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The Gutter Twins

Saturnalia

  • AMG Review of Saturnalia

    Amg
    Marisa Brown
    All Music Guide

    The Gutter Twins' first full-length record may not have shown up until early 2008, but Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan had been working together since the early part of the millennium, Dulli with Lanegan on his solo work and Lanegan with Dulli's group the Twilight Singers, even touring as part of the band and showing up twice on the 2006 EP A Stitch in Time. It therefore makes sense that much of Saturnalia sounds quite similar to the Twilight Singers' material, particularly the songs where Dulli takes full or most of the writing and singing duties. This is by no means a bad thing; Dulli is all powerful, surging hooks and biting, twisting electric guitars, and Lanegan's baritone -- when he sings both lead and background vocals -- give the words an extra power, subtlety, and resonance, helped no doubt by the visceral growls he adds to lines in "Bęte Noire" and "Circle the Fringes." These are songs drawn from the Gothic tradition, where good and evil and pleasure and pain crisscross and entwine facilely and indelibly, where the secular and the sacred have no clear defining lines. Religious imagery weaves its way in and out, as much a part of the tracks as are the sex and violence and drugs and all the other Lanegan/Dulli constants. "I hear the Rapture's coming," they sing in "The Stations," recalling both life and death as Dulli's snarl rises over his partner's moan, while Lanegan takes the lead on the gospel-inspired "Who Will Lead Us?" and the ominous storm cloud of "All Misery/Flowers," which starts with "Little girls might twitch at the way I hitch" and ends with the refrain of "I tell you my story so that you might save me," as Dulli sings softly behind. So well, in fact, do the two voices work together, that the one track to which only one contributed (Dulli wrote and sings alone on "I Was in Love with You") seems almost out of place, shiny nickels and dimes on the offering plate stuffed with bills. Saturnalia is mysticism and hedonism, saints and sinners, dark and light, but this is no clear-cut Manichaean collaboration. Both Lanegan and Dulli represent this, both contain all the good and the bad they sing about, sometimes at different moments but very often together, and it's that joined duality, that very disturbingly human quality, telling us things about ourselves we'd rather not acknowledge, that makes the album so absolutely alluring.

The Gutter Twins Rock Webster Hall
about 1 year ago

Second time I've seen the brothers Dulli and Lanegan this Winter. First time was at Bowery Ballroom which was at the onset of the tour. Interesting to hear their live approach develop over time. Was a lot looser this last time, which worked well on some numbers and not on others. Sound was crisper at Bowery Ballroom. Webster Hall sometimes gets washy which didn't help some of the harder rockers...

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Album Review: Saturnalia by The Gutter Twins
about 1 year ago
Blog post image preview

*rating* 7.8*summary* High pressure meets low pressure in a storm that roils, crackles, and ultimately passes - for now.*This two person review is by Ethan E. and Sage T.*EE: The album cover is right - a storm is a brewin'. ST: But what kind of storm? EE: That's the question now isn't it.ST: So, to get everyone at home up to speed, The Gutter Twins is the long rumored fusion of Screaming Tre...

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Former Screaming Trees and Afghan Whigs Frontmen Collaborate On New Album as Gutter Twins
about 1 year ago
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Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli frontman of the Afghan Whigs will be hitting the road together as the The Gutter Twins. The Sup Pop veterans will release their debut album, Saturnalia for the label on March 4th, 2008. I couldn’t tell you what Saturnalia’s theme is, but there’s a seeking of transcendence that’s new.” Dulli syas of the Gutter Twins. “I have never writ

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Popping In
about 1 year ago
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Got back to San Francisco on Saturday night. And just in time. I was able to catch the energizing and generous (five encore songs!) headlining set by The Gutter Twins (the highly-anticipated collaboration between alt-rock singer-songwriters Greg Dulli, late of the Afghan Whigs and Twilight Singers, and Mark Lanegan of Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age) at Bimbo's 365 Club in North Bea...

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Stream New Track From The Gutter Twins, "Idle Hands"
about 1 year ago

The Gutter Twins are Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli and they've got a new album, Saturnalia, due out March 4. Here's a track from it.

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Dulli + Lanegan = Beautiful,brooding album full of songs
about 1 year ago

Sitting here listening to the new Gutter Twins record 'Saturnalia'...its like a 30 something's perfect indie rock record.

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Gutter Twins
about 1 year ago

Don't have much to say about this song, except it gives me the chills. Which, come to think about it, is how I feel about most of Mark Lanegan's projects.The album will be out on Sub Pop this spring. Can't wait to hear the rest.

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The Gutter Twins Rock Webster Hall
about 1 year ago

Second time I've seen the brothers Dulli and Lanegan this Winter. First time was at Bowery Ballroom which was at the onset of the tour. Interesting to hear their live approach develop over time. Was a lot looser this last time, which worked well on some numbers and not on others. Sound was crisper at Bowery Ballroom. Webster Hall sometimes gets washy which didn't help some of the harder rockers...

More >
Album Review: Saturnalia by The Gutter Twins
about 1 year ago
Blog post image preview

*rating* 7.8*summary* High pressure meets low pressure in a storm that roils, crackles, and ultimately passes - for now.*This two person review is by Ethan E. and Sage T.*EE: The album cover is right - a storm is a brewin'. ST: But what kind of storm? EE: That's the question now isn't it.ST: So, to get everyone at home up to speed, The Gutter Twins is the long rumored fusion of Screaming Tre...

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The Gutter Twins
about 1 year ago

This album just got released recently, and it's excellent, IMO.

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I know, I know...
11 months ago

I haven't been around in... months? Yeah, I miss this joint, but I've been busy, and the last year has just kicked my ass up and down the street.There have been so many bands discovered, my mind on overload right now, and I can only think of a handful, so forget about a rundown. I'm no good with that stuff anyway. So I'm gonna be lazy and mention just a few I've discovered for myself...The Jake...

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New Gutter Twins!
about 1 year ago
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It's true. Mark Lanegan and Greg Duilli are back with a new record, Adorata. The songs are mostly covers, but for fans it will be welcome addition to their music catalog.

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Hangin' With The Gutter Twins
about 1 year ago
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Today I interviewed Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan for the German music magazine Spex. We talked about L.A., spirituality in music, the record business, and most of all about their upcoming cd release as the Gutter Twins.The Gutter Twins cd called Saturnalia will be released Mar. 4 2008 in the U.S. Its a great cd and everyone should buy a copy when it comes out.There was a photographer there and I...

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New Video from The Gutter Twins
about 1 year ago

What happens with two of the 90s biggest alt-rock personalities get together in a studio? The Gutter Twins. Their first video from "Idle Hands" comes from their 2008 Sub Pop debut "Saturnalia"Check it out below...

Gutter Twins - Idle HandsUploaded by subpoprecords

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