On the 10-track "Melodies," produced by frontman Doug Martsch with longtime collaborator Phil Ek, Built to Spill offers a little bit of everything from its sonic bag of tricks. Overall, the album lives up to the goal Martsch set for the project last spring: "[To be] sort of a cross between the last two records; something dramatic, but with shorter songs and a little more straightforward."
The album earned the Boise, Idaho-based group its highest ever showing on The Billboard 200 when it debuted at No. 94 earlier this month. "Melodies" is No. 160 on the chart this week.
Here are Built to Spill's tour dates:
Sept. 4-5: Minneapolis (First Avenue)
Sept. 6-7: Chicago (Metro)
Sept. 8: Cincinnati (Bogart's)
Sept. 9: Columbus, Ohio (Newport Music Hall)
Sept. 10: Detroit (Magic Stick)
Sept. 11: Cleveland (Agora Ballroom)
Sept. 12: Pittsburgh (Rosebud)
Sept. 13: Philadelphia (Trocadero)
Sept. 14-15: Washington, D.C. (9:30 Club)
Sept. 16: Providence, R.I. (Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel)
Sept. 17-19: Boston (Paradise)
Sept. 20-22: New York (Irving Plaza)
Sept. 23: Charlottesville, Va. (Star Hill Music Hall - tentative)
Sept. 24: Chapel Hill, N.C. (Cat's Cradle)
Sept. 25-26: Atlanta (Variety Playhouse - tentative)
Sept. 27: New Orleans (venue/date tentative)
Sept. 28: Houston, Texas (Engine Room - tentative)
Sept. 29: Austin, Texas (Stubb's)
Sept. 30: Dallas (Gypsy Ballroom)



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