New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Girlie Action Media & Marketing) Toronto art rock quartet The Darcys released AJA, a re-interpretation of Steely Dan's 1977 studio masterpiece, January 24th on Arts and Crafts. The band released an artistically striking video to accompany their version of "Josie" which was released today and premiered with Interview Magazine. The band's Wes Marskall explains that the video was meant to "juxtapose the always-engrossing power of a woman's eyes with some of the monolithic structures that often define the places we live." Watch the "Josie" video HERE & feel free to post and share.
" …this arty band from Toronto blur and abstract the sleek jazz-pop originals into a shimmering, eerie wonder."
- The Daily News, Jim Farber
"Brooding organ and droning guitar replace the song's original funk-tinged rhythm."
- Interview Magazine
"A music critic once told me that he wished there were more decent cover albums out there. It seems he just got his wish…"
- MAGNET Magazine
Moody, dense and textured, AJA is an exploration of physical and emotional space and the real and imaginary divisions within it. The decision to interpret the album in full was made during a period in which the band struggled to complete its self-titled sophomore record. With no label and mixing stalled, The Darcys were unable to track new material, instead embracing the challenge of reshaping the collective favorite and presenting it to the world as a dark, but bold declaration of self-sufficiency. "We did it because we could," Marskell explains. "And because we thought we couldn't. It became as much an art project as an album." AJA is now available as a free digital download at thedarcys.ca and also as a limited edition 180-gram colored vinyl from GalleryAC.com.
More than a year later, following a multi-album deal with Arts & Crafts and the release ofThe Darcys on October 25, AJA was unveiled, representing an essential link from 2011's self-titled offering to the band's much-anticipated third studio release. Earning their touring chops by having played with the likes of Deerhoof, Hollerado and Tennis in the past, The Darcys will kick off a North American tour with
Bombay Bicycle Club next week.
Tour Dates w/ Bombay Bicycle Club
2/14: San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
2/15: Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
2/16: San Francisco, CA @ Popscene @ Rickshaw Stop
2/17: Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
2/18: Seattle, WA @ Crocodile
2/20: Vancouver, BC @ Commodore
2/21: Kamloops, BC @ Blue Grotto
2/22: Calgary, AB @ Republik
2/23: Edmonton, AB @ Starlite
2/25: Winnipeg, MB @ West End Cultural Centre
2/26: Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
2/27: Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
2/29: Columbus, OH @ The Basement
3/01: Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club
3/03: Brooklyn, NY @
Music Hall Of Williamsburg
3/05: New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
3/07: Washington, DC @ 930 Club
3/08: Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's
3/09: Boston, MA @ Middle East
3/10: Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
THEDARCYS.ca
ARTS-CRAFTS.ca
