New York music Archives - KUT & KUTX Studios

Brian D’Addario and his brother Michael came onto our radar back in 2016 as the duo the Lemon Twigs and their debut album Do Hollywood, a throwback splash of 60’s and 70’s rock and pop akin to the Beatles and the Beach Boys.

Now after five Lemon Twigs albums, Brian D’Addario has released his debut solo album Till the Morning, featuring his brother Michael as co-producer, harmonize, and lending co-lead vocals on a couple of tracks.

Till the Morning is an extension of the early prog rock, melodic folk, and such historically released by the Lemon Twigs, but on this album, Brian got to go even deeper into his influences by working with LA poet Stephen Kalinich, who co-wrote songs like “Little Bird” and “Be Still” for the Beach Boys 1968 album Friends.

The title track from Till the Morning is a fun, upbeat nostalgia trip about finding a tantric escape from the endless whirring of dread in your brain, rolling through classic tales and fables and wondering, “are we doomed to repeat? Have we already?” Right now, that doesn’t matter. Those intrusive thoughts can wait til the morning.

Till the Morning is out now on Headstack Records.

Back in 1943, Woody Guthrie garnered some serious attention by painting an ambitious message on his acoustic guitar: “this machine kills fascists“. Fast forward about four score to the present year and a different global conflict, where a new generation of musicians are picking up where Woody left off. Take for instance, New York’s Jesse Malin, whose 2010 crowd pleaser “All the Way From Moscow” makes a passing reference to Gogol Bordello’s Ukrainian-born frontman, Eugene Hütz. Hütz on the other hand, teamed up with Billy Strings and Les Claypool last month for a tribute to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky entitled, “The Man With The Iron Balls”. But just like how Woody Guthrie’s songs have provided timely commentary well after his passing, sometimes revamping a classic track can make more of a statement than working up something entirely new. Hütz and Malin had already bonded over a mutual adoration for The Pogues in the early days of their friendship, which led them to revisit the title track of 1988’s If I Should Fall from Grace with God. The lyrics are obviously still up for interpretation, but considering that the proceeds from this Bandcamp exclusive benefit The US-Ukraine Foundation, we have a feeling we know where their heads are at. All politics aside, “If I Should Fall from Grace with God” is a passionate, 21st century reimagining of The Pogues perfect for longtime fans or newcomers.