The War on Drugs - "Taking the Farm (Live)"

Photo by Ryan Muir (http://www.brooklynvegan.com)

While on The Soundscape we spend most of the time focusing on experimental artists, I also like to keep an ear tuned to the world of indie and pop to find out if any interesting music is coming from more conventional channels. 

I stumbled upon Philadelphia's The War on Drugs awhile back and absolutly fell in love with their 2008 album, Wagonwheel Blues. The album uniquely synthesized the songwriting of Bob Dylan and the production aesthetic of Brian Eno. Simmering beneath the surface of this indie folk-rock group's sound was an affinity for drum machines, samplers, tape noise, and ambient textures straight out of Another Green World.  

The group would also serve as a launching pad for fellow Philly native Kurt Vile who played on the band's first album. The War on Drugs members also double as Vile's backing band, The Violaters when the self-proclaimed Philly's Constant Hitmaker is on tour.


While Kurt Vile rose to prominence in the indie world last year, this year will probably see the War on Drugs do the same. On Tuesday, the group released Future Weather, their follow up to Wagonwheel Blues and a teaser until their second full-length comes out next year. And since songs from the EP like "Comin' Through" and "History of Plastic" have been floating around the blogosphere for the past couple of weeks, I thought I would post a track that I have been sitting on since the War on Drugs came to town to open for the Hold Steady in April of 2009.  

The War on Drugs- Future Weather

After the band kicked ass in their opening slot at the Tralf, I talked with the band at their merch table and asked them if they had any live recordings floating around. Frontman Adam Granduciel was kind enough to put in my hand an unlabeled CD-R that was inscribed with a live recording they had just made in Amsterdam. He also told to me to "do whatever you want with it....We don't give a shit." 

So, to mark the release of their EP, a year and half later, I present to you a live version of "Taking the Farm," one of the best tracks from their first album.  

Enjoy.

   {mp3}Taking the Farm (Live) by The War on Drugs

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