Nobody from Oklahoma’s had a bigger year than Other Lives, what with the release of a fine album, successful tours across the States and Europe, and the recent announcement that they’ll be opening the first leg of Radiohead’s upcoming U.S. tour. It’s hard to believe that one of the last times I saw them, they were playing for maybe 50 people inside Opolis.

Well, they look to be building on all that success with more shows in the U.S. and Canada, in addition to the dates accompanying Radiohead. They’ll be touring with a fellow mini-orchestra that goes by JBM, which I can assure you you’ll most definitely like if Other Lives make your kind of music. Those dates are listed below.

12.05.11 - Crepe Place - Santa Cruz, CA *
12.06.11 - Cafe du Nord - San Francisco, CA *
12.08.11 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR *
12.09.11 - Media Club - Vancouver, BC *
12.11.11 - The Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA *
12.14.11 - Hi-Dive - Denver, CO *
02.06.12 - Jackpot Music Hall - Lawrence, KS
02.07.12 - Ciceros - St. Louis, MO
02.08.12 - Waiting Room - Omaha, NE
02.09.12 - 7th Street - Minneapolis, MN
02.10.12 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL
02.11.12 - The Basement - Columbus, OH
02.13.12 - Ninth Ward - Buffalo, NY
02.14.12 - Drake - Toronto, ON
02.15.12 - Sala Rossa - Montreal, QC
02.16.12 - Great Scott - Boston, MA
02.17.12 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
02.18.12 - Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA
02.21.12 - Red Palace - Washington, DC
02.22.12 - Brillobox - Pittsburgh, PA
02.23.12 - The Southern - Charlottesville, VA
02.24.12 - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC
02.25.12 - TBD / Pour House - Nashville, TN / Charleston, SC
02.27.11 - American Airlines Arena - Miami, FL ^
02.29.11 - St. Pete Times Forum - Tampa, FL ^
03.01.11 - Philips Arena - Atlanta, GA ^
03.03.11 - Toyota Center - Houston, TX ^
03.05.11 - American Airlines Center - Dallas, TX ^
03.07.11 - Frank Erwin Center - Austin, TX ^
03.09.11 - Scottrade Center - St. Louis, MO ^
03.11.11 - Sprint Center - Kansas City, MO ^
03.13.11 - 1st Bank Center - Broomfield, CO ^
03.15.11 - Jobing.com Arena - Glendale, AZ ^

* w/ JBM
^ w/ Radiohead

Included in the announcement was this awesome hour-long video of them performing for Le Mouv, which appears to be some sort of French radio station/media outlet. Please let me know if that’s not the case, as I do not speak French. I’ve seen a ton of these shows as they’ve played for KCRW, NPR’s Tiny Desk series and plenty of others, but few are this long and none are on such a glossy, professional-looking stage as this. Watch:



And don’t worry, Okies: Other Lives’ Twitter handle has assured me they’re looking to book a return-home show sometime in late January. Keep your calendar cleared. It’s gonna be an incredible homecoming.

A senior in high school, I was visiting friends in Stillwater when I saw Kunek for the first time. If you’d told me that night that some of the dudes in that band would one day open for the guys who recorded “Kid A” and “OK Computer,” then I would’ve considered giving you a few bucks to leave me alone, because you were probably a crazy homeless person.

But Jesse Tabish and the dreary, indie-pop mini-orchestra that is Other Lives have toured across this country and many others in support of the mindful, gorgeous “Tamer Animals,” to the acclaim of fans, critics and fellow musicians. Colourmusic’s Ryan Hendrix (the two bands, both from Stillwater, are very close) told me that Radiohead’s managers are friends with Other Lives’, which was a pretty big factor in the alt-Brits’ appearance at Other Lives’ show at Oxford’s historic Jericho’s Tavern in August.

But you don’t just ask somebody along on your tour as a favor to your manager.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, according to Radiohead's website. So far, Other Lives are set to open on 10 dates across the South and Midwest, and you can bet a ton of Okies will drive down I-35 for that March 5 date in Dallas, this writer included. I just can't imagine how much more ethereal and soulful Tabish's voice will sound pouring out of two-story speakers, how much more space the band's mid-tempo beauty will have to surround and envelop you.

Until then, feast your ears on “Tamer Animals”: