Welcome to the song of the day, where we feature a single track, whether its brand new or older than us, overlooked or overplayed, our favorite or no one’s favorite; as long as its interesting, it can be the song of the day.
I’ve always loved this song; it’s the leadoff track from the bands debut album, and it’s a great introduction to this California rock band’s music. Sometimes when people tell me that there’s no good rock music anymore, I remember to tell them about Japandroids and the Black Keys and Gaslight Anthem and all that, but I do need to remember to include Cold War Kids, because a lot of their music is bluesy rock and roll.
The song is told from the perspective of an alcoholic, moving through how he deals with his family. It apes a line from Bob Dylan’s “Ballad of a Thin Man”: “I give a check to tax deductible charity organizations.”
The album, Robbers & Cowards, came out in 2006, with “We Used to Vacation” as it’s lead single. The song was also the first and title track to an EP released earlier that same year.
Header image courtesy of The Nerdist podcast.