| CD REVIEW White Denim |
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Band : White Denim A very nice bunch of weirdos, this Austin based Texas outfit, but more of that later...first let's dig into the band's history, which apparently starts in March 2005. Following their shows at Austin venue Beerland, the members of Parque Touch (including singer/ guitarist James Pitrelli, drummer Josh Block, and guitarist Lucas Andersonn) asked Peach Train bassist Steve Terebecki to join 'em, which he did, and for the rest of the year the now quartet would continue to play shows, all of 'em using pseudonyms for some reason. However, In February 2006 Anderson moved to Russia, and the remaining trio changed their name to the current one. They started playing the Austin live circuit as White Denim and in the meantime started making lo-fi recordings of their Punk-infused Psychedelic Blues Rock in Block's trailer, and released their first EP Let's Talk About It in early 2007. While gigging/ touring in support of that release, they recorded the 9-track Working Holiday EP, sold only at shows. The material caught the attention of new online record label RCRD LBL, and the band signed a deal to re-record 3 songs off the EP for the RCRD LBL EP, the mp3's of which were sold one at a time over the course of the first months of 2008. Following the releases the band toured extensively, also putting in appearances at such prestigious events as SxSW and the CMJ Music Marathon. WD also won the “Best New Band” award at the 2008 Austin Music Awards. In order to better reach European fans, the band then signed with UK label Full Time Hobby, who released the 7-inch single Let's Talk About It (backed by “Darksided Computer Mouth”) prior to releasing the band's official debut full-length album Workout Holiday (consisting of new recordings of tracks off the band's first EPs plus some extra new songs) on June 23, 2008. Two more singles were culled from the album during the same year: All You Really Have To Do (b-side “DCWYW”) and Shake Shake Shake (b-side “All Truckers Roll”). In the US, the band had recorded a new set of songs which they originally sold during their 2008 Spring tour as a CD-R titled 11 Songs. From October 19 on, the band made the collection of songs (now baptized Exposion) available in digital format from their official website. Negotiations were made with an Austin based agency to distribute the album in the US, but then fell through. The band released its 3rd full-length album Fits through Full Time Hobby in June 2009 (one 7-inch single, I Start To Run, was culled from this album). They then signed to US label Downtown Records for the US distribution of the album starting October '09, and as the album was also given a limited edition with Exposionas a bonus disk, that album also got it's proper US release. September 2010 was an important month in the career of the band, as it not only saw the addition of second guitarist Austin Jenkins to the line-up, but also saw the band self-release (or rather give away) the album Last Days Of Summer (in essence a re-recording of songs that went back to the band's beginning days with the added twist of seeing Jenkins' debut with the band), which was recorded over Summer. Actually, the band spent quite some time off “the road” last year, what with that collection of re-worked versions to be recorded, as well as the next collection of new songs needing to be written and recorded for the band's latest studio album, and the band taking a slightly extended break as well. In essence D (which takes it's title from the 4th letter of the alphabet, thus also symbolizing the band's 4th full-length album) is Jenkins' first officially released recording with the band. It is also the first time the band spent time in an actual studio, away from the trailer/ studio the guys use as a base. Sure it was just a private studio owned by a vintage gear collector, so in some ways the guys kinda felt at home. Musically speaking, the band draws influences from Dub, Psychedelic Rock, Blues, Punk Rock, Progressive Rock, Soul, Jazz, Experimental Rock, and even Country...and past reviewers and genreficators have been somewhat inventive in giving the band's music superlatives such as Spazz, Jazz, Alternative, Country, Psychedelic, Bluesjazz, Pop, Garage, Exercise”, Post-Rock, Party and Jamband, but to be quite blunt...if you like your music with a late '90s – Early 2000's emotional Psychedelic vibe, White Denim will provide (did that rhyme just a little?). Tracks that definitely stand out on the album, are “Burnished” (with its great intertwining double lead guitar passages), the hypnotic instrumental “Back At The Farm”, the album's ballad “Street Joy” (which might almost have been written/ performed by one of the better British Sad Dad Trad Rock masters from the late '90s, early 2000s), the Latin (and flute) infused “River To Consider”, the album's first single (released again as 7-inch), the somewhat more Hard Rock geared “Bess St.”, and the definitely Country-geared album closer “Keys”. Underneath it all however, the bassist's excellent performances almost puts him as far in the spotlight as the singer. You say, “Seems like this band swings a lot of ways?”...well you would be correct there, but nevertheless it sounds like White Denim in each of the 10 songs, as the sublimely fragile vocals (both lead and harmonic backings) bind everything together. You can listen to 2 songs off the new album, as well as a couple of older ones, and view the video to the Drug single at (www.) myspace.com/whitedenimmusic, and there's two more (older) songs on the band's facebookpage. More importantly, you can still download the complete Last Days Of Summer album from the band's own website (http://) whitedenimmusic.com, as well as a newly recorded cover the song “Jay Time”, originally from '70s UK band Hard Stuff. Enjoy, then enjoy some more by buying the album...I mean, that's what I am gonna do, you know! 93/100 Tony. |
