In 1873, French writer Jules Verne published Around The World In Eighty Days, a story that glorified the new Age of Exploration and the Machine. Not long after, Antarctic exploration was in full swing, and in the US, the romanticism of the power of the railroads dominated the landscape, both physical and mental. Times were ripe for discovery, and invention flourished. Of course, there were also less savory effects: colonialism was at its peak, and as industry began to dictate the economy an increase in pollution and environmental destruction followed. It is from this mindset, the positive and negative aspects of the period between 1850 and 1930, that Spindrift approached and found inspiration for The West, their first official full-length (out November 11) and companion to the soundtrack they wrote for The Legend of God’s Gun. (In theaters on July 18, 2008, the film, in which they also starred, was fourth highest charting new release in sales.)
DOWNLOAD/STREAM “The New West”
Already widely recognized as a touring force, a tireless group that frequently crosses the country, Spindrift recorded The West over a period of three years, in that rare time between shows. The album is, in the words of frontman Kirpatrick Thomas, a “pastiche,” music that pulls from earlier eras, from the Spaghetti Western, Eastern European klezmer, the sea shanty, Spanish flamenco, and American blues, but ties in notions of the present – druggy California pysch, Bruce Haack’s work in the electronic realm, Spacemen 3, over-population and over-consumption, and mostly, a respect for and affinity towards the last of the great unknown.
The mood for The West is immediately set: “The Isle of Lost Souls,” the opening track, weaves through Spindrift’s various influences without fully settling on one, yet still whole and purposeful. This description in fact, could fit the entire album as well, which, despite the various styles the band explores, is united by a feeling of vastness and discovery, of the constant search — aided by swirling, reverbed guitars, the steady, portentous drum and, when they occur, Thomas’s distant vocals. “Goin’ Down” is druggy and rolling and bluesy, but there’s a quiet levity to “A Celebration of the Human Body,” a song that could almost fit into the West Coast pysch-folk canon. Some tracks, like “Colt’s Crime,” the closer, were recorded in one take, while others, like “The Wind,” took months to find their shape. All, however, retain a sense of mystique and adventure, stories from the past threaded with insight from the future. The West is an expansive, sweeping album, the work of many musicians coming together with a common goal, a defined purpose, in the process creating what ends up being a tone poem of contemporary society itself.
Spindrift embarked on another nationwide tour beginning August 16, and will play everywhere from Austin, Chicago, New York, and DC to Nashville, Cincinnati, Boise, and Rapid City, with plans for more touring nearer to The West’s release.
LISTEN TO “The New West”
TOUR DATES
Aug 16 - San Diego, CA @ Beauty Bar
Aug 17 - Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar
Aug 18 - Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse
Aug 20 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory
Aug 21 - Austin, TX @ Beerland
Aug 22 - Ft. Worth, TX @ The Chatroom
Aug 23 - New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jack’s
Aug 24 - Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone Cafe
Aug 25 - Chattanooga, TN @ JJ’s Bohemia
Aug 26 - Nashville, TN @ Exit / In
Aug 27 - Atlanta, GA @ Star Bar
Aug 28 - Boone, NC @ The Black Cat
Aug 29 - Charlotte, NC @ The Milestone
Aug 30 - Norfolk, VA @ The Boot
Aug 31 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Khyber
Sep 2 - New Haven, CT @ Cafe Nine
Sep 3 - Brooklyn, NY @ Grasslands Gallery
Sep 4 - New York, NY @ Cake Shop
Sep 5 - Wilmington, DE @ MOJO 13
Sep 6 - Somerville, MA @ Abbey Lounge
Sep 7 - Baltimore, MD @ The Metro Gallery
Sep 8 - Washington, DC @ Velvet Lounge
Sep 9 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
Sep 10 - Columbus, OH @ Cafe Bourbon Street
Sep 11 - Athens, OH @ Casa Cantina
Sep 12 - Cincinnati, OH @ Gypsy Hut
Sep 13 - Detroit, MI @ Northern Lights Lounge
Sep 14 - Chicago, IL @ The Beat Kitchen
Sep 15 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Sep 16 - St. Paul, MN @ The Turf Club
Sep 17 - Rapid City, SD @ Imperial Inn
Sep 18 - Denver, CO @ Bender’s
Sep 19 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Salt Lake City
Sep 20 - Boise, ID @ Neurolux
Sep 22 - Seattle, WA @ King Cobra
Sep 24 - Portland, OR @ Dante’s
Sep 25 - Arcata, CA @ Big Pete’s
Sep 26 - Chico, CA @ Nick Night’s Club
Sep 30 - San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern
Artist: Spindrift
Album: The West
Label: Beat The World
Street Date: November 11, 2008
CONNECT: World’s Fair | MySpace | Website
RSS
“Listening is like riding a beast; BSP’s unvarnished, delightfully meandering anthems sound larger than life. Bring on foliage and military uniforms, lads, we’re prepared to salute…” - The Los Angeles Times, Buzz Bands
“Los Angeles’ the Autumns have been a reliable source of brooding, dreamy pop since 1994, appealing to fans of shoegazers like Cocteau Twins and goth titans the Cure. For their fourth full-length, founders Matthew Kelly and Frankie Koroshec have sharpened their teeth and made some decidedly authentic noise. ‘Boys’ signals newfound aggression for these underground darlings.” - Chicago Sun Times
“Few top Brooklyn’s R&B champs Daptone Records, which compiles the cream of its DJ-friendly 45s for a second volume of the label’s Singles Collection. The reverb is delicious and soulful (Lee Fields’ ‘Could Have Been’), the guitars snarl (The Mighty Imperials’ ‘The Matador’) and everything grooves.” - RELIX
