Ha Ha Tonka

The boys in Ha Ha Tonka are big baseball fans (though they have the unfortunate malady of being Cardinals fans), so how cool was it to hear "Usual Suspects" off their latest album being used during segment on TBS' playoff coverage?

Have a view HERE

HA HA TONKA played the much vaunted ACL festival in Austin TX last weekend and by all the accounts we've heard (we weren't allowed to go, our cruel overlord bosses allow no such things) they knocked it out of the proverbial park

HERE'S a link to Rolling Stone's "Best Moments" from the festival photos

HERE'S a great article/interview from the AustinPost called "The ACL Band Stuck In My Head" and it tells how HHT brought on the rain to the drought-stricken area (who knew?) as well as couple of their videos.

Overheard several times were people saying "Did you hear that HHT made it rain?"

Heed their powers...

Here's a video medley of their set (pardon the crappy audio) that gives you sense of the day..

SPIN magazine has compiled 15 tracks from bands that are appearing at this year's Austin City Limits Festival and "Made Example Of" from Ha Ha Tonka made the cut.

So, go HERE and download the collection for free.  Includes tracks from Mavis Staples, The Head and the Heart, Hayes Carll, Smith Westerns, The Cave Singers and more

Ha Ha Tonka, after a somewhat quiet summer, are hitting the road with vengeance.  They will be on the road pretty much the rest of the year supporting their "wow" new record Death of A Decade. So, if you are east of the Rockies, you will have LOTS of opportunities to see the boys and have yerself a fun night on the town.  HERE'S the schedule

In anticipation of the tour, they sent us THIS video today as a way of announcing it.  It kind of frightened/amused us, but it is definitive evidence that they've had too much time on their hands.  Please help them.

Pick up a copy of HHT's latest Death of a Decade, and be entered to win a pair of tickets for a show in a town near you:

GOOD RECORDS- Dallas, TX (9/17 @ LaGrange)

LANDLOCKED MUSIC- Bloomington, IN (9/27 @ The Bishop)

CULTURE CLASH- Toledo, OH (9/30 @ Frankie's)

RECORD ARCHIVE- Rochester, NY (10/1 @ Water St. Music Hall- Also giving away a vinyl prize pack)

Enter to win a pair of tickets and a vinyl prize pack at ZZZ Records in Des Moines (no purchase necessary) (9/21 at Vaudeville Mews)

The album is also for sale through September.

Ha Ha Tonka's version of "12" 3-speed Oscillating Fan" always whips the crowds into a frenzy at the end of their shows.   And, since much of the USA has been, or still is, sweltering under a wicked heat wave, we were happy that the folks over at Music Fog finished up this video of the band performing the song at SXSW.

Enjoy it HERE and we hope it helps cool the room a bit.

Ha Ha Tonka recorded this live session for Reverb's "Mile Marker" sessions ahead of their headling appearance at Denver Post's Underground Music Showcase on July 21. Watch the session below, and then check out pictures from the session here.

Ha Ha Tonka has joined a host of other bands coming together for fellow Missourians after the appalling tornado that hit the SW Missouri city of Joplin last week.

If you're in the KC area, come on out and show your support

Tickets and line up HERE

Coupla baseball related items for you:

1. The boys of Ha Ha Tonka stopped by MLB.com to tape this three-part interview -- listen as they talk about the Reds vs the Royals, how Brett and Brian share baseball player names and more: Part One / Part Two / Part Three

2. Jon Langford's music from Skull Orchard Revisited is featured on this Baseball Prospectus Podcast - Listen now!