Finding fool’s gold

Somewhere in the crazy sweaty hotness of my July, I missed a post by Aquarium Drunkard about a new Africa-influenced collective from his ‘hood of Los Angeles. Fool’s Gold is a mixed group of folks sometimes numbering near a dozen players, who are inspired by a shared love of Congolese, Ethiopian, Eritrean and Malian music and American dance-pop.

After seeing Mali’s Vieux Farka Touré (son of Ali) play the college where I work earlier this week in a joyous free show, this just feeds the nascent hunger in my belly for these heady, cyclical, pulsing rhythms. From the insistently exotic opening notes, I am intrigued.

Surprise Hotel – Fool’s Gold

Their self-titled album is out Tuesday (9/29) on IAMSOUND Records, and the whole thing is a perfect burst of warmth to this Indian summer i’m gettin’ this weekend.

FOOL’S GOLD TOUR DATES
Thu. 10/8 – La Jolla, CA @ The Loft – UC San Diego ^
Fri. 10/9 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy Theatre ^
Sat. 10/10 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill ^
Sun. 10/11 -Portland, OR @ Holocene ^
Mon. 10/12 – Seattle, WA @ Nectar Lounge ^
Tue. 10/13 – Vancouver, BC @ The Red Room ^
Fri. 10/16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Cameo
Sat. 10/17 – New York, NY @ Cake Shop w/ Lemonade
Sun. 10/18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Sycamore
Mon. 10/19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory w/ Ocote Soul Sound
Wed. 10/21 – NYC @ Bowery Poetry Club - CMJ
Thu. 10/29 – Los Angeles @ Westfield Century City - KCRW’s World Music on the Terrace
Tue. 11/10 – Nashville, TN @ 3rd & Lindsley *
Wed. 11/11 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club *
Sat. 11/14 – Charlottesville, VA @ IS Venue *
Sun. 11/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church *
Mon. 11/16 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat *
Tue. 11/17 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
Sat. 11/21 – Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street Downstairs *
Sun. 11/22 – Burlington, VT @ Club Metronome *
Mon. 11/23 – Montreal, QC @ Petit Campus *
Tue. 11/24 – Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo Club *
Fri. 11/27 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
Sat. 11/28 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon *
Sun. 11/29 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Varsity Theater *
Tue. 12/1 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater *
Wed. 12/2 – Telluride, CO @ Sheridan Opera House *
Thu. 12/10 – Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall *

^ – with Metronomy
* – with Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros