After refining their act on the road over the last couple of years, BC-based blues rock duo the Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer have revealed plans to issue their next studio effort, A Real Fine Mess. A press release notes that the partnership of Shawn "The Harpoonist" Hall and Matthew "The Axe Murderer" Rogers are following their 2012 effort Checkered Past with a 14-song excursion of "raw and primal blues," which Tonic Records issues June 17.
The record was tracked between the members' respective home bases of Vancouver and Nanaimo, with the act hitting various studios "armed with a sack of harmonicas, a mess of foot percussion and a road-worn Telecaster." In addition to taking on hints of vintage "groove blues," A Real Fine Mess is apparently also inspired by contemporary acts. You can check out the somewhat Black Keys-ish "Don't Make 'em Like They Used To" in the player down below.
Lyrically, the set is said to home in on themes "like how one's life can appear successful on one hand, yet be clouded by doubt and struggles on the other." You'll find the tracklisting for the set down below as well.
The road-tested duo will be hitting the North American circuit ahead of the album's release, with a series of U.S. club dates transpiring before they hit various Canadian festivals, including Sudbury's Northern Lights Festival, the Burnaby Blues & Roots Festival and the Regina Folk Festival. The group's show schedule currently runs between early June and October, with even more dates set to be unveiled sometime soon.
A Real Fine Mess:
1. Black And Blue
2. Do Watcha
3. Tea For Two
4. Mama's In The Backseat
5. Closer To Death
6. Feel Me Now
7. Don't Make 'em Like They Used To
8. My Paradise
9. In And Out Of Love
10. Sweat This Pain
11. Cry A Little
12. In The End
13. Act Your Age
14. A Real Fine Noise
Tour dates:
06/05 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
06/06 Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen
06/07 Champaign, IL - Highdrive
06/08 Goshen, IN - Ignition Music Garage
06/10 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
06/11 Indianapolis, IN - The Slippery Noodle
06/12 Saint Louis, MO - Oyster Bar
06/13-15 Salina, KS - Smoky Hill River Festival
07/04 Sudbury, ON - Northern Lights Festival
07/05-06 Orillia, ON - Mariposa Folk Festival
07/11 Victoria, BC - Rock The Shores
07/12 Kelowna, BC - Keloha Festival
07/17-18 Saskatoon, SK - Ness Creek Festival
07/24 Toronto, ON - Dakota Tavern
07/25-27 Guelph, ON - Hillside Festival
08/01-02 Kaslo, BC - Kaslo Jazz Festival
08/03 Invermere, BC – Pynelogs
08/08 Kamloops, BC - Music in The Park
08/09 Burnaby, BC - Burnaby Roots & Blues
08/10 Regina, SK - Regina Folk Festival
08/15 Comox, BC - Atmosphere
08/16-17 Winnipeg, MB - Winnipeg BBQ & Blues Festival
09/12-14 Fredericton, NB - Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival
09/17-21 Nashville, TN - Americana Music Festival
10/04 Chilliwack, BC - Chilliwack Cultural Centre
10/05 Vernon, BC - Vernon PAC
10/08 Winnipeg, MB - Park Theatre
The record was tracked between the members' respective home bases of Vancouver and Nanaimo, with the act hitting various studios "armed with a sack of harmonicas, a mess of foot percussion and a road-worn Telecaster." In addition to taking on hints of vintage "groove blues," A Real Fine Mess is apparently also inspired by contemporary acts. You can check out the somewhat Black Keys-ish "Don't Make 'em Like They Used To" in the player down below.
Lyrically, the set is said to home in on themes "like how one's life can appear successful on one hand, yet be clouded by doubt and struggles on the other." You'll find the tracklisting for the set down below as well.
The road-tested duo will be hitting the North American circuit ahead of the album's release, with a series of U.S. club dates transpiring before they hit various Canadian festivals, including Sudbury's Northern Lights Festival, the Burnaby Blues & Roots Festival and the Regina Folk Festival. The group's show schedule currently runs between early June and October, with even more dates set to be unveiled sometime soon.
A Real Fine Mess:
1. Black And Blue
2. Do Watcha
3. Tea For Two
4. Mama's In The Backseat
5. Closer To Death
6. Feel Me Now
7. Don't Make 'em Like They Used To
8. My Paradise
9. In And Out Of Love
10. Sweat This Pain
11. Cry A Little
12. In The End
13. Act Your Age
14. A Real Fine Noise
Tour dates:
06/05 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
06/06 Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen
06/07 Champaign, IL - Highdrive
06/08 Goshen, IN - Ignition Music Garage
06/10 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
06/11 Indianapolis, IN - The Slippery Noodle
06/12 Saint Louis, MO - Oyster Bar
06/13-15 Salina, KS - Smoky Hill River Festival
07/04 Sudbury, ON - Northern Lights Festival
07/05-06 Orillia, ON - Mariposa Folk Festival
07/11 Victoria, BC - Rock The Shores
07/12 Kelowna, BC - Keloha Festival
07/17-18 Saskatoon, SK - Ness Creek Festival
07/24 Toronto, ON - Dakota Tavern
07/25-27 Guelph, ON - Hillside Festival
08/01-02 Kaslo, BC - Kaslo Jazz Festival
08/03 Invermere, BC – Pynelogs
08/08 Kamloops, BC - Music in The Park
08/09 Burnaby, BC - Burnaby Roots & Blues
08/10 Regina, SK - Regina Folk Festival
08/15 Comox, BC - Atmosphere
08/16-17 Winnipeg, MB - Winnipeg BBQ & Blues Festival
09/12-14 Fredericton, NB - Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival
09/17-21 Nashville, TN - Americana Music Festival
10/04 Chilliwack, BC - Chilliwack Cultural Centre
10/05 Vernon, BC - Vernon PAC
10/08 Winnipeg, MB - Park Theatre
