When the going gets tough, the tough get going

Seriously, if you’d ever told me that we’d someday find ourselves on a list of names alongside Leonard Cohen vying for the same prize title, I’d have laughed in your face. Really close and spitty-like. With deep, throaty guffaws. But, alas, it’s happened, and Woodpigeon’s Treasury Library Canada c/w Houndstooth Europa was named this morning as one of the records on the Polaris Prize’s long list, alongside such personal favourites as Chad Van Gaalen’s Soft Airplane and WOMEN’s self-titled record. And oh. Leonard Cohen.

But where’s everyone else? It’s easy to feel complimented by this sort of thing, but once you realize who didn’t make the list, it’s kind of mind-boggling. Every blogger from here to Halifax has already written on who they think is missing, but here’s a couple of others we really think you should check out: The Blistering Sun, The Pale Moon, Hahahaha by Knots, In Flesh Tones by Azeda Booth, and where the heck is Julie Doiron? Still, despite the omissions, it’s great company to be in and we’re well pleased to be included. Thankyouthankyouthankyou, etc. It’s a real pleasure just to be nominated, and so forth.

But, there’s no time to rest on one’s laurels, so we’re right back at it. Want some new summer tour dates? Well here. Look. We got some right here:

Canada!

Jun 20: NXNE at The Legendary Horseshoe – Toronto, ON
Jun 25: Sled Island at Central United Church – Calgary, AB
Jul 18: South Country Fair – Fort MacLeod, AB

Over Yonder!

Jul 25: Trowbridge Village Pump Festival – Wiltshire, UK
Jul 26: Gateshead Sage – Gateshead, UK
Jul 30: The Swan – Ipswich, UK
Aug 01: Field Day – London, UK
Aug 04: Brudnell Social Club – Leeds, UK
Aug 05: The Fishmarket Gallery – Northampton, UK
Aug 06: The End – Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
Aug 07: T on the Fringe Festival – Edinburgh, UK
Aug 08: The Bandroom – York, UK
Aug 14: Haldern Pop Festival – Rees-Haldern, DE
Aug 15: Way Out West – Göteborg, SWE
Aug 16: Summer Sundae – Leicester, UK

Finally, we’re back at it, back in the studio, back to what we like doing best. In the next few weeks we’ll have details on a nice limited edition split EP coming out on Boompa Records here in Canada, shared with our friend and new label mate Chris Smith. It’s called Trouble, and it’s awesome. Our next long player Die Stadt Muzikanten is under-going the delicate digital massaging known in the biz as “mastering” (I have no real idea what it means or how it’s done) in Montreal and sounding great, and while we may have originally promised to have it out by September 2009, it’s looking like we’re all just going to have to wait a little bit longer and mark the start of 2010 with it instead.

Were that not enough, a couple of our side projects have been working on records of their own, including the debut LP from The Brenda Vaqueros, available only on vinyl (and it’s a beaut). Our Foon Yap has started recording her first EP Summer 2009 #1 as foonyap, and it’s a pizzicato thing of wonder. The Pigeonettes are plotting their next doo-wop assault, and the WP girls have also started up a garage-band four-piece called The May Pangs that features a different hot lad on percussion at every show.

Life is good. The sun is out, and dinner calls. Hope you’re all keeping busy too.