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ALLAN DOUGLAS -
I CAN'T GIVE YOU WHAT I ALREADY LACK
Here’s a brand-new track available for free download -- this one's a piece of reflection and commentary that hopefully stands up well against the changing times, with a stark arrangement that heightens the sense of sad isolation found in the lyric.
Although neither fuzzy nor country, this is the first installment of what will hopefully become a series of “fuzzy country songs” -- basically, country and folk songs arranged and recorded as if through a series of fuzzboxes. All immersed in a 20-foot wave.
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ALLAN DOUGLAS & THE TRAGEDIES -
POSTSCRIPT & SILHOUETTE b/w DIAMOND HEAD
And they’re back with another explosive end-of-the-year single! 2008’s autumnal single from Allan Douglas and the Tragedies is “Postscript and Silhouette” b/w “Diamond Head.”
“Postscript and Silhouette” finds Allan Douglas and the Tragedies at their most cinematic yet -- impossibly lush violins give way to washed out legions of guitar fuzz, and then back again through sweeping dynamics. Featuring timely dashes of vocal harmonies, military-style snare drum, and vibraphone, the song winds its way through evocative lyrical brush strokes relating the trials, joys and graceful aging found in the passing of a day. Constructing the intense extended coda are swirling organs, analog distortion, and Impressionist classical piano; just when the track sounds like it’s about to collapse on itself, the tension releases in a breath of melody as the song fades away.
The B-side, “Diamond Head,” can only be described as “mathematical surf rock” -- the band’s never sounded tighter than on this rhythmically-pulsing instrumental track, which was recorded live in the studio (only the organ part was overdubbed). Ventures-meets-Bartok. Fun stuff.
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ALLAN DOUGLAS & THE TRAGEDIES - WE WERE SO CLOSE EP
Containing three new songs and alternate versions of three songs from Douglas’ 2007 “pop art” album, Lipstick Pickup, the special release EP features new lead single “All My Friends Are Beautiful.”
An explosive track driven by Douglas’ intense vocals and Will Ayers’ ferocious drumming, “All My Friends Are Beautiful” is reminiscent of the rawness of early Who recordings and the sonic crunch of Superdrag. Largely recorded live in-studio, the song’s energy pushed a tight “band” sound throughout the potent performance. Indie folk-rock singer/songwriter Wes Pickering also contributes strong backing vocals to the track.
Two new B-sides accompany “All My Friends Are Beautiful.” The first is a moody, “murky surf” instrumental titled “Diver’s Knife.” The other B-side is “Ballad of the Christmas Cactus,” a holiday-themed, tongue-in-cheek Western-style musical recitation. Each band member taking a verse of the recitation, bassist Brady Mills turns in an exemplary deadpan performance final verse.
The second half of the EP includes a live performance of the title track from Lipstick Pickup, and acoustic demos of two other songs from the album, “Lonesome Desperate Love” and “Cast Away.” Alternate keys, lyrics and musical ideas provide a bit of a back-story to these early demos.
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ALLAN DOUGLAS - LIPSTICK PICKUP
Allan Douglas makes "pop art" music. It’s proud, unabashed guitar pop -- stressing melody and lyric, structure and style -- that embraces the sonic & emotional layers and colors found in reliable creative expression.
Douglas recently set out to make his own individual stamp on “pop art" -- combining his classical music training with his pop & rock music education. With help from many friends, LIPSTICK PICKUP was recorded over the period of nine months, and was released in 2007 on Douglas’ own independent label, Photograph Records. Described as “warmly cinematic,” “a sonic soak,” and “Beach Boys-meets-Weezer,” the 11-song album speaks of sin & redemption -- and the tension those two subjects share.
While some songs address the freedom and intense joy found in fulfilling life’s callings (“When Time Began,” “Lipstick Pickup”), others articulate the restlessness and longing found in the struggle to live by grace in a fallen world (“Starburnt Child,” “Riverside”). Along the way are poignant songs of urgent desperation (“Cast Away”), gaining love (“Angelina”), and losing self (“Lonesome Desperate Love”). Using rich imagery and captivating word pictures, the expressiveness of the lyrics is as multi-tiered as the thick vocal harmonies that saturate many of the songs.
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LIPSTICK PICKUP is available at:
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