News ~ Clogs

March 1, 2004

Clogs On Break With Other Projects, Tour August 2004

Clogs are planning two or three months of US and European touring, to start in August 2004. This will be in support of their third record, Stick Music, which be released this summer. In the interim, they are pursuing other pursuits. Bryce Dessner has been doing guitar duties with The National. Thom Kozumplik recently embarked on a mid-western tour with his percussion ensemble, Loop 2.4.3. Rachael Elliott is holding down the fort in Brooklyn, and recently performed in a master class for Pascal Gallois at Columbia University's Miller Theatre. She continues to put the "ooooh!" in "bassoon." Padma Newsome is spending the next few months in the southeastern coastal town of Mallacoota, Austral...


January 1, 2004

Clogs Rest Their Feet

Padma Newsome has returned to Australia after accompanying The National on their Nov/Dec European tour. As he plots out his musical future, 3/4 of the group remain Stateside. They have begun planning Clogs' tours for for September 2004 (United States) and October 2004 (Europe). (For booking inquiries, contact rachael@clogsmusic.com.) Before that, expect to see Bryce Dessner playing a bunch of dates Bang on a Can are doing with Terry Riley and Philip Glass. Bryce is filling in for regular guitarist Mark Stewart, who is busy playing with the reunited Simon & Garfunkel. Clogs have also completed a new album, Stick Music, which features the playing of Erik Friedlander. Release date TBA.


November 17, 2003

Clogs' Lullabye For Sue Looking Good

The sleeve for Clogs' second album, Lullaby for Sue, appears in Area, a book published by Phaidon Press, and described as "an up-to-the-minute, global overview of graphic design...selected by a distinguished group of 10 curators from around the world." Our friends at the Chicago design firm, Field Study, created the record's artwork. Their inclusion in Area recognizes the studio as one of "100 of the world's most innovate emerging graphic designers." Congrats for making the cut Field Study, and thanks for considering your work for Brassland some of the best of the best. The publisher has set-up a mini-site about the book.


September 30, 2003

Clogs Say Goodbye for Awhile

Clogs' lead composer and violist, Padma Newsome, is going back to Australia for a few months. Clogs are playing their last US shows for awhile to mark this temporary farewell. Padma has a big show in New Haven, CT on Oct 16th; the group will appear at Tonic on Monday, Oct 20th; and they will be doing a live session on WNYC radio, although we don't have a date yet. See our tour page for details. The group is currently planning a European tour for March 2004.

A belated thanks also to WNYC's John Schaefer for being so supportive of Brassland. Recently he hosted Bryce Dessner (Clogs/The National) for a half-hour in-studio appearance on his Soundcheck program.


August 13, 2003

Clogs New Record

Did you know that yesterday was the official US release date for Clogs' new album, Lullaby for Sue? Now that you know, don't you want to buy a copy or see them play in California. The LA Weekly's Alan Rich had this nice thing to say about the group, "Okay, so here is a quartet of excellently proficient, classical-trained musicians who create a repertory not quite like anything already out there... Anyhow, I love this new disc of theirs, most of all for its still, nicely controlled sensibility -- even if I don't quite know where it goes on my shelves."


July 27, 2003

Clogs Plan NYC, SF, and LA Tour Dates

Clogs have scheduled dates in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles to celebrate the US release of their new album, Lullaby for Sue. Mia Doi Todd will accompany them on the west coast dates. Details are available on our tour page. Clogs also hope to schedule some radio appearances and in-stores around these shows.


July 9, 2003

Clogs Plan West Coast Tour

Clogs are planning a west coast tour with Mia Doi Todd. We expect it will occur between August 23rd and 31st; that it will visit cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco and Seattle; and that some good people will attend the shows. We're booking this baby in-house, so that means Glenn would appreciate any advice you have to offer. Email Glenn at glenn@brassland.org. Thanks.


May 8, 2003

Clogs

Clogs are flying across the Atlantic tomorrow for their second European tour, in advance of the May 26th European release date of their second album, Lullaby for Sue. (The first was a brief, four date swing through Germany last May.) A full list of dates is on our [LINK TO COME]tour page.

There are a few open dates which Clogs would love to fill-in with in-store performances, radio gigs, or even a last minute show if there's an attractive opportunity. Clogs hate sightseeing.

Those dates are May 19th-21st (when they'll be in Amsterdam, for a show on Dutch public radio) and Friday, May 23rd, on their way from Paris, France to Oxford, England. The new record is getting...


April 7, 2003

Clogs

A whole mess of European live dates for Clogs have just been posted to our [LINK TO COME] tour page, including shows in Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and France; five UK dates; and two radio performances on Holland's VPRO. Their new album, Lullaby for Sue (pictured at left), will be released in Holland, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Norway, and Sweden on May 12th. It will be released in the rest of Europe on May 26th. We'll have info on the American release date very very soon.


November 19, 2002

Clogs Update

Our friends at Dublab.com have just posted a great Clogs' live session. It's short but sweet, 15 minutes of material that is of yet unavailable on record.

Clogs are planning their second and third trips to Europe in March and May. Details to come. Word is Clogs' has also finished sessions for their second proper full length, tentatively titled Lullaby for Sue. We'll have a progress report on that record in our next news update.


October 5, 2002

Clogs Update

Bryce Dessner, guitar player for Clogs & Brassland co-proprietor writes, "Clogs just finished a whirlwind tour of the northeast which included an art gallery in New Haven, a high school auditorium in Lyndon, Vermont, and two big rock clubs in New York and Boston with Shipping News. We are back in the studio recording brand new music for our second album Lullaby for Sue, including "Mangrove Mountain Dreams," "Swarms" and "Who's Down Now?" in which Padma Newsome raises a feisty fist with one finger extended towards his past.

"We're excited to be back in the company of producer/engineer Vic Steffens of Horizon Studio in West Haven where we record our first record Thom's Nig...


July 17, 2002

Clogs on WFMU Compilation

Clogs appear on Don't Shoot the Toy Piano Player, a new 2-CD anthology of recordings made in the studios of the legendarily cool radio station, WFMU. Broadcasting from Jersey City, it's probably the most offbeat and interesting radio available to those in the New York metro area. The compilation was produced as a thank you gift for people who pledged money during the station's March 2002 fundraiser. "Elevenses" by Clogs appears alongside tracks by such fine outfits as Clinic, Peaches, the New Pornographers, Howe Gelb, Lightning Bolt, and Dead Moon. You can still stream Clogs' [LINK TO COME] full set [RealAudio]. It was recorded during Irene Trudel's show on 10/15/01. (It&...


April 29, 2002

Clogs German Tour and New Album

Clogs have recorded 13 new songs at Brooklyn's Context Studios with producer/engineer Fionn O'Lachlain for an album of a yet undecided configuration.

Tracks include "A Gentler We," sung by composer/violist Padma Newsome, a solo guitar piece, and the first appearance of the electric guitar in the group (giving way to several moments described by O'Lachlan as sounding like Sonic Youth with a bassoon). There are also some beautiful noises from percussionist Thom Kozumplik made on hanging flower pots, metal pipes, concert bass drum, and a badly tuned kalimba.

Clogs are also playing a handful of German dates in early May. For no reason in particular we'd like to...


November 15, 2001

Clogs-Related Website

We just wanted to call your attention to padmanewsome.com, the stylish new website for Clogs lead composer and fiddle player Padma Newsome. It includes a ton of sound files of his work, as well as a stunning photograph of the man himself looking windswept.


September 21, 2001

Clogs October Residency in NY

Clogs have scheduled a residency in the Old Office at New York's Knitting Factory for three Wednesday's in October (the 3rd, 10th and 17th). After some doubts as to the Knit's continued operation, we've been told the residency is a go.

Each show will also feature another leading light on New York's jazz, classical, and new music scene, including clarinettist Evan Ziporyn (Bang on a Can All-stars), cellist Erik Friedlander's Topaz (Erik also plays in Masada and various John Zorn groupings), and bassist/composer Jack Vees. The third show will also feature collaborations with special guest Mia Doi Todd, a Los Angeles singer-songwriter who co-headlined Clogs'...