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Balmorhea
Stranger (October 2nd, 2012 on Western Vinyl)
Balmorhea (pronounced Bal-more-ay) is a six-piece instrumental group from Austin, TX. Founded by Rob Lowe and Michael Muller in 2006, the band has produced five full-length albums, including the forthcoming Stranger, which will be released in the United States in October 2012.
Inceptually influenced by the band’s namesake, a tiny West Texas town of 500 people, Balmorhea’s early work reflected motifs of the American Southwest: the folklore of Texas settlers, the emotive proclamations of the mountainous setting, and intimate studies on solitude, nature, and night. Slowly adding more members to the band over the years, including a string section and full percussion, Balmorhea’s rich and layered music continues to be simultaneously concise and complex, uniting a collection of ideas, textures, and sounds into one genre-defying landscape.
Balmorhea, called “an exemplary experiment in restraint” by The New Yorker, has toured the US and Europe five times each, including shows with Fleet Foxes, Mono, Tortoise, Bear in Heaven, Sharon Van Etten, Damien Jurado, Here We Go Magic, and others. Additionally the band has performed at Austin City Limits Music Festival, SXSW, Fun Fun Fun Fest, and the Hopscotch Festival. Their music has been featured and reviewed by Pitchfork, MOJO, NME, Time Out New York, Drowned in Sound, NPR, and many more.
BALMORHEA ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM STRANGER
OUT OCTOBER 2ND ON WESTERN VINYL
LISTEN TO THE FIRST TRACK OFF THE ALBUM
“PYRAKANTHA” AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD
Western Vinyl proudly announces the October 2nd release of Stranger, the fifth full-length album from the Austin, Texas based band Balmorhea. The band won attention for the “lush with a slow-burning, wordless, and ambient Americana,” (New Yorker) found in the cosmic dialog begun with their eponymous debut in 2007, and furthered with subsequent releases in 2008 (Rivers Arms), 2009 (All is Wild, All is Silent), and 2010 (Constellations). Stranger shifts the focus from the celestial to the terrestrial, exploring the kinetic rhythms that dictate our day-today lives.
Stream or download “Pyrakantha” on SoundCloud
http://soundcloud.com/western_vinyl/balmorhea-pyrakantha
Pitchfork writes that “The second half of ‘Pyrakantha,’ from their intriguing new record Stranger,” covers the band’s past ground, “shifting into a Tortoise-like groove that swivels around a subverted funk riff and broad mandolin sweeps. But the first half feels almost like a mixtape, or Balmorhea’s attempt to sweep the sounds of fellow wordless travelers– the radiant hum of Growing, the cresting murmur of Explosions in the Sky, the repetitive magic of Ecstatic Sunshine– into a three-minute collage. It’s one of the most brilliant bits of the band’s career, and a preamble good enough to follow down most any stylistic wormhole.”
Balmorhea’s music has always been guided by the experience of living in Texas, but with Stranger the band moves beyond contemplative reverence for the land and the history of their home state. The most forward-leaning of their catalog, Stranger presents worlds of tenderness, aggression, estrangement, and freedom using an expanded sonic palette including guitar loops, vibraphone, synthesizers, ukulele, and steel pan drums. In addition to these new sounds, electric guitars and percussion take the stage once occupied by piano and acoustic guitars.
Refined over many months, and in one case years, the band took care to ensure every note on Stranger feels essential, vivid, and confident. During the writing process, Rob Lowe was living in Alpine, Texas, just down the road from Marfa, and Michael Muller had relocated to Brooklyn. Absorbing their new environments, and filtering them through a uniquely Texan lenses, they composed unsettled, but patient songs embracing everyday sensuality, youthful discovery, and nomadic reverie…awe-struck by the divine energy that permeates all of our earthly flora and fauna.
BALMORHEA ANNOUNCE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
PLAYING FUN FUN FUN FEST IN AUSTIN, TX
NEW LP STRANGER OUT OCTOBER 2ND ON WESTERN VINYL
ALBUM RELEASE SHOW SEPTEMBER 28TH IN AUSTIN, TX
STREAM AND DOWNLOAD THE NEW SONG “PYRAKANTHA”
Balmorhea are excited to announce their Fall 2012 North American tour. The dates surround the release of the Austin, TX based band’s upcoming fifth studio album Stranger, out October 2nd on esteemed indie label Western Vinyl. Kicking off with a home town album release show at the Mohawk on September 28th, the tour will take Balmorhea to both coasts, and culminate with Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, TX in early November.
Praised on past releases for what the New Yorker eloquently described as the bands “slow burning, wordless, and ambient Americana,” Balmorhea’s latest effort has been met with early enthusiasm. The first track revealed from the album, “Pyrakantha,” was heralded by Pitchfork as “one of the most brilliant bits of the band’s career,” garnering comparisons to “the radiant hum of Growing, the cresting murmur of Explosions in the Sky, the repetitive magic of Ecstatic Sunshine”
Stream or download “Pyrakantha” off the new album Stranger http://soundcloud.com/western_vinyl/balmorhea-pyrakantha
Refined over many months, and in one case years, the band took care to ensure every note on Stranger feels essential, vivid, and confident. The most forward-leaning of their catalog, Stranger presents worlds of tenderness, aggression, estrangement, and freedom using an expanded sonic palette including guitar loops, vibraphone, synthesizers, ukulele, and steel pan drums. In addition to these new sounds, electric guitars and percussion take the stage once occupied by piano and acoustic guitars.
Upcoming Tour Dates (More TBA):
SEPTEMBER
28 – Austin, TX – Mohawk (Stranger Release Show) w/ Sleep Good, Jesse Woods
29 – Dallas, TX – Church of the Incarnation
OCTOBER
01 – Houston, TX – Fitzgeralds
02 – New Orleans, LA – Café Instanbul
04 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
05 – Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
06 – Washington, DC – Sixth & I Synagogue
07 – Philadelphia, PA – Jonny Brendas
08 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
09 – Boston, MA – Middle East (Upstairs)
13 – South Bend, IN – Subkirke
14 – Chicago, IL – Schubas
17 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
18 – Iowa City, IA – Gabe’s
19 – Kansas City, MO – Record Bar
21 – Denver, CO – Hi Dive
22 – Casper, WY – Durham Hall- Casper College
25 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre
26 – Seattle, WA – Columbia City Theatre
28 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir
29 – San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill
30 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
31 – Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room
NOVEMBER
03 – Austin, TX – Fun Fun Fun Fest
04 – Austin, TX – Fun Fun Fun Fest
BALMORHEA UNVEILS NEW SONG “DAYS” FOR DOWNLOAD
OFF THE NEW ALBUM STRANGER
OUT OCTOBER 2ND ON WESTERN VINYL
ANNOUNCE ADDITIONAL FALL TOUR DATE
As Balmorhea and Western Vinyl gear up for the October 2nd release of the band’s fifth full-length album Stranger, the Austin, TX six-piece have released the song “Days” to fans for download. “Days” serves as the latest preview of the new material found on the record, following on the heals of “Pyrakantha” which Pitchfork praised as “one of the most brilliant bits of the band’s career,” garnering comparisons to “the radiant hum of Growing, the cresting murmur of Explosions in the Sky, the repetitive magic of Ecstatic Sunshine”
Download/Stream “Days” off the forthcoming album Stranger
Following a home town record release show at The Mohawk in Austin on September 28th, Balmorhea will hit the road for a nation wide tour, culminating with a performance at Fun Fun Fun Festival on November 4th. See below for a complete list of dates including many newly added gigs.
Celebrated on past releases for what the New Yorker eloquently described as the bands “slow burning, wordless, and ambient Americana,” with Stranger the band moves beyond contemplative reverence for the land and the history of their home state. The most forward-leaning of their catalog, Stranger presents worlds of tenderness, aggression, estrangement, and freedom using an expanded sonic palette including guitar loops, vibraphone, synthesizers, ukulele, and steel pan drums. In addition to these new sounds, electric guitars and percussion take the stage once occupied by piano and acoustic guitars.
Balmorhea on Facebook, Twitter
Balmorhea on Western Vinyl
For bio and photos visit bighassle.com/publicity/balmorhea
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Newly Added Dates in Bold
SEPTEMBER
28 – Austin, TX – Mohawk (Stranger Release Show)
29 – Dallas, TX – Church of the Incarnation
OCTOBER
01 – Houston, TX – Fitzgeralds
02 – New Orleans, LA – Café Istanbul
03 – Birmingham, AL – Bottletree
04 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
05 – Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
06 – Washington, DC – Sixth & I Synagogue
07 – Philadelphia, PA – Jonny Brendas
08 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
09 – Boston, MA – Middle East (Upstairs)
10 – Buffalo, NY – Mohawk Place
11 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern
12 – Bloomington, IN – The Bishop
13 – South Bend, IN – Subkirke
14 – Chicago, IL – Schubas
15 – Milwaukee, WI – Mad Planet
17 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
18 – Iowa City, IA – Gabe’s
19 – Kansas City, MO – Record Bar
21 – Denver, CO – Hi Dive
22 – Casper, WY – Durham Hall- Casper College
25 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre
26 – Seattle, WA – Columbia City Theatre
28 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir
29 – San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill
30 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
31 – Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room
NOVEMBER
04 – Austin, TX – Fun Fun Fun Fest
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Kari Rosenfeld
L-R = Aisha Burns, Kendall Clark, Michael Muller, Travis Chapman, Rob Lowe, and Dylan Rieck
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Balmorhea: Stranger Cover Art
Cover Art for Balmorhea's New Album Stranger