Extended Listen: EARTH – Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light II, Royal Baths – Better Luck Next Life, Grimes – Visions

EARTH – Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light II

We loved EARTH’s last record, as well as its album cover artwork from Seattle artist Stacey Rozich. Their latest, Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light II comes out February 14th, 2012, on Southern Lord Records; it continues to build off the previous album’s improvisational energies with a slow slog through desert heat and bare farmlands.

In addition, lucky Seattlites get treated to a triple threat on February 25th, 2012, with what has effectively been billed a “A Very Special Triple Album Release Show”! Taking place at The Highline in Seattle, the show will include openers Low Hums and Cold Lake. $12 / 9PM / 21+

August 16th, 2012 Update: International Fall 2012 tour dates below the SoundCloud player.

EARTH NEW ZEALAND / AUSTRALIA TOUR DATES
9/19/2012 Earthdon – Tokyo w/ Mamiffer
9/20/2012 Pangea – Osaka w/ Mamiffer
9/21/2012 Club Upset – Nagoya w/Mamiffer, Eternal Elysium
9/22/2012 Fever – Tokyo w/ Mamiffer, Boris

EARTH JAPANESE TOUR DATES
9/19/2012 Earthdon – Tokyo w/ Mamiffer
9/20/2012 Pangea – Osaka w/ Mamiffer
9/21/2012 Club Upset – Nagoya w/Mamiffer, Eternal Elysium
9/22/2012 Fever – Tokyo w/ Mamiffer, Boris

EARTH NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
10/24/2012 Rotture – Portland, OR w/ Fontanelle, Stebmo
10/26/2012 Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock – Los Angeles, CA w/ Fontanelle, Stebmo
10/28/2012 Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA w/ Fontanelle, Stebmo
10/29/2012 Soda Bar – San Diego, CA w/ Stebmo
10/31/2012 Rhythm Room – Phoenix, AZ w/ Balmorehea, Stebmo
11/02/2012 Auditorium Shores – Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Festival
11/03/2012 Bryan Street Tavern – Dallas, TX w/ Stebmo
11/04/2012 One Eyed Jacks – New Orleans, LA w/ Stebmo
11/06/2012 Will’s Pub – Orlando, FL w/ Stebmo
11/07/2012 The Earl – Atlanta, GA w/ Daughn Gibson, Stebmo
11/08/2012 Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC w/ Stebmo
11/09/2012 Rock and Roll Hotel – Washington, DC w/ Eagle Twin, Stebmo
11/10/2012 Littlefield – Brooklyn, NY w/ Eagle Twin, Stebmo
11/11/2012 TT the Bears – Cambridge, MA w/ Eagle Twin, Stebmo
11/12/2012 Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA w/ Eagle Twin, Stebmo
11/13/2012 Altar Bar – Pittsburgh, PA w/ Eagle Twin, Stebmo
11/14/2012 Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH w/ Eagle Twin, Stebmo
11/15/2012 Taft Ballroom – Cincinnati, OH w/ Eagle Twin, Stebmo
11/16/2012 Township – Chicago, IL w/ Eagle Twin, Stebmo
11/17/2012 Township – Chicago, IL w/ Eagle Twin, Stebmo
11/18/2012 Triple Rock Social Club – Mnneapolis, MN w/ Eagle Twin, Stebmo
11/19/2012 The Record Bar – Kansas City, MO w/ Eagle Twin, Stebmo
11/21/2012 Marquis Theatre, Denver, CO w/ Stebmo
11/24/2012 The Shakedown – Bellhingham, WA w/ The Body, Low Hums
11/25/2012 The Crocodile – Seattle, WA w/ The Body, Stebmo

Grimes – Visions

We aren’t streaming Grimes latest album on our site, but you can stream the entire album on NPR. The upcoming album, Visions, will be co-released on February 21st, 2012, by 4AD in the United States and Arbutus Records in Canada. About it, the lady behind the project, Claire Boucher, says: “It is both an ethereal escape from, and a violent embrace of, my experience. The creative process is a quest for the ultimate sensual, mystical and cathartic experience and the vehicle for my psychic purging. Visions was conceived in a period of self-imposed cloistering during which time I did not see daylight.”

Full tour dates and tracklisting available here.

Royal Baths – Better Luck Next Life

With a fresh cross-country relocation and new record label under their belts, New York-based Royal Baths are back with Better Luck Next Life. Released February 7th, 2012, the album’s dark psych rock challenges listeners with an uneasy listen, particularly with intense vocal dissonances and twisted guitar experiments. It’s like Psychic Ills’ latest record in spirit, kind of, but with no holds barred and no lethargy. And trust us when we say that the recordings only do them partial justice; for the full experience, see them live and have your mindstate obliterated to their heavy instrumental plodding. See below for full list of tour dates and video for “Black Sheep.”

ROYAL BATHS TOUR DATES
2/7 – Death By Audio – Brooklyn, NY
2/8 – Kung Fu Necktie – Philidelphia, PA
2/9 – DC9 – Washington, DC
2/10 – The Blind Tiger – Greensboro, NC
2/12 – Black Cat – Boone, NC
2/13 – Voodoo Lounge – Huntsville, AL
2/14 – 529 – Atlanta, GA
2/17 – Parkside – Birmingham, AL
2/18 – Little Hamilton – Nashville, TN
2/19 – Zanzibar – Louisville, KY
2/20 – Empty Bottle – Chicago, IL
2/21 – Skihouse – Carbondale, IL
2/22 – 7th St. Entry – Minneapolis, MN
2/25 – The Bog – Scranton, PA
2/27 – Monkey House – Burlington, VT
2/28 – Butcher Shoppe – Allston, MA
2/29 – Maxwell’s- Hoboken, NJ
3/5 – Knitting Factory- Brooklyn, NY
3/6 – Golden Harvest- Baltimore, MD
3/7 – Strange Matter- Richmond, VA
3/10 – Savannah Stopover – Savannah, GA
3/12 – The Texan- Corpus Cristi, TX
3/14 – 3/17 – SXSW- Austin, TX
3/22 – Spazz Fest – Greenville, NC
3/24 – Duke University Coffeehouse- Durham, NC