Boise, Idaho, indie-rock legends Built to Spill play 1884 Lounge this Tuesday night. Formed in the early ’90s by guitarist Doug Martsch, the band immediately gained notoriety for their folk-infused indie rock, and by 1995, the band landed a deal with Warner Bros. Records, the label they still call home today. Built to Spill’s latest album, Untethered Moon, was released in April of 2015, just in time for Record Store Day. Untethered Moon sees the band staying in the same lane as many of their classic albums, even though it took six years for the band to release, making for the longest drought in the Built to Spill discography. While many of the relics of ’90s indie rock should have hung it up at the turn of the century, Built to Spill’s music still sounds as authentic as ever without re-treading what made the band popular in the first place.
Built to Spill
Touring with Built to Spill is Lenguas Largas, the Tuscon, Arizona, group that has loose connections to Memphis and Goner Records. The soft-psych band has been kicking up dust for nearly a decade, and their latest LP, Abba Daddy, was released this April on Red Lounge Records, the label that’s brought you music from bands like Lover, Overnight Lows, and the Hussy. The single from Abba Daddy, “Heavy Bubbles,” is as chill as psych-rock gets, with hazy vocals overtaking an acoustic guitar riff that floats behind a solid bass groove.
Rounding out the bill is Whispering Wires, another band that hails from Tuscon, Arizona. Whispering Wires are also a psych/indie band, but they’ve got a little more aggression in their sound compared to fellow Arizonans Lenguas Largas, and the exposure Whispering Wires receive on this tour should lift the band from their relatively unknown status. Tuesday’s gig is 18 and up, and you might want to purchase tickets ahead of time.
