The Brian Jonestown Massacre is back and set to release their tenth studio album, Who Killed Sgt. Pepper? on February 23rd. The 13-track album was recorded throughout 2009 in Iceland and Berlin and features Spaceman 3 legend Will Carruthers on bass, vocalist Unnur Andrea Einarsdottir and a variety of international musicians contributing textures not previously heard on a BJM album. It is to be released on bandleader Anton Newcombe's own label, "a recordings LTD", distributed though Red Eye.

With this album, BJM's revolving door lineup now includes guitarist/vocalist and "Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth" songwriter Matt Hollywood, who previously left the group (other ex-member & Dig! scene-stealer, master tambourinist Joel Gion, has been back for a few years). The band's current lineup is posted below.

Brian Jonestown Massacre plays shows in Australia and New Zealand this February/March, Europe in April and May, and then a North American tour in late May and June. They'll play a show at NYC's Webster Hall on Sunday, June 6th. Tickets are now on AmEx presale. General sale starts Friday, January 22nd at noon.

Songs from the new album are featured below in videos put out by the band. In one, a stop-motion Lego zombie invasion is soundtracked by new song "Let's Go Fucking Mental." In another, public doman animation from China follows the band's "Dekta! Dekta! Dekta!" Both are well worth a look. Those, more album info, and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Brian Jonestown Massacre - new album & 2010 tour dates"

photos by Lori Baily

Months ago, when tickets went on sale for the Brian Jonestown Massacre's only U.S. show this summer (at New York's Terminal 5), I said to someone I was trying to persuade to go, "This could be a complete disaster, or it could be transcendent." Those are the poles they swing between: the train wreck or the sublime. And of course, with the news from London last week that Anton Newcombe had been arrested for allegedly knifing guitarist Frankie "Teardrop" Emerson, the odds seemed to tilt toward disaster. Five minutes into the opening song, "Whoever You Are," we had the answer to what was in store for us: The Brian Jonestown Massacre were transcendent. [Tulip Frenzy]

Brian Jonestown's next area show will be upstate at the ATP Festival. More pics from the NYC show below...

Continue reading "Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Terminal 5, NYC - pics"