Avast, poor Lucksmiths; we hardly knew ye. My favourite Australian band of ever is breaking up. Read more about the end of a wonderful era right here and learn more about the finest band that nobody ever cared about over here.
It’s a sad day.
7. Drag the River - You Can’t Live This Way
There’s probably no other band I’ve discovered in the last three years that has made as enormous impact on me as Drag the River has. Having already been a big fan of most of the member’s previous bands, it was a short leap to make. The story of this band is astounding; they broke up for the second time before this album came out, but it proved to be such an incredible group of songs that caught on so quickly they came back and started touring again to support it. The division between the group’s two primary songwriters is clearer than its ever been compared to their previous releases. Where they previously evened each other out, now they’re following their own tangents: one focuses almost entirely on quiet, sombre back-porch acoustic strummers while the other’s tendency towards weird rock/country hybrids takes over. Despite it’s more scattered nature, the songs are still incredible and I’d take either of these fellows over most bands any day of the week. Luckily, they’ve got four or five releases and some vinyl reissues planned for this year (many of them in February) so it seems they aren’t going anywhere.
8. the Lucksmiths - First Frost
Casual, acoustic-based pop songs from Down Under. After discovering this album a few months ago, I’ve since delved deep into their back catalogue, all the way to their first tape. It’s a bit astounding to me how one band can be so consistently good and still be completely unknown outside their native country, but I guess it happens. There really wasn’t a better album released this year to listen to while walking through a small town on a bright afternoon or sitting next to the window on a rainy day writing in your feelings journal.
9. Old Man Leudecke - Proof Of Love
Even when I thought this album was good, I didn’t realize how good it really was. I enjoyed a half dozen tracks immensely, but after his early set at the Folk Fest in Regina during the summer, seeing his awkward, hesitant charm in person, and realizing how much people I wouldn’t have expected to like him were enjoying his songs the rest really opened itself up to me. Effortless, friendly roots music that isn’t afraid to show its heart.
Drag the River - Tobacco Fields: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download the Lucksmiths - Good Light [2:56m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download Old Man Luedecke - Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier [2:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadYou Can’t Live This Way is on iTunes and hard copies are put out by Suburban Home/Vinyl Collective.
First Frost might be a bit harder. I mean, iTunes is easy enough. Physical releases may be available through Matinee Records, but we’ll have to see about that.
Proof of Love dominates iTunes and Black Hen Music has his physical releases.
I’m so overcome by the amount of music coming at me right now I don’t know what to do about it. I’m working hard to make sure that nothing passes me by, even at a time when unsolicited submissions to the site are higher than ever (three this week alone! that’s huge for us!)
Obviously something has to rise to the top of the heap any time a heap accumulates somewhere, and the record that’s doing that for me right now is the newest effort from a band called the Lucksmiths, First Frost.
Part of the reason why I like it so much is because it’s a complete mystery to me, like the first time I heard Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci or Mineral or the Slackers, something that just comes out of the blue. When I first heard all of these bands I picked up their CDs on a whim and was completely blown away. Having literally no information about a group or the label, no idea what they sound like, and being completely won over is just an amazing and funky adventure.
Musically speaking the band treads in well-worn territory, slinging acoustic and electric guitars at some not terribly complicated quiet, bedroomy pop music. It’s an ode to guitar pop bands that are more pop than guitar, to closet musicians that self-record and aren’t ashamed about it (think American Analog Set only less breathy).
Content-wise the band pogos between relatively serious love songs and a curious bird that only wonders why in the heck the songs protagonist got drunk. There is actually more than one song about the singer getting drunk (at a swimming pool, even), not that there’s anything wrong with that.
It’s a terrific set of late fall/early spring songs that are just terribly enjoyable. That might not be the most colourful set of nouns, but but they really are.
the Lucksmiths - California In Popular Song [3:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download the Lucksmiths - Lament Of The Chiming Wedgebill [3:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadiTunes has an incredibly thorough discog and for our Canadian friends, Boompa! released one of their albums. Otherwise you’d best visit U.S.-based labels like Matinee Records, but not the other one that’s pretty much defunct. Actually, why not just go to Australia’s Lost and Lonesome Recording Co.; you might pay more in shipping, but you can get everything in one fell swoop.
