Amidst the rum and ramshackle structures of mid-city New Orleans
stands an old hotel, a brokedown relic of the busy Southern streets of
the 1960s. Overhead the interstate casts noise and shadow, and down
below sit forsaken Cadillacs, probably unmoved for decades. And though
each of its eight stories reeks of stale beer and bathroom, its walls
seep a certain indescribable charm.
Inside these halls of faded glamor and former exuberance, World Leader
Pretend has made a home. The floor is well-littered: sleighbells, a
tipped-over lamp, a little black book, dried-out coffee cups, a
glockenspiel, and a pair of perfectly shined shoes. With careful steps,
these scrappy and spirited gentlemen enter daily to write, arrange, and
rehearse their sweet music, and to sort through their overactive
imaginations and aesthetic hunches.
While not a likely setting for a pop band, it suits this gang well.
World Leader Pretend has always been a maverick crew in New Orleans, a
city where trumpets outnumber people two-to-one and jazz and jam bands
are heralded while all others are mostly left to their own devices. The
antique city's insularity and lack of a trendy scene gave the boys
freedom from seductions to compete or conform, leaving them to develop
their own unique charm over the years and, ultimately, make something
beautiful.
The result is Punches, a collection of 14 pop songs with a rock flair
and a soul feel, an homage to the music that had surrounded them for so
many years, blasting from front porches on the racially integrated
uptown streets, crackling from their busted tube radio, and intimating
through the walls of their ragtag '60s hotel.
Punches espouses the grandiose orchestrations of blue-eyed soul, the
raw intimacy of Stax records, and the playful crooning of vocal legends
of yesteryear. Its combination of haughty glamor and heartbreaking
honesty allows for a glimpse into a world of the boys' own creation.
World Leader Pretend is taking their own little universe of fractured
glamor and slipshod sincerity on the road this spring, and inviting all
to drop by. And although these gentlemen remain humble and earnestly
unassuming, they're hedging their bets that you'll want to stay.
If you would like to add any of the following songs or videos on your profile, simply copy and paste one of the following codes into any part of your myspace profile.
Are you guys still playing? I saw you a long time ago playing as the opener for Hot Hot Heat and I've been trying to keep an eye out for you since then but haven't heard anything. Are you still touring, and if so when do you plan to come around North Carolina?
holy schnikes guys! My husband and i are going to be in NOLA on may 12th. cant wait to see you! We missed you a few years back @ voodoo when katrina came through. so happy were gonna get to see you! Elena, AL gulf coast
.. Hi there World Leader Pretend first of all we'd like to say thanks for being our myspace pal. We wanted to make sure you knew the reason incase we suddenly vanish off of your friends list. The movement we've started for indie artists has grown significantly and consumes all of our time these days. We seldom sign into our myspace account and this is making several people believe that we are ignoring them. We are not ignoring anyone, we wanted everyone to know that. What we're doing has become so busy we just don't have the time for myspace any longer, so in all honesty we are probably going to just close our myspace account.
Many people wanted to use us in the future so if you were one of those people make sure you bookmark the link below so that in the event that we do close our myspace account you won't lose contact with us. I wish you the best of luck in your music career. Thanks again for being our myspace pal.
hey how are you guys? when r u going back on tour? coming to san francisco? making another album? i love your music but havent heard anythign new in a while! well would be good to hear a response..thanks Syma
yo how are things? your page is looking tight! anyway, i just found some sweet new tones from www.singingcell.info for FREE! they have the sweetest variety!
