CADENCE WEAPON
cadenceweaponmusic.com

Rollie Pemberton, aka Cadence Weapon, is back with a new album, Hope In Dirt City, and an upcoming tour. The album came out May 29th via Upper Class Recordings.

I am familiar with his album Afterparty Babies, which I liked because of it “drowned in pop culture“. The album’s been pretty influential, having been inducted to the Hall of Fame during Canada’s National DJ Awards, the Stylus Awards. Apparently according to his press release, he’s credited for introducing hip-hop to Edmonton. I guess they don’t listen to the radio in Alberta.

I haven’t had the chance to listen to the new album, but all the evidence is pointing to a mature sound. It sounds like the album is more production and incorporates live instrumental sounds and samples, because as Pemberton puts it, he wanted to “achieve a listenable, honest approach to integrating a live band … I wanted to have a live feel, but I didn’t want to sound like the Arsenio Hall band. I wanted to make it ambiguous between where the sample ends and the live band begins.”

Speaking of which, it should be fun to see him live. I don’t know what my plans are for the July 4th holiday, but I’ll try and catch him at 7th Street in Minneapols.

06/11 – Neumos – Seattle, WA*
06/12 – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR*
06/14 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA*
06/15 – The Echoplex – Los Angeles, CA*
06/16 – Casbah – San Diego, CA*
06/19 – Larimer Lounge -Denver, CO
06/21 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL*
06/22 – Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH*
06/23 – Lee’s Palace – Toronto, ON*
06/25 – La Sala Rossa – Montreal, QC*

06/26 – Brighton Music Hall – Allston, MA*
06/27 – Bowery Ballroom – New York City, NY*
06/28 – MHOW – Brooklyn, NY*
06/29 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA*
06/30 – Rock & Roll Hotel – Washington, DC*
07/03 – 7th St. Entry – Minneapolis, MN*
07/28 – Interstellar Rodeo – Edmonton, AB
08/10 – Dooryard Festival – Woodstock, NB

*with Japandroids

MEN WITHOUT HATS
menwithouthats.com

I’m not going to lie, I took a trip up to Canada to see this band live. They were awesome. While I don’t recall them doing new songs on the live set, the band’s been apparently writing new material for an upcoming album, Love in the Age of War, to be out June 12th via Cobraside Records. The digital version will be available weeks earlier (June 5) on all the digital outlets.

If you were keeping score, this is Men Without Hats’ first album release in 10 years.

Tracklisting for Love In The Age of War