Track of the Week: Landlady — “Dying Day”
This week’s Track of the Week is by Landlady, an exciting band out of New York City. The group is headed by Adam Schatz, a prolific NYC musician who’s been a part of Man Man, Father Figures, and has contributed his sax work to groups like Those Darlings and Vampire Weekend.
But now, Schatz is focusing all his attention on Landlady, who are releasing their debut LP, Upright Behavior on Hometapes July 15.
“Dying Day” is a quirky pop tune that shifts throughout its brief 2:34 play time between spastic music nerd riffs, and smooth beatlesque backing harmonies that are complimented by slinky slide guitar licks.
The tune has a surprisingly complex arrangement for being so brief, but the various parts and dynamic changes never sound forced or lose focus. That may be partially due to the dark nature of lyrics — the words “Dying Day” are repeated ALOT and command attention as Schatz struggles with his own mortality. Luckily, the track’s upbeat composition keep “Dying Day” in a nice balance of dark and light.
In support of Upright Behavior the band will be embarking on an extensive summer tour:
LANDLADY TOUR DATES:
6/12/14 - Philadelphia PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
6/13/14 - Kingston, NY @ BSP Kingston
6/14/14 - Buffalo, NY @ American Warehouse
6/17/14 - Burlington, VT @ Signal Kitchen
6/18/14 - Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre
6/19/14 - Boston, MA @ Lizard Lounge
7/15/14 - Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
8/09/14 - Champaign, IL @ High Dive
8/10/14 - Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
8/11/14 - Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium
8/13/14 - Billings, MT @ The Railyard
8/14/14 - Spokane, WA @ The Barlett
8/15/14 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
8/16/14 - Portland, OR @ MusicfestNW – Tom McCall Waterfront Park
8/18/14 - San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
8/20/14 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
8/21/14 - San Luis Obispo, CA @ SLO Brewing Co.
8/22/14 - Visalia, CA @ The Cellar Door
8/24/14 - Flagstaff, AZ @ The Green Room
8/26/14 - Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
8/27/14 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s Upstairs
8/28/14 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
9/02/14 - Nashville, TN @ The Stone Fox
9/03/14 - Atlanta, GA @ 529
9/04/14 - Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Fest – Tir Na Nog
9/05/14 - Richmond, VA @ Fall Line Fest – November Theatre
9/07/14 - Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery