Fall 2012 was a special time for the Chicago-based Thrill Jockey. Not only did it signal the imminent occurrence of the annual hayride around the city’s South Side, but it also represented the effective 20th anniversary for the label, which was celebrated with an array of label-focused shows and a bevy of limited-edition goodies announced for nigh-immediate release. However, caught up in the hubbub as we were, most of us in the journalistic world neglected to point out the even more elder status (in terms of years of activity) of one of Thrill Jockey’s most influential and dedicated mainstays: the musically metamorphic trio Trans Am. Hey! They’re originally from the DC area! Me too!
So in this case, they’re also one of the few bands for which an actual timeline of their history is justified. My mind and trackpad finger haven’t made it past the oddly hypnotic image of the jovial “young raccoon family,” but without scrolling all the way to the present, I’m guessing the final note makes the necessary reference to their just-announced 10th LP Volume X. X is the roman numeral for 10. It’s their 10th full-length album. It comes out May 20. (Not October 10 — missed opportunity!)
There’s a personal hope that Trans Am continue their subtle homage to Kraftwerk, just because it makes their particular brand of post-rock (I guess? sometimes?) all the more intriguing. Not that they aren’t rather keen on keeping things interesting regardless. Anyway, North American tour dates are upcoming! And here’s a track off their last album:
Volume X tracklisting:
01. Anthropocene
02. Reevaluations
03. Night Shift
04. K Street
05. Backlash
06. Ice Fortress
07. Failure
08. I’ll Never
09. Megastorm
10. Insufficiently Breathless
• Trans Am: http://www.transband.com
• Thrill Jockey: http://www.thrilljockey.com
More about: Trans Am
