Portland’s the Thermals was one act at SXSW I was eager to catch. A few thousand other people had that same idea, and I could only catch the daytime Friday set to the sold-out Mohawk from outside the door. But even from that vantage, it was a hell of a show. The seasoned “pre-Portlandian” PDX’ers’ new album Desperate Ground arrives on April 16 via Saddle Creek. Their first venture on said label is produced by John Agnello. Moreover, they’ve released the first video from the album, titled “Born to Kill”. Stream the video & track below (you can download it here), check out tour dates, and if you’re lucky enough to be at Treefort, they’re playing tonight.

The Thermals Tour Dates

4/20 – Portland, OR @ Branx
4/25 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
4/26 – Vancouver, BC @ Fortune
4/27 – Bellingham, WA @ Wild Buffalo
5/10 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
5/11 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
5/13 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
5/14 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry
5/16 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
5/18 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
5/21 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe
5/22 – Montrreal, QC @ Il Motore
5/23 – Boston, MA @ Sinclair
5/24 – New Haven, CT @ Space
5/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
5/28-29 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
5/30 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
5/31 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
6/1 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn