Carnivores head West with Franz Ferdinand, unveil ‘Black Canvas’ demo

• Chad Radford
• Carnivores

In case you didn’t get the memo, Carnivores have landed some gigs opening for Franz Ferdinand on a handful of West Coast dates in August, which will most definitely put them in front of a whole bunch of new eyes and ears. How did this come about? “Alex Kapranos asked us,” explains singer/bassist Philip Frobos. While touring through England last summer, Frobos met the singer for the art-damaged Scottish rockers that delivered such acceptable pop hits as “Take Me Out” and “Do You Want To.”

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Soon, Carnivores will pile into their van and make the 45-hour drive to Vancouver where the tour kicks off, but before they go, they’re playing two shows in town: First, they’re headlining a Living Walls benefit show at 529 tonight (Tues., July 17). After that, they’re hosting a tour kick-off party at the Earl on Fri., Aug. 3 with Ava Luna and Hello Ocho.

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In the meanitme, the group’s third album, Second Impulse is recorded and pretty much in the can, waiting to be released. What’s more, they recorded a handful of newer demos in June with Ava Luna in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. “Black Canvas” is one number that comes from those sessions and will appear on a tour CD that Carnivores put together for their upcoming shows with Franz Ferdinand.

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In the past, Carnivores’ songs have come across a bit fidgety, on occasion, as the group reconciled their love for low-fi, psychedelia, and diminishing tropical inflections, all the while bashing away on noisy indie rock chords. But with “Black Canvas,” they’ve clearly found their groove with a sound that’s relaxed, unified in its approach, and thick with atmosphere.

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Click below the jump to see the tour dates that carry the group down the West Coast.