Nick Diamonds – “Specimen Days” (Stereogum Premiere)
“Specimen Days” was left off City Of Quartz, Islands/Unicorns/Serial dude Nick Thorburn’s latest solo release under his Nick Diamonds alias. But the song is out in the world today just in time for the first of many fall tour dates. Thorburn’s travels will take him coast to coast in the coming weeks; that’s nothing compared to the narrator of “Specimen Days,” who proclaims, “I am from the future/ I have come back to be with you/ I am with you, right beside you now.” The song has a fittingly space-age aesthetic, from the metallic tone of Thorburn’s voice to the wash of robotic synth pulses that push the music forward. The sound isn’t futuristic, exactly, but compare it to the tinny electronic experiments of Thorburn’s Unicorns days and you’ll likely find yourself feeling very far from the past.
Thorburn also played two new songs on the Beginnings podcast, which you can hear here.
Tour dates:
09/04 Tucson, AZ @ The Flycatcher
09/05 Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge
09/06 El Paso, TX @ Bowie Feathers
09/08 Austin, TX @ Holy Mountain
09/09 New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
09/13 Washington, DC @ DC9
09/14 Allston, MA @ Great Scott
09/15 Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade
09/16 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
09/17 Philadelphia, PA @ The Boot & Saddle
09/18 Hudson, NY @ The Half Moon
09/19 Montreal, QC @ Rialto Hall (POP Montreal)
09/20 Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club Theater
09/22 Detroit, MI @ Majestic Cafe
09/23 Fort Wayne, IN @ The Brass Rail
09/24 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
09/25 Cincinnati, OH @ MidPoint Music Festival
09/26 Champaign, IL @ Mike and Molly’s (Pygmalion Festival)
09/27 Iowa City, IA @ The Blue Moose Tap
09/29 Denver, CO @ Hi Dive
09/30 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
10/01 Boise, ID @ The Watercooler
10/02 Seattle, WA @ Barboza
10/03 Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar
10/04 Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt
10/06 San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
10/07 Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place
10/08 Ventura, CA @ The Garage
10/08-09 Los Angeles, CA @ Culture Collide
10/12 San Diego, CA @ Casbah
City Of Quartz is out now on Manqué.