To Be A Civilian Of Wye Oak...

Baltimore indie powerhouse Wye Oak released their LP Civilian a little while back, and its one that Ive been enamoured with for some time. It fits into the Heartless Bastards mold of heartfelt and emotive yet rolling thunder rock that the best alt-rock-folk-whatever aficionados harness and make their own. Furthermore, also like Heartless Bastards, Wye Oak is fronted by a woman with a hauntingly beautiful smoky voice - Jenn Wasner. Now Ive seen Heartless Bastards, and I wear the shit out of their shirt, and they are fantastic. Wye Oak sound like they can do the same thing - yet with only half the staff, as Wasner is joined only by Andy Stack on drums/keyboards. This actually heightens my love for Civilian.

Now I know that Wye Oak are playing in London at Hoxton Bar and Grill on June 16. But if you can, go to the Bowery Ballroom in NYC on May 22nd for a concert showcasing Dinosaur Jr's music, with the likes of Wye Oak, Tune-Yards, Titus Andronicus, Delicate Steve, Ted Leo, Dirty Projectors and Dan Deacon all getting involved. There are always great collaborations, but this one takes the fucking cake. Get there!

Wye Oak - Two Small Deaths
Wye Oak - Civilian