Mistletone

Artwork by Ben Montero, layout by Carl Breitkreuz

Mistletone and Triple R very proudly present the return of the mighty Kurt Vile & the Violators, hot on the heels of Kurt Vile’s glorious new album b’lieve i’m goin down… , out now on Matador via Remote Control. Last time Kurt Vile came around these parts, he was the hottest ticket in town — so fans would be well advised to book tickets without delay!

KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS TOUR DATES:

• DEC 28 – JAN 1: FALLS FESTIVAL Lorne, Marion Bay + Byron Bay. More info here.
• JAN 8-10: SOUTHBOUND FESTIVAL, Busselton WA. More info here.
• MELBOURNE: Sunday, January 3 @ THE FORUM THEATRE on with special guests Twerps and Scott & Charlene’s Wedding. Tickets on sale now via Ticketmaster. Presented by Triple R.
• MELBOURNE: Tuesday, January 5 @ Max Watt’s with special guests Gold Class and Constant Mongrel. Tickets on sale now from Ticketscout.
• SYDNEY: Thursday, January 7 @ Concert Hall, SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE. Tickets on sale now from Sydney Opera House Presents.

As kindred spirit Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth wrote in her artist biography for Kurt’s new album, “Kurt does his own myth making; a boy/man with an old soul voice in the age of digital everything becoming something else, which is why this focused, brilliantly clear and seemingly candid record is a breath of fresh air…. a handshake across the country, east to west coast, thru the dustbowl history (“valley of ashes”) of woody honest strait forward talk guthrie, and a cali canyon dead still nite floating in a nearly waterless landscape. The record is all air, weightless, bodyless, but grounded in convincing authenticity, in the best version of singer songwriter upcycling.”

As eponymous American Grantland magazine recently observed, “Kurt Vile frequently invokes Neil Young in conversation, as both a talisman and a role model. But the most authentic link between Vile and Young is the way in which they freely commingle pathos and goofiness in their songs, resulting in a tonal messiness that feels like real life.”

And as Pitchfork remarked in their Best New Music review: “As compelling as Vile’s words can be, much of the magic lies in his delivery. Like Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan, Vile’s singing voice has acquired an unstable accent of indeterminate origin that shifts to suit his musical decisions, rather than connecting to genre or region or even his own upbringing. Most often, he’s got a nasally twang unlike that of any other native Philadelphian, and it helps his low-key murmur cut through the wooly mid-tempo haze. That twang makes his music feel more grounded and conversational, and there’s also a bit of a “Hey, it’s me again” quality the first time you hear it on a new album, an aural watermark that never leaves you any doubt that you are listening to a Kurt Vile record.”

Watch Kurt Vile & the Violators nail their national TV performance of “Pretty Pimpin'” on “Conan”:

KV photo by Marina Chavez