November/December 2011

The War On Drugs: Build And Destroy(0)

November 12, 2011

On “Brothers,” the second song on The War On Drugs’ sophomore album Slave Ambient, Adam Granduciel sings, “I’m wonderin’ where my friends are going/ And I’m wondering why they didn’t take me.” Although Granduciel says that his lyrics often start as semi-conscious improvisations, hearing those lines it’s hard not to think of Granduciel’s bandmate and [...]

The War On Drugs: Build And Destroy

Role Models: Guy Clark

Guy Clark, the iconic songwriter who turns 70 this November, recently invited American Songwriter into his lair, where he discussed Hemingway and the natural high that comes with making art. Guitar 101: Writing songs is so cerebral, staring out the window for two days. But building guitars is real hand-eye stuff, so it’s right-brain versus [...]

In The Studio With The Black Keys

(PHOTO: Jo McCaughey) A self-described “studio nerd,” Dan Auerbach owns more vintage gear than his studio can comfortably hold. Even so, he makes good use of it all, playing five different electric guitars on El Camino and keeping every one of his keyboards – from the Mellotron to the Orchestron to the Farfisa organ – [...]

The Holiday Gear Guide with The Apache Relay

(Photos by Brett Warren) The holidays came early for The Apache Relay, who found themselves on the receiving end of a great bounty of amazing gear. We give you the skinny on a dazzling array of instruments and amps, so you can fine-tune your own wish list this Yuletide season. Click on the links to [...]