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Last month, Rose City Band announced their new album Sol Y Sombra, out January 24th, 2025, on Thrill Jockey. Psychedelic kingpin, Ripley Johnson shared that “With Rose City Band, I’m generally trying to make uplifting music, good time music,” adding, “This time, I couldn’t avoid the shadow being more of a presence. There’s no getting away from it. The shadow is always there. So, I left it in.” Despite that comment, their lead single, Lights on the Way, had some great moments of respite and felt far from the shadows you might expect from that comment.
On their new single, Seeds of Light, it couldn’t be further from those shadows, it’s positively glowing in the light, beautifully enhanced by the addition of Sanae Yamada’s vocals (the co-founder and keyboard player of Moon Duo with Ripley Johnson, and who also took the above portrait of Johnson). Yamada adds a lightness and warmth over the “juicy, psychedelic, carpet of wah-wah.”
The album press states that, on this new album, Johnson, while holding the band’s center intact, incorporates new elements with deftness and fluidity and you can really hear this on Seeds of Light which is also our Song of the Day. Don’t miss out on their UK tour dates next May, dates below.
Pre-order Rose City Band’s Sol Y Sombra: https://thrilljockey.com/products/sol-y-sombra
Check out these Deep Digs Johnson made from the Thrill Jockey archive a few years back:
Rose City Band will be touring throughout 2025, with an extensive run of full-band shows in North America followed by Europe and UK dates in May 2025, with more worldwide dates to be announced.
Rose City Band upcoming tour dates
| Nov. 21 – Bellingham, WA – The Shakedown |
| Nov. 22 – Trout Lake, WA – Trout Lake Hall |
| Feb. 20 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile [tickets] |
| Feb. 21 – Vancouver, BC – Fox Cabaret [tickets] |
| Feb. 23 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios [tickets] |
| Mar. 5 – Arcata, CA – Miniplex [tickets] |
| Mar. 6 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel [tickets] |
| Mar. 7 – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room [tickets] |
| Mar. 8 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar [tickets] |
| Mar. 9 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriet’s [tickets] |
| Mar. 10 – Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar [tickets] |
| Mar. 11 – Albuquerque, NM – Sister [tickets] |
| Mar. 13 – Denver, CO – Globe Hall [tickets] |
| Mar. 14 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge [tickets] |
| Mar. 15 – Boise, ID – Neurolux [tickets] |
| Apr. 24 – Prague, CZ – 007 [tickets] |
| Apr. 25 – Leipzig, DE – Noels Ballroom [tickets] |
| Apr. 26 – Berlin, DE – Neue Zukunft [tickets] |
| Apr. 28 – Aarhus, DK – Voxhall [tickets] |
| Apr. 29 – Malmo, SE – Babel [tickets] |
| Apr. 30 – Oslo, NO – Blaa [tickets] |
| May 1 – Stockholm, SE – Fasching [tickets] |
| May 2 – Gothenburg, SE – Pustervik [tickets] |
| May 3 – Copenhagen, DK – Loppen [tickets] |
| May 5 – Hamburg, DE – Nachtasyl [tickets] |
| May 6 – Osnabrück, DE – Kleine Freiheit [tickets] |
| May 7 – Cologne, DE – Bumann & Sohn [tickets] |
| May 8 – Groningen, NL – Vera [tickets] |
| May 10 – Eindhoven, NL – Fuzz Club Festival @ Effenar [tickets] |
| May 11 – London, UK – The Garage [tickets] |
| May 12 – Birmingham, UK – Hare & Hounds [tickets] |
| May 13 – Manchester, UK – YES (Pink Room) [tickets] |
| May 14 – Glasgow, UK – Stereo [tickets] |
| May 15 – Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club [tickets] |
| May 16 – Liverpool, UK – Arts Club Loft [tickets] |
| May 17 – Bristol, UK – Strange Brew [tickets] |
