Curses

A special treat today: the new Rye Coalition album, Curses, to be released by Gern Blandsten on April 18th, arrived in our office. Robert brought it over to me. I've been listening to it all day.

These guys are my friends and my neighbors. If I felt like it, I could walk around the block from my apartment and ring Justin's bell. He'd buzz me in and we'd go upstairs and listen to music and talk nonsense for hours. Or, I could call Jon and meet up with him and Herbie, and we'd all hit the Lamp Post for several funny beers and some terrible television. Or, I might run into Ralph walking around Hamilton Park, where we'd discuss the latest JM Coetzee novel for a bit. Or, I might catch up with Alan and Ash over at Body & Soul on 1st and Newark, where Dave is hanging out. These guys are my friends and my neighbors.

This album effing rocks, and I hope that you'll check it out when you have a chance. I know how much energy the guys put into it, and it would mean a lot to them if you gave it a listen. I remember talking to Jon and Justin about it, way back in July 2004, when they were still living on Coles Street in Downtown Jersey City. They had recently gotten back from Los Angeles where they had spent two-and-a-half months locked up in a studio with Dave Grohl and Nick Raskulinecz for twelve hours a day. No big surprise, then, if the album seems to have something of a Foo Fighters / Queens of the Stone Age vibe, mixed with some hard rocking cheekiness. It's fun and pretty and sexy and absurd. Song titles like "True Love by the Hour," "Between an I-ROC & A Hard Place," and "Achilles Wheelchair" might give you some idea.

When I talked to them about it back then, they were incredibly happy and excited. Of course they were: they had just recorded an album with Dave Grohl, set to be released by a big-time label. But things soon fell apart. It was a long road to Gern Blandsten, with breakdowns at DreamWorks and Interscope along the way, but the band is as tight and strong as ever. I'm happy for them.

By the way, I hear the album's cover art is hot stuff.

That's that. Have a nice, long weekend.

COMMENTS
Buddha's picture

Thanks! I will go check them out. Tell your friend in the red hat and shirt to keep it in his pants, though. :)

Jim Tavegia's picture

So that's what a good tar and feathering looks like!

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