First Listen: White Denim, 'Corsicana Lemonade'
by Leah Garaas
October 22, 2013
For White Denim, standing out in a city that's easily become one of the most influential music metros in the world means more than just experimenting with classic arrangements; it means juxtaposing psychedelic rock with soul and blending blues with punk all while using aberrant song structures that still feel fluid.
At their inception, the quartet shared a unique vision for their sound, but members Joshua Block, James Petralli, Steve Terebecki and Austin Jenkins couldn't collectively execute it, and all members weren't unanimously behind the first few records. But something clicked with 2011's D, which brought forth White Denim's most successful single to date, "Street Joy". That year, White Denim performed at Sasquatch festival in support of the record, and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy took notice of White Denim's unique songwriting approach. "Maybe he just got what we were trying to do. When he was talking about Blue Öyster Cult and Rush, we got it," Petralli tells the Austin Chronicle.
A tour opening for Wilco and four days in Jeff Tweedy's studio later, Corsicana Lemonade was born; an album that exemplifies the cohesiveness that White Denim worked toward from its inception in 2006. And, ironically, Corsicana Lemonade closes with "A Place to Start" — a seemingly perfect title for the band not to end a journey, but begin one.
