Matt Pond PA's new album The Dark Leaves ships on April 6, but you can pre-order it here and here. They're also touring in support:

April 15 w/ Ben Folds @ House of Blues - Cleveland, OH

April 16 w/ Ben Folds @ Chaifetz Arena - St. Louis, MO

April 22 w/ Eugene Mirman @ Rococo Theater - Lincoln, NE

May 5  w/ Bobby Long @ Chameleon Club - Lancaster, PA

May 6 w/ Bobby Long @ Allen Street Stage - State College, PA

May 7 w/ Bobby Long @ Mac's Bar - East Lansing, MI

May 9 w/ Bobby Long @ The House Cafe - Dekalb, IL

May 10 w/ Bobby Long @ Mad Planet - Milwaukee, WI

May 11 w/ Bobby Long @ Slowdown - Omaha, NE

May 12 w/ Bobby Long @ Fox Theater - Boulder, CO

May 14 w/ Bobby Long @ Bottleneck  - Lawrence, KS

May 15 w/ Bobby Long @ Mojo's - Columbia, MO

May 17 w/ Bobby Long @ Hi Tone Cafe - Memphis, TN

May 18 w/ Bobby Long @ Square Room - Knoxville, TN

May 19 w/ Bobby Long @ Live Wire Music Hall - Savannah, GA

May 20 w/ Bobby Long @ 40 Watt - Athens, GA

May 21 w/ Bobby Long @ Village Tavern - Mt. Pleasant, SC

May 22 w/ Bobby Long @ Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC

May 24 w/ Bobby Long @ The Southern - Charlottesville, VA

May 25 w/ Bobby Long @ Otto Bar - Baltimore, MD

Paste offers a free MP3 of Matt Pond PA's Starting. Yep. Free. Nice.

New album The Dark Leaves out April 6. 

Matt Pond PA wishes you a happy Halloween with free music. Enjoy.

MP3: Matt Pond PA - Halloween (via aampromo.com)

Cheap music is great. Cheap music that happens to be great is frickin' awesome. Enter Matt Pond PA.

In a special limited-time deal for the uninitiated, MPPA is offering their last two albums, Last Light and Emblems, along with the If You Want Blood EP and a groovy poster for less than 15 bucks. No idea if the poster is actually groovy, but they usually are. And you won't be disappointed with the three discs of music. It's a Too Poppy Guarantee that guarantees I like it and provides you with absolutely zero legal rights.

Enjoy.

In honor of Thanksgiving - so they say - Matt Pond PA is giving away a free EP. It's called The Freeep - not a typo.

1. Hearts and Minds
2. Our Braided Lives
3. #5
4. One and Only
5. Imperfect
6. #3
7. First Light
8. Amazing Life
9. #1

Courtesy of matt pond pa's email newsletter:

Up from the seaside and down from the hills, we're back from a summer that's been both classic and core.

Formally soaked in songs as we swim through oceans of recordings -- an EP in the fall will be followed by our next full-on, full-length album -- tentatively titled 'The Dark Leaves'.

Yes.

Just spreading the good word from Altitude Records:

MATT POND PA HAS NOT BROKEN UP! In fact, the band is in the studio this summer working on new material, of which there is plenty! The band is doing all of their own recording and mixing this time around (guitarist/keyboardist Chris Hansen is a seasoned studio engineer), and the songs I have heard so far are bright, clear and gorgeous, if I may say so myself. If all goes according to plan, you can look for some new songs as early as this fall!

A bit behind on your matt pond PA? Now you can pick up all their music at dirt cheap prices through the end of the month - lots of great package deals. Just go here and give them your money. That's how this capitalism thing works.

While you patiently wait for your shipment to arrive, you can enjoy their new video for the title track of their latest and my favorite Last Light. The video and tune remind me of something I might have seen back in the day on 120 Minutes.

Or just download all their shit and be done with it.

Matt Pond PA announced more tour dates - and even an Iowa date popped up:

Apr 4 - New York, NY - Fillmore @ Irving Plaza*
Apr 5 - Washington DC - American University (AU Students Only)
Apr 6 - Washington DC - 9:30 Club*
Apr 7 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live*
Apr 8 - Columbus, OH - The Basement
Apr 9 - Cincinnati, OH - 20th Cent. Theatre*
Apr 11 - Williamstown, MA - Williams College (WC Students Only)
Apr 12 - Wilkes-Barre, PA - Metropolis Cafe
Apr 14 - Atlanta, GA - The Loft*
Apr 15 - Orlando, FL - The Social*
Apr 16 - Gainesville, FL - The Atlantic
Apr 17 - Charlotte, NC - The Milestone Club
Apr 19 - New York, NY - peaceXpiece live from Central Park Bandshell (Afternoon show - 3pm set)
Apr 23 - Bloomington, IN - Dunn Meadow @ Indiana Univ - Free Show, OPEN TO PUBLIC
Apr 25 - Pittsburgh, PA - Diesel #
Apr 26 - Detroit, MI - Alvin’s #
Apr 28 - Toledo, OH - Frankie’s #
Apr 29 - Indianapolis, IN - Birdy’s #
Apr 30 - Grand Rapids, MI - Intersection
May 1 - Madison, WS - High Noon Saloon #
May 2 - Iowa City, IA - Picador #
May 3 - St. Louis, MO - The Bluebird #
May 5 - Nashville, TN - 3rd & Lindsley #
May 6 - Atlanta, GA - Eddie’s Attic #
May 7 - Greensboro, NC - Greene Street Club #
May 9 - Baltimore, MD - The Ottobar #

*w/ Carbon/Silicon
#w/ Pete Francis

...I wish I could see them. No Iowa date on Matt Pond PA's upcoming tour:

Feb 28 - Ridgewood, NJ - Blend
Feb 29 - State College, PA - Chronic Town

Mar 1 - Norfolk, VA - Norva
Mar 3 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
Mar 4 - Charleston, SC - Map Room
Mar 5 - Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder $
Mar 6 - St. Augustine, FL - Café Eleven
Mar 7 - South Everglades, FL - Langerado Music Festival &
Mar 8 - Tampa, FL - New World Brewery
Mar 9 - Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits #
Mar 12 - St. Louis, MO - Blueberry Hill
Mar 13 - Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone
Mar 14 - Norman, OK - The Opolis %
Mar 17 - Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
Mar 19 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre*
Mar 20 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent*
Mar 22 - Vancovuer, BC - Richards on Richards*
Mar 23 - Seattle, WA - Chop Suey*
Mar 24 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom*
Mar 27 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre*
Mar 29 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar*
Mar 30 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theatre*
Mar 31 - Chicago, IL - Double Door*

Apr 1 - Lansing, MI - Mac's Place
Apr 2 - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace*
Apr 4 - New York, NY - The Fillmore @ Irving Plaza*
Apr 5 - Washington, DC - American University (AU Students Only)
Apr 6 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club*
Apr 7 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live*
Apr 9 - Cincinnati, OH - 20th Century Theatre*
Apr 14 - Atlanta, GA - The Loft*
Apr 15 - Orlando, FL - The Social*

* with Carbon/Silicon (feat. Mick Jones of The Clash)
$ with The Office
# with Fleet Foxes and Blitzen Trapper
% with Mahjongg
& with The Roots, Built to Spill, The Walkmen, Vampire Weekend, many more.

It is an absolute thrill to hear a band at its creative peak. Revisit The Beatles' Revolver, World Party's Goodbye Jumbo, or Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend to understand. Listening to matt pond PA's Last Light for a third time, I can't help but conclude that Mr. Pond and company have it all working for them.

The first time through, I was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of music (20 songs and a clean version of Sunlight). Past mpPA albums I think fell into that every-song-sounds-the-same trap, and with 20 new songs, I had similar concerns. The second time through, I started feeling that this was something special. I usually wait until the second or third listen to rate each song on my iPod. I found myself consistently giving each song 4 stars - with several having potential for the 5-star-all-time-classic rating. The third time through, I was motivated to post.

I can't help but relish in the flourishes that remind me of the best moments of the Beatles' middle years, the atmospherics of a great Cure tune, or the honesty of Elliott Smith's lyricism. Basement Parties, Giving It All Away Tonight, Sunlight - truly outstanding songs made even better in the context of a great album. Yes, indeed, great albums are still being made and you're foolish to ignore them. This is one you'd be foolish to ignore anyway.

MP3s: matt pond PA - various (scroll down via)

Matt Pond PA announced tour dates in support of their new album Last Light, which will be released Sept. 25. No Des Moines or Iowa ... yet. More here.

September 27th, 2007, Boston, MA, Paradise Rock Club
September 28th, 2007, New York, NY, Bowery Ballroom
September 29th, 2007, Hoboken, NJ, Maxwell's
October 1st, 2007, Washington DC, 9:30 Club
October 2nd, 2007, Pittsburgh, Diesel
October 4th, 2007, Columbus, OH, The Basement
October 5th, 2007, Detroit, MI, Magic Stick
October 6th, 2007, Cleveland, OH, Grog Shop
October 7th, 2007, Chicago, IL, Double Door
October 8th, 2007, Minneapolis, MN, Varsity Theater
October 11th, 2007, Vancouver, The Plaza Club
October 12th, 2007, Portland, OR, Doug Fir
October 14th, 2007, Seattle, Chop Suey
October 16th, 2007, San Francisco, CA, Great American Music Hall
October 17th, 2007, Los Angeles, CA, Troubadour
October 19th, 2007, San Diego, CA, The Casbah
October 20th, 2007, Phoenix, AZ, Modified Arts
October 22nd, 2007, Dallas, TX, House of Blues - Cambridge Room
October 23rd, 2007, Austin, TX, Antone's
October 24th, 2007, Houston, TX, Meridian
October 26th, 2007, Atlanta, GA, The Loft
October 27th, 2007, Chapel Hill, NC, Local 506
October 28th, 2007, Birmingham, AL, Vulcan Park
October 29th, 2007, Nashville, TN, Exit/In

Matt Pond PA will be recording and sharing acoustic versions of the new tunes from Last Night every week. This afternoon, here's the first one, Sunlight:

Matt Pond PA has announced the release of Last Night September 25. Evidently it was a troubled recording process. You can read about that yourself. Of note is that Neko Case and Brooke Kelly Hogan contributed vocals.

So September is a few months away. Download the If You Want Blood EP for a taste - a taste of the new music, not the blood - you get me.