Geoff Rickly releases first post-Thursday solo material, going on tour (mixtape download, dates)
by Andrew Sacher
DOWNLOAD: Geoff Rickly – Mixtape 1 (ZIP)
Geoff Rickly w/ Thursday at The Chance in 2010 (more by Meghan McInnis)
Geoff Rickly, former frontman of the now defunct post-hardcore band Thursday, released his first collection of solo recordings, Mixtape 1, for free on his website. He recorded the entire thing in his apartment while Hurricane Sandy was hitting and while he asks for no money for the recordings, he says, “if you feel like you want to pay for this music, please make a donation to the Red Cross.” Geoff’s been volunteering himself to help out with Sandy relief and just played a benefit at Knitting Factory with Will Sheff, Jean Grae, and many others. Regarding the release of the mixtape, Geoff writes:
The Mixtape format is meant to be a casual way to try out some new things. There are some brand new songs, along with a cover and a rewrite of one of my oldest favorites. The majority of it was recorded in my apartment in the middle of Hurricane Sandy and the song New Sympathies, in particular, reminds me of those heavy winds and deep waters.
There are no strings attached, no hidden marketing games. This doesn’t reflect my belief that music should be free or any desire to revolutionize an industry. I just want to do this myself, for now. No art-by-committee, no selling music. Just me & my friends at home, making songs(bedroom songs, songs not too polished up). I’ll keep making more of these and giving them to you when I finish. Maybe someday I’ll make a proper record and sell it. Maybe not.
The bedroom-recorded quality and the fact that it was recorded during a devastating storm which wreaked havoc on his home state makes the songs especially haunting. And songwriting-wise, it picks up on the high note that Thursday left off on. I personally thought their last album, 2011’s No Devolución, was their strongest in years and one of their best overall, so solo material from Geoff Rickly comes as nothing but a pleasant surprise. You can download the mixtape at the top of this post.
In October, we mentioned that Geoff planned to go on a house tour with Terrible Things (Fred Mascherino). Details for that tour have been revealed and it appears that Geoff won’t be at the NYC date, but will instead open for Anthony Green in NYC when their tour together hits Irving Plaza on December 5. Tickets for that show are on sale now. That tour also hits Freehold, NJ on December 8 at Encore (tickets). All dates on that tour are listed below. As for the house shows, Geoff is still on board for the one in Wallingford, CT (tickets) and a few others, all of which are listed below.
In related news, Geoff Rickly’s United Nations bandmate Daryl Palumbo (who also fronts Glassjaw and Head Automatica) has a new project with Richard Penzone of Men, Women & Children called Color Film, who will release their debut LP, Living Arrangements, at some point in 2013. They played a set in NYC during CMJ at the Irving Plaza show with GZA, Killer Mike, Sweet Valley, Haleek Maul and Bear Hands. The Music Ninja was there and writes, “So, what does Color Film sound like? Maybe a tad more (new wave-y) melodic than Glassjaw. That is to say: intense, ear-shattering, screech/yelp rock.” You can stream the track “Bad Saint” form their upcoming debut below.
That song stream and a list of all dates, below…
—
Color Film (Daryl Palumbo) – “Bad Saint”
—
Geoff Rickly — 2012 Tour Dates
11/29 – Buffalo, NY (house show)^
11/30 – Springfield, MA (house show)^
12/1 – Lowell, MA (house show)^
12/2 – Wallingford, CT (house show)^
12/4 – Lancaster, PA (house show)^
12/5 – Irving Plaza, NYC*
12/7 – Theater of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA*
12/08 – Encore, Freehold NJ*
12/11 – Culture Room, FT Lauderdale FL*
12/12 – White Rabbit, San Antonio, TX*
12/15 – The Fonda Theater, Los Angeles, CA*
12/16 – The Glass House, Pomona, CA*
^ – w/ Terrible Things
* – w/ Anthony Green
—
