The Mercury Lounge (Venue Partner)
217 E Houston St
212.260.4700
This event has passed.
- When
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Friday Jan 8, 2010 (7:30pm)
- Where
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Directions: F, JMZ at Essex and Delancey or F, V at 2nd Ave
- Price
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$10
Note:
Some songs are dark confessions; some are painful admissions. Some songs toe the line between ugly and beautiful, like yourself. Compared to 'Between the Buttons'-era Stones, Dylan and Leonard Cohen, The DUTCHESS and the DUKE's songs marked a turning point for Morrison and Lortz. From the dark gypsy swagger of 'The Prisoner' to the lilting harmonies on 'Out of Time,' each song touts magnetic guitar lines and vocals so straightforward that they belie all other intricacies. The b-side from their debut single, 'Mary,' was so described by Steve Borchardt (Terminal Boredom): 'I can't think of a modern record I've ever heard where the lyrics have struck me as being as well-written, [with a] melody as every bit as evocative and touching as the lyrics. And that's not hype, that's the truth.' Like a transmission sent 50 years ago that is just now being received, The DUTCHESS and the DUKE have crafted an unassuming album full of possibility and urgency, reminding us of the basic human condition that is all too often forgotten or ignored. Making these sounds together was a completely new game to these two kids. There is nowhere to hide in their songs. No squawking feedback. No drunken haze. No broken, drool-filled microphones. Simple and striking harmonies unlike nothing else this duo had previously ventured towards. These songs and the way they are played are completely vulnerable, uncertain, real and terrifying....
