Smith Westerns
- Indie rock
- glam rock
- garage rock
- Mom + Pop Music
- Fat Possum
- Weird World
- HoZac Records
- Transparent
- Bachelor
Cameron Omori
Max Kakacek
Julien Ehrlich
Hal James
Smith Westerns were an American indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois, United States, composed of brothers Cullen and Cameron Omori, Max Kakacek, Julien Ehrlich and Hal James.[1] Their musical influences included David Bowie, T. Rex[2] and Oasis.[3]
History
Smith Westerns (2009)
Their self-titled debut album was released on HoZac Records on June 5, 2009.[4] Most of the album was recorded throughout the winter and early spring in Max Kakacek's basement.[1]
Dye It Blonde (2011)
They released a new single, "Weekend", on November 4, 2010, from their album Dye It Blonde, which was released on January 18, 2011.[5]
Soft Will (2013)
The band signed to Mom + Pop Music on March 5, 2013,[6] and released Soft Will on June 25, 2013, following up from their 2011 LP, Dye It Blonde. The first single off the album, "Varsity," was released March 6, 2013.[7] The album has received mostly positive reviews upon release.[citation needed]
Later work and breakup
On December 13, 2014, the band announced that they would go on an indefinite hiatus.[8] They later confirmed that they were permanently breaking up.[9]
Since the breakup, Cullen Omori began a solo career, signing to Sub Pop Records,[10] while Max Kakacek, Julien Ehrlich, and touring keyboardist Ziyad Asrar formed the band Whitney.[11]
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [12] | US Indie [13] | US Alt [14] | US Rock [15] | US Heat [16] | |||||
Smith Westerns |
| — | — | — | — | — | |||
Dye It Blonde |
| 114 | 18 | 20 | 29 | 1 | |||
Soft Will |
| 194 | — | — | — | — | |||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
Singles
Year | Single | Album |
---|---|---|
2010 | "Weekend" | Dye It Blonde |
2013 | "Varsity" | Soft Will |
References
- ^ a b Mehr, Bob (18 June 2009). "Big Kids | Music Column". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
- ^ "Rising: Smith Westerns". Pitchfork Media. 4 August 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
- ^ "Smith Westerns Talk Their New Brit Pop Influenced LP". Pitchfork Media. 8 October 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
- ^ "Smith Westerns LP Out Now on HoZac - MySpace-blog | van The Smith Westerns". Blogs.myspace.com. 2009-10-16. Archived from the original on 2012-07-08. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
- ^ "Pitchfork: The Playlist: Smith Westerns - "Weekend"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2010-11-08.
- ^ "Smith Westerns Sign to Mom+Pop, Announce New Album, Share First Single | Mom + Pop Music | Independent Record Label". Archived from the original on 2013-05-30. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (6 March 2013). "Smith Westerns Announce New Album Soft Will, Share New Track "Varsity"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
- ^ Beauchemin, Molly (13 December 2014). "Smith Westerns Announce Indefinite Hiatus". Pitchfork.com. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ^ "Smith Westerns Confirm Breakup - Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com. 19 December 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ "Smith Westerns' Cullen Omori Details Debut Solo Album New Misery, Shares "Cinnamon" Video - Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ "Members of Smith Westerns, Touching Voids form Whitney, share 'No Matter Where You Go'". Diy.mag. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ "Smith Westerns Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
- ^ "Smith Westerns Album & Song Chart History - Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
- ^ "Smith Westerns Album & Song Chart History - Alternative Albums". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
- ^ "Smith Westerns Album & Song Chart History - Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
- ^ "Smith Westerns Album & Song Chart History - Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2011.