Pitchfork

As the story goes, travels spawned Travels. Whilst on tour in Europe late last year, Anar Badalov of Suicide Squeeze brooders Metal Hearts and Mona Elliott of Gern Blandsten brooders Victory at Sea spent some quality time together. And the press release preciously sums up the rest: "After weeks spent dancing until morning, drinking thick German beer, and getting pulled over by the police (just because the bands were labeled 'sadcore' doesn't mean they didn't have fun!), Anar and Mona fell in love. Upon arriving home they moved in together and gave birth to Travels on their living room floor."

And so, on October 30, they offer their baby unto the world, self-releasing the self-titled Travels debut album. In addition to hard copies, they also plan to share their wares digitally via iTunes and eMusic. And if the name's ringing a tiny bell somewhere in the back of your occipital lobe, perhaps you noticed it among the heavy-hitters covering Huey Lewis and the News (the lone post-millennial Huey cut, no less) on that forthcoming tribute?

Anyhow, folks who think ahead like that can preorder the debut via the band's MySpace beginning September 24. Make haste and you'll be rewarded with one of 500 one-of-a-kind, handmade covers featuring artwork from Elliott.

Travels hope to, yes, travel in tour-like fashion in the coming year. Another European excursion has been tentatively sketched out for January and February, with U.S. dates to follow.

Travels:

01 Golden Sun
02 The Smell of Kerosene
03 Sixty-Five and Sunny
04 People Sleep
05 Isabelle
06 There Is Movement
07 Love I Could Not Afford
08 Friends in Quotes
09 Hearts Racing
10 Olivia Hurt (Desolation in My Heart)