New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Missing Piece Group) On April 1, 2014, acclaimed musician, songwriter, artist, and poet Jon Langford and his band
Skull Orchard will release a new album, Here Be Monsters, on In De Goot Records. In celebration of the new release, Langford has extended his US tour well into April and May.
The new tour dates include a trip on the unique
Roots on the Rails traveling folk festival. The performance will take place over a three day train journey between Chicago, IL and Portland, OR and will feature musicians Dave Alvin, Rick Shea,
David Olney, and Eilen Jewell. Find more information about
Roots on the Rails at www.rootsontherails.com.
The Onion's A.V. Club premiered the track and video for the albums first single "Mars," and said that it "aptly demonstrates Langford's gradual and logical shift from young punk to country punk."
Here Be Monsters sees the Welsh-born, Chicago-based singer/songwriter plotting a clear-eyed, sharp-elbowed course through such far-flung subjects as alternative hierarchies and astronomy, perpetual war for perpetual profit, the culture of detachment, middle age, fatherhood, fame, and the fleetingness of love.
"The subtext of the album is maybe the things our civilization thinks of as fixed and immovable might actually be redundant/obsolete/discredited and it's up to us to question and find new rocks to be washed up on…," says Langford, who called in Mekons/Waco Brothers veteran Mike Hagler (My Morning Jacket,Wilco, Neko Case, Billy Bragg) to record this album at Chicago's Kingsize Sound Labs.
Also known for being a prolific visual artist, Langford designed all the artwork for Here Be Monsters himself, including individual designs for each track that will be showcased on separate inserts in the CD and in a collage on the LP jacket.
"This album really brings the art and the songs together - a chicken/egg which came first situation. The songs are very visual and in some cases came directly from the paintings," says Langford.
Langford's abundant line of work includes 18 albums with The Mekons, 10 albums with Waco Brothers, 8 albums with The Three Johns, and multiple collaboration projects with names such as
Roger Knox, Richard Buckner,
Kevin Coyne, Alejandro Escovedo, Sally Timms, The Old 97s, Pine Valley Cosmonauts, and Canada's Welsh Male Voice Choir.
US Tour Dates:
3/13: Austin, TX - Gingerman (SXSW)
3/15: Austin, TX - Yard Dog Gallery (SXSW)
3/21: Madison, WI - Kiki's House of Righteous Music
3/22: Carbondale, IL - The Old Feedstore
3/23: Chicago, IL - The Hideout (Hometown Record Release Party)
4/3: Cambridge, MA - Atwoods Tavern
4/4: Brooklyn, NY - The Bell House
4/5: Rehoboth Beach, DE - Dogfish Head Brewing and Eats
4/6: Arlington, VA - IOTA Club & Cafe
4/8: Pittsburgh, PA - Thunderbird
4/9: Newport, KY - The Southgate House Revival
4/14: Berwyn, IL - FitzGerald's w/ Dave Alvin
4/15-17: Chicago, IL to Portland, OR -
Roots on the Rails
Train Trip w/ Dave Alvin
4/18: Portland, OR - White Eagle co-headline w/
David Olney
4/19: Seattle, WA - The Stables
4/20: Vashon Island, WA - Free Acoustic show with Art at The Cone Gallery
4/21: Port Townshend, WA - The Cellar Door
5/1: New Orleans, LA - Free show at Le Mieux Gallery, Julia Street
5/17: Portland, ME - Last Church on the Left
Here Be Monsters Track List:
1) Summer Stars
2) Weightless
3) Gone Without Trace
4) Mars
5) Sugar On Your Tongue
6) Drone Operator
7) Don't Believe
8) If You Hear Rumours
9) What Did You Do In The War?
10) Lil' Ray O' Light
