Pitchfork

[Updated Thursday, September 4th, 2003 04:15:00 Pitchfork Central Time]

Erstwhile Post-Elephant Sixers The Essex Green, recently returned from the warm embrace of Europe, are heading out on the road here in the good old U.S. of A. Though the West Coast is getting just a little bit shafted this time around, the Essex crew are covering the rest of the country pretty thoroughly in support of their recent Merge release The Long Goodbye. Confirmed dates and support acts are as follows:

09-04 Northampton, MA - Iron Horse Music Hall (w/ The Fawns)
09-08 Carrboro, NC - Go! (w/ The Fan Modine)
09-09 Chattanooga, TN - Lamar's
09-10 St. Louis, MO - Rocket Bar
09-11 Iowa City, IA - Gabe's Oasis
09-12 Minneapolis, MN - Ascot Room
09-13 Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club (w/ Bosio)
09-14 Chicago, IL - Schubas +
09-15 Champaign, IL - Cowboy Monkey +
09-16 Grand Rapids, MI - Hair of the Frog Brewery (w/ The Icicles)
09-17 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop +
09-18 Pittsburgh, PA - Rosebud +
09-19 Brooklyn, NY - Southpaw +
09-20 Philadelphia, PA - Khyber +
09-21 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge +
09-23 Cambridge, MA - TT the Bears +

+ with Stars

Side projects abound in any self-respecting E6-related camp, so after a short break following the above tour, The Sixth Great Lake (which consists of four of the five members of The Essex Green) are heading out on the road in October to grace us with a slightly different, countrified version of Beach Boys-influenced summer pop music. These dates are still in the works, so keep your eyes on the Sixth Great Lake website for updates. Tour dates (all with James William Hindle):

10-06 Cambridge, MA - Middle East (w/ Tony Goddess)
10-07 Brooklyn, NY - Southpaw (w/ The Finishing School)
10-08 New York, NY - Knitting Factory (w/ Currituck Co.)
10-10 Asheville, NC - Vincent's Ear
10-11 Greensboro, NC - Gate City Noise
10-14 Nashville, TN - Springwater (w/ Patty LeMay)
10-15 Atlanta, GA - Earthshaking Music (IG Fest)
10-16 Newport, KY - Southgate House
10-18 Grand Rapids, MI - Schuler Books & Music

In further Essex Green news, Sasha Bell (also of The Ladybug Transistor) somehow managed to find the time to record an album under her solo moniker, The Finishing School (playing one date with The Sixth Great Lake above). The album, entitled Destination Girl, is set to be released September 23rd on Telegraph Records, and according to their website, "It will be a magical jaunt down a twisting back road, a sparkling path of mellow melodies, sweeping strings, pulsating pianos and flowing flutes." Will it be rife with allusive alliteration as well? I'll bring the magical road map, lest we get lost along the way. The Telegraph website also mentions a bonus DVD to be included with Destination Girl, but no mention of what it will include-- a double-time freak-out during the extended outro of "Playground?" One can only hope.

And finally, just in case you needed one more chance to hear Bell play and sing and sing and play, The Ladybug Transistor have a new self-titled release due out October 7th on Merge Records. Don't ask for any more, though-- she's tapped out.