Sleep Sounds Good

Swervedriver fans who drifted away from Adam Franklin after his folk-inspired solo projects should take another listen as his upcoming I Could Sleep for a Thousand Years exhibits sentiments of Swervie’s salad days.

To be fair, the LP certainly retains the melancholy compositions that made Bolts of Melody and Spent Bullets rainy day albums, but a handful of Sleep’s tracks possess the glorious electricity that leans toward Franklin’s earlier revved-up, string-burning style.

Take, for example, “Yesterday Has Gone Forever”, which you can sample here courtesy of Jack Rabid and The Big Takeover.  The track, Sleep‘s opener, makes the same promise of uplifting, blood-pumping aural experiences that Bolts of Melody‘s “Sieze the Day” made, but keeps it this time; along songs such as “I’ll Be Yr Mechanic”, “I Want You Right Now”, “Spent Bullets”, and “Sinking Ships”, Sleep is not want for music that emotes the liberating pleasure of escape.

Due out June 29th on Second Motion, I Could Sleep for a Thousand Years is one album that should stay in your playlist’s rotation for the remainder of the year, if not nine hundred ninety-nine more.

Adam Franklin & Bolts of Melody Tour

Former Swervedriver frontman, Adam Franklin, will tour North America starting January 5 in support of his most recent album Spent Bullets (out March 2009).    So far, more than 20 dates have been confirmed with the possibility of other additions.

According to the official Swervedriver Facebook page, Adam Franklin & Bolts of Melody (the title of his current project) have “unfinished business to carry out” after an incomplete tour with Australian band The Church back in May of this year.

Though largely different from Swervedriver’s guitar-heavy, shoegaze psychedelia of days past, Adam Franklin’s new direction highlights the sensibility and maturity of a progressing songwriter.  Bolts of Melody consists of Taylor Locksley (Sianspheric) on guitar, Josh Stoddard (also of Franklin’s side project Magnetic Morning) on bass, and Mikey Jones on drums.

San Antonio and Austin fans should be sure to catch their live performance at Emo’s in Austin.

TOUR DATES

01.05.10 – New York, NY Mercury Lounge
01.06.10 – Washington, DC DC9
01.07.10 – Wilmington, DE Mojo 13
01.08.10 – Philadelphia, PA The Khyber
01.09.10 – Norfolk, VA 37th & Zen
01.10.10 – Charlotte, NC Milestone Club
01.11.10 – Atlanta, GA The Earl
01.13.10 – Austin, TX Emo’s
01.15.10 – Phoenix, AZ The Rogue Bar
01.17.10 – Los Angeles, CA Spaceland
01.18.10 – San Jose, CA The Blank Club
01.19.10 – San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill
01.21.10 – Portland, OR Rotture
01.22.10 – Vancouver, BC Media Club
01.23.10 – Seattle, WA Comet Tavern
01.25.10 – Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
01.26.10 – Denver, CO Hi-Dive
01.28.10 – Kansas City, MO The Record Bar
01.29.10 – Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
01.30.10 – Detroit, MI PJ’s Lager House
01.31.10 – Toronto, ON Drake Hotel
02.02.10 – Boston, MA Great Scott
02.03.10 – New York, NY Southpaw