Say Yes To This War On Drugs

I am telling you to say yes to this War on Drugs. To most of us baby boomers, the war on drugs was a naïve and failed policy that encouraged people to “just say no” to drugs during the Reagan years. The War on Drugs I am encouraging you to check out is an amazing band out of Philadelphia. They have made a steady incline into the business the past few years and have just released a critically acclaimed new album.

The War on Drugs is fronted by Adam Granduciel.  Adam grew up in California before moving to Philadelphia in 2003. He, like many other artists, starting recording his own music on a tape machine from his bedroom. He had a thing for Dylan’s music and when he got to Philly he met Kurt Vile, who was also into Dylan. They hit it off and Adam joined Kurt’s band The Violators. Adam was still making his own music as War on Drugs. In 2005 together they released an EP as War on Drugs and did a tour together. The band was signed to the Secretly Canadian label and put out their first full length titled Wagonwheel Blues.

It received some good press and they toured America and Europe promoting it. Kurt left after this tour to promote his own solo career, so Adam became the sole front person. Because Adam tends to be a perfectionist the band went through some personnel changes. Adam then recorded Slave Ambient which was released in 2011. This is the album I was happily introduced to this band. They toured this album to more critical acclaim.

Adam's career was now to the point where he could do music full time. He then started the process of recording the next album. Because of his perfectionist tendencies he would record a song, re-record it a number of times, trash it and go back to the first recording of it. He was feeling a lot of pressure and during this time his life took a bit of a tailspin personally. His long term relationship ended, he was feeling insecure, depressed, and couldn't move forward. He gave up drugs, smoking and changed his diet which all made him feel better. Adam then made a decision to become more democratic and involve his current band to help him out in the studio putting together this new album. This was a great choice and they in March released Lost in a Dream. Pitchfork calls this album “psychedelia-smeared country rock”. I couldn't agree more. Please enjoy the new single "Red Eyes"

I think you have just heard some of his influences like Dylan, Petty, and Springsteen.I have never had the opportunity to see this band live but I have heard great things about their shows. If you liked this one, you should also check out "Under the Pressure" which is an 8:00 reverb drenched guitar anthem.  I hope this gives you reason to say "yes" to this War on Drugs.

Two Sides of LP

The artist LP is a testimony to perseverance in the music business. She has been signed to labels, dropped, resigned, dropped, and every time continued to move forward. She never gave up and just recently put out her first full length album (or I could joke LP) and it has been getting a ton of attention. LP may be short in stature, but not in determination. When you hear her powerful voice you wonder how it can come out of her body. Her voice soars and brings you into her lyrics immediately.

LP was born in NYC in the early 80’s. She likes to be a bit mysterious (hence using a moniker rather than her real name) and not giving a date of birth. Her dad was a lawyer and her mom was an opera singer who passed away while LP was still in high school. Music is how she coped with her mother’s passing. David Lowery from Cracker heard her and featured her on a 1998 Cracker song. Lowery produced her first full length album but if never caught on. In 2006 she performed at South by Southwest and a bidding war was started to sign her. She signed to Def Jam records but left the label before she put out an album due to artistic differences. She then signed with RedOne Records, but that also never materialized an album.

LP was however writing tons of songs and a few of these songs were picked up by major artists. These varied from Rihannah to Backstreet Boys  to Christine Aguilera to Joe Walsh. Millions of people were hearing her songs and not knowing who wrote them. LP had earned a great reputation as a songwriter in the industry and was sought out after for her hit songs. Because of the overwhelming demand for her songwriting ability, she moved to Los Angeles. In 2011 she started performing again with her traditional ukulele by her side and this time drew large crowds to see and hear her. LP signed with Warner Brothers who put out an EP in 2011 titled Into the Wild.  The title song got a lot of airplay and was featured on a national bank TV commercial. All of a sudden everyone wanted to know who was behind that voice. LP just released her first full length album on Warner Brothers Forever For Now. I am not going to play "Into the Wild" but rather chose  "Night Like This" for your listening pleasure:

I recently had the privilege of work an LP show when she recently came to Baltimore. I had not heard much about her, so I didn’t know what to expect. I can tell you that she was one of the most humble artists I have worked with. She appreciated everything I did for her at the merch table. What impressed me most was she signed merch after the show. The line was very long and she spent time with each person one on one. She asked their names, had a short conversation, took pictures, and made each one feel like a friend. She wasn’t doing it to sell merch, she was really interested in what each person had to say. Her honesty and kindness came through. I was very impressed with her positive attitude about life, especially since she has gone through a lot to get to where she is today.

UPDATE: The gorgeous harmonies of Sweden's First Aid Kit are back with a new release titled Stay Gold. I have written about them in the past and this album has some stronger writing but continue the mesmerizing sister harmonies. Do yourself a favor and check it out. 

They Are Something-Cloud Nothings

I know my faithful readers are going to worry about me writing about the band Cloud Nothings. They understand that I love bands with beautiful harmonies and melodies, but every now and then you just need to turn the volume up to eleven and rock out. If you need to do that, you should be doing it to this band from Cleveland.

The band is the brainchild of Dylan Baldi. Dylan went to Case Western Reserve University where he was studying audio recording. He tired of it and dropped out to work on recording his own music in his parent’s basement. He did all the instruments, vocals, and recording himself. He started putting his songs on his My Space site and started getting noticed quickly. A couple of up and coming bands heard his stuff and asked him to tour with them as an opener. He then put together a touring band and hit the road. He gained more notice and signed with Carpark Records in 2010. He went into the studio as a one man band and came out as a trio now known as Cloud Nothings. They released the self-titled record the same year.

I fell in love with them from their 2012 album Attack on Memory. This album features screeching feed backed fuzz guitars and the desperate vocals of Dylan wailing about the sad state of growing up young in America. When I heard this band for the first time I was brought in by his vocals of despair and alienation. It reminded me of the first time I heard Kurt Cobain with Nirvana. The power of the music and vocals makes you have to listen to what they have to say. Dylan is speaking for an alienated youth that needs to be heard. The song "Wasted Days" was one of my favorite songs of that year. Cloud Nothings just released last month their new album Here and Nowhere Else. It is a bit heavier but still has the reverb, fuzz, and echo that make them so good. Here is "I'm Not Part Of Me" which is the single off the new album:

This band puts on some of the best and most intense live shows you will ever see. They are trashing all over the stage because they are so into their music. Please see them when they come to your town. Even if you are not wowed by their sound, their too good live to not see them.

Riding the Wave-Courtney Barnett

If you haven’t heard of Courtney Barnett yet, you will soon. This Australian based singer-songwriter is ready to ride the wave out of her home country into our homes. She is mega-talented in a number of different ways. The first thing you notice are her lyrics which are deadpan, funny, and serious, sometimes in the same song. I love the way she puts together her words. Here is the opening of “Avant Gardener” (have to love the title): “I sleep in late, Another day, Oh what a wonder, Oh what a waste, It’s a Monday, It’s so mundane, what exciting things will happen today”.  Then she delivers her lyrics in an ironic style with amazing phrasing. She punctuates her music with a killer guitar that at times can be psychedelic and other times can be subtle.  

Courtney started her career as a solo act in Melbourne. She then played guitar in other people’s band before stepping out on her own to play her own music a couple of years ago. She became the front woman of her own band writing her own songs. In 2012 she started her own label Milk!Records and released an EP titled I Got a Friend Called Emily Harris. This garage pop EP got her a lot of acclaim in her native country. She quickly followed up with another EP titled How to Carve a Carrot Into a Rose. The lead single “Avant Gardner” drew international attention. The song is a true story based on an anaphylactic panic attack she had during a heatwave in Australia. The song has earned a heavy rotation in a number of Triple A radio stations across the country. There has been so much buzz about Courtney that she has packaged her two EP’s into The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas. It will be released this April. Here is the song that will turn you into a Courtney Barnett fan. “Avant Gardner”:

Courtney recently came to the US for a short tour in February. She stopped by the WTMD radio station for an interview with the morning DJ (and my good friend and rock and roll comrade) Erik Deatherage for his Saturday morning show Sunny Side Up. Erik is one of the best interviewers I have had the privilege of listening to. His thoughtful questions always make the interviewee feel comfortable and relaxed. Courtney admitted to him that she is very shy (but not on stage). At a party she isn’t telling the story, she is the one listening. She said she takes the observer role and then tell stories through her lyrics and music her own way. If her double EP is an example of her stories, I can’t wait for more. Please check out her music and ride her wave as she is getting ready to put out a full length in the near future. Be the first one on your block to tell people about Courtney. 

Update: One of my all time favorite bands, and my favorite live band ever, Marah, has released a new album featuring song lyrics from a folklorist who lived in the mountains of Pennsylvania over 100 years ago. David Bielanko and Christine Smith of Marah brought together local players to provide music to the lyrics, including an 8 year old fiddle prodigy, to record this album old school style. It is recorded in Monophonic. So Marah! The album Mountain Ministrelsy is amazing. It steps back 100 years and yet keeps that Marah pure rock and roll flavor and attitude throughout.

Wonderous Temples

-->

In writing this review I must provide you with a full disclosure. I grew up listening to groups like The Zombies, Traffic, The Beatles, etc. You get the picture.  So, when I first heard that their was a new band with a psychedelic sound I got excited.

Temples debut album, Sun Structures, opens with a terrifically driving riff played on a twelve string guitar. As the opening track, 'Shelter Song', develops I find myself savoring its tonal textures, which are rich, full and occasionally surprising. Consider, for example, the haunting use of a Hammond B-3 at the beginning of 'Sun Structures', the title track, and the sitar like tones that introduce a brief but enjoyable electric jam that takes place at the end of the same song.  The vocal harmonies are thoughtfully crafted and used throughout this album. This listener never knew when a background chorus would suddenly chime in. 

 I had listened to this album several times when it was streaming on NPR's First Listen prior to its release.  I downloaded it on the first day it became available and then listened to it a few more times before finally visiting Temple's website.  Scrolling through the photos posted there I happily and unexpectedly discovered a photo of the album cover of on of my favorite albums from the 70s, Steve Hillage's Fish Rising.  While this album is a true delight it is not one seen much these days.

Enjoy a terrific video of Temples performing 'Sun Structures' live.

                                     

Temples formed in 2012.  Originally they were a duo consisting of singer lead guitarist James Edward Bagshaw and bassist/singer Thomas Edison Warmsly.  After Bagshaw and Warmsly cut a couple of studio tracks and uploaded them to Youtube they the got attention of Heavenly Recordings founder Jeff Barrett who agreed to release a single.  They now have a full band, a great first album and they are touring the world.  I'm already looking forward to their sophomore release.