Grandaddy ‘Blu Wav’ Out Now Feb 16, 2024
Blu Wav, the first album in 7 years by Grandaddy, is out now. Named one of the most anticipated albums of 2024 by Pitchfork, NPR, Vulture, Stereogum, PASTE, BrooklynVegan, and Uproxx, Blu Wav is available on vinyl, CD, and streaming.
“it sounds so good.” – NPR
“iconic indie rock outfit” – FADER
“beautiful, heartbreaking lead single” – Stereogum
“two sounds clashing somehow seamlessly” – Rolling Stone
““Watercooler” is, immediately, one of the best Grandaddy songs in a long, long time.” – PASTE
“the same sort of sublime melody you might hear on a classic country radio station” – Consequence
“Compared to their contemporaries—Mercury Rev, Sparklehorse, the Flaming Lips—Grandaddy excelled at demystifying the terrifying unknown, even if that familiarity still bred contempt.”– Pitchfork
Blu Wav is inspired by the overwhelming beauty of nature to the mundane moments that spark life’s strongest memories. With the album title meant to be a literal mash-up of “bluegrass” and “new wave”, the new collection has a distinct feel, a uniform vibe, and a somewhat unexpected sound. It was conceived as Grandaddy maestro Jason Lytle was driving through the Nevada desert, and Patti Page’s “Tennessee Waltz” came across the classic country station on the radio. He was immediately intrigued by the possibilities of what it might sound like to keep the slow sway and sweet, simple lyrics of the bluegrass waltz while adding layers of dense synthesizers and the electronics of new wave. It incorporates the lo-fi lushness and sometimes-psychedelic orchestration Grandaddy is known for with Lytle’s first foray into true country. Seven of its 13 songs are waltzes, and as Lytle notes, “there’s an inordinate amount of pedal steel.”
Grandaddy recently celebrated their legacy with a series of 20th anniversary reissues including the acclaimed Sumday Twunny box set which earned a Pitchfork ‘Best New Reissue”. Lytle also contributed vocals to a posthumous Sparklehorse album by request of his friend and fellow psychedelic pop auteur Mark Linkous’ family. Their forthcoming album Blu Wav has been featured on “Anticipated Albums of 2024” lists by Pitchfork, Vulture, Stereogum, PASTE, BrooklynVegan, Uproxx, Glide Magazine and more. Grandaddy has released five official LPs, most recently 2017’s Last Place. Grandaddy members include Jason Lytle, Aaron Burtch, Jim Fairchild, Tim Dryden, and the late Kevin Garcia, who passed away in 2017.
Blu Wav Tracklist:
1. Blu Wav
4. You’re Going to Be Fine and I’m Going to Hell
5. Watercooler
6. Let’s Put this Pinto on the Moon
7. On a Train or Bus
8. Jukebox App
9. Yeehaw Ai in the Year 2025
10. Ducky, Boris and Dart
11. East Yosemite
12. Nothin’ to Lose
13. Blu Wav Buh Bye
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