Sign up for our mailing list Real artists creating records on their own terms

Press

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

New Islands Album 'A Sleep & A Forgetting' Out Now

The new album by the acclaimed modernist pop band Islands, entitled A Sleep & A Forgetting, arrives in stores this Valentines Day. It's only perfect since the soulful record provides an ideal musical accompaniment to both the glowing romance and crushing loneliness of the holiday. The record continues the band's penchant for crafting shimmering sonic textures and irresistible melodies, but this time band leader Nick Thorburn has infused his songs with a personal introspection which gives the record a powerful new emotional resonance.

And watch the evocative video for the track "This Is Not A Song" by going here.

Make sure to catch Islands when the play a select series of live dates across North America starting February 14th. The shows will be held in intimate venues recreating the confessional tone of this enthralling new album.

Advance Acclaim For Islands' A Sleep & A Forgetting

"The latest album from Islands is most certainly a breakup record, but rather than dwell in minor keys and melancholia, Thorburn sounds like he's celebrating something. Quite possibly, it's his own imminent emotional implosion, but the music (and hence the listener) suffers none of that. Instead, we're treated to bouts of barroom blues, swooning soul, plinking piano, and what might be the only heartfelt sentiment Thorburn's committed to wax since the unfortunate implosion of his legendary quirk-pop project the Unicorns. Truth be told, it's the best material to rise out of those hallowed ashes yet... - LA Weekly

"William Wordsworth wrote "Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting/ The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star, / Hath had elsewhere its setting / And cometh from afar ..." The Montreal pop band Islands' fourth and latest release, "A Sleep & A Forgetting" echoes that sentiment of transition in that it's a breakup record (and what's a birth other than the biggest breakup of all time). The front man Nick Thorburn unburdens himself at the piano, and his heartache comes coated in nostalgic pop melodies." - New Yorker

Islands Tour Dates

Feb 14 Los Angeles - Bootleg Theatre
Feb 15 Phoenix - Crescent Ballroom
Feb 17 Austin - St David's Episcopal Church
Feb 18 Dallas - Sons of Herman Hall
Feb 20 Birmingham - Bottletree
Feb 22 Washington DC - Black Cat
Feb 23 TBA - Baltimore
Feb 24 Philadelphia - First Unitarian Chapel - 2 shows
Feb 25 Le Poisson Rouge - NYC
Feb 26 Hamden, CT - The Space
Feb 29 Pontiac - Magnetic Recording
Mar 01 Chicago - Lincoln Hall
Mar 02 Minneapolis - 7th St Entry
Mar 10 Seattle - Vera Project
Mar 11 Portland - Mississippi Studios
Mar 13 San Francisco - Hotel Utah - 2 shows

Islands' artist page

Browse by Artist

2430All Artists 67Mavis Staples 57Neko Case 56Dr. Dog 55The Milk Carton Kids 52Son Little 51Sean Rowe 50Tinariwen
44Glen Hansard 43Lost In The Trees 41Andy Shauf 37Saintseneca 36Delicate Steve 33Galactic 33Michael Franti and Spe... 32Xenia Rubinos 31Jolie Holland 30The Drums 30Calexico 29Tom Waits 28William Elliott Whitmo... 28Doe Paoro 28Madi Diaz 27Half Waif 27Man Man 27Yves Jarvis 26Christian Lee Hutson 26Girlpool 25Bettye LaVette 23Foxwarren 23The Antlers 23Jason Lytle 23Christopher Paul Stell... 22Sage Francis 22Booker T. Jones 22Gary V 22Cass McCombs 21Leyla McCalla 21Danny Elfman 21Islands 21Lido Pimienta 21Japandroids 20DeVotchKa 20Jeremy Ivey 20Daniel Lanois 19Purr 19The Dream Syndicate 19M. Ward 19Combo Chimbita 18Joe Henry 18Wilco 18So Much Light 17Grinderman 17Moor Mother 17Darrin Bradbury 17Jade Jackson 17Tim Fite 16Porter Wagoner 16Peter Silberman 16High Pulp 15Rafiq Bhatia 15Alfa Mist 15MJ Lenderman 15Glitterer 15Yann Tiersen 14James Brandon Lewis 14John K. Samson 13The Coup 13Rain Machine 13Ben Harper 13Busdriver 12Hey, King! 12Josiah Johnson 12Waxahatchee 12The Melodic 12Deafheaven 12Richard Reed Parry 11Kelly Hogan 11Ryan Pollie 11Beth Orton 11Bonny Doon 11Keaton Henson 11Curtis Harding 10Roky Erickson 10Jasmyn 10Dead Man's Bones 10Fleet Foxes 10The Tallest Man On Ear... 10Xavier Rudd 10Os Mutantes 10Beat Connection 10Katy Kirby 10Wynonna 10Ben Harper and Charlie... 10Bob Mould 10Slow Pulp 9The Locust 9Mose Allison 9Marketa Irglova 9Cameron Avery 9Kate Davis 9Kate Bush 9Ezra Furman 8Deradoorian 8Art Moore 8The Frames 8Sam Akpro 8Kristine Leschper 8Greg Graffin 8A Girl Called Eddy 7sunking 7Alec Ounsworth 7The Field 7Solillaquists of Sound 7Scott McMicken and THE... 6Sparklehorse 6Marc Ribot 6Kronos Quartet with Br... 6The Good Ones 6Ramblin Jack Elliott 6Broken Twin 6N.A.S.A. 6Pete Philly & Perquisi... 6Pops Staples 5The Swell Season 5Jackson+Sellers 5Mothers 5Cadence Weapon 5Walter Wolfman Washing... 5The Weakerthans 5Tweedy 5Plains 4Arc Iris 4Antibalas 4Muggs 4case/lang/veirs 4Petra Haden 4One Day As A Lion 4Eddie Izzard 3Mavis Staples & Levon... 3Danny Cohen 3Simian Mobile Disco 3Marianne Faithfull 3Sierra Leones Refugee... 3The Book Of Knots 2Savath & Savalas 2Lyrics Born 2Chuck E. Weiss 2Blackalicious 2Spoon (Europe only) 2Billy Bragg 2Screaming Lights (Euro... 2Title Fight 2Jeff Tweedy 2Various Artists: RANGO 1Rogue's Gallery 1Taylor Vick 1Solomon Burke 1Various Artists: ROGUE... 1Nick Cave & The Bad Se...
See Full List+