Today we published a list of ten great albums you may have missed in 2011, but one record Up on the Sun contributor M.T. Richards left off his list is one at the top of mine, The War on Drugs' Slave Ambient.
The album suggests the Nebraska Springsteen could have made if he teamed up with admitted inspiration Suicide; a fuzzy, distant Americana record beholden to steady, minimal rhythmic clips and bleeps.
Last week, frontman Adam Granduciel was interviewed for Pitchfork's Guest List (my favorite thing the site does, other than amazing interviews like this one) where he chatted about Kevin Costner, Breaking Bad, Seinfeld, and his broken cell phone. Sounds like my kind of guy.
He also named Phoenix's Revolver Records as one of his favorite record stores in the county, along with Low Yo Yo in Athens, Georgia, and Philly (the band's hometown) spots Tequila Sunrise and Record Exchange.
Big ups to the Revolver guys -- who have been getting plenty of pats on the back this year, and are releasing launching their own vinyl imprint, Ammit Records, this month with the release of a 45 from Eddy Detroit. (I heard a test pressing of the record when I was browsing Revolver's bins a few weeks ago, and it sounds awesome.)
Here's a cut from War on Drugs' excellent Slave Ambient.
