Castanets (US) + Tiger Saw (US) + Rand and Holland + Richard in Your Mind + Alps - Sydney

The first Australian tour of Asthmatic Kitty records artist Castanets, supported by Tiger Saw (US), Rand & Holland, Richard in Your Mind and Alps (of NSW). Tickets $12 + $1.50 booking fee, or $15 at the door (if available)

Castanets is Raymond Raposa of Portland Oregon, along with an ever rotating band lineup which has at times featured members of Sunn O))), Bauhaus and Black Heart Procession, as well as Jana Hunter and Sufjan Stevens. Combining elements of the music of Neil Young, Pink Floyd and Woodie Guthrie, Raposa found himself at the forefront of what Pitchfork would call the “freak folk” or “new weird America” movement, which also included Devendra Banhart and The Animal Collective. Following four years of independent releases and solid touring with acts like Michael Gira, Scout Niblett, and Dirty Projectors, Castanets first official album was released in 2004 on Sufjan Stevens’ Astmatic Kitty Records. Since, the label have backed a further three Castanets records, all distributed in Australia through Inertia. Raposa’s fifth record Texas Rose, The Thaw, and The Beasts is released this October. www.myspace.com/castanets

Tiger Saw formed in Newburyport, Massachusetts in 1999. Their early albums explored a beautiful, hushed folk sound with prominent male/female vocals and cello. Their third album, Sing! introduced Tiger Saw as more of a collective, featuring members of Dirty Projectors, Little Wings and K Records’ Jason Anderson, amongst others. Their fourth record, Tigers on Fire, saw their sound evolve into what they’d call “basement soul”, a DIY take on soul and rhythm & blues. Working with a horn section and extra percussionists, they sang of the everyday ecstasy found in sweaty house parties, old funk 45’s, and dancing all night to your favorite songs. Tiger Saw has toured extensively in North America and Europe alongside Grizzly Bear, Kimya Dawson, Jens Lekman, Jad Fair, Explosions in the Sky, and The Gossip. On this tour, the Tiger Saw band will comprise of regular members Dylan Metrano and Mandy Sabine, alongside Ray Raposa (Castanets) and Chris Hearn (Alps of NSW). www.myspace.com/tigersaw

Alps plays textured pop music with elements of shoegaze, folk, and drone centred around analog keys, reverby vocals, drum machines and pedals. Since 2005, Alps (currently performing as Alps of New South Whales) has independently and through different labels internationally released two EPs, three vinyl singles and three albums, including one collaborative effort recorded in eight countries sponsored by Australia Council for the Arts. Alps has played hundreds of shows on multiple tours through Australia, New Zealand, USA and Europe, including playing with Animal Collective, Beirut, Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins), Six Organs of Admittance, Xiu Xiu and Casiotone for the Painfully Alone amongst others. The new album, “Alps of New South Whales” is out now on German label Beat is Murder Records, and to support the release, Alps is touring Australia, New Zealand and USA with Tiger Saw and Castanets throughout December and January, and Europe in February. www.myspace.com/alpsalps

also joined for this show by Rand & Holland, and Richard in Your Mind!