Archive for the ‘CLASSIC ALBUMS’ Category

TINY RUINS – ” Olympic Girls “

Posted: October 20, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Hollie Fullbrook, the songwriter behind the Tiny Ruins moniker, is a songwriter who has for a long time seemed to be on the verge of  break-through. Her early, almost entirely solo material has given way to a fuller sound, with a four-piece band, which is set to be showcased on upcoming third album, Olympic Girls, when it’s released early next year.

This week Hollie has shared her new single, and the album’s title track, Olympic Girls. It is a delightfully intimate performance, intricate guitar work, textural percussion and gorgeously simple vocal lines all draw your ear, revealing all their charms only on repeat listens. Like the video that accompanies, it’s a track that offers nowhere to hide; there’s an element of exposure, and an honesty to the songwriting that’s utterly refreshing. Tiny Ruins have never sounded better.

Olympics Girls is out February 1st via Ba Da Bing Records.

The second single from Tiny Ruins album No.3

 

TRAFFIC – ” John Barleycorn (Must Die) ” Classic Songs

Posted: October 20, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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1969 was a tremulous year for the band Traffic. After a successful tour in the US following their second album, Steve Winwood left the band for the short-lived super group Blind Faith. In the meantime Island Records released the album “Last Exit”, a mishmash of leftover studio cuts and live performances Traffic recorded in 1968. Blind Faith recorded one excellent album but broke up shortly after, leaving Winwood then free to start working on a solo record suggested by Island Record’s manager Chris Blackwell.

The plan was for Winwood to play all the instruments using tape overdubbing techniques in the studio. Winwood is a fine multi instrumentalist who could certainly perform such a feat, but he found the process difficult: “I began trying to make music all on my own with tape machines and overdubbing and stuff. It was a very good way of writing, but it was a weird way of making music. The whole thing that makes music special is people. I was getting to the point that I needed the input of other people. It seemed inhuman to make records just by overdubbing.”

Steve Winwood started calling on his friends from Traffic to help him in the studio. First to join was Jim Capaldi who helped writing some of the songs and contributed drums and percussion tracks. Next was reed man Chris Wood who brought his jazz and folk influences, and the three worked for a few months on the album. It became clear that the solo album, with the planned title name of “Mad Shadows”, was really a Traffic record.

Chris Wood was influenced by the folk revival that swept the British Isles in the late 60s. One song he suggested to the group was John Barleycorn, which he heard on the 1965 Watersons record Frost and Fire. The Watersons’ version, like most of their material from that period, was an unaccompanied vocal group performance.

Winwood applied himself to the song and played a wonderful guitar part on it. Capaldi added tasteful and sparse percussion parts and more importantly a brilliant vocal harmony starting on the fifth verse. Wood’s flute accompaniment is the icing on the cake on this great take on the song, which has been performed by many British folk artists over the years including Martin Carthy and John Renbourn. The Mainly Norfolk site has a good page chronicling many of the song’s covers. It is interesting that amidst the great activity that took place at the time in the British folk rock scene by bands like Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, Fotheringay and many others, one of the most memorable songs remains this performance of John Barleycorn by Traffic, wnot considered a folk rock band.

The album was engineered by Andy Johns, younger brother of Glynn Johns. Between them the two brothers recorded classic rock’s royalty. Before working with Traffic, Andy Johns recorded Jethro Tull (Stand Up, Living in the Past), Spooky Tooth and Blind Faith. After Traffic his career soared with Led Zeppelin (II, III, the legendary IV, Houses of the Holy, Physical Graffiti) and the Rolling Stones (Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main Street). Quite a resume, and this is just within a span of 4 years.

Johns had a deep respect for Steve Winwood. In an interview he mentioned an experience he had when working on the Blind Faith album: “I came back from a lunch break one day and the soundproof door was cracked a little bit, and I could hear him playing the Hammond. He’s playing both manuals and the bass pedals and he’s singing. I look at him and he’s looking at the ceiling. Not only is he playing the top manual, the lower manual, the bass pedals, and singing, but he’s also thinking about what his old lady’s going to make him for dinner. So he’s doing four or five things at once and the music was just stunning. I hate to use the word genius, because it’s bandied about so much, but that guy, in the end of his little finger, has more than a whole tribe of musicality— he really does. It’s just unfair.”

When you first listen to the song you may think that you landed in the midst of a Middle Ages inquisition session. The lyrics describe all kinds of brutal methods inflicted by three men upon a poor fellow named John Barleycorn. However a closer look reveals that the distressing lyrics are actually a metaphor to the process applied to barley in order to produce beer and whiskey. While it has its roots in old folklore tales about the Corn God and religious symbolism, it is really a satire on legally prohibiting the production of alcoholic beverages while still needing the drink to get on with everyday life, as revealed in the last verse:

The huntsman, he can’t hunt the fox,
Nor so loudly to blow his horn,
And the tinker he can’t mend kettle nor pot,
Without a little Barleycorn

In short, John Barleycorn is a drinking song. Maybe the best of them all.

Steve Winwood performs a solo acoustic version of Traffic’s John Barleycorn (Must Die).

ANGELO De AUGUSTINE – ” Time “

Posted: October 20, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine performing “Time”

Angelo De Augustin burst onto the scene at the back end of last year with his excellent second album, Swim Inside The Moon, a charmingly lo-fi record that was quite literally recorded in a bathtub. This week Angelo has announced details of his upcoming third album, Tomb, released again on Sufjan Stevens’ Asthmatic Kitty Records, as well as sharing the first single from it, Time.

Tomb is the first time Angelo has worked in a proper studio, collaborating with renowned producer, Thomas Bartlett aka Doveman, and listening to Time, it seems to suit him. Time loses none of the gorgeous simplicity and minimalism of Angelo’s previous work, but in Thomas Bartlett’s hands this sounds lusher and more ambitious than ever before. Described by Angelo as, “a lovelorn examination of heartbreak and moving on”, the addition of muted piano, gentle electronics, and even whistling (!) all just work to highlight his enviable songwriting instinct.

Equally good as the recorded version is live version, where Sufjan Stevens joins Angelo on Grand Piano. An album about heartbreak that ends up as a prayer for love, Angelo might sound broken, but he’s still dreaming, still open, still ready for love. the live version of his new track “Time” with Sufjan Stevens on piano. Watch their performance live from Manhattan’s Reservoir Studios

Out January 18th via Asthmatic Kitty.  From the album “Tomb,”

HALEY – ” Pleasureland “

Posted: October 20, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Everybody wants a story. Something to sell. I’m here to tell you that there isn’t one with this album, at least in the traditional sense, but ten. Perhaps each of them contain more stories, sitting inside each other like nesting dolls. I could sit here and tell you that some of the songs are about growing up in the Black Hills. Some of the songs are about my parents. Some of the songs are about sexuality. Some of the songs are about loss of youth, teenage parenthood, the lines of social disorder for women, or the terror of jealousy and suspicion. But what I write is borne of my own set of memories and ideas, and once they are released into the world, they do not belong to me anymore. The interpretation is all yours, therefore these stories are yours. What I can tell you is this: My name is Haley Bonar (rhymes with “honor”). I’m 33 years old, a Taurus, and I live in Saint Paul, MN with my daughter Clementine. I also sing in a band called Gramma’s Boyfriend.

“People are complicated, and I am no exception!” This was the crux of multi-instrumentalist Haley McCallum’s statement in regards to her latest album, Pleasureland an expectation-bucking, all-instrumental release she felt moved to do after the success of 2016’s Impossible Dream. A composer, producer, writer, guitarist, keyboard player, pianist, teacher, and mother, McCallum—formerly known to the music world as Haley Bonar—decided to shine a light on other aspects of her artistry, leaving the power-pop and barbed, lyrical observations she has become known for, behind.

Taken from HALEY’s new album ‘Pleasureland’

NEIL YOUNG – ” Songs for Judy “

Posted: October 20, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Neil Young announced his plan to release “Songs for Judy”, a live album drawn from his November 1976 U.S. tour. The 22-song LP includes solo acoustic performances of all-time classics like “Heart of Gold,” “After the Gold Rush” and “The Needle and the Damage Done” along with a number of rarer selections, including one song, “No One Seems to Know,” that has not appeared on any previous official release.

Neil Young spent the majority of 1976 on the road with Crazy Horse or on the ill-fated Stills-Young Band tour, which he famously dropped out of midway through that summer. He also found time to make “Hitchhiker”, the lost solo acoustic studio album that he recorded in the August 1976 — three months before the shows documented on Songs for Judy — but kept in the vault until last fall. At the November 1976 shows featured on “Songs for Judy”, Young performed a solo acoustic opening set before returning to the stage for a harder-rocking performance with Crazy Horse. These shows have been widely praised and discussed by Young fans for years, but this is their first official release.

Young released “Campaigner,” the first single from the album, Recorded at his November 22nd, 1976 show at Boston’s Music Hall, it’s a pristine performance of the politically puzzling ballad (“Even Richard Nixon has got soul”), which would see its first release the following year on his three-LP greatest hits set Decade.

“The tour had been so satisfying, and so different from all that rock would become in the ensuing years, something indelible was captured in our humble collection,” explains Cameron Crowe, who curated the compilation together with Joel Bernstein. “Listening to it today is a little like discovering postcards from home. It was a precious time in Neil Young’s journey, a breath of oxygen in between some of his biggest adventures.”

Songs for Judy is out November 30th on CD and digital platforms, and December 14th on vinyl.

Songs for Judy Track List (all dates are from 1976)

“Songs For Judy Intro” – Atlanta, GA – Nov 24 (late show)
“Too Far Gone” – Boulder, Colorado – Nov 06
“No One Seems To Know” – Boulder, Colorado – Nov 07
“Heart Of Gold” – Fort Worth, Texas – Nov 10
“White Line” – Fort Worth, Texas – Nov 10
“Love Is A Rose” – Houston – Nov 11
“After The Gold Rush” – Houston – Nov 11
“Human Highway” – Madison, Wisconsin – Nov 14
“Tell Me Why” – Chicago – Nov 15 (late show)
“Mr. Soul” – New York – Nov 20 (early show)
“Mellow My Mind” – New York – Nov 20 (early show)
“Give Me Strength” – New York – Nov 20 (late show)
“A Man Needs A Maid” – New York – Nov 20 (late show)
“Roll Another Number” – Boston – Nov 22 (late show)
“Journey Through The Past” – Boston – Nov 22 (late show)
“Harvest” – Boston – Nov 22 (late show)
“Campaigner” – Boston – Nov 22 (late show)
“Old Laughing Lady” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (early show)
“The Losing End” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (late show)
“Here We Are In The Years” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (late show)
“The Needle And The Damage Done” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (early show)
“Pocahontas” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (late show)
“Sugar Mountain” – Atlanta – Nov 24 (late show)

STEELY DAN – ” Katy Lied ” Released March 1975

Posted: October 20, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Katy Lied

Katy Lied is the fourth album by Steely Dan, released in 1975 by ABC Records, Building from the jazz fusion foundation of Pretzel Logic Steely Dan created an alluringly sophisticated album of jazzy pop with Katy Lied. With this record,Walter Becker and Donald Fagen began relying solely on studio musicians, which is evident from the immaculate sound of the album. Usually, such a studied recording method would drain the life out of each song, but that’s not the case with Katy Lied, which actually benefits from the duo’s perfectionist tendencies.

Sandwiched between Pretzel Logic and The Royal Scam, Steely Dan’s 1975 release Katy Lied wasn’t about breaking new ground. It was about holding on to the territory they had staked out for themselves over the past few years as one of rock’s brightest, smartest and smart-assiest bands. Recorded over a three-month period in late 1974 and early 1975 in Los Angeles, the album can’t help but to absorb the sounds of the city where it was birthed. It’s cool, it’s laid back, it’s impeccably played and it’s kinda smarter than you, even though it may not come out and say it. Fagen and Becker played it that way from the start and were increasing these moods and feelings with each passing album.

Each song is given a glossy sheen, one that accentuates not only the stronger pop hooks, but also the precise technical skill of the professional musicians drafted to play the solos. Essentially,Katy Lied is a smoother version of Pretzel Logic, featuring the same cross-section of jazz-pop and blues-rock. The lack of innovations doesn’t hurt the record, since the songs are uniformly brilliant. Less overtly cynical than previous Dan albums, the album still has its share of lyrical stingers, but what’s really notable are the melodies, from the seductive jazzy soul of “Doctor Wu” and the lazy blues of “Chain Lightning” to the terse “Black Friday” and mock calypso of “Everyone’s Gone to the Movies.” It’s another excellent record in one of the most distinguished rock & roll catalogs of the ’70s.

Steely Dan were making their usual strides up the American album chart on 24th May 1975, as they paid another of their visits to the singles scene. As their fourth LP “Katy Lied” moved towards a No. 13 peak and eventual platinum certification in the US, the single  “Black Friday” jumped onto the Hot 100. The phrase that the Walter Becker/Donald Fagen song was named after has come in recent years to denote a date on the retail calendar. It had traditionally denoted a day of collective crisis, particularly of a financial nature, as with Steely Dan’s fictitious tale — which, with typical inventiveness, was set in Australia.

Their story of a crooked speculator who makes off with his ill-gotten gains had him absconding to Muswellbrook, a town in New South Wales that lies some 150 miles north of Sydney. “Gonna wear no socks and shoes,” sings Fagen, “with nothing to do but feed all the kangaroos…when Black Friday comes I’ll be on that hill, you know I will.”

‘Black Friday’ entered the US chart, as the highest newcomer of the week, at No. 76, and garnered enough top 40 radio support to peak at No. 37. As Brian Sweet’s biography of the band, Reelin’ In The Years, recounts, that was “not bad for an act that wasn’t touring, wasn’t about to tour and wasn’t making any secret of it either.”

As for locating the song in Australia? “It was the place most far away from L.A. we could think of,” said Fagen

Best Song on ‘Katy Lied’ (1975): “Any World (That I’m Welcome To)”

One of Steely Dan’s most brilliant casting moments is also one of their best-written songs. “Any World (That I’m Welcome To)” immediately signals its intention to explore the depths of alienation, as Fagen sighs: “If I had my way, I would move to another lifetime.” Hal Blaine’s old-pro cadence draws us ever further in, as Becker and Fagen continued the practice of asking musical heroes over for guest appearances. (Jazz bassist Ray Brown appeared on the earlier “Razor Boy”; saxist Wayne Shorter later sat in on “Aja.”) Blaine, who played on a stunning 40 chart-topping songs, makes a wonderfully complex contribution – moving with ease from the low-key verses to more uptempo choruses and then into eruptive fills, and back again. That’s why Steely Dan asked the brilliant Jeff Porcaro, one of Blaine’s clearest heirs, to step aside.

Black Friday Dawns For Steely Dan

Steely Dan – 1975 outtakes and demos from Katy Lied sessions Soundboard recordings, excellent quality Here’s some of their session outtakes, which is only appropriate because for most of their existence, they were exclusively a product of the painstaking studio sessions conducted by Fagen & Becker & a host of session musicians. Fagen, in particular was a perfectionist and spent hour after hour making sure that every sound on the record was just right. Here then are some of the earlier versions, Fagen’s piano demos, alternate versions, and outtakes from the Katy Lied sessions, which also includes a couple of very early versions of 2 songs that would eventually end up on Aja, ‘Black Cow’ and ‘I Got the News’. So, here, in particular, we can hear the precision and detail that went into the backing and rhythm track, before adding the finishing touches. So, enjoy some behind the scenes looks at Steely Dan in the Studio. (by BBKron)

00:00 Black Friday 03:28 Bad Sneakers 06:36 Rose Darling 09:36 Daddy Don’t Live In That New York City No More 12:30 Dr. Wu 15:59 Everyone’s Gone To The Movies 19:24 Your Gold Teeth II 23:10 Chain Lightning 25:46 Throw Back The Little Ones 28:49 Mr. Sam (unreleased song) 32:14 Gullywater (unreleased instrumental) 34:35 Black Cow [Take 1] (piano demo) 39:08 Black Cow [Take 2] 43:09 I Got The News (early version) 45:52 Black Friday 49:03 Rose Darling 52:11 Daddy Don’t Live In That New York City No More 55:17 Dr. Wu 59:18 Your Gold Teeth II 1:03:32 Chain Lightning 1:06:29 Throw Back The Little Ones

KAIA KATER – ” Grenades “

Posted: October 20, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Written on a wurlitzer, the piano on the Grenades title track is the guiding light among mellowed guitar, syrupy bass, humble drums, mood-shifting pedal steel and Kater’s angelic vocals. “Rain heavy like carpet bombs, sweetgrass and lemonade / Fold the memory into your arms and whisper it away,” Kater sings in a tender and devastating foil. During the album’s creation, Kater sat down with her father to talk about his experience as a boy in a war-torn nation. “I wrote it [“Grenades”] after hearing his testimony of the U.S. invasion in 1983 … what that felt like as a child … hearing bombs and chaos,” she says. “I wrote it as this comparison of this beautiful landscape with ultimate terror.”

The record is a journey into scary despairing themes, but hopefully a way out of them also. Thanks to Erin Costelo for producing, Aaron Goldstein for engineering, and of course to all the fantastic musicians (Christine Bougie, Andrew Ryan, Anna Ruddick, Brad Kilpatrick and The O’Pears) for making the album what it is.

From Kaia Kater’s album Grenades (Smithsonian Folkways/acronym Records released on 26th October 2018 .

Kaia Kater – vocals Alyson McNamara – organ Aaron Goldstein – pedal steel Anna Ruddick – electric bass Brad Kilpatrick – drums

JULIA HOLTER – ” Words I Heard “

Posted: October 20, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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“Words I Heard” is a literary deep-dive into a world of sensory warmth that serves as a contrast to Julia Holter’s examination of what she called “the cacophony of the mind in a melting world.” The song’s orchestral accompaniment swirls like fog, a picturesque landscape for Holter to stroll through as she draws on sources from Dante to Lebanese-American poet Etel Adnan for lyrical inspiration.

“Tall trees of so many kinds, from redwoods to manzanitas, oaks, madrones, maples and elms, plants and bushes, flowers and seeds, acorns and grass, they all are the last chance of the earth and they all make a thick and permanent coat, a cover, a bath of perfume, a touch of healing, a royal procession, music and fanfare, they rise and talk to Tamalpais, and sing lullabies and songs of love.” – Etel Adnan, ‘Journey to Mount Tamalpais’ “When Julia told me that the title of her album was inspired by Etel Adnan, one of my favorite writers, I felt that I had to make a film for one of the songs on Mount Tamalpais, a recurring subject in both Adnan’s visual art and her writing. I filmed on a few hikes down the Dipsea trail, and in the last section of the song combine this with footage made during the studio sessions of the album.” – Dicky Bahto .

Directed by Dicky Bahto Devin Hoff – Double bass Julia Holter – Vocals, piano, synth Dina Maccabee – Violin, viola Andrew Tholl – Violin

Julia Holter – “Words I Heard” from ‘Aviary’, released 26th October 2018 on Domino Record Co.

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SPOOKY TOOTH – ” Spooky Two ” Classic Albums Released March 1969

Posted: October 18, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Spooky Tooth was formed in 1967. Among the players forming its heavy sound were organist Gary Wright, who in the mid-1970s had a massive hit, “Dream Weaver.” Spooky Tooth’s second album in 1969, “Spooky Two”, was their best album, full of deep cuts (i.e., “Lost In My Dream,” “Evil Woman,” “Better By You, Better By Me,” and “That Was Only Yesterday” among them) that still received FM radio in the early 1970s.

Spooky Two is the second studio album by the English rock band Spooky Tooth. It was originally released in March 1969, on the label Island Records in 1969 , “Spooky Two” is this British blues-rock band’s pièce de résistance. All eight of the tracks compound free-styled rock and loose-fitting guitar playing, resulting in some fantastic raw music … their smooth, relaxed tempos and riffs mirrored bands like Savoy Brown and, at times, even the Yardbirds … Although Spooky Tooth lasted about seven years, their other albums never really contained the same passion or talented collaborating by each individual musician as Spooky Two.

It was Spooky Tooth’s misfortune to be sandwiched between Led Zeppelin and Free’s turbo-charged, all-pervasive ascents. A couple of years later and the band’s thoughtful but solid style would have found room to grow. Keyboard player Gary Wright shares vocals with Mike Harrison, a strong, complementary pair of voices, and also writes most of the songs including the memorably catchy Better By You Better Than Me, later rescued from oblivion by Judas Priest. The tracks on their second album are an eclectic bunch, blending the blues with folk, country, gospel and even prog. And they sound better now than they did then.

Spooky Tooth’s lead vocalist, was Mike Harrison, was serviceable, although not in Rodgers’ league. His shortcomings were evident when he tried to hit high notes with a weak falsetto. Yet for most of the material, Harrison’s voice was just what their music needed. Subsequent to the release of the album, Greg Ridley left the group, to join Humble Pie

Everything goes back to Mott the Hoople. After Ralph’s departure, Hunter poached Luther Grosvenor (who left Spooky Tooth in 1970) from another fondly remembered British one-hit wonder Stealers Wheel (the hit was “Stuck in the Middle With You”), whose leader Gerry Rafferty quit and Grosvenor replaced him for a tour. Used to the fill-in role, Grosvenor adopted the “Ariel Bender” moniker for contractual reasons when Mott toured in 1973 and 1974 and recorded their seventh album The Hoople.

Mott the Hoople reformed in 2009 and 2013 for British tours with the original lineup. But in the summer of 2018, Hunter, now 79, brought back Ariel and Hoople keyboardist Morgan Fisher for a series of European dates.

  • Mike Harrison – keyboards, vocals
  • Luther Grosvenor – guitar
  • Gary Wright – keyboards, vocals
  • Greg Ridley – bass
  • Mike Kellie – drums

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KURT VILE – ” The Albums “

Posted: October 18, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Kurt Vile kicks back in the Catskills before the release of his seventh solo album, 'Bottle It In.'

Kurt Vile an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his solo work and as the former lead guitarist of the rock band The War on Drugs, both in the studio and during live performances, Vile is now accompanied by his backing band, The Violators, which currently includes Jesse Trbovich (bass, guitar, saxophone), Rob Laakso (guitar, bass) and Kyle Spence (drums).

Influenced by bands like Pavement, Neil Young, Tom Petty, and John Fahey.  Kurt Vile began his musical career creating lo-fi home recordings with frequent collaborator Adam Granduciel in Philadelphia, with whom he has participated in early work by The War on Drugs as well as various solo projects. Focusing on his solo career, Vile released two albums, “Constant Hitmaker” (2008) and “God Is Saying This to You..”. (2009), compiling various home recordings dating back to 2003. Vile signed to Matador Records in 2009, and released his third album, “Childish Prodigy”, that same year. The album was his first recorded in a studio and with the full participation of The Violators.  “I’ve always been prolific,” he says. “It just took me until I was 29 for someone to actually put my music out.”

In 2011, Vile released his fourth studio album, Smoke Ring for My Halo, which significantly increased his exposure. His fifth studio album, Wakin on a Pretty Daze, was released in 2013, with Laakso replacing Granduciel in his backing band. In 2015, Vile released his sixth studio album, b’lieve I’m goin down…. The lead single from the album was, “Pretty Pimpin”, Vile’s best performing song to date,  His project in 2017 saw him release “Lotta Sea Lice”, a collaboration with Australian singer and guitarist songwriter Courtney Barnett.

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The War on Drugs (2003–2008)

In 2003, after staying in “Boston” for two years, Vile moved back to Philadelphia and began collaborating with musician and songwriter Adam Granduciel The duo subsequently formed the Indie rock band “The War on Drugs  in 2005. Regarding his friendship with Granduciel, Vile noted, “We’re essentially best friends. He was backing me up in my band when he started working on his own music, so I thought I’d return the favor.” Granduciel and Vile released their debut studio album, “Wagonwheel Blues” in 2008 and embarked on a tour in support of its release.

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Constant Hitmaker (2008)

At this time, Vile’s debut solo album,“Constant Hitmaker” (2008), released on “Gulcher Records” Vile subsequently decided to leave The War on Drugs to concentrate on his solo career. The album was compiled from various home recordings and one studio recording of the song “Freeway”. In 2009, Vile noted, The War On Drugs got put out on a bigger label first, so, in the some claim that The War on Drugs was my first, main band. But that’s just the way it looks. I’ve made more music than Adam has, and have been doing my Kurt Vile thing for a little bit longer. And Constant Hitmaker came out around that same time. Right when that [War on Drugs] record came out, I went to Europe with them, and also opened as Kurt Vile. That was right when I decided I wanted to concentrate on doing my own thing. Despite Vile’s departure, Granduciel remained a member of his backing band, The Violators, with Granduciel noting, “There was never, despite what lazy journalists have assumed, any sort of falling out, or resentment.

Constant Hitmaker the debut studio album by American musician“Kurt Vile” released in 2008 on Gulcher Records”  and Woodsist. Self-produced, and recorded between 2003 and 2007, the album is primarily composed of lo-fi home recordings that Vile had previously issued on “CD-R”

Following the album’s release, Vile stated that Constant Hitmaker is “like a Best-of, sort of, but leaning toward the “Psychedelic pop”stuff, kind of my later material.”

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God Is Saying This to You. (2009)

In April 2009, Mexican Summer released “God Is Saying This to You..”.; a collection of Vile’s home recordings dating back to 2003 on vinyl only. Upon its release, Vile had already recorded a studio album, Childish Prodigy, which Vile described as “definitely not as lo-fi” as his previous releases, After shopping the record to various labels, Vile signed with Matador Records in May 2009. Vile noted, “It’s a perfect fit. They were my number one choice. I don’t really consider my music indie rock or think that Matador cater only to indie rock, but I still feel I can relate most to Matador, more than any other label. Not to mention the fact that they are way on top of their shit.”

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Childish Prodigy (2009)

Recorded with backing band The Violators, “Childish Prodigy” was released on October 6th, 2009, and increased Vile’s exposure significantly. Support slots with Dinosaur Jr, Thurston Moore and Fucked Up followed the album’s release. Regarding his new position, Vile stated, “Obviously there’s more touring, more press and more hype which I won’t say is not deserved. There’s like a faction of people, too, who like to talk shit, which is kind of new. When I was more independent, there were people who got really excited and there still are but once I got more press people started to comment on blogs. People like to talk shit. […] It’s like climbing a ladder. I like to climb it really slowly. I could probably get really professional right away, but I like to take baby steps and find my own way.”

Philadelphia guitarist / vocalist Kurt Vile first came to music enthusiasts’ attention with the release of 2008’s ‘Constant Hitmaker’ on the gulcher imprint. the homemade hitmaker (also reissued on vinyl through woodsist) was a psych pop gem. his debut Matador album, ‘Childish Prodigy’ ups the fidelity only a little. this absorbing, addictive and richly detailed album covers an immense amount of ground compared to its predecessor, from the pounding stomp of ‘Hunchback’ and the hypnotic beat of ‘Freak Train’ to the unexpected, soaring trumpet in ‘Amplifier.’

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Smoke Ring For My Halo (2011)

Vile released his fourth studio album, “Smoke Ring for My Halo”, in 2011. The album peaked midway in the charts and was placed highly on many end-of-year lists, and in 2013 it was named at number 475 in NME’s ‘500 Greatest Albums of All Time’  Later in 2011, Vile released a companion EP, So Outta Reach, and appeared on his former band The War on Drugs‘ second studio album, Slave Ambient. Shortly after the release of Smoke Ring for My Halo, longtime Violators guitarist Adam Granduciel departed from the band to fully focus on The War on Drugs, with Vile noting, “Adam, he plays in The War on Drugs, his record came out a little after mine did, so at first he toured, and now he’s obviously busy with that and now he’s working on his new record.

The deluxe double cd version of ‘Smoke Ring for My Halo’ comes with a new colour cover. the deluxe cd includes the ‘So Outta Reach’ ep on a second disc. the ep contains 5 original songs initially recorded during the sessions for ‘Smoke Ring for My Halo’ album but not used , which were reworked with producer John Agnello this summer. in addition, the ep contains a cover of Springsteen’s ‘Downbound Train.’ the Philadelphia singer / songwriter  returns with his second proper album (2008’s ‘Childish Prodigy’ was a compendium of sorts). It’s a gorgeously layered record. ranging from the tender breezy folk in ‘Jesus Fever’ to the tuff urban guitar riff of ‘Puppet to the Man’ Vile’s distinctive philly-accented vocal ties together a sweeping and evocative project – a true american psychedelic folk album. this is no pastoral listening experience however – when Vile sings, ‘society is my friend: he makes me lie down in a cool bloodbath’ he sounds both exhausted and distanced from the ringing harmonics of his guitar and Mike Zanghi’s pounding drums. even the gentler songs, such as ‘On Tour’ and ‘Baby’s Arms’ have a distinctly dark lyrical tone. the closest that Vile gets to some kind of acceptance is in the central track, the rueful ‘in my time’ “i know when we get older, i’m dying, but i got everything i need here now, and that’s fine, now… that’s fine. recorded at the Magic Shop , the album is a massive step forward for one of the country’s most beloved (not least by other musicians) rock songwriters.

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Wakin On A Pretty Daze (2013)

“Wakin on a Pretty Daze” was released on April 9th, 2013. Regarding the current line-up of his backing band, Vile noted, “I’m playing with Jesse [Trbovich] and Rob [Laakso]. […] Rob Laakso is the newest member and Jesse has been a member forever. They’re steady members. Our drummer is no longer with us, but other than that, different friends played drums on the record and we’re doing rehearsals with that right now. But other than that, the Violators are me, Jesse, and Rob and we’ll see how it evolves.” Priestess drummer Vince Nudo subsequently joined the band on drums and percussion, after performing on two of Wakin on a Pretty Daze‘s tracks.

Steve Gunn joined the band as an “auxiliary Violator“, during the band’s May 2013 tour dates, with Vile noting, “It’s impossible to just talk about Steve. He’s too good! He’s so good; just listen to him. What can I even say about him that touches that? I just want to listen to him.”

On September 24th, 2013, Vile announced the release of a new EP, “It’s a Big World Out There (And I Am Scared)”, and also a deluxe edition of “Wakin on a Pretty Daze”.

Kurt Vile is slowly, quietly becoming one of the great American guitarists and songwriters, of our time. This 69-minute double album is comprised of sweeping, expansive songs that are both very intimate and conversational. Wakin On A Pretty Daze is a timeless record that would have sounded great 30 years ago, sounds great today, and will still sound great in another 30 years’ from now. Beautifully produced by John Agnello, the record is filled with hazy, swooning guitar lines and dreamy, beatific, and occasionally sardonic vocals. It is summed up by the staggeringly gorgeous 9-minute opener, Wakin On A Pretty Day. The record has other connections to Kurt’s home town. Steve Powers (ESPO), the renowned Philly street artist, painted the cover mural on an abandoned building near the Northern Liberties. The album is being announced via a mini-doc of Powers creating the mural with Kurt’s commentary, and the two of them talking about Philadelphian music and visual arts. The mural will be re-created in London, Los Angeles and New York. First edition CD housed in a mini-gatefold like the LP cover,

Kurt Vile | Steve Gunn (Released July 14th 2017)

Kurt Vile and Steve Gunn collaborated for their contributions to Three Lobed Recording’s Parallelogram series. The two artists, originally connected by mutual friends and geographic proximity, have long pushed the other’s continued artistic development. Despite sharing many live stages over the years, this installation of Parallelogram represents the first time that the two have worked together in the studio. Vile’s side sees him recast tracks by John Prine (“Way Back When”) and Randy Newman (“Pretty Boys,” featuring some truly electric guitar flourishes from Gunn) as if they were KV originals. The theme of reinvention continues with Vile tearing through a solo banjo rendition of his “Red Apples” (originally from his “God Is Saying This To You…” LP), retitled here as “Red Apples For Tom Scharpling.” Gunn takes on a late period Nico track, “60/40,” and pulls a lysergic rocker out of the track’s goth-ish roots. The bulk of Gunn’s contribution is the epically winding “Spring Garden,” a track in the vein of some of his other long-form guitar excursions. Featuring signature contributions from Vile and Mary Lattimore, this hypnotizing cut is unmistakably a new classic in Gunn’s catalog.

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b’lieve i’m goin down… (2015–2017)

On March 6th, 2015, Vile announced that he was working on his sixth studio album, with recording taking place across different locations in the United States. “b’lieve i’m goin down..”. was released September 25th, 2015, on Matador Records. Vile has described it as “All over the place. Everything you can imagine I’ve done… That’s where I’m at now, that I can sort of tap into every world and make it cohesive.

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Whole Lotta Sea Lice with Courtney Barnett

The new album’s writing and recording stretched out over many months, during which time he also made another full-length LP with his friend Courtney Barnett (2017’s delightful Whole Lotta Sea Lice) and attempted to finish a film score he’s since abandoned. About a year ago, feeling overwhelmed by all the demands on his time, Vile delayed the release of Bottle It In from spring 2018 to October 12th. If he hadn’t, he says, “I was prepared to have a serious breakdown. Pretty normal.”

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Bottle It In  (2018)

On Bottle It In, Vile does his best to come back to earth. If his last solo record was a dark, lonely night of the soul, this one feels more like a friendly jam session with his longtime backing band, the Violators (multi-instrumentalists Rob Laakso and Jesse Trbovich, plus drummer Kyle Spence). Beneath the easygoing charm of its surface, though, Bottle It In is an album with serious ambitions. On highlights like “One Trick Ponies” and “Loading Zones,” he sounds like he’s simultaneously swinging for another modern-rock hit and searching for an inner peace that’s just beyond his grasp. Among the songs Vile recorded with Everett is Bottle It In‘s nine-minute-plus centerpiece, “Bassackwards,” a slow-burn psychedelic dream with an undercurrent of dread. In part, he tells me, it’s a song about his fears for the future in a time of global warming and skyrocketing hate. “The world is backwards as fuck right now,” he says.

Vile is also featured on the song “Let Me Get There” and Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions” released in 2016.

Vile sings lead vocals on The Sadies song “It’s Easy (Like Walking)” on their 2017 album Northern Passages.

In 2017, Vile and Courtney Barnett recorded the collaborative album “Lotta Sea Lice” , released on October 13th. The lead single “Over Everything” was released on August 30th, 2017 accompanied by the music video directed by Danny Cohen.

In 2018, Vile announced his seventh solo studio album, “Bottle It In”, due for release on October 12th, 2018.

Check out the these EP’s
The Hunchback
Square Shells
So Outta Reach
It’s a Big World Out There (And I Am Scared)

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