Review: Durand Jones and the Indications – American Love Call

We’re less than three full months into 2019 and I’ve already found what is likely to be one of the top 10 albums of the year – American Love Call by Durand Jones and the Indications.

Blending soul, jazz, and funk, American Love Call is a love letter, sermon, and warning to the United States in times of sound and fury and fear.

Starting with the beautiful “Morning in America” (My top single of the year so far.), Jones and his crew bring us tales of average people across the country trying hard to just get by while the rich get richer and Congress does nothing but sling mud. “It’s morning in America, but I can’t see the dawn,” Jones sings. It’s a soulful gut punch. The psychedelic touches on “Don’t You Know” take you straight back to vintage soul records from the 1960’s. It makes you want to dress sharp. “Circles” has Jones so spun up in love with someone who doesn’t care about him that he doesn’t know where to turn or what to do next.

“Court of Love” is a soulful ballad with slow-dance guitar and sad doo-wop backing vocals. The groove on the lovely “Long Way Home” is as downright wicked as the lyrics about trying to work one’s way back from sin are relatable to everyone. The love of family, and love in general, is prevalent throughout the record, of course, and this track is a standout on that theme. You’d swear “Too Many Tears” was part of a collection of tracks from early Motown B-sides.

Speaking of Motown, “Walk Away” brings the Temptations to mind with its lush string section and sultry sound (and that flute solo!). “What I Know About You” is another lesson in sexy grooves. The simple organ chords add a layer that almost carries you away with them. Another jaw-dropping groove comes with the drums on “Listen to Your Heart” – a song about giving into love and passion that the band does so well. It’s probably on five thousand make-out playlists by now.

“Sea Gets Hotter” is a song about holding it together with the one you love while the world falls apart around you. “How Can I Be Sure” has a bass groove suitable for a 1970’s bachelor pad in outer space. The closer is the slow dance-inducing “True Love.” The drum beats in this are slicker than clarified butter in a hot skillet.

I wrote earlier that American Love Call is a love letter, sermon, and warning to America. It’s a love letter to the country that inspires so many, a sermon to a country that needs to embrace love more than ever, and a warning against turning away from love and chasing after things that will only bring heartache in the end. Embrace your neighbors, lovers, friends, strangers, and foes. It’s the call we all must heed.

Keep your mind open.

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Durand Jones and the Indications release powerful new single and video, “Morning in America,” from upcoming album.

“…its exploration of social and economic challenges (‘It’s morning in America/But I can’t see the dawn’) makes it resonate deeply in the present…” – Billboard, on “Morning In America”

“Is it any wonder that y’all about to blow up!” – Robin Roberts, Good Morning America

“…I can attest that witnessing Jones live is very much akin to how I imagine the early shows of his heroes from the ‘60s and ‘70s – tight as hell, bursting with raw emotion and drenched in sweat.” – Variety

“Durand Jones & The Indications bathe in the glimmering afterglow of early ’70s soul on this stunning track, with occasional nods to heartland folk.” — Bandcamp, on “Don’t You Know”

“From the start, the band’s laid-back, early-’70s groove, when paired with the two impossibly smooth vocalists at the forefront of the project, allowed Jones & The Indications to reach an almost nostalgic, ridiculous level of cool.” — Paste

Durand Jones & The Indications will release their sophomore album, American Love Call, on March 1st via Dead Oceans/Colemine Records. After sharing lead single, “Don’t You Know”, the band returns with the follow-up cut: the poignant, politically charged album opener, “Morning In America”. “It’s a fraught moment in our history. ‘Morning in America’ is a song for this moment,” says the band. Penned by drummer Aaron Frazer, the band has this to say regarding the track:

“The lyrics speak to how many of us feel every day in this time of political and environmental uncertainty— flitting between anger, despair, anxiety but ever returning to a sliver of hope that there’s still a path forward.

“We so often divide ourselves by our differences. Acknowledging those differences is crucial; listening to those different from us is crucial. But viewed solely through that lens, we are fragmented and few. When we look at the country along economic lines, however, a different picture emerges. Suddenly people of all of colors, in every part of this country, can find themselves on the same side, united by a shared struggle to simply survive in the richest nation to ever exist.

“This song was inspired by The Poor People’s Campaign, a movement started by Martin Luther King Jr. shortly before his assassination. It functions today as a nonpartisan organization that promotes intersectionality and inter-movement unity as a tool of addressing systemic injustices.”

It’s accompanying video, directed by Ellie Foumbi, find’s immense inspiration in the song’s message. “It’s impossible to hear this song and not connect its message to the current political climate in America,” says Foumbi. “It makes you stop and question the ways in which our country has changed and whether we’re as far along as we should be. The themes of inequality, social and economic oppression, and the disparity between the haves and the have-nots jumped out at me. The juxtaposition between past and present, rich and poor, black and white are so prevalent in our society that it only felt right to highlight them in the video.”

Watch Video For “Morning In America” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SANEafqL5io

Helmed by foil vocalists Jones and Frazer, The Indications’ sound of “old-school soul with a new-school honesty” (NPR’s All Things Considered) is rounded out by Blake Rhein (guitarist), Kyle Houpt (bassist), and Steve Okonski (keyboard). The Indications will tour the US extensively this spring in support of American Love Call. A full list of tour dates are below.

Watch Video For “Don’t You Know” – https://youtu.be/A9rDPXoGSDg

Durand Jones & The Indications’ Tour Dates :  March 18 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall Tue. March 19 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Thu. March 21 – Santa Fe, NM @ Tumbleroots Fri. March 22 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom Sat. March 23 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah — SOLD OUT Mon. March 25 – Tustin, CA @ Marty’s On Newport — SOLD OUT Tue. March 26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom — SOLD OUT Wed. March 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom — SOLD OUT Thu. March 28 – Santa Barbara, CA @ SOhO Restaurant & Music Club Fri. March 29 – Oakland, CA @ The New Parish — SOLD OUT Sat. March 30 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent — SOLD OUT Mon. April 1 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom Tue. April 2 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos Thu. April 4 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room Fri. April 5 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater Sat. April 6 – Kansas City, MO @ recordBar Sun. April 7 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room Tue. April 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry Wed. April 10 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon Thu. April 11 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall Fri. April 12 – Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar Sat. April 13 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle Sun. April 14 – North Charleston, SC @ High Water Festival Tue. April 16 – Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel Wed. April 17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg Fri. April 19 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church Sat. April 20 – Uncasville, CT @ Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun Resort Sun. April 21 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall Mon. April 22 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar Wed. April 24 – Cincinnati, OH @ The Woodward Theater Fri. April 26 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East Sat. April 27 – Oxford, MS @ Double Decker Arts Festival Sun. April 28 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West Sat. May 11 – Bloomington, IN @ Indiana University w/ Neko Case Sun. Sep. 15 – Telluride, CO @ Blues & Brews Festival

Pre-order American Love Call* – https://ffm.to/americanlovecall

*Dead Oceans exclusive bundle includes the album on limited transparent orange vinyl, limited edition transparent purple “Morning in America b/w Cruisin’ to the Park” Colemine Records white label promo 7”, a 7” adapter and poster.

Keep your mind open.

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Durand Jones and the Indications’ new album, “American Love Call,” due out March 1st.

Durand Jones & The Indications Announce New Album, American Love Call, Out March 1st On Dead Oceans/Colemine Records And North American Tour

Watch Video For New Single “Don’t You Know” (Feat. Aaron Frazer)

(photo by Rosie Cohe)

“Is it any wonder that y’all about to blow up!” –  Robin Roberts, Good Morning America

“…I can attest that witnessing Jones live is very much akin to how I imagine the early shows of his heroes from the ‘60s and ‘70s – tight as hell, bursting with raw emotion and drenched in sweat.” – Variety

Today, Durand Jones & The Indications are proud to announce their return with American Love Call, a fierce album that reckons with how to balance love and fury of modern day America, due March 1st via Dead Oceans/Colemine Records. Hailed by NPR’s All Things Considered as “old-school soul with a new-school honesty,” The Indications conjure the dynamism of Jackie Wilson, Curtis Mayfield, AND TheImpressions. This young band of twenty-somethings are students of soul. Watch the video for American Love Call’s lead single, “Don’t You Know,” featuring both Jones and drummer/singer Aaron Frazer on vocals, below.
Watch Video For “Don’t You Know” (Feat. Aaron Frazer) – 
http://y2u.be/A9rDPXoGSDg
Helmed by foil vocalists Jones and Frazer, and rounded out by Blake Rhein (guitarist), Kyle Houpt(bassist), and Steve Okonski (keyboard), The Indications released their self-titled debut album to much acclaim on renowned Midwestern soul label, Colemine Records. The album quickly picked up steam on the back of the band’s booming live show and the enthusiastic recommendation of independent record store clerks across the country.

The group’s second effort, American Love Call, is an album made the way the Indications dreamed it’d sound, a sprawling and limitless equation; grand and cinematic, yet focused on fleeting details.

Recorded at Brooklyn’s Studio G earlier this summer, American Love Call is an expansion of the band’s sound, making a leap forward in both style and songwriting. Pulling influence from a variety of sounds like R&B, gospel, early folk rock, and classical music, the Indications’ second effort has a newfound confidence, with Jones’ bellowing voice and Frazer’s soothing falsetto filled out by backing vocals and instrumentation. Thematically, the album covers tough ground, like the danger of simplifying and romanticizing the past, but it also attempts to reconcile, searching for unifying commonalities. Brooding, bold, and pensive, American Love Call is the result of the band fleshing out its craft and elevating its dreamy, old-soul sound.

The Indications will tour the US extensively this spring in support of American Love Call. A full list of tour dates are below.

American Love Call Tracklist:
01. Morning In America
02. Don’t You Know (feat. Aaron Frazer)
03. Circles
04. Court Of Love (feat. Aaron Frazer)
05. Long Way Home
06. Too Many Tears (feat. Aaron Frazer)
07. Walk Away
08. What I Know About You (feat. Aaron Frazer)
09. Listen To Your Heart
10. Sea Gets Hotter (feat. Aaron Frazer)
11. How Can I Be Sure (feat. Aaron Frazer)
12. True Love

 

Durand Jones & The Indications’ Tour Dates:
Tue. Jan. 22 – London, UK @ Dingwalls
Wed. Jan. 23 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie
Fri. Jan. 25 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso-Noord
Sun. Jan. 27 – Cologne, DE @ Artheater
Mon. Jan. 28 – Berlin, DE @ Lido
Mon. March 18 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
Tue. March 19 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Thu. March 21 – Santa Fe, NM @ Tumbleroots
Fri. March 22 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Sat. March 23 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
Mon. March 25 – Tustin, CA @ Marty’s On Newport
Wed. March 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
Thu. March 28 – Santa Barbara, CA @ SOhO Restaurant & Music Club
Fri. March 29 Oakland, CA @ The New Parish
Sat. March 30 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Mon. April 1 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Tue. April 2 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Thu. April 4 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room
Fri. April 5 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
Sat. April 6 – Kansas City, MO @ recordBar
Sun. April 7 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
Tue. April 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Wed. April 10 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Thu. April 11 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Fri. April 12 – Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
Sat. April 13 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
Sun. April 14 – North Charleston, SC @ High Water Festival
Tue. April 16 – Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
Wed. April 17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Fri. April 19 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
Sat. April 20 – Uncasville, CT @ Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun Resort
Sun. April 21 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
Mon. April 22 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
Wed. April 24 – Cincinnati, OH @ The Woodward Theater
Fri. April 26 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
Sat. April 27 – Oxford, MS @ Double Decker Arts Festival
Sun. April 28 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Sat. May 11 – Bloomington, IN @ Indiana University w/ Neko Case

 

Download album art & hi-res images of Durand Jones & The Indications – 
http://pitchperfectpr.com/durand-jones-the-indications/

Pre-order American Love Call* –
https://ffm.to/americanlovecall

*Dead Oceans exclusive bundle includes the album on limited transparent orange vinyl, limited edition transparent purple “Morning in America b/w Cruisin’ to the Park” Colemine Records white label promo 7”, a 7” adapter and poster.

 

(American Love Call Album Art)

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