September is creeping up on us and with the change in seasons comes the end of the summer tour rush. The Vans' Warped Tour and "Projekt Revolution" will reach their conclusions, as will New Jersey's own haven for emo and punk groups, The Bamboozle. Even the billowing smoke clouds hanging over the campgrounds that housed the part drug gathering, part music festival known as Bonaroo have finally dissipated.
While the fall concert circuit rarely garners the same type of media attention as the summer's slew of festivals and tours, there are still several quality jam sessions going on, even as the leaves change colors.
Seattle-based experimental rockers Minus The Bear recently hit the road to promote its newest CD, "Planet of Ice." While generally regarded as an indie outfit, Minus The Bear's previous disc, "Menos El Oso," earned mainstream attention, landing the band a spot on a second-tier stage at the 2005 edition of the Vans' Warped Tour. They have again straddled the line between virtual unknown and status quo with the single from "Planet of Ice" entitled "Knights." The video for the track is available for download at mtv2.com.
The boys will bring their eclectic cocktail of passive-aggressive rock to the tri-state area between Oct. 5 and 8 when they hit the Warsaw, Irving Plaza, the Starland Ballroom and the Theatre of Living Arts.
Arcade Fire, another up-and-coming indie rock group, will begin its final U.S. tour in support of its brooding Spring 2007 release "Neon Bible."
Arcade Fire boasts a haunting but addictive combination of orchestral pieces, harps and pipe organs with more traditional rock instruments, making them nearly impossible to classify.
LCD Soundsystem, a New York-based group of disco punks, will support Arcade Fire for the duration of the tour starting Sept. 15. The short-lived journey will focus mostly on West Coast sites but the finale is on Oct. 6 at Randall's Island in New York.
While we're still waiting on an official list of dates, Maritime will also be hitting the dusty trail this fall to promote its third studio release "Hearsay and the Hotel Choir." For those unfamiliar with Maritime, it is a pop-rock group born out of the ashes of early '90s "emo" catalysts, The Promise Ring. Sporting a laid-back sound and witty, poignant lyrics, Maritime made its mark with its 2006 release "We, The Vehicles."
"We Don't Think, We Know," the first song leaked from the new album over the summer, embodies the self-involved witty nature that made their first disc so popular.
Yes, summer is over, but no, it's not the end of the world, at least not musically. While you may have to look harder, you can still find quality tours and bands even when the media isn't looking.
