Pitchfork

"Following the release of their Do You Like Rock Music? album," the press release begins innocently enough, "British Sea Power now turn their gaze to the plight of the polar bear and a race to the North Pole."

Uh, right, naturally! Yes, British Sea Power are no longer quite so concerned about your preferred genre; they just wanna know if you can do you part to help save the polar bears. So they have designed a special t-shirt and sew-on badge, with proceeds going to exactly that cause. More specifically, the proceeds will go to Gareth Ellis, who will join a team of two other researchers/crazy people in the Polar Challenge in April and May. And what's the Polar Challenge? Why, it's a 350-mile race across the Magnetic North Pole.

Let me be the first to say: "BRRRRRRRRRR".

While trudging across the North Pole, Ellis and crew will be doing research into the plight of the polar bear for the Polar Bears International organization. It seems some mysterious unnamed force (...ahem) is melting the ice upon which the polar bears once cutely frolicked and, as is my understanding, once drank Coca-Cola products. Ellis and company are looking to collect data in the rarely-trodded-upon high Arctic, necessitating this long and arduous duty.

Ellis' fondness of the Ursus Maritimus is apparently rivaled only by his love for British Sea Power. And BSP were more than happy to lend a hand to Ellis, provided there was no risk of frostbite to said hand. In addition to turning over proceeds from the shirt and badge to Ellis' team, they'll also provide them with their very own brand of Kendal mint cake and a brand of hair pomade that can be eaten, if one finds him or herself under duress. Extreme duress.

BSP's dedication to bears runs deep: They travel around with a ten-foot bear named Ursine Ultra from time to time, and you'll recognize that bear silhouette up there from the cover of their 2005 LP Open Season. As singer/guitarist Yan inquires in a press release, "Who wouldn't want the big old bears to stick around?" Well put. He's also supporting the cause by hand-drawing 30 "polar themed" illustrations, which will be given to the first 30 people who order shirts.

When they're not out ensuring the success of the Zoobooks series for many years to come, British Sea Power are on the road. They'll do "Letterman" on Wednesday, hit South by Southwest throughout the long weekend, and keep on keepin' on with their huge North American tour from there. A new single for Do You Like Rock Music? track "No Lucifer" is out today (March 10) on Rough Trade in the UK either via download or on a limited edition of 1,000 10"s.

"No Lucifer" single:

01 No Lucifer
02 Save the Purple House
03 Total Confusion
04 Charlie Potatoes

BSP:

03-13-16 Austin, TX - SXSW
03-19 Omaha, NE - Waiting Room *
03-20 Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews *
03-21 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club *
03-22 Urbana, IL - Canopy Club #
03-24 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle #
03-25 Pontiac, MI - Eagle Theatre #
03-26 Cleveland Heights, OH - Grog Shop #
03-27 Columbus, OH - The Basement #
03-28 Louisville, KY - Phoenix Hill Tavern #
03-29 St. Louis, MO - Billiken Club #
04-11 Dallas, TX - The Loft
04-12 Austin, TX - Club de Ville
04-13 Houston, TX - Engine Room
04-15 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon
04-16 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks
04-17 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder (Florida State University)
04-18 Orlando, FL - The Social
04-19 Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits
04-20 Mount Pleasant, SC - Village Tavern
04-21 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
04-22 Birmingham, AL - Bottletree
04-23 Memphis, TN - Hi Tone
04-26 Norman, OK - Norman Music Festival
05-01 Columbia, MO - Mojo's $
05-02 Oxford, MS - Proud Larry's $
05-03 Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge $
05-04 Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle $
05-06 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle $
05-07 Charlottesville, VA - Satellite Ballroom $
05-08 Washington, DC - Black Cat $
05-09 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's $
05-10 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom $
05-11 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg $
05-13 Boston, MA - Paradise $
05-15 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa $
05-16 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace $
05-17 Buffalo, NY - The Tralf $
05-18 Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre $
10-17 London, England - The Roundhouse

* with Colourmusic
# with the 1900s
$ with the Rosebuds