Dam Mantle is about to wake you up. The Glasgow producer (AKA Tom Marshall) just released his debut LP, First Wave, yesterday on Wichita Recordings, and you can now stream the eclectic, innovative, and slightly eccentric record below via the Fader premier. Marshall will also (appropriately) be serving as the opener on Gold Panda’s upcoming US tour.

It’s Wednesday. You should be awake by now.

03/16 – 03/19 Austin, TX SXSW
03/22 Vancouver, BC – Fortune Sound Club *
03/23 Seattle, WA – Nectar Lounge *
03/24 Portland, OR – Rotture *
03/25 San Francisco, CA – 103 Harriet *
03/27 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour *
03/29 Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern *
03/30 Toronto, ON – TBA *
03/31 Philadelphia, PA – The Arch *
04/01 Washington, DC – Red Palace *
04/02 Brooklyn, NY – Public Assembly*

* = w/ Gold Panda

After missing the band’s recent show at The Echo (sad), it took all of 2 minutes within reading the news of Smith Westerns’ extended tour dates with Yeasayer to spark possible plans of a San Francisco Spring road trip involving a stop at The Filmore.

The Chicago band are completely booked through the summer now supporting Dye it Blonde, one of the best albums of the year so far (streaming here).

02/16 Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret %
02/17 Seattle, WA – Crocodile Cafe %
02/18 Boise, ID – Neurolux %
02/19 Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court %
02/21 Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge %
02/22 Kansas City, MO – The Record Bar %
02/23 Omaha, NE – Waiting Room %
02/24 Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock Social Club %
02/25 Madison, WI – The Frequency %
02/26 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle % -SOLD OUT-
02/28 Toronto, Ontario – Legendary Horseshoe Tavern %
03/01 Montreal, Quebec – La Sala Rossa %
03/02 Boston, MA – Great Scott %
03/03 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge % -SOLD OUT-
03/04 Washington, DC – Rock and Roll Hotel %
03/05 Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory % -SOLD OUT-
03/16 – 03-19 Austin, TX – SXSW
04/25 New York, NY The Bowery Ballroom
04/26 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s
04/28 Baltimore, MD Ottobar
04/29 Raleigh, NC Kings Barcade
04/30 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
05/02 Montgomery, AL Montgomery Performing Arts Centre #
05/03 Mobile, AL Saenger Theatre Mobile #
05/04 Birmingham, AL Bottle Tree !
05/05 New Orleans, LA One Eyed Jack’s
05/06 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater #
05/07 Denton, TX University of North Texas #
05/08 Tulsa, OK Cain’s Ballroom #
05/11 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
05/21 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern ^
05/22 Pomona, CA The Glass House ^
05/24 Hollywood, CA The Music Box ^
05/25 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore ^
05/29 Quincy, WA Sasquatch Festival
06/03 Columbia, MO The Blue Note ^
06/06 Detroit, MI Majestic Theatre ^
06/09 – 06/12 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo

# = w/ Wilco
% = w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
! = w/ Jeff The Brotherhood
^ = w/ Yeasayer

Lord Huron is not a character from The Hobbit. He’s actually LA based singer/songwriter Ben Schneider and his indie-folk band named after a Northern Michigan lake. Their latest release, Mighty EP, features the gorgeous, Calypso percussioned closer “When Will I See You Again.”

Lord Huron have a couple of great LA shows coming up, including The Autry Museum with Abe Vigoda and The Echo (among others) with Tennis. Stream/dates below.

01/20 The Autry Museum – Los Angeles, CA*% – 7pm
01/27 Detroit Bar – Costa Mesa, CA
01/28 The Cellar Door – Visalia, CA
01/29 Odd Fellows Hall – Davis, CA
01/31 Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR
02/01 The Crocodile – Seattle, WA #
02/03 Bottom of the Hill – San Francisco, CA #
02/04 The Echo – Los Angeles, CA #
02/05 Tin Can Ale House – San Diego, CA #
03/04 Snow Ball Music Festival / Nottingham Park – Avon, CO

* = w/ Calder Quartet
% = w/ Gamble House & Abe Vigoda
# = w/ Tennis

Generational’s “Victim of Trap” isn’t as eerie a song as you’d think, considering that the video is comprised of found footage of an abandoned, post-Katrina Six Flags in New Orleans. The NOLA based duo are set to release their sophomore full-length on Park the Van March 29. “Victim of Trap” appears on their new Trust EP, out now.

01/11 St. Louis, MO – Old Rock House
01/12 Chicago, IL – Schubas / Tomorrow Never Knows Festival
01/13 Carbondale, IL – Hangar 9
01/14 New Orleans, LA – The Blue Nile
01/25 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
02/16 Los Angeles, CA – Hotel Cafe

Smith Westerns’ new clip for “Weekend” features every weekend by every teenager ever (maybe sans cutting down a tree with an ax) and stars Smith Westerns (teenagers). The Chicago band will be on the road supporting their sophomore LP through March (including shows with MGMT and Yuck) – dates below. Dye it Blonde is due January 18 on Fat Possum.

Tue-Dec 14: Lyon, France – Le Transbordeur ^
Wed-Dec 15: Bordeaux, France – Saint EX
Thu-Dec 16: Barcelona, Spain – Razzmatazz ^
Fri-Dec 17: Madrid, Spain – La Riviera ^
Sat-Dec 18: Lisbon, Portugal – Campo Pequeno ^
Tue-Jan 18: Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands
Wed-Jan 19: New York, NY – Pianos
Fri-Jan 28: Nashville, TN – The End*
Sat-Jan 29: Knoxville, TN – Pilot Light*
Sun-Jan 30: Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506*
Mon-Jan 31: Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club*
Tue-Feb 1: Atlanta, GA – Drunken Unicorn*
Thu-Feb 3: Orlando, FL – Backbooth*
Fri-Feb 4: Tallahassee, FL – Club Downunder*
Sun-Feb 6: Houston, TX – Fitzgeralds*
Mon-Feb 7: Austin, TX – Emos*
Tue-Feb 8: Dallas, TX – The Loft*
Thu-Feb 10: Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room*
Fri-Feb 11: Los Angeles, CA – Echo*
Sat-Feb 12: Costa Mesa, CA – Detroit Bar*
Sun-Feb 13: San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill*
Tue-Feb 15: Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
Wed-Feb 16: Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret
Thu-Feb 17: Seattle, WA – Crocodile Cafe
Fri-Feb 18: Boise, ID – Neurolux
Sat-Feb 19: Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
Mon-Feb 21: Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
Tue-Feb 22: Kansas City, MO – The Record Bar
Wed-Feb 23: Omaha, NE – Waiting Room
Thu-Feb 24: Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock Social Club
Fri-Feb 25: Madison, WI – The Frequency
Sat-Feb 26: Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
Mon-Feb 28: Toronto, ON – Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
Tue-Mar 1: Montreal, PQ – La Sala Rossa
Wed-Mar 2: Boston, MA – Great Scott
Fri-Mar 4: Washington, DC – Rock and Roll Hotel

^ = w/ MGMT
* = w/ Yuck

Ra Ra Riot’s The Orchard may have been a slightly disappointing follow-up to 2008′s Rhumb Line (one of my favorites from that year), but this remix of “Too Dramatic” (via the Exclaim premiere) by Ontario’s The Most Serene Republic pianist, Ryan Lenssen, is highly lovable. The bands have a few joint shows coming up in December before Ra Ra Riot head to Europe with The Givers (dates below).

Download audio file (Too_Dramatic_Remix.mp3)

“Too Dramatic” by Ra Ra Riot (Ryan Lenssen of Most Serene Republic Remix)

12/1 Toronto, ON – The Mod Club *
12/2 Boston, MA – WFNX Orpheum Theatre #
12/3 Montreal, QC – Il Motore *
12/4 Kingston, ON – Chalmers United Church *
12/6 Albany, NY – WEQX Show @ Jillian’s
12/16 Mexico City, Mexico – Lunario del Auditorio Nacional
1/21 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall ^
1/22 Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s ^&
1/23 Sonoma, CA – Gundlach Bundschu Winery ^&
1/25 Eugene, OR – Wow Hall ^&
1/26 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre ^
1/27 Seattle, WA – Neumo’s ^
1/28 Victoria, BC – Sugar ^
1/29 Vancouver, BC – The Biltmore ^

* with the Most Serene Republic and Imaginary Cities
# with Broken Bells and Neon Trees
^ with Givers
& with Pepper Rabbit

Weekend’s oil spilled video for “Monday Morning / Monongah, WV” reminds me somewhat of Sigur Ros’ “Untitled 1 (Vaka)”, except it’s not the most depressing thing ever of all time. If you haven’t streamed Weekend’s staticy debut album, Sports (due November 9 via Slumberland), you should go do that now.

Upcoming tour dates with Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Stars, and others, below.

11.04: Vancouver, BC – The Media Club %
11.05: Seattle, WA – The Vera Project %
11.06: Portland, OR – Holocene %
11.07: Eugene, OR – McDonald Ballrom % *
11.09: San Francisco, CA – The Independent %
11.10: Santa Barbra, CA – SoHo %
11.11: San Diego, CA – The Loft UCSD %
11.12: Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex % ^
11.14: Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge $
11.15: Lawrence, KS – Replay Lounge $
11.17: Chicago, IL – Subterranean $
11.18: Grand Rapids, MI – Founders Brewery $
11.19: Detroit, MI – The Contemporary Art $
11.20: Pittsburgh, PA – Most Wanted Fine Art $
11.21: Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands $
11.22: Allston, MA – O’Brien’s Pub $
11:23: Milford, CT – Daniel Street $
11.26: Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s $
11:27: New York, NY – Cake Shop $

$ = w/ Young Prisms
% = w/ The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
^ = w/ Sonny and the Sunsets
* = w/ Stars

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are still promising a follow-up to their 2009 gazey gem of a debut. But until then, here’s another new single (the first being June’s “Say No To Love”) called “Heart in Your Heartbreak” (so many <3′s), which is the first taste of the band’s upcoming 2011 LP. “Heart in Your Heartbreak” is due December 14 (whoa, December) via Slumberland.

Tour dates with Glasser and Weekend, below.

Nov 4 – The Media Club Vancouver, BC +
Nov 5 – The Vera Project Seattle, Washington +
Nov 6 – Holocene Portland, OR + !
Nov 7 – McDonald Theatre Eugene, OR +*
Nov 9 – The Independent San Francisco, CA +
Nov 10 – SoHo Santa Barbara, CA+
Nov 11 – The Loft UCSD La Jolla, CA +
Nov 12 – Echoplex Los Angeles, CA +%
Nov 14 – Glasshouse Pomona CA *

! = w/ Glasser
+ = w/ Weekend
% = w/ Sonny and the Sunsets
* = w/ Stars

Providence, Rhode Island’s Deer Tick recently dropped their 3rd release in 2 years, and have just announced a non-stop fall tour  in support of the record. The Black Dirt Sessions, named after the upstate New York studio where it was recorded, has a darker, more ‘Black Dirt’ appropriate sound than the band’s previous releases. See “Piece By Piece, Frame By Frame”, tearing apart your day, below.

Download audio file (deertickpiece.mp3)

“Piece By Piece, Frame By Frame” by Deer Tick

Wed-Oct-06 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
Thu-Oct-07 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club *#
Fri-Oct-08 Greenville, SC Fall For Greenville *
Sat-Oct-09 Auburn, AL Bourbon Street *
Sun-Oct-10 Birmingham, AL Zydeco
Mon-Oct-11 New Orleans, LA One Eyed Jacks
Tue-Oct-12 Houston, TX The Bronze Peacock Room @ House of Blues
Wed-Oct-13 Austin, TX Emo’s
Thu-Oct-14 Laredo, TX Old No. 2
Sat-Oct-16 Tempe, AZ Sail Inn
Sun-Oct-17 San Diego, CA The Loft / UCSD
Tue-Oct-19 Los Angeles, CA El Rey
Wed-Oct-20 San Francisco, CA Regency Ballroom
Thu-Oct-21 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
Fri-Oct-22 Vancouver, BC Biltmore Cabaret %
Sat-Oct-23 Bellingham, WA Wild Buffalo
Sun-Oct-24 Seattle, WA Neumos
Tue-Oct-26 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
Wed-Oct-27 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
Thu-Oct-28 Omaha, NE TBD
Fri-Oct-29 Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock Social Club
Sat-Oct-30 Chicago, IL Bottom Lounge
Tue-Nov-02 Washington, DC Black Cat
Wed-Nov-03 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church

* = w/ JASON ISBELL
# = w/ Blitzen Trapper, Malcomb Holcolmbe
% = w/ Phosphorescent

Brooklyn’s The Drums are promoting their recently released self-titled, debut LP with a free download of their latest single, “Down by the Water.” The band ‘slows the tempo’ on this track, which was originally featured on their 2009 Summertime! EP and sticks with you as easily as their band name (The Drums!). The Drums are also co-headlining a North American Tour with Surfer Blood that kicks off September 11 (dates below).

The physical release of the The Drums LP is due September 14.

Download audio file (Down_By_The_Water.mp3)

“Down by the Water” by The Drums

9/11 Providence, RI @ Jerky’s Live Music Hall
9/12: Washington, DC @ The 9:30 Club
9/13 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
9/15: Atlanta, GA @ The Loft
9/17: Orlando, FL @ Social
9/18: Miami, FL @ Grand Central
9/19: Tampa, FL @ State Theatre
9/20 Gainesville, FL @ Common Ground Coffeehouse
9/21: Tallahassee, FL @ Club Downunder
9/23: Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s (The Drums ONLY)
9/24: Dallas, TX @ The Loft (The Drums ONLY)
9/25: Austin, TX @ ND (The Drums ONLY)
9/27: Phoenix, AZ @ Clubhouse
9/28 Pomona, CA @ Glass House
9/29: Los Angeles, CA @ The Music Box
10/01: San Francisco, CA @ The Independent (The Drums ONLY)
10/03: Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
10/04: Seattle, WA @ Neumos (The Drums ONLY)
10/05: Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret
10/07: Boise, ID @ Neurolux
10/08: Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
10/10: Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
10/13: Minneapolis, MN @ The Varsity Theater
10/14: Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
10/16: Toronto, ON @ Mod Club (The Drums ONLY)
10/17: Montreal, QB @ Cabaret du Musee Juste Pour Rire (The Drums ONLY)
10/18: Boston, MA @ Paradise (The Drums ONLY)
10/20: New York, NY @ Webster Hall
10/22: Philadelphia, PA @ Making Time