Mistletone

The days are getting long, the nights are getting hotttt, summer’s here kids! Here is your seasonal Mistletone news update.

Mistletone has just released the compilation we were destined to make – MISTLETONIA!! It’s a collection of xmas inspired doozies – thirteen tracks from the finest bands in the galaxy! Featuring Evangelicals (Oklahoma, US), John Maus (Minnesota, US), High Places (Brooklyn, US), The Sticks (Brighton, UK) and Hands On Heads (London, UK) plus Australian artists Barrage, Ned Collette, Kes Band, Pikelet, Francis Plagne, Jack Ladder, Ross McLennan and Grand Salvo featuring Oliver Mann, all on a deluxe glossy digipak with incredible artwork by Nathan Gray. Mistletonia is a messed up and magnificent yuletide collection that gives a whole new meaning to xmas spirit. We reckon that it’s just about the perfect stocking stuffer, so don’t be a scrooge, go straight to our mail order mart and click on the Mistletonia cover to get your very own.

Check out what Pitchfork had to say today about High Places’ brilliant track:

“December is almost here, so we’re going to roll with some more Christmas tunes today. The excellent Australian label Mistletone (they released Beach House, Black Dice, Dan Deacon, and Panda Bear down under this year, so you have to give it up) has just issued a holiday-themed compilation called Mistletonia, which includes this candy-striped confection from Brooklyn-based dream-poppers High Places. A sort of dubbed-out half-cover of “Iko Iko”, the song talks about enduring months of crushing gloom, though the music is much more cheerful. According to the label, all profits from the sale of the record will be donated to an animal shelter.” (Pitchfork Media Nov 28, 2007)

More Pitchfork love for the Evangelicals track:

“The apocalypse is a popular choice this holiday season. We already posted soft, light Southern California popsters the Softlightes‘ cheery “Last Christmas on Earth“, but Evangelicals’ song of almost the same name sounds a bit more like its title. The Norman, Okla., indie rockers opt for endlessly reverberating, blockbuster-climax bombast on their “The Last Christmas on Earth”, which you can download on the band’s MySpace page or pick up on Australian label Mistletone‘s holiday-themed Mistletonia compilation.

“Evangelicals sound more Arcade Fire than Christian Coalition, more Jeff Buckley than Mike Huckabee, when songwriter Josh Jones’s vibrato-filled tenor calls out to the rafters for Jesus. “You can hear the lovers crying in the street,” Jones sings, as a deeper voice harmonizes, bringing to mind that gravelly-voiced muse of Buckley and so many others, Leonard Cohen. The humming feedback and cavernous percussion help avoid the usual Christmas carol production clichés; I think there are some jingle bells in there, yeah, but there’s also a helicopter sound at the end. Much more of this holiday doom ‘n’ gloom and I’ll start stressing about Dec. 25 the way some people worried about Y2K.” (Pitchfork Media Dec 6, 2007)

Mistletonia will be launched in Melbourne at the Mistletone Xmas Party, Sunday December 23 at the Tote, featuring the staggering lineup of: Kes Band, Ned Collette, Ross McLennan, Pikelet, Barrage, Grand Salvo and Francis Plagne, plus DJs, BBQ and door prizes – all for $12! We hope you can join us for a super fun night!

Here at Mistletone HQ we are starting off 2008 with a BANG! with not one, not two, not three but FOUR new releases slated for January, February and March.

First up is Norman, Oklahoma’s Evangelicals, who are releasing their second album The Evening Descends. Dabbling in glam, slipping in a little funk and soul, drinking the psychedelic Kool-aid, blasting the synths, cranking up the guitars, and wrapping it all up with a dose of pop smarts, The Evening Descends is the first great album of 2008. Release date: Jan 21.

Mid February will see the release of the much anticipated new album from Baltimore duo Beach House. It’s called Devotion and it is truly beautiful. The dreamy, hazy lost-world sound of their debut continues here with 11 exquisite new songs (including a Daniel Johnston cover!). Release date: Feb 18.

Early March will see the release of the new album from Kes, simply called Kes Band. Recorded by James Cecil of Architectue in Helsinki fame in his Super Melody World studio, Kes Band is a stupendous leap forward from “The Grey Goose Wing”, with the same adventurous spirit but with a more concise and accessible pop sensibility. Have a listen to Gentle Elf on our Myspace. Release date: March 1.

Mistletone is proud to be releasing the new album from Melbourne’s home recording pop genius Ross McLennan! Ross has outdone himself with Sympathy for the New World, a sprawling and majestic collection of pop gems both shiny and dark. Ross will be touring nationally with Kelley Stoltz in February and again to launch the album in March. Release date: March 1.

February will also see Mistletone Touring springing into action. First up is the return to Australia from San Fran’s DIY-psych-pop maestro Kelley Stoltz who is about to release his new album for Sub Pop records, the brilliant Circular Sounds (out locally on Stomp Feb 4). For his third Australian tour Kelley is being re-united with his crack Australian band: Mikey Young (Eddy Current Suppression Ring), Mark Nelson (The Stabs), Kjirsten Robb (Hired Guns) and Mr Julian Wu.

KELLEY STOLTZ “CIRCULAR SOUNDS” AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES 2008:
Fri Feb 1 Wellington, NZ – Mighty Mighty
Sat Feb 2 Auckland, NZ – Dogs Bollix
Fri Feb 8 Adelaide – Jive w/- Ross McLennan + Birth Glow (tickets from Moshtix)
Sat Feb 9 Melbourne – Corner Hotel w/- The Lucksmiths + Ross McLennan (tickets from the venue)
Sun Feb 10 Castlemaine – Theatre Royal w/- Lisa Miller, The Breadmakers + Sime Nugent (tickets from the venue)
Thu Feb 14 Byron Bay – Great Northern Hotel w/- James Cruikshank + Andrew Kidman & the Brown Birds (tickets from Oztix)
Fri Feb 15 Brisbane – Troubadour w/- Ross McLennan + The John Steel Singers (tickets from Oztix)
Sat Feb 16 Sydney – Annandale w/- Richard In Your Mind + Ross McLennan (tickets from the venue)

Mistletone’s favourite one-man band Dan Deacon is coming our way as part of the Laneway Festival! Dan is the frontrunner of Baltimore’s emerging Future Shock movement and known for his unique brand of experimental electronica. Influenced by Devo, Talking Heads, Raymond Scott and Conlon Nancarrow, Dan pushes the boundaries of the genre whilst injecting a whole heap of fun. Employing a Casio keyboard, computer, vocoder, Dan’s performance has been perfected on the road with touring buddies such as Girl Talk, Lightning Bolt, Wolf Eyes, Matmos and Diplo. His live show in short is COMPLETELY OFF THE HOOK!! while you’re at it check out Dan’s brilliant album “Spiderman Of The Rings”. In fact you can buy it right here.

DAN DEACON AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES

Fri Feb 22 – Sydney: Oxford Arts Factory. Tickets $19 +BF from Moshtix.
Sat Feb 23– Melbourne: Evelyn Hotel. Tickets $19 +BF from Polyester (387 Brunswick St, Fitzroy and 288 Flinders Lane, City), TITLE (183 Gertrude St, Fitzroy), the Evelyn bottle shop and Mistletone website
Sun Feb 24 – Melbourne: Laneway Festival
Wed Feb 27 – Perth Festival: Beck’s Music Box
Thu Feb 28 – Adelaide: Rocket Bar. Tickets $15 +BF from CIB.
Fri Feb 29 – Brisbane: Troubadour. Tickets $19 + BF from Oztix.
Sat Mar 1– Brisbane: Laneway Festival
Sun March 2 – Sydney: Laneway Festival

Thanks to everyone who helped make Bachelorette‘s Australian tour such a great success. Annabel won many new adoring fans and we hope to bring her back across the Tasman before too long.

Francis Plagne has been garnering much critical praise with a glowing review in The Wire (UK) and a feature article in the latest Cyclic Defrost magazine which you can read online here. Adelaide people should get along to see Francis at Gallery Delacatessen (Anster St, City) on Dec 20 with Tiny Ponies, Jon Dale, Scott O’Hara and Ellen Carey.

That’s it folks, please get yourself some Mistletonia and have yourself a merry little festive season!

peace,
ash & sophie