The Undertow Orchestra tour, so named becaue all the participants share a management company, kicks off tomorrow night and while it won’t be crossing the border to our fair country, the fact that it’s happening at all is still exciting to me. The bill features four top-notch American singer-songwriters sharing a stage, playing each others’ songs, being each others’ bands. The artists in question are Will Johnson, mastermind of Centro-Matic and South San Gabriel, Dave Bazan, formerly of Pedro The Lion and currently of Headphones, American Music Club’s Mark Eitzel and Georgian eccentric Vic Chesnutt.

Glide finds out how the tour came together and plays Q&A with the performers on the bill, while Red & Black talks to Johnson and Chesnutt about playing with their new tourmates. If you’re not familar with some or all of these artists, you owe it to yourself to at least check out some of their work. And if the tour is coming to your burg, consider yourself lucky.

MP3: Will Johnson – “Just To Know What You’ve Been Dreaming”
MP3: Will Johnson – “Closing Down My House”
MP3: Vic Chesnutt – “I Melt With You”
MP3: Vic Chesnutt – “Tablet”
MP3: Pedro The Lion – “Discretion”
MP3: Mark Eitzel – “My Pet Rat St. Michael”

And as a bonus, I’ve found the whole of American Music Club’s awesome Everclear album available for free legit downloaded right here. It’s a masterpiece. Go get it.

Brian Pearl of Matt Pond PA will be keeping a tour diary over the course of their North American tour, which kicks off tonight in New York City and rolls into the Mod Club in Toronto on February 11. Mr Pond tells the Boston University Daily Free Press why students should shun their studies to see him play (Bugmenot).

Matt Berninger of The National admits to Pitchfork that he inadvertently missed meeting Bruce Springsteen after a recent tribute show because he went home to watch The West Wing. The National currently bear the dubious distinction of being the Susan Lucci of indie rock – they were nominated for six Plug Awards and headlined the awards ceremony but still went home empty handed. Hell, they even have to suffer the indignity of The Village Voice calling them “Coldplay, with teeth”. But being the troopers they are, they’re not holing up at home with a tub of Hagen-Dazs, but are hitting the road in March for a short tour that will bring them to the Horseshoe on March 22 (get your tickets! Go! Now!). Also on the bill are The Cloud Room, who were just here last week and recently had a Pitchfork feature of their very own.

In the wake of Lookout Records’ implosion, Ted Leo has packed up his apothecary bag and found a new home at Touch & Go records. Full deets in their press release, though nothing firm about his new album. And if you’ve tabbed out any of Ted’s songs, he wants to see them so he can correct them if necessary. Is this guy the greatest or what?

Some show rumours – The New Pornographers may be doing a CFNY-drone only show at the Horseshoe on February 24, the day before kicking off their tour with Belle & Sebastian at The Docks. And whether she’s on that New Pr0n tour or not, Neko Case may be in town April 2 or 3 for a show at the Danforth Music Hall. Via the fine print at Sucking A Lemon and For The Records. And more officially, Josh Rouse will be at Trinity-St Paul’s on April 11 in support of his new album Subtitulo, which is out March 21.

24: Figures – they follow up one of the best episodes of the show in some time with one of the, well, not best. So many recycled plot points last night – CTU head with a fucked up relative who happens to have a breakdown on crisis day? Check. A traitor being the only one who has the skills in their hour of need, and has to be released to do it? Check. Hell, when Jack busted into that bedroom and yelled, “hands up!”, I half expected Mandy to be hiding behind the bed. Or Zombie Nina. And, um, how does someone who’s in custody on charges of high treason (or something like that) get left alone long enough to hang themselves? And speaking of rhetorical questions, why do people always believe the bad guys when they say, “I’m not going to hurt you”? Of course they’re going to hurt you! That’s what they do! Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention… the impending return of Kim! Urrghghghghhhh. Someone’s going to lose a limb.

np – American Music Club / 1984-1995