Two years ago I headed down to the Exit/In on a Sunday night to see Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. I'm one of those people who always like to get there in time to see the opening acts, because I've discovered some great bands that way. Unfortunately the club had recently made the switch from running on rock o'clock to actually being punctual, and I didn't get the memo. So when I walked in the door a little over an hour after the advertised start time, I had missed the first band (Les Aus) completely, and The Duke Spirit were already two thirds of the way through their set. Despite the fact that I only caught their last three songs, I was absolutely blown away. Almost as soon as the last notes of their final song faded away, I headed for the merch table to buy their CD. Evidently I wasn't the only one who was impressed, because the line was already about ten deep (apparently this kind of reaction isn't limited to Nashville).
Cuts Across The Land has stayed in heavy rotation around my place ever since then, and it ended being one of my favorite albums of 2006. As the article in this week's Scene points out, the band draws heavily from late 60's psychedelia and the early 90's alternative scene, yet I'm hard pressed to come up with a comparison of who they sound like. They're just... well, awesome. Earlier this year they released their second album Neptune, a sea-themed record that matches the energy of their debut, but with a refined sense of songwriting and slightly lusher production.
After only seeing an abbreviated set the first time I saw them, in April of this year I made a trek up to Lexington to see them open for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and so far it's been my favorite show of the year. The band is utterly fantastic, but singer Leila Moss really steals the show. She commands the stage in a way that few front people can, and afterword you feel like there should be a picture of her in the dictionary next to the word "cool." They've become one of my absolute favorite bands, so I was giddy last month when I found out that they'll be returning to Nashville this weekend.
They'll be playing 3rd & Lindsley this Sunday, August 10, as part of WRLT's Nashville Sunday Night concert series. Plex Plex opens, and the show starts at 8 pm. And unlike the Exit/In, they really mean 8 pm, so get there early. If you don't live in Nashville, you can listen to the live broadcast of the show at lightning100.com.
The Duke Spirit - "The Step And The Walk" (mp3) from Neptune
The Duke Spirit - "This Ship Was Built To Last (Live)" (mp3)
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