No, not the government campaign or the Barenaked Ladies song.  They’re a really cool new band and I’ve been digging their album, Wagonwheel Blues.  Great stuff.  I’m excited to see them at the Festival of Faith and Music.  Here’s a video:

The War on Drugs – Wagonwheel Blues

The War on Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues

The War On Drugs are currently sitting pretty high in the upcoming Doubtful Sounds 2008 top 20 and in recognition of that, here is the very cool video for Needle In Your Eye from the Wagonwheel Blues record.

Directed by Mark Shonenveld:

Menuda decepción. Sinceramente, me esperaba un poquito de histeria colectiva ante la cancelación del Rockdelux Music Weekend, pero igual es que estamos todos un poco hartos de la sobreoferta de festivales. Lo que sea. Sin embargo, el frenético ritmo laboral de agosto me ha dado tiempo para mirarme con detalle el cartel, y no estaba nada mal. Como ya dije, el nombre de Will Oldham es sinónimo de calidad cinco jotas, Centro-matic no desentonan y tienen canciones de piel de gallina, El Guincho es pura fiesta si lo programan a una buena hora y, mi drama particular, Wagonwheel Blues (Secretly Canadian), el disco de debut de The War On Drugs es una pasada y en directo deben de garantizar un muy buen rato.

El Strawberry Jam de Animal Collective copó los puestos más altos en las listas de lo mejor del año pasado y, a medida que pasan los meses, no podemos más que dar la razón a sus defensores. El colectivo animal aparece cada vez más en los medios como referencia de multitud de bandas, entre ellas las de The War On Drugs. Su single ‘Taking The Farm’ es la canción que Panda Bear quería para abrir Strawberry Jam antes de dar con ‘Peacebone’. Sin embargo, no se confundan, Adam Granduciel, alma de The War On Drugs, no es un acólito de Noah Lennox. Va más allá y escuchando el disco uno se da cuenta que lo que en realidad le gusta es Bob Dylan y su armónica (el inicio del disco con ‘Arms Like Boulders’ es maravilloso).

Por eso y por los siete cortes restantes, Wagonwheel Blues es un disco agradecido de escuchar. The War On Drugs consiguen un disco coherente cargado de instrumentación que no se repite ni empacha. Y basándome en una de las mil formas que hay para valorar los discos que es la cantidad de momentos en que dan ganas de pasar la canción, en este álbum las ocasiones son contadas. Y eso resulta en una buena nota. El disco deja prendado y con ganas de más, pero vaya, después de escucharlo mejor no pensar que iban a venir a tocar. Además, seguro que los acaban trayendo antes de un año.

This time around:

“Taking The Farm” – The War On Drugs (2008 Secretly Canadian Records) Wagonwheel Blues

More than a laughable government scheme to scare kids from smoking, The War On Drugs is an up and coming lo-fi indie rock band from Philly. Their recent release, Wagonwheel Blues, is the band’s full length album following their free digital EP Barrel of Batteries. Currently the band is touring Europe.

“Ordinary Son” – Ungdomskulen (2007 Ever Records) Cry Baby

Simply, Ungdomskulen is awesome. From Norway, the trio’s progressive alt rock has caught my ears by storm. According to the band’s official webpage:

if you wonder what ungdomskulen means in the english language:
ungdom – youth
skulen – school

I hope you enjoy the mux.

I swear to freaking god I will get this multi-part posting done before the end of July. But oh my tribulations continue! Brand new iPod #5 will not be recognized by my aged Mac. Planned obsolescence, my ass. It’s more like obligatory obsolescence. Anyone have a grand so I can get my $200 iPod to work? In 2 words, boowl sheett. This obviously complicates the ongoing project to document every album I buy this year. But continued however daunted I will.

• The Hold Steady – Stay Positive  Like their live performance, this album gets me despite myself. Maybe it’s just that they’re filling the void left by the Afghan Whigs of making references to Roman Catholic ritual in inappropriate situations. But I don’t embrace it completely. The subject material seems to be pandering to brats, as usual. And then there’s that creepy-ass gravely back-up vocal that pops up unexpected and unwelcomed throughout the album. Who the hell is that and who thought that was a good idea? But these are nitpicks. I bought it, I’ll love it.  BTW…is it just me or is Craig Finn sounding more and more like Will Farrell’s Harry Carey impersonation?
• My Brightest Diamond – A Thousand Shark’s Teeth  It’s been harder to get into this one, unlike the now canonical Bring Me the Workhorse. I’ll blame myself. It doesn’t assert it self like last one. The songs have their own logic it seems and maybe I need to “learn how to listen” or something. I’ll keep listening, and maybe learning. Shana Worden (my dream aunt) and operatic flourishes are worthy teachers.
• Spiritualized – Songs In A&E  I was not to jazzed by his live show at Pitchfork, but I do love this album. It’s like a blissed-out Blur or a sad-but-willing-to-please Pink Floyd.
• King Khan And The Shrines – The Supreme Genius of King Khan and The Shrines  Definitely canon-bound. To be sure, this band need to be experienced live. But this album captures the vibe pretty sufficiently. It has the proper grubby sound that makes the soul-punk-funk thing work. Too often, the tendency is to clean up the sound when you have so many great musicians and instruments. Not here. The thrill is preseved as it comes across as some washed up gem from a raucous 50’s Memphis garage band (Think Reigning Sound with a horn section).
• Extra Golden – Hera Ma NonoIt sounds nice enough. The songs run a little long with little more purpose than to groove. But it’s nice to have some Kenyan grooves break up the whiney whiteys I am habitually drawn to…Crap, I already wrote about this one. Ah, I’m losing track.
• Joan As Police Woman – To Survive  I like this a lot. I like it even more than the last one if only because Antony is not moaning all over it. There are also better collaborations, including a great one with Rufus. Even though these are some complex-sounding compositions, it kind of sounds like a throwback to Sade at times, and I never got into Sade. That antiseptic sexy is a lie (sexy is germy). So sometimes listening to this I get that awful feeling I get when I’m trapped listening to “cool rock” radio stations. But it’s only momentary. I forgive her these moments because “To Be Lonely” is about the best ever.
• The War On Drugs – Wagonwheel Blues I love this one so far and it’s definitely canon-bound. It’s overflowing with great lyrics and catchy times. I hate to think of who they remind me of, because that list will have some real monsters on it (like James or Ryan Adams).
• Puerto Muerto - I Was A Swallow I want to like this more than I do simply because I like the idea of Puerto Muerto so much. The husband-wife doing gothic themed tunes. But I hate the say it, because I’m sure they heard it a 1,000 times, but the Handsome Family does it better. But where as the Family are more like backwoods gothic, the Muertos sound a little more worldly. Like pirate gothic to the Family’s American gothic. And her vocals are much more powerful. So it’s a mixed bag. And that is a lot like life. You’re welcome!
• Mahjongg - KontpabI have no idea what I should be listening for here. Fragmented electronica with distorted vocals. It’s got great grooves but not the dancing kind. It’s great background as I make my soups. Maybe if I threw a party I might put this on. Perfect to drink wine and talk about art or whatever you do with wine at parties. I need to get out. Someone invite me to a party, okay? 

I’m not done yet. But the end is near. Like 12 more to go and I will have accounted for every album I bought in the last 3 months. But need to practice the banjo now. The band has a show coming at the Gallery Cabaret in Chicago next Saturday. Very exciting. If you come, I’ll put you in the canon.

Onverschilligheid moet zowat de grootste angst zijn voor een groep. Al valt het te begrijpen dat je een plaat maakt enkel voor jezelf, om een uitweg te zoeken voor je gevoelens of wat dan ook. Toch moet het hard zijn om te horen voor een band dat het werk dat je net hebt afgeleverd, het publiek onverschillig laat. Niet dat dat het geval is bij ‘Wagonwheel Blues’ van The War On Drugs.

In het traditionele boekje bij de cd staan zes mensen vermeld als muzikanten binnen de groep. Wie de liner notes echter van dichtbij bekijkt, zal merken dat het vooral Adam Granduciel en Kurt Vile zijn die de dienst uitmaken. De heren gebruiken gitaren, toetsen, blaasinstrumenten en drums om te komen tot een wel heel origineel geheel. Aanvankelijk vraagt het resultaat wat gewenning, maar wie zich laat overtuigen, raakt onvermijdelijk verslaafd.

Niet eenvoudig om dit plaatje te beschrijven, maar als je de stem van Bob Dylan neemt en het doordrammerige van The Dream Syndicate (die lang uitgesponnen, steeds herhaalde riffs) in een bad van galm (denk aan de laatste British Sea Power) onderdompelt, kom je ergens in de buurt. Ook Bruce Springsteen en Neil Young werden al opgegeven als referenties en daar kunnen we eveneens inkomen. Vast staat dat het een wel heel origineel geluid is waarbij de heren zijn uitgekomen.

Wat vooral verbazing opwekt, is het feit dat de plaat op geen enkel moment een minder moment vertoont. Of dat nu het enkel met akoestische gitaar opgestarte Coast Reprise is dat uitmondt in door opdringerige drums opgejaagde gitaren of het wat ingehouden There Is No Urgency, alles maakt even veel indruk. Ook voor instrumentaal werk (Taking The Farm of het psychedelische Reverse The Charges) draait The War On Drugs zijn hand niet om. En wonderlijk genoeg blijkt ook dat perfect te werken.

Wat ons betreft steekt  Show Me The Coast nog ietsje boven de andere nummers uit. Dat heeft vooral te maken met die heerlijk aangehouden, steeds herhaalde riff. Het lijkt wel of er nooit een einde aan het nummer komt en toch gaat het nooit vervelen. Als de muziek uiteindelijk toch wegsterft, heb je bijna spijt dat het voorbij is.

Het lijkt onvoorstelbaar dat deze plaat u onverschillig zal laten. Misschien hebt u er een grondige hekel aan. Of misschien omarmt u ze met veel liefde en kan u niet wachten om dit collectief ook eens op een podium aan het werk te zien. Het is in elk geval een plaat die emoties losweekt en is het hem daar in de muziek niet om te doen?

Copyright : daMusic

If you read anything about The War On Drugs it’s probably that they continue current of indie bands tapping into Americana/Springsteen inspired rock.

Aside from being lazy research, this does them a major disservice.

Sure, there are elements of Dylan, Neil Young etc. in their music but they manage to supplement these foundations with some inspired choices of contemporary influences.  You can catch moments of Arcade Fire at their most bombastic, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (remember them?) at their off-kilter best and even a little bit of Sunset Rubdown and Broken Social Scene woven into their fuzzy, shaggy, rambling rock.

Pick up a free digital-only EP via Secretly Canadian here, then be sure to download their debut full length, Wagonwheel Blues as well.

The War On Drugs – Taking The Farm

The War On Drugs MySpace

The War on Drugs is a Philly band on Secretly Canadian that really I think has a ton of promise. The first song I heard from them, Arms Like Boulders, immediately grabbed my attention.

The Yellow Stereo’s description of the Dylan-esque vocals I find very fitting along with their comparison to The Arcade Fire but their MySpace page describes them as “Pop / Ambient / Comedy.” I find the bands that I like the most I have the most trouble describing, but if I had to I’d say the Wilco/Modest Mouse/Arcade Fire with Dylanish vocals and a CCR influence would be pretty fitting. kinda.

But more importantly, they’re currently on tour and will be hitting up the Black Cat here in DC on May 18 – money. The Yellow Stereo also reports that their full album Wagonwheel Blues will be out in June, but in the mean time Secretly Canadian has the full Barrel of Batteries EP for download here. I highly recommend Arms Like Boulders and Taking the Farm – but hey, its a sweet free 6 song EP – so get it now.

Upcoming dates via MySpace below the fold: