Unknown Mortal Orchestra want you to know that they ain’t no acoustic guitar hippies, ‘k, guys? Just so you know before they announce the release of their forthcoming acoustic EP, Blue Record. It’s cool, okay? It’s not a bunch of campfire songs, or yearning sentimental dudes running through the halls of their high schools trying to put their creepy hands all over you by whipping out on acoustic guitar on a fire escape at 3 AM. IT’S NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL. Says singer and guitarist Ruban Nielson:
I only started playing the acoustic guitar last year. I’d always preferred the idea that the guitar converts a sound into voltage and then becomes really loud. I thought the acoustic guitar was a little bit too twee for me or something. But after being offered some opportunities to play various acoustic sessions to promote the new record, in situations where it wasn’t possible to record the whole band, I decided to treat it like a challenge to try and play acoustic and not have it be lame.
And as luck would have it, people dug the acoustic Unknown Mortal Orchestra stuff. So the band decided to release some acoustic versions of previously released tracks, plus some covers. Everything was recorded in Nielson’s basement with a one microphone, direct-to-tape, DIY punk as fuck aesthetic. DEAL WITH IT. Covers include reworkings of Beck’s “Puttin It Down” and Dirty Projectors’ “Swing Lo Magellan.” The EP comes out October 29 on Jagjaguwar, and a multitude of travel envy-inducing tour dates are listed below.
Blue Record tracklisting:
01. Swim & Sleep (Like a Shark) (Acoustic Version)
02. Faded in the Morning (Acoustic Version)
03. So Good at Being in Trouble (Acoustic Version)
04. Swing Lo Magellan
05. Puttin’ It Down
Tour dates:
09.25.13 - Sacramento, CA - Harlowe’s
09.26.13 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
09.27.13 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
09.28.13 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
09.29.13 - Phoenix, AZ - The Crescent Ballroom
10.02.13 - Austin, TX - The Mohawk
10.03.13 - Little Rock, AR - Stickyz RocknRoll Chicken Shack
10.04.13 - Nashville, TN - Exit In
10.05.13 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West
10.06.13 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle
10.08.13 - Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel
10.09.13 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
10.11.13 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
10.14.13 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
10.15.13 - Montreal, Canada - Cabaret Mile End
10.16.13 - Toronto, Canada - Lee’s Palace
10.17.13 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick Lounge
10.18.13 - Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups
10.19.13 - Pittsburgh, PA - Altar
10.21.13 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
10.22.13 - Madison, WI - The Frequency
11.07.13 - London, UK - Electric Ballroom
11.08.13 - Manchester, UK - Academy 2
11.10.13 - Poitiers, France - Le Confort Moderne
11.11.13 - Paris, France - Point Ephemere
11.12.13 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli Oudegracht
11.13.13 - Brussels, Belgium - AB Club
11.15.13 - Prague, Czech Republic - Chapeau Rouge
11.16.13 - Vienna, Austria - B72
11.18.13 - Budapest, Hungary - A38 Ship
11.20.13 - Zurich, Switzerland - Rote Fabrik
11.21.13 - Dudingen, Switzerland - Bad Bonn
11.22.13 - Carpi, Italy - Mattatoio
11.23.13 - Rome, Italy - Blackout
11.25.13 - Montpellier, France - Rockstore
11.26.13 - Barcelona, Spain - La 2
11.27.13 - Madrid, Spain - El Sol
01.15.14 - Shanghai, China - Yuyintang
01.16.14 - Beijing, China - Mao Livehouse
01.18.14 - Seoul, South Korea - Rolling Hall
01.19.14 - Busan, South Korea - Vinyl Underground
01.21.14 - Hong Kong - Grappas Cellar
01.22.14 - Bangkok, Thailand - Sonic
01.23.14 - Taipei, Taiwan - The Wall
• Unknown Mortal Orchestra: http://unknownmortalorchestra.com
• Jagjaguwar: http://www.jagjaguwar.com