DUNGEN ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM, TOUR

If you like beautifully orchestrated psychedelic pop, you're probably tossing confetti around your house right this very moment, as Swedish acid-poppers Dungen have just announced their first new record in 5 years. Allas Sak comes out September 25th on Mexican Summer, and the first single and gorgeously simple video are above. They've announced a few tour dates, including an October 20th date at the intimate Barboza here in Seattle. I'll see you there.  

10-12 Chicago, IL - Schubas
10-14 Boston, MA - Great Scott *
10-15 Brooklyn, NY - Baby’s All Right *
10-16 Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle *
10-17 Washington, DC - DC 9 *
10-20 Seattle, WA  - Barboza
10-21 Portland, OR - Bunk Bar
10-23 San Francisco, CA - The Chapel
10-25 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo

* with Quilt

Mew & The Dodos Announce Tour

Recent Royal Basement podcastees The Dodos have announced a nearly month long tour with Danish prog-poppers Mew that's got me all excited. They come through Seattle on September 30th and hit a select smattering of the midwest and east coast after a pretty solid west coast run. 

Mew released a new video yesterday for their single "The Night Believer", featuring 1000 Mew fans from across the world. It's a little slick and a little weird, just like we've come to expect from anything Mew-related. Give it a look. 

THE FUNHOUSE TO RE-OPEN IN EL CORAZON FRONT BAR!

As a person who doesn't necessarily enjoy giant sweeping changes in the cultural landscape of a city or paying higher rent because of said changes, I can't honestly say I've been excited about the changes I've seen in Seattle in the past 6 years since I've moved here. While I'm sure there are multiple people who have enjoyed some fantastic career prosperity because of these changes, it's been hard to watch some of the grimier, more colorful bits of Seattle evaporate into immeasurably deep holes that magically sprout gigantic condos overnight. 

One of the casualties of the gigantic South Lake Union/Queen Anne wipeout of the past few years has been stalwart punk venue The Funhouse. When The Funhouse's building was purchased in late 2012, it left a gaping hole in the city's scene for growing bands. Many venues exist for a good portion of the established local and touring bands playing in Seattle, but where were the fledgling bands supposed to play? While venues like Barboza, The Black Lodge, and The Rendezvous have stepped up their game, it's still left a void in the venues for a city of this size. 

Thankfully, it appears that El Corazon and The Funhouse have teamed up for a joint venture. Former Funhouse booker Brian Foss will now be in charge of the front room of El Corazon, as well as a co-manager of El Corazon. “About a year and a half ago, I made a drunken pledge to my friends and my wife that I was going to grow this beard out until I found a new place for The Funhouse,” Foss says in an article from Seattle Weekly. 

Kudos to El Corazon for embracing change and uniting with one of the better clubs this city has seen, and kudos to Brian Foss for never giving up hope. The Funhouse rides again (no joke) on April 1, 2015.