Nada Surf w/Covers Album, Tour

Kate Bush, Dwight Twilley, Go-Betweens, Bill Fox, Mecromina, Depeche Mode, Soft Pack, Arthur Russell and... the Moody Blues?!? But what about CSN?

By Blurt Staff

Nada Surf bring their trademark sense of harmony and musical craftsmanship to 12 of their favorite songs with their latest release, if i had a hi-fi, their first album of covers. Only a group with their wide-ranging and eclectic taste could bring songs from such artists as Kate Bush, Dwight Twilley and the Go-Betweens together into a coherent, intelligent record. hi-fi also includes some intriguingly obscure numbers like Spanish band Mecromina's "Evolution" and Bill Fox's power-pop "Electrocution."

Although a great deal of thought went into the song selections, the band's intent is not to make an overarching musical statement. Singer-guitarist Matthew Caws says, "We really just wanted to do it organically, whatever we felt like covering in the moment, rather than trying to sum up our influences or something. It's whatever we were excited about in the months before making it. And I think we got to everything we wanted to." The result is both inspired and casual, like a conversation with a friend who shares your taste but also pushes your musical boundaries. A vintage Moody Blues tune, the proto-prog tempo-shifting "Question," shares space with The Soft Pack's blissfully rudimentary "Bright Side," Depeche Mode's grand "Enjoy the Silence," and experimental music icon Arthur Russell's terse but sweet "Janine."

Although the band had just returned from a worldwide tour in support of their 2008 release Lucky, and had looked forward to some time off, if i had a hi-fi mysteriously reenergized them. "The material came together spontaneously," says Caws. "We'd get together and kick ideas around and soon we had an A list, a B list, a C list.... ."  They're particularly proud of the title, which is both a callback to the musical platform of their youth and a palindrome.

if i had a hi-fi was recorded over three weeks in September at Resonate Studios in Austin, TX with long-time collaborator and part-time keyboardist Louie Lino. Fans who attend shows during the spring tour will be able to get their hands on the record before it's in stores, offering true believers the opportunity for a double-first: hearing the songs for the first time and being able to take them home.

The tour begins March 25th with three "Album Shows" in NYC. On consecutive nights, Nada Surf will perform their three most recent albums: Let Go, The Weight Is A Gift, and Lucky in full, along with songs from if i had a hi-fi, fan favorites and b-sides. The band will then continue on to cover both the East and West coasts.

There is a Fan pre-sale for most US shows on Wednesday, January 6^th at 10 am Local Time at http://nadasurf.musictoday.com

Tour Dates:

MARCH

25 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom ("Let Go")

26 - Brooklyn, NY - Bell House ("The Weight is a Gift")

27 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg ("Lucky")

29 - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace

30 - Montreal, QC - Cabaret du Musee Juste Pour

31 - Northampton, MA - Pearl Street

APRIL

01 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church

02 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club

03 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club

13 - London, UK - ICA

15 - France - Printemps de Bourges Festival

17 - France - Strasbourg Artefact Festival

18 - Utrecht, Holland - Tivoli De Helling

19 - Brussels, Belgium - Botanique

20 - Cologne, Germany - Gloria

21 - Lausanne, Switzerland - D! Club

23 - Zurich, Switzerland - Abart

24 - Vienna, Austria - WUK

25 - Prague, Czech Republic - Lucerna Music Bar

26 - Berlin, Germany - Lido

27 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust

28 - Paris, France - Trabendo

29 - Madrid, Spain - Joy Eslava

30 - Murcia, Spain - Estrella Levante SOS 4.8 Festival

MAY

01 - Galicia, Spain - Villagarcia de arosa

15 - Longirod, Switzerland - Long'l'rock Festival

24 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern

25 - West Hollywood, CA - Troubadour

27 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall

29 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom