cultofyouth

Cult of Youth released an album, touring (MP3, CD release party tonight & other dates)

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Cult of Youth – Lace Up Your Boots (MP3)

Cult of Youth

Cult of Youth released their proper debut album this week on Sacred Bones and the band play a record release party tonight (2/25) at Secret Robot Project. The band next play the Wierd party at Home Sweet Home on March 9 before heading out on tour with Zola Jesus. Cult of Youth will also be at SXSW.

Originally a solo project for Love is Laughter bassist Sean Ragon (who also runs Greenpoint record store Heaven Street), under which he released some very limited edition records, Cult of Youth soon grew into an actual band. Mixing elements of goth, Celtic music (The Wicker Man soundtrack is frequently mentioned), and post punk influences. Nobody else in Brooklyn sounds quite like them. When I first heard them, I thought they were Australian. Nick Cave or The Gun Club is not an unfair reference point to what Cult of Youth sound like, but it doesn’t encapsulate them either. (CoY also remind me of ’80s San Francisco cult band The Ophelias if anybody remembers them.) The album is their first as a proper band, is a startling debut with tribal drumming, swooping violins, rum-soaked sea chantys, and Ragon’s empassioned singing.

You can download “Lace Up Your Boots” at the top of this post. Tonight’s record release party also has South American band Mueran Humanos (the last date of their U.S. tour), Philly darkwave act Blood Rhythm and You (that’s a band called “You,” not you you…though maybe you’ll be there?). All of Cult of Youth’s tour dates are below.


Cult of Youth

Cult of Youth – 2011 Tour Dates
Feb. 25 – Brooklyn, NY – Secret Project Robot (cd release party)
Mar. 9 – New York, NY – Weird @ Home Sweet Home
Mar. 10 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie *
Mar. 17 – Austin, TX – Beerland (Sacred Bones SXSW showcase)
Mar. 17 – Austin, TX – Imperium @ The Chain Drive
Mar. 21 – St. Louis, MO – APOP
Mar. 22 – Chicago, IL – Abbey Pub
Mar. 25 – Columbus, OH – KVLT
Apr. 14 – St. Louis, MO – Billiken Club **
Apr. 15 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle **
Apr. 18 – Detroit, MI – Magic Stick **
Apr. 19 – Buffalo, NY – Mohawk **
Apr. 20 – Toronto, ONT – Garrison **
Apr. 21 – Montreal, QC – Il Motore **
Apr. 22 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall **
Apr. 23 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom **
*= w. Pop. 1280
** = w. Zola Jesus