I have to be honest, but I had pretty much forgotten all about UK band The Duke Spirit. Their debut album Cuts Across The Land was one of my favorites back in 2005 after my friend Peter came back from SXSW and played "Lion Rip" for me on his ipod while we were having dinner. Nevertheless, that was almost 3 years ago and so many bands have come and gone since then that I suppose The Duke Spirit just got lost in the constant shuffle that is my musical radar.
Thankfully the band has a follow-up album out now, Neptune, that is possibly even better than their first. It's just the kind of dark and moody rock-shoegaze that makes me want to wear a striped shirt and sit in the corner of a dark bar. Maybe smoking cloves, but probably not because cloves are stinky. Imagery aside, I am really liking the new record a lot, and have put this band on my MUST SEE for SXSW list, since catching them live has inexplicably alluded me up until now.
The Duke Spirit - This Ship Was Built To Last