[Listen] Diamond Rings Debuts New Track "Runaway Love", Covers the Smashing Pumpkins

John O'Reagan, aka Diamond Rings, visited the studio of KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic earlier this week, where he offered up a number of new songs from his forthcoming sophomore LP Free Dimensional. Below, you can watch the replay of his performance of a new song titled "Runaway Love", as well as his cover of Smashing Pumpkin's "Disarm". Interesting side note, "Disarm" was the first song O'Reagan ever learned to play on guitar. Along with the video replay, you can stream the entire 45-minute session here.

Free Dimensional hits stores on October 23rd via Astralwerks.

[News] Diamond Rings Announces New LP: 'Free Dimensional'

Last month, Toronto synthpop king John O'Regan, aka Diamond Rings, unveiled "I'm Just Me", the single from his then-untitled-and-unannounced sophomore LP. Now, we have all the details of his second studio album. O'Regan has announced that his sophomore effort will be titled Free Dimensional and is set for release on October 23rd via Astralwerks.

Diamond Rings will lead up to the release with a number of supporting tour dates, many of which will be opening performances for fellow Toronto band Stars. Check out his full tour schedule after the jump.

Diamond Rings 2012 Tour Dates:
08/13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bardot
08/15 – San Francisco, CA @ Hotel Utah
08/17 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza
09/20 – Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall *
09/21 – Boston, MA @ Paradise *
09/22 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall *
09/23 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club *
09/25 – Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater *
09/26 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle *
09/27 – Charlotte, NC @ Visulite Theatre *
09/28 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse *
09/29 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge *
10/02 – Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall *
10/03 – Cincinnati, OH @ 20th Century Theatre *
10/04 – Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe @ Old National Centre *
10/05 – St. Louis, MO @ Plush *
10/06 – Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note *
10/09 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck *
10/10 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom *
10/11 – Little Rock, AR @ Revolution Music Room *
10/12 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s Upstairs *
10/13 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre *
10/17 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues *
10/18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Mayan Theater *
10/19 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Rio Theatre *
10/20 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore *
11/02-04 – Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Fest

* = w/ Stars

[Watch] Diamond Rings - "I'm Just Me" (Official Video)

"I'm Just Me" is the brand new single from Toronto musician John O'Regan's (aka Diamond Rings) forthcoming sophomore LP, which is due out later this year through Astralwerks. The video sees O'Regan fully embracing his 1980s David Bowie amidst flashing lasers and voguing dancers. Watch it above (via Pitchfork). The song is also available to purchase on iTunes.

[News] Diamond Rings Announces European Tour

What a way to round out an already great year for Diamond Rings. After signing to Astralwerks and releasing his debut album, Special Affections, the pop sensation will now be heading out on tour starting in November in support of the ever electro-fantastic Junior Boys. 

Diamond Rings will also be releasing a limited edition 7" of "You + Me" that will have his signature danceable interpretation of Teenage Fanclub's "Mellow Doubt" as the b-side. The vinyl will be exclusively available on the tour but you can grab the digital tracks beginning November 15th in Europe and North America.

Have a peek at dates after the jump.

Tour Dates:
Nov. 11 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival
Nov. 18 - Stockholm, Sweden - Strand
Nov. 19 - Oslo, Norway - Jaeger
Nov. 20 - Malmo, Sweden - Debaser
Nov. 23 - Brussels, Belgium - Orangerie
Nov. 24 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Trouw
Nov. 25 - Paris, France - Showcase
Nov. 27 - Leipzig, Germany - Conne Island
Nov. 29 - Milan, Italy - Magnolia
Nov. 30 - Bologna, Italy - Covo
Dec. 1 - Rome, Italy - Lanificio159
Dec. 3 - Warsaw, Poland - Stodola
Dec. 4 - Poznan, Poland - SQ
Dec. 6 - Berlin, Germany - Berghain
Dec. 7 - Stuttgart, Germany - Schocken
Dec. 8 - Strasbourg, France - La Laterie
Dec. 10 - Dublin, Ireland - Twisted Pepper
Dec. 12 - London, United Kingdom - Heaven
Dec. 15 - Offenbach, Germany - Hafen 2
Dec. 16 - Basel, Switzerland - Sud
Dec. 17 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Le Romandie
Dec. 20 - Barcelona, Spain - Razz 2
Dec. 21 - Madrid, Spain - Penelope

[Listen] Twin Shadow - "Changes"

Earlier today, LA's KCRW premiered a new track from new-wave rock outfit Twin Shadow titled "Changes," which is now available for download here. The track, which you can stream below, is George Lewis Jr. and co.'s take on "Circus Is Gone" by 80s band Bagarre This is what Lewis Jr. had to say about the track:

Close to a year ago I discovered one of my favorite bands. Like most of my favorite bands I stumble on them accidentally while looking for rare music on youtube. The band was called Bagarre, some weird italo disco stuff with an asian/english singer, I was immediately drawn to a song called “Circus Is Gone” and for fun the band started covering it while on tour. We were on our way out to play dates with Florence & The Machine in LA and I thought I would take two days with Twin Shadow keyboardist Wynne Bennett, to lock ourselves up in a studio, eat lots of good Mexican food and experiment with updating this great song. This is what we came up with. After working on the song I wanted someone with some pop chops to touch it, so we reached out to mixer Michael Brauer, who really took what we had done and instead of doing any major changes, just pumped life into it, and made it jump. They call it “Circus Is Gone,” I call it Changes.”

Twin Shadow is currently on tour with Diamond Rings, and are already back in the studio recording the follow-up to 2010's Forget, due out in the first half of 2012.

Twin Shadow - "Changes" by Some Kind of Awesome

[Watch] Diamond Rings - "You & Me" (Video)

Toronto's Diamond Rings has unveiled his latest video for his single, "You & Me" from his debut album Special Affections, which is available now on Astralwerks. The video was directed by Jeff Scheven and depicts two kids who join forces to take everything the world has in store for them, even bullies and monsters that are out there.

According to John O'Regan (Diamond Rings), the video hits pretty close to home as it was stylized to represent experiences from his childhood. In his own words, "'You & Me' is about transcending adversity by harnessing the power of a shared creative consciousness." So hopefully his message of celebrating differences instead of repressing them is properly represented to one and all. A hat tip to Diamond Rings for just wanting us all to get along!

Diamond Rings is currently on tour with Twin Shadow. Have a look at tour dates after the jump.

Tour Dates:
09/07 Wash DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel*
09/08 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar*
09/09 Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Festival
09/10 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl*
09/12 Birmingham, AL @ The Bottletree*
09/13 Baton Rouge, LA @Spanish Moon*
09/15 Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's*
09/16 Austin, TX @ Emo's
09/18 El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace*
09/20 San Diego, CA @ Casbah*
09/21 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubador*
09/23 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubador*
09/24 Big Sur, CA @ Henry Miller Library*
09/25 SF, CA @ Great American*
09/26 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge*
09/27 Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Cafe*
09/28 Vancouver - The Biltmore Cabaret
10/01 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry*
10/02 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall*
10/03 Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club*
10/04 Montreal - Theatre Corona
10/06 Boston, MA @ Paradise*
10/07 New York, NY @ Webster Hall*

*w/ Twin Shadow

[News] Diamond Rings Announces Tour With Twin Shadow

Today, Diamond Rings re-released his debut LP Special Affections after recently signing to Astralwerks Records. In support of the re-release, the Toronto-based synth-pop artist has announced the "Clean Cuts" North American tour, where he will be joined by Twin Shadow. The tour kicks off on September 4th in Philadelphia and will take the two bands down the East Coast, through the Southern States, up and the West Coast, and finally back east for a final show in New York City on October 7th.

You can check out all of Diamond Rings' 2011 tour dates after the jump.

Diamond Rings 2011 Tour Dates: 

• 09/04    Bamboo Bar, Philadelphia PA* 
• 09/06    Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ
• 09/07    Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington DC* 09/08
• 09/08    Ottobar, Baltimore, MD* 
• 09/10    The Earl, Atlanta, GA*  
• 09/12    The Bottletree, Birmingham, AL
• 09/13    Spanish Moon, Baton Rouge, LA* 
• 09/15    Fitzgeralds, Houston, TX* 
• 09/18    Lowbrow Palace, El Paso, TX* 
• 09/20    Casbah, San Diego, CA* 
• 09/21    Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA* 
• 09/24    Henry Miller Memorial Library, Big Sur, CA* 
• 09/25    Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
• 09/26    Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR* 
• 09/27    Crocodile Cafe, Seattle, WA* 
• 10/01    7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN* 
• 10/03    The Mod Club, Toronto, ON*
• 10/06    Paradise, Boston, MA* 
• 10/07    Webster Hall, New York, NY*

* w/ Twin Shadow

[News] Diamond Rings Signs To Astralwerks, Re-Releases Debut Album

Toronto-based synth-pop artist Diamond Rings has just announced that he has signed to New York-based Astralwerks Records and will be re-releasing his debut album Special Affections on June 21, 2011 worldwide (excluding Canada).

Diamond Rings will also be playing a couple of dates in support of everyone's favorite pixie Robyn over the course of June, so have a look at those after the jump.

In case you've never experienced Diamond Rings, you can check out the video for his latest single, "Wait And See" below.

Tour Dates:

6/04 Detroit, MI, Royal Oak Music Hall*

6/05 Columbus, OH, LC Pavillion*

* w/ Robyn