Young Knives Philly and Manhattan Shows Cancelled; Luna Lounge Show Still On

Update, courtesy Heather at Ugly Floral Blouse: The Young Knives have had to bag their slot at Mercury Lounge tomorrow night (as well as tonight’s Philly show) due to Visa Problems. The rest of the tour, including Saturday’s show at Luna Lounge (tickets) are still on.

Their new album, Voices of Animals and Men, is pretty great — nervy, angsty, and loaded with cutting humor and catchy riffs. The album contains at least four ace songs ("Weekends and Bleak Days," "She’s Attracted To," "Here Comes the Rumour Mill" and "The Decision") which is more than most do these days. As I’ve said before, "You were screaming at your mom and I was punching your dad" (from "She’s Attracted To") should by all rights be this year’s "I’ve seen her naked… twice!" And their bassist goes by the name House of Lords. You have to love that.

The lack of hype may be because in this time of high fashion, the Young Knives seem like genuine (if endearing) nerds. (It’s the tweed and sweater vests.) Obscure reference: they always struck me as the indie equivalent of the Two Ronnies. The Young Knives’ show last March at The Annex was an overdose of spazzy energy, even with a set time of well past 1AM. I’m sure the Mercury Lounge show will be crowded as they’re on the bill with buzz band The Bird and the Bee, but I just hope people stick around to see one of the UK’s most underrated bands. Here are some treats that will hopefully motivate you to action:

MP3: The Young Knives – Weekends and Bleak Days (Hot Summer)

MP3: The Young Knives – She’s Attracted To

The Young Knives also make great videos: The Decision | She’s Attracted To | Weekends and Bleak Days | Here Comes the Rumour Mill

Voices of Animals and Men is now out in the US with a bonus disc of b-sides and videos. Highly recommended. And here are all the Young Knives’ US tour dates:

March 1 – North Star Bar, Philadephia, PA
March 2 – Mercury Lounge, New York City, NY
March 3 – Luna Lounge, Brooklyn, NY
March 4 – Great Scott, Boston, MA
March 5 – Black Cat, Washington, D.C
March 6 – Safari Sam’s, Los Angeles, CA
March 7 – Spaceland, Los Angeles, CA
March 8 – Popscene, San Francisco, CA
March 10 – Chop Suey, Seattle, WA