The Walkmen have played together in various bands since the fifth grade, and now they're about to release Lisbon, their fifth album.
Lisbon was recorded in Philadelphia and Brooklyn -- their dual hometowns -- with several songs inspired by and written in Portugal (go figure). The band recorded the album with indie rock all-stars Chris Zane (Passion Pit, Les Savy Fav, Tokyo Police Club) and John Congleton (St. Vincent, Explosions in the Sky).
Led by frontman Hamilton Leithauser, the Walkmen formed in 2000 and pretty much hit the ground running with their first album, Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone. Their next record, 2004’s Bows & Arrows, featured the song “The Rat,” Pitchfork's No. 20 Track of the Decade (out of 500). Their third album, A Hundred Miles Off, hit No. 163 on the U.S. charts, and their their previous album, You and Me, was also a critical and popular success.
When the Walkmen play the Belly Up on Sept.18, Lisbon will have only been out for a few days. However, NPR is streaming the whole thing until its Sept. 14 release. Check it out now and you'll be ready to sing along at the Belly Up.
The band is well-known for its energetic live shows, and 9/18 at the Belly Up should be no exception. I saw them play there in 2009, and they lived up to the hype. Japandroids will open; get your tickets here.
T. Loper is a writer for the San Diego music blog Owl and Bear.
