The Broken West

The Broken West
A search for something invisible. Something just beneath the surface.

Something hidden in plain sight—the fingerprints on the picture.

Something that has been right there all along.

On a small strip of grass in a backyard in Los Angeles.

It was in a backyard of their L.A. neighborhood that Ross Flournoy, Danny Iead, Rob McCorkindale, Brian Whelan and friend/writing partner Adam Vine developed Now or Heaven, The Broken West’s second full-length album. A sense of home, symbolized by that small strip of grass, provided the necessary amount of comfort and inspiration after a long tour in support of their acclaimed debut, I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On.

With Now or Heaven, The Broken West have captured a pathos that at once sparkles and is simultaneously depraved, altogether L.A. While many bands’ second albums end up being about the road, Now or Heaven originates from home, the longing to get there and all that comes from being there. The perspective generated from the time spent on the road and the distance traveled led to a new, unnamable development.

Drummer Rob McCorkindale and bassist Brian Whelan tempered and extended the rhythms and the tone of longing first explored on I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On. Each song on Now or Heaven contains clever guitars and sublime harmonies, while the drums and bass deliver driving, deliberate rhythms that are more than metronomic; these pulses literally and figuratively power the album. Now or Heaven also marks Brian’s songwriting debut with the dynamic romp, “Got It Bad.”

The serendipity and the gravity found in the lyrics reflect the ultimatum put forth by the album’s title: Now or Heaven. The title itself springs from an alternate lyric suggestion: “now or heaven” instead of “now or never.” This inadvertent wordplay stuck, as it reflects the band’s sense of humor as well as their weariness from a year spent on the road.

“Got It Bad” begins with “two days and a changing scene,” and a weary cynicism is introduced. The immediacy of the music continues to echo in the lyrics until the end, highlighted by the upbeat “Perfect Games” (“We waste our time/When we could be righting every wrong”), the steadfast and deceptive “Ambuscade” (“Living in a lion’s den/Turned me into one of them”), the piano-laden “Auctioneer,” and the tongue-in-cheek “The Smartest Man Alive.” Each song finds the band contemplating themes of desire and, ultimately, a search for a respite within the constant state of flux in which we live.

The Broken West spent a year searching for “a diamond in a bag of ice,” only to find what they were looking for in their own backyard. Ross, Danny, Rob and Brian may have returned from their travels with a more sinister perspective on the world, but despite everything, each song on Now or Heaven is infused with an immediate burst of catchy familiarity and unquenchable charm.

THE BROKEN WEST IS: Ross Flournoy (guitar, vocals); Dan Iead (guitar, backing vocals); Brian Whelan (bass, backing vocals); Rob McCorkindale (drums, percussion)

The Broken West

The Broken West announce fall tour

08.28.2008
The Broken West are hitting the road this fall in support of their new record, Now or Heaven. Now or Heaven is released on Tuesday, September 9th and that just happens to be the first date of the fall tour.

The Broken West will also bid a fond farewell to drummer, Rob McCorkindale. A new baby and other family commitments have made Rob's departure necessary, but everyone will miss him! Sean McDonald will take over the skins and join Dan, Brian, Ross and Jeff on the road this fall.

09/09/08 Denver, CO @ Hi Dive
09/10/08 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown Jr.
09/11/08 Iowa City, IA @ The Picador
09/12/08 Madison, WI @ Orpheum Side Door
09/13/08 Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar
09/15/08 Chicago, IL @ Schubas
09/16/08 Pontiac, MI @ Pike Room
09/17/08 Toronto @ Horseshoe Tavern
09/21/08 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
09/21/08 Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East
09/23/08 New Haven, CT @ Cafe Nine
09/24/08 Washington, DC @ Rock N Roll Hotel
09/25/08 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
09/26/08 Mt. Pleasant, SC @ Village Tavern
09/27/08 Nashville, TN @ The Basement
09/29/08 Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone
09/30/08 Denton, TX @ Dan's Silverleaf
10/01/08 Austin, TX @ Mohawk
10/04/08 Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland 

The Broken West prepare Now or Heaven for September release

06.12.2008
Merge Records will release Now or Heaven, the sophomore album from Los Angeles' The Broken West on September 9, 2008.

It was in a backyard of their L.A. neighborhood that Ross Flournoy, Danny Iead, Rob McCorkindale, Brian Whelan and friend/writing partner Adam Vine developed Now or Heaven, The Broken West's second full-length album. While many bands' second albums end up being about the road, Now or Heaven originates from home, the longing to get there and all that comes from being there. The perspective generated from the time spent on the road and the distance traveled led to a new, unnameable development.

Drummer Rob McCorkindale and bassist Brian Whelan tempered and extended the rhythms and the tone of longing first explored on I Can't Go On, I'll Go On. Each song on Now or Heaven contains clever guitars and sublime harmonies, while the drums and bass deliver driving, deliberate rhythms that are more than metronomic; these pulses literally and figuratively power the album. Now or Heaven also marks Brian's songwriting debut with the dynamic romp, "Got It Bad."

The Broken West spent a year searching for "a diamond in a bag of ice," only to find what they were looking for in their own backyard. Ross, Danny, Rob, and Brian may have returned from their travels with a more sinister perspective on the world, but despite everything, each song on Now or Heaven is infused with an immediate burst of catchy familiarity and unquenchable charm.

Track listing:
1. Gwen, Now and Then
2. Auctioneer
3. Elm City
4. Ambuscade
5. Perfect Games
6. House of Lies
7. The Smartest Man Alive
8. Got It Bad
9. Terror for Two
10. Embassy Row
09.09.2008 Denver, CO Hi Dive
09.10.2008 Omaha, NE Slowdown Jr.
09.11.2008 Iowa City, IA The Picador
09.12.2008 Madison, WI Orpheum Side Door
09.13.2008 Minneapolis, MN 400 Bar
09.15.2008 Chicago, IL Schubas
09.16.2008 Pontiac, MI Pike Room
09.17.2008 Toronto, ON Canada Horseshoe Tavern
09.21.2008 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
09.22.2008 Cambridge, MA The Middle East
09.23.2008 New Haven, CT Cafe Nine
09.24.2008 Washington, Rock N Roll Hotel
09.25.2008 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
09.26.2008 Mt. Pleasant, SC Village Tavern
09.27.2008 Nashville, TN The Basement
09.29.2008 Memphis, TN Hi Tone
09.30.2008 Denton, TX Dan's Silverleaf
10.01.2008 Austin, TX Mohawk
10.04.2008 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland
Dutchman's Gold EP [self-released] 2006
I Can't Go On, I'll Go On [Merge] 2007
Now or Heaven [Merge] 2008

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On Tour

Big Dipper [+]

September
30 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club

The Broken West [+]

September
09 Denver, CO Hi Dive
10 Omaha, NE Slowdown Jr.
11 Iowa City, IA The Picador
12 Madison, WI Orpheum Side Door
13 Minneapolis, MN 400 Bar
[see all]

Lambchop [+]

September
27 Marfa, TX Ballroom Marfa
October
02 Los Angeles, CA Echoplex
06 Toronto, ON Drake Hotel
08 New York, NY Joe's Pub

Oakley Hall [+]

September
13 New London, CT Waterfront Park
24 New York, NY Webster Hall

Conor Oberst [+]

September
20 Omaha, NE Anchor Inn
21 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
22 Knoxville, TN Bijou Theatre
23 Fayetteville, AR George's Majestic Lounge
24 Oxford, MS The Lyric
[see all]

Robert Pollard [+]

September
25 Cincinnati, OH Midpoint Music Festival
26 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
27 Washington Black Cat
29 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's
30 Boston, MA Paradise
[see all]

Portastatic [+]

September
12 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
18 Wilmington, NC The Soapbox Laundro-Lounge
October
18 Raleigh, NC Meymandi Concert Hall

She & Him [+]

November
01 Los Angeles, CA Wiltern Theatre
03 San Francisco, CA Bimbo's 365 Club
05 Anaheim, CA House of Blues

Spoon [+]

September
20 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
22 San Francisco, CA Fillmore
23 San Francisco, CA Fillmore
24 San Francisco, CA Fillmore

M. Ward [+]

September
26 Austin, TX Austin City Limits Festival

Wye Oak [+]

September
08 Kansas City, MO Recordbar
09 Columbia, MO RagTag Cinema
11 Ames, IA Maintenance Shop
12 St. Louis, MO Billiken Club
13 Dubuque, IA Isabella's
[see all]
see all tour dates

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