by Sheldon Birnie
Deer Tick, the pride of Providence, Rhode Island, just announced a new album to hit the streets this fall. The band will also be hitting the Highway in support of Negativity, their aptly titled fifth studio full length. This tour includes a stop in Winnipeg on October 16 at the West End. I, for one, am pumped.
I admit that I came to the Deer Tick party somewhat late. When I first heard of them, as a casual music consumer and not the consummate, professional music journalist (ha!) that I am now, I had them mixed up with Deerhoof, who were never really my bag. It wasn’t until a little before Divine Providence dropped that I realized my mistake, and how much time I had wasted not listening to these guys. Rook move, for sure.
Due some form of scheduling conflict, which I cannot quite place at this time, I was unable to catch the boys when they last hit Winnipeg, on that Divine Providence run through the prairies. Luckily, I was able to catch a solo set by John McCauley at a Billy Reid party in Austin this past SXSW. He performed a lot of new tunes that afternoon, which (I assume) will be making up a good chunk of Negativity. Since then, I’ve dug deep into the Daytrotter vaults to find great sessions from Deer Tick, and two full length concerts recorded in the Barn. My favourite of these moments is a tender cover of the Boss’s “Nebraska.” So money.
The first single off Negativity, “The Dream’s in the Ditch,” was released yesterday, and it’s a beauty. Check it out here.
Between now and October 16, I’ll be digging back into the early albums, particularly Born on Flag Day, which I haven’t given much attention to of late. I’m also pulling for a full length Deer Tick feature for our Oct/Nov edition of Stylus. We’ll certainly be running a review of Negativity. Keep posted here, friends. And keep the wheels between the ditches. Party on!