Bad Books is the debut album from the folk/indie rock collaboration project by folk artist Kevin Devine and members of indie rock band Manchester Orchestra. It was released digitally on October 19, 2010, and with a physical CD copy following on November 9, 2010 through Manchester Orchestra's own label Favorite Gentlemen Recordings. Six songs on the album were written by Kevin Devine, with the other five written by Andy Hull.
| Bad Books | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 19, 2010 | |||
| Recorded | April–May 2010 at Favorite Gentlemen Studios in Atlanta, Georgia | |||
| Genre | Folk rock, indie rock, alternative rock | |||
| Length | 35:34 | |||
| Label | Favorite Gentlemen, Razor & Tie | |||
| Producer | Robert McDowell | |||
| Bad Books chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Bad Books | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Marshalltown Chronicle |   [1] |
| Lost In The Sound | 68%[2] |
| BLARE Magazine |  [3] |
The album was recorded at Manchester Orchestra's own studio by band member Robert McDowell. The album's artwork was designed by band member Chris Freeman and Brian Manley.[4]
On August 25, 2010, "You Wouldn't Have to Ask" was offered as a free download on the band's official website.[5] Later that day, "Please Move" was offered for free listening on the band's Facebook page.[6] The band made the full album available for streaming on MySpace on October 15, 2010.
The band supported the release of the album with a short 4 date east coast tour in October 2010, with supporting acts Right Away, Great Captain, Gobotron and Hardello.[7] Another acoustic 5 date tour by Kevin Devine and Andy Hull alone took place in December 2010, in support of the release, with supporting act Gobotron.[8]
On November 8, 2010, Bad Books released the music video for the official first single "You Wouldn't Have to Ask", on the Spin.com website. The video, which was shot in black and white, was directed by Jason Miller and is based on the Everly Brothers' 1964 performance of the song "Gone, Gone, Gone" on the musical variety series Shindig![9] On November 30, 2010, the music video was made available for purchase on iTunes.[10]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "How This All Ends" | Andy Hull | 3:03 |
| 2. | "The Easy Mark & the Old Maid" | Kevin Devine | 3:37 |
| 3. | "Baby Shoes" | Andy Hull | 3:50 |
| 4. | "You're a Mirror I Cannot Avoid" | Kevin Devine | 3:53 |
| 5. | "Holding Down the Laughter" | Kevin Devine | 4:04 |
| 6. | "You Wouldn't Have to Ask" | Kevin Devine | 1:52 |
| 7. | "I Begged You Everything" | Andy Hull | 4:50 |
| 8. | "Please Move" | Andy Hull | 3:02 |
| 9. | "Mesa, AZ" | Kevin Devine | 3:23 |
| 10. | "Texas" | Andy Hull | 4:00 |
| 11. | "Thanklin Franklin (Fish Ass Baby)" (Pre-order bonus track) | Kevin Devine | 3:05 |
Personnel edit
- Kevin Devine - lead vocals, guitar, piano
- Andy Hull - lead vocals, guitar, piano
- Robert McDowell - lead guitar, backing vocals
- Chris Freeman - keyboards, backing vocals
- Jonathan Corley - bass
- Ben Homola - drums, percussion
References edit
- ^ Ludin, Dennis. "REVIEW: Bad Books - Bad Books". The Marshalltown Chronicle. Archived from the original on 13 November 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-10.
- ^ "Review: Bad Books - Bad Books". Lost In The Sound. Archived from the original on 2010-11-20. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
- ^ Rankin, Dan. "REVIEW: Bad Books - "Bad Books"". BLARE Magazine. Retrieved 2010-11-08.
- ^ "Prikbordfoto's". Facebook. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
- ^ "Bad Books » Blog Archive » New Music, New Art, and Tickets!". Favoritegentlemen.com. 2010-08-25. Archived from the original on 2014-01-12. Retrieved 2012-05-12.
- ^ "Bad Books". Facebook. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
- ^ "Bad Books » Blog Archive » Bad Books Tour Dates!". Favoritegentlemen.com. 2010-08-16. Archived from the original on 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2012-05-12.
- ^ "Bad Books » Blog Archive » Andy Hull + Kevin Devine December Tour". Favoritegentlemen.com. 2010-10-07. Archived from the original on 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2012-05-12.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Debut Clip from Bad Books". SPIN.com. 2010-11-08. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
- ^ "Bad Books". Facebook. Retrieved 2012-01-15.