"…the sex appeal of Type O Negative and prog’s more refined side with a spacey smoothness." - Pitchfork In support of last year's "essential" (Pitchfork) release, Coffins On Io, Brooklyn's Kayo Dot have announced a batch of West Coast tour dates in June and July. The band, led by founding member Toby Driver (also of Secret Chiefs 3), emerged in Boston, MA in 2002 from the ashes of metal group Maudlin of the Well. Since then, Driver has led Kayo Dot through several lineup changes and dramatic stylistic shifts: from traditional metal, to atmospheric, avant-garde metal; and now with Coffins on Io, the bats-in-your-belfry hard rock of Sisters of Mercy meets Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, Scritti Politti and early Roxy Music. But when it comes to Kayo Dot, change is the only constant. And like the best pop culture chameleons of the past, Kayo Dot’s evolution is governed by an inscrutable inner-logic. Despite the accessible songwriting of Coffins on Io and the emphasis on vocal melody and electronic percussion, Kayo Dot fans will find the record’s darkness and intensity familiar and relatable. For example: the dark wave of Coffins on Io album-track “Off-ramp Cycle” might be unrecognizable to Kayo Dot’s metal fans. “The sound is kind of like a sexy combination of Type O Negative, Peter Gabriel, Sisters of Mercy,” Driver says. But the track also encompasses the brooding menace of classic Bauhaus as well as current dark wavers Cold Cave and Crystal Stilts: artists young and old who live and die in those unknowable corners where heaviness meets delicacy and sincerity meets theatricality. Elsewhere, Driver’s penchant for prog rock surfaces in the ethereal “Spirit Photography,” complete with a saxophone melody line—strikingly gentle when compared to Kayo Dot’s brutal back catalog. “Long Time Disturbance on the Miracle Mile” could be a Bryan Ferry-era Roxy Music cut, and “The Mortality of Doves” could be Eno-produced David Bowie. See Kayo Dot on the road, playing songs from Coffins On Io, in a live setting in these fine cities: Tour Dates: 6/25/2015 San Francisco, CA- Hemlock Tavern // 1131 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109 w/ Kowloon Walled City 6/26/2015 Los Osos, CA- Sweet Spring Saloon // 990 Los Osos Valley Rd, Los Osos, CA 93402 6/28/2015 Los Angeles, CA- Complex // 806 E Colorado St, Glendale, CA 91205 6/30/2015 Las Vegas, NV- Bunkhouse // 124 S 11th St, Las Vegas, NV 89101 7/1/2015 Salt Lake City, UT- Kilby Court // 750 Kilby Ct, Salt Lake City, UT 84101 7/2/2015 Boise, ID- Crazy Horse // 1519 Main St, Boise, ID 83702 7/3/2015 Vancouver, BC- The Hindenburg // 23 West Cordova, Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 1C8 w/ Dama/Libra 7/4/2015 Seattle, WA- Highline // 210 Broadway East, Seattle, WA 98102 w/ Dama/Libra 7/5/2015 Portland, OR- Panic Room // 3100 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97232