The Donkeys

The Donkeys self-titled debut is an instant classic. We know you’ve heard this sort of hyperbolic crap before and it’s usually a total letdown. We at Antenna Farm can’t change the past but we can guarantee the supreme ruling-ness of The Donkeys. They hail from San Diego and if you need credentials they’ve played as the backing band for both Casiotone For The Painfully Alone and Cass McCombs. That alone should give you an idea of their range. These dudes draw a line from classics like The Velvet Underground, Curtis Mayfield and Television to The Kingsbury Manx, Of Montreal and The Radar Bros.

The Donkeys debut album covers a stupefying amount of musical territory in the span of 40 minutes. From the fuzzed out psychedelics of “She’s A Wolf” and “No Need For Oxygen,” to the country-rock of “Come On Virginia” and “Blood Hill,” to the indie-pop of “In The Morning” and “Black Cat,” these boys don’t care about distinctions of pop music, and after a listen, you won’t either.

Recorded throughout 2005 by Jason Quever (Papercuts) at his Pan American Recording Studio, The Donkeys is a timeless collection of American popular music. That is, if your definition of pop music goes all the way from Blind Willie McTell to Pavement. And even if it doesn’t, you’ll want to add this album to your short list of essential listening.