Kurt Vile & The Violators
Hometown: Philadelphia PA
Kurt Vile (real name) has slowly, quietly become one of the great American guitarists and songwriters of our time. Kurt was born in 1980, one of ten children, and raised in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. As a teenager, his bluegrass-loving father gifted him
with a banjo, when what Kurt craved was a guitar – so he played it as if it were.
Bewitched by lo-fi figureheads like Beck, Pavement, and Smog, along with a love for classics like Petty, Creedence, and Neil Young, he
recorded his first songs and self-distributed them on CD-R between 2003 and 2007. These were compiled on 2008’s Constant Hitmaker and the 2009 mini-album God Is Saying This To You… The dreamy and psychedelic tangles of damaged but still-lyrical songcraft announced a major new artist wandering in from the hinterlands.
The Violators (then featuring Adam Granduciel, with whom Vile had co-founded The War On Drugs) debuted on the 2009 EP The Hunchback, coming into their own on Childish Prodigy, Vile’s third album and his first for Matador. More violent, more vivid, more ecstatically ‘rock’ than anything in Vile’s catalogue, the album was a righteous leap forward. The album that followed, the breakthrough Smoke Ring For My Halo, was more reflective, something sun-dappled and sexy in softly strung-out strums like “Peeping Tomboy,” the kindred flipside to barnstormers like “Freak Train” off the previous record.
His fifth album, Wakin On A Pretty Daze, is a 69-minute double LP and Kurt’s defining statement to date. Where previous albums alternated between gorgeous fingerpicking and heavy guitar workouts, this album blends the two in dreamy, expansive songs that gradually unfurl like a massive flag. It is a record that would have sounded great 30 years ago, sounds great today, and will still sound great 30 years from now.
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Kurt Vile & The Violators
Tue. 08/20 | 6:30PM @ Mohawk Austin (map)
@ Outdoor ALL AGES Tickets TBA! Doors @ 6:30 pm. Show @ 7:30 pm.
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- Past Events
Buzz Bands LA on Kurt Vile & The Violators
14 days agoKurt Vile took the stage Tuesday night at the jam-packed Echoplex looking as if he just walked out of his "Never Run Away" video — maybe his all-white persona is here to stay. As he did at Coachella , Vile delivered his songs from beneath his voluminous hair, keeping it low-key and letting the music, rather than the guitarist himself, connect with the audience. His backing band the Violators ebbed on and off the stage throughout the night, giving Vile a chance to also show off some of his acoustic versions of his hits. When left more here
Buzz Bands LA on Kurt Vile & The Violators
about 1 month agoWho: Kurt Vile and the Violators at the Outdoor Theatre In 3 or Fewer Words: No violations here. Memorable Because: It was the calm before the storm. Just an hour before the high-speed winds and sand wreaked havoc on festival-goers, Kurt Vile and the Violators were playing to a crowd bathing in the sunshine. With a slight breeze in the air, it was the perfect moment to lie on the field with your eyes closed or sway to the reverb that wafted out from the stage before the wind possessed everyone's body movements. Vile more here
TheOwlMag on Kurt Vile & The Violators
about 1 month agoKurt Vile Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze [Matador Records]
“To be frank, I’m fried. But I don’t mind,” Kurt Vile professes on “Wakin’ On A Pretty Day,” the first single (and 10-minute-long epic) from his fifth full-length solo effort. This is Vile’s music in a nutshell. One can always count on Kurt Vile to deliver the delirious, acid-drenched, lo-fi folk he’s known for – and this time around is no exception. Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze is as mellowed-out as ever, but covered in a few extra layers of jangly guitar meandering aimlessly through Vile’s ‘pretty daze.’ He may be fried, but it sure works in his favor.
Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze is a seamless transition from Vile’s last success, 2011’s Smoke Ring For My Halo. He takes all the glorious lysergide from previous albums and elongates his carefree guitar ballads into swirling 8-minute odes to laziness and simplicity. “Pure Pain” effortlessly blends this hazy daze with more agitated, rattling tempo changes, and “Air Bud” is both soaring and jagged around the edges. Vile captures a paradox – Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze is both sun-soaked and cloudy; restless and sleepy; precise and unshackled. It’s a solid album that’s stoney as ever, with the potential to become a classic. Standout tracks: “KV Crimes,” “Was All Talk,” and “Never Run Away.”
more at theowlmag.comPitchfork Best Albums on Kurt Vile & The Violators
about 1 month agoAlbum "Wakin on a Pretty Daze" scored 8.5
Wakin on a Pretty Daze is Kurt Vile's most spacious, becalmed record yet, and it contains some of his best-ever brand of cosmic stand-up. The album moves at its own stately pace and with its own ser...
more at pitchfork.comTheOwlMag on Kurt Vile & The Violators
4 months agoKurt Vile So Outta Reach/ Smoke Ring for My Halo (deluxe) [Matador Records]
Kurt Vile’s acoustic guitar strumming hits me like Steve Martin’s character in “The Jerk” when he hears Orchestra music for the first time. Navin Johnson becomes overwhelmed and finds rhythm, snapping his hands on beat, yelling out “This music speaks to me,” as his African-American family sleeps in the next room. Although not as rhythmically challenged as Navin, Vile’s music moves me. His simple, straight forward blues-rock has a certain apathetic cool Americana quality that feels incredibly honest.
Vile was recently taken to task by Titus Andronicus for selling “Baby’s Arms” to Bank of America for a commercial. Vile’s response: “Sorry Titus. I did it to be like The Carpenters. And to buy my daughter high end diapers. And to pay back my publishing advance. And because I never cared about that sorta thing. Whoops, I even have a Bank of America account. B-P (And that’s a dude with sunglasses sticking out his tongue.) I’m so sorry.” Artistic integrity is nice, but paying for diapers and re-paying debt is some real world shit.
If you don’t have Smoke Ring For My Halo, get it now. It’s an amazing record with so many great songs, including “Baby’s Arms,” and the title track. Vile’s mastery of the guitar is special to hear, and he’s a fine song writer as well. Ironically “Puppet to the Man” seems like a pre-written argument against the “sell out” criticism that would come later. “Runner Ups” deals with losing friends and being ok with time moving on and the natural decay it can have on relationships “my best friend’s long gone, but I’ve got runner ups. Yeah.”
The EP is a worthwhile complement to the LP and gets into more material from the Smoke Ring sessions. “Creature” starts the album, and has the same perfect movement and flow of his past songs. “Downbound Train” is a grimy cover of the Bruce Springsteen classic, and “It’s All Right” sounds more expansive than anything on Smoke Ring, possibly signaling where Vile could go from here.
more at theowlmag.comPitchfork Best New Tracks on Kurt Vile & The Violators
6 months agoKurt Vile: "Freeway"
You probably know Philadelphia's Kurt Vile from his work with backwoods psych-rockers The War on Drugs , but it's less likely you're familiar with (or were even aware of) Vile's solo work. Last year's Constant Hitmaker was released on Gulcher to very little notice, but thanks to an upcoming vinyl reissue via Woodsist, Hitmaker might threaten to bump contemporaries like Woods right off your turntable. "Freeway" is as good a place to start as any (Vile even has the good sense to kick the album off with it), conjuring up a late-70s FM affection that's practically begging to send you off on a road trip. He generally feels most comfortable spazzing out on....more at pitchfork.com
NME Recommended Albums on Kurt Vile & The Violators
6 months agoKurt Vile - 'Smoke Ring For My Halo' scored 8 / 10 Kurt Vile is the kind of guy who lugs about his talent like an unwanted piece of luggage. The Philadelphian songwriter’s second album for Matador is a thing of strange and reluctant beauty, leaning more heavily than before on his folk-tinged acoustic wanderings but suffused with the same vague dissatisfaction....more at nme.com
PASTE's Best of What's Next on Kurt Vile & The Violators
6 months agoKurt Vile—yep, that's his birth name—has had a pretty good year... more at pastemagazine.com
Pitchfork Best New Tracks on Kurt Vile & The Violators
7 months agoKurt Vile: "Ghost Town"
Philadelphia singer/songwriter Kurt Vile gets a lot of credit for writing compelling inkblot songs-- melancholy little blobs that gently probe the contours of a single bad mood. He's great at it, and he's written dozens of affecting variations on this tune. What he hasn't been given much credit for, and what hits hardest about "Ghost Town", from his upcoming Smoke Ring For My Halo , are his bitingly incisive lyrics. They drift by in a dazed mumble, and he often seems to be addressing them to a brick wall just over his left shoulder, so it's easy to let them slide past unnoticed. But to focus on them is to be startled. "Ghost Town" churns along in... [from Smoke Ring For My Halo ; out 03/08/11 on Matador]
more at pitchfork.comQuit Mumbling on Kurt Vile & The Violators
7 months agoHere at QM headquarters we eagerly count down the days until Kurt Vile's upcoming release Smoke Ring For My Halo (3/8). To give us a taste of what to expect Mr. Vile gives us "Jesus Fever", an upbeat folky number with slightly slicker production than we are used to. Don't worry though, Vile holds strong to floating guitars, matter-of-fact vocal phrasing, and as strong of song writing as seen on his previous releases. For Vile fans, "Jesus Fever" should definitely build excitement for what could be his most accessible album yet. Kurt Vile - more here
Quit Mumbling on Kurt Vile & The Violators
7 months agoTweet I was thoroughly impressed with Pitchfork's review of Kurt Vile's track "Ghost Town" , off his upcoming release Smoke Ring For My Halo (3/8). No doubt that from the first chord, you flash to I Am Trying To Break Your Heart . Both songs seem to meander along, keeping a consistent pace and progression throughout it's entirety. Lyrically as well, both songs leave the listener searching for some sort of translation as to what the hell each more here
Quit Mumbling on Kurt Vile & The Violators
7 months agoWatch the dreamy official music video for Kurt Vile's "Baby's Arms" from Smoke Ring For My Halo . The music video is directed by acclaimed director and fashion photographer Todd Cole and filmed entirely on the Windows Phone . The video explores a day in the life of a young couple in love, leading their everyday lives in East Los Angeles. Todd Cole utilized the smartphone's camera to capture intimate and organic moments with the young couple, almost as if they were filming themselves on their own camera phone. The music video was created as part of more here
Quit Mumbling on Kurt Vile & The Violators
7 months agoAfter seeing both Kurt Vile and Woods on their most recent tours, I will continue to kick myself for not scrapping up the cash to pick up their joint 7" (seriously, what was I thinking?). To appease if only the smallest bit of frustration, our friends over at Disco Naivete were kind enough to give us what sounds like a vinyl rip of the track "In/Out Blues". The barren track is lead by a worn in acoustic guitar that fits snugly beneath Vile's spacey slurred vocals. The laid back performance has a wonderful off-the-cuff feel, as if you more here
Quit Mumbling on Kurt Vile & The Violators
7 months ago2011 will be rolling into 2012 before you know it, and once QM starts shouting out their favorite albums and songs of the year, you can expect Kurt Vile to definitely make more than one appearance. Luckily for us, Smoke Ring for My Halo will not be the last time we hear from him this year. November 8 will see the release of his new EP So Outta Reach , and it will feature a cover of the Bruce Springteen's "Downbound Train" as well as 5 songs that didn't make the album. "The Creature" definitely would have fit more here
Quit Mumbling on Kurt Vile & The Violators
8 months agoHere at QM headquarters we eagerly count down the days until Kurt Vile's upcoming release Smoke Ring For My Halo (3/8). To give us a taste of what to expect Mr. Vile gives us "Jesus Fever", an upbeat folky number with slightly slicker production than we are used to. Don't worry though, Vile holds strong to floating guitars, matter-of-fact vocal phrasing, and as strong of song writing as seen on his previous releases. For Vile fans, "Jesus Fever" should definitely build excitement for what could be his most accessible album yet. Kurt Vile - more at elbo.ws
Quit Mumbling on Kurt Vile & The Violators
8 months agoTweet I was thoroughly impressed with Pitchfork's review of Kurt Vile's track "Ghost Town" , off his upcoming release Smoke Ring For My Halo (3/8). No doubt that from the first chord, you flash to I Am Trying To Break Your Heart . Both songs seem to meander along, keeping a consistent pace and progression throughout it's entirety. Lyrically as well, both songs leave the listener searching for some sort of translation as to what the hell each more at elbo.ws
Quit Mumbling on Kurt Vile & The Violators
8 months agoWatch the dreamy official music video for Kurt Vile's "Baby's Arms" from Smoke Ring For My Halo . The music video is directed by acclaimed director and fashion photographer Todd Cole and filmed entirely on the Windows Phone . The video explores a day in the life of a young couple in love, leading their everyday lives in East Los Angeles. Todd Cole utilized the smartphone's camera to capture intimate and organic moments with the young couple, almost as if they were filming themselves on their own camera phone. The music video was created as part of more at elbo.ws
Quit Mumbling on Kurt Vile & The Violators
9 months agoAfter seeing both Kurt Vile and Woods on their most recent tours, I will continue to kick myself for not scrapping up the cash to pick up their joint 7" (seriously, what was I thinking?). To appease if only the smallest bit of frustration, our friends over at Disco Naivete were kind enough to give us what sounds like a vinyl rip of the track "In/Out Blues". The barren track is lead by a worn in acoustic guitar that fits snugly beneath Vile's spacey slurred vocals. The laid back performance has a wonderful off-the-cuff feel, as if you more at elbo.ws
Quit Mumbling on Kurt Vile & The Violators
9 months ago2011 will be rolling into 2012 before you know it, and once QM starts shouting out their favorite albums and songs of the year, you can expect Kurt Vile to definitely make more than one appearance. Luckily for us, Smoke Ring for My Halo will not be the last time we hear from him this year. November 8 will see the release of his new EP So Outta Reach , and it will feature a cover of the Bruce Springteen's "Downbound Train" as well as 5 songs that didn't make the album. "The Creature" definitely would have fit more at elbo.ws
Pitchfork Best Albums on Kurt Vile & The Violators
9 months agoAlbum "Smoke Ring For My Halo" scored 8.4
Kurt Vile's fourth full-length is also his best, as it distills classic American guitar music into one singular and sublime vision. Sonically and compositionally, Vile still cycles between strummers a...
more at pitchfork.comcovertcuriosity on Kurt Vile & The Violators
over 2 years agoKurt Vile is a long-haired fellow from Philadelphia who writes great songs. more at blogspot.com
covertcuriosity on Kurt Vile & The Violators
over 2 years agoHere's a few more tracks from The Fresh & Onlys, the Bay-area band I told you about in May. more at blogspot.com
covertcuriosity on Kurt Vile & The Violators
over 2 years agoPhiladelphia native Kurt Vile and his band The War on Drugs turned a few heads in 2008 with their debut album Wagonwheel Blues, drawing comparisons to Bob Dylan, Spaceman 3 and Tom Petty. more at blogspot.com
eMusic on Kurt Vile & The Violators
over 4 years agoKurt Vile's Constant Hitmaker has all the telltale signs of a bedroom-pop album: super-fake, tinny percussion, amateurish production technique and whispery, "don't wake up the roommates" vocals. more at www.emusic.com