AC Newman is participating in Scrabble for Cheaters on April 6th at 826NYC. He and his partner – David Rees (Get Your War On, Artisanal pencil-sharpener) – need to raise money ahead of time to buy cheats in the Scrabble tournament. Together, they are called The Upstate Upsetters and you can help them reach their goal of $1,000 raised (which will ultimately benefit 826NYC) by visiting: http://www.826nyc.org/scrabble13/support/#upstate
More information on 826NYC, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students with their writing skills, is HERE.

Check out the official video for AC Newman’s “I’m Not Talking”, the first track off Shut Down the Streets.

“There are some bands that are on stage and some that own it. A.C. Newman falls into the latter category, hands down with a quiet but commanding stage presence.”

- City Pages Minneapolis

AC Newman live:

Nov 08
The Biltmore Cabaret
Vancouver, Canada

Nov 09
The Crocodile
Seattle, WA

Nov 10
Doug Fir Lounge
Portland, OR

Nov 12
The Independent
San Francisco, CA

Nov 13
The Echoplex
Los Angeles, CA

Nov 14
The Casbah
San Diego, CA

In case you missed it, check out The New York Times‘ review of A.C. Newman’s Shut Down the Streets:

As the main songwriter in the New Pornographers, along with his solo albums and past bands dating back to the 1990s, A. C. Newman has been so prolific that he risks being taken for granted: He’s the guy who can always spin out hummable pop melodies that would be right at home in the ’60s or ’70s, whether or not he matches them to lyrics that add up. But Shut Down the Streets (Matador/Last Gang) takes an extra step toward the heartfelt: “Is it too much to lose, or too little left to live for?” he sings in “Wasted English.” The melodies are still there, from gently scalloped waltzes to hearty power-pop choruses, and there’s a new layer of polish on the arrangements: intros that establish atmosphere along with hooks, richer and more elegant instrumental blends, the self-effacing vocal harmonies of Neko Case from the New Pornographers. And especially in “They Should Have Shut Down the Streets,” which mourns the death of his mother, Mr. Newman comes through as less facile or defensive, more open. It’s a tipping point.

- The New York Times

The album is available on iTunes HERE

AC Newman talk to MTV Hive about Shut Down The Streets being his “’most personal record’ to date”. Read the whole interview HERE.

Then head to the Village Voice HERE to read a hilarious round of “Reviewing the Reviews”.

Check out The A.V. Club for a couple stunning videos produced by La Blogothèque of AC Newman and Neko Case performing songs from his new album, Shut Down The Streets, live at Old Soul Studios in Catskill, NY.

Shut Down The Streets is finally here! AC Newman’s third full length record is now available in the US on CD, vinyl and digitally on iTunes.

Buy it from iTunes HERE (and receive a bonus track “Jacksboro”)
Amazon HERE
Matador HERE
Stream it on Rdio HERE

The album is out now in Canada via Last Gang Records and October 15 in the UK/EU on Fire Records.

As told to the the Huffington Post, AC Newman said of Shut Down The Streets:

Here is my album, Shut Down The Streets. Maybe you know me from The New Pornographers, and you may recognize Neko Case’s voice in these songs, you may even think “This one sounds so much like a New Pornographers song” and you may ask yourself “Who the hell are the New Pornographers?” All that aside, this album is all about birth, death, happiness and sadness, chronicling a time in my life where all those things had to learn to coexist side by side. There was that and a sudden obsession with the song “Baker Street” by Gerry Rafferty. That led to an obsession with the psychedelic sounds of the late 70s singer songwriter. So my most personal songs ever somehow made the most sense when I played them in a mutated version of an outdated style from my childhood. That’s just how things go.