The War on Drugs on ACL

[jerry]

Austin City Limits had The War on Drugs this week, what a great band! That is all.

 

[Michedelic]

Austin City Limits had The War on Drugs this week, what a great band! That is all.

I’m finally catching up with that episode tonight. Really hadn’t paid that much attention to them. Yeah, they have something going on, flawless playing without a flashy display, lots of atmosphere, great backing vocals. A band that those who whine about “music these days” should at least check out. And, lo and behold, amps! Lots of them, and the obligatory Ampeg. While WOD sounds nothing like them directly(they’re coming from a completely different place), there’s this Tom Petty/Heartbreakers vibe and structure happening.

 

[jerry]

I’m finally catching up with that episode tonight. Really hadn’t paid that much attention to them. Yeah, they have something going on, flawless playing without a flashy display, lots of atmosphere, great backing vocals. A band that those who whine about “music these days” should at least check out. And, lo and behold, amps! Lots of them, and the obligatory Ampeg. While WOD sounds nothing like them directly(they’re coming from a completely different place), there’s this Tom Petty/Heartbreakers vibe and structure happening.

I'm late on really appreciating them too. They touch on a lot of my favorite rock bands in their music, Petty, Dylan, etc. with the sonics of bands like Roxy Music.
I listen to that show with good headphones and it was awesome. Of course I followed up by going down the obligatory YouTube rabbit hole and really dig David Hartley's bass lines. His playing is perfect for the songs, ego less support for the music, same with the rest of the band.

 

[Jimmy Stump]

Love this band. They're super derivative though - 80's anthems, Petty, Dylan are all in there, but it works for them.

Bass player had a killer tone on that episode, a P bass and Ampeg for sure. Definitely sounded like smooth flatwound strings too.

 

[jerry]

Love this band. They're super derivative though - 80's anthems, Petty, Dylan are all in there, but it works for them.

Bass player had a killer tone on that episode, a P bass and Ampeg for sure. Definitely sounded like smooth flatwound strings too.

That's the thing, they touch on so many styles/artist that I've dug and melded them together with hip sonics.

 

[Killing Floor]

I was at the October 16 taping. Great way to see bands on a budget too.

 

[Michedelic]

Love this band. They're super derivative though - 80's anthems, Petty, Dylan are all in there, but it works for them.

Bass player had a killer tone on that episode, a P bass and Ampeg for sure. Definitely sounded like smooth flatwound strings too.

Every band has their influences, some wear them on their sleeves more than others. Petty has certainly appropriated more than his share from the Byrds, Dylan initially was a painfully obvious Woody Guthrie wannabe, but then countless others aped him. I hear a Petty structure to their songs, it’s in the way the tunes unfold, but it’s not an undigested influence.

 

[jerry]