Metro Magazine feature

The August issue of Metro Magazine has highlighted Literal Scene as their 'CD of the Month' saying:

"The sophomore release from this quintet of recent St. Olaf grads combines twitchy guitars, lissome xylophone and keyboard fills, and big-riffed choruses to create an enticing blend of highly accessible indie-rock."

Pretty cool. The issue is on newsstands now and the piece can be seen here as well. Hey, we like Dosh and Dance Band, too!

-dw

the Muni in San Fran stole $20 from me and I want it back

San Fransisco is a gorgeous city. Tiny stucco buildings stretch as far as the eye can see, covering the hills in an endless, multicolored collage. For many, crossing over the Bay Bridge represents an entrance into a world of freedom and expression. To those of us to whom arriving at the city meant getting out of a van in which we've spent the last 12 hours overnight from Seattle, it meant a good stretch, and much needed deodorizing of both the human and vehicular undercarriages.

El Rio offered us the rare opportunity to perform between a lemon tree and a palm tree. Few bands can say that their time in San Fran was as fruity as ours. We played to a mixture of super-hipsters wearing winter hats and glasses bigger and weirder than Brendan's, a birthday party for a really excited and most likely heavily intoxicated woman, appreciative people who wandered over from wherever, and a goth transvestite who leered at us as from under a pair of caterpillar eyebrows. Unfortunately, Davis thought this show's theme was Dress Like Your Favorite Nintendo Character. Unsurprisingly, he chose Mario, the lamest character ever.

In case you've ever wondered what touring the country in a van is like, Davis documented a video of our life over the past few weeks. Consider it a "behind the scenes" look.


Also, some exciting news! Unbeknownst to the rest of the band, Davis decided to enter us into the Spin Magazine Hot Pursuit competition. Out of 900 something entries, we've been selected as one of twenty finalists! Drinks are on me! Check it out!

-ew

Plagiarists Video Grab Bag

Here are a few video clips that have kept us entertained over the past few days. Enjoy!


I don't think an hour goes by without someone quoting this Tim and Eric clip, myself being the guiltiest of all.

Our tour theme song. The track probably gets around 3 to 4 listens in Vincent each day, which is just what the doctor ordered. What do you know? - the video is classic, too.





Hey, guess what? Beck is awesome.




Last week we saw Feist for free in Omaha the day after we played there and coincidentally she just played another show in the same city as us this past evening, this time in San Francisco. I think it's safe to say we're full-fledged touring buddies now. We also love Sesame Street, so there you go.



-dw

O-o-oregon!

We decided to take a stop on the coast in Oregon. Though it resulted in seriously painful sunburns for all of us, it was a necessary endeavor. Brendan and I decided to take a dip in the freezing cold water, and Mike chose to come in as well...but under slightly different circumstances. Here are some videos detailing our escapades. Share them with your friends and win a prize!*


Blake found an unwelcome surprise under the sand.



Tomorrow we play in Bend, Oregon at the Summit Lounge.
It's a later show, doors at nine.
Hope to see all of you Oregonians there!


*there is no prize
-ew

In a Big Country

From Iowa to Nebraska you wouldn't think there would be much change in the scenery. And you would think correctly. Endless corn fields and highways that disappear over distant horizons are interspersed with random towns, and occasional small villages with dry wells. However, every so often, the largest ball of stamps ever created comes into view. Take THAT giant frying pan of Iowa! Go America!!!!!

Our Omaha gig was played to a heavily intoxicated crowd of Nebraskans at the Saddle Creek Bar. This shallow room was filled with pool tables, low hanging (sometimes dangerously so) lamps, and most importantly, a pinball machine on which I scored an octuple-jackpot. Luck? or skill? I'll leave you to decide. It was loud, sweaty, and free drinks arrived in the form of unlimited PBR pitchers.
We opted to spend an extra night in Omaha in order to attend a free Feist concert. Set in Memorial Park, the open night air was illuminated by Feist's magnificent voice as it floated up to the edges of the surrounding bowl. Though the crowd was somewhat unresponsive to her inclusive style of performance, she made do, and complimented the perfect weather with song after flawless song.
Indie rockers The Good Life opened the night to an ever growing crowd. In his home town, singer Tim Kasher gave an exciting performance to an appreciative crowd of hipsters, many of whom who were at the age where bringing their newly born children to concerts was the norm. It really made me want to listen to Cursive.

Seeing that the next day we had a sixteen hour drive packed in close proximity within the confines of a small metal box traveling seventy miles an hour down the freeway, stuffing ourselves silly on spicy food and heavy drinks only seemed logical. Applebees, of course, was the only place to go. However, only after we had ordered our food and drinks did the waitress inform us that half price appetizers only applied to Monday through Thursday in Nebraska. Not the normal 7-days a week food fest we're used to. Suffice to say, Blake was not pleased, and began texting furiously in search of justice. Whom he texted, the world may never know, but I can only assume that it was a being of higher power.



Today: 16 hours of driving.
Tomorrow: Tillamook, Oregon.
For now: Modern Rock: Cutting-Edge '80s will keep us sane.


-ew

Fievel...er...Vincent Goes West

It's official. We're on our way to the Pacific, and Matty G has graciously elected to come and help us not die along the way. Scorching sun and smokey skies await us all.

Our first stop? Brandon, Iowa! Where we celebrated Stephen Lindley's birthday in the most elegant of fashions. By visiting the world's (actually just Iowa's) largest frying pan. Yes indeed, this baby can fry up 528 eggs at once, thereby creating an omelet capable of engulfing the four smaller Plagiarists, or one larger keyboardist, in a warm yolky blanket. Happy birthday, Stephen. Hope Space Camp: Turkey is treating you well.

Matty G is a welcome edition to our pentagon of plagiarism. Mainly because he brought his Gameboy along. So far today he's captured a Squirtle, and Caterpie on a certain, unmentionable WB-television-show-themed game (no, not this one!), and crushed my little brother's high score on Tetris. It's going to be a good trip.


On our way south, we encountered a truck filled with pigs. This, in itself was kind of funny. But all our lives were made better after Mike saw that the company was called TransPork. Bringing beef to America. This was strangely preceded by a chorus rendition of the National Anthem, complete with harmonies which...I think... was ironic...


Tonight we play in Iowa City at the Picador. Doors are at 10.
We play with Capes of Lead and Illegal Smile.

Hope to see all of you Iowans out there!


-ew

We Love Erik E. Martz

The king himself returns again to City Pages with a glowing review of Sigur Ros' new album, Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust. Scope it here.

-dw

BOW TO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kanye can get away with post titles like that, so heck, I thought I'd give it a whirl. No? OK. I promise it won't happen again (wink). If the rest of the Brendan Canning album is as solid as this lead single, "Hit The Wall," it may trump his BSS cohort Kevin Drew's solo album of last year, both a part of the Broken Social Scene Presents project. Too bold? Check it out.

-dw

New Death Cab video - "Cath..."

The Cutie boys get their Graduate on for the new "Cath..." video. This could just be me, but group lip-syncing comes across more affectively when multiple vocal parts are involved, as opposed to the lone lead. The track is still an '08 favorite nevertheless. Watch here.

-dw

A few really, really cute kittens!!

As a general rule, I hold the belief that cats are hell-spawn put onto the earth to kill and maim everything in their way. But these little kitties are just so darn cute I can't look away!




Source: Gawker

-ew