Hey all you hipsters out there. Why can't you figure out whether something is good or not on its own merits? You decry hype, yet without it, you would never know what to like. You have no taste, just interweb access and the ability to read. You love Martime's well-reviewed second LP, We, The Vehicles [TMT Review], yet you could care less about their first album, Glass Floor (Desoto). LP 2 is barely differeny from LP 1. And while you may have enjoyed a few D-Plan hits (DP bassist, Eric Axelson, was in Martime until recently) back in the day, you surely never gave the Promise Ring (current vocalist/gutiarist Davy von Bohlen and drummer Dan Didier were in tPR) any respect. In fact, if you are of a certain age, you probably remember the sick joy you got from hearing that the PR crashed their van back in the late '90s.
But nowadays, as I alluded to above, you can't get enough of Davey and Co., so I am sure you will want to see them live. They're starting a tour of the American Midwest and West Coast on Friday/Today. More East Coast and Southeast dates are promised for December, in case you are bummed by the routing this time around. They may play a song or two from the first album at these shows — you know, the LP that most people, both on and off the internet, either pooped on or just plain ignored. But, I doubt you will care anyway, since you will probably be talking on you cell phone or practicing your txt skills while the band is giving it their all up on stage. U mk me sk. Keep reading TMT though, cuz we have (collectively) more cool then Sufjan Stevens and more beauty then Neko Case.
Tourdates:
09.08.06 - Madison, WI - Terrace &
09.09.06 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
09.13.06 - Ames, IA - Maintenance Shop
09.14.06 - Lincoln, NE - Knickerbockers
09.15.06 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
09.16.06 - Salt Lake City - Kilby Court
09.18.06 - Portland, OR - Towne Lounge
09.19.06 - Seattle, WA - The Paradox
09.21.06 - San Francisco, CA - Café Du Nord
09.22.06 - Sacramento, CA - The Library
09.23.06 - Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
09.24.06 - Goleta, CA - Hard To Find Showspace (ha!)
09.25.06 - San Diego, CA - Cashbah
09.26.06 - Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room
09.28.06 - Austin, TX - Emo's Jr
09.29,06 - Dallas, TX - The Cavern
09.30.06 - Springfield, MO - Randy Bacon Studio & Gallery
10.19.06 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean *
10.20.06 - Dayton, OH - The Night Owl *
10.21.06 - New York, NY - The Mercury Lounge *
10.22.06 - Cambridge, MA - The Middle East (upstars) *
10.23.06 - Cleveland, OH - The Grog Shop *
& w/ Mark Mallman
* w/ Bound Stems