The National’s frontman Matt Berninger and Brent Knopf of Menomena have teamed up to form a new duo that is recording under the name of EL VY.
The duo will be releasing their debut album, Return to the Moon, on October 3oth, 2015, via 4AD. Previously, they released the lyric video for the album’s title track, “Return to the Moon (Political Song for Didi Bloome to Sing, With Crescendo).” And now, EL VY have put out a new lyric video for their song, “I’m the Man to Be.”
Berninger’s brother, Tom, directed this latest lyric video and filmed it in Los Angeles, according to Under The Radar Magazine. In “I’m the Man to Be,” (Matt) Berninger and Knopf are shot at the recognizable amusement park on Santa Monica pier. Additionally, Berninger has been filmed on Venice Beach, performing the song as if he were holding a conversation on his cell phone.
While the song is catchy, it contains a peculiar lyric in the chorus that goes, “I’m peaceful cause my dick’s in sunlight, held up by kites. I’m the man to be.”
In a press release, The National frontman spoke about the origin of the song, which may fill help to answer questions regarding that particular line, along with explaining the overall theme of the song, itself.
According to Under The Radar Magazine, which cited the release, he said, “There’s this great Schoolboy Q song ‘There He Go’ which samples Menomena’s ‘Wet and Rusting.’ I thought it would be funny to re-sample the same sample and do it from the perspective of a pathetic self-aggrandizing rocker alone in a hotel room. Something I know a lot about. That’s how it started but then Brent took the sample out and we wrote an entirely new song.”
Check it out, below.
Lastly, EL VY are hitting the road for a series of international tour dates. Everything begins on November 2nd, in Portland, Ore., with two consecutive nights that are already sold out. Then, after winding their way through a selection of cities in the United States and Canada, Berninger and Knopf are bringing their tour to Europe in December. Check out a full listing of currently announced dates, below, courtesy of Under The Radar Magazine.
EL VY Fall Tour Dates:
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11/02: Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge [Sold Out]
11/03: Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge [Sold Out]
11/04: Seattle, WA – Neumos [Sold Out]
11/06: San Francisco, CA – The Independent [Sold Out]
11/07: Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour [Sold Out]
11/08: Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour [Sold Out]
11/10: Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
11/11: Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
11/13: New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom [Sold Out]
11/14: Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall Of Williamsburg [Sold Out]
11/15: Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair [Sold Out]
11/16: Montreal, QC – Theatre Fairmount
11/17: Toronto, ON – Opera House
11/19: Chicago, IL – Metro
11/20: Milwaukee, WI – The Turner
11/21: Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
12/01: Copenhagen, DK – Pumpehuset [Sold Out]
12/02: Hamburg, DE – Grunspan
12/03: Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg [Sold Out]
12/04: Cologne, DE – Kantine
12/06: Berlin, DE – Astra Kulturhaus
12/07: Brussels, BE – Ab
12/08: Paris, FR – Le Trabendo
12/09: London, GB – Electric Ballroom New Show Added
12/10: London, GB – Electric Ballroom [Sold Out]
12/12: Manchester, GB – Gorilla [Sold Out]
12/13: Dublin, IE – Vicar Street [Sold Out]