“It's a tough trick, translating
your deeply held political conventions into good tunes.
Somehow, though, Burhenn pulls it off on
Generals…”
-
Pitchfork
The Mynabirds: Freedom
is…
When Laura Burhenn stepped up to
deliver her debut album with The Mynabirds, What We Lose in the Fire We Gain
in the Flood, it’s fair to say it was a breakthrough, holy
shit-type moment in that it certainly wasn’t what people were
expecting—but everyone dug what they heard. Critics likened her blue-eyed
soul pop sound to Cat Power and
Fiona Apple in possession of a
spirit reminiscent of Neil Young or
Dusty Springfield. And her voice,
well her voice just floored you. On The Mynabirds’ new album, Generals (released 6/5 on venerable indie
label Saddle Creek with a little
help from do-no-wrong producer Richard
Swift) Burhenn returns with that golden gift of a voice and manages
to up the bracket in a major way. This is a clarion call, the likes of
which we have not heard in ages.
Fueled by Burhenn’s political
frustration and influenced by her dissection of the Richard Avedon photo, “The Generals of
the Daughters of the American Revolution,” Generals is a protest record and a
musical call to arms. If the debut functioned to quietly work you into a
state of grace, sending chills up your spine, Generals is about percussion, raucous
foot stomps and hand claps that drive the album forward, simultaneously
socking you in the gut in the best possible way. This is music about
freedom that brings tears to your eyes. Musically you can hear echoes of
early PJ Harvey, politically-charged
Nina Simone and Low-era David Bowie. Most of all, this is the
sound of joy, soulful possibility, peaceful revolution and hope in the face
of closed-minded oppression.
In Burhenn’s own words, “It was
important for me that this record made sense of my own anger and turned it
into positive energy. I needed it to be
transformative…”
And once again the critics are
praising Burhenn and The Mynabirds. Pitchfork gave Generals a 7.5. Meanwhile, Rollingstone.com says the track “Body of Work” is “all bright shades
and syncopated beats while singer Laura Burhenn delivers philosophical
lyrics with a warm soulful tone.” Click here
to read the full article. On a related note, Burhenn is launching a
portrait project called The New
Revolutionists, which will focus on women making a difference in
their communities all across America. Check it out: www.thenewrevolutionists.org
US TOUR DATES:
6/8 | Slowdown | Omaha, NE | 9:00 pm
6/15 | 7th Street Entry
| Minneapolis, MN | 9:00 pm
6/16 | Vaudeville Mews | Des Moines, IA |
9:00 pm
6/17 | Schubas | Chicago, IL | 8:00 pm
6/19 | Magic Stick
| Detroit, MI | 8:00 pm
6/20 | Beachland Tavern | Cleveland, OH | 8:00
pm
6/21 | The Abbey Bar | Harrisburg, PA | 7:00 pm
6/22 | Mercury
Lounge | New York, NY | 9:00 pm
6/23 | Black Cat | Washington DC | 9:00
pm
6/24 | Johnny Brenda's | Philadelphia, PA | 9:00 pm
6/25 | Local
506 | Chapel Hill, NC | 9:00 pm
6/27 | The Bottle Tree | Birmingham,
AL | 9:00 pm
6/28 | The Earl | Atlanta, GA | 9:00 pm
6/29 | The
Hight Watt | Nashville, TN | 9:00 pm
6/30 | Mojo's | Columbia, MO |
9:00 pm
7/1 | Fire Bird | St. Louis, MO | 9:00 pm
7/2 | Jackpot
Music Hall | Lawrence, KS | 9:00 pm
7/20 | Fridays on the Promenade |
Sioux City, IA | 6:00 pm
7/25 | Hi-Tone Cafe | Memphis, TN | 9:00 pm
7/26 | Circle Bar | New Orleans, LA | 9:30 pm
7/27 | Rudyard's |
Houston, TX | 9:30 pm
7/28 | The Mohawk | Austin, TX | 9:30 pm
7/30
| The Crescent Ballroom | Phoenix, AZ | 8:00 pm
7/31 | Satellite Club |
Los Angeles, CA | 8:00 pm
8/1 | Cafe Du Nord | San Francisco, CA | 8:00
pm
8/3 | Barboza | Seattle, WA | 8:00 pm
8/4 | Pickathon | Happy
Valley, OR | 1:45 pm
8/5 | Pickathon | Happy Valley, OR | 10:00
pm
8/7 | Neurolux | Boise, ID | 8:00 pm
8/8 | Kilby Court | Salt
Lake City, UT | 7:00 pm
8/9 | Hi-Dive | Denver, CO | 8:00 pm
8/11 |
Maha Music Festival | Omaha, NE | 5:30
VISIT THE MYNABIRDS
AT:
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FACEBOOK
TWITTER
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