Imaginary Cities Line Up Debut LP, Tour with Rural Alberta Advantage, Ra Ra Riot

BY Alex HudsonPublished Sep 27, 2010

When Exclaim! spoke with Winnipeg's Imaginary Cities back in June, the pop rockers had just released a five-song sampler as a free download and were getting set to take the stage at NXNE. Now, the duo - singer Sarti Sarbit and multi-instrumentalist/Weakerthans collaborator Rusty Matyas - have booked a slew of new Canadian dates and are preparing to roll out a seven-inch EP, plus a full-length.

The LP is called Temporary Resident and will be released by Hidden Pony Records (Hannah Georgas, Said the Whale) in February 2011. Before it drops, the label will issue the Hummingbird EP on seven-inch vinyl on October 26. It will contain album tracks "Hummingbird" and "Ride This Out," plus the exclusive song "Marry the Sea." For those without record players, the EP will also be available as a digital download.

The album was laid down at Prairie Recording Co. in Winnipeg with engineers Cam Loeppky and Shawn Dealy. According to a press release, it is "a unique blend of pop songs...that bridge the gap between '60s Motown and modern, keyboard tinged pop/rock."

For a preview of what's in store, the five-song sampler is still available as a free download from the band's website.

As for Imaginary Cities' tour, it will last from late September until early December with a break in the second half of November. It includes shows with Rural Alberta Advantage and Ra Ra Riot. See the dates below.

Tour dates:

9/27 Thunder Bay, ON - Jacks

9/29 Sudbury, ON - The Townhouse

9/30 Montreal, QC - Santa Cruz Church (Pop Montreal)

10/1 Kingston, ON - The Mansion

10/2 Wakefield, QC - The Black Sheep Inn

10/4 Hamilton, ON - This Ain't Hollywood

10/5 Toronto, ON - Dakota

10/6 Peterborough, ON - The Red Dog

10/7 Toronto, ON - The Horseshoe

10/9 Thunder Bay, ON - Jacks

10/22 Kelowna, BC - Doc Willoughby's

10/23 Kelowna, BC - Streaming Café

10/27 Winnipeg, MB - West End Cultural Center *

10/28 Regina, SK - The Exchange*

10/29 Edmonton, AB - Myer Horowitz *

11/1 Lethbridge, AB - The Slice *

11/2 Calgary, AB - The Legion *

11/3 Canmore, AB - Canmore Hotel *

11/4 Kelowna, BC - Habitat *

11/5 Victoria, BC - Sugar *

11/6 Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore *

11/8 Edmonton, AB - The Black Dog

11/11 Saskatoon, SK - Amigos

12/1 Toronto, ON - The Mod Club ^

12/2 Waterloo, ON - Starlight Room ^

12/3 Montreal, QC - Il Motore ^

12/4 Kingston, ON - Chalmers United Church ^


* with Rural Alberta Advantage

^ with Ra Ra Riot

Hummingbird EP:

1. "Hummingbird"
2. "Ride This Out"
3. "Marry the Sea"

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