Pitchfork

What do Frank Black, Andrew Bird, and Shel Silverstein have in common? Well, they're all dudes, for one, but more specifically, they have all collaborated with Bobby Bare Jr. And he just keeps the collaborations coming on The Longest Meow, due September 26 on Bloodshot Records.

Recorded with an 11-member band (if you count producer Brad Jones) in 11 hours on March 26, the 11 tracks on The Longest Meow cover territory from "pulsing T. Rex glam boogie" to "down and dirty southern ROCK," according to a press release. Bobby the Younger even "goes all coffeehouse on a Pixies cover." The latter sounds like dangerous territory, but if anyone can pull it off, it's Bare and the band of indie all-stars he's assembled.

To be specific, the Nashville sessions revolved around Bare, bassist Mike Grimes and My Morning Jacket members Carl Broemel and Patrick Hallahan on guitar and drums, respectively, but there were also contributions from Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Doni Schroader (Trail of Dead), Deanna Varagona (Lambchop) and Ben Martin (Clem Snide), among others.

Bare Jr. is on tour with the Walkmen and Drive-By Truckers this summer and fall. At the shows you can pick up the tour-only Nick Nacks and Paddy Whacks, an album of live performances and videos that Bare self-released early this year.

The Longest Meow:

01 The Heart Bionic
02 Gun Show
03 Back to Blue
04 Sticky Chemical
05 Uh Wuh Oh
06 Demon Valley
07 Mayonnaise Brain
08 Snuggling World Championships
09 Borrow Your Cape
10 Where Is My Mind
11 Stop Crying

Dates:

08-11 Newport News, VA - Tribeca *
08-12 Richmond, VA - The Canal Club *
08-13 Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre *
08-15 Atlanta, GA - The Loft *
08-16 Columbia, SC - Headliners *
08-17 Charlotte, NC - Visulite Theatre *
08-18 Charleston, SC - Music Farm *
08-21 Birmingham, AL - Zydeco *
08-22 Memphis, TN - Hi Tone *
08-24 Orlando, FL - The Social *
08-25 Miami, FL - Studio A *
08-28 Ybor City, FL - Orpheum *
09-14 Macon, GA - Capitol Theatre $
09-15 Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theatre $
09-17 Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues $
09-19 Northampton, MA - Pearl Street $
09-20 Boston, MA - Avalon $
09-21 New York, NY - Webster Hall $
09-22 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts $
09-26 State College, PA - TBA $
09-29 Raleigh, NC - Carolina Theatre $
09-30 Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium $

* with the Walkmen
$ with Drive-By Truckers