Post-punk is a genre that is easy to dismiss, as its nearly 40-year run has seen plenty of retread and plenty of uninspired takes. But when something comes along that pushes it into new, exciting territory, it’s amazing how a genre that’s so rooted in tradition can still feel so exhilarating.
That’s exactly how Preoccupations first single, “Espionage,” from their third full-length album feels: exhilarating. Though songwriter Matt Flegel calls the album “an ode to depression and self-sabotage, and looking inward at yourself with extreme hatred,” the music finds a sort of power with this realization. It might be the sound of a personal reckoning, but it’s also the sound of slowly putting the pieces back together.
Preoccupations new record, titled New Material, is due out on March 23rd on Jagjaguwar. It was mixed by Justin Meldal-Johnson, who’s worked with M83, Nine Inch Nails, and Beck. Check out the song “Espionage” above and the band’s current tour dates below.
04/14 — Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
04/18 — Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall *
04/19 — Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade *
04/20 — Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere (Zone One) ^
04/23 — Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts *
04/24 — Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel *
04/26 — Columbus, OH @ The A&R Music Bar *
04/27 — Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle *
04/29 — Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry *
05/01 — Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramid Cabaret *
05/03 — Edmonton, AB @ Starlite *
05/04 — Calgary, AB @ Palomino *
05/05 — Calgary, AB @ Palomino
05/09 — Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt
05/11 — Seattle, WA @ Barboza #
05/12 — Portland, OR @ Star Theater #
05/14 — San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop #
05/18 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo #
05/19 — Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar #
05/22 — Austin, TX @ Barracuda
05/23 — Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
05/24 — St. Louis, MO @ Firebird
06/05 — London, UK @ London Underground
06/07 — Berlin, DE @ Musik & Frieden
06/10 — Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival
06/11 — Paris, France @ Maroquinerie
06/12 — Ramsgate, UK @ RMH
06/13 — Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
07/03 — Amsterdam, NL @ Sugarfactory
07/04 — Hamburg, DE @ Molotow
^ = w/ Odonis Odonis
* = w/ Freak Heat Waves
# = w/ Moaning
