Bloc Party Announce New Album, Tour

Four album cover

Bloc Party have announced the August 21 release of their new album Four, off Frenchkiss, and their first full-length since 2008’s Intimacy. The band (which still includes lead singer Kele Okereke, who was rumored to have split a few months ago) have expanded their tour in support of the record. They’ll play dates around the world into November.

To read what Kele has to say about the upcoming album read his personal blog here: I AM KELE

Also, check out Bloc Partys Four album teaser below:

Bloc Party:

06-19 Glasgow, Scotland – Garage
06-20 Manchester, England – The Ritz
06-21 London, England – Koko
06-24 Tokyo, Japan – Ebisu Garden Hall
06-29 Borlange, Sweden – Peace & Love Festival
07-04 Gdynia, Poland – Heineken Opener Festival
07-05 Sesimbra, Portugal – Super Bock Super Rock
07-06 Gdynia, Poland – Open’er Festival
07-08 Turku, Finland – Ruisrock Festival
07-12 Bilbao, Spain – BBK Live
07-13 Ferropolis, Germany – Melt Festival
07-20 Charrues, France – Festival Les Vieilles
07-21 Nyon, Switzerland – Paleo Fest
07-28 Byron Bay, Australia, Splendour in the Grass
07-30 Honolulu, HI – The Republik
08-03 Los Angeles, CA – Hard Festival
08-04 Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
08-05 Montreal, Quebec – Osheaga Festival
08-07 New York, NY – Terminal 5
08-08 New York, NY – Terminal 5
08-09 New York, NY – Terminal 5
08-11 Las Vegas, NV – The Pool at the Cosmopolitan
08-12 San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands
08-16 St. Polten, Austria – Frequency
08-17 Biddinghuizen, Netherlands – Lowlands
08-18 St. Polten, Austria – Frequency
08-24 Saint-Cloud, France – Rock en Seine
08-25 Zurich, Switzerland – Open Air Festival
09-04 Mallorca, Spain – Mallorca Rocks
09-05 Ibiza, Spain – Ibiza Rocks
11-03 Nantes, France – Le Stereolux
11-04 Lyon, France – Le Transbordeur
11-05 Bordeaux, France – Le Rocher de Palmer
11-07 Toulouse, France – Le Bikini
11-08 Milan, Italy – Acatrax
11-11 Hamburg, Germany – Docks
11-12 Stuttgart, Germany – Theatrehause
11-13 Dresden, Germany – Eventwerk
11-14 Munich, Germany – Tonhalle
11-18 Copenhagen, Denmark – Vega
11-19 Stockholm, Sweden – Munich Brewery
11-20 Oslo, Norway – Rockafeller

DOMA Ruled Unconstitutional (Duh)

In its unanimous decision, the three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston said the 1996 law, DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman deprives gay couples of the rights and privileges granted to heterosexual couples.

Even though the law was defined unconstitutional lets not pat the panel on the back just yet. A lot went into this decision, however, it wasn’t based entirely on the notion of “fairness.” State regulation and self governing practices weighed in a lot more when deeming it unconstitutional, rather than just acknowledging that gay marriage IS MARRIAGE.

It is so disheartening that we still have issues like this presented in front of judicial big wigs. When to most morally sound and educated people the pompous, disillusioned rhetoric of anti-gay rights propagators is as important as what we had for lunch last week. Ultimately the next step is to have DOMA fall on to the desk of the Supreme Court, who has the final say in deciding whether a law passed by Congress is unconstitutional.

When they slam the gavel and reiterate what we all know to be an unconstitutional bone head law perhaps we can focus our attention on more trivial matters. Other than defining the union of marriage and defining what sexual orientation constitutes it.

Chris Keating DJing tonight; Yeasayer Summerstage tickets posted

Yeasayer will be going on tour this summer in support of their upcoming http://promo.roughtraderecords.com/micachu/o_k.mp3 LP, tickets for the NYC show, which happens on September 12 at Central Park Summerstage are currently on AmEx presale and go on sale to the general public on Friday (6/1) at noon.

Besides that awesome news Chris Keating of Yeasayer is DJing tonight at a Vibrations party on the Hudson Terrace Roof Deck. Doors are at 10 PM and admission is free til midnight with RSVP. The show also includes Punches (celebrating the release of their new EP, It Can Only Get Better), Sean Glass, and Alex English.