Pitchfork

Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss, collectively known as Quasi, are headed out on an extensive tour in support of their new album, The Sword of God, which was released on Tuesday. Released the same day was the Quasi collection Early Recordings, which has been out of print for years, and even in its first pressing, was limited to only about 700 copies. Both have been issued by Touch and Go. The Sword of God serves as the follow-up to 1999's Field Studies. Quasi's trademark sound is enhanced by Coomes' use of the Roxichord, which adds an unnaturally cheerful, poppy element to the bleak lyrics. The contrast, of course, just makes it that much more entertaining.

The tour is Quasi's first extended U.S. outing since 1999. As an added bonus, most of the dates include Black Heart Procession/764-HERO side project Magic Magicians as the opening act. Dates:

09-20 Vancouver, BC - Richard's on Richards
09-21 Seattle, WA - Showbox
09-24 Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
09-25 Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
09-26 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
09-27 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
09-28 Newport, KY - Southgate House
09-29 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
09-30 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace
10-02 Cambridge, MA - Middle East
10-03 Philadelphia, PA - Khyber
10-04 New York, NY - Knitting Factory
10-05 New York, NY - Knitting Factory
10-06 Washington, DC - Black Cat
10-07 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
10-09 Atlanta, GA - Echo Lounge
10-13 Austin, TX - Emo's
10-16 West Hollywood, CA - Troubador
10-17 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
10-18 Chico, CA - Brick Works
10-20 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom