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The War on Drugs

June 8, 2015

After releasing one of 2014’s finest records in Lost in the Dream, Philadelphia’s The War on Drugs has extended its victory lap into the summer with a return engagement to the WNY area, this time at Rochester’s Water Street Music Hall. The hazy heartland rockers showed up on nearly every best of lists last year, hit the late night circuit hard, and with festival season upon us, tonight’s gig at Water Street should be a nice test run before the group hits Bonaroo later this week. Tickets are still available to purchase for $26 online and most likely at the door, which is set to open at 7pm, as well. New Jersey rockers, The Everyman, are set to open.

Staff Picks: Favorite Albums & Songs (so far) – Part 2

June 27, 2014

Today’s brings you round 2 of our staff picks for favorite songs and albums at 2014’s half way point. If you missed yesterday’s part 1 of submissions, you may read it here. Sarah Machajewski Album: Neil Young  – A Letter Home We should all be thanking Neil Young for putting out a new album. We should be thanking him doubly for making it an album of covers.  We should be thanking him three times as much for the album’s gritty phonographic sound that stands out in an age of digitized, computer-created music. But maybe that’s what Neil Young does best. His loner tendencies have led to some innovative, cutting-edge music. Yet this album doesn’t forge new paths, but revisits old ones. Young selected 12 songs that have meant something to him at some point in his career, taking from greats such as Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, and The Everly Brothers. They[...]

The War On Drugs at the Town Ballroom (4/13/14)

April 14, 2014

Last night, the Town Ballroom hosted one of Buffalo’s more anticipated live shows at the quarter mark of 2014 in Philadelphia’s The War on Drugs. Riding high off of the band’s acclaimed album, Lost in the Dream, front man Adam Granduciel and crew delivered a triumphant set of hazy heartland rock that is as much Springsteen and Henley as it is J. Spaceman. Wasting no time, the band dove right in Lost in the Dream opener “Under Pressure.” Since first listen, the meticulous kraut rock stylings of the song reminded me of Wilco’s “Spiders (Kidsmoke),” but where Wilco lets “Spiders” absolutely rip live, The War on Drugs keeps “Under Pressure” under control, albeit a driving control. Buffalo concert crowds are funny in that you never really know what kind of turnout you will get at certain shows. Here we have one of 2014’s breakthrough acts coming through town, something that[...]

Tonight: The War on Drugs

April 13, 2014

To get to the point, The War on Drugs’ most recent record, Lost in the Dream, is one of the most universally likeable rock records to come out in awhile. It is an early contender for album of the year and will definitely make many top 10 lists barring some sort of truly miraculous run of records (which, by all means, is welcome to happen) between now and December. If you are like me and would only love Bruce Springsteen if he were a little more influenced by Neu!, then this record is a must listen. It is as precise and charging as it is dreamy and lyrical. If you ever wondered what would play if you were ever standing atop a train driving into the American West and looking towards your future, this is it. Don’t even try to act like you haven’t pictured this before. With that introduction, it[...]

The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream

March 20, 2014

If one were to switch out the article ‘the’ with ‘a’ in The War On Drugs’ new album title, Lost In The Dream, one would find a stark and subtle difference between interpretations. Lost in ‘a’ dream connotes a superfluous, vague experience, like, ‘oh yeah, I was like, all swirling up in that dream man, totally bonkers.’ Lost in ‘the’ dream is specific, melancholy. Why would anyone feel lost in ‘the dream’, which I’m getting to here, is the dream that each individual pursues? From what I gather of Adam Granduciel is that the guy is rather OCD. After doing a little background research, having not been a die-hard fan of the group already, I found that this album took to him like a leech. Post-breakup, like many of us know, can turn on an obsessive creative switch to deviate from any lingering feelings or emotions. I’m not saying that this album[...]