THE WAR ON DRUGS

2012-01-30T11:59:00.000-08:00

Playing Primavera Sound
June 1st: Barcelona, Spain

2012-01-11T08:28:00.001-08:00

2012-01-09T08:42:00.000-08:00

Attention all fans of The War on Drugs:

On January 10th, 2012 The War on Drugs will be performing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Here is where you come in…

How would you like a chance to be close to The War on Drugs’ performance on the show?

Click on the link below and you will be directed to our “Band Bench” Sweepstakes entry form. Enter for a chance to win seats on our band benches and an opportunity to surround the stage during The War on Drugs’ performance.

Please make sure you include the following band code: WAR, in your entry form.

http://www.fallonbandbench.com

2011-12-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

Added dates with White Rabbits! Ticket Links here.

Plus another Brooklyn performance,
04/06/12 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg BUY TICKETS

2011-11-28T12:13:00.000-08:00

December Tour starts this Saturday!

12/03/11 Harrisburg, PA - Abbey Bar @ Appalachian Brewing Company

12/04/11 Washington, DC - The Rock 'n Roll Hotel

12/06/11 Indianapolis, IN - Radio Radio

12/07/11 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall

12/08/11 Toledo, OH - Mickey Finn's Pub

12/09/11 Toronto, ON - The Horseshoe Tavern

12/10/11 Ithaca, NY - Castaways

12/11/11 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom

12/12/11 New York, NY - Beacon Theatre w/ The National BUY TICKETS

12/17/11 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer with Sun Airway, Ape School

2011-11-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

New dates with our good friend Sharon Van Etten have been announced!
We did a super special show with her earlier this year at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC and these shows are sure to be memorable. We're stoked and honored!

03/20/12 Los Angeles, CA - The Avalon w/ Sharon Van Etten   TICKETS
03/21/12 San Francisco, CA - The Independent w/ Sharon Van Etten     TICKETS
03/23/12 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theatre w/ Sharon Van Etten     TICKETS
03/24/12 Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore Cabaret w/ Sharon Van Etten    TICKETS
03/27/12 Salt Lake City, UT - The State Room w/ Sharon Van Etten     TICKETS
03/28/12 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater w/ Sharon Van Etten     TICKETS
03/31/12 St. Louis, MO - Luminary Center for the Arts w/ Sharon Van Etten    TICKETS
04/01/12 Bloomington, IN - Rhinos w/ Sharon Van Etten

Also, scroll down to get tickets for our string of December shows with Still Corners and Arc in Round.

2011-10-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

Current UK & European dates:

02/14/12 Nijmegen, NL - Doornroosje    BUY TICKETS
02/15/12 Amsterdam, NL - Melkweg    BUY TICKETS
02/16/12 Copenhagen, DK - Vega    BUY TICKETS
02/17/12 Hamburg, DE - Molotow    BUY TICKETS
02/19/12 Berlin, DE - Magnet Club BUY TICKETS
02/20/12 Frankfurt, DE - Brotfabrik    BUY TICKETS
02/21/12 Paris, FR - Maroquinerie    BUY TICKETS
02/22/12 Antwerp, BE - Trix    BUY TICKETS
02/23/12 Livepool, UK - The Kazimier    BUY TICKETS
02/24/12 Dublin, IE - Whelan's   BUY TICKETS
02/26/12 Glasgow, UK - Stereo
02/27/12 Manchester, UK - Sound Control    BUY TICKETS
02/28/12 London, UK - Electric Ballroom    BUY TICKETS
02/29/12 Brighton, UK - Concord 2
03/01/12 Bristol, UK - Thekla    BUY TICKETS

2011-09-27T12:56:00.001-07:00

New 2012 European Dates Announced!!! More to come.
2/15 Amsterdam (NL), Melkweg http://www.melkweg.nl/ (adam's birthday)
2/28 London (UK), Electric Ballroom http://www.electricballroom.co.uk/

US Tour with Purling Hiss and Carter Tanton:
10/10/11 Harrisonburg, VA - Blue Nile w/ Carter Tanton

10/11/11 Raleigh, NC - Kings Barcade w/ Carter Tanton

10/12/11 Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle Tavern w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

10/13/11 Atlanta, GA - The EARL w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton BUY TICKETS

10/14/11 Pensacola, FL - DeLuna Festival

10/17/11 Dallas, TX - Bryan Street Tavern w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

10/18/11 Austin, TX - Emo's w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

10/20/11 Tucson, AZ - Plush w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

10/21/11 San Diego, CA - Soda Bar w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

10/22/11 Los Angeles, CA - Satellite w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton BUY TICKETS

10/23/11 San Francisco, CA - The Independent w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

10/25/11 Portland, OR - Bunk Bar w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

10/26/11 Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

10/27/11 Spokane, WA - A Club w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

10/28/11 Nampa, ID - Flying M w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

10/29/11 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

10/30/11 Denver, CO - Hi Dive w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

11/01/11 Lawrence, KS - Jackpot w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

11/02/11 Columbia, MO - Mojo's w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

11/03/11 Bloomington, IN - The Bishop w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

11/04/11 Cincinnati, OH - Mayday Northside w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

11/05/11 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

11/06/11 Baltimore, MD - Talking Head w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

12/03/11 Harrisburg, PA - Abbey Bar @ Appalachian Brewing Company

12/04/11 Washington, DC - The Rock 'n Roll Hotel

12/06/11 Indianapolis, IN - Radio Radio

12/07/11 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall

12/08/11 Toledo, OH - Mickey Finn's Pub

12/09/11 Toronto, ON - The Horseshoe Tavern

12/10/11 Ithaca, NY - Castaways

12/11/11 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom

12/12/11 New York, NY - Beacon Theatre w/ The National BUY TICKETS

12/17/11 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer

2011-09-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

European Tour starts this week.
Get your tickets fast! Brighton was changed to The Haunt. Click here for tickets

09/09/11 San Sebastian, SP - Club Victoria Eugenia
09/11/11 Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso w/ Megafun
09/12/11 Tilburg, NL - Incubate Festival
09/13/11 London, UK - Cargo w/ Alexander Tucker - SOLD OUT
09/14/11 Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club w/ Alexander Tucker
09/15/11 Sheffield, UK - The Harley w/ Alexander Tucker
09/16/11 Brighton, UK - The Haunt
09/17/11 Brussels, BE - AB Club
09/19/11 Berlin, DE - NBI Club
09/20/11 Coppenhagen, DK - Loppen
09/21/11 Stockholm, Se - Lilla Hotelbaren
09/22/11 Malmo, SE - Debaser
09/23/11 Hamburg, DE - Reeperbahn Festival
09/24/11 Cologne, DE - King Georg
09/25/11 Venlo, NL - Perron 55
09/26/11 Paris, FR - Point FMR
09/27/11 London, UK - Corsica Studios

Click on any of the records to the right to purchase from Secretly Canadian.
Scroll down for press and reviews of 'Slave Ambient,' just two weeks old!

2011-08-15T16:02:00.001-07:00

SLAVE AMBIENT IS OUT !!!
***** - Uncut
**** - Mojo
'best new music' - pitchfork

HERE is another great review

Overall, Slave Ambient is a grandiose statement of aesthetic juxtaposition, ambition, gravitas, and craft. More importantly, Slave Ambient is a timeless record – as familiar as it is wholly new, as vintage as it is modern.

Also, the pre-order and track listing for the Mirror Universe Cassette Release of Slave Ambient can be found right here
They're making 200 red cassettes so get your's fast!!

2011-08-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry the site was down...i owed $12.
Regardless...HOLY SHIT SLAVE AMBIENT COMES OUT ON TUESDAY AUGUST 16!!!

5 Stars - Uncut Magazine
4 Stars - Mojo Magazine

WE'RE PSYCHED!!!

COME SEE US ON TOUR THIS FALL
08/18/11 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's w/ Caveman BUY TICKETS
08/19/11 Brooklyn, NY - Cameo Gallery w/ Porcelain Raft, Caveman08/20/11 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge w/ Porcelain Raft BUY TICKETS
08/21/11 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall w/ Porcelain Raft, Caveman BUY TICKETS
08/23/11 Montreal, QC - Casa del Popolo w/ Porcelain Raft, Caveman08/24/11 Toronto, ON - The Drake Hotel w/ Porcelain Raft, Caveman08/25/11 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig w/ Caveman08/26/11 Chicago, IL - Schuba's w/ Caveman BUY TICKETS
08/27/11 Milwaukee, WI - Club Garibaldi w/ Caveman08/28/11 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry w/ Caveman BUY TICKETS
08/30/11 St. Louis, MO - Billiken Club at St. Louis University w/ Caveman08/31/11 Lexington, KY - Cosmic Charlie's w/ Caveman09/01/11 Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe w/ Caveman BUY TICKETS
09/02/11 Washington, DC - Red Palace w/ Caveman BUY TICKETS

09/09/11 San Sebastian, SP - Homeless Music Festival @ Parque Atracciones de Igeldo w/ Micah P. Hinson & band09/11/11 Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso w/ Megafun09/12/11 Tilburg, NL - Incubate Festival
09/13/11 London, UK - Cargo w/ Alexander Tucker09/14/11 Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club w/ Alexander Tucker09/15/11 Sheffield, UK - The Harley w/ Alexander Tucker09/16/11 Brighton, UK - Green Door Store
09/17/11 Brussels, BE - AB Club
09/19/11 Berlin, DE - NBI Club
09/20/11 Coppenhagen, DK - Loppen
09/21/11 Stockholm, Se - Lilla Hotelbaren
09/22/11 Malmo, SE - Debaser
09/23/11 Hamburg, DE - Reeperbahn Festival
09/24/11 Cologne, DE - King Georg
09/25/11 Venlo, NL - Perron 55
09/26/11 Paris, FR - Point FMR

10/10/11 Harrisonburg, VA - Blue Nile w/ Carter Tanton10/11/11 Raleigh, NC - Kings Barcade w/ Carter Tanton10/12/11 Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle Tavern w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton10/13/11 Atlanta, GA - The EARL w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton10/14/11 Pensacola, FL - DeLuna Festival10/17/11 Dallas, TX - Bryant Street Tavern w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton10/18/11 Austin, TX - Emo's w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton10/20/11 Tucson, AZ - Plush w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton10/21/11 San Diego, CA - Soda Bar w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton10/22/11 Los Angeles, CA - Satellite w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton10/23/11 San Francisco, CA - The Independent w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton10/25/11 Portland, OR - Bunk Bar w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton10/26/11 Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton10/27/11 Spokane, WA - A Club w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton10/28/11 Nampa, ID - Flying M w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton10/29/11 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton10/30/11 Denver, CO - Hi Dive w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton11/01/11 Lawrence, KS - Jackpot w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton11/02/11 Columbia, MO - Mojo's w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton11/03/11 Bloomington, IN - The Bishop w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton11/04/11 Cincinnati, OH - Mayday Northside w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton11/05/11 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton11/06/11 Baltimore, MD - Talking Head w/ Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton

2011-07-09T10:51:00.001-07:00

BABY MISSILES hits the big screen.

2011-06-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

Fall Tour Dates Announced!!
SLAVE AMBIENT is out August 16th

Thu. Aug. 18 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
Fri. Aug. 19 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Cameo Gallery
Sat. Aug. 20 -- New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
Sun. Aug. 21 -- Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
Tue. Aug. 23 -- Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo
Wed. Aug. 24 -- Toronto, ON @ TBD
Thu. Aug. 25 -- Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig
Fri. Aug. 26 -- Chicago, IL @ Schuba's
Sat. Aug. 27 -- Milwaukee, WI @ Club Garibaldi
Sun. Aug. 28 -- Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Tue. Aug. 30 -- St. Louis, MO @ Billiken Club at St. Louis University
Wed. Aug. 31 -- Lexington, KY @ Cosmic Charlie’s
Thu. Sep. 1 -- Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
Fri. Sep. 2 -- Washington, DC @ Red Palace
Thu. Sep. 8 -- Lisbon, Portugal @ Terraza Hotel Regency
Fri. Sep. 9 -- San Sebastian, Spain @ Club Victoria Eugenia
Sun. Sep. 11 -- Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso w/ Megafaun
Mon. Sep. 12 -- Tilburg, Netherlands @ Incubate Festival w/ Megafaun
Tue. Sep. 13 -- London, UK @ Lexington
Wed. Sep. 14 -- Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Thu. Sep. 15 -- Sheffield, UK @ Drowned In Sound presents at The Harley
Fri. Sep. 16 -- Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store
Sat. Sep. 17 -- Brussels, Belgium @ AB club
Tue. Sep. 20 -- Copenhagen, Denmark @ Loppen
Wed. Sep. 21 -- Stockholm, Sweden @ Lilla Hotelbaren
Thu. Sep. 22 -- Malmo, Sweden @ Debaser
Fri. Oct. 14 -- Pensacola, FL @ DeLuna Festival

2011-02-23T08:12:00.000-08:00

SLAVE AMBIENT

Best Night
Brothers
I was There
Your Love is Calling my Name
The Animator
Come to the City
Come for It
Its your Destiny
City Reprise #12
Baby Missiles
Original Slave
Black Water Falls

2011-01-02T09:46:00.001-08:00

Happy 2011 everybody!
Shows are getting added to our tour with Destroyer in the next few weeks. Keep an eye for your town!!

March 14th - Denver, CO, Hi-Dive
March 15th - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court

DESTROYER, THE WAR ON DRUGS
Mar 17 Vancouver BC - The Commodore Ballroom
Mar 18 Seattle WA - The Crocodile
Mar 19 Portland OR - Doug Fir Lounge
Mar 21 San Francisco CA - Great American Music Hall
Mar 22 Los Angeles CA - Troubadour
Mar 23 Tucson AZ - Club Congress
Mar 25 Austin TX - The Mohawk
Mar 26 Dallas TX - The Loft
Mar 27 Little Rock AR - Sticky Fingers Chicken Shack
Mar 28 St Louis MO - The Luminary Center for the Arts
Mar 29 Chicago IL - Lincoln Hall
Mar 30 Pontiac MI - The Pike Room at the Crofoot
Mar 31 Toronto ON - Lee's Palace
Apr 01 Montreal QC - La Cabaret du Mile End
Apr 02 Cambridge MA - Middle East Downstairs
Apr 03 New York NY - Webster Hall
Apr 04 Philadelphia PA - First Unitarian Church
Apr 05 Washington DC - Black Cat
Apr 06 Asheville NC - Grey Eagle
Apr 07 Carrboro NC - Cat's Cradle
Apr 08 Atlanta GA - The Earl
Apr 09 Nashville TN - Mercy Lounge
Apr 11 Madison WI - High Noon Saloon
Apr 12 Minneapolis MN - Cedar Cultural Centre
Apr 13 Winnipeg MB - West End Cultural Center
Apr 15 Edmonton AB - Starlite Room
Apr 16 Calgary AB - #1 Royal Canadian Legion

2010-12-27T10:57:00.001-08:00

2010-12-21T12:30:00.000-08:00

UPCOMING:

- JANUARY 8: BOWERY BALLROOM NYC W/SHARON VAN ETTEN

ALSO UPCOMING:

- EPIC RECORD

2010-11-30T21:24:00.000-08:00

hey everyone
Just got back from a 5 week KV and the Violators tour. Super smooth as always. Good people everywhere and the playing just got better and better. We toured with our buddies Purling Hiss from philly and they ripped it every night.
Before I left, myself and Dave spent a week in asheville, NC at Echo Mountain studios where we continued work on the LP thats never gonna be done. ha! seriously its not! But we made great progress and the tones are really starting to take shape. The full band recorded a new version of 'Brothers' when we were there the first time in september and that sounds killer. Anyway we ended up mixing 6 songs but I need to go back in and keep tweakin em. So those mixes are pointless... We did get to work on an API 3224 console though. They also have an EMI sidecar from Abbey Road and a rhodes with an intense square wave trem on it. We ate a ton of Cookout and also used the eventide harmonizer quite a bit. I sang through a vintage Telefunken M254-->Neve1078 but unfortunately ill be singing those parts again...probably through a sm57 directly into the space echo. aaaanyway...check out those sweet tour dates below and keep an eye out for stuff in 2011 like a movie and a few new records.
ag

tentative tracklisting///tracks in progress

your love is calling my name
slave six
come to the city
real history
original slave
water march
fripper #9
come for me
brothers
future blues #7
dish it out
slave returns
i was there

2010-11-29T10:53:00.000-08:00

December 8th - Mercury Lounge NYC w/ Arc in Round (philly) and Alex Bleeker and the Freaks
December 9th - Kung Fu Necktie Philly w/ Ape School
---
The Future Weather EP is out and thanks to everyone who has been diggin it so far. Click on the album to the right if you wanna head over to Secretly Canadian and pick one up. Its good shit!

2010-08-02T19:56:00.000-07:00

Hey friends,
finally finished up what has become the 'future weather' ep/mini-album due out in october on Secretly Canadian. psyched! I'm still working on full length #2 but 'future weather' is pretty thick and its got some real jammers on there so it'll definitely hold you over till the 'real' 2nd record is done. Don't Worry, we're close!! I've had a pretty specific vision for the 2nd record that i just didnt have time to properly wrap-up with myself and mike having been touring a ton with KV and the Violators as of late, plus Dave finished his epic Nightlands record so we've all been pretty busy.

Anyway here's the track listing for 'future weather'

- come to the city #14
- baby missiles
- comin' through
- a pile of tires
- comin' around
- brothers
- missiles reprise
- the history of plastic

...'till then, we got some dates:
August 30th - Knitting Factory NYC w/ Black Mountain
August 31st - Rock Shop, Brooklyn
September 7 - twisted branch tea bazarre, charlottesville, VA
September 8 - the milestone, Charlotte, NC
September 10 - Hopscotch Festival, Raleigh, NC
September 14th - Grey Eagle, Asheville, NC

good shit!
ag

2010-05-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/pet/1766200723.html

it's been a rough weekend in the studio as me and my girlfriend's dog went missing.
Check the link. Any information would be amazing. keep your fingers crossed for sweet, sweet Alice.

xo ag

2010-04-16T15:38:00.000-07:00

Upcoming:

June 8th - Music Hall of Williamsburg with Here We Go Magic (Record Release)...their's, not ours
September 9 - 11th - HopScotch Fest in North Carolina with Panda Bear, Pattern is Movement, other bands

If anybody cares the new War on Drugs is fuckin' epic and will be done soon.

2010-03-08T08:53:00.000-08:00

Alive in the New Machine:

Come to the City
Baby Missiles
Slave Sale
A Pile of Tires
I Was There
-
Comin Through
Black Water Falls
Slow Horses
A to Z
The History of Plastic

New record is nearing completion! All that's left is the transferring of 6 more tapes and then the combining of all the versions. And also some more vocals...and i think some horns...prob a few other things too. I'm gonna mix it on an old API console with Jeff Z in April so you should be expecting it sometime in the early fall. Super psyched to finally be nearing the finishing stages...
more soon...

ag

Upcoming Shows:
April 2 - NYC Mercury Lounge
April 3 - Harrisonburg, VA MacRock Festival

May 1st - TBA Ottawa

2010-01-27T12:50:00.001-08:00

April 2, Mercury Lounge NYC w/ Megafaun
April 3, Harrisonburg, VA - MacRock Festival

2009-12-12T09:39:00.000-08:00

Hey all...
just returned from dallas and john congleton's studio. Six songs are almost done for the new record:
Baby missiles, Slave Sale, Comin' Thru, The Central Trust, Even the Crosseyed and Black Water Falls....Most cuts were started at my joint in philly, or at jeff zeigler's Uniform studios in philly and then i took the tapes to john's and dissected everything and did a ton of overdubs. Can't wait for it all to be done!!

No upcoming dates or anything right now but stay tuned for happenings in 2010 f'sho.

ag

2009-08-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Shows:

August 28th - State College, PA, State Theatre
September 15th -Philadelphia, PA, Johnny Brendas w/ Sian Alice Group
September 23 - Philadelphia, PA, TLA w/ The Walkmen

2009-08-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

August 15, 2009- TRANSFIGURATIONS, Asheville, NC at The Grey Eagle w/ Akron/Family, Circulatory System, Jonathan Kane

2009-07-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

New Dates!!!

07/22/09 Granada, Spain - TBA
07/23/09 Pollensa, Majorca Island, Spain - Claustro
07/24/09 Zaragoza, Spain - La Playa
07/25/09 San Sebastian, Spain - Jazzaldia - Escenario Verde
07/26/09 San Sebastian, Spain - Jazzaldia

08/15/09 Asheville, NC - Transfigurations

***

2009-05-25T09:33:00.001-07:00

June 13th - Union Pool, Brooklyn w/ Endless Boogie
July 24, 25 - San Sebastian, Spain
August 15th - Harvest Records 5 year Fest, Asheville, NC w/ Brightblack Morning Light, Espers and a ton more!!!

2009-05-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

28th March 2009, 12:34 AM
lfranz5451
Gear Head

Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 37

the problem is you're playing a Taylor haha....meaning known for too much bright end....pick up a jumbo....go gibson j-series or a lerger martin, you'll get the SOUND of your life. And believe it or not...little hint, figured this out playing around with some of the guns n roses guitar players a few years ago out in LA....D'ADARRIO STRINGS....I know it sounds nuts....they'll take some of that natural painful ping right out of those guitars with the lighter wood. try a set of 12's with heavy bottoms or something.

2009-03-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

*** Full US Tour Dates Announced !!! ***

03/29/09 Cambridge, MA - TT The Bear's Place
03/30/09 Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall
03/31/09 Albany, NY - Valentine's w/ The Hold Steady
04/01/09 Buffalo, NY - Tralf Music Hall w/ The Hold Steady
04/02/09 Grand Rapids, MI - Calvin College Fine Arts Center w/ The Hold Steady
04/03/09 Urbana, IL - Courtyard Cafe w/ The Hold Steady
04/04/09 Bloomington, IN - Jakes Nightclub w/ The Hold Steady
04/05/09 Chicago, IL - Schubas w/ Tallest Man on Earth
04/06/09 St. Louis, MO - Gargoyle w/ The Hold Steady
04/07/09 Iowa City, IA - The Picador w/ The Hold Steady
04/08/09 Omaha, NE - Slowdown w/ The Hold Steady
04/10/09 Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre w/ The Hold Steady
04/11/09 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge w/ The Hold Steady
04/13/09 Las Vegas, NV - Beauty Bar w/ The Hold Steady
04/14/09 Stateline, NV - Harrah's Tahoe South Shore w/ The Hold Steady
04/15/09 Sacramento, CA - Harlow's w/ The Hold Steady
04/17/09 Seattle, WA - Jules Maes Saloon
04/18/09 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge w/ Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
04/20/09 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
04/21/09 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
04/22/09 Phoenix, AZ - Modified
04/24/09 Austin, TX - Mohawk
04/25/09 Denton, TX - Rubber Gloves
04/26/09 Nashville, TN - Exit/In
04/27/09 Knoxville, TN - The Pilot Light

2009-02-27T03:25:00.000-08:00

SPANISH DATES ANNOUNCED!!

March 10 - Madrid, Sala Heineken
March 11 - Vigo, La Fabrica De Chocolate
March 12 - Bilbao, Sala Rockstar
March 13 - Barcelona, Mephisto

2008-12-22T13:14:00.000-08:00

02/19/09 Oostende, Belgium - Manuscript
02/20/09 Lille, France - L'Aeronef
02/21/09 Clermont Ferrand, France - Nuits de Alligator @ La Cooperative Club
02/22/09 Bordeaux, France - Le St X
02/24/09 Paris, France - Maroquinerie
02/25/09 Evreux, France - Nuits de Alligator @ L'Abordage
02/26/09 Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso
02/27/09 Groningen, NL - Vera
02/28/09 Den Bosch, NL - W2
03/01/09 Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
03/02/09 Brussel, Belgium - Botanique
03/04/09 Munchen, Germany - Orange House
03/05/09 Leipzig, Germany - NATO
03/06/09 Hannover, Germany - Cafe Glocksee

with The Hold Steady:
03/31/09 Albany, NY - Valentine's
04/01/09 Buffalo, NY - Tralf Music Hall
04/03/09 Urbana, IL - Courtyard Cafe
04/04/09 Bloomington, IN - Jakes Nightclub
04/06/09 St. Louis, MO - Gargoyle
04/07/09 Iowa City, IA - The Picador
04/08/09 Omaha, NE - Slowdown
04/10/09 Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre
04/11/09 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
04/13/09 Reno, NV - The Underground **CANCELLED ** RE-Scheduling to VEGAS
04/14/09 Stateline, NV - Harrah's Tahoe South Shore
04/15/09 Sacramento, CA - Harlow's

04/16/09 - May 2009 - The War on drugs Hits the road home alone....

Dates and Venues TBA: San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, LA, Tucson, Austin, Nashville, Chicago

2008-11-19T08:04:00.000-08:00

DECEMBER TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED:

12/09/08 Pontiac, MI - The Pike Room at The Crofoot w/ The High Strung
12/10/08 Rock Island, IL - Huckleberry's Pizza Parlor
12/11/08 Chicago, IL - Schuba's
12/12/08 Bloomington, IN - Bear's Place
12/13/08 Pittsburgh, PA - Brillobox
12/14/08 Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall
12/15/08 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
12/18/08 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's w/ Joshua Marcus and COMOROS

2008-10-05T13:45:00.001-07:00

...and now the rest of the story:

They should have just started a 35-date European tour as guests of The Hold Steady, who pulled all their shows earlier this week due to the hospitalisation of guitarist Tad Kubler. Instead, Philadelphia’s War On Drugs find themselves stranded in London, where they were probably considering busking as an alternative to starving on the capital’s streets before being added at the last minute to tonight’s Club Uncut bill at the Borderline.

Continued...

I’m sympathetic to their current circumstances and being left on their uppers by the cancellation of the Hold Steady tour and the exposure it would have brought them is no joke in anyone’s language. At the same time, I’m wholly glad they’re here tonight, because what their opening set, a frantic 30 minutes or so, packed from floor to ceiling with moments of startling rapture and abandoned mayhem, is as good as anything I’ve seen all year.

You may have read in reviews of their debut album, Wagonwheel Blues, that WOD’s music occupies an interface between the classic American songwriting of Dylan, Springsteen and Tom Petty and the sonic adventures of The Velvet Underground, say, or My Bloody Valentine.

It’s a notion you may briefly have entertained and them dismissed without hearing the album as surely fanciful. The thing is, the description – especially when you hear them live – isn’t at all far-fetched, begins in fact to feel like it actually undersells a lot of the amazing things they get up to and the fearsome noise of which they are capable, breathtakingly exciting aural landscapes wrought from nothing more apparently than a Rickenbacker, a drummer with the dynamic whack of the young Mitch Mitchell, an acoustic guitar and what looks like an array of wired-up kitchen utensils one of the band must have found at the back of someone’s garage.

They’ve just started “Arms Like Boulders”, which also opens Wagonwheel Blues, when I arrive hot-foot from Pete Molinari’s Uncut promotion at Borders and they are already in full flight, Adam Granduciel, looking beneath a tangle of hair uncannily at times like lost West Coast singer-songwriter Dino Valente, whaling away on a battered acoustic guitar, the band whipping up a firestorm behind him.

You can hear echoes in his voice of Petty, for sure, but the exclamatory phrasing, daring and acute, is more noticeably reminiscent of a Dylan just gone electric and simply buzzing. You can hear Dylan in the following “Taking The Farm”, but here the backing sounds like a demented version of Paul Simon’s “Graceland”, warped, furious, insanely catchy.

As is, you’d have to say, the somewhat more serene drift of “Buenos Aires Beach” they’re playing now, its warm glow an overture to the absolute meltdown of the 10-minute “Show Me The Coast” they play next. Years ago, in Glasgow, I saw Dylan play a version of “Masters Of War”, whose arrangement that night seemed inspired by the Velvet Underground’s “Black Angel’s Death Song”. Tonight, War On Drugs give us a hint of what it might have sounded like if Bob had appeared on “Sister Ray”, whose relentless annihilation is fearsomely replicated.

They end with an equally fierce version of “A Needle In Your Eye #16”, which Granduciel reminds the audience appeared on Uncut’s Let It Roll CD that accompanied “issue 152, the one with Liam or Noel Gallagher, the ugly brother, whoever he is” on the cover.

War On Drugs have been so good that what follows has an almost inevitable air of anti-climax.

alan jones, Editor of UNCUT magazine

2008-10-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

2008-09-17T14:47:00.001-07:00

The War on Drugs LIVE at The Paradiso, Amsterdam, 8/8/08

2008-09-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

The War on Drugs is going back out on the road in October. The Hold Steady requested we open for them on their entire European tour so it took about 16 seconds to decide...We'll also be doing a bunch of Headlining shows on our days off...one of which is our triumphant return to The Windmill in Brixton. More shows should be added in the next few days...
And, of course, to our friends in the states....we'll be coming around very soon..hopefully December.

Also, if you live in one of the beautiful cities below and don't mind us staying with you one night...let us know and you'll get two free passes to the show.

'till then:

September 29 - Academy, Oxford
September 30 - Academy, Manchester
October 1 - ABC, Glascow
October 2 - Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton
Ocotber 3 - Norwich Arts center, Norwich (DRUGS HEADLINE)
October 4 - Anson Rooms, Bristol
October 5 - Rock City, Nottingham
October 6 - Pyramids, Portsmouth
October 7 - Windmill, Brixton (DRUGS HEADLINE, with Super Nashwan)
October 8 - Roundhouse, London
October 9 - Nouveau Casino, Paris
October 10 - La Materies, Lille (DRUGS HEADLINE)
October 11 - Knust, Hamburg
October 12 - Luxor, Koln
October 13 - Melkweg, Amsterdam
October 15 - MONO, Oslo (Drugs Headline)
October 16 - Debaser, Stockholm
October 17 - Sticky Fingers, Goteberg
October 18 - Debaser, Malmo w/ Xiu Xiu (DRUGS HEADLINE)
October 19 - Vega, Copenhagen
October 20 - Columbia Club, Berlin
October 21 - WUK, Vienna
October 22 - Ampere, Munich
October 23 - Lokomotiv, Bologna, Italy (Drugs Headline)
October 25 - Heineken Green Space Festival w/ Animal Collective, Valencia

You can still buy "Wagonwheel Blues" RIGHT HERE!! IT RULES!

2008-07-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

Buy "Wagonwheel Blues" HERE!!
YO! The War on Drugs headlining tomorrow night, August 1st, at Union Pool in Brooklyn. Set time is scheduled for 11:30. This is the last US show for a while as we leave for Europe and Beirut next week. First show's in Amsterdam and we'll be riding the high all the way through the uk, france, belgium, ireland and beirut. Check us out at the Green Man festival in South Wales, La Route Du Rock in St. Malo France and the Big Bang fest in Beirut, Lebanon to close out the tour. We'll be heading to Spain for a festival in Later october so we haven't forgot our friends there! Ok...come out to brooklyn tomorrow. Big Band for this one. Just blew the roof off the TLA opening for Spiritualized so check it 0ut.

08/08/08 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
08/09/08 Venlo, Netherlands - Zomerparkfeest
08/10/08 Courcelles, Belgium - La Posterie
08/11/08 London, UK - The Old Blue Last
08/12/08 London, UK - Club Fandango at Dublin Castle
08/13/08 Farnham, UK - The William Cobbett
08/14/08 St. Malo, France - Le Festival du Rock
08/15/08 Crickhowell, South Wales - Green Man Festival
08/16/08 Yeovil, UK - Orange Box
08/17/08 Dublin, Ireland - Crawdaddy
08/18/08 Bristol, UK - Thekla Social
08/20/08 Brixton, UK - Windmill w/ Bowerbirds
08/23/08 Beirut, Lebanon - Big Bang Festival

Good Shit here

Also here

here too

Awesome

2008-06-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

Yo friends!
Wagonwheel Blues is now available! You can buy it from the secretly canadian website or at your local record store (!!!) or a bunch of places online like Amazon...I also saw a few on ebay. Do it!

'Taking the Farm' was the song of the day today on NPR.org and they actually tried to dissect some meaning from it! Niiiice!

Anyway here are some recent reviews to persuade you to head downtown and ask for it.

- http://www.drownedinsound.com/release/view/13253

- "Philadelphia's War on Drugs have seem to come out of nowhere with an album that’s been in constant rotation on my stereo for the past month. Wagonwheel Blues is an amazing debut, and every time I listen I find different things that I love. At various moments I hear Dylan, Springsteen, the Walkmen, Animal Collective...the list goes on. It’s the perfect amalgamation of classic rock and modern day indie, with the songs to boot. And there’s no throwback or retro here, just all around great rock music. "Arms Like Boulders" opens the record with a wailing harmonica, a wall of guitars, and a Dylan-esque vocal delivery. It is one part-roots rock, one-part indie, and one truly great song. "Taking the Farm" (which we recently featured as our Download of the Week) is a distorted, barnstorming romp of a tune. Easily one of the best songs that I've heard all year, it’ll have you have you jumping around singing, and is sure to put a little spring in your step. Any time "Buenos Aires Beach" comes on the stereo, everybody here at OM immediately thinks of the discordant pop stylings of Animal Collective. I can hear it, but come on...can you be in any better company? Not a bad reference, at all! "There Is No Urgency" starts with a wall of noise, then kicks in like a lost song by NY's very own the Walkmen while "A Needle in Your Eye #16" has a slight Velvet Underground feel, with a repetitious melody and some killer, witty lyrics. Damn, does this album have a bad song? Well, to tell you the truth… not a single one! The War on Drugs have given us one of the best debuts of the year..." - other music, NYC

Upcoming:
July 11th - WXPN Festival in Camden, NJ
July 13th - Mercury Lounge, NYC w/ Titus Andronicus (drugs on first)
July 19th - TBA, philadelphia

August 9-20: European Tour/Festival Dates w/ Spiritualized,Sigur Ros, Magik Markers and more!

2008-05-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

Wagonwheel Blues now available for pre-order!!!

The LP comes with a coupon for downloadable tunes so you can still cruise the strip to it.

New Tour Dates!!

06/07/08 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's - w/Kurt Vile and Ape School

08/08/08 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
08/09/08 Venlo, Netherlands - Zomerparkfeest
08/10/08 Courcelles, Belgium - La Posterie
08/11/08 London, UK - The Old Blue Last
08/12/08 London, UK - Club Fandango at Dublin Castle
08/13/08 Farnham, UK - The William Cobbett
08/14/08 St. Malo, France - Le Festival du Rock
08/15/08 Crickhowell, South Wales - Green Man Festival
08/16/08 Yeovil, UK - Orange Box
08/17/08 Dublin, Ireland - Crawdaddy
08/18/08 Bristol, UK - Thekla Social
08/20/08 Brixton, UK - Windmill w/ Bowerbirds

2008-05-28T12:27:00.001-07:00

2008-05-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

May 14th - IronHorse, Northampton, MA w/ Bishop Allen
May 15th - Middle East downstairs, Boston, MA w/ Bishop Allen
May 16th - Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, w/ Bishop Allen
May 18th - Black Cat, D.C. w/Bishop Allen

May 21 - Grog Shop, Cleveland, W/Blood on the Wall
May 22 - Magic Stick, Detroit, w/ Blood on the Wall
May 23 - Empty Bottle, Chicago, w/ Blood on the Wall

June 7 - Johnny Brendas, Philadelphia, official 'Wagonwheel Blues' Release show

2008-04-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

"it's not often that we totally nerd out and say things like: This album is so well sequenced, because, like, what does that even really mean? It turns out that it means The War on Drugs' upcoming Wagonwheel Blues is JAMMING and also totally Springsteeny and Dylany without getting caught up in all the nostalgia that comes along with taking cues from those dudes. The War on Drugs made a totally serious album, shimmering and sprawling—it's as inspiring as it is exhausting and dense." The Fader

May 5th at Pianos in NYC for the Brooklyn Vegan Party
May 14th - 18th - on tour with Bishop Allen : Northampton, Boston, Brooklyn, DC
May 21, 22, 23 - w/ Blood on the Wall : Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago
June 7th - Philadelphia
August - Europe!
Fall 2008 - More USA and more Europe!

Keep checkin the myspace for new tunes, venues and new dates

2008-04-03T14:34:00.000-07:00

yo so Secretly Canadian reissued the Barrel of Batteries ep (2006) and it's available as a free download from their website. Or if you feel like helpin a sweet dude out...buy it from Apollo Audio for $4. Either way....check it out. If you already have it then download it just to hear the 'new' full band recording of 'Arms like Boulders.' It's a different version than what will appear on the full length and it was recorded by the brothers Cobb and mixed by Brian Mctear. Wagonwheel Blues out soon and a whole lot more after that...

http://www.thefader.com/articles/2008/3/31/freeload-the-war-on-drugs-i-barrel-of-batteries-i-ep
http://theyellowstereo.com/?p=2424
thanks to brother mark for the tips...

2008-03-27T09:12:00.001-07:00

Three new songs from the upcoming Wagonwheel Blues are now posted on the myspace page. A Needle in your Eye #16, Taking the Farm and Arms like Boulders. Dig.

2008-03-19T11:11:00.001-07:00

Thursday March 20th at the Khyber
The War on Drugs Live with Citay (Dead Oceans)

We played a few parties in Austin for sxsw--duo style with granduciel and vile rippin it on guitars and now we're super psyched to jam it for our philly friends. The drugs are super loose right now...in a tight kinda way...so make sure to cruise out.
Full length album, Wagonwheel Blues, will be out in June on Secretly Canadian. Got to meet the whole crew down in austin..man, these guys (and one gal) have got THE SPIRIT! Some sweet tracks from the record will be on myspace soon enough...

2008-02-21T11:28:00.000-08:00

Wagonwheel Blues
Arms Like Boulders
Taking the Farm
Coast Reprise
Buenos Aires Beach
There is no Urgency
A Needle in your Eye #16
Reverse the Charges
Show me the Coast
Barrel of Batteries 2001

March 15th - Austin, TX - Lambert's 12:50pm
March 20th - Philadelphia, PA - Khyber with Citay (Dead Oceans)
April 9th - Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar

2007-09-18T14:04:00.000-07:00

- Recording is underway for the anticipated full length that's due out sometime in the spring...

- If you would like a copy of the Barrel of Batteries ep from 2006 you can stream it or buy it ($4) from www.apolloaudio.com or you can email adam@thewarondrugs.net if you'd like a tangible one.