The Love Language
New York City, New York, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
"..."Like recent indie breakthroughs Wavves and Times New Viking, McLamb uses lo-fi as a filter for his keen pop sensibilities, though his approach is far friendlier and less abrasive than either of those acts. Over the brief 29-minute course of the album, McLamb cycles through a wide range of indie-rock, country, and early-pop styles, all delivered with shouty charm and in-the-red verve, roughly approximating a sock-hop-era Arcade Fire." - Pitchfork
"Make way for Stuart McLamb, a genuine new talent with a name straight out of the annals of McDonald's villainy....McLamb dropped 'We are the Love Language' three times during the (SXSW) set. Soon, he won't have to do that stuff at all. Sooner the better."
- Pitchfork
"...a casually stunning work of one-man-band lo-fi indie pop. McLamb's songs - a mix of moody piano ballads and bouncy guitar rock - are aching love letters to his ex that combine the emotional directness of Big Star with the raw immediacy of Guided By Voices." - Spin
- SPIN Magazine
"...Key Track: Ultimate crowd-pleaser (and lone rocker) "Lalita," whose searing guitar brands itself across the brain instantly" - RollingStone.com - Rolling Stone .com
"...The self-titled debut album by the Love Language (on Bladen County) is the sole product of Stuart McLamb, a total fuck-up and half-genius. A bad break-up, a drunken night in jail and a move back to his parents’ house somehow resulted in nine songs that sound like M. Ward, the Walkmen and Guided By Voices raiding the basement mini-fridge." – Magnet
- Maagnet Magazine
"...Though love and heartache abound on The Love Language, McLamb is neither guilty of romanticizing the past nor projecting bitterly into the future. Instead, he candidly recalls the low points of love — the "violent fights," mistakes, and lies— from behind a veil of dreamy reverb, jangly guitars, and peppy tambourine beats that seem to cushion the blow rendered by McLamb's lyrics." - NPR
- NPR dot com
"Like Cold War Kids raiding Arcade Fire. Four guys, two girls, and one cup of lovingly crafted orchestral indie.Drums that pummel your heart and lo-fi buzzy songwriting that swells to great heights." - Q
- Q Magazine (London)
"Every now and then, when the wind is blowing the right way, the moon is half full, and the planets align you walk into a small club and have your face melted off by the sheer brilliance of some little band you've never heard of...Mark my words big things will be coming from that band. " - LAist - The Laist
Discography
The Love Language (self titled LP, 2009 Bladen County Records)
Photos
Bio
THE LOVE LANGUAGE is a lo-fi Indie Pop band from Raleigh, NC who recently signed to Merge Records, and whose debut self titled release is the story of one mans redemption. The result sounds like a Phil Spector recording employing the reverb of The Walkmen and the aesthetic of the early 90s lo fi movement, ala Guided By Voices and Sebadoh. The Love Language is a one-man album. Everything you hear on the record was written, performed, recorded, and mixed by Stu McLamb.
Two years ago Stu played in a band called The Capulets with 3 members of what would later become THE LOVE LANGUAGE live band. Stu got drunk one night, broke into the Capulets practice space, trashed the joint, and broke his wrist in the process. The band booed Stus antics and showed him the door. Stu then moved to Winston Salem with the Lalita. I had moved in with a girl I thought was the love of my life but felt absolutely miserable, reflects McLamb, adding We had unhealthy tendencies like throwing beer bottles at the wall when we fought.
Fast forward 6 months. The walls are covered in beer bottle glass and the couple finally decides to call it quits. Stu celebrated the culmination of festering misery by pounding a fifth of Aristocrat and woke up in solitary confinement with his ankles and wrists bound.
Shocked by the shit you can land yourself in McLamb, moved in with his parents, lays off the drink, and worked hard at a local hotel. As he sobered, the songs started appearing. He rented a storage space, bought a cheap-ass bass, borrowed some drums and started recording the album - 4 track style. I'd like to think of it as the audio equivalent of a handwritten letter to a pen pal with little handmade gifts inside...or something like that, says Stu of the recordings.
When the songs became solid he passed around a CD to friends. Eventually the music caught the ears of The Rosebuds (Merge Records) and THE LOVE LANGUAGE was asked to open a show for them to kick of their fall tour. To this McLamb wistfully replied with a simple "Yes" and quickly formed a band with 6 of his closest friends who could lend a hand to present the songs in an energetic live setting that nicely juxtaposes the home recordings.
Word spread fast around THE LOVE LANGUAGES home state and the music quickly caught the ear of Bladen County Records, who released the bands self-titled long-player in March of 2009 and Ground Control Touring, who has had the band on the road throughout 09 and beyond!
Press Contact: Christina Rentz christina@merge.com
Management: Geoff Sawyer geoff@thebigreach.com
Download hi-res photos, album art and bio: http://www.230publicity.com/lovelanguage.html
Links
