Music
Press
The Ex Governors, FE07 (myspace.com/daydrug). These loose, rambly songs—16 of 'em!—are written, produced and recorded by Kevin Day and Jason Krug, but major props must be given to the invaluable saxophone interventions of John Higgins, whose winding, weaving improvs focus the informal, chatty lyrics and spare folk guitars. Chill-i Tulimeri and Juan Rivera add percussion, and Brian Warman's on bass, but it's really the Day/Krug show—their affecting, friendly delivery gives jokey titles like "The B-Side (is Never Gonna Play)," "Townie Love" and "Baby, You're Ruining Me" unexpected intimacy and beatnik-esque artistry.
—Christopher Arnott - New Mass Media
The Ex Governors - "FEO7" (Ex-Governor's Records)
Each song is distinct and the arrangements catch one off-guard (on initial listening.) "Another First Day" has a Buffalo Springfield feel yet the saxophone work of John Higgins makes an interesting contrast to the "fuzztone" guitar of Day. "We Draw The Lines" would not sound out of place on Bob Dylan's "Basement Tapes" while "Radio Girls" channels Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello. The rhythm section of Brian Warman (bass) and Juan Rivera (drums) is solid yet elastic - in other words, the beats are not "mechanical" or forced. Add percussionist Chill-I Tulimieri to the mix and the songs have a sweet little bounce, at times not unlike the Grateful Dead.
If you pay close attention to the lyrics, you'll hear the story of a misguided girl who ends up slashing her wrists and jumping off a bridge ("Song For Cherry") and the tale of a junkie on the way out ("Baby, You are Ruining Me.") These characters are losers yet are treated sympathetically by the songwriters. The darkness in these songs is not usually reflected in the music and that blend of darkness and light creates the tension that keep the listener alert. - Tribune Publishing
'...The Ex-Governors songs are absolutely well-written, and their lyrics are often hysterical...' - New Mass Media
The Ex Governors - FE07
Here you've got a full band of talented folks putting out 16 tracks of acoustic-based, pop-rock tunes. The sound and lyrics all seem to be from the minds of Kevin Day and Jason Krug. Longtime CT band Peoples, the duo really show their talents on this collaboration/outfit. Melodies are tight and work pretty damn well without too much "eh, what-ever" mediocrity.There's a shadowy vibe to the whole deal without having a sense of self-hating mopery. Kind of like the dude at the bar who gets drunk with you who uses booze just to heighten the good times and purge the bad ones. Some Tunes bop along and may even remind some of old Dead tunes (check Bad Decisions (and you) for one) or Cracker. A nice constant that works well is the sax skirting through the background space without being a squonky mess. A catchy album. Standout Track: Song for Cherry - Journal Register Company
I like FE07 for these reasons:
Every song is sincere.
Every song explores what it means to be a band, to play because you love music, because you like each other as much as your material.
Every song has real emotion, feelings that connect like flashes.
Every song shows a big poetic jump, evidence The Rockets of February.
The SongBook celebrates DayDrug... "There's nothing wrong, nothing wrong, nothing wrong, this time."
Thanks!
Chris LeRoy - Death Of Me
Discography
The Ex Governors - 'FEO7’ (2008): A tale of foreign cities, aviophobia and the county lock up. Of lost love, found money and the balance of karma between the two. Of classic rock radio DJ’s and the woman who love them. Of train tables, fine dining and regret. Of alcohol, missed appointments and the Billboard charts. Of time sensitive suicides off bridges. Of California desert jelly. Of repetitions that kick off regeneration. Of the apocalypse and astral physics. Of red wine, white lies and blue shirts. Of beautiful bartenders and a world without last calls. Of the coldest February day ever. Of SEX, SEX, SEX and everything you hate about yourself.
The Ex Governors - 'Swear In LIVE!' (due 1/09) The Ex Governors 'Swear In' is unabashedly a live album. It’s a fervent calling down of the influences: outer space jams checked with a rockabilly beat, gypsy folk jump and reggae sway, country heartbreak harmonies and didgeridoo driven jams, all wild improvisations of a band pushing each other deeper into the groove…while the pretty girls came and went into the night. The history of the 'radio song' is reimagined and ignored and worshipped and shoved around the bar, with electricity and sub literate literacy's and sub sonic solo's and drink orders and a band full of pop songs and time to play them. All played against the soundscape of a Saturday night in America; tavern glass jangles and ghostly indecipherable conversations tease you with legibility while the cadence catches you at the feet and the band crashes into spirited races between honking jazz cat sax and driving rhythm guitars. And the band pushes harder and plays tighter.
Photos
Bio
The Ex Governors (formerly DayDrug) began as a Tuesday night recording project between singer-songwriters Kevin Day and Jason P. Krug, with the idea being economy over excess: good songs, recorded quickly, with whatever instruments were on hand. As winter turned to a blazing summer, the project took on a life of its own; arrangements grew more inspired, and additional musicians were brought in to fulfill the potential the songs were presenting. These songs became DayDrug’s first release ‘FE07’ (2008) and finalized a line up for the band: in addition to Kevin and Jason (both providing guitar/vocals), Chill-I (percussion), John Higgins (sax, flute), Brian Warman (bass) and Juan Rivera (drums).
‘FE07’ was played on radio (WPKN, WPLR, WESU and at www.simkastradio.com on the web), reported on in the press (The Hartford Courant, New Haven Advocate, Hartford Advocate, Play Magazine, etc.), presented on television (OK, cable access but still legally television) and connections were made nationally, culminating in a campaign on ThePoint.Com to have DayDrug play The Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven Campout in Pioneertown, CA, a movement supported by Cracker / Camper leader himself, David Lowery.
And this is where The Ex Governors story begins. While promoting ‘FE07’ through live performance, the songs started to change, started to grow, as the band grew tighter and arrangements aggressive. Each member started to occupy a space within the sound, within the songs themselves: Hig’s saxophone provides the bridge between Kevin’s spacey folk and Jason’s rockabilly leanings; Chill-I’s percussion makes people sway and move almost unconsciously; Brian and Juan became a dangerous combination of rhythmic call and response, and pushed the tempos into quicker and more reckless areas.
And when it was clear that this was no longer a band created solely to support Day and Krug material, the name was changed, named after the birthplace of this all, The Ex Governors Studio.
Ladies and Gentleman, We are The Ex Governors. And This Is What We Do.
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