Thursday, July 2, 2009

Loch Lomond on tour with Blitzen Trapper!

Loch Lomond on tour as main support for Blitzen Trapper...

07.09.09
Sacramento, CA
Harlows

07.10.09
Visalia, CA
The Cellar Door

07.11.09
Santa Barbara, CA
Velvet Jones

07.12.09
Los Angeles, CA
Spaceland

07.13.09
Solana Beach, CA
Belly Up Tavern

07.15.09
Aspen, CO
Belly Up Aspen

07.16.09
Denver, CO
Bluebird Theater

07.18.09
Iowa City, IA
The Picador

07.20.09
Milwaukee, WI
Pabst Theater

07.21.09
Fargo, ND
The Aquarium

Loch Lomond stuns. Effortlessly combining symphonic chamber pop with the most raw, visceral and expert melodic acrobatics, the co-ed septet employs the distinct use of harmonic vocals, mandolin, theremin, bass clarinet, and all manner of exclamatory percussion minutia to foil the even more distinct and arresting voice of lead singer/multi-instrumentalist Ritchie Young. Luring the listener with the unique range and power of his voice, Young is able to switch from high-pitched fragility to alto thunder in the turn of a phrase, yet he knows the power of restraint intuitively, saving vocal tornadoes for emotional apexes buoyed by string swells and moving arrangements.

Few bands, especially of Loch Lomond's unique ilk, come from as disparate of backgrounds or intents, and few have crafted the kind of epic album as Loch Lomond has with 2009's Little Me Will Start A Storm (label TBA, release date TBA.) Some members are teachers; some are computer programmers, some are visual artists and small business owners, and almost all are former high school band nerds, although one would never know it given the band's tapestry-tight weave of mesmerizing grandeur. Recorded in 2008 at Adam Selzer's (Norfolk & Western, M. Ward) Type Foundry studio by Selzer and producer/multi-instrumentalist Dave Depper, Little Me Will Start A Storm is the kind of record (record, not three to five good or even thrilling songs, but a cohesive, decisive, brilliant whole) that cannot be ignored; not since the world discovered Thom Yorke has a vocalist given such an intensely striking performance on what will undoubtedly be a breakthrough album.

Recently having returned from a triumphant US tour as main support for The Decemberists ("Singer Ritchie Young's earnest demeanor belies his enormous voice, and the band's varying instruments flesh out his songs perfectly."—EAR FARM; "Loch Lomond deserve all the accolades they are getting."—BrooklynVegan) and with new record and an expertly creepy new video for the single "Blue Lead Fence" in hand, Loch Lomond is poised more now than ever to convert; to overwhelm, to stun.

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