We Are the Tide

There's exciting news, and then there's exciting news!!! This falls into the latter category.

Blind Pilot's new album, We Are the Tide, is set to be released September 13. That much I knew. I was already excited, but thought I had to wait a couple more weeks to hear the whole album.

New album to be released September 13

But now, thanks to the great folks over at National Public Radio, the new album is now available for streaming in its entirety in the First Listen section of NPR. 

I'm streaming it now as I work on some readings for classes, and I'm impressed. Their last album was really good, and this album, while a tad slower at times, is solid. The music is really good. I strongly recommend checking it out. That $5 credit to Amazon mp3 that I have is definitely going towards the purchase of this album!

So, why does this great news make it to my cycling blog? There is a very direct connection here. As NPR points out, they

have logged thousands of miles' worth of touring on bicycles, even after Blind Pilot's audience grew well beyond the West Coast [...] With its broad appeal and good-natured grace, We Are the Tide stands to keep them off the bikes and in buses for the foreseeable future. Environmental impact aside, that can only be a good thing.

That's right, they toured on bicycles, instruments in tow. That's how I first heard of them... they were that band that had toured from Seattle to San Francisco, going from gig to gig by bicycle. And they're coming back to DC! I saw them last time they came through, and I hope to be in the audience for their next DC concert, even if they didn't ride their bikes all the way here from their native Portland, Oregon.