Beginning on Thursday (Dec 27), Gainesville, FL’s DIKEMBE will embark on a two-week Winter Tour in support of its debut LP, Broad Shoulders. Joining the quartet on the road will be fellow Floridians and BFFs You Blew It!.
Broad Shoulders was released earlier this year via Tiny Engines (Tigers Jaw, Restorations, Run Forever, Signals Midwest, State Faults, State Lines) to much acclaim, and while the first pressing of vinyl has sold out, the record is currently available from Bandcamp, iTunes and other digital services. A second pressing of the 12-inch is now in production and pre-orders will launch in January.
Listen to “We Could Become River Rats” (free mp3). You can also stream the record in its entirety on Bandcamp.
As always, if you’d like to attend a show or speak with the band, drop me a line here. Stay tuned for more Dikembe news in the coming months, and be sure to follow the band on Facebook and Twitter for daily updates.
WINTER TOUR w/ You Blew It!
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DEC 27 – Jacksonville, FL @ Burro Bar w/ Kato
DEC 28 – Savannah, GA @ 912 Fest w/ Big Awesome, more
DEC 29 – Virginia Beach, VA @ House Show w/ Brickmower
DEC 30 – Alexandria, VA @ Little Man’s Garage w/ Modern Baseball
DEC 31 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fire w/ The World Is…, Empire! Empire!
JAN 01 – Montclair, NJ @ Meatlocker w/ LVL UP, Osier Bed
JAN 02 – Boston, MA @ All Asia Bar w/ Old Greg
JAN 03 – New York, NY @ The Place w/ The Marine Electric
JAN 04 – Richmond, VA @ House Show w/ Run, Forever, State Lines, Waxahatchee, Springtime, more
JAN 05 – Atlanta, GA @ Wonderoot w/ Big Awesome
JAN 06 – Gainesville, FL @ 1982 w/ Caution Children, Innards, The Reptilian, Frameworks
BIO
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It was surprising to virtually no one – save for Dikembe itself – that Chicago Bowls, in all its anthemic, adrenalized indie-cum-emo / punk greatness, took the underground by storm last year. The ironic, pun-laden ode to weed and arguably (and less ironically) the greatest championship squad in NBA history was a breath of fresh air … playful, charismatic and downright infectious without emitting an ounce of pretension. Four revelatory cuts of undeniable, high energy DIY rock ‘n’ roll, Chicago Bowls cajoled the listener to laugh along with song titles such as “Scottie Spliffen” and “Michael Jordank.” There was no doubt that Dikembe’s playful nature was an integral part of its singular sound, and perhaps one of the biggest reasons why we couldn’t wait to hear what the outfit conjured up next.
Accordingly, it would have been easy for Dikembe to rush its debut full-length, but the band wisely spent the appropriate amount of time recording and mixing the ten amazing songs that would eventually make up highly anticipated Broad Shoulders. And from the first long-awaited note, it’s clear that there’s something truly unique manifesting itself Dikembe’s signature sound – powerhouse rhythms, the acrobatic back-and-forth between the guitars and front man Steven Gray’s confident-yet-completely raw and exposed delivery – is all still present, and it’s imparted with even more vigor and conviction than ever before. However, album highlights such as “I Watch A Lot Of Jackie Chan Movies” and “Not Today, Angel” are thoughtful, nuanced and occasionally even haunting. They help to paint a picture of an evolving band and a record that is not only imaginative and memorable, but one that is fully realized and worthy of all the hype.
ADDITIONAL MEDIA
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• Electronic Press Kit (Includes Full Album Download – For press purposes only)
• Press Photo 1 (hi-res, color)
• Press Photo 2 (hi-res, color)
• Album Art (hi-res)
PRESS QUOTES
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– Definitely in the running for the best album of 2012. – AMP
– Dikembe has crafted something quite unique. And very special. – Tight To The Nail
– An excellent debut record littered with an array of five-star songs. – Pure Grain Audio
– Broad Shoulders is one of those rare records that lives up to the hype. – Team Reasonable
– Dikembe is a band not worried about style; only about what hits the smartest. – Absolutepunk.net
– It’s a heady blast of Kinsella-esqe emo that sounds as anxious as it is anchored. – Can You See The Sunset?
– Dikembe has fulfilled the promise of its demo and this will undoubtedly be on my shortlist for best albums this year. – Collective Zine
– What sets Dikembe a rung above a lot of other bands in the scene is the ability to take chances while staying focused and grounded. – Dying Scene
– Gainesville’s gravitational pull on earnest indie & hardcore kids is likely to grow stronger as people inevitably turn to the brilliant Dikembe. – Clicky Clicky