Pitchfork

Baltimore slowburners Arbouretum have settled into their Thrill Jockey home very nicely since the release of last year's Rites of Uncovering. So to welcome new Thrill Jockey signees Pontiak into the fold, the Arbros have split a 12" with them.

Not only is this split 12" Pontiak's label debut, it also includes three covers of John Cale originals. Arbouretum offer their rendition of "Buffalo Ballet", while Pontiak take on "The Endless Plain of Fortune" and "Mr. Wilson". Each band also serves up some originals. Thrill Jockey will release the 12", punningly titled Kale, on July 22, and the acts plan to tour together this summer to support it.

For the moment, Arbouretum are keeping pretty quiet, apart from a single scheduled show with Pontiak. Pontiak, however, have a bunch of dates with Merge folkies Wye Oak, and they'll soon issue their first official Thrill Jockey full-length. Sun on Sun, a wide release of the limited edition record Pontiak put out via their own Fireproof Records in 2007, is due from TJ September 9.

Kale:

01 Arbouretum: "Time Doesn't Lie"
02 Arbouretum: "Buffalo Ballet" [John Cale cover]
03 Arbouretum: "Flood of Floods"
04 Pontiak: "Dome Under the Sky"
05 Pontiak: "The Endless Plain of Fortune" [John Cale cover]
06 Pontiak: "Green Pool"
07 Pontiak: "Mr. Wilson" [John Cale cover]

Sun on Sun:

01 Shell Skull
02 Swell
03 White Hands
04 White Mice
05 Sun on Sun
06 Tell Me About
07 The Brush Burned Fast

Pontiak:

05-21 Washington, DC - Black Cat
05-30 Brooklyn, NY - Union Pool
06-04 Baltimore, MD - Talking Head *
06-07 Philadelphia, PA - The Marvelous #
06-08 Winooski, VT - The Monkey House #
06-12 Windsor, Ontario - The Room
06-13 Indianapolis, IN - Sam's Saloon #
06-14 Chicago, IL - The Hideout #
06-15 Iowa City, IA - The Mill #
06-16 St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway #
06-17 Norman, OK - Opolis #
06-18 Tulsa, OK - Sound Pony #
06-19 Austin, TX - Emo's #
06-21 Athens, GA - TBA #
06-22 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 #

* with Arbouretum
# with Wye Oak