The Twilight Singers Return With Their First New Album In Five Years

From the promotional department of Sub Pop records comes this bit of interest. I could have sworn that an Afghan Whigs reunion was immenant, but this press release from last week demonstrates otherwise:

"Considering the success and critical mass Greg Dulli has enjoyed over the past two years with The Gutter Twins (with his long time friend Mark Lanegan), it’s almost hard to believe that there hasn’t been a new album from his band The Twilight Singers since the 2006 release of Powder Burns. Finally, that wait is almost over.

Sub Pop Records will release Dynamite Steps, The Twilight Singers fifth album, on February 15th, 2011 worldwide. While long time Twilight Singers and now Gutter Twins fans will certainly find what they’re looking for with this release, Dynamite Steps goes further with it’s ambition both sonically and confessionally than ever before.

The album explores the thin line between life and death, mortality and immortality, resignation and celebration—that mythical moment when your life flashes before your eyes, drawn out here over the course of eleven songs.

Clearly the next chapter in an already long and stellar career for Dulli, Dynamite Steps reaches a whole new level of catharsis and progression, evocatively cramming all the highs and lows of the maverick singer-songwriter’s past half-decade into unexpected sonic trapdoors. The opening track “Last Night In Town” encapsulates that vibe, setting the stage for the emotional thrill ride that’s about to come over the rest of the album.

Dynamite Steps was “shot on location” at various locales significant to Dulli’s life. You can hear the sense of place emanating up from the grooves: here, the weary nighttime decadence of New Orleans rubs up against the oppressive sunshine of Los Angeles and the desolation of Joshua Tree’s desert vistas. Various guests make contributions to the album including: Ani DiFranco, Joseph Arthur, Petra Haden, Nick McCabe (The Verve), and of course Mark Lanegan.

Since the late 80’s Greg Dulli has been a musical force to be reckoned with. Rising to fame as the magnetic leader of the Afghan Whigs during the 80’s & 90’s. As the Whigs split up at the end of the decade, Dulli followed his muse and began to innovatively fuse post-punk, soul and electronic sounds in his post-Whigs collective The Twilight Singers, who released their first album, Twilight As Played By The Twilight Singers, in 2000. Their beloved second album Blackberry Belle followed in 2003, followed by a covers album She Loves You in 2004. 2006’s Powder Burns made many critics “Best Of” year end lists.


In 2008 Sub Pop veterans Dulli and Mark Lanegan returned to the label as The Gutter Twins for their debut album Saturnalia. The band toured the world over for two years, made SPIN’s Top 20 Albums Of The Year list and performed on Later With Jools Holland and the Late Show With David Letterman.

Greg Dulli is currently in the middle of his stripped down retrospective “An Evening With Greg Dulli” tour where after seeing his New York performance the Village Voice stated, “His voice is a soulful rasp that can spit out invective as easily as it can seduce a lover into believing his lies… the music he's made throughout his career straddles the gap between early Amerindie's spitfire and soul's hip-thrusting.”

Prior to the start of the tour, Dulli made one of the new Twilight Singers tracks “Blackbird And The Fox” available for free download from their website – www.thetwilightsingers.com .

The Twilight Singers will announce their worldwide touring plans for 2011 shortly."


Full Track Listing For Dynamite Steps
1. Last Night In Town
2. Be Invited
3. Waves
4. Get Lucky
5. On The Corner
6. Gunshots
7. She Was Stolen
8. Blackbird And The Fox
9. Never Seen No Devil
10. The Beginning Of The End
11. Dynamite Steps




For more information please visit:

www.thetwilightsingers.com

Here's something from the Twilight Singers a few years back, a clip so awesome that you'll wonder why they aren't playing venues as big as some Disney teen act. Dulli's a bit heavier now that in his fighting days with Afghan Whigs, but the life that brought him a few extra pounds also brought him some additional perspective. Tell me that your heart doesn't get a little weak when he turns it on around the five minute mark, dropping to his knees to preach a little rock and roll to the crowd.