moe. Announce New-Album Presale and 2012 Tour Dates

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moe. will release their 10th studio album, What Happened To The LA LAs, via Sugar Hill Records on January 24. However, since 2 p.m. EST today, November 9, the album has been available for presale at this location.

The group chose to work with an outside producer for the first time since 1998's Tin Cans & Car Tires, with John Travis (Kid Rock, Social Distortion, No Doubt) getting the call.

“For most of our career we’ve done everything on our own in a very cottage industry, home-y kind of way,” notes Chuck Garvey, moe. singer and guitarist. Other band members are Vinnie Amico (drums), Rob Derhak (bass, vocals), Jim Loughlin (percussion, Malletkat) and Al Schnier (guitar, vocals, keyboards, mandolin). “With most of our recordings, we’ve gotten the equipment together, we’ve paid for everything ourselves, we’ve produced it ourselves and we’ve had complete control over it. For this album we actually made the leap of putting ourselves in someone else’s hands to help us come out with something different.”

Most of the material on What Happened To The LA LAs has been road-tested at moe.’s concerts. “Bones of Lazarus” has been part of the moe. repertoire for more than 10 years, says Rob Derhak, though it went through a major transformation in the studio. Chuck Garvey’s “Suck A Lemon” was written for moe.’s fan-inspired psychedelic Halloween show.

“Downward Facing Dog” is a newer moe. song, written by Al Schnier. It came together rather organically when Schnier realized what had been several different songs actually flowed together into one composition. Lyrically, the song addresses a time when Schnier was dealing with his father’s poor health.

“I had a lot of big issues on my mind,” Schnier recalls. “Being a dad, and being in this situation with my own dad, just makes you look at the big picture. I wanted the song to be something where I could express a passion for life and have it be something that people could relate to.”

moe. 2011 Tour Dates

NOVEMBER

  • 4 Dallas, TXGranada Theater
  • 5 Houston, TXFitzgerald's
  • 6 Pensacola, FLVinyl Music Hall
  • 8 Oxford, MSLyric Oxford
  • 9 Lexington, KYBuster's Billiards and Backroom
  • 10 Cleveland, OHHouse of Blues
  • 11 Washington, DC9:30 Club
  • 12 Washington, DC9:30 Club
  • 13 Charlottesville, VAJefferson Theater
  • 16 Winston-Salem, NCZiggy's
  • 17 Asheville, NCThe Orange Peel
  • 18 Birmingham, ALWorkPlay SoundStage
  • 19 Atlanta, GAThe Tabernacle
  • 25 New York, NYTerminal 5
  • 26 New York, NYTerminal 5

DECEMBER

30 Portland, MEState Theatre
31 Portland, MEState Theatre
2-night passes also available!

moe. 2012 Tour Dates

JANUARY

27Seattle, WAShowbox At The Market
28 Portland, ORCrystal Ballroom
29Eugene, ORMcDonald Theatre

FEBRUARY

1Crystal Bay, NVCrystal Bay Club
2San Francisco, CAThe Independent
3San Francisco, CAThe Independent
4Los Angeles, CANokia Theatre
6Flagstaff, AZOrpheum Theater
7Salt Lake City, UTThe Depot
9Aspen, COBelly Up, Aspen
10TBD
11TBD
12Lawrence, KSLiberty Hall
15Minneapolis, MNFirst Avenue and the 7th Street Entry
16St. Louis, MOThe Pageant
17Nashville, TNThe Cannery Ballroom
18Chicago, ILThe Riviera Music Theatre

More dates to be announced. Check moe.org for the band's most recent itinerary.

Damian Fanelli
Damian Fanelli
Editor-in-Chief, Guitar World

Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.