Ezra Furman & The Harpoons

Ezra Furman & The Harpoons are set to release their third studio album, Mysterious Power, on April 5th. The Boston band’s first release for Red Parlor Records, Mysterious Power boasts the production power of Doug Boehm (French Kicks, Starsailor). Additionally, the band is looking forward to hitting the road in the spring- making an appearance at SXSW before embarking on a U.S. tour thereafter.

A familiar staple on critic’s year-end lists, Ezra Furman & The Harpoons gained acclaim for their 2008 album, Inside The Human Body, being lauded by NPR’s “All Songs Considered,’ Paste, and the Chicago Tribune. The foursome soon found themselves performing their mix of folk-punk alongside the likes of Lou Reed, Matisyahu, The Walkmen, Delta Spirit, and Spoon.

On Mysterious Power, Furman employs the same open-chest honesty that drew ire for Ginsberg’s Howl and spawned speculation of Cohen’s Chelsea Hotel, as Furman pines for his “Wild Rosemarie” in the opening track- recounting bouts of transience he experienced while making the album. The Harpoons- Job Mukkada (bass), Adam Abrutyn (drums), and Andrew Langer (guitar)- deftly toy with dynamics, soldering rockabilly rhythm and love-struck doo-wop sensibility with punk rock ferocity.

Mysterious Power tracklist:

1. Wild Rosemarie

2. I Killed Myself But I Didn’t Die

3. Hard Time in a Terrible Land

4. Mysterious Power

5. Teenage Wasteland

6. Bloodsucking Whore

7. Don’t Turn Your Back On Love

8. Portrait of Maud

9. Fall In Love With My World

10.Too Strung Out

11.Heaven at the Drive-In

12.Wild Feeling

Ah, remember the days when Lollapalooza got, well to say the least really crappy and they toured with the festival and no one cared to see it anymore? Well since Lollapalooza has stationed itself permanently as a festival in Chicago, the quality of bands have been getting better every year. Thus, making me wish that Lollapalooza actually was a touring venture again. Just reading the lineup for the three day event makes my head want to explode with excitement. The best thing about the show is the wide range of bands.

Here are some of our top picks for each day of the festival:

Friday: Of Montreal, Kings of Leon, The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, Crystal Castles, and Kevin Devine.

Saturday: Ezra Furman & The Harpoons, Chairlift, Langhorne Slim, The Living Things, The Constantines, TV on the Radio, Santongold, Lykke Li and Animal Collective.

Sunday: Sam Roberts Band, Passion Pit, Friendly Fires, Neko Case, Dan Auerbach, Cold War Kids, Vampire Weekend, Cage the Elephant, Bat for Lashes, Dan Deacon, Dearhunter, Ra Ra Riot, Silversun Pickups, and Band of Horses.

The festival takes place at Grant Park in Chicago from August 7th to August 9th. Unless a bag of money falls from the sky there is no possible way for us to be there. Sad. Let us know how it goes kids.

Check out all of the details on the festival’s main site HERE