Pillars & Tongues Western States Tour Begins Today

If you live in the western portion of the United States of America, then Pillars and Tongues will probably be performing within earshot of your home this month. Scan the dates below and mark your calendar. This is the first Pillars and Tongues tour in the US since the release of Lay of Pilgrim Park, and it comes not a moment too soon. Rumor has it, they have already finished recording the next album.

Pillars and Tongues are a beautiful experience live. They have performed over 250 concerts in the past three years throughout the U.S., Canada, France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Each performance weaves composition and improvisation into unique golden braid. Be there… see it… and understand why they have been invited to tour with Bonnie “Prince” Billy and at other times perform with artists such as Nick Cave + Dirty Three, Bill Callahan, Sir Richard Bishop, Daniel Higgs, Chirgilchin, and many more…

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TOUR DATES
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Wednesday, September 1 – 7:00 PM
North Manchester, IN – The Firehouse – with TBA – FREE

Friday, September 3 – 9:00 PM
Bloomington, IN – The Bishop – with Elephant Micah – FREE

Saturday, September 4 – 8:30 PM
Nashville, IN – The Pine Room

Sunday, September 5 – 8:00 PM
Louisville, KY – Skull Alley – with Elephant Micah + tba

Monday, September 6 – 9:00 PM
Murfreesboro, TN – Trash Mt.

Wednesday, September 8 – 9:00 PM
New Orleans, LA – Allways Lounge – with Why Are We Building Such A Big Ship

Thursday, September 9 – 7:30 PM
Houston, TX – The Orange Show – with Listen, Listen

Friday, September 10 – 8:00 PM
Austin, TX – Annie St. Arts Collective – with Weird Weeds, Bosque Brown, Some Say Leland

Saturday, September 11 – 8:00 PM
Marfa, TX – Marfa Book Co. – with tba

Sunday, September 12 – 8:00 PM
Las Cruces, NM – Trainyard – with tba

Monday, September 13 – 8:00 PM
Taos, NM – Seco Pearl – with North America

Tuesday, September 14 8:30 PM
Albuquerque – Winning Coffee – with Hedia

Wednesday, September 15 – 9:00 PM
Flagstaff, AZ – Cottage Haus – with tba

Thursday, September 16 – 8:00 PM
Los Angeles, CA – Echo Curio – with Metal Rouge, Up Died Sound and tba

Friday, September 17 – 9:00 PM
Santa Cruz, CA – The Crepe Place – with tba

Sunday, September 19 – 8:00 PM
Sacramento, CA – The Hub – with Pregnant and Up Died Sound

Monday, September 20 – 9:00 PM
Chico, CA – 1078 Gallery – with Up Died Sound

Tuesday, September 21 – 8:00 PM
Nevada City, CA – Cafe Mekka

Wednesday, September 22 – 8:00 PM
San Francisco, CA – Viracocha – with Up Died Sound, Words, & Joseph Childress

Friday, September 24 – 7:30 PM
Prescott, AZ – The Raven Cafe – with tba

Saturday, September 25 – 8:00 PM
Albuquerque, NM – The Kosmos – with North America and tba

Sunday, September 26 – 8:00 PM
Santa Fe, NM – the Process presents at Little Wing

Tuesday, September 28 – 7:00 PM
Colorado Springs, CO – Modbo Gallery – with tba

Wednesday, September 29 – 8:30 PM
Denver, CO – Meadowlark Bar – with Princess Music

Thursday, September 30 – 8:30 PM
Lincoln, NE – Clawfoot House

Friday, October 1 – 9:30 PM
Grinnell, IA – Grinnell College Herrick Chapel – with tba

Saturday, October 2 – 9:00 PM
Iowa City, IA – White Lightning Warehouse – with Prince Rama and Skye Carrasco

Sunday, October 3
Daytrotter session

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Sword + Sandals Record Release Celebration #1

Collage by Paul Morgan

THIS Saturday (8/21/2010) make your way to Amnesia in San Francisco to watch John Dwyer and Randy Lee Sutherland perform in the first of two events celebrating the release of Sword + Sandals’ debut studio recording, Good & Plenty, out soon on Empty Cellar. It is likely to rule.

Sword + Sandals
Asss (Portland)
Tussle
and some DJs for the after party

Sat. 8/21 @ 9:00 pm
Amnesia
853 Valencia St.
(Between 19th & 20th)
San Francisco

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Introducing: Sword + Sandals on Empty Cellar

John Dwyer
traps.flute.bass string

Randy Lee Sutherland
alto.bass clarinet.traps

Shaun O’Dell
tenor.alto.keys

Sword and Sandals emerged through the vision of founders John Dwyer and Randy Lee Sutherland. Within the intense interplay of Dwyer’s blurred wrists and strobe-like fills caressing the cry of Sutherland’s horn, the possessed pair incorporated second horn Shaun O’Dell and initiated a trail composed of both conjured soundscapes of euphoric beauty and signifying shrieks of postmodern existence (thus far). As an improvisational trio—with guests sitting in occasionally—Sword and Sandals provide an existential outlet for those seeking connections beyond peripherally materialist arrangements and toward closer, more cerebral intimacies. Their sound envisions the metaphor of their Ben Hur-esque name: while wearing sandals into combat enables a graceful interplay with one’s adversaries, the sword (let alone the opponents) remains razor sharp, reminding the participant of the thin line between achieving transcendence and triumph and the brutal reality of second guessed timing, and unfocused adherence or intent as one waltzes through moments and situations—improvising for survival and renewal. Trust forms the blue print for Sword and Sandals, sealing their execution, empathy, and a progressive existence within the interplay of their music. As economist Jacque Attali once noted, music is, “by its very presence, a mode of communication between man and his environment, a mode of social expression, and duration itself. It is therapeutic, purifying, enveloping, liberation; it is rooted in a comprehensive conception of knowledge about the body, in a pursuit of exorcism through noise and dance.”

Empty Cellar’s upcoming release for Sword + Sandals stemmed from one all-day 16-microphone recording session, with Anthony Petrovic sitting in on synth, captured on 1-inch tape.

Coming September 28th:

SWORD + SANDALS – GOOD & PLENTY

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New Video: Elephant Micah with Mark & Beth of Pillars and Tongues

“This has endrunkened me with beauty.” – YouTube Commenter

This is a beautiful performance by Elephant Micah of “Still Life Blues” in New York City on WNYC’s Spinning On Air, broadcast May 16, 2010 during the Micah Elephant & Mark Trecka tour. Elephant Micah is is joined Beth Remis, fiddle, and Mark Trecka, harmonium, both of Pillars and Tongues. Video by David Garland.

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Empty Cellar and Secret Seven at Vinyl In The Woods This Weekend

Empty Cellar is heading down to Big Sur this Saturday (July 3rd) with Secret Seven for the first annual Vinyl In The Woods record fair at the Henry Miller Library, co-sponsored by (((folkYEAH!))).

Described by the promoters as an all-day vinyl fair with a listening party, live music, surprise Rock’n’Roll movie, food and drink, and holiday weekend fun. It should indeed be… fun.

Henry Miller Library, Big Sur, CA
July 3, 2010, 11 am – 11 pm
$3 donation at door

In a press release, Magnus Toren, the Library’s Executive Director explained his longstanding love of vinyl as motivation for the event:

“When I was 14 years old in 1968 vinyl was the only way to buy music. I learned the English language through reading liner notes and translating lyrics because I was very interested in music. It’s nostalgia on one level and it also makes me think it’s too bad that young people now don’t get to have that.”

Babaloo, a Cuban food truck from Carmel Valley, will be providing eats, alongside many DJs and musical performances by Mystery Lights (Salinas) and SF’s Seventeen Evergreen.

Confirmed vendors at the fair include (in alphabetical order):

* Amoeba Records (SF/LA)
* B Music/Finders Keepers (LA)
* Burger Records (Fullerton, CA)
* Drag City (Chicago, IL)
* FutureRecordings (San Diego, CA)
* Vinyl Revolution (Monterey, CA)
* Vinyl Isle (Morro Bay, CA)
* Origami Vinyl (Los Angeles)
* Kemado/Mexican Summer (Brooklyn)
* Metamusic (Santa Cruz)
* Secret Seven (San Francisco)
* Empty Cellar (San Francisco)
* Plus many independent vendors too!

It will certainly be a rad time. If you are still need convincing, then check out this stirring promo vid:

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