Artist: The Whigs
Album: Modern Creation
Bitrate: 262kbps avg
Quality: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.98.4 / -V0 / 44.100Khz
Label: New West Records
Genre: Rock
Size: 76.61 megs
PlayTime: 0h 38min 50sec total
Rip Date: 2014-04-29
Store Date: 2014-04-29
Track List:
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01. You Should Be Able To Feel It 4:24
02. Asking Strangers For Directions 3:03
03. The Particular 3:28
04. Hit Me 4:20
05. Modern Creation 4:14
06. Friday Night 3:15
07. She Is Everywhere 3:03
08. Too Much In The Morning 3:13
09. I Couldn't Lie 5:07
10. The Difference Between One And 4:43
Two
Release Notes:
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For their fifth album, the Athens-bred/Nashville-based power trio the Whigs
wanted to find the exact midpoint between raw and rehearsed. After more than a
decade togetherùduring which theyÆve released four critically lauded studio
albums and toured constantly as either headliners or openers for the likes of
the Drive-By Truckers, Kings of Leon, and MGMTùthe three members all agreed that
they wanted to flex their muscles a bit: write some good songs, get them down as
tight as possible, hit <RECORD>, and tear shit up.
Says Parker Gispert (guitar/vocals): ôWe wanted to record quickly, and we wanted
to record live. That meant we werenÆt going to write a bunch of songs that
relied on a horn line or any outside instrumentation. That guided the
composition of the songs and informed how we approached recording them.ö
For months the trio hammered these songs into shape at their Nashville practice
space, united in a shared mission: to perform these songs with as much energy
and excitement as possible, to expertly navigate every tricky tempo change, taut
groove, spacy tangent, and ebullient hook. Their infamously raucous live show
was never far from their minds. ôOur practice space actually has about a
foot-high stage,ö says Julian Dorio (drums), ôand we set up like weÆre playing a
show. We know weÆre going to spend a lot of time on the road touring, so itÆs
always more fun to write something thatÆs going to sound exciting live.ö
In the fall of 2013, the trio headed west to record with Jim Scott at his PLYRZ
Studio in Valencia, California, about thirty miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Scott has helmed albums by Tom Petty, Wilco, and Matthew Sweet, among many
others, and his experience proved invaluable: ôGuys like Jim have made hundreds
of records and theyÆve seen bands do the same stuff,ö says Gispert. ôHeÆs seen
bands make mistakes and heÆs seen bands capture some really great material. I
felt very comfortable in his hands.ö
Driven by DorioÆs pummeling drums and GispertÆs desperate vocals, the punchy
ôAsking Strangers for Directionsö in particular benefitted from ScottÆs input.
Recalls Dorio: ôWe played it for him and he scratched his head and said, æWhy
donÆt you take the second part and put it after the third part?Æ It sent us for
a loop. It felt backwards and upside-down, but we trusted Jim. We kept working
on it, and now I canÆt imagine it any other way.ö
With Scott in their corner, the Whigs worked hard to make sure these songs
didnÆt sound worked over. Rather than track each instrument individually, the
band captured most of the songs in first or second takes, playing together live
in the studio. Or, as the case may be, just outside the studio. Bypassing the
studio proper, they set up shop in the hangout area at PLYRZ: a cavernous room
where most artists spend their time eating, listening to records, goofing off,
and just chilling out. For the Whigs, however, it became their creative
headquarters.
ôIt has a real clubhouse vibe,ö says Tim Deaux (bass). ôJimÆs quite the
collector of artwork and memorabilia. HeÆs got neon signs and weird posters and
tied-dyed tapestries hanging on the walls. ThereÆs a motorcycle in one corner,
and thereÆs a Dolly Parton pinball machine.ö In addition to amps, keyboards, and
guitars galore, there is also an elaborate stereo system next to ScottÆs
sprawling vinyl collectionùa veritable rock history at the WhigsÆ fingertips.
And then thereÆs Scott himself, who acted the part of both producer and
professor. He regaled the trio with industry war stories, and they soaked up
everything. Recalls Gispert: ôItÆs an invaluable reference to work with someone
whoÆs recorded artists that have influenced us. If we want to know how they got
a particular sound, we can simply ask.ö
PLYRZ proved inspirational for the Whigs, who channeled ScottÆs experience as
well as his catchall decorative scheme into wildly diverse rock songs that veer
abruptly in unexpected directions and channel a dizzying range of
influencesùoften in the same song. ôShe Is Everywhereö begins as an improbably
spry pop-rock song, with a bouncy guitar jangle that evokes L.A.Æs Paisley
Underground. When the chorus comes around, the tempo slows precipitously and the
song settles into a sludge-riff that recalls a time when ôIron Manö still walked
the earth. Likewise, ôFriday Nightö mixes Mot÷rhead momentum with one of the
bandÆs catchiest pop hooks, while the martial stomp of ôThe Particularöùone of
the albumÆs headiest and most hyperactive tracksùis punctuated by the bandÆs
excitable shouts of ôHEY!ö
ôI feel like weÆre pulling from a big pool of influences,ö says Gispert. ôWeÆre
drawing from different eras and different styles that we havenÆt really explored
on previous albums, and weÆre trying to incorporate them into a sound that is
still the Whigs.ö Modern Creation is packed with playful allusions to rockÆs
past, yet the band isnÆt playing to their record collection. Rather, these new
songs digest a range of influences and spit them back out as something new,
exciting, and idiosyncratic.
In other words, theyÆre working hard to show their range as a power trio, both
in the studio and (when they hit the road this spring) on stage. That may be the
secret to the WhigsÆ longevity: Being a power trio means every member has to
pull his own weight. ôNobody can lurk or hang back,ö says Dorio. ôEverybody has
to be contributing or else itÆs going to fall completely flat. You canÆt have a
weak link. This is the rawest rock record weÆve made so far. ItÆs the truest
representation of the band.ö