Gregory Pepper and his Problems to open for Islands this July
Cult indie hero drops new collaborative project, Common Grackle, July 27th on Fake Four Inc.
GREGORY PEPPER AND HIS PROBLEMS Summer Tour with ISLANDS
JULY 11th - MINNEAPOLIS, MN @ CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER
JULY 12th - CHICAGO, IL @ LINCOLN HALL
JULY 13th - DETROIT, MI @ THE MAGIC STICK
JULY 14th - TORONTO, ON @ THE MOD CLUB
JULY 16th - MONTREAL, QC @ LE BELMONT
JULY 17th - QUEBEC CITY, QC @ L'AGITEE
In many circles, it's common thought that 'With Trumpets Flaring', the debut full length from Gregory Pepper and His Problems, was one of the most slept on records of 2009. In fact, his name keeps popping up alongside some pretty well-respected names. From touring with Born Ruffians and Smoking Popes, to collaborating with outsider hip hop artists Awol One and Factor, Gregory Pepper has now grabbed the attention of Islands, who hand-picked him to open a string of tour dates this July. At last, Pepper will have another stage for even more people to experience his repertoire of anthems of confusion and ambivalence, which range from punkish-indie-rock to polished-baroque-pop.
Gregory Pepper and His Problems is a moniker used by the 26-year-old musician and visual artist who still treads shallow water in his hometown of Guelph, Ontario. Focusing primarily on melody and harmony, Pepper has amassed a die-hard, cult following. Always present, though, is the disembodied voice of a scared child lost in the supermarket, crying out for his mother and angrily kicking his legs as she finally arrives to take him home. "With Trumpets Flaring" was an ambitiously despondent examination of hopeless optimism. Drawing upon the poppy 1960's melancholy of Brian Wilson and Roy Orbison as much as he does from modern trends in electronic and hip-hop, Gregory Pepper creates an experimental musical landscape that is instantly engrossing yet still rewards the listener through multiple replays.
The July tour dates with The Islands comes just in time for the release of Pepper's new collaborative project with up & coming producer Factor called Common Grackle, who have a record called 'The Great Depression' dropping July 27th, 2010 on Fake Four Inc (Electric President, Boy In Static, Ceschi, etc).
