next we take manhattan…london is left burning. (PLUS: TRACKLIST REVEALED! TOUR DATES COMING!)

Cross-posted to Kickstarter (as a backer update).
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COMRADES!!!

before we dive into the whole barrage of the past week (playing art openings, playing rock shows, making a NEW NEW MUSIC VIDEO) we gots some exclusive announcements for all y’all kickstarter-betches…

before we tell the whole wide world, we have THINGS TO TELL YOU.

“what kinds of THINGS?” you may ask…

“THEATRE IS EVIL” NOW HAS OFFICIAL RELEASE DATES!!
AND I’M GOING TO TELL YOU THE TRACKLIST. READY, BETCHES? ho my god.

on SEPTEMBER 11 (in the US of A and CANADIA) and SEPTEMBER 10 (in the UK and EUROPE) people will be able to hold this in their hands (don’t worry everyone else: we’ll have dates for you soon, too). the artwork process has been unusually funny lately. best buy and target (for you internationals, those are the big wal-mart like stores that everybody generally despises, but having your music there is important because people still go there to buy CDs) have told us they won’t allow this naked painting on the back of the box that we’d designed…

however we are clever….and we can easily, cleverly, circumvent this nonsense by using what’s called an “OBI.”

if you know your japanese culture, an “obi” is the belt-like wrap that goes around a kimono.
in CD-manufacturing world, it’s more like a slipcase. so we’re going to give the CD…a coat.
on the coat will be a less-naked image (we’re figuring out what to use TODAY…probably a detail from the painting) and once you buy the CD in a store, take it home and open it, you extract the actual CD out of it’s puritan winter jacket and…NAKED.

i keep having visions of a 12-year-old boy or girl with his/her mother in best buy.
he/she is wandering through the aisles looking at CDs, picks mine up, turns it over, sees the painting detail of my arm on the back, and does not purchase the CD.

someday…i’ll have my dream, with liberty and naked paintings for all. for now? puritan winter coat for the commercial release.

some people hate the cover. that makes me really happy.

and now…*DRUMROLL*

THE TRACKLIST.

ready?
ready.

as i spoke about on twitter (and maybe in a backer update too), there was concern we’d have to cut some songs.
alas, everything worked out, and i got to keep everything i wanted (in the running order i mapped out) and it’s going to fit on a CD (with SECONDS to spare).

here it is:

01. Meow Meow Introduces The Grand Theft Orchestra
02. Smile (Pictures or It Didn’t Happen)
03. The Killing Type
04. Do It with a Rockstar
05. Want It Back
06. Grown Man Cry
06. Trout Heart Replica
08. A Grand Theft Intermission
09. Lost
10. Bottomfeeder
11. The Bed Song
12. Massachusetts Avenue
13. Melody Dean (featuring David J on bass)
14. Berlin
15. Olly Olly Oxen Free

AND.

for people who’ve been asking about getting the CD/vinyl since the kickstarter ended…
OR you’ve been asking ABOUT TOUR…next week, SHIT IS ON.

we’ll be launching ticket sales for the FALL TOUR (which includes a special pre-pre-sale that’s going only to our mailing list) later this week. ONLY ON THE MAILING LIST…everyone else will hear AFTER it goes out to the list.

someone asked if you’re automatically on the mailing list if you’re a kickstarter backer…the answer is fuck no, it would be disrespectful and gross to just add you without asking.

YOU HAVE TO JOIN THE LIST YOURSELF. PLEASE, PLEASE DO IT. this is how i’ll stay in touch with you forever about everything.
do it now, quick, before you get distracted, it takes about 4 seconds.

the magic link:
http://bit.ly/AFPemail

WHEN WE PUT SHOWS ON SALE, we’ll also give people a chance to pre-order the standard edition of the CD/LP (bundled up with ticket sales).
i know that’s not SO exciting for a lot of you since you backed the kickstarter and there’s a good chance you’re getting the limited edition backer-exclusive version, but in case you’re not because you only ordered the digital (or you have friends who’re going to want to order the CD or vinyl)…this is gonna be IT, folks. last chance to pre-order the record.

burt reynolds approves.

(that was my favorite book from the set of gift-books we bought in london.
this time, neil helped me grab all 100-or-so books for the party…we hit a shop called “any amount of books” and stripped them of their goods, filling 7 cardboard boxes.
the taxi driver who took us over to the gig was confused and helpful.)
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we also shot a NEW video with tim pope (best known for his work with THE FUCKING CURE and SOFT CELL, KAISER CHIEFS, TALK TALK and a gazillion others….go google the “sex dwarf” video, your life will never be the same).

the video we shot is for “the killing type” …. which you NOW know is TRACK 3.
(see how we tie all these loose strands together?)

SO…here are michael and jherek being fitted, the day before we went in to film:

the fancy set being prepared for us (which you all helped make a reality):

me getting make-up (photo by Ashleigh Haddad):

hour six of the shoot….

you can’t deny that when you see the kinds of evil stuff we were getting up to:

the shoot was EPIC. after i write this blog, i’m going to sit down and make tweaks to the rough cut.
i think you guys are going to love it.

UND
speaking of videos, here’s me and michael, two days ago in NYC at cafe gitane, making set drawings & going over a script for “the bed song” video…he’s directing it (he did a BANG-UP job on “polly” and we’re shooting this sucker in august, while we’re rehearsing the tour at bard college…):

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and now, your (mostly) spoiler-free report from the shows, in (mostly) pictures…

we once again had pre-show entertainment before people made their way in to look at the art and be (acoustically) rocked.
we stationed my cousin hugh, who’s one of the top bagpipers from the isle of skye (my homeland). i shit you not.
are you allowed to say your cousin is hot? i think you’re allowed if you’re from scotland:

and once again, as in berlin, people came in and admired the artwork…

…eric and superkate looking casual even though they are holding the world up secretly:

…kambriel’s dress, based on “the killing type”:

…my “bed song” sheet art:

…and cynthia von buhler’s WORKING THEREMIN painting, based on “the living room” (which is one of the b-sides from the record):

(above: square photo of the art borrowed from drmarr’s instagram/shot of the guest playing the theremin by Andreas Beck)

here’s a pic someone snuck of neil playing it (me?) at the opening.
i love this picture:

…after everyone had some time with the art, the music began. this is jherek and his string quartet, assembled for a pre-GTO performance:

(they were also a part of our acoustic performance)

…these unplugged shows have been so fucking good (and different/exciting/new/invigorating).
who knew a keytar could be SAD? (photo by karina c)

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two nights later (in the very same place) we returned TO ROCK.

WE ROCKED.

me showing off a painting that a girl named tiffany (@eyeseaewe) brought, unbidden, to the gallery show…(this and the previous photo via sahfenn’s instagram)…ninja art:

neil, joining us for a song, with adrian stout from the tigerlillies and michael DUELING on singing saws!!! (photos by Elliott Franks)

me and my keytar. a love story.

we got a STELLAR review written by simon price (@simon_price01) in the independent on sunday, one the UK’s most respected papers:

(click here to embiggen it if you wanna read)

then we slept.

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after a few days in holland with family, i’m back in NYC.

planning, plotting, readying. the other night i signed the first 400 of 4,000 art books. this is going to take a long time, but i’ve downloaded the deluxe-special edition re-master of george michael’s “faith” and have been playing it as my book-signing mantra music. i sit in a chair, grab a book, crank the volume, and:

WELL I GUESS IT WOULD BE NICE
*sign sign sign*
IF I COULD TOUCH YOUR BODY
*sign sign sign*
I KNOW NOT EVERYBODY
*sign sign sign*
HAS GOT A BODY LIKE YOU
*sign sign sign*

….it’s enjoyable. almost like dancing. except…with your hand. with a pen in it.

tomorrow i may try downloading some old thompson twins and madonna records and trying the same thing.

either way: rest easy in the fact that your books are being signed.

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LAST NIGHT we played the music hall of williamsburg (and then we do the NYC art opening, tomorrow)…and if you were actually there, you got some BIG SURPRISES.
i hope you weren’t late! everyone else: more on that, soon.

from there: san francisco, los angeles, and then boston…and then…THE WORLD!!!!

once again, if you want to know where we’re touring…SIGN THE fuggin’ mailing list, i beg of you: http://bit.ly/AFPemail

BTW, before i go, two things…
(1) something for you from yesterday: twitvid.com/OLZJB
it’s a video of me and howie kenty, recording solo piano parts into MIDI so you bitches can have sheet music!!! howie’s come over and hooked me up to the piano machine for every single sheet music book i’ve put out. if you own a dresden dolls piano book, me and howie sat down and made the piano notes, so that the piano music reflected exactly how i’d play it myself. the “theatre is evil” book should be available right after the album comes out. (iphone manned by girlie action intern, @alexeriksen1…)
howie’s site | howie’s facebook
and
this one’s IMPORTANT…
(2) i know MOST of you have filled out your kickstarter survey, but if you haven’t…………DO THAT SHIT. just log in and you’ll see a message. it’s easy. and makes our lives easier and ultimately you much happier.

wrapped in a puritan winter coat and ready for the fucking spring, my comrades…..

LOVE.

xxx
AFP

p.s. special thanks to Andreas Beck and the Village Underground for almost all of the photos in this update. unless otherwise noted or watermarked, they were taken from their flickr accounts.