Introducing: Dead Man's Bones

Name: Dead Man's Bones
From: Los Angeles, California
Story: Hollywood heart-throb in credible album shock
Sound: Tom Waits-loving, kids-choir-wrangling, graveyard doo-wop

Things have changed! Back when I was a lad, Hollywood superstars dabbling in alternative music were a total embarrassment. Think Keanu Reeves playing pedestrian bass in the otherwise wholly unremarkable Dogstar, or Johnny Depp making an atrocious joke record with Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers under the name P.

Kids these days? They sure do have things easy, consarnit. Think Zooey Deschanel's sweet-yet-strange reverb-pop with M. Ward in She & Him (who put out totally one of the best records of last year), or Jena Malone making eerie no-fi lullabies for hip NY label The Social Registry.

Now, you can add hunky-yet-credible Ryan Gosling to the ranks of the new-millennial actor-humans ushering in a new era of making music that does anything but suck. When not not being photographed shirtless by paparazzi, Gosling and pal Zach Shields have a project called Dead Man's Bones. Who are, in possibly the greatest musical surprise of 2009, really good. Like, amazingly, thrillingly, inspiringly good.

Dead Man's Bones' self-titled debut album is a concept record about the tragic love between, I think, a vampire and a ghost. Turned zombie. Its bizarre, bare-bones doo-wop seems inspired by everything from Tom Waits to, um, y'know, The Zombies, and even features an actual kids-choir.

In support of the LP, Dead Man's Bones are keeping things interesting. For their forthcoming maiden tour, Gosling and Shields shall be working with a local children's choir in every city, and, warming up each night, support will come in the form of a genuine, bonafide talent-show, in which "Halloween-themed acts will be given preferential treatment."

Budding magicians-of-the-macabre, "Thriller"-inspired zombie dance troupes, and circus freaks take note! Here's your chance to rub shoulders with Hollywood celebrity:

Dead Man's Shows:
October 14: Cambridge, MA - Brattle Theatre
October 15: New York, NY - LPR
October 16: Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church Sanctuary
October 17: Washington, DC - Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
October 19: Montreal, PQ - Le National
October 20: Toronto, ON - The Music Gallery
October 21: Chicago, IL - Schuba's Tavern (early and late shows)
October 23: Seattle, WA - The Triple Door
October 24: Vancouver, BC - Venue
October 25: Portland
, OR - Mississippi Studios
October 27: San Francisco, CA - Swedish American Hall
October 30: Los Angeles, CA - The Regent

Photo © Hama Sanders