Somewhere in between a European tour and an upcoming slate of American shows, lead singer/guitarist of The Afghan Whigs Greg Dulli is just waking up. It’s noon my time, and he sounds like he’s taking his first sips of coffee.
Over the phone, he peppers his conversation with lines about “the rich pageant of life” on the road, playing music. He discusses new bands like Protomartyr, Deluxe, Jungle and William Tyler, and what they’re doing right (mainly, being original and putting in work on the road). He briefly reminisces about a show in 1999 at The Varsity Theatre.
I imagine he’s in some over-decorated hotel room straight out of the ’70s, the kind that still allows smoking, has shag carpeting and silk red curtains.
The vampire-like scenery is all in my head, but that’s the type of stuff Dulli’s presence conjures.
An underrated rock musician whose band had a streak of great albums in the early ’90s, Dulli has sobered up, and he’s more focused than ever. But the mysterious allure that drew fans to him back then is still alive and well.
In 2001, The Afghan Whigs broke up, and there was speculation that the band would never return to the stage. However, after numerous temporary reunions, the band played a collaborative set with Usher at last year’s South by Southwest, and Dulli got an itch to get back in the studio.
“It was cool how quickly we adapted to the situation,” he says of the show with the R&B performer. “We had 48 hours to build a show, then perform it. We were able to turn his songs into rock ‘n’ roll songs, and we were a good band for him. I really don’t think there’s anybody we couldn’t play with, but that show and how it was put together was exciting to me.”
Two months later, the band was back in the studio.
“We finished up [Do to the Beast] in December 2013,” Dulli says. “I liked that it didn’t drag on for years like some records do. It was the quickest I had done a record since [The Afghan Whigs’] Congregation and Gentleman.”
He went into the process without expectations, and says there were no difficulties recording the new album.
“Expectations are a prison, man,” he says. “It’s this weird thing, too, where you’re the jailer and the prisoner. I try to stay out of jail.”
He brought the same ingredients that informed his songwriting previously—life, observation, experience and imagination.
“You don’t have to have some sort of life-changing moment every time you make a record,” he says. “Sometimes, you have to count on your gifts and talents. I’ve made 14 records in my life. I have a very vivid imagination, and I’ve dipped into it liberally.”
The listener hears that imagination on the two-chord doom of “Parked Outside,” the leadoff track on Do to the Beast, and the Western shuffle of “Algiers,” recorded by Dave Rosser in New Orleans, a city Dulli calls home from time to time.
“There’s not a city like it in the world, let alone the United States,” he says. “I’ve been going to New Orleans since 1986. I’ve been around the world 50 times. I still haven’t seen any place like it.”
Hear Do to the Beast below:
Live picks
The folk duo Mandolin Orange performs in the side bar at Chelsea’s Café. 8 p.m. Friday. RSVP and get more information. Read Justin McGowan’s post from earlier this week for more information. Richard Buckner performs an intimate show at Red Star next Tuesday. Rob Mulhearn of Secret Annexe will open. The show starts at 8 p.m. RSVP and get more information.
Song of the week
Sloan’s “Carried Away”
A reliably great power-pop quartet from Canada delivered its 11th album last week, and it’s no surprise that the new release is a delight. On Sloan’s Commonwealth, the band goes into the Beatles’ White Album territory as each of the four members have a few songs to display their songwriting talents. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but Chris Murphy’s “Carried Away” strikes the right balance. This is beautiful pop-rock song that benefits from great string accompaniment. Like most of Sloan’s material, the hooks are undeniably sweet, and the album as a whole only gets sweeter with repeated listens.
Album of the week
Blake Mills’ Heigh Ho
An accomplished songwriter and session player, Blake Mills has talent to spare. On his second album, Heigh Ho, Mills goes for broke, teaming up with industry veteran and producer Don Was. While the lo-fi quirks of his previous album Break Mirrors are lost in the new release, Heigh Ho provides Mills with ample space to let his sounds and lyrics roam. There’s a devastating beauty to each song. Like his songwriting partner Fiona Apple, who appears here on a few tracks, Mills knows how to capture the sounds of heartbreak. There’s a flutter of strings on “Seven,” the repetition of regret on “Don’t Tell Our Friends About Me,” and brutal honesty throughout—making this the perfect record to spin with a glass of whiskey on a lonely fall night.
