21582

Freelance Whales played CMJ (pics & video), playing Pianos (again) & touring w/ Fanfarlo (dates)

photos by Bryan Bruchman

DOWNLOAD: Freelance Whales – Ghosting (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Freelance Whales – Generator 2nd Floor (MP3)

Freelance Whales

Queens’ Freelance Whales were one of the stand-out acts at this year’s CMJ. The still-unsigned band played a number of shows, including the BV Pianos day party on Thursday, October 22nd, where they played a very applause-worthy, acoustic set of feel-good indie pop in the venue’s upstairs to a large crowd for 1pm on a weekday. Among the many instruments they had with them: a watering can. Picture above. Another picture and some videos below.

The NY Times caught their Wednesday, October 21st set at Santos…

Freelance Whales sang anthems for the utterly diffident: “We could be friends/We have several interests in common.” Quavery high lead vocals, banjo picking, march beats and the inevitable glockenspiel were elevated by crescendos that were no less effective for being so methodical, each verse thickening with countermelodies from synthesizer and guitars. Sure, Freelance Whales — really, it’s not too late for a band name change — is glancing over its shoulder at Arcade Fire, but in song after song, twerpiness discovered its own dignity.

The band, whose self-released debut, Weathervanes, came out in September (tracks from it are above), are doing well for themselves without a label (though that probably won’t be their status for long). They’re set to head out on a six-week tour with Fanfarlo that starts Nov. 9th in Chicago. The tour finishes with a show at Webster Hall on December 18th. Tickets are on sale.

Before they leave, Freelance Whales will play a pre-tour, kick off show at Pianos on Friday, November 6th with Radical Sons and The Invisible (who are also playing two other NYC shows while they are here from the UK). Tickets are on sale.

The band also writes that they’re going to be featured on this week’s seaon finale of Bored to Death, in which “jason schwartzmann and zak galafianakis (sp?) get colonics and dodge strollers in brooklyn, as they themselves deal with their oral and anal fixations, as adult infants.” Sounds interesting!

Videos from their acoustic set at Pianos, and all tour dates, are below…

Freelance Whales

FREELANCE WHALES cmj music festival Brookyn Vegan PIANOS NYC 10.22.09

Freelance Whales @ Pianos (Brooklyn Vegan CMJ Day Party)

Freelance Whales – Generator ^ 2nd Floor @ Pianos (Brooklyn

Freelance Whales – 2009 Tour Dates
Nov 06 Pianos! New York, New York $
Nov 09 Shuba’s Tavern Chicago, Illinois #
Nov 11 Triple Rock Club Minneapolis, Minnesota #
Nov 13 Moe’s Englewood, Colorado #
Nov 14 The State Room Salt Lake City, Utah #
Nov 16 The Knitting Factory Boise, Idaho #
Nov 17 Crocodile Cafe Seattle, Washington #
Nov 18 Media Club Vancouver, British Columbia #
Nov 19 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, Oregon #
Nov 22 Rickshaw Stop San Fransisco, California #
Nov 23 The Echo Los Angeles, California #
Nov 24 The Casbah San Diego, California #
Nov 27 Muddy Waters Santa Barbara, California #
Nov 29 Club Congress Tucson, Arizona #
Nov 30 Sante Fe Brewing Co. Santa Fe, New Mexico #
Dec 02 The Independent Austin, Texas #
Dec 03 The Loft Dallas, Texas #
Dec 04 Walter’s on Washington Houston, Texas #
Dec 06 The Bottletree Birmingham, Alabama #
Dec 09 Metro Gallery Baltimore, Maryland #
Dec 10 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania #
Dec 11 Iota Cafe Arlington, Virginia #
Dec 12 Brillobox Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania #
Dec 14 Majestic Café Detroit, Michigan #
Dec 15 El Mocambo Club Toronto, Ontario #
Dec 16 Il Motore Montreal, Quebec #
Dec 17 T.T. The Bears Cambridge, Massachusetts #
Dec 18 Webster Hall New York, New York #
$ pre-tour send-off bash!
# w/ Fanfarlo