA @ International House Philadelphia
6/29 Washington, DC @ Howard Theatre
7/01 Savannah, GA @ Southern Pine Company
7/02 Atlanta, GA @ Eyedrum Gallery – Atlanta, GA
7/03 Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
7/05 Nashville, TN @ Third Man
7/06 Chicago, IL @ The Garfield Park Conservatory
7/24 Oro-Medonte, ON @ Wayhome Festival
‘Year of the Hare’ is out June 16th via Deathwish, Inc.
-NC