Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Fang Island premiere another song from forthcoming new album at Pitchfork, announce U.S. headlining tour

Click image to watch teaser video


"Honest, life-affirming and infectious, and it's that rare concentration of directness and simplicity that makes Fang Island so uniquely and wonderfully inclusive." Best New Music -- Pitchfork

"Fang Island are simply killer fun, a proper gang who sing collectively and pummel their guitars without recourse to errant soloing." Four Stars -- MOJO



Brooklyn's beloved guitar-anthem optimists Fang Island premiere a second track from their forthcoming sophomore album today at Pitchfork. The song, "Sisterly" is available to stream HERE. Fang Island take to the road in July with headlining U.S. shows to celebrate their new album release (Zechs Marquise join for several dates). Please see complete dates below.

Pitchfork also recently hosted the first track released, "Asunder" which is available to stream HERE.

Fang Island announce their return with an album befitting its title: Major. In anticipation of the album's summer release, the band has posted teaser videos #1 HERE and #2 HERE

Like the painstakingly chiseled marble of the album artwork, Major is hefty, solid, monolithic and regal. Whereas Fang Island described their celebrated 2010 self-titled Sargent House debut as, "everyone high-fiving everyone," Major is evermore confident, triumphant and brimming with infectious enthusiasm. Its warm harmonies are given proper berth with more expansive dynamics and focused pop song craft. 

"One of our core ideas has always been that our songs would be all of your favorite parts of the song that other bands make you wait 8 minutes to get to," explains guitarist/vocalist Jason Bartell. "We wanted to be the band that's nothing but your favorite hooks back to back." Major shows Fang Island deftly achieving that aim. 

Throughout, Major highlights the band's endeavor to elevate positivity as an art form. "It's kind of similar to writing songs about being sad," Bartell says. "It can come across as simplistic, or easy. Positive songs often run the risk of sounding shallow, but we feel there are a lot of shades and depths to positivity that can be explored." That exploration becomes clear from the first notes of Major

However, Georges sums up the album's bold steps best in this short sampling of the band's nearly 1,000 bullet point explanation of the album title:

"Some reasons we called the album Major
- Major key (the first song is minor though!)
- Valley girl colloquialism 
- Because we are on an independent label
- Because the rank under Sargent (House) is major
- It sounds like a constellation
- Steely Dan's "Any Major Dude" was in rotation a lot during the sessions
- The record is packaged to look like stone because it's ROCK. I really wanted people to hold a piece of rock when they picked up the record."

Major will be available everywhere on LP, CD and download via Sargent House on July 24th, 2012.


FANG ISLAND Summer 2012 Tour:
07/19 Danbury, CT @ Heirloom Arts Theatre
07/20 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
07/21 Philadelphia, PA @ Morgan's Pier
07/22 Washington DC @ U Street Music Hall
07/23 Columbus, OH @ The Basement
07/25 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
07/26 Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot - Pike Room
07/27 Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
07/28 Chicago, IL @ Wicker Park Music Festival
07/29 St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
07/30 Kansas City, MO @ Czar Bar *
08/01 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge *
08/02 Salt Lake City @ Vertigo *
08/03 Boise, ID @ Neurolux *
08/04 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre *
08/05 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile *
08/07 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall *
08/10 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour *
08/11 San Diego, CA @ TBA *
08/12 Phoenix, AZ @ The Rhythm Room *
08/13 Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress *
08/14 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad *
08/16 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
08/17 Austin, TX @ Mohawk
08/18 Volente, TX @ Beach Front Boat Rentals 
08/19 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live - Studio
08/20 New Orleans, LA @ Parish at House of Blues
08/21 Birmingham, AL @ Bottle Tree
08/22 Gainesville, FL @ Double Down Live
08/23 St. Petersburg, FL @ The Local 662
08/24 Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits
08/25 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
08/26 Asheville, NC @ Asheville Music Hall
08/28 Raleigh, NC @ Kings
08/29 Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
08/30 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

* w/ Zechs Marquise


Artist: Fang Island 
Album: Major
Label: Sargent House
Release date: July 24th, 2012

Track list:
01. Kindergarten
02. Sisterly (MP3)
03. Seek it Out
04. Make Me
05. Never Understand
06. Asunder (MP3)
07. Dooney Rock
08. Regalia
09. Chompers
10. Chime Out
11. Victorinian









On the Web:

Hi-res photos, album art, bio and more:

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