Pitchfork: U.S. Maple on Tour With Just Everyone

U.S. Maple on Tour With Just Everyone
Still working on "dream tour" with Syrup USA

[Posted Wednesday, December 10th, 2003 04:00:00 Pitchfork Central Time]

U.S. Maple are on a three-week jaunt this December-- part one of what Drag City calls "an extended trip through the world." They'll be grimacing through material from their recently released fourth full-length, Purple on Time., their first with new drummer Adam Vida. Purple heralded the arrival of a kinder, gentler U.S. Maple, boasting actual coherent rhythms, melodies, and recognizable rock dynamics, but this is only in comparison to previous U.S. Maple recordings-- compared to more traditional rock albums, Purple is still beautifully maimed.

U.S. Maple's music is more suited to the immediacy of the live format than the staid confines of an album, the tightly coiled urgency always seeming on the verge of boiling over into actual on-stage violence. At their best, U.S. Maple seem to play against rather than with one another, each member striving to push their contribution to a song's structure away from the others until they're held together by the flimsiest filaments, thus all the more glorious when they reach the point of terminal tension and snap back together.

For the December dates, U.S. Maple has tapped an array of stellar supporting acts that are just as musically deranged and singular as they. These include avant-garde noise rockers Need New Body, Papa M (granted, not really deranged, except for maybe his stint in Zwan), DMBQ (featuring ex-members of The Boredoms), and Spirit Stallion (including members of Oxes, French Mistake and Stars of the Dogon). In Tennessee, they'll be supported by Neptune (who I've heard described as junk rockers in the vein of Skeleton Key), not The Neptunes, as I thought at first glance. That U.S. Maple is not playing with the masters of crunk is at once a relief and sort of disappointing, like realizing a girl you really like but know isn't good for you isn't actually going to break up with you. Al Johnson warbling over bounce tracks-- this is the theoretical end music I leave you with as the credits (i.e. tour dates) roll:

12-10 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar (w/ DMBQ, More Dogs, Spirit Stallion)
12-11 Carrboro, NC - Go! Room 4 (w/ Strange)
12-12 Atlanta, GA - The Earl (w/ United States)
12-13 Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light (w/ Fangs, Neptune)
12-15 Lexington, KY - The Dame
12-16 Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theater
12-17 Bowling Green, OH - Howard's Club H
12-18 Detroit, MI - Lager House
12-19 Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club (w/ Pelican, Leval Blessing)
12-20 Chicago, IL - Abbey Pub (w/ Cheer Accident, Rope)