Deer Tick (band) - "The Black Dirt Sessions"

"The Black Dirt Sessions"

The band entered Black Dirt Studios in upstate New York with producer Jason Meagher to add some additional overdubs and mix the remainder of the songs from their 2008 recording session that had already resulted in their earlier album "Born on Flag Day". These songs would become their third album The Black Dirt Sessions. Between the original recording of these songs and the album's release, guitarist Ian O'neill had joined the band so he added rhythm guitar parts to a couple of the songs, and then a few months later (also before the album was released) lead guitarist Andrew Tobiassen left the band. On June 8, 2010, the album was released on Partisan Records. During the period between recording the album and its release, the band also added another new official member, Rob Crowell (keyboard and saxophone) to their line up.

On June 16, 2010, Deer Tick made their network television debut on the Late Show with David Letterman. Although the appearance came only a week after the new album was released, Deer Tick didn't perform anything from The Black Dirt Sessions, and instead chose to play a song from their very first album: "Baltimore Blues No. 1". Renowned British music journalist and editor Allan Jones wrote in UNCUT Magazine that "Deer Tick noisily essayed the kind of rock 'n' roll you don’t hear these days as often as you’d maybe like, the sort that lights up everything around it like a burning house, and feel inclined therefore to cheer until you’re hoarse when you do". The band signed a deal with Fargo Records to have all three of their albums distributed throughout the United Kingdom.