Song of the Day: Black Lips - Boys in the Wood

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters, is “Boys in the Wood” by Black Lips from the 2014 album Underneath the Rainbow on Vice Records.

Black Lips - Boys in the Wood (MP3)

How do you talk about maturity when referring to perpetual punk brats like Black Lips? Though it took them three years to release their latest and seventh LP, fortunately we don't have to. While Underneath the Rainbow collects their best sounding work to date, thanks to production help from Dap-Kings music director Tommy Brenneck, The Black Keys' Patrick Carney and their own long-time collaborator, Ed Rawls, the Georgia group, running 15 years now, hasn't softened a bit. They're already well past relying on onstage antics and public output of bodily fluids to gain notoriety, having successfully channeled their debauchery into to their songs (well, most of it anyway — check out their video below). "Boys in the Wood", for instance, from the album's first single, are definitely up to no good -- drinking whiskey, making moonshine, and stealing cars. Yes, them boys are wild. But you can hear Brenneck's influence, classing up the Lips' raunchy blend of garage and southern rock with exultant horns. It's a fuller sound that spares none of their attitude and just adds that much more swagger.

Black Lips will perform live at Neumos on March 28, and you can hear an exclusive session with them in the KEXP studio on March 30 at 1PM. Find more dates and more info on their website and Facebook page. And when you have a moment alone, check out this NSFW video of today's featured song: