Silversun Pickups Announce Album Release

Silversun Pickups

It's been three years since Los Angeles neo-shoegazers Silversun Pickups unleashed their debut, Carnavas. Good news: The Pickups will return April 14 with Swoon, their sophomore album (on Dangerbird Records), and are planning a string of secret shows and U.S. festival appearances in its support.

For Swoon, the Pickups -- Brian Aubert (vocals/guitar), Nikki Monninger (bass), Christopher Guanlao (drums), and Joe Lester (keyboard) -- reunited with Carnavas producer Dave Cooley (International Noise Conspiracy, J. Dilla). Currently they're working with mixmaster Tony Hoffer (Beck, Air, the Kooks) to meet their "mastering deadline at the end of this month," Guanlao writes in a post on their MySpace blog.

Dates have yet to be confirmed, but in the blog the quartet also discussed a forthcoming series of shows -- that is, after they wrap their "heads around the idea of playing these new songs live."

"We're not quite sure yet how many smoke machines and fun house mirrors we need to make it possible," Guanlao writes. "But maybe if we take our time and plug everything in correctly, we may be able to make it happen. I guess we'll find out at the upcoming U.S. music festivals later this year."

Guanlao also says there's no secrets this year -- "except for secret warm up shows!"