SONG OF THE DAY

“Kettering” by The Antlers (Hospice, Frenchkiss Records, 2009). Written by Peter Silberman.

RECOMMENDED BY

Recommended by my brother, J. Good call, bro! Never heard of this band before, so thanks for the solid recommend!

INTERESTING FACTS (a la wikipedia)

– Hospice is the critically acclaimed third studio album by American indie rock group The Antlers, and their first concept album.

– It was initially self-distributed by the band in March 2009, and was eventually remastered and re-released once they signed to Frenchkiss Records in August.

– Hospice tells the story of an emotionally abusive relationship, explained through the analogy of a hospice worker and terminally-ill patient. Frontman Peter Silberman has been reticent to divulge explicit details regarding the meaning of the record, and the extent to which it is autobiographical.

– The album has generated very positive reviews. Pitchfork Media endorsed the re-release of Hospice with their “Best New Music” stamp. At the end of the year, the same publication named it the 37th best album of 2009, praising its “power to emotionally destroy listeners.”

– Fan review sites like Rate Your Music and Amazon MP3 have placed the album in its list of Top 10 Albums of 2009.

– Popular music blog 20 Watts gave it a rating of 18/20 Watts and praised the album’s “realism and its sadness, found in its most abrasive lyrics and most expressive instrumental segments.”

– NPR Music placed the album in the #1 position for their Top 10 of 2009 list.

– onethirtybpm named it the best album of 2009.

– The Antlers are an indie rock band currently based in Brooklyn, New York, fronted by Peter Silberman.

– Initially, The Antlers was a solo project created by vocalist and guitarist Peter Silberman immediately after he had moved to Brooklyn, New York. Silberman wrote the first two albums, Uprooted and In the Attic of the Universe by himself. Afterwards, he recruited Michael Lerner and Darby Cicci, becoming a collaborative group.

– The band recorded two EPs: Cold War and New York Hospitals. Silberman’s collection of songs would later become a full-length album titled Hospice.

– The song “Kettering” from Hospice appeared in a third season episode of Chuck, entitled “Chuck Versus the Other Guy.”, on the series premiere of Lone Star (TV series), and on an HBO commercial for the 2010-2011 lineup.

– Silberman has said the bands’ name is taken from The Microphones’ song, “Antlers”.

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