Touring: Steel Train + their Twitwar shirts

Steel Train's Jack Antonoff and Evan Winiker may be feuding via Twitter, but that isn't going to stop the boys of Steel Train from going out on the road this fall.

The Twit-war began after the Jack and Evan disagreed on the quality of District 9; Jack thought the movie was over-rated and gross, while Evan felt it was funny and action-packed. This war has led not only led to some hilarious tweets from the two, but has even sparked a limited edition shirt set in which you can choose your side and proudly display a hash-tag outside of the virtual world.

I'd advise you check out the war for yourself before picking a side, but don't be surprised if these shirts spark segregation on the dance-floor of the shows.

The boys of Steel Train will be touring for the first time since the late-August release of Aim and Ignite, the full length debut from Jack's side project, fun., with former The Format singer Nate Ruess and Anathallo's Andrew Dost.

Steel Train and Sherwood will be the opening acts for co-headliners Hanson and Hellogoodbye on the Use Your Sole Tour.

September

30 - Tulsa, OK @ Cains Ballroom

October

1 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant

2 - Kansas City, MO @ The Beaumont

3 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue

5 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave

6 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues

7 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall

9 - Indianapolis, IN @Egyptian Theatre

10 - Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore

11 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues

12 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues

14 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues

15 - New York, NY @ Nokia Theatre

16 - Albany, NY @ Northern Lights

19 - Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live

20 - Washington D.C. @ 9:30 Club

22 - Charlotte, NC @ Amos Southend

23 - Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues

24 - Orlando, FL @ House of Blues

26 - Birmingham, AL @ Workplay Soundstage

27 - Nashville, TN @ Wildhorse Saloon

28 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle

31 - Houston, Tx @ House of Blues

November

1 - Dallas, TX @ House of Blues

3 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre

5 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom

7 - Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia

8 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues

The Use Your Sole tour is sponsored by TOMS, a shoe company who promise a one-for-one guarantee, and provide a pair of shoes to a child in need for each pair bought.

In addition to a TOMS booth at each show, Hanson and Hellogoodbye will have a one mile walk before the show on each night of the tour. Proceeds from the walk will go towards benefitting AIDS and poverty in Africa.

Steel Train is currently working on finishing up their new album, which will be released in early 2010. The currently unnamed album will not be released on the bands previous label, however, as they left Drive-Thru Records in August of this year.

Steel Train Website

Steel Train Myspace

Steel Train Merchandise

Hanson Website

Hellogoodbye Website

Sherwood Website

TOMS Website

Touring: Matt & Kim

It's no mystery - I love Matt & Kim. Truth be told, I only love them more and more as time goes by; but when they chose to make this declaration in New York's Times Square, my love grew immensely.

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino respectively create the dance-punk band known as "Matt and Kim". There is little to not love about this duo. 

For one, what you see is what you get. The two use basic drumming and synths galore to create their entire sound. If you think their albums are fun to sing and dance to, its nothing compared to the fun you'll have if you see them live. Secondly, this pair is entirely self-dependent; for their newest release, Grand, the two took to Matt's childhood home to record and produce the album entirely on their own. Matt later mixed the album himself in their Brooklyn apartment while Kim used her art school background to personally draw and design unique packaging for the album.

Their DIY-work has truly paid off. Since its release, Grand has made an undeniable impact in the music scene. Not only has the album raked in great reviews and waves of fans across the globe (no lie - check this out), it has given the duo a chance to truly share their ideals on music and life in general. From the lyrics on the album itself, to breaking laws aplenty while filming their music videos, as well as having a reputation for refusing to play shows with over-priced tickets, Matt & Kim aren't afraid to take risks to ensure that all elements of their music scream "Fuck yes, this is our summer."

The two have hardly stopped touring since the album dropped in late January, and this summer will be no exception. Fresh off an Australian leg, Matt and Kim have devoted the rest of their summer months to cramming into a four-wheeled vehicle while they tour extensively throughout North America. Dates are listed below, as seen on their website:

July

1 - Asheville, N.C. @ Emerald Lounge

2 - Charlotte, S.C. @ The Forum *

3 - Atlanta, Ga. @ Opera *

4 - Orlando, Fla. @ House of Blues, Lake Buena *

7 - Philadelphia, Pa. @ First Unitarian Church

9 - New York, N.Y. @ Pier 54 (Free!)

10 - Austin, Texas @ Austin Music Hall

11 - Dallas, Texas @ House of Blues

18 - Chicago, Ill. @ Pitchfork Music Festival

August

27 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ El Rey Theatre +

28 - San Diego, Calif. @ Street Scene 2009

29 - Visalia, Calif. @ Howie & Sons Pizza & Beer Parlor +

30 - San Francisco, Calif. @ Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival

September

1 - Arcata, Calif. @ Depot +

2 - Portland, Ore. @ Hawthorne Theatre +

3 - Vancouver, B.C. @ Richards on Richards +

4 - Victoria, B.C. @ Sugar +

5 - Seattle, Wash. @ Bumbershoot

7 - Salt Lake City, Utah @ In The Venue +

8 - Denver, Colo. @ Bluebird Theater +

10 - Minneapolis, Minn. @ Triple Rock Social Club +

11 - Madison, Wisc. @ Majestic Theatre +

12 - Chicago, Ill. @ Bottom Lounge +

14 - Detroit, Mich. @ Magic Stick +

16 - Washington D.C. @ Black Cat +

29 - S. Burlington, Vt. @ Higher Ground Showcase Lounge

30 - Montréal, Que. @ Pop Montréal 2009

October

2 - Buffalo, N.Y. @ Soundlab

* indicates a Bacardi B-LIVE Show

+ w/ Amanda Blank

If you can't tell from their albums what kind of people Matt & Kim are, check out any of their videos on YouTube or shell out a few bucks when they're playing in your town - I guarantee you will have a good time doing any of these things. 

The duo have three albums in all: Grand, their debut full-length Matt and Kim, as well as an early EP titled To/From.

Official Website

Official Myspace

Official Facebook