The Church's new 2009 album/onslaught of releases

Kilbey spills the beans on his blog:
http://stevekilbey.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-church-albumstraight-from-panthers.html

"Cobalt Blueprint" and "Deadman's Hand" sound pretty intriguing. I like how everyone is all switching instruments - reminds me of what Bowie did on Lodger

Also, the soundtrack to Shriek has been released too

!

How handy that my birthday is approaching, I'll happily spend some cash on all that.

Oh hot damn I'm excited about this.

It will be very good, obviously.

Has anyone listened to Kilbey's Painkiller album?

New song "Happenstance" streaming off of MySpace now
http://www.myspace.com/thechurchbandofficial

Love the vocal combinations on this... Can't wait to hear the the final thing.

I was afraid it would sound like that. I like my Church more jingle-jangle and less "David Gilmour solo album."

When the ep and the album will be out?
I can't find any actual release date.

Coffee Hounds and Pangaea EPs are out now.

Last night in Sydney:

Must get these...

Already ordered - btw, Kilbey looks in great great shape.

Okay. I ordered the two EP's and Steve Kilbey's Painkiller album. But where the hell am I supposed to get that Shriek soundtrack? If I have to buy a CD, can it be from somewhere in the US please? I can't find it anywhere.

Anyone?

Okay. I ordered the two EP's and Steve Kilbey's Painkiller album. But where the hell am I supposed to get that Shriek soundtrack? If I have to buy a CD, can it be from somewhere in the US please? I can't find it anywhere.

Is it THAT hard to use Google? You'll find it available from Red Eye Records for US$17.90 including shipping to the US.

I'm surprised at the snarkiness of your response, but thanks. Their website sent me in a couple of different directions that didn't lead anywhere and I was trying avoid getting it from overseas. I'm still puzzled as to why they aren't offering through the same channel as the two EP's, but I guess they have their reasons.

Rumor control has it that Swervedriver (or at least Adam Franklin) will be the openers for the US tour. Everything unconfirmed except that the tour will start in June.

Finally arrived...

http://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/811/cover_37823832009.jpg

Steve's singing is tremendous!

I kept meaning to look for the new stuff in SF but distractions aplenty in terms of used bins and the like. Maybe in Seattle...

xpost - Hey Ned!

AAAAAAAAAAAH! I am so jazzed for this! Even if it turned out that only the last two songs on the Pangaea EP impressed me. Last one especially ("So Love May Find Us"). God, when I heard that for the first time and I was walking to work, I got to this one line he sang, and I had literally just stop and sit down for a couple moments, it was too much.

The Coffee Hounds EP didn't grab me too much, I'm afraid. I was excited to hear them cover a classic Kate Bush song, but in reality...why would anyone try to cover that? It's like that thread I posted on recently about "what are you listening to in 2009" or whatever. And I was like "trying to cover The Chills' Pink Frost is a bad idea from the beginning because you are never going to match the original"? I mean I love the Church to death, one of the top 5 most important bands in my life, but dudes...you can't expect to improve on Kate Bush. You can only end up mediocre, trying to cover something like that, no offence.

Anyway so I'm still excited about the new album. The Church have saved my life numerous times.

Ned, I would like to extend the Seattle welcome mat to you. Brian and I have talked about things. I'm not sure we're friends, exactly, but we're definitely not enemies, so you have nothing to lose. Just bring the Disco Inferno disc! Hahah. Just kidding.

still (anxiously?) waiting for my copies to arrive.
Really curious to listen to the album and the Pangaea ep.

Ladies and gentlemen, a US tour:

JUN 10 WED BELLY UP TAVERN * SOLANA BEACH, CA

JUN 11 THU THE ROXY THEATRE * WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA

JUN 12 FRI SLIM'S * SAN FRANCISCO, CA

JUN 14 SUN ALADDIN THEATER * PORTLAND, OR

JUN 15 MON THE TRIPLE DOOR * SEATTLE, WA

JUN 18 THU GOTHIC THEATRE * ENGLEWOOD, CO

JUN 20 SAT HOUSE OF BLUES CHICAGO * CHICAGO, IL

JUN 21 SUN VARSITY THEATER * MINNEAPOLIS, MN

JUN 23 TUE SHANK HALL * MILWAUKEE, WI

JUN 25 THU THE MAGIC BAG * FERNDALE, MI

JUN 26 FRI BEACHLAND BALLROOM * CLEVELAND, OH

JUN 27 SAT REX THEATRE * PITTSBURGH, PA

JUN 28 SUN THE STATE THEATRE * FALLS CHURCH, VA

JUN 30 TUE RAM'S HEAD ONSTAGE * ANNAPOLIS, MD

JUL 1 WED THE TROCADERO * PHILADELPHIA, PA

JUL 2 THU SHOWCASE LIVE * FOXBOROUGH, MA

JUL 3 FRI TUPELO MUSIC HALL * LONDONDERRY, NH

JUL 8 WED IRVING PLAZA * NEW YORK, NY

JUL 9 THU THE RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE * RIDGEFIELD, CT

Thinking about the Solana Beach show?

I'm definitely going to the Roxy show. Not sure about Solana Beach.

Oh, and this is definitely a full-electric tour. Back chatter has it that they were discussing taking only one 12-string to keep the gear load down. Peter said "I knew we should have been a ukulele band"

I'm going. I'm going. I promise, I'm going to go to this. Few bands have ever even meant half as much to me as The Church, and I'm going.

Forgot to mention... Adam Franklin of Swervedriver is the opener on all dates.

Not sure how I feel about the new album. It seems to drag in places, but by the same token I can see where they were trying to do something a little different this time out, and I think that's a good thing.

Kilbey has a art opening in Pittsburgh:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pghtech/sets/72157616631715659/

The new album puzzled me at first, but now I'm beginning to think its their most cohesive statement since Priest=Aura.
Under its cool surface there's a lot of intensity, On Angel Street being probably one of their most intense moments (great Morricone-like tension in the keyboard arrangement, btw).
Maybe it lacks a stone-cold classic song, but I quite like its overall glassy, quietly proggy atmosphere.

Kilbey's got some album of HOOS poetry out with another bloke now too, the onslaught continues.

Good to hear, Marco. I ought to pick this up.

I'm *very* tempted to fly out for this show...

Sunday 5th July 2009 - Studio Theatre @ Hamilton Place, South Hamilton, Canada
Co-Headliner: Van der Graaf Generator

http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/NewAnswersOnDateControllerServlet?weeksago=3&boardid=51

They were on KCRW this morning and sounding fantastic. Really looking forward to the show tonight.

Last night in Solana Beach

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZraNnRvuc0

Argh, had forgotten it was tonight. Too many things happening at once!

Yeah, I didn't even see an ad for the show here until yesterday and it's Monday night. Not a good night for me. I'm not that impressed with the album...it doesn't seem melodic enough and at times he seems lyrically uninspired.

Come on Bimble, you cannot deny the greatness of "my little panda, I don't understand her, with her natural grandeur, I can't let it go." I declare the latest album to be CLASSIC.

Well, all I can say is I do think I've given it a fair shake, more than I recall giving After Everything Now This when it disappointed me.

The lyrics do lack the usual... ornateness... of a Church album. But I think it works.

Kilbey's got some album of HOOS poetry out with another bloke now too, the onslaught continues.

found this: "Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy Present Unseen Music, Unheard Words."

Well, all I can say is I do think I've given it a fair shake, more than I recall giving After Everything Now This when it disappointed me.

You should have given Forget Yourself a listen. It's their best post P=A album

Surely it contains some of their best songs ever.

Well, to be honest, I was disappointed with Forget Yourself as well, although since then I've plucked a few tracks off it to compile with what I like most off the El Momento CD's. I wish I could understand what they were doing on those El Momento CD's that felt so right. Sometimes it didn't work, sure, but when it did, it felt like a real comeback to me. I can't help but wonder how long they had been saving up some of those songs.

Anyway, I highly recommend seeing this tour. Tremendous show last night.

The new one is nice. I'd forgotten how much I used to like 'em. Listening to first album Of Skins And Heart right now. It has some jangle, but also a bit of post-punk edge (Teardrop Explodes, Soft Boys, Chameleons). Heyday was a favorite in h.s. Though I dismissed Starfish at the time, I've got the deluxe version on order to give it another go. I also listened to a comp of their 90s stuff, and it doesn't quite grab me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIHfbDrhc1E&feature=PlayList&p=7684B86D638E8408&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=12

Haha much as I want to watch that RIGHT NOW it would disturb my colleagues since it should only be heard at maximum volume.

There's another extra track EP on the way. It's got "Operetta" from the album and then another 45mins of extras (most of which is the 34min track "Particles Matter")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08P-4Xw3sNw

man. so looking forward to these shows.

Hey La Lechera I sent you a message thing about the tickets. So jealous of whoever gets to go!

wrote u!

Meantime I'd like to note that my interview with Peter Koppes is now live at the Quietus:

http://thequietus.com/articles/05653-the-church-interview

i'm so excited about this show, but my friend pooped out on me so now i don't know who will accompany me :(

great article, ned!

Thanks!

gah why don't more people love the church? i can't find anyone who wants to go to this show with me
;_;

Where do you live?

chicago

Ok, not Boston area then. Sorry, would've gone with you! :-)

Man, I wish I could go to this show. On the plus side, I'm going to Alinea instead!

cmon chicago, i can't let this be rangda pt II
(that was the last time i overoptimistically bought two tickets to a show and no one would go with me)
on the upside, that was a great show, so..?

Would go to Chicago show if I was there. Annoyed that I'm going to be in NYC only a couple days after their two shows there.

Come on, Chicago people. It's the show of a lifetime!

If this were a just world, I would have a nerdy 12 year old niece or nephew to take to this show. Sadly, that is not the world I live in.
Pretty damn excited about this show regardless. I've never seen them and now that I think about it, I've been a fan since like 7th grade. That was a LONG TIME AGO.

mission accomplished! this ticket will not die in vain. in fact, it won't die at all.

another new interview with Peter. the bit about Kevin Keller as a patron is news to me and interesting...

http://blogs.suntimes.com/music/2011/02/what_fans_of_the_church_pray_f.html

"We've almost done it a few times," he explains. "We've done repeated tours in America with filming but never had the right footage or sound to achieve what we want – and we've got loads of footage now! No one has got the time and money to sit down and properly assess and edit it, though I've tried to keep track of it all this time."

Ah! Lets hope they will be able to release properly at least the Opera House concert - a gift for us, poor fans from neglected countries.

Hahah, that's fascinating about Keller. His textbook is on reserve where I work pretty much all the time.

Show was great! I enjoyed the consistently mellow vibe, outstanding professionalism, excellent musicianship and Kilbey's animated gothy arm motions. I thanked a nameless shapeless deity that I got to sit down because the show was Springsteen-length. Here is a picture I took:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5092/5439010836_6d1de6b494.jpg

Is that the Death Star?

on the subject of live recordings...both Seattle shows were heavily filmed by members of the crew (multiple cameras) and there were notices posted in the venue about the filming. I did not get a chance to ask for details on any potential release.

are the other shows being filmed as well?

I saw a professional looking guy taking stills but didn't see video.

Yes, that is the Death Star.

I thanked a nameless shapeless deity that I got to sit down because the show was Springsteen-length.

are they doing the three-complete-albums thing on this US leg? you wouldn't expect them to ramones through 'em

Yeah they did, and obvs I knew what to expect. I was just glad to sit because it's winter and I had a huge coat.

Live recording of Chicago show just turned up on D1me.

RIP Margot Smith (earlier Kilbey post on her)

the Psychedelic Symphony show at the Sydney Opera House has had universally positive reviews, except for dubiousness about the orchestra getting dragged up in paisley for the second half

"Tantalized" from the Sydney Opera House gig:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl1XFiWDaqY

This is the active Church thread so I thought I would put this here

1988 "When You Were Mine" on the Starfish tour

SO GOOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOxqReUTntk

Nice!

Really enjoyed that, thanks for posting!

Kilbey doing One Day, and jumping jacks, live with the Afghan Whigs last week in Sydney.

Kilbey quits The Church over how much they've been screwed by their record company

Jeez Louise. What a mess.

Blog post appears to have been deleted? What's up with Kilbey?

He deleted from his facebook too, apologised for gracelessly tantrumming in public

which record company though?

Second Motion.

So I guess that means the EP collection reissue probably won't happen.

found a place that quotes the post in full, but mostly the commentary is people who can't deal with kilbey's stream-of-consciousness writing style.

What does Marty have to say about this?

I'd repost the original blog text, but I kinda like Steve Kilbey a lot, and if he deleted it, then I'm not gonna paste it up here.

label responds

Kilbey responds

Kilbey blurts again

Moshcam is streaming last year's "three complete albums" show from Sydney. Untitled #23 is up now and the following two will be up in a couple of days
http://www.moshcam.com/the-church/enmore-theatre-1102.aspx

Priest = Aura set: http://www.moshcam.com/the-church/enmore-theatre-1103.aspx

Thankful that if that LA show ends up being the last time I ever see them, it's a helluva show to go out on.

The Church to release Steve Kilbey-filmed documentary of ‘Gold Afternoon Fix’ tour

The Church next week will release “Long Distance Century Buzzes and Fades,” a 23-years-in-the-making documentary of the band’s 1990 world tour in support of Gold Afternoon Fix that frontman Steve Kilbey assembled from more than 13 hours of raw footage he filmed with a then-new Super 8 camera during the 60-concert trek.

The DVD — available for pre-order on the Kilbey’s website for AUS $44.95, and set to ship June 4 in a limited 500-copy run — features the band “fresh faced and youthful and… smiling, there’s concert footage, there’s backstage footage, on the bus footage, at the airport footage, in the restaurants and cafes footage, meeting the fans, jamming, and being interviewed footage.”

According to a Kilbey-penned intro, the film — which he tried unsuccessfully to stitch together in the ’90s before revisiting it with better editing technology more recently — is very much of home-video quality, with jumpy footage and quick, unexpected cuts (“I hope it doesn’t make you seasick”). Nevertheless, he calls it a “little slice of history” that offers unique insight to the band circa 1990.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4K9RA0SHpM

The Church "space rock covers set" from several years back has finally been released: http://stevekilbey.bandcamp.com/album/space-bootleg

$20 for digital-only is too rich for my blood though.