Islands Recording Third Album

01/28/09 4:34pm

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

Islands' Nick Thorburn has begun work on the band's third album in New York City.

Thorburn, who's posting Twitter updates about the record, recently told Stereogum that the new Islands disc will be "electronic-based, with plenty of drum machine and programming." He's spending 18 days recording the album in New York City's Stratosphere Studio, and says most of the tracks are under three minutes.

"It's a very stripped down affair, with minimal instrumentation and sparse arrangements," he said. "This is not Arm's Way II."

Wolf Parade's Hadji Bakara is adding his programming talents to the disc, and former Islands drummer J'aime Tambeur has rejoined the band for the new record.

Thorburn is also working on a completely acoustic Islands album that should hit stores this summer. Maybe all the acoustic action with Jim Guthrie in Human Highway got to him.

Thorburn is also recording his debut solo album in his bedroom. It's tentatively titled I Am An Attic, and he says it will be released for free. A comic book titled This Is Howie Doo should be out in the spring.

Islands will tour Europe and hit these venues in February:

Feb. 4 Ghent, Belgium @ Vooruit (Balzaal)
Feb. 5 Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
Feb. 6 Groningen, Netherlands @ Vera
Feb. 7 Paris, France @ La Fleche D'Or
Feb. 10 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Vega
Feb. 11 Stockholm, Sweden @ Debaser
Feb. 12 Oslo, Norway @ John Dee
Feb. 13 Malmo, Sweden @ Debaser
Feb. 14 Prague, Czech Republic @ Club 007
Feb. 15 Vienna, Austria @ Arena
Feb. 16 Zagreb, Croatia @ Teater & TD
Feb. 18 Ljubljana, Slovenia @ Menza Pri Koritu
Feb. 19 Milan, Italy @ Cricolo Magnolia (Indierocket party)
Feb. 20 Bologna, Italy @ Covo Club
FEb. 21 Barcelona, Spain @ Sidecar
Feb. 22 Madrid, Spain @ Moby Dick

You can see Thorburn and Guthrie in Human Highway when the duo play one of the CHARTattack/Horseshoe Tavern Canadian Music Week showcases on March 13. Here's the rest of their itinerary:

March 12 Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa
March 13 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern w/Handsome Furs, The Bicycles, Hot Panda, The Schomberg Fair, Daniel Wesley and Dinosaur Bones (CMW)
March 14 Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle
March 15 Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
March 16 Norman, OK @ Opolis Productions
March 17 Denton, TX @ Hailey's
March 18-20 Austin, TX @ South By Southwest Music Festival
March 21 Birmingham, AL @ The Bottletree
March 22 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
March 23 Washington, DC @ The Black Cat
March 24 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
March 25 New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge