With a self-titled long-player and North American tour locked and loaded, MT. ST. HELENS VIET NAM BAND will continue its brief and head-turning ascension to the top of the pop rock pile. The Seattle band will hit the road in early spring in support of its Dead Oceans debut - due March 10.

Benjamin Verdoes (vocals, guitar, percussion) hoped to motivate his younger brother Marshall to push forward in his drum lessons. Once Marshall got good at drums, Benjamin vowed, they'd start a band together, and now-13-year-old Marshall would have naming rights. That promise is officially made good with the release of Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band's full-length.

Co-produced by Scott Colburn (the Arcade Fire, Animal Collective), the album at first blush recalls Wolf Parade; the band's frayed melodic sensibilities and lead Benjamin's urgent, driven vocals in particular. Of course, Wolf Parade borrowed a few ideas from Modest Mouse, whose beginnings were indebted to the Pixies. This is the sort of musical lineage that creates the foundation for Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band's debut LP. But Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band are not solely inspired by their contemporaries; dig a little deeper and strains of Queen's over-the-top epic rock peers through, while exhilarating guitar work that nods towards Thin Lizzy appears in more than a few songs.

And we're pleased to share "Anchors Dropped" an mp3 from the album HERE.

Complete Tracklisting:

01 Who's Asking
02 Masquerade
03 Cheer for Fate
04 Anchors Dropped
05 Going on a Hunt
06 A Year or Two
07 Albatross Albatross Albatross
08 Dull Reason
09 Little Red Shoes
10 En Fuego
11 On the Collar

And joining MT. ST. HELENS VIET NAM BAND on the road in March will be Le Loup, from Sup Pop spin-off label Hardly Art.

MT. ST. HELENS VIET NAM BAND Tour Dates:

02/26/09 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Shop w/ Goblin Cock
03/18/09 Dan's Silverleaf, Denton - TX w/ Disappears
03/22/09 San Antonio, TX - Rock Bottom w/ Le Loup
03/24/09 Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture w/ Le Loup
03/25/09 San Diego, CA - Casbah w/ Le Loup
03/26/09 Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar w/ Le Loup
03/27/09 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo w/ Le Loup
03/30/09 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge w/ Le Loup
04/01/09 Media Club, Vancouver - BC w/ Le Loup
04/03/09 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court w/ Le Loup
04/04/09 Denver, CO - Hi Dive w/ Le Loup
04/06/09 Omaha, NE - Slowdown Jr. w/ Le Loup
04/07/09 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry w/ Le Loup
04/08/09 Madison, WI - The Frequency w/ Le Loup
04/09/09 Chicago, IL - Schubas w/ Le Loup
04/10/09 Cleveland Heights, OH - Grog Shop w/ Le Loup
04/18/09 Urbana, IL - Courtyard Cafe w/ Le Loup