WOODS at Lee’s Palace (529 Bloor West), Wednesday (July 13), 8:30 pm. $16.50-?$18. HS, RT, SS, TM. See listing.
The cover art for Woods’ new Find Them Empty single is a faded Polaroid of a gaunt hippy proudly holding his newborn son close to a healthy clump of marijuana plants.
Considering the New York four-piece’s bare-bones blend of psychedelia, classic rock and folk leanings, you assume it’s a family album snapshot of one of the members. Not so.
“No hippy parents here. My dad is a Tea Party supporter, just like Moe Tucker,” says multi-instrumentalist Jarvis Taveniere, referring to the former Velvet Underground drummer.
The photo is of Sacred Bones label owner Caleb Braaten and his dad, though you could be forgiven for jumping to conclusions. Although Woods is a NYC band, their aesthetic is very much backcountry.
Sun And Shade, their catchy new album, was recorded near a state park for their own Woodsist imprint, a hot label that’s gaining the group more attention than they’re comfortable with.
“We’ve definitely found ourselves in really awkward photo shoots,” he says, “where they try to dress you and get some product placement going – pretty much the least enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.
“Our feelings haven’t changed about that stuff. We find the promotion game embarrassing.”
