Medals (ex Jaguar Club) will be releasing their debut album 'Dancing In Ceremony' on March 29th. 'Dancing In Ceremony' is the debut album from former Jaguar Club members Will Popadic (vocals/guitar) and Yoi Fujita (bass) and their new band Medals.
The album began life as a new Jaguar Club record, threatened to become a dancefloor banger inspired by 90's techno giants, and ended up somewhere uniquely in between.
Acoustic strumming, scattered beats, analog synthesizers, harmonica, and washes of processed guitars sit comfortably alongside Fujita's trademark bass hooks and Popadic's distinctive voice. The result is a diverse but coherent pop album.
The Jaguar Club's final album, 2009's 'And We Wake Up Slowly' collected universally positive reviews, spent several weeks in the CMJ top 200, and allowed the band to tour throughout the US. When The Jaguar Club dissolved in the summer of 2010 Popadic and Fujita found themselves sitting on a batch of half finished new songs they were truly excited about. Deciding a band could be found when needed they isolated themselves in their makeshift studio in DUMBO Brooklyn and threw themselves into the recording process. They worked quickly, keeping first takes, teaching themselves to program drums and to craft synth sounds. Some additional recording was done with Nick Stumpf of the French Kicks at his studio The Love Boat, conveniently located around the corner. Longtime collaborator Kevin McMahon (The Walkmen, Titus Andronicus, Frightened Rabbit) mixed and mastered the album at Marcata Recording in New Paltz NY.
Finding the right live band proved easier than expected when longtime friend Nadia Brittingham was drafted to play keyboards. Medals made their live debut in January of 2011. With the members split between Brooklyn and the small seaside town in Massachusetts that Popadic now calls home, extensive touring is planned for the spring and summer months.
Upcoming Tour Dates (as of 3/8/11)
4/3 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge (record release show)
4/6 - Chicago, IL - Quencher's
4/7 - Atlanta, GA - Wonder Root
4/8 - Chapel Hill, NC - Nightlight
4/9 - Washington DC - Velvet Lounge
4/10 - Philadelphia, PA - The M Room