I would have to try pretty hard to be any happier about Vandaveer’s (Mark Heidinger of the Apparitions) upcoming two stops in Lexington. He’s playing this Friday at the Dame with Neva Geoffrey and Petticoat Petticoat, and then at CD Central at 2PM — during which I’ll be hard at work, so say hey if you drop by. But in order to prepare you for his trip, here are my two favorite songs off his new album, Grace & Speed.

MP3: Vandaveer – The Streets Is Full Of Creeps
MP3: Vandaveer – Marianne, You’ve Done It Now…
Despite its name, Grace & Speed is actually a very dark and beautifully grim composition. Both tracks have a Tom-Waits-by-streetlight feel to them, with just a hint of Andrew Bird in the vocals. “The Streets is Full of Creeps” is the tale of the last hours of an old beat cop who goes insane and decides to shoot a few people downtown before killing himself. It’s like the Decemberists plus (again) more Tom Waits.

Vandaveer on Myspace

Vandaveer Tour Dates
Apr 24 The Black Cat DeeCee, Washington DC
Apr 26 Ear-X-Tacy Louisville, Kentucky
Apr 26 930 Listening Room Louisville, Kentucky
Apr 27 The Dame Lexington, Kentucky
Apr 28 CD Central (2PM) Lexington, Kentucky
Apr 29 Jordaroo III – Benefit For Jordan Cookeville, Tennessee
May 1 3PM WOXY.com’s Lounge Acts Cincinnati, Ohio
May 25 Club Passim – The Cutting Edge of the Campfire Boston, Massachusetts