Search And Destroy: Afghan Whigs

i saw one of their reunion shows with rick and even then with so many backing musicians including a workmanlike third guitarist the sound was really watered down on the congregation/gentlemen stuff - really wished they'd done some numbers as a four piece. while i get why rick isn't involved, there's no reason for this to be called an afghan whigs album except $.

and if "algiers" is what they hear as a single...yeesh

truly bewildering to me that as many rode and, since the announcement of this new record, are willing to ride for dulli and co.…AW was supposed to be a alt-band that employed R&B aspects in a potent way? UGGGHH… then again, I heard "gentlemen" and thought the rhythm section sucked ass…some years later heard 1965 and again was flabbergasted the band was held up as soulful or funky what have you…

― veronica moser, Friday, February 28, 2014 1:59 PM (Yesterday)

Rick McCollum (lead guitar) played in R&B/jazz bands, while the rest came from punk/rock bands, maybe that's why you didn't hear the R&B flavor in the rhythm section? Also, original drummer Steve was a pretty accomplished drummer, I remember reading an article 20 years ago featuring the comments of many more famous drummers applauding his work.

I have never heard Black Love or 1965, I got off the bus with Gentlemen. Saw them open for Teenage Fanclub ca Bandwagonesque.

Black Love is fantastic. I saw them live at t in the park 1996 headlining the king tuts tent when Black Love was out. Great gig.

Dont expect much from this album after hearing that single.

Some strange production choices on this new record. It sort of inches to Afghan Whigs, but ... yeah, it's basically Twilight Singers. But that's cool. Twilight Singers are cool.

Only ever saw them live once, and that was way back around the time of Up In It, but they were tremendous. Favourite thing by them is the Sister Brother / Hey Cuz single. Hey Cuz is especially spectacular imo, riffs cutting up all over the place and guitar lines spiralling out into the sky - the band sound really loose and jamming but also very well-drilled and tight at the same time, kind of a Hendrix-y trick to pull off.

Man, I saw them two summers ago and they were so good I would have been fine with it being my Last Concert Ever. No reason to think the songs on this new one won't work live, but then, again, Twilight Singers were great live, too.

Begs the question what we really need the Afghan Whigs for, aside from the name, if Dulli has all this other stuff going on

that Rosser guy and his prominence annoys me. You'll never be an Afghan Whig, mate

sorry but I've become v sniffy over these reunions

I just heard that Joy Division reunited with Iggy Pop as the vocalist.

uh no, it was Marion who reunited with Iggy as the vocalist

Dulli would make a pretty good Iggy sub. Subbing for Iggy in Joy Division, that is.

It's business. Dulli can tour wider and play larger rooms when billed as the Afghan Whigs. Its the same with Alice In Chains and a ton of lesser groups. I can't blame the guy, it doesn't change the records.

TBF, the last three times the A. Whigs played Chicago, they played the same place the T. Singers played (and sold out).

http://www.npr.org/2014/04/06/297714232/first-listen-the-afghan-whigs-do-to-the-beast

turns out i like this a lot, despite missing rick. fails to sound like the whigs or the twilight singers at all, really

Afghan Whigs doing a cover of The Police, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g7TznJLd50

new album in spades in may!!!!

new song is sexy af

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp7ooQ_7TPg

probably the most earnestly dulli's approached soul music since 1965, hope there's a horns all over the album

this sounds a little less mastered-to-shit than the last few Dulli things which makes me very very happy

I approve. I want to say that is better than anything on the comeback record, which I can't remember.

The last two times I saw the Afghan Whigs - in 1997, maybe, and in 2012, maybe - they were so good I felt if I never saw another show it would be fine with me.

the 2012 show i saw is 100 percent the best concert i've ever seen

yep

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx99Kecmuy8

OK, listening to "Do to the Beast" now and, yeah, weird, it's like I've never heard it before. I even thought it was called "Do the Beast." But it sounds pretty good! My bad.

"lost in the woods" is one of the best whigs songs ever so i like the last record. kinda falls apart in the second side though

And xpost Seriously, so glad there are clips of the one I saw:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THAKskSp6mQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkvXhXdFRDc

really nice to see that Into the Floor is going to be on this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OFf8p4ByaY

the highlights from the last one were easily Lost in the Woods and The Lottery (as weird as Mark McGuire's presence there is)

psyched about this! new song sounds good -- who's that little guy in the video?

har mar superstar

oh wow, i remember that guy. i didn't realize that was him!
whigs are such a familiar indulgent pleasure, can't wait til they tour again!!

I'm away from my tapings hd now, but I believe clips above are a show I taped and put up on dime. La Lechera - do ya recall if that's the Metro show I gave ya a copy of on disc a coupla years ago? Really looking forward to the new one, esp. if it's as '1965'y as mentioned above.

looking forward to this but i have to admit that 'do to the beast' made zero impression on me

YES, I'm not sure if that clip was from the same night (they played 2 nights right?) but I can't listen to that song without being on the verge of having a stroke so my judgement may be cloudy.
There's probably no rock band I would rather be in than the Whigs, if I could play those songs and not pass out.

I don't remember "Do the Beast" at all either :-/

they do go through drummers!

I'm age-appropriate too!!

New album is strong, with one or two clear highlights.

that's good to hear! can't wait

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99xg4DtM-V8

another good new song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9U8jseaqxU

great, creepy song, video nsfw

like extremely nsfw

since i am at w can you tell me why it's nsfw? just curious.

every time i flipped back to it in my tabs there were breasts

Disappointing :(

(I say that as a Whigs fan with breasts)

i mean as far as i can tell it's an argento-y occult lesbian thing, which i'm here for

I mean it's fine, I've got no prob w boobs being exposed
Go for it I guess

http://www.stereogum.com/1938212/stream-the-afghan-whigs-in-spades/music/album-stream/

def dulli's weirdest opening track ever

i'm definitely enjoying this a lot more than the last one overall, even if nothing's quite as good as Lost in the Woods

yeah i think it's way more consistent than do to the beast (which imo falls apart during side two)

"light as a feather" is fucking amazing

yup this is really good, nice tidy runtime too

prob his best album since blackberry belle, i'm calling it