The War on Drugs
Ape School, The Everymen
Fri, April 6, 2012
Doors: 8:00 pm / Show: 9:00 pm
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY
$17
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This event is 18 and over
http://www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com/event/81383/
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The War on Drugs
Philedelphia's the War on Drugs reside at the blurred edges of American music: overexposing studio limitations, piling tape upon tape to maximum density, and then -- with each song -- they pull off the scaffolding to reveal what sticks, keeping only what's absolutely necessary and dig into what sounds like the best kind of fucked up. As on their 2008 debut, Wagonwheel Blues, central member Adam Granduciel takes small moments occurring over multiple tapes and multiple song versions, and puts every last drop of trust in his own keen instinct of momentum.
That's not to overshadow the sharp, personal songwriting at play here. There are certainly cues taken from our very best American bards (Dylan, Petty, Springsteen). Yet, The War on Drugs are wise enough to also implode those cues or send themselves into outer space when the moment calls for it. The driving organ riff that pushes "Baby Missiles," from the band's 2010 epic EP Future Weather, may well be inspired by a fever dream of Springsteen rather than any particular song in his catalogue. And the endless layers of guitar melody and atmospherics of "Comin' Through," also from Future Weather, rather than add weither to the vessell, only work to fill its sails with warmer and warmer winds.
That's not to overshadow the sharp, personal songwriting at play here. There are certainly cues taken from our very best American bards (Dylan, Petty, Springsteen). Yet, The War on Drugs are wise enough to also implode those cues or send themselves into outer space when the moment calls for it. The driving organ riff that pushes "Baby Missiles," from the band's 2010 epic EP Future Weather, may well be inspired by a fever dream of Springsteen rather than any particular song in his catalogue. And the endless layers of guitar melody and atmospherics of "Comin' Through," also from Future Weather, rather than add weither to the vessell, only work to fill its sails with warmer and warmer winds.
Ape School
Ape School’s Michael Johnson has a solid indie rock résumé. He was part of the SubPop group Holopaw, played with the Lilys, Kurt Vile, and Human Television, and along the way hooked up with Daedelus, appearing on the stand-out track “Make it So” on his 2008 album Love to Make Music To.
This is Johnson’s second mostly solo album, his first under the name Ape School. Johnson wraps his catchy songs in a hazy, insulated sound that references neo-psych heroes Mercury Rev and the Flaming Lips, ropes in elements of hip-hop (in the rhythms), shoegaze (the drifting textures are reminiscent at times of the Lilys best work), and oddly enough, a shoestring budget version of stadium dreamers like Coldplay or Keane.
The epic sweep and cinematic sound of songs like “My Intention” or “Deathstomp” work to bring the album a larger scope, with strong vocals and carefully crafted arrangements. The sharpness of the hooks (especially in the killer one-two punch of “Wail to God” and “That’s Okay” that kicks off the album), the powerful groove of songs like “Be an Encore,” and the tender, freaky balladry of “Did What I Did” and “The Underground” make the album a blissful pop and sonic inventiveness.
This is Johnson’s second mostly solo album, his first under the name Ape School. Johnson wraps his catchy songs in a hazy, insulated sound that references neo-psych heroes Mercury Rev and the Flaming Lips, ropes in elements of hip-hop (in the rhythms), shoegaze (the drifting textures are reminiscent at times of the Lilys best work), and oddly enough, a shoestring budget version of stadium dreamers like Coldplay or Keane.
The epic sweep and cinematic sound of songs like “My Intention” or “Deathstomp” work to bring the album a larger scope, with strong vocals and carefully crafted arrangements. The sharpness of the hooks (especially in the killer one-two punch of “Wail to God” and “That’s Okay” that kicks off the album), the powerful groove of songs like “Be an Encore,” and the tender, freaky balladry of “Did What I Did” and “The Underground” make the album a blissful pop and sonic inventiveness.
The Everymen
The Everymen are a lot of fun to hang out with. We prefer beers out of cans and love a backyard barbeque. We like our shows to rumble and we love when our drunk fans dance on the fucking tables. We like our guitars to be loud. We like hooks. We like sax. We like wearing jeans and t shirts. We think playing a great show is the most important thing a band can do.
Despite now living in New York City we still say “New Jersey” whenever people ask where The Everymen are from. Some nights we’re from Jersey City. Some nights we’re from the Jersey Shore. But we’ll always be a band from Jersey. It may seem silly at first, considering most of us don’t live in New Jersey anymore but the reality is where we're from is as inextricable from these songs as the guitars, the voices and the drums. We’re a New Jersey rock band. We’re always going to be a New Jersey rock band. Allow that to inform you how it will.
Love,
The Everymen
Despite now living in New York City we still say “New Jersey” whenever people ask where The Everymen are from. Some nights we’re from Jersey City. Some nights we’re from the Jersey Shore. But we’ll always be a band from Jersey. It may seem silly at first, considering most of us don’t live in New Jersey anymore but the reality is where we're from is as inextricable from these songs as the guitars, the voices and the drums. We’re a New Jersey rock band. We’re always going to be a New Jersey rock band. Allow that to inform you how it will.
Love,
The Everymen
Venue Information:
Music Hall of Williamsburg
66 North 6th St
Brooklyn, NY, 11211
http://www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com/
Music Hall of Williamsburg
66 North 6th St
Brooklyn, NY, 11211
http://www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com/
