The War on Drugs (band)
| The War On Drugs | |
|---|---|
 Adam Granduciel from The War on Drugs |
|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Philadelphia, PA, United States |
| Genres |
Pop-rock[2] Indie rock Alternative rock Rock and roll Shoegazing |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Secretly Canadian[3] |
| Website | Official website |
| Members | |
| Adam Granduciel David Hartley Steven Urgo Robbie Bennett |
|
| Past members | |
| Kurt Vile Charlie Hall Kyle Lloyd Mike Zanghi |
|
The War on Drugs is an American indie rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. The band consists of Adam Granduciel (vocals, guitar), David Hartley (bass, guitar), Robbie Bennett (keyboards, guitar) and Steven Urgo (drums, percussion), and once included Kurt Vile (electric guitar) amongst its line-up.
The War on Drugs released their debut album, Wagonwheel Blues in 2008. Its follow-up, Slave Ambient, was released in 2011 to critical acclaim.
Contents |
[edit] History
Band member Adam Granduciel (born Adam Granofsky in Dover, Massachusetts) moved from Oakland, California to Philadelphia in 2003, where he met Kurt Vile and began playing music with him.[4] They began playing as The War on Drugs in 2005, and self-released a demo EP. While Vile and Granduciel formed the backbone of the band, they had a number of accompanists early in the group's career, before finally settling on a lineup that added Charlie Hall as drummer/organist, Kyle Lloyd as drummer and Dave Hartley on bass.[5] Granduciel had previously toured and recorded with The Capitol Years, and Vile has several solo albums.[6] The group gave away its Barrel of Batteries EP for free early in 2008.[7] Their debut LP for Secretly Canadian, Wagonwheel Blues, was released in 2008.[8]
Reviewers of the band's music make note of its Americana overtones.[9] The group's sound has been described as influenced by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and My Bloody Valentine.[10][11]
The lineup underwent several changes, and by the end of 2008, Kurt Vile, Charlie Hall, and Kyle Lloyd had all exited the group. At that time Granduciel and Hartley were joined by drummer Mike Zanghi. After Zanghi's exit in 2010, Steven Urgo took over drum duties and Robbie Bennett joined on keys.
[edit] Members
- Current
- Adam Granduciel - vocals, guitars, harmonica, keyboards, samplers
- Dave Hartley - bass guitar, electric guitars
- Robbie Bennett - keyboards, piano, guitars
- Steven Urgo - drums, percussion, sampler
- Former
- Kurt Vile - electric guitar
- Kyle Lloyd - drums
- Charlie Hall - drums, organ
- Mike Zanghi - drums, percussion, sampler
[edit] Discography
| Year | Album | Label | UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Demo EP | self-released | |
| 2007 | Barrel of Batteries EP | Secretly Canadian | |
| 2008 | Wagonwheel Blues | Secretly Canadian | |
| 2010 | Future Weather EP | Secretly Canadian | |
| 2011 | Slave Ambient | Secretly Canadian | 127[12] |
[edit] References
- ^ http://anydecentmusic.com/review/3449/The-War-On-Drugs-Slave-Ambient.aspx
- ^ http://secretlycanadian.com/blog/2011/07/the-war-on-drugs-prep-slave-ambient-extended-cassette-tour-in-october-with-purling-hiss/
- ^ http://www.secretlycanadian.com/artist.php?name=warondrugs
- ^ Band of the Week: The War on Drugs. Paste Magazine, June 15, 2008.
- ^ The War on Drugs at Allmusic
- ^ Breaking: The War on Drugs. Rolling Stone, August 6, 2008.
- ^ War on Drugs Sign to Secretly Canadian, Give Away EP. Pitchfork Media, March 20, 2008.
- ^ Review of Wagonwheel Blues. Prefix Magazine, June 18, 2008.
- ^ The War on Drugs: The Music of Rootlessness. NPR, June 20, 2008.
- ^ The War on Drugs. The Guardian, August 20, 2008.
- ^ Review of Wagonwheel Blues. Drowned in Sound, June 2, 2008.
- ^ http://zobbel.de/cluk/110903cluk.txt
