The Duke Spirit Tourzine

The Duke Spirit Added to NEW Festival Lineup!

Looks like The Duke Spirit will be back on American soil sooner than expected.  Leila and the boys have just been added to a stellar roster of artists for the inaugural New American Music Festival kicking off August 8-9 at Southside Works in Pittsburgh. The Duke Spirit will be in plenty good company with Bob Dylan, The Raconteurs, Gnarls Barkley, The Roots, Spoon, The Black Keys, and Black Mountain rounding out the lineup.  Tickets are only $25 and you can send thank-you cards to Anthony Kiedis, the curator of the fest. 

In the meantime, here's a couple more pics of their Troubadour show courtesy of IndieRockReviews.

All photos by Travis Sudweeks

The Duke Spirit Bid Adieu to the States

On the last leg of their U.S. tour, The Duke Spirit played to a jam-packed crowd (which included Morrissey) at LA concert hotspot The Troubadour.  While American fans will surely get another taste of Leila and the boys, European fans will still have the pleasure of witnessing the live show as their tour continues 'til August 22nd over the pond.  Check out these awesome pics from the show courtesy of LA Weekly.

Photos by Timothy Norris 

 

7 Songs From Liela

Liela was asked to pick the 7 songs that she's been listening to the most while on tour, and here's what she came up with:

1. Lokonon Andre & Les Volcans = Mi Kple Dogbekpo
Right, this sounds like a bit of a mouthful, and it is because it is in an African dialect I am not familiar with. This is the lead track from a comp called 'African Scream Contest' which I just acquired from SoulJazz records before I left on tour. I always trust their compilations, and the front cover was fabulous too. I am fairly ignorant about 'World Music' but I am getting more and more turned on by cranky mid-sixties recordings of African - mainly Ethiopian and Nigerian - RnB songs. I particularly enjoy singing along to words I dont understand, but experiencing them in an abstract, rhythmical sense.

2. Royal Trux = I'm Ready
I've been digging this album, Accelerator for years, and turn to it particularly on tour when I feel ragged but want to keep up morale. I think it sounds like I feel on tour. Worn out, knocked about a bit but still finding life amusing.

3. Townes Van Zandt = Be Here To Love Me
Gorgeous melody and fantastic lyrics, I got hooked on this song the first time I heard it. I made a point of listening to it over and over on our recent drive through the Smoky Mountains. Very fitting.

4. Jimi Hendrix - Wait Until Tomorrow
Come on, this is so laid back and groovesome, you have to listen to this regularly. Remind yourself to calm the fuck down and enjoy yourself.

5. Roxy Music - All I Want Is You
I've been listen to Roxy Music a lot on these long drives in America. I'm always glad to hear Bryan Ferry's clear crisp English accent when I'm away from home. As the highway road markings flash by out the window, this song has the tempo to push you onward, through the boredom and onto the next town.

6. Thelonius Monk - Abide With Me
The opening track on 'Monk's Music', the only album of his that I know well. I adore the feel of the playing on this track. It is an antidote and a confrot to my ears, and then swiftly kicks into 'Well You Needn't', which is SWINGIN' and I love it. I have strong anti-guitar moments and this is the stuff to help me when I need jazz.

7. Shocking Pinks - How AM I not Myself?
I dont know anything about this group - my Aussi friend Johnny put it on a compilation for me and I love it. I guess the are Aussie cult classics. Maybe. It's a bit Radiohead-y and yet so lo-fi it sounds like all the instruments are about to break or snuff out. I'm into this when Im tired. And its short, so I usually play it twice over.

The Duke Spirit @ The Canopy Club - Urbana, IL

Slowly closing out the leg of their U.S. tour and rocking every city in their path, The Duke Spirit take no prisoners, and Urbana IL is no exception.  Check out this awesome review/pics courtesy of www.lintcoat.com.

   

I have so many good things to say I could prattle on for a novella. For starters I have not seen a band work together with such a high level of cohesion.  Liela Moss commands your attention, yet does not overpower or compromise the rest of the band for her singing.  The lyrics are heartfelt, and everyone works to cook everything together, voice, drums, bass and guitars, just so deliciously.  They play it like they mean it.

Showing such excellent stage presence, Liela's dancing and movement is far from the usual nightclub show raunch, more of a meditation and forward moving direction. The kind of woman a woman wants to be and hopes her daughter will grow up to be.  Everyone on stage is onboard. For the love of awesome, she plays the harmonica and shakes a mean tambourine to boot.

I am anticipating The Duke Spirit having several albums recorded, so the show will go on for quite a time.  There is a level of conceptualization given to the album, it really keeps interest, and knowing a little of the background and birth of the lyrics and ideas for the record, makes for a show that allows for no beer or bathroom breaks out of respect for what's going on.  A potential rock opera, with no need for elaborate set decoration or ego wanking.  Just the band.  Genuine and endearing, and refreshing in the sense it goes beyond beer swilling music and into a true time out from everything, focusing on taking it all in.

Photos by Derrick Stembridge

Liela Moss In The NY Post

Liela took some time to talk to the New York Post to talk about her personal style:

(click on the image to see it full size)

The Duke Spirit On Conan O'Brien

Put on a pot of coffee and get ready to stay up late on May 7th, as The Duke Spirit are due to appear on Late Night With Conan O'Brien.

"Bizarre Gas Station for Unicorns"

Best leave Liela to explain this one:

"Liela...stop breaking down...or is she cracking up? Either way, she's an embarrassment to the boys. No more sugary foods for a week."

Tour Diary: Grand Rapids, MI, Lexington, KY, Smoky Mountains, TN

Here's Liela to recount the last couple of days on the tour:

"So, having lost count of what day we did what, here are some glorious photographs of touring stuff...Included is some of the most lurid and exciting furniture I have ever seen, from a brilliant Mexican restaurant in Michigan.

You will also see us playing in the parking lot of CD CENTRAL in Lexington Kentucky, to celebrate NATIONAL INDEPENDENT RECORD STORE DAY which coincided with my birthday. Ooh good times. And the luscious folk at our record label sent me champagne so I could feel super glamorous in said car-lot.

photo by Ralson

The best part of my birthday celebrations was our weekend off, where we took the party to Tennessee's Smoky Mountains. We hired a big log cabin with exquisite views of flora and fauna, and there we made merry with fine wine and Tofurkey dogs. Privacy clauses mean I can't show you the pictures of any of the team in the hot tub. But we all lived the american rustic dream for a couple of days. Did I mention the 6 mile hike? Yep. All the way up to Rainbow Falls via Gatlinburg, where Kim (our amazing Tour Manager) and I also caught the Skylift and dangled our legs over the pine tree-tops and ate popcorn, all giddy with tourist-type excitement.

photo by Luke Ford

About to pull into the venue at Charlotte, N.C. so best sign off now.
x MOSS"

photo by Luke Ford

Record Store Day

The Duke Spirit's stop at CD Central to celebrate Record Store Day with an instore acoustic performance was a rousing success, impressing You Ain't No Picasso - who enthused "I only got to catch two or three Duke Spirit songs, but was wildly impressed," and took some great photos.

Happy Birthday Liela!

A very happy birthday to Miss Liela Moss! Many happy returns!