US / THEM: Fang Island tour with Flaming Lips, Stone Temple Pilots, headline Europe and premiere new video on Pitchfork

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

July 1st, 2010

Click image above to watch video

"Honest and 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

Fang Island is clearly not an immobile landmass. This weekend, the Brooklyn based high-fiving guitar-anthem optimists kick off dates supporting indie-rock legends the Flaming Lips. In August, Fang Island support the reunited Stone Temple Pilots. Soon thereafter, the band embarks on their first headlining tour of the UK and Europe in September, starting in Dublin at the Electric Picnic. As if that weren't enough, Fang Island has also added the Pygmalion Music Festival and Midpoint Music Festival, as well as a Williamsburg Waterfront performance to its busy itinerary. Please see below for complete dates.

Today, Pitchfork premieres the quintet's latest video, "Careful Crossers" which was shot in Los Angeles in the storied Glassroom at Sargent House. This marks the band's third video to debut on the popular web site which previously featured videos for "Daisy" and "Life Coach".

Fang Island's self-titled debut album hit shelves on February 23rd via Sargent House amid a wealth of praise from press, with many writers declaring it one of the Best of 2010, just two months into the new year. A digital EP featuring the popular album track "Daisy" backed with Chris Keating of Yeasayer's remix of "Absolute Place" off their Sky Gardens EP preceded the full length in January.

Its finger-tapping guitar lines, chanted vocals, triumphant harmonies and overall perky songs hearken to the sort of "Total Music" of the Jay Reatard, Ponytail, Kraftwerk, Marnie Stern, Thin Lizzy, et al. But, perhaps more so, its songs are like the music in your head at that moment when everything feels just right: that first kiss, that high score on the video game, buying your first small nation in cash... you know, good stuff. Check out MP3s for two tracks, "Daisy" (MP3 HERE) and "Life Coach" (MP3 HERE).

Fang Island began, oddly enough, as an art school project while the band members were attending the prodigious Rhode Island School of Design (also the foundation for Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Les Savvy Fav, Six Finger Satellite, Lightning Bolt and some band called the Talking Heads.) According to guitarist Jason Bartell, the goal was to "make music for people who like music." That is, music without irony that harnesses its uplifting qualities. Just like a classic rock song or classical symphony can stir us emotionally, Fang Island exists to unlock that spirit.

Fang Island is guitarist Jason Bartell, bassist Michael Jacober, guitarist Chris Georges, guitarist Nicholas Andrew Sadler, and drummer Marc St. Sauveur. They all share collective group vocal harmonies and the occasional hand claps. While Sadler is also known for his role in the debauched rock band Daughters, it is only his fretboard skill that translates between the two groups.

Fang Island live:

07/04   Atlantic City, NJ @ Showboat Casino *
07/05   Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall //
07/07   Montreal, QC @ Metropolis *
07/08   Toronto, ON @ Molson Ampitheater ^
07/11   Brookyln, NY @ Williamsburg Waterfront =
07/20   Pittsburgh, PA @ Ampitheater at Station Square *
07/22   Lewistown, NY @ Artpark *
07/23   Canadaigua, NY @ Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center ##
07/24   Holyoke, MA @ Mountain Park *
07/27   New York, NY @ Terminal 5 *

08/13   Saint Paul, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium >
08/17   Columbus, OH @ The LC Pavilion Outdoor Amphitheater +
08/19   Grand Rapids, MI @ Deltaplex +
08/20   Chicago, IL @ Charter One Pavilion >
08/22   Cleveland, OH @ Time Warner Cable Amphitheater +
08/25   Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbend +
08/26   Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre +

09/04   Dublin, IE @ Electric Picnic Music Festival
09/05   Glasgow, UK @ Captains Rest
09/06   Newcastle, UK @ The Cluny 2
09/07   London, UK @ Madame Jo Jo's
09/08   London, UK @ Old Blue Last
09/10   Paris, FR @ Fleche d'Or
09/11   Berlin, DE @ TBA
09/12   Hamburg, DE @ TBA
09/13   Gent, BE @ Café Video
09/14   Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
09/15   Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje

09/23   Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Music Festival
09/24   Cincinnati, OH @ Midpoint Music Festival

* with The Flaming Lips
// with Minus the Bear
^ with The Flaming Lips, Spoon, Tokyo Police Club
= with Why?, Deerhoof and Xiu Xiu
## with The Flaming Lips, The Black Keys
> with Stone Temple Pilots
+ with Stone Temple Pilots, Cage the Elephant