31 Seasons In The Minor Leagues

Description

Probably the first album entirely written and recorded in a Bundesliga stadium, namely the Millerntor Stadium of FC St. Pauli in Hamburg. Don’t worry, it doesn’t sound like stadium rock at all. Quite the opposite... Lo-fi without being harsh and minimal without seeming stripped down. Dave Doughman is the heart and voice of Swearing At Motorists, who mainly perform and record as a duo. Since 1995, Swearing At Motorists has built a cult following thanks to its raw energy, heartfelt songwriting, and relentless DIY spirit. Nicknamed “The World’s Local Band” and “The Two Men Who,” they have traveled countless miles to perform around the world, sharing the stage with iconic artists such as Guided By Voices, Songs:Ohia, The Breeders, Spoon, Unwound, Brainiac, The Lemonheads, My Morning Jacket, and many others. After an 11-year break, the band is back and playing shows to support this album. Swearing At Motorists has come a long way since its birth in Dayton, Ohio. In the late 90s, Swearing At Motorists released a series of 7" EPs on various labels. After being played repeatedly by John Peel and receiving favorable international press, the band signed with the new label Secretly Canadian. They released two EPs and four LPs on SC, including Number Seven Uptown in 2000 and This Flag Signals Goodbye in 2002, both voted “Underground Album of the Year” by MOJO magazine in the years of their release. Swearing At Motorists moved to Berlin in 2005, where they released their last LP for Secretly Canadian, Last Night Becomes This Morning, the following year, before quietly disappearing into the eternal Berlin night... Eight years later, the band (now joined by Martin Boeters on drums) resurfaced in Hamburg, Germany, with a new album titled While Laughing, The Joker Tells The Truth, released in September. Released in 2014 on Anton Newcombe’s label, A Recordings Ltd (and recently reissued on BB*ISLAND), the album, co-produced by Dave and Rick McPhail (from the legendary German band Tocotronic), tells the story of those eight “lost” years in classic Motorists style. “...full of catchy courage, meaningful low notes, chamber rhythms, choruses, etc., all for endless pleasure...,” writes Camden Joy. Eleven years later, the band resurfaced in Hamburg, Germany, after another break, with a new album, 31 Seasons In The Minor Leagues, self-produced in a studio at Millerntor Stadion in Hamburg. It is interesting to note that Doughman has a unique connection with FC St. Pauli, the famous Hamburg football club. His admiration for the club reflects his passion for outsider stories and the authentic elements of outsider spirit that permeate his music. The album title obviously bears witness to this. It is about holding on to one’s dreams (or illusions) even when success does not materialize. “31 Seasons” could evoke a life full of attempts, failures, and small triumphs. Critically acclaimed, yet still overlooked, Swearing At Motorists remains an essential underground indie rock act, returning to the stage with new stories to tell.