Brooklyn based rock unit The Giraffes have released their eighth album Cigarette, accompanied by an adventurously witty music video for the track “Million Year Old Song.”
Formed in 1996, The Giraffes have developed a unique sound self-described as “a hedonistic soundtrack”- it’s loud, dangerous, funny, complex, and unapologetically themselves. Mostly recognized for their trademark metal-tinged scuzz-rock, The Giraffes craft a unique blend of heavy rock, punk and post-punk, surf, and any array of other sounds that strike their fancy.
Comprised of lead singer Aaron Lazar, guitarist Damien Paris, drummer Andrew Totolos, and bassist Hannah Moorhead, the unit has made a name for themselves as one of the most unbridled acts to grace Brooklyn’s stages and beyond with their fierce musicality, fun-loving attitude, and dedicated fanbase.
In addition to their local draw, The Giraffes have toured alongside acts like Eagles of Death Metal, Local-H, The Vacation, and Skeleton Key. They’ve also performed alongside and in support of names including but not limited to Interpol, Fishbone, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, and The Strokes– not to mention having scored various festival slots across the globe on the stages of SXSW, Bonnaroo, Amsterjam, and more.
Debuting with ‘Fransquilt’, The Giraffes have created quite the history for themselves. Now five years, seven albums, and countless achievements later, the band is back with their latest release, Cigarette.
Described as a “hypnotic hard-edged psychedelic rock score for our current age of decay and disappointment, fear and fury, idiocy and hope,” Cigarette delivers the same sharp grit and dexterity fans know and love while simultaneously taking new risks with excitingly adventurous composition and subject matter.
Recorded and engineered by Andrew Totolos, mixed by Grammy nominated producer Francisco Botero at the iconic Studio G Brooklyn and James Dellatacoma at Orange Music Sound Studio, Cigarette is a triumphant return for the band- especially as bassist Moorhead has joined the lineup in songwriting and backing vocals, allowing the group to settle the line-up and hone in on songwriting even further.
The final single released for Cigarette comes in the form of “Million Year Old Song,” which tackles both the nostalgia held by older generations for the relentless liveliness of being in your 20s and the dire state of today’s world in a fascinating blend of rebellious rock and roll nihilism- hence the phrase “a million year old song in twenty year old lungs.”
“I wanted to not be a total old man stuck looking back at my youth so I imagined someone my kid’s age hitting 20 and what the world will look like for them for the second verse. This protagonist has the power of youth but in a much more dire world. I believe that the animating spirit of “rock n roll” or whatever is that self-destructive imperative for fun at all costs. Interesting to think of what that will look like later on down the line. The song remains the same – just the world changes.”
– Aaron Lazar
Alongside “Million Year Old Song” came the release of its official music video, which pushes the song’s core concepts to the extreme in an over-the-top absurdist critique and deception of modern America. Between American flag get-ups, thrashes in pools (also red, white, and blue) filled with dollar bills and skeletons, and what can only be described as a cinema-worthy blood bath involving subs and giraffe masks, the music video created and directed by Damien Paris is an absolute must-watch.
The full seven-track album Cigarette by The Giraffes is out now, and the track list is below. To find out more about The Giraffes and keep up with their latest endeavors, check out their official website here.
TRACK LIST
1. Baby Pictures
2. Pipes
3. Limping Horse
4. Dead Bird
5. Million Year Old Song
6. The Shot
7. Lazarus
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