Jars of Clay 2012 Spring Tour Sampler with Leagues and Matthew Perryman Jones

(Here's a new post I recently did for NoiseTrade.)

Starting in mid-April, Jars of Clay is hitting the road for a short run of shows and they’re bringing along special guests Leagues and Matthew Perryman Jones for added sonic oomph. To commemorate the event, all 3 bands have joined together to produce a killerTour Sampler here on NoiseTrade, with all tips going directly to help out Blood:Water Mission. No matter where on the familiarity meter you fall with each band, this sampler is definitely worth the download. Each artist contributed two songs a piece and even at EP length, this sampler is totally spilling over with incredible music, intriguing lyrics and impressive musical talents.

As far as the specific songs, there are some really nice gems to be found on here. The multi-faceted musical creators in Jars of Clay offer up the driving “Small Rebellions” fromThe Shelter and the hard-to-find meditation of “Body and Wine.” Leagues (the super exciting new group made up of musical journeymen Thad Cockrell, Tyler Burkum and Jeremy Lutito) chip in two tracks from their self-titled debut EP, the snappy “Haunted” and the downright danceable “Mind Games.” Golden-throated singer/songwriter Matthew Perryman Jones sweetens the deal with the previously unreleased “O, Theo” and the smooth pulse of “Until The Dawn Appears,” which just so happens to feature the vocal stylings of fellow tourmate Thad Cockrell. As you can see, this is no ho-hum, run of the mill compilation. It’s jam-packed with some of the best music, melody and musings you could find in one place and I highly recommend downloading the sampler, giving to Blood:Water Mission and (if you’re geographically able) supporting the tour.

Jars of Clay 2012 Spring Tour:

4/12 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line Music Cafe

4/13 – Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s

4/15 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall Ballroom

4/16 – St. Louis, MO – The Old Rock House

4/18 – Fort Wayne, IN – University of Saint Francis

4/26 – Monroe, LA – Monroe Civic Center

4/27 – Dallas, TX – The Door

4/29 – San Marcos, TX – Texas Music Theater

Tickets can be purchased directly from the Jars of Clay website here:www.jarsofclay.com/tour