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”

Each Tuesday stop by Muzzle of Bees for our recommended purchases for the week. Here is the album we suggest for the release date of January 29th:

Artist: Thao
Album: We Brave Bee Stings And All
Label: Kill Rock Stars
Myspace: Thao Nguyen
MP3: Thao Nguyen – “Bag of Hammers”
MP3: Thao Nguyen – “Beat (Health, Life and Fire)”
Video: Thao Nguyen – “What About” live from the Black Cat (Washington, DC)
MoB: “Thao reminds me of Karen O without the soaring heights of fury and caged tiger persona, though I’ve not yet seen her live. Instead, Thao is content to strum and sing her tunes in a composed manner that places her sound a little closer to Tegan and Sara, only not exactly…” Click here to read the rest of our review.

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

With the upcoming release of R.E.M.’s Accelerate on April 1st, a supporting tour with indie heavy hitters like The National and Modest Mouse makes this a $150 ticket night to remember.

R.E.M., The National & Modest Mouse – 2008 Tour Dates

May 23 – Vancouver, BC – Deer Lake Park
May 29 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
May 31 – San Francisco, CA – Greek Theatre
June 03 – Denver, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
June 06 – Chicago, IL – United Center
June 08 – Toronto, ON – Molson Amphitheatre
June 10 – Raleigh, NC – Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
June 11 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion
June 13 – Boston, MA – Tweeter Center
June 14 – Long Island, NY – Jones Beach
June 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Mann Center
June 21 – Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Amphitheatre

Previously on MoB: Revisited Adventures in Hi-Fi

Myspace: R.E.M.
Myspace: The National
Myspace: Modest Mouse