The Districts get weird upstairs at Fergies’ in “Ordinary Day” video from their new Popular Manipulations LP
We’ve had the latest single Lititz sons The Districts, “Ordinary Day,” in super heavy rotation over here at XPN HQ, and for a band that boasted a standout cut called “Bold” on their last album, 2015’s A Flourish and A Spoil, this jam lives up to that name.
Their trademark build-to-catharsis effect is more emphatic than ever, and lead vocalist Robby Grote is unabashed, not holding back at all in his delivery — he lets his mellifluous voice rip in a way we haven’t heard previously. All signs are indicating that their forthcoming third album Popular Manipulations is moving in step.
Due out August 11th on Fat Possum Records — with a release celebration that night at Union Transfer — the album is taking not only huge leaps in volume and confidence but tone and texture, exploring more esoteric avenues and leaving the whole “Americana” vibe of their earliest recordings solidly in the rearview. Which, honestly, is a great thing for the band’s growth.
The video for “Ordinary Day,” out this morning, is easily the trippiest thing The Districts have done. Filmed upstairs at Center City Philadelphia’s best watering hole, Fergie’s Pub, the footage plays on the discomfiting tension of surrealist-inspired cinema la Eyes Wide Shut or Mullholland Drive as the band, clad in black turtlenecks, performs the song to a crowd wearing chalky carnival masks and drinking milk.
Watch the video and check out The Districts’ spring / summer run of tour dates below; tickets and more information on the April 28th show in Lancaster and the August 11th show at Union Transfer can be found at the XPN Concert Calendar. You can also catch The Districts on the roster of NonCOMM 2017. Check out the Popular Manipulations herealbum art below and pre-order the record .
Tour Dates
April 25 – Lexington, KY @ Cosmic Charlies
April 26 – Cincinnati, OH @ Woodward Theater
April 28 – Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club
May 04 – Towson, MD @ WTMD First Monday
May 19 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape
May 20 – Birmingham, UK @ The Institute
May 22 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie
May 23 – London, UK @ The Dome
May 25 – Berlin, DE @ Badehaus Szimpla
May 26 – Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling @ Paradiso
June 21 – Charlotte, NC @ Visualite
June 22 – Charleston, SC @ Royal American
June 23 – Orlando, FL @ The Social
June 24 – Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre
June 26 – Houston, TX @ Raven Tower
June 27 – Austin, TX @ Sidewinder
June 29 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
June 30 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
July 01 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
July 03 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
July 06 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
July 07 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
July 08 – Vancouver, BC @ Cobalt
July 10 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
July 11 – Denver, CO @ Globe Music Hall
July 13 – Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar
Aug 04 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
Aug 04-06 – Montreal, QC @ Osheaga
Aug 07 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Aug 10 – Columbus, OH @ Express Live *
Aug 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Aug 12 – North Adams, MA @ Mass MoCA *
Aug 16 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
Aug 18 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Aug 25 – Reading , UK @ Reading Festival
Aug 26 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
Aug 27 – Hull, UK @ Fruit
Aug 29 – Newcastle, UK @ Cluny
Aug 30 – Edinburgh, UK @ Caves
Aug 31 – Glasgow, UK @ King Tuts
Sept 2 – Bristol, UK @ The Downs
Sept 3 – Cambridge, UK @ Portland Arms
Sept 5 – Nottingham, UK @ Bodega
Sept 6 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
Sept 7 – Cardiff, UK @ Clwb Ifor Bach
Sept 11 – Brighton, UK @ Haunt
Sept 14 – Monthey, CH @ Pont Rouge
Sept 15 – Milan, IT @ Serraglio
Sept 17 – Darmstadt, DE @ Golden Leaves Festival
Sept 18 – Zurich, CH @ Werk 21
Sept 19 – Munich, DE @ Strom
Sept 20 – Vienna, AT @ Flex
