DJ Harvey’s new band, Wildest Dreams, might just do the trick if you’re tired of rock & roll’s modern iterations. Their first album will be out July 29 through Smalltown Supersound, and, according to the press release, the self-titled work draws its sound from “the landscape of L.A. and its surroundings” with the purpose of soundtracking “your road and acid trip.” The band itself is an anonymous group, with Harvey at least contributing vocals, that supposedly compares to the legendary L.A. Wrecking Crew of the 60s… and that’s not too far-fetched.
Harvey is the man who was at least partially responsible for bringing disco and house to the UK, and he’s achieved legend status in the domain of “real” (read: vinyl-spinning) DJs for his six-plus-hour, genre-spanning, borderline-religious sets. He is a musically enlightened man, having spent countless hours crate-digging, uncovering forgotten masterpieces, and his knowledge of music is encyclopedic. So who better than a truly knowledgeable DJ to take up arms and defend the frayed, moth-eaten banner of bona fide, hard-edged rock & roll? Who else is gonna do it? The Black Keys? Nah. Jack White? Give me a break. Okay maybe Wolfmother, but I’m not actually convinced they’re still alive.
Hell, Rolling Stone once said, “If Keith Richards was a DJ, he’d totally be Harvey.” The point being that this guy’s practically a rock star already, and he’s soon to deliver some nasty riffs, sweet licks, and snappy break-beats to unsuspecting ears, all baked to the same crunchy golden-brown as your favorite blues-rock classics.
If you still have any doubts, watch the accompanying video for the album’s first single, “Last Ride”:
• DJ Harvey: https://www.facebook.com/HarveyDJay
• Smalltown Supersound: http://www.smalltownsupersound.com