The Leiter side of life…

I discovered Deer Tick last summer at Bonnaroo.  I remember lying on a tapestry in the middle of the day, hot and dry with sand blowing all around us.  I closed my eyes blocked out the unpleasant dryness in my throat that the bottle of hot water was doing nothing for and somehow fell in love.  I rocked the Black Dirt Sessions all summer, and given the much more pleasant listening conditions, I fell even more in love, especially with the track Twenty Miles

Somehow I never went looking for more of their older music.  Probably the notes which I first heard and fell in love with at the music festival in Tennessee.

However, recently when listening to Songza, my new iPhone app obssession (more on this sweet music playlist generator coming soon) “Baltimore Blues No. 1″ came up on my “working with lryics indie” playlist.

I had no idea what I was going to blog about for new music today, but when this old track came up while I was answering my emails I instantly took pause and started writing this blog post.  For some reason the song really spoke to me this morning.  Maybe it’s the grey weather or the decision to get back a little bit of myself that I’ve recently lost upon arising out of a much needed 10 hour coma.

The song just seems to say the road is hard and long and sad sometimes, but so it goes.  Life goes on.  I can just picture a lone man on a long desert road on a dark day rocking a black leather jacket, guitar case slung over his shoulder walking down the road without another soul in site.  Just walking to keep going.

I’m a sucker for a raspy voice and John McCauley nails it.  I love the bluesy, country guitar that repeats the same solid chords that speak solemenly even over McCauley’s lyrics at times.  They kind of remind me of The Strokes.

After hearing this song I bought all their other albums.  A little obsessive/impulsive some may say, however given how much play time the Black Dirt Sessions have gotten in my Passat stereo, I’d say they are on the fast track to becoming one of my new all time favorites.  Don’t be surprised if you see another Deer Tick track on an upcoming Monday.