Thursday, May 28, 2009
Music news The Whigs preview new songs at surprise Athens show
Posted by Christopher Hassiotis on Thu, May 28, 2009 at 6:29 PM
Last night Athens' much-heralded power trio the Whigs played an unannounced show at the small hometown venue Tasty World, debuting a number of songs off the band's upcoming third full-length. The sign on the club's door announced the band as the Bumpkin Café — something the club owner came up with, said drummer Julian Dorio — but text messages and Twitter work fast, and soon enough the club was bustling with a few scene vets and more than a few still-in-town-for-the-summer college kids eager to check out the tunes.
Over the past month the band has been holed up in its Athens practice space working out the new songs' kinks, and frontman Parker Gispert recently decamped to Newnan, Ga., for a little time among the trees, a little time upon the lake to get some more lyric writing done before heading into the studio next week and out on tour later this summer.
Here, we'll let Gispert explain it:
How are the new songs? More after the jump:
The Whigs are as explosive as ever, and these new tracks cut back on past over-reliance on Gispert's raspy howl. I still can't help but hear a poppier Archers of Loaf or Pavement, but over its past two albums the band has carved a strong identity for itself and, while still strongly in that tradition, sounds less derivative. Hooks aplenty, and they're sure to be up front once recording gets underway. Gispert's lyrics seem to be a little bleaker this time around. He slung out a number of lines that dealt with breaking up and both "fucking and fucking up." Dorio's a whomping drummer for sure, and his crispness and volume is as impressive as ever, while new(ish) bassist Tim Deaux has slid into his role seamlessly, and looked like he was having a blast.
In other whigvelopments, the band earlier this spring released a split 7" with We Are Scientists, and head out soon on tour with shaggy guitar dudes Kings of Leon.
The Whigs' upcoming tour dates:
06-04-09: Enterprise, AL @ BamaJam Music and Arts Festival
06-20-09: Birmingham, AL @ City Stages
07-20-09: Louisville, KY @ For Castle Festival
08-09-09: Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Ampitheatre
08-12-09: Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place w/ Kings of Leon
08-13-09: Calgary, AB @ Saddledome w/ Kings of Leon
08-15-09: Vancouver, BC @ GM Place w/ Kings of Leon
08-16-09: Vancouver, BC @ GM Place w/ Kings of Leon
08-19-09: Sacramento, CA @ ARCO w/ Kings of Leon
08-21-09: San Diego, CA @ Cox Arena w/ Kings of Leon
08-22-09: Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum w/ Kings of Leon
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