In the ’80 and ‘90s Alternative Rock Gods Dead Can Dance and Cocteau Twins were two of the UK’s hottest exports. Both bands split in the mid ‘90s leaving seminal musical legacies. The male leaders of these indie supergroups, Brendan Perry (DCD) and Robin Guthrie (CT) each have a new release available on May 24th, 2011. Brendan Perry’s second solo project, Ark (The End Records), continues Mr. Perry’s Medieval meets modern musical vision first heard with Dead Can Dance. Ark opens with ‘Babylon’, unleashing Perry’s signature booming orchestration and foreboding vibe. Perry’s deep, crooner vocals and usual lyrical subjects are fully present here: war vs. peace, spirituality vs. technology, man vs. nature, etc. In the ‘The Bogus Man’ Perry tells a timely tale of political corruption and corporate deception ‘For mother’s sons will fight your wars. So rich man can reap their rewards.’ Tracks like ‘Utopia’ and ‘Crescent’ pick up the pace with a rhythmic groove and contrast nicely with mellower numbers like ‘Inferno and ‘Wintersun’. Dead Can Dance fans in need of a fix and new ones alike will not be disappointed but enlightened and thrilled with Brendan Perry’s latest gem Ark.
There’s a myriad of hot shit guitarists on the planet who sound like they’re all trying to out play each other. Then there’s true individuals like Robin Guthrie who stands out amongst the crowd. Emeralds (Darla Records), Guthrie’s newest full album follows the same aesthetic path as of his previous instrumental offerings. The first track ‘Digging For Gold’, sets the tone with Guthrie’s unmistakable guitar style floods its dreamy musical landscape. ‘Radiola’ contains the chiming, poppy, echoing sound found on many of the Cocteau Twins’ singles like ‘Love’s Easy Tears’. Other songs included here such as the acoustic meets electric guitars’ swirling sound of ‘Wishing’, the etherial calm of ‘Torch’ and piano based, cinematic feel of ‘Flower‘ will carry the listener away with their haunting beauty and dreamy other worldliness. You can hear selections from both Ark and Emeralds when this musical dynamic duo hits the together road this Spring. Check out the tour dates below. -Michael Levine
TOUR DATES:
May 30 Washington, DC – Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
May 31 New York, NY – Fillmore at Irving Plaza
June 01 Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
June 03 Montreal, QC -Le National
June 04 Toronto, ON – Opera House
June 05 Chicago, IL – Metro
June 08 Seattle, WA – Neumos
June 09 Vancouver, BC – Venue
June 10 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
June 12 San Francisco, CA – Bimbo’s
June 13 Los Angeles, CA – El Rev Theatre
June 14 Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up
June 16 Mexico City, MEXICO – Metropolitan Theater
http://www.myspace.com/brendanperry/music
http://www.myspace.com/robinguthrie/music
