Violent Femmes fans will have reason to celebrate on April 18 because the alt-rock band is releasing the first batch of new tunes since 2000’s Freak Magnet.
On Record Store Day, the band will drop Happy New Year, a four-song EP, which was recorded on… wait for it… New Year’s Day in Hobart, Tasmania. To commemorate the special event, the disc will be appropriately available on champagne-colored vinyl.
The first single from the EP is called “Love Love Love Love Love” and it’s gloriously tragic. Written by Los Angeles singer/songwriter Jake Brebes, the song is an ode to more traditional times of romance and courtship, as explained by the samba-style beat and nostalgic lyrics.
In case you’d like to hear Brebes’ version for a side-by-side musical comparison, listen below.
What’s kinda funny about the band’s first new song in 15 years is how similar the lyrical structure is to Violent Femmes’ 1983 hit “Kiss Off.” Both tracks use math as a way to organize heartbreak, which is both hilarious and oddly pragmatic.
While Violent Femmes continue to work on even more new material, make sure catch them this summer when they head out with Barenaked Ladies and Colin Hay on a cross-country tour.
5-Jun-15 – Columbus, OH @ LC Pavilion
6-Jun-15 – Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
7-Jun-15 – Toledo, OH @ Toledo Zoo Ampitheatre
8-Jun-15 – Cedar Rapids, IA @ McGrath Amphitheatre
10-Jun-15 – Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre
12-Jun-15 – Red Wing, MN @ Treasure Island Resort & Casino Island Events Center
13-Jun-15 – Milwaukee, WI @ BMO Harris Pavillion
14-Jun-15 – Council Bluffs, IA @ Stir Cove
16-Jun-15 – Chicago, IL @ FirstMerit Bank Pavilion
17-Jun-15 – Indianapolis, IN @ Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park
19-Jun-15 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion
20-Jun-15 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
21-Jun-15 – Salamanca, NY @ Seneca Allegany Event Center
23-Jun-15 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
26-Jun-15 – Portland, ME @ Maine State Pier
27-Jun-15 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Casino Arena
28-Jun-15 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Mann Center for the Performing Arts
29-Jun-15 – Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
1-Jul-15 – New York, NY @JBL Live at Pier 97
2-Jul-15 – West Windsor, NJ @ Mercer County Park Festival Grounds
3-Jul-15 – Solomons, MD @ Pnc Waterside Pavillion
4-Jul-15 – Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater
8-Jul-15 – Charlotte, NC @ Uptown Amphitheatre Charlotte
10-Jul-15 – Boca Raton, FL @ Sunset Cove Amphitheater
11-Jul-15 – St. Augustine, FL @ St Augustine Amphitheatre
12-Jul-15 – Atlanta, GA @ VZW Amphitheatre at Encore Park
13-Jul-15 – Nashville, TN @ The Woods at Fontanel
15-Jul-15 – Dallas, TX @ Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
18-Jul-15 – Las Vegas, NV @ Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan
19-Jul-15 – San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
21-Jul-15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre L.A.
22-Jul-15 – Saratoga, CA @ Mountain Winery Concerts
24-Jul-15 – Boise, ID @ Idaho Botanical Garden
25-Jul-15 – Portland, OR @ Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn
26-Jul-15 – Seattle, WA @ Marymoor Concerts
HT: Stereogum;Â Photo: Telluride Blues
