Kelley Stoltz touring and playing w/ Sonny & the Sunsets (dates, new albums, MP3s & stuff))

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Sonny & the Sunsets – Lovin’ on an Older Gal (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Sonny & the Sunsets – Too Young to Burn (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Kelley Stoltz – I Don’t Get That (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Kelley Stoltz – Rescue (MP3)

Sonny & the Sunsets & Stoltz

Kelley Stoltz and Sonny & the Sunsets are going to be tourmates for the next couple of weeks, but they are more than just roadmates… they play in each other’s bands. Or to put it another way, when Sonny sings it’s the Sunsets, and when Stoltz sings it’s his band. That’s one way to save on touring.

Their tour includes NYC stops at Mercury Lounge on Thursday, September30 and Union Hall on Friday, October 1. Both are early shows. Both are on sale (click the links).

Stoltz produced Sonny & the Sunsets’ Tomorrow is Alright, which also features members of Thee Oh Sees and The Fresh & Onlys. It’s ten songs of laid-back California folky charm, spare but produced just enough to give it flair. Two of those songs are downloadable at the top of this post, including the terrific, melancholic “Too Young to Burn.” The record was originally released on vinyl via Soft Abuse but can now be got in digital and CD form through Fat Possum.

Kelley Stoltz

Meanwhile, Stoltz is set to release his third album for Sub Pop, To Dreamers, on October 12. A devout home taper, this is  definitely his most “produced” record yet, and the first where Stoltz didn’t play all the instruments himself. It still, however, continues his obsession with all things Kinks, Beatles, and Bunnymen. (Maybe a little Turtles and Monkeys too.) Check out the crazy-catchy “I Don’t Get That” at the top of this post.

After their tour together, Sonny & the Sunsets will tour with Best Coast (whose current tour hits NYC this week) for some Southwest and West Coast dates, as well as dates with Tennis and Pains of Being Pure at Heart (who headline the BrooklynVegan CMJ showcase this year).

Then in December, Stoltz will open for his heroes Echo & the Bunnymen on a UK tour. You may remember that Stoltz’ first-ever release was Crockodials, a song-by-song redo of the Bunnymen’s classic 1980 debut. You can hear his version of “Rescue” at the top of this post.

Aside: Crockodials was also a tribute band he fronted, whose sporadic live shows were the stuff of legend in San Francisco, complete with camo gear, smoke machines and mouthy Ian McCulloch stage banter (Stoltz does a seriously good Mac impersonation). The band included Pavement’s Scott Kannberg and now Fresh & Only Shayde Sartin. Crokodials actually perfomed at CMJ 2003 — a fun if very, very late Arlene’s Grocery show the same night the Bunnymen played Webster Hall.

All Kelley Stoltz and Sonny & the Sunsets tour dates — together and apart — are below….

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Kelley Stoltz / Sonny & the Sunsets – 2010 Tour Dates
Tuesday, September 28 Bar St. Laurent II, Montreal Canada
Wednesday, September 29 T.T.The Bears, Cambridge MA
Thursday, September 30 Mercury Lounge, New York City NY
Friday, October 1 Union Hall, Brooklyn NY
Sunday, October 3 DC9, Washington D.C. D.C.
Friday, October 15 Cafe du Nord, San Francisco CA
Monday, October 18 Crocodile, The, Seattle WA
Thursday, October 21 Cellar Door (CA), Visalia CA

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Sonny & the Sunsets – Additional 2010 Tour Dates
10/26 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall #
10/28 Portland, OR Holocene #
10/29 Vancouver, BC Cobalt #
10/30 Seattle, WA Neumo’s #
10/31 Spokane, WA Stage 54 #&
11/2 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge #
11/3 Denver, CO Bluebird #
11/5 Dallas, TX Granada #$
11/6 Houston, TX Mango’s #
11/9 Phoenix, AZ Rhythm Room #
11/10 San Diego, CA Casbah #
11/11 Los Angeles, CA Echo ^
11/12 Los Angeles, CA Echoplex *
# = w/ Best Coast
& = w/ No Joy
$ = w/ Deerhunter & Casino Versus Japan
^ = w/ Tennis
* = w/ The Pains of Being At Heart

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Kelley Stoltz – Additional 2010 dates
Saturday, December 4 Academy Birmingham, Birmingham United Kingdom
Monday, December 6 Oxford Academy, Oxford United Kingdom
Tuesday, December 7 Ritz, Manchester United Kingdom
Wednesday, December 8 Glasgow Academy, Glasgow United Kingdom
Thursday, December 9, Brixton Academy, London United Kingdom
Saturday, December 11 Liverpool Olympia, Liverpool United Kingdom
Sunday, December 12 Liverpool Olympia, Liverpool United Kingdom
All shows w/ Echo and the Bunnymen