The interesting couple in the photo to the left there make up the duo named, Drug Rug. Catchy name, eh? Well, darlings, this album is equally catchy and a bag of chips too! Eleven tracks of original but not experimental, often twee, sometimes retro, indie pop, this record has garnered very positive reviews. And here in Chicago they are promising to sell out two nights at Schubas. The singing is solidly harmonized  and has lots of nicely done lo-fi guitar riffs,  backed by keyboard refrains that build tension within their short but dense songs.

Starting out quite upbeat with “Follow,” “Haunting You,” and “Never Tell,”  Paint the Fence Invisible takes a slight turn toward 60’s psychedelica on “Blue Moon” (in a very pleasant manner, with their blending vocals offsetting that guitar line so well.) Track five, “Hannah Please” comes a bit unexpected, but by the middle of it all I’m sold on Sarah Cronin’s sassy attitude.

Halfway through the album, it all goes down the rabbit hole, literally with the sound of the record player needle being dragged across the record. ”Noah Rules” takes us through some sort of drug-induced car crash/video game encounter with a lovely tambourine player somewhere off to the right of the room behind a tasseled velvet curtain. I really love that one; you knew I would.  It’s very Beatlesque in the use of sound effects and disembodied voices. The next few songs never quite recover from this dark, trippy experience. And the record is better for it. Going back to listen to the beginning again too soon, it all seems too bright at first. I’m telling you now, the song order on this is genius. I’m so glad artists are making ALBUMS again. Thank you! Give this one a listen. It’s got a lot of quirkiness to it; I searched The Waiting Room’s playlists because it’s an awful lot like something they’d play. It’s definitely, somehow got California written all over it even though Drug Rug is from MA. Go see them live and let’s compare notes, shall we? xoxo

Drug Rug’s Sophomore LP Paint The Fence Invisible is out now on Black & Greene Records  and they are touring with Portugal. The Man for the next two months.

buy it directly from the band here or on Amazon here

Tour Dates
9/17 – Chop Suey – Seattle, WA
9/18 – WOW Hall – Eugene, OR
9/19 – NXNW Festival – Portland, OR
9/22 – Harlow’s – Sacramento, CA
9/23 – Independent – San Francisco, CA
9/25 – Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA
9/26 – Glass House – Pomona, CA
9/28 – Belly Up – San Diego, CA
9/29 – The Clubhouse – Tucson, AZ
10/1 – Santa Fe Brewing Company – Santa Fe, NM
10/2 – B-Side Lounge – Boulder, CO
10/3 – B-Side Lounge – Boulder, CO
10/6 – Bottleneck – Lawrence, KS
10/7 – Picador – Iowa City, IA
10/8 – Majestic Theatre – Madison, WI
10/9 – Turner Hall – Milwaukee, WI
10/10 – Schubas – Chicago, IL
10/11 – Schubas – Chicago, IL
10/13 – Magic Bag – Detroit, MI
10/14 – Horseshoe Tavern – Toronto, ONT
10/16 – Maxwell’s – Hoboken, NJ
10/18 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
10/20 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT
10/21 – Pearl Street – Northampton, MA
10/22 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA
10/23 – Bowery Ballroom (CMJ SHOW) – New York, NY