Shearwater releasing their Sub Pop debut, playing pair of NYC shows

Back in April of 2011, it was announced that Austin-based indie band Shearwater had signed with Sub Pop Records to release the follow up to their critically acclaimed record The Golden Archipelago (released on Matador in 2010). Well my friends, the time is almost upon us for that new record to be unveiled. Animal Joy will be released on February 14 and is currently available for preorder over at the Sub Pop website.

The record is expected to be more rock-oriented than their last few experimental recordings, the trilogy of albums that included Palo Santo, Rook and The Golden Archipelago. Which makes perfect sense, considering Shearwater's drummer Thor Harris was last seen playing percussion in, um, the heaviest band on planet Earth--Swans. And with the new record only weeks away from release, that means the band is about to hit the road in support of it.

For those of us in New York City, the tour will bring Shearwater to Music Hall of Williamsburg and Bowery Ballroom on February 24 and 25 respectively, opening for the wonderful Ms. Sharon Van Etten (with whom they are touring with). Van Etten has a new album coming out of her own, which we just saw her play in its entirety last week. Tickets are still available for both shows, so grab one while you can--they are likely to sell out. Below, take a listen to "You As You Were" off of Animal Joy, and check out where Shearwater will be playing near you...

Shearwater 2012 Tour Dates

Feb 06 Record Bar, Kansas City, MO ^

Feb 07 Off Broadway, St Louis, MO ^
Feb 10 Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA *
Feb 11 Black Cat, Washington, DC *
Feb 12 Cats Cradle, Carrboro, NC *
Feb 14 Wexner Center, Columbus, OH *
Feb 15 Ladies Literary Club, Grand Rapids, MI *
Feb 16 Lincoln Hall (IL), Chicago, IL *
Feb 17 Lincoln Hall (IL), Chicago, IL *
Feb 18 Cedar Cultural Centre, Minneapolis, MN *
Feb 21 Lee’s Palace, Toronto, Canada *
Feb 22 Il Motore, Montreal, QC *
Feb 23 Paradise (MA), Boston, MA *
Feb 24 Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY *
Feb 25 Bowery Ballroom, The, New York City, NY *
Mar 28 Bitterzoet (NL), Amsterdam, Netherlands
Mar 29 Botanique, Brussels, Belgium
Mar 30 Haunt (UK), Brighton , United Kingdom
Mar 31 Deaf Institute, Manchester, United Kingdom
Apr 01 Stereo, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Apr 03 Scala, London, United Kingdom
Apr 04 Le Grand Mix (F), Tourcoing, France
Apr 05 La Maroquinerie, Paris, France
Apr 06 Bad Bonn, DA
Apr 08 Palace (CH), Gallen, Switzerland
Apr 09 Bloom , Milano, Italy
Apr 10 Circolo Degli Artisti, Rome, Italy
Apr 11 Bronson, Ravenna, Italy
Apr 12 Menza pri koritu (SL), Lubijana, Slovenia
Apr 16 GrooveStation, Dresden, Germany
Apr 17 Prinzenbar, Hamburg, Germany
Apr 18 Comet (DE), Berlin, Germany
Apr 19 Babylon (TR), Istanbul , Turkey
Apr 21 AN Club, Athens , Greece

^ w/ The Caves

* w/ Sharon Van Etten