The Donkeys are back from a parallel universe where they gigged as Geronimo Jackson and they just released their second full length this week on Dead Oceans. For Born With Stripes, The San Diego outfit balance the twanginess of their excellent debut, Living On The Other Side, with influences from Cali artists of the 90′s like Pavement and Beck.
While their sound may have changed slightly, the band still plays a brand of music that sounds perfect while looking at an ocean. I am currently sitting in Florida for the kids’ spring break, watching the sun come up as I listen to this album. Two of the tunes that have hooks with the Pavement influence, “I Like The Way You Walk” and “Ceiling Tan,” still have that lazy easy-going vibe, perfect for starting the day. Or for that matter, ending the day with a cool one.
After numerous listens,one other comparison I would draw is with a band called Sam Champion. Rolling Stone once said Sam Champion combined elements of Pavement’s Wowee Zowee and Ryan Adams. The same could be easily said of Born With Stripes with its memorable hooks.
After a long frigid weekend, I ventured downtown to Schubas to catch quite a trifecta of acts. While the other lineups at Schuba’s Tomorrow Never Knows series didn’t inspire me, it was quite convenient for them to line up the three bands I wanted to see on the same night – Tulsa, The Donkeys and Bishop Allen
First up was Tulsa led by Carter Tanton. Their last EP, I Was Submerged, has been in steady rotation for quite some time. They have been busy recording the debut LP in Chicago and I was hoping to hear some new tunes sprinkled with some of old favorites. Other than “Breathe Thin,” the rest of the set was all new stuff and it did nothing to defuse my anticipation for the upcoming release. Unfortunately it isn’t coming out until August, but we’re working on getting the band in for a session sometime soon.
Next up were San Diego’s The Donkeys. I picked up their Dead Oceans debut last year and that album has become quite the creeper. At first I thought it to be a good listen; solid but unspectacular. I’ve since found myself consistently reaching for it and it’ll be the perfect album for my trip to Cabo this week. In spite of having a drummer that sings (its an unfair prejudice, but I am up front about it), it was good set.
Finally, it was Bishop Allen who made barely made it after a 12 hour trek from Toronto. Due to the late arrival, the transition was a bit delayed and led to me leaving before the end of the set. I’m old. It was a school night. Before I split, they banged out “Castanets,” “Click and Monitor”and several new tunes that immediately shot their new LP high up on my ’09 anticipated releases.
Speaking of bands that were dealt an unfair hand by Pitchfork, let me introduce you to The Donkeys. I hadn’t heard of them until the Pitchfork review and luckily I was able to read between the lines. This is a loose translation of their review. “I am a self-important music critic” which was followed up by, “blah, blah, blah, random reference,” and “influences by The Byrds, The Dead, and Gram Parson.” They were daring me to like this album, so being the indie music superhero that I am, I rose to the challenge and downloaded it.
The influences mentioned are ingrained in The Donkeys and they wear their SoCal origin on their sleeves. When asked why they love San Diego, the response is “Where else in the universe does the air smell like burritos and suntan lotion at the same time?” Fodor’s couldn’t have said it better.
Their tunes are breezy and make me yearn for the days of my parents Old Woody (no pun intended). There are a number of wonderful tracks on the Dead Oceans debut, but some of the highlights are “Dolphin Center,” “Traverse Wine” and “Walk Through A Cloud.” The album cruises along, never getting you worked up but never leaving you disappointed.
If you dig the sweet Cali sound with easy-going Fender licks, generous amounts of organ, and lazy harmonies, than consider yourself a fan of The Donkeys.
