Fitz & the Tantrums debut full-length, Pickin' Up The Pieces, will be released August 24 on Dangerbird Records, their new label home.Up first, the sextet will get a chance to flaunt their new material when they reunite with soul diva Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings for a leg of her tour, starting Saturday, May 8 in Charlottesville, Va. before settling into a soul-shaking residency back home, at L.A.'s Spaceland, Thursdays in June.
The sharp-dressed ensemble, led by one-name dynamo Fitz, has been on the rise since the self-release of debut EP, Songs For A Break Up: Volume 1, a stellar five-song collection that introduced their candy-coated sing-alongs to the masses. Equal parts Motown to 70s AM, the airtight band's funk 'n' soul hymns, coupled with impeccable showmanship and an exhilarating live show, have been turning heads and moving feet.
A burst of effervescent swingers and floor-stompers infused with the energy of eras passed, Fitz & the Tantrums make certain their runaway anthems get cemented in the brain exactly like a pop song should. With a Hammond at the wheel and flute in the backseat, "L.O.V." explodes with contagious handclaps over the choral chant, while "Tighter" slinks to the other side of the spectrum, oozing with slow-jam goodness. "Moneygrabber" explodes out of the gate while "It only takes about two minutes and 54 seconds - the length of single "Breakin' The Chains of Love" - to turn a hard-line skeptic into a rug-cutting fool," pronounced LA Weekly. See you on the floor.
Fitz & The Tantrums On Tour With Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
May 8 - Charlottesville, Va. @ Jefferson Theatre
May 9 - Norfolk, Va. @ NorVa
May 11 - Carrboro, N.C. @ Cat's Cradle
May 12 - Asheville, N.C. @ The Orange Peel
May 13 - Atlanta, Ga. @ Center Stage
May 14 - Nashville, Tenn. @ Cannery Ballroom
May 28 - New York, N.Y. @ Mercury Lounge *
May 29 - Washington, D.C. @ Black Cat *
* without Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings