Remember that great double bill of Blitzen Trapper and Fleet Foxes we hipped you to in December? Well, it just got a whole lot better with the addition of Rogue Wave, whose Tuesday’s Gold stamped Asleep At Heaven’s Gate along with their recent Daytrotter Session have gotten a lot of attention on our iPod.

Rogue Wave / Blitzen Trapper / Fleet Foxes will be at the High Noon Saloon on Tuesday, April 8th.

Tickets: $10 Advance / $12 Day of Show / Ages: 18+

Previously on MoB: Nada Surf, Rogue Wave & Inara George @ the Annex
Previously on MoB: Rogue Wave - Strictly Discs In Store
Previously on MoB: Best of 2005 - #11 - Rogue Wave

Myspace: Rogue Wave
Myspace: Blitzen Trapper
Myspace: Fleet Foxes

More MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Insound | eMusic

+Remember to bookmark our shows page for all your Wisconsin concert announcements+

Colin Meloy of the Decemberists will forage out onto the stage alone for a solo tour that includes a stop at the Barrymore Theatre in Madison on Wednesday, April 23rd. I was never much of a fan until I caught them at the Pabst in Milwaukee last April and became converted midway through their set.

Joining Colin on the tour will be special guest and fellow Decemberist, Laura Gibson.

Tickets: $20 adv / On sale 2/8 @ the Barrymore Box Office (608.241.8864), online at barrymorelive.com, and all Barrymore outlets

Update: Milwaukee fans don’t feel slighted, it looks like he’ll be playing on Tuesday, April 22nd - my guess it will be at the Pabst.

Myspace: The Decemberists
Myspace: Colin Meloy
Myspace: Laura Gibson

Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Insound | eMusic

+Remember to bookmark our shows page for all your Wisconsin concert announcements+

Seems like only yesterday we were saying See You Next Time to Destroyer, and now comes the great news that The New Pornographers (with Neko, sans Dan) and Okkervil River play the Orpheum Theatre on Monday, April 21st.

Tickets: $22 Advance / $25 Day of Show
On sale Feb 9 at the Orpheum Box Office / Ticketmaster / TM outlets

MoB: Photos: The New Pornographers - Pabst Theater
MoB: 5 Questions with Will Sheff of Okkervil River

Myspace: The New Pornographers
MP3: The New Pornographers - My Rights, Versus Yours
Myspace: Okkervil River
MP3: Okkervil River - “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe”

Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Insound | eMusic

+Remember to bookmark our shows page for all your Wisconsin concert announcements+

We’re obviously thrilled to be presenting both of Jens Lekman’s upcoming Wisconsin shows at the Pabst Theater and UW’s Music Hall. Tour support can be a tricky combination in effort to find an artist or group to compliment the headliner. That being said, I couldn’t be happier with the selection of The Honeydrips as support for the Jens dates.

Calling Sweden home, and riding a well-deserved 8.4 nod from The Fork for Here Comes the Future, you now have all the more reason to get to the venues early to find yourself a nice comfortable spot for the evening.

Tickets are now on sale for both the Madison and Milwaukee shows. Buy ‘em up soon, they are going fast.

Myspace: The Honeydrips
MP3: The Honeydrips - “I Wouldn’t Know What To Do”
MP3: The Honeydrips - “(Lack of) Love Will Tear Us Apart”
MP3: The Honeydrips - “Trying Something New”

Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Insound | eMusic

+Remember to bookmark our shows page for all your Wisconsin concert announcements+

A new feature here at MoB developed to share some our favorite past concert moments captured in video (albeit sometimes shakey and out of focus). Unlike some of our other scheduled features, these videos will be posted sporadically. Chances are you may have been in the audience, if so, please feel free to leave your remembrances in the comments.

It’s only fitting that we kick things off with a band that delivered two of our favorite concerts from 2007. Captured during Lollapalooza last year, lots of good friends and cheap whiskey within arms reach as the Hold Steady delivered as they always do. This was one of the best days of my life, period. After their set, we drunkenly chatted up Craig Finn about Jack Kerouac (who was too conservative in his writing compared to Alan Ginsburg according to Craig) and their then upcoming opening stint for the Rolling Stones.

Before you dive, and perhaps the biggest news here is that taking a look at The Hold Steady website you’ll notice a collection of photos from the studio. The best revelation from these is that none other than Lucero’s Ben Nichols appears to be lending vocal duties to the upcoming record. Rock and Roll!

The Hold Steady - “Chips Ahoy” (Live from Lollapalooza 2007) :

MoB: Review: The Hold Steady - Orpheum Stage Door
MoB: The Hold Steady: “Hot Soft Light” - Live from Madison

Myspace: The Hold Steady

Tour announcements steadily fill up our inbox. We are doing our best to keep you up-to-date on concert announcements in Wisconsin…but what about those bands whose tour buses pass through our state without stopping to taste the cheese or slam a PBR? With each tour announcement we hold our breath, click and then….*sigh* when we have to drive out of state to catch a number of great bands.

Hard to argue about how good Eels are, they’ve sound tracked many nights and long rides home. With a new Essential Eels collection now available it’s easy to get brought up to speed on their impressive catalog. Caught them in the Chicago sun a few years ago at Lollapalooza, great set.

Eels North American Tour:

3/28 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church
3/29 Washington, DC Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
3/31 Boston, MA Somerville Theatre
4/1 New York, NY Highline Ballroom
4/2 New York, NY Highline Ballroom
4/4/4 Toronto, ONT The Mod
4/5 Detroit, MI Majestic Theatre
4/6 Chicago, IL Park West
4/7 Minneapolis, MN Pantages Theatre
4/9 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre
4/11 Seattle, WA Showbox Theatre
4/13 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
4/14 San Francisco, CA Palace Of Fine Arts
4/16 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theater

Myspace: Eels

Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Insound | eMusic

Tour announcements steadily fill up our inbox. We are doing our best to keep you up-to-date on concert announcements in Wisconsin…but what about those bands whose tour buses pass through our state without stopping to taste the cheese or slam a PBR? With each tour announcement we hold our breath, click and then….*sigh* when we have to drive out of state to catch a number of great bands.

Today Pitchfork announced the upcoming Destroyer tour which sadly contained no Madison or Milwaukee tour stop. I’ve endlessly been on the fence with both his solo material and his songwriting contributions to the New Pornographers, but damn if Trouble In Dreams isn’t winning me over.

Destroyer Tour Dates:

03-14 Austin, TX - The Parish (SXSW)
04-16 Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar *
04-17 Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium *
04-18 Detroit, MI - Pike Room *
04-19 Toronto, Ontario - Lee’s Palace *
04-20 Montreal, Quebec - Club Lambi *
04-22 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg ^
04-23 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom ^
04-24 Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar ^
04-25 Washington, DC - The Black Cat ^
04-26 Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle ^
04-27 Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle ^
04-28 Atlanta, GA - The Earl ^
04-29 Nashville, TN - The Mercy Lounge ^
04-30 St. Louis, MO - Blueberry Hill Duck Room ^
05-01 Kansas City, MO - Record Bar ^
05-02 Omaha, NE - Waiting Room ^
05-03 Denver, CO - The Walnut Room ^
05-13 Edmonton, Alberta - Starlight $
05-14 Calgary, Alberta - #1 Royal Canadian Legion Hall $
05-16 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge $
05-18 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room $
05-19 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour $
05-20 San Diego, CA - Casbah $
05-21 San Francisco, CA - Independent $
05-23 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater $
05-31 Vancouver, British Columbia - The Commodore $

* with Colossal Yes
^ with Andre Ethier
$ with Devon Williams

Photo Credit: Daniel Brielmaier for Muzzle of Bees

Myspace: Destroyer
MP3: Destroyer - “Foam Hands”

Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Insound | eMusic

North Carolina has consistently been providing a great source of new discoveries here at Muzzle of Bees. Having been introduced to the Bowerbirds through Bon Iver and fellow North Carolina residents The Rosebuds, we just recently uncovered the beautiful (though complex) Megafaun, whose album Bury The Square should garner considerable attention in 2008.

Our favorite track from the six track Bury The Square is the final one, “Lazy Suicide.” A banjo-driven number that is sure to be embraced by fans of the Avett Brothers (another North Carolina outfit). The complexity referenced above calls to attention the similarities in sound to label mates and MoB approved Collections of Colonies of Bees, who received mixed reviews from you guys opening for Bon Iver recently in Milwaukee.

Megafaun release Bury The Square through Table of the Elements on February 19th.

Myspace: Megafaun
MP3: Megafaun - “Lazy Suicide”

Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Insound | eMusic

Did you catch The Late Show with David Letterman last night? Obviously the highlight was Jessica Alba, but a close second was The Whigs performance of “Right Hand On My Heart” from their album Mission Control.

Video: The Whigs - “Right Hand On My Heart” (Live on David Letterman)

Muzzle of Bees is proud to present The Whigs at the Majestic Theatre in Madison on Wednesday, February 13th. Tickets are $10, see you there.

Previously: Muzzle of Bees presents The Whigs

Myspace: The Whigs
MP3: The Whigs - “Right Hand On My Heart”

The sound of maturity is immediately evident on first listen to “Pretty Demons,” the title track to the upcoming Freshwater Collins release scheduled for a spring arrival. Recorded over a week long stay at Madison’s Smart Studios, new material comes at a pivotal time for the Milwaukee based group who lose their SXSW virginity this year and have a future Madison date on the horizon opening for John Ralston at the Majestic Theatre on Friday, February 19th.

Wisconsin residents need little introduction to the band who leave a sliver of their soul behind each live performance and as touring continues to open venue doors throughout the US in the coming year, this band will transform from a regional giant to nationally recognized.

Captured during a recent stint in Los Angeles, take a look/listen at a previous incarnation of the song in video form - complete with a Les Paul on the receiving end of a few punches thrown by front man Chris Vos.

Myspace: Freshwater Collins
MP3: Freshwater Collins - “Pretty Demons”