speed of dark

from flickr photo set
This weekend I trolled my favorite local record store, Rhino Records, to see what I could find. I love their 99-cent bin, usually full of hidden treasures amongst the crap. Sometimes I find nothing, other times gold - and this time I was lucky. I picked up The Whigs' 2006 debut album, Give 'Em All A Big Fat Lip, due to the fact that I've enjoyed the couple of tracks I've heard from this year's Mission Control. The band got such a great reception at this year's SXSW Festival that I thought it appropriate to celebrate their humble beginnings. ...Fat Lip features the scratchy voice of Parker Gispert, drummer Julian Dorio, and former bassist Hank Sullivant (replaced by Tim Deaux).

...Fat Lip has a country garage band sound, bare bones and a little bit wild, something that I love in up and coming bands. The Whigs are from Athens, GA, a town with a musical reputation that is tough to live up to, but these three guys give it a solid go. Though these tracks have an obvious influence from other recent country-rock groups, it wouldn't be fair to say that the music on this album is a copy of such bands. Whereas the single from Mission Control, "Right Hand on My Heart" is fashioned much closer to the sound of groups such as My Morning Jacket and Kings of Leon, these tracks are a little bit rougher, less polished - but in a good way. There's some lovely guitar work throughout, highlighted nicely on songs like "Half The World Away" and the title track.

It's important to note that between the two Whigs albums is a budget of approximately zero and equipment purchased on eBay, and a top of the line studio and a heck of a larger budget. Compare a couple of my favorite tracks from the album and compare to the new single and see what I mean.

from Give 'Em All A Big Fat Lip (2006)
the whigs: give 'em all a big fat lip [buy]
the whigs: violet furs [buy]

from Mission Control (2008)
the whigs: right hand on my heart [buy]

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