NPR Music "First Listen" Streams The Velvet Teen's 'All Is Illusory'

Photo: Sara Sanger

“The Velvet Teen has always had a flair for the sonically dramatic. On the band’s first album in nine years, there’s a euphoric energy that never really lets go.” – NPR Music
“…moves along with a light but confident energy, like a less chest-beating
incarnation of early U2.” – SPIN
“Though there’s nothing dated about these new singles, The Velvet Teen have held onto their mid-2000s indie swagger in the form of Judah Nagler’s distinct, emotive voice.” – Stereogum

LISTEN: ALL IS ILLUSORY (IN FULL)
via NPR Music “First Listen”

Topshelf Records and Sonoma County, CA-based indie-rock band The Velvet Teen are proud to present the full stream of All Is Illusory, the band’s first full-length album in nine years. Premiering now via NPR Music “First Listen” and being released next week on Tuesday, June 30, All Is Illusory is the long-awaited and elegant follow-up to 2006’s Cum Laude! that was recorded and co-produced by Steve Choi (Rx Bandits, Peace’d Out) and Roger Camero (No Motiv, Peace’d Out). From its gorgeous, dizzying electronics to its harder, angular, ’90s-leaning flourishes of grunge, indie and emo, All Is Illusory is a welcome return for a band whose varied influences are still very much intact after its short silence. Check out All Is Illusory in its entirety over at NPR Music “First Listen”HERE.

Since its inception in late 1999, The Velvet Teen have traveled the world and challenged the very concept of genre with its eclectic and at times schizophrenic appeal. From the early EPs which showed prowess in the pop realm, to the dynamic indie jangle of its Chris Walla (Death Cab For Cutie)-produced debut, Out of the Fierce Parade, to the romantic strings and quietly political lyrics of Elysium, to the sexually charged whip-it beats of Cum Laude! and No Star EP, The Velvet Teentruly has a talent for seducing the masses into a cult-like state, before promptly leaving the faithless with nothing but a Kool-Aid aftertaste. The believers, however, will vouch that the experience is well worth the risk.The Velvet Teen officially made its touring debut on a brief Icelandic run shortly after its formation, finding founding member Judah Nagler accompanied by electronic arrangements programmed on a portable sequencer. After returning home, Nagler teamed up with former bandmate Logan Whitehurst, and together they recorded the first EP under the moniker. Josh Staples soon joined the group, and the trio recorded a wealth of material while touring North America, Canada and Japan until late 2004 when Whitehurst was diagnosed with brain cancer. Whitehurst would sadly pass from the disease in 2006. Casey Deitz filled in for Whitehurst and later joined the group permanently to help extend the band’s reach to Europe and record Cum Laude! (2006).The present day finds The Velvet Teen signed to the San Diego, CA-based powerhouse independent label Topshelf Records (Braid, The Jazz June) and preparing for the release of All Is Illusory, its newest material that is a culmination of its history and a body of work that represents where its members currently are, creatively. With the forthcoming album slated for release, The Velvet Teen will be touring North America in support of it throughout 2015. Tour dates below with more to follow.

JULY
17 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
18 – Portland, OR – Project Pabst
19 – Missoula, MT – Stage 112
20 – Billings, MT – The Pub Station
21 – Fargo, ND – The Aquarium
23 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall
24 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
25 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon
26 – Chicago, IL – Wicker Park Fest
28 – Kansas City, MO – Record Bar
29 – St. Louis, MO – Firebird
30 – Grand Rapids, MI – Pyramid Scheme
31 – Cincinnati, OH – MOTR Pub

AUGUST
01 – Cleveland, OH – Now That’s Class
02 – Pittsburgh, PA – Brillobox
03 – Washington, DC – DC9
05 – Allston, MA – Great Scott
06 – Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory
07 – Philadelphia, PA – The Boot & Saddle
08 – Fredericksburg, VA – St. George’s Episcopal
10 – Atlanta, GA – Drunken Unicorn
11 – Ybor City, FL – New World Brewery
12 – Orlando, FL – Will’s Pub
14 – Austin, TX – Holy Mountain
15 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada
17 – Phoenix, AZ – The Rebel Lounge
18 – San Diego, CA – Seven Grand
19 – Los Angeles, CA – The Satellite
20 – San Jose, CA – Cafe Stritch
21 – San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill
22 – Petaluma, CA – Phoenix Theatre