The Red and Black

Issue date: 1/24/08 Section: Out & About

Media Credit: Courtesy The Whigs The Whigs will celebrate the release of its new album, dubbed "Mission Control," at The 40 Watt on Saturday, supported by The Ginger Envelope and Dream Girls. [Click to enlarge]

As students, we have our shares of stress: making ends meet, seeking out that perfect potential job or internship, trying to catch the bus in time for the next class.

But what about driving to New York City and back in time for your 9 a.m. class the next day just for the sake of performing a single set? Or finishing your very last final in time to sign your record deal?

These were the tribulations of The Whigs about two years ago - and even in the time since, the trio has changed shape, solidified its sound and been forced to refine its focus in the face of unexpected yet conquerable roadblocks. Now, thanks to well-timed breaks and exceedingly genuine musical sensibility, The Whigs are experiencing a different kind of graduation as America embraces the promise that Athenians have already celebrated for years.

The Whigs are now part of the elite class of Athens artists to make a mark on a national scale. After accolades from Rolling Stone for being 2006's "best unsigned band in America" and subsequently inking a deal withDave Matthews' ATO Records later that year, 2008 is off to a sweet start with the release of "Mission Control," the follow-up to the self-produced and re-released breakout album "Give 'Em All A Big Fat Lip."

It's only January, but the critical mass already is concurring that the band is making a rewarding run for one of the year's strongest rock records with deliberately delightful choruses and engaging garage rock grandeur.

For "Mission Control," the band traded in the sweltering heat of a Southern summer in an abandoned fraternity house for the Beach Boys-endorsed good vibrations of a Los Angeles recording studio, working with high-profile producer Rob Schnapf of Beck and Elliot Smith fame to retain the raw energy and rising refinement of its sound.

Continued...

Page 1 of 4 next >

Article Tools