When Telekinesis dropped the project's debut album last year, we praised it for "driving home no-nonsense songs that sound from the heart without making you cringe." Since then, the band have gone through a lineup overhaul, as frontman Michael Benjamin Lerner recruited a new band and recorded the LP 12 Desperate Straight Lines. It's due out on February 15 via Merge.
The album was recorded at Jackpot! Recording Studio in Portland, OR, once again with producer and Death Cab for Cutie dude Chris Walla. According to Merge, the pair "tossed out all the rules -- as they are wont to do when they get together -- and, as Michael says, 'went a little crazy,' with impromptu dance parties and recording drum parts backwards."
This resulted in "twelve new songs of heartache, anger, and even a little hopefulness." Several of the tracks were reportedly inspired by the fuzz bass in Flin Flon's A-OK.
Pre-order the album here, and see the tracklist below. Scroll past that to check out the band's upcoming tour schedule, which includes shows in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver in March.
12 Desperate Straight Lines
1. "You Turn Clear in the Sun"
2. "Please Ask for Help"
3. "50 Ways"
4. "I Cannot Love You"
5. "Dirty Thing"
6. "Car Crash"
7. "Palm of Your Hand"
8. "I Got You"
9. "Fever Chill"
10. "Country Lane"
11. "Patterns"
12. "Gotta Get It Right Now"
Tour dates:
12/3 Seattle, WA - Triple Door
12/4 Portland, OR 0 Mississippi Studios
2/18 Bellingham, WA - Jinx Arts Space
2/20 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
2/23 San Francisco, CA - TBA
2/24 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
2/25 San Diego, CA - The Casbah
2/26 Tempe, AZ - The Sail Inn
2/28 Norman, OK - The Opolis
3/1 Omaha, NE - Slowdown Jr
3/2 Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry
3/4 Chicago, IL - Schubas
3/5 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
3/6 Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
3/7 Montreal, QC - Casa Del Popolo
3/8 Cambridge, MA - TT the Bear's Place
3/9 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
3/10 Brooklyn, NY - The Rock Shop
3/11 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
3/12 Washington, DC - The Red Palace
3/13 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
3/14 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
3/22 Denver, CO - Hi Dive
3/23 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
3/24 Boise, ID - Neurolux
3/26 Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
3/27 Vancouver, BC - Media Club
The album was recorded at Jackpot! Recording Studio in Portland, OR, once again with producer and Death Cab for Cutie dude Chris Walla. According to Merge, the pair "tossed out all the rules -- as they are wont to do when they get together -- and, as Michael says, 'went a little crazy,' with impromptu dance parties and recording drum parts backwards."
This resulted in "twelve new songs of heartache, anger, and even a little hopefulness." Several of the tracks were reportedly inspired by the fuzz bass in Flin Flon's A-OK.
Pre-order the album here, and see the tracklist below. Scroll past that to check out the band's upcoming tour schedule, which includes shows in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver in March.
12 Desperate Straight Lines
1. "You Turn Clear in the Sun"
2. "Please Ask for Help"
3. "50 Ways"
4. "I Cannot Love You"
5. "Dirty Thing"
6. "Car Crash"
7. "Palm of Your Hand"
8. "I Got You"
9. "Fever Chill"
10. "Country Lane"
11. "Patterns"
12. "Gotta Get It Right Now"
Tour dates:
12/3 Seattle, WA - Triple Door
12/4 Portland, OR 0 Mississippi Studios
2/18 Bellingham, WA - Jinx Arts Space
2/20 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
2/23 San Francisco, CA - TBA
2/24 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
2/25 San Diego, CA - The Casbah
2/26 Tempe, AZ - The Sail Inn
2/28 Norman, OK - The Opolis
3/1 Omaha, NE - Slowdown Jr
3/2 Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry
3/4 Chicago, IL - Schubas
3/5 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
3/6 Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
3/7 Montreal, QC - Casa Del Popolo
3/8 Cambridge, MA - TT the Bear's Place
3/9 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
3/10 Brooklyn, NY - The Rock Shop
3/11 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
3/12 Washington, DC - The Red Palace
3/13 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
3/14 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
3/22 Denver, CO - Hi Dive
3/23 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
3/24 Boise, ID - Neurolux
3/26 Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
3/27 Vancouver, BC - Media Club
