The D’Urbervilles, The Grad Club, Kingston, 23 February 2007

March 1, 2008

The D’Urbervilles, The Grad Club, Kingston, 23 February 2007

photo by Pamela W., taken at the Preloved Pop Montreal show on Oct. 5 2006.

For those of us who were bowled over by The D’Urbervilles‘ independently released, hand-packaged EP from 2006, the arrival of their first full length album “We Are the Hunters” on Feb. 19th was cause for celebration. They lived up to the promise of both the EP and their stellar live show. Strong bass lines, spiky guitars, and precision drumming drive things along at an extraordinary clip while John O’Reagan delivers his lyrics emphatically. The band is exceptionally tight and they have their pacing down to a tee: they seem to intrinsically know how long to saunter along before exploding into a joyous, noisy crescendo. If the D’Urbervilles were intent crafting songs that would make listeners throw their fists in the air while dancing in herky-jerky unison, then I think it is safe to say they succeeded.

In an effort to bring their music to the people The D’Urbervilles are playing about a million shows in the near future. Ontario dates are below and they will be heading out east with the stunning Forest City Lovers (hey look! FCL have a new album, too! get it!) and then out West in April. Full dates at the myspace.

1 Mar Trepid House (All Ages CD Release w/ Bocce) – Waterloo *TONIGHT*
7 Mar The Grad Club (CD Release w/ Nich Worby) – Kingston
8 Mar The Montreal House (CD Release w/ Evening Hymns) – Peterborough
13 Mar EBar (Double CD Release w/ Forest City Lovers) – Guelph
14 Mar Tranzac (Double CD Release w/ Forest City Lovers) – Toronto
17 Mar Phog Lounge (w/ Fox Jaws) – Windsor
18 Mar The Alex P. Keaton (w/ Fox Jaws) – London
19 Mar The Foundation (w/ Fox Jaws) – Barrie
20 Mar The Casbah Lounge (w/ The Magic) – Hamilton
21 Mar The Velvet Elvis (w/ The Magic) – Oshawa

The D’Urbervilles are absolutely smashing live so you would only be doing yourself a disservice if you missed them. Sample the few tracks below from their set opening for Cuff the Duke last year to see what I mean. I only caught the last half of their set (Ohbijou were playing earlier in the evening and I had to make a choice) but what I saw was fantastic. Of course, I had no doubt that they would be after being mightily impressed when I saw them in 2006. Get out there. You’ll have fun.

The D’Urbervilles, The Grad Club, Kingston, 23 February 2007

1. Hot Tips
2. Shout It Out! (Organ Song)
3. We’re Blowing Up!
4. Oshawa (talk)
5. Belladonna, Deadly Nightshade

Pick up the excellent new LP along with their EP at The D’Urbervilles’ myspace.

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