Pitchfork

Listening to Toronto-based Picastro, who have a penchant for brooding tunes soaked in strings of anxious gloom, you might get to worrying if the act has ever known happiness. Rest your fears, though, as the trio's got plenty to smile about. Here, let's have a look.

First, a new record, Whore Luck-- Picastro's second for Polyvinyl-- comes out September 11. As if that weren't reason enough to flip those frowns, the guest stars should do the trick: eternal font of joy Jamie Stewart (of Xiu Xiu) and former Picastro member Owen Pallett (aka Final Fantasy).

Stewart lends backing vocals and percussion to an album-closing cover of the Fall's "Older Lover", while Pallett contributes some lovely piano, organ, and violin to various tracks. Picastro also put their own shadowy spin on Roky Erickson's "If You Have Ghosts" and a bunch of originals.

And nothing brings mirth to the hearts of bands and Pitchfork newswriters like tour dates! Picastro are crossing theirs off one-by-one right now. Tonight finds them in Grand Rapids with Marissa Nadler, and they have a Canadian run and a trip overseas on the horizon.

Whore Luck:

01 Hortur
02 Car Sleep
03 Friend of Mine
04 In the Weeds
05 All Erase
06 If You Have Ghosts
07 Towtruck
08 Stair Keeper
09 Albanis
10 Older Lover

Picastro:

09-06 Grand Rapids, MI - DAAC *
09-08 Buffalo, NY - Soundlab *
09-13 Peterborough, Ontario - The Spill #
09-14 Hamilton, Ontario - Pepperjack Cafe ^
09-15 Montreal, Quebec - Casa del Popolo
09-16 Toronto, Ontario - Music Gallery (X-Avant Festival)
09-20 Guelph, Ontario - Kazoo @ E-Bar
09-23 Chicago, IL - Schubas %
09-29 Antwerp, Belgium - Arenbergschouwburg Kleine Zaal
10-04 Brussels, Belgium - Kultuure Kaffee
10-07 Innsbruck, Austria - PMK
10-10 Vienna, Austria - Vorstadt
10-11 Prague, Czech Republic - 007
10-14 Leipzig, Germany - UT Conewitz
10-15 Hamburg, Germany - Haus 73
10-18 New York, NY - Pianos (CMJ)
11-19 Gothenburg, Sweden - Cafe Publik
11-22 Aberdeen, Scotland - Lemon Tree

* with Marissa Nadler
# with Jonas Bonnetta
^ with Wooden Stars
% with Denison Witmer, Marla Hansen