davidgreenwald

The edgy indie Englishmen of Bloc Party are bringing their angular guitars back to the States for a summer tour.

The band is currently in the studio crafting the follow-up to last year's A Weekend in the City, which drummer Matt Tong told Paste will be a back-to-basics effort after City's textured approach: "The third studio incarnation of Bloc is going to be a bit like the rawer earlier Bloc, but with experience."



They'll have plenty of chances to build some character this summer, when their brief run will include a pair of festival stops at Chicago's Lollapalooza, where they'll join Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine and Kayne West, and Baltimore's Virgin Mobile Festival, where they'll grace the stage with the Foo Fighters, Jack Johnson and Bob Dylan (!). Talk about good company.

If that's not enough, Bloc Party scored three nominations for their song "Flux" at the recent NME Awards but lost out to The Wombats (Best Dancefloor Filler) and the Arctic Monkeys (Best Video, Best Track). The Wombats!? Only in the U.K., kids.

Bloc Party U.S. tour dates:

7.28: Pomona, CA @ Glass House
7.29: Los Angeles, CA @ Mayan Theatre
7.30: San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
8.1: Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
8.5: Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
8.6: New York, NY @ Webster Hall
8.7: New York, NY @ Webster Hall
8.9: Baltimore, MD @ Virgin Mobile Festival

- David Greenwald