Song of the Day: The War on Drugs - I Was There

A couple of weeks ago, when The War on Drugs released their new album, Slave Ambient, I couldn't read a music blog or check updates on Twitter without seeing something about it. Upon first listen I didn't quite get the hype, and I realize it's extremely uncool to not be the first to post about a new album, but it took a few weeks for this one to grow on me. Part of my initial issue was how much the band sounded like Kurt Vile, who I now understand was actually in The War on Drugs at one time. But is sounding like Kurt Vile a bad thing? Not for me - that's why my favorite song on the album is probably the one that sounds most like him.

Playlist: July 2011 blog songs

Song of the Day: Kurt Vile - Jesus Fever

The Bob Mould show last night was a success, so tonight we're off to see Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) and Kurt Vile (Kurt Vile).

While Mould surprised me by rocking out with the electric guitar (it was not the laid-back evening I anticipated), Vile surprised me with a mellower album. When I saw his band tour for Childish Prodigy, they were LOUD, and I suppose I expected his next one to continue in that vein. And while there are some rocking moments, my favorite song on Smoke Ring for My Halo is probably its quietest: "Jesus Fever."

Song of the Day: Kurt Vile - Overnight Religion

Kurt Vile's Childish Prodigy was on my turntable for a while earlier this year, but I've been putting off posting a song.  I got a chance to see him last night at the Echoplex, which put him back in the queue.  He's a guy who seemed to come from nowhere, though he has a lot of older records and EPs under his belt.  Live and on record, his songs are more like a chugging train than well-constructed, verse-chorus-verse songs - the Velvet Underground's "Waiting for the Man" would be a good example of what I'm failing to elucidate.  Early VU is definitely a reference point, as are The Stooges and Neil Young's Crazy Horse output.