Bridge and Tunnel - Rebuilding Year

Bridge and Tunnel might be my favorite non-Drew related band here in town. It's nice to have a strong No Idea franchise in town, especially one that plies its trade in some co-ed 21st century post-Jawbox meets Jejune rock. And well at that.

Singer/Guitarist Jeff Cunningham pens much of the vocal material, but I would venture that Bridge and Tunnel are very much a democracy and co-guitar/vocalist Rachel Rubino is a powerful presence. Much is made of the female from Screaming Females, but Rachel tears it up here. She is no stranger to a fingertap, but is equally good with textures. Or singing lead on tracks like Hands. Ex-Jawbox-er J. Robbins recorded Rebuilding Year, lending a little bit of fat and smoothness to the sound while still masterfully matching the layers of vocals and guitar to make the strongest Bridge and Tunnel release we have heard to date.  If you like(d) the Midwestern rock of the late 90s and the last three decades of music DC has had to offer, I would snatch up Rebuilding Year and the entire Bridge and Tunnel catalog with the quickness. Get Rebuilding Year here from your friends at No Idea and use this link to keep track of all things B&T.

R

Lemuria - Pebble

Personally, it's pretty staggering to me that it was five years ago now that I got the split with Kind Of Like Spitting and got bitten by the Lemuria bug. The Buffalo unit has switched bass players in recent history and made the curious move of signing with new school hardcore enclave Bridge Nine, but little has changed in the Lemuria formula. It's still a post-Velocity Girl meets Breeders vibe, in the time-honored power trio format with mostly female vocals, although the drummer sings a fair bit.

Pebble is only their second formal full-length, but there has been a raft of EP and single releases in the three years since their Asian Man debut. Pebble was produced by the estimable J. Robbins at his Magpie Cage Studios in charming Baltimore, lending just the right amount of spit and polish (as well as some auto-tune, methinks) to the proceedings to make one hell of a record. Lemuria should be well proud of themselves. I'd put Pebble up there with P.S. Eliot and my beloved Little Lungs. You should put it in your earhole(s). Here's a link to facilitate.

R

Clutch

Hey Kids:

Maryland rock juggernaut Clutch are back with a new record and some more dates on their seemingly endless tour. Read on:

Leaks Tracks off New Album, Strange Cousins From The West, Out July 7th on Weathermaker Music * Announces US Tour w/ Baroness!

Veteran Maryland rock quartet CLUTCH have just put the finishing touches on their ninth studio album, titled Strange Cousins From the West. Produced by Clutch and J. Robbins at Magpie Cage Studios in Baltimore, the effort is the first Clutch original to be released on the band's ownWeathermaker Music, through RED Distribution. Label manager Jon Nardachone reports "Strange Cousins..." will be available both digitally and through retail on July 7th. He also reports the first single and video, "50,000 Unstoppable Watts" will be officially released on June 2nd." 

In celebration, the band has just announced Summer US tour dates with the mighty Baroness, and are currently still on the road w/ Wino and Maylene and The Sons of Disaster. Scroll below for the complete list of Clutch dates, and to listen to three new songs off the new album streaming now on theWeathermaker Myspace page!



The official track listing for "Strange Cousins From the West" is:
Motherless Child
Struck Down
50,000 Unstoppable Watts
Abraham Lincoln
Minotaur
The Amazing Kreskin
Witchdoctor
Let a Poor Man Be
Freakonomics
Algo Ha Cambiado
Sleestak Lightning

Clutch Live!

* September and December North American tour dates will be added to the following confirmed dates:

w/ Wino and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster
May 19 2009 The Music Farm Charleston, South Carolina
May 20 2009 Cat's Cradle Carrboro, North Carolina
May 21 2009 The Norva Norfolk, Virginia
May 22 2009 The Note West Chester, Pennsylvania
May 23 2009 The Bakerton Group @ 930 Club Washington, DC, Washington DC

UK Tour
Jun 13 2009 Corporation Sheffield
Jun 14 2009 Download Festival Donington
Jun 15 2009 HMS Hammer Gig Boat to Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards London
Jun 16 2009 Wedgewood Rooms Portsmouth
Jun 17 2009 TJ's Newport
Jun 18 2009 Cockpit Leeds
Jun 19 2009 King Tut's Glasgow
Jun 21 2009 De Helling Utrecht
Jun 22 2009 Kulturfabrik Esch-sur-Alzette
Jun 23 2009 Underground Koln
Jun 24 2009 Molotow Hamburg
Jun 25 2009 Knaak Berlin

US w/ Baroness and Lionize!
July 3rd Atlantic City, NJ @ House of Blues w/ Monster Magnet and Wino (* no Baroness or Lionize)
July 9 Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's
July 10 Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
July 11 Chicago, IL @ Kuma's
July 12 Sauget, IL @ Pop's
July 14 Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
July 15 Houston, TX @ House of Blues
July 17 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
July 18 Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theater
July 19 Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues Las Vegas
July 20 San Diego, CA @ Cane's Bar & Grill
July 21 Los Angeles, CA @ House Of Blues
July 22 San Francisco, CA @ Regency Center
July 23 Seattle, WA @ King Cat Theater
July 25 Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
July 26 Missoula, MT @ Wilma Theater
July 27 Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
July 28 Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
July 29 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
July 31 Calgary, AB @ Flames Center
August 1 Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Events Center
August 2 Saskatoon, SK @ Odeon Event Center
August 3 Winnipeg, MB @ Garrick Center
August 5 Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave
August 6 Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom
August 7 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
August 8 Baltimore, MD @ Sonar



For more information, visit:
www.pro-rock.com
www.myspace.com/clutchband
www.weathermakermusic.com