If you, dear reader, are like (most of) the staff here at TMT, the headline of this article has made you go from :| to :D in a matter of seconds.
Magik Markers have been uncharacteristically quiet as of late. Considering how prolific the group was between 2005 and 2009, releasing at least two dozen albums, CD-Rs, singles, and EPs, the period following 2009’s Balf Quarry (TMT Review) has seen the well dry up.
If you didn’t know, we here at TMT are long-time fans of Elisa Ambrogio and Pete Nolan’s particular brand of cacophonous, often abrasive musical vandalism and we’ve felt a hollow void at the center of our hearts since 2009. Sure, they’ve put out a cassette or two and played a few gigs here and there (including a show at 2012’s Spy Music Festival presented by the fine folks over at Northern Spy + this very publication) but not enough to fill the emptiness inside us. Seriously, check out the huge gap in their Discogs entry or try searching for them on our site. Needless to say, we are excited.
The record, titled Surrender to the Fantasy, will be available from Drag City on November 19. In addition to being their first proper album in four years, Surrender to the Fantasy marks John Shaw’s first full-length studio recording as a part of the Markers. Shaw, a founding member of both Son of Earth and The Believers, originally joined Ambrogio and Nolan to augment their live sound, fleshing out their sonic assault with some much welcomed low end after the departure of Leah Quimby in 2006. With a few years of touring with the Markers under his belt, Shaw adds a new dynamic to their studio sound, helping the band move forward in their continuing evolution.
If you can’t wait until November, Drag City will be releasing the “Ice Skater” 7-inch in a matter of weeks on September 17. There are miniature previews for both “Ice Skater” and its B-side “Machines” right here. “Ice Skater” definitely seems a bit… different than most of their other work, with “Machines” featuring a good ‘ol splash of skronk and feedback. It will be interesting to see if these short clips are an indication of what’s to come on Surrender to the Fantasy. Check the tracklist below and some upcoming tour dates, with more to come in 2014.
Surrender to the Fantasy tracklist:
01. Crebs
02. Acts of Desperation
03. Bonfire
04. Mirrorless
05. American Sphinx Face
06. Young
07. Empire Building
08. Screams of Birds and Girls
09. WT
Dates:
09.02.13 - Easthampton, MA - Feeding Tube Records *
09.03.13 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s %
09.04.13 - Washington, DC - Black Cat
09.05.13 - Charlottesville, NC - Tea Bazaar ^
09.06.13 - Raleigh, NC - The Five Star (Hopscotch Festival)
11.22.13 - Camber Sands, UK - ATP Festival (End of an Era pt. 1)
* Richard Youngs, Dredd Foole/Ben Chasny duo
% Wolf Eyes, Endless Boogie
^ The Beets
• Magik Markers: http://magikmarkers.tumblr.com
• Drag City: http://www.dragcity.com
More about: Magik Markers
