Bettie Serveert are heading out on a rare North American tour this fall in support of their album, Pharmacy of Love, released by Second Motion Records in the U.S. and by Sound of Pop in Canada.Here is the official word: With the band employing a "back to basics" approach, Pharmacy of Love captures the kind of raw, contagious energy that has long characterized Bettie Serveert's live shows. Recorded in a Belgian recording studio, founding members Carol van Dyk (vocals/guitar), Peter Visser (guitar) and Herman Bunskoeke (bass) were joined on the new album by special guest Joppe Molenaar (of the Dutch band Voicst) on drums.
"It's the blow upon a bruise," sings van Dyk on "Love Lee," and the phrase perfectly describes Bettie Serveert's proclivity for cloaking the starkest emotions with verve and aplomb. From the urgent "Deny All" to the anguished album closer, "What They Call Love," Pharmacy of Love is a masterful collection of songs that are by turns raucous, shimmering and shiver-inducing as they examine the unpredictability of life and love.
Bettie Serveert released its debut album, Palomine, in 1992. Signed to Matador Records in the States, the band was championed by critics and quickly became a favorite at college radio with singles "Tom Boy" and "Kid's Allright" getting substantial airplay. Lamprey, which Melody Maker praised for having the most tangled, desolate, real life guitar sound of the year, was released in 1995, followed by 1997's Dust Bunnies, which the band recorded in Woodstock, NY with producer Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Lemonheads). The band toured extensively, opening for bands such as Belly, Dinosaur Jr, Buffalo Tom, Superchunk, Jeff Buckley, Wilco and Counting Crows. After its 1998 live album of Velvet Underground covers, Bettie Serveert Plays Venus in Furs and Other Velvet Underground Songs, the band released a string of studio albums - Private Suit, Log 22 and Attagirl - on its own label, Palomine Records. Celebrating its 15th anniversary, Bettie Serveert released Bare Stripped Naked in 2006. A semi-acoustic CD/DVD package of primarily new material, it was hailed by allmusic.com as "a rousing and heroic reminder of what a great band they were and continue to be."
Bettie Serveert Tour Dates:
Sep 23: T.T. the Bear's - Cambridge, MA
Sep 24: Maxwell's - Hoboken, NJ
Sep 25: Southpaw - Brooklyn, NY
Sep 26: Daniel Street - Milford, CT
Sep 28: The Drake Hotel - Toronto, ON
Sep 29: Grog Shop - Cleveland Heights, OH
Sep 30: Magic Bag - Ferndale, MI
Oct 01: The Abbey - Chicago, IL
Oct 02: First Avenue & 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN
Oct 04: Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO
Oct 06: Empyrean Coffee - Spokane, WA
Oct 07: Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA
Oct 08: Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC
Oct 10: Dante's - Portland, OR
Oct 12: Cafe Du Nord - San Francisco, CA
Oct 13: Spaceland - Los Angeles, CA
Oct 16: Plush - Tucson, AZ
Oct 17: Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM
Oct 19: The Prophet Bar - Dallas, TX
Oct 20: Stubb's - Austin, TX
Oct 22: Blueberry Hill - St. Louis, MO
Oct 23: Exit / In - Nashville, TN
Oct 24: Earl - Atlanta, GA
Oct 25: Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC
Oct 27: Brillobox - Pittsburgh, PA
Oct 28: North Star Bar - Philadelphia, PA
Oct 29: Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
Oct 30: The Record Collector Store - Bordentown, NJ
Oct 31: Iota Club & Café - Arlington, VA
