Bring in the shrinks. Art Brut was fixated on their desire to be top of the pops. Since the show's cancellation last year, what's left to do but give up on rock and roll? Moments like this, when the band debuts as the “most added album” on CMJ's top 200, must only taunt the band's original, unrequited hopes and dreams. And playing Conan O'Brien on July 11th can only be a sad mimicry of playing for that long-standing TV ode to pop that preceded clever camera angles and the Sanjayification of the Idol. Perhaps it's to compensate for the lack of true chart topping pop potential that It's A Bit Complicated, the band's second full length release, out June 19th on Downtown Records, hits… poppier than their first LP.
But the question remains: Art Brut drummed up a story as catchy as its first LP with a frontman who can't sing forcing a band into existence in order to sing hit single songs about a high school crush and to talk about her new boyfriend at his live shows. Can Art Brut do it again with their new LP? Only tour will tell. Wait for their North American dates. Here are some European ones, if you're of that persuasion:
JUNE
13 ASTORIA LONDON
14 ACADEMY 2 BIRMINGHAM
15 ACADEMY 3 MANCHESTER
16 ORAN MOR GLASGOW
18 COCKPIT LEEDS
20 TRABENO PARIS / FRANCE
23 SOUTHSIDE FESTIVAL NEUHAUSEN / GERMANY
24 ROCK A FIE FESTIVAL LUXEMBOURG
30 7:00P MICROCOSM FESTIVAL LA ROCHE SUR YON / FRANCE
JULY
15 SOUNDLABS FESTIVAL ROSETO DEGLI ABRUZZI / ITALY
20 VIELLES CHARRUES CARAIX / FRANCE
21 GARDEN NEF PARTY ANGOULÈME / FRANCE
27 6:00P HRACHKOVA FESTIVAL VALASSKE MEZIRICI / CZECH REPUBLIC
28 LES TRANSCEVENOLES SUMENE / FRANCE
31 SEDIERES FESTIVAL SEDIERES / FRANCE
