The Lawsuits

Philadelphia band The Lawsuits has been gaining steam in the wake of their recent album Cool Cool Cool, a bouncy, likable release produced by Bill Moriarty, known for his work with fellow Philly musicians Dr. Dog. The band is comprised of Brian Dale Allen Strouse on guitar and vocals, Vanessa Winters on vocals, Brendan Cunningham on bass and drummer Josh Friedman.

As a follow-up to their album release and a preview of what’s to come for music fans at CMJ next week, The Lawsuits have release a video for their catchy track “Love is Weight.” Watch the video in the player below. - Paste

When The Lawsuits swung by WXPN this spring to record a Key Studio Session, they performed a track that we didn’t release. Not by my choice, necessarily – I thought it sounded great. But the band went through four or five versions of the poppy and anthemic “Arts and Crafts,” stopping each time to breathe heavy sighs and say “no, no, that’s not working, let’s try it again.”

“What’s not working?” I wondered aloud in the control room, not picking up on whatever nuanced flub or minor shortcoming the ‘Suits were stressing out over (note: this happens all the time with any number of artists). Their manager Bryan Schreck looked at me and simply said “Wait till you hear how it sounds on the album.” Though it seemed like a solid performance to me, the band had only just begun working out how to play the song live, and they wanted something that captured its uplifting vibe. And though I didn’t quite get it at the time, they were right.

“Arts and Crafts,” the opening track of their new Cool Cool Cool LP, sounds intricate and tremendous. Its big guitar chords unfurl over a staged sample of a creative arts workshop (that’s the wife of producer Bill Moriarty doing the narration), and then we dive into the storytelling verse. Singer Brian Dale Allen Strouse gives his take on a sensitive and introspective character beginning another year at school: “I think the teacher really likes me / this could be the year I really get lucky.” He’s got a surreal slap-back echo on his voice, and the song rumbles to a big refrain, a ringing guitar-lead amid a stream of harmonizing oohs and aahs: “Hey, here we are, gather ’round, gonna make it stick.”

It’s ecstatic. It’s something I can imagine in so many different contexts – alt rock radio in the late 90s sandwiched between Semisonic and Marcy Playground, the opening credits of a John Hughes movie from the 80s, the trailer of a Freaks and Geeks esque TV series today, a story of misfits and creatives trying to find their way in the world. It also shows just how far The Lawsuits are able to stretch their range on their full-length debut.

As we mentioned yesterday, the band got lumped into the alt-Americana world for a long while, between the truckstop rock of the Hot Love EP and the mysterious folk of its followup, Numbers. They weren’t necessarily keen on it – sorry if any of that was our doing, gang – and they handily use this album to show what else they’ve got in store. There’s swinging 50s pop (“Anybody’s Girl”) and soaring gospel (“You Won’t Love Me If You Don’t,” which vocalist Vanessa Winters totally slays). The quirky “Onion” moves around in Beatles territory, but has a definite reggae undercurrent. Notes of jazz blend with pop via the clarinet accents of “Dreaming #26? and the slinky, mysterious vocals on “Long Drive Home” (another Winters lead cut).

And of course the band showcases its power alley – roots / country / folk – in plenty of spots, like the rousing “10 Cent Piece” and the expansive, chill-inducing “Odd Like a Hymn (Flies in the Butter)” – which is about the closest this band gets to sounding like The Band. The latter is a fine show of another side of Strouse’s songwriting – sure he does character sketches expertly, but he also dives deep into Dylan-inspired free-association: “We drove out across the New Jersey gutters / from the wheels to the backseat, it was produced in Detroit.”

If the album has a shortcoming, it’s that it perhaps tries to do too many things. Even though it does these things well, and mixes them up in a way that’s cohesive – this is thanks to Moriarty’s production establishing a consistent tone from track to track – in the end, the focus is perhaps not as sharp as we’re likely to hear on the band’s subsequent albums.

But that’s okay; that’s what discographies are all about. The Lawsuits have proven themselves as powerhouse songwriters, and a tight performing unit. They’ve established their mastery of the Americana world, and shown that they’re adept at a host of other styles under the broader rock umbrella. And even though what Cool Cool Cool captures is a young band still in search of its voice, the journey is a delightful thing to listen in on.

Cool Cool Cool is the featured album in this week’s installment of Unlocked; get a free download of “Dreaming #26? in yesterday’s post, and check back later this week for an interview, a video and more. - WXPN The Key

When The Lawsuits swung by WXPN this spring to record a Key Studio Session, they performed a track that we didn’t release. Not by my choice, necessarily – I thought it sounded great. But the band went through four or five versions of the poppy and anthemic “Arts and Crafts,” stopping each time to breathe heavy sighs and say “no, no, that’s not working, let’s try it again.”

“What’s not working?” I wondered aloud in the control room, not picking up on whatever nuanced flub or minor shortcoming the ‘Suits were stressing out over (note: this happens all the time with any number of artists). Their manager Bryan Schreck looked at me and simply said “Wait till you hear how it sounds on the album.” Though it seemed like a solid performance to me, the band had only just begun working out how to play the song live, and they wanted something that captured its uplifting vibe. And though I didn’t quite get it at the time, they were right.

“Arts and Crafts,” the opening track of their new Cool Cool Cool LP, sounds intricate and tremendous. Its big guitar chords unfurl over a staged sample of a creative arts workshop (that’s the wife of producer Bill Moriarty doing the narration), and then we dive into the storytelling verse. Singer Brian Dale Allen Strouse gives his take on a sensitive and introspective character beginning another year at school: “I think the teacher really likes me / this could be the year I really get lucky.” He’s got a surreal slap-back echo on his voice, and the song rumbles to a big refrain, a ringing guitar-lead amid a stream of harmonizing oohs and aahs: “Hey, here we are, gather ’round, gonna make it stick.”

It’s ecstatic. It’s something I can imagine in so many different contexts – alt rock radio in the late 90s sandwiched between Semisonic and Marcy Playground, the opening credits of a John Hughes movie from the 80s, the trailer of a Freaks and Geeks esque TV series today, a story of misfits and creatives trying to find their way in the world. It also shows just how far The Lawsuits are able to stretch their range on their full-length debut.

As we mentioned yesterday, the band got lumped into the alt-Americana world for a long while, between the truckstop rock of the Hot Love EP and the mysterious folk of its followup, Numbers. They weren’t necessarily keen on it – sorry if any of that was our doing, gang – and they handily use this album to show what else they’ve got in store. There’s swinging 50s pop (“Anybody’s Girl”) and soaring gospel (“You Won’t Love Me If You Don’t,” which vocalist Vanessa Winters totally slays). The quirky “Onion” moves around in Beatles territory, but has a definite reggae undercurrent. Notes of jazz blend with pop via the clarinet accents of “Dreaming #26? and the slinky, mysterious vocals on “Long Drive Home” (another Winters lead cut).

And of course the band showcases its power alley – roots / country / folk – in plenty of spots, like the rousing “10 Cent Piece” and the expansive, chill-inducing “Odd Like a Hymn (Flies in the Butter)” – which is about the closest this band gets to sounding like The Band. The latter is a fine show of another side of Strouse’s songwriting – sure he does character sketches expertly, but he also dives deep into Dylan-inspired free-association: “We drove out across the New Jersey gutters / from the wheels to the backseat, it was produced in Detroit.”

If the album has a shortcoming, it’s that it perhaps tries to do too many things. Even though it does these things well, and mixes them up in a way that’s cohesive – this is thanks to Moriarty’s production establishing a consistent tone from track to track – in the end, the focus is perhaps not as sharp as we’re likely to hear on the band’s subsequent albums.

But that’s okay; that’s what discographies are all about. The Lawsuits have proven themselves as powerhouse songwriters, and a tight performing unit. They’ve established their mastery of the Americana world, and shown that they’re adept at a host of other styles under the broader rock umbrella. And even though what Cool Cool Cool captures is a young band still in search of its voice, the journey is a delightful thing to listen in on.

Cool Cool Cool is the featured album in this week’s installment of Unlocked; get a free download of “Dreaming #26? in yesterday’s post, and check back later this week for an interview, a video and more. - WXPN The Key

Although their name might send shivers down your spine, Philadelphia-based group The Lawsuits offer airy tastes of rock that are far from threatening. In their forthcoming record Cool Cool Cool (10/1), the group, led by Brian Dale Allen Strouse and his charismatic vocalist counterpart Vanessa Winters, unleashes a refreshing example of modern bluesy rock. We're pleased to share with you "Anybody's Girl", a track off their new album that attaches catchy riffs reminiscent of Alabama Shakes to the charming harmonies of Strouse and Winters. - Baeble Music

Although their name might send shivers down your spine, Philadelphia-based group The Lawsuits offer airy tastes of rock that are far from threatening. In their forthcoming record Cool Cool Cool (10/1), the group, led by Brian Dale Allen Strouse and his charismatic vocalist counterpart Vanessa Winters, unleashes a refreshing example of modern bluesy rock. We're pleased to share with you "Anybody's Girl", a track off their new album that attaches catchy riffs reminiscent of Alabama Shakes to the charming harmonies of Strouse and Winters. - Baeble Music

The Lawsuits stitch together an array of styles and genres on their latest album, the upcoming Cool Cool Cool. To wit, first single "Dreaming #26" gently tumbles along at a folkie' pace (via Rolling Stone), while the freshly unveiled "Long Drive Home" drifts through the fog created by LP producer and mixer Bill Moriarty (Dr. Dog, Man Man) as if it's the theme to a gloomy noir thriller. Singer Vanessa Winters' soulful vocals flesh out the track's deep blue color scheme, which is just briefly punctured by short, sunny, hopeful interludes from Brian Dale Allen Strouse, the Philadelphia foursome's chief songwriter, guitarist, and singer. Stream "Long Drive Home" below, and watch out for Cool Cool Cool, due October 1. - Spin

"'Dreaming #26' focuses on an artist dealing with their love of creation, as well as their love for another being," The Lawsuits' Brian Dale Allen Strouse tells Rolling Stone. "There never feels like enough time to satisfy both. It's a struggle trying to engage and nurture the creativity one feels internally without letting day to day responsibilities slip through the cracks. So, it seems fitting that the song's music and lyrics were written and recorded simultaneously." - Rolling Stone

"'Dreaming #26' focuses on an artist dealing with their love of creation, as well as their love for another being," The Lawsuits' Brian Dale Allen Strouse tells Rolling Stone. "There never feels like enough time to satisfy both. It's a struggle trying to engage and nurture the creativity one feels internally without letting day to day responsibilities slip through the cracks. So, it seems fitting that the song's music and lyrics were written and recorded simultaneously." - Rolling Stone

On the one hand, The Lawsuits are solidly part of the well-established Philly roots music scene. Their guitars twang, their vocals harmonize, and they gig more often than not with their like-minded bretheren in The Levee Drivers, Toy Soldiers and of late, The Districts. On the other hand, they’re a lot more, interweaving elements of reggae, a 60s pop flair, 80s rock anthemic refrains, highly literate lyrics and swelling arty crescendos. It’s a heady, eclectic blend that gets its first full-length showcase in the record presently wrapping up at producer Bill Moriarty’s East Falls studio, and in this week’s Key Studio Session, we get a taste of the progression the Bucks County band has taken since its uber-country Hot Love EP. For instance – compare the sparse and folky version of “In Deep With the Queen” from the Numbers EP with the swelling rocker we hear below. “Onion” and “Long Drive Home” are unreleased new ones that we’ll hear in their proper, finished versions on the album. We’ve even got some bonus footage of “Long Drive” care of Philly videographer Matthew Smith. Check it all out below, and catch the band in concert at Triumph in New Hope on March 16th. - WXPN

The Lawsuits hail from Doylestown Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It is home to the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, and affords one the chance to pursue interests in farms, vineyards and tree farms. It is a place with a heritage very much of the earth. But, on Darleen, it is the cope of starry heavens to which the band turns its sights. Darleen is astronomical. On "Shooting Star," in a timbre evocative of Bessie Smith, singer Vanessa Winters testifies: "I"ll never fall in love again." On this early track and throughout, an absent lover still shines in secret, and the blues and gospel instrumentation connect the songs to a past, emotionally as well as musically.

On "I'm Still in Love with You," songcraft equal to Bob Dylan's accompanies lyrics in rapture to a lost love: "Like the rays of sun are hot/ Or how the sunshine is bright/ Never once have I stopped loving you." The light from the lover has gone, and the singer burns, but in the dark. In "You"re a Star," musical craft reminiscent of country writers like Joe "Red" Hayes illuminate vocals lamenting a lover whose attractive force holds the singer in orbit long after the last of their light has gone.

All through this collection, opposites and ambiguity abound: night and day, hot and cold, past and present. A listener's ability to reconcile tensions is complicated by a strange but compelling lyric in "Beautiful Anger"; it is a moment which encapsulates the tension recurrent throughout. The vocals of Winters and Brian Dale Allen Strouse are simultaneous yet separate, and their respective harmonies coincide in separation, paralleling lyrics and music at once sad and happy. Ambivalence in lyrical oxymora, as Strouse urges: "So, let's be alone together/ Let's swim in depression all day." "Alone together," impossibly one without the other -- in solitude, these words seem to remember togetherness.

In tears or tides, to "swim in depression" liquefies sadness. To this absent someone, Strouse sings, "You're quite important like the moon." The comparison here implies that, just as without the moon, controller of tides, the lover's absence is chaotic. Water and sea are recurrent interests on this collection. This is fitting for songs which conceal their full depths until you are in them. And you are in them, for they explore loss experienced by everyone. Not only do you recognise a reverent homage to musical legacies, but to your own memories, as well.

"I'm just a sailor on the bottom of the ocean," concedes Strouse as the nautical metaphor continues in "Sailor." "I think it's strange how you can love someone / And once pretend/ Not to know that they exist." Like the lightless star, Darleen as the sea takes you beneath without trace only to restore the seamlessness of her surface.

Lyrically, The Lawsuits appeal by enjoining your interpretation on this track. Cryptically, Strouse sings, "My eyes see more as I see less." Indeed, there is more to see than the brilliance of the imagery, and it is witnessed during the guitar solo which provides one of the most beautifully emotive moments on the album. From 2:37 to 2:44, sheer soulfulness touches upon the anguish so elusive throughout. It should not go unnoticed that deep beneath the strength of these moments is Brendan Michael's bass, and the percussion of Josh Aaron and Mylo, whose collective musicianship is the pulse, the current.

The focus here on certain tracks is not due to a lack in the others, but instead because they exhibit the sounds and issues felt throughout -- that love is not some soft and gentle thing, but a feeling which burns, scorches, freezes and drenches; it can take you to great heights or out of your depth.

The legacies and histories of blues, country and gospel, along with their soulfulness, regret and optimism, befit The Lawsuits' struggles with the past. Their "sound" takes what survives over time without ever relinquishing the urgency of what is affecting them now. Comparisons are unnecessary, for they could lead anywhere from Bob Dylan to Band Of Horses. Suffice to say that in its own right this album shines. Like Darleen the former love, Darleen the album will become part of a history faithfully recalled. After countless impassioned listens, Darleen remains darker in the sky, and traceless in the tides, elusive above and beneath listeners. Yet, herein is the record's excellence; it turns sorrow into solace, and leaves you glad to have found music so attuned to loss.

At the end of "Sailor," a modulated voice poses the question, "When you hear the word love, do you feel anything?" For the confusion felt in love, for the ways you have tried to see through, for all that you seek to guide you thereof, Darleen may be the answer. - Redefine Magazine

The future's so bright I've got to wear shades or so the song goes anyway. There is sunshine in the past too if four piece Philadelphia band The Lawsuits are to be believed and they present the evidence in the form of their new album "Darleen".

It would, of course, be easy to find them guilty on all counts and sentence them to hard time next to fellow revivalists like the Old Crow Medicine Show. Only, it isn't that simple and The Lawsuits have a compelling set of mitigating circumstances (you might better call them songs but I'm big on the metaphors today). With influences reaching back to the tail end of west coast folk rock (with a bit of Delaney and Bonnie thrown in) and even British seventies pop ("Hot Mama" and "You're A Star" could easily have come from the pen of the Chinn/Chapman hit machine), The Lawsuits have that easy going feel down pat. That said, there is no sign of a lack of effort when it comes to the song writing with each one carefully crafted.

While songs like "Summer Lea" ooze the Midwest equivalent of Californian sunshine and charm, the star turn here is the pale blue "Shooting Star" that digs a tunnel to stardom for the adorable vocal talents of Vanessa Winters. She sings "I'll never fall in love again". If she's not going to do it then I'll do it for her. It's as simple as that.

In some ways old fashioned, "Darleen" is proof that it isn't what you do but how you do it that counts and The Lawsuits do what they do with undeniable class here.

Available on a pay what you like basis from Bandcamp.



Review by: Bluesbunny


4 out of 5 carrots - Blues Bunny

With the promise of a full-length and three records already under their belt (2008’s The Antique Sessions EP, 2009’s The Corrina Sessions EP &2010’s A Collection of Love Songs LP), The Lawsuits stir a medley of genres into their scorched Americana sound. From riverside blues sermons (“Talk You Down”) and barroom booty rock (“Hot Mama Blues”) to secluded, forlorn folk (“Beautiful Anger”) and vintage coastal pop-rock (“Heart Grown Cold”), the local four-piece - and idée fixe of singer/songwriter Brian Strouse - wears their sonic influences on their sleeve. But it’s not an ode to what’s been. Instead, The Lawsuits’ workhorses are contemporaries, modernizing a pastoral sound that’s threaded deep into the fabric of America’s sonic blanket. You can watch the outfit weave itself into musical history tonight at West Philly’s Millcreek Tavern for the Philabundance Benefit (also on the all-local acts bill: brooding indie rock troupe Lightninging, female-fronted alt-rock/soul mashup VeNT, and neo-soul rap star Manchilde). Along with the cover charge, bring several canned goods to donate to the food bank and hunger relief organization and help feed the number of hungry families this holiday season. Millcreek Tavern, 4200 Chester Ave. - Annamarya Scaccia (Philadelphia Deli)

http://www.pollifax.com/045_The_Lawsuits.html

"Are you sure you don't want something to eat? Drink? Gas money?" Brian kept asking. A very common question for me these days. Is it so strange to drive to Philly to film his band? I mean, if people drive south or take a train to New York to watch shows in a bars or halls, why wouldn't I do it for a private set?


The Lawsuits made it pretty fun though. Brendan, the bass player, lived in a three-floor apartment with a balcony and a pretty luxurious bathroom where we filmed the first and second songs respectively.


"Are you sure it's ok? I can give you gas money?" Brian, the singer, never failed to ask. "How about some Four Loko?"


Brendan and I spoke a lot of Brooklyn and New Jersey where the band rarely plays. The Lawsuits are a fantastic folk band with their live act showing a bit of some old school blues too. I can see why they would have a hard time fitting in Brooklyn where a lot of musicians are moving into an electronic-experimental type of sound. But they call Philly home and they made it seem so.


We filmed a few songs out on the streets where everyone really welcomed the music, whether it was the old man who owned the suit store the band played in front of or this rundown record store that house some pretty apathetic employees. Philadelphia really is home to this band. It's a great introduction to a massive city I've mostly neglected. Cheers with some Four Loko to more!

http://www.pollifax.com/045_The_Lawsuits.html
- Kevin de Wilde (Pollifax)

http://www.pollifax.com/045_The_Lawsuits.html

"Are you sure you don't want something to eat? Drink? Gas money?" Brian kept asking. A very common question for me these days. Is it so strange to drive to Philly to film his band? I mean, if people drive south or take a train to New York to watch shows in a bars or halls, why wouldn't I do it for a private set?


The Lawsuits made it pretty fun though. Brendan, the bass player, lived in a three-floor apartment with a balcony and a pretty luxurious bathroom where we filmed the first and second songs respectively.


"Are you sure it's ok? I can give you gas money?" Brian, the singer, never failed to ask. "How about some Four Loko?"


Brendan and I spoke a lot of Brooklyn and New Jersey where the band rarely plays. The Lawsuits are a fantastic folk band with their live act showing a bit of some old school blues too. I can see why they would have a hard time fitting in Brooklyn where a lot of musicians are moving into an electronic-experimental type of sound. But they call Philly home and they made it seem so.


We filmed a few songs out on the streets where everyone really welcomed the music, whether it was the old man who owned the suit store the band played in front of or this rundown record store that house some pretty apathetic employees. Philadelphia really is home to this band. It's a great introduction to a massive city I've mostly neglected. Cheers with some Four Loko to more!

http://www.pollifax.com/045_The_Lawsuits.html
- Kevin de Wilde (Pollifax)

Bucks County’s The Lawsuits are just coming on to the Philly music scene, and we think that they will blend in quite nicely with the rich, ever-growing folk scene that seems to constantly inspire others to join it. XPN meet guitarist/vocalist Brian Strousse, bassist Brendan Cunningham, vocalist Vanessa Winters and drummer Josh Friedman. They are The Lawsuits. You will like them. Here is more about them.

The Deli: How did The Lawsuits start?

The Lawsuits: The four of us met through mutual friends...yada yada yada, here we are.

TD: Where did the band name come from?

TL: It isn't what you think. It refers to the suit of a lawyer...a three-piece suit...black...maybe even pinstriped...with fancy cufflinks. "The Birthdaysuits" was a close second, but we like to keep it classy when we party.

TD: What are your biggest musical influences?

TL: Dr. Dog, Bob Dylan, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Sam Cooke, Fleetwood Mac, Ween, John Prine, Merle Haggard, Zeppelin, ELO are the first to come to mind, but there are dozens of others.

TD: What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently listening to?

TL: Drink Up Buttercup, Ground Up, and Dopapod are all comprised of various friends of ours from high school so we tend to follow them a bit closer than others. We also love Nicky Egan, Levee Drivers, Toy Soldiers, Birdie Busch, Ween and Dr. Dog.

TD: What's the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought?

TL: First Concert - Soulive (Vanessa), The Who (Brendan), Bob Dylan (Brian), and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Josh).

First Album - Spin Doctors: POCKET FULL OF KRYPToNITE (Vanessa), Chumbawumba: TUBTHUMPING (Brendan), Wings - GREATEST HITS (Brian), and Will Smith - BIG WILLIE STYLE (Josh).

TD: What do you love about Philly?

TL: The FOOD, the beer and a shot deal for $3, the history , First Friday's in Olde City, Tailgating in K-Lot, "World Phucking Champions!", El Camino Real, Fairmount Park. How each street is like a different country.

TD: What do you hate about Philly?

TL: Hearing it referred to as "New York's little brother", Bikers in center city who ride in the middle of the street, "construction", pot holes that never get filled, Jersey drivers, parking, Duck Tours, PPA, Cab drivers, inadequate subway system.

TD: What are your plans for 2010?

TL: New album, New Tour, New Loves and 2011.

TD: What was your most memorable live show?

TL: Playing a hole in the wall called The Rock-it club in WV. I knew we were with good people when we actually stayed to play the show instead of running for the hills (hotel).

TD: What's your favorite thing to get at the deli?

TL: Italian hoagie with a huge pickle (it's all about the pickle!). Turkey LTO oil vinigar motz cheese, or anything with chicken in it.time. Also, Head Cheese with cheese.

(This last question was added by The Lawsuits.)

TL: What’s your favorite thing to do as a band?

TL: Make scrapbooks and discuss the complexities of sex and the city.

(Photo by Nicole Nocentino)

- The Deli Staff - Philadelphia Deli

Bucks County’s The Lawsuits are just coming on to the Philly music scene, and we think that they will blend in quite nicely with the rich, ever-growing folk scene that seems to constantly inspire others to join it. XPN meet guitarist/vocalist Brian Strousse, bassist Brendan Cunningham, vocalist Vanessa Winters and drummer Josh Friedman. They are The Lawsuits. You will like them. Here is more about them.

The Deli: How did The Lawsuits start?

The Lawsuits: The four of us met through mutual friends...yada yada yada, here we are.

TD: Where did the band name come from?

TL: It isn't what you think. It refers to the suit of a lawyer...a three-piece suit...black...maybe even pinstriped...with fancy cufflinks. "The Birthdaysuits" was a close second, but we like to keep it classy when we party.

TD: What are your biggest musical influences?

TL: Dr. Dog, Bob Dylan, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Sam Cooke, Fleetwood Mac, Ween, John Prine, Merle Haggard, Zeppelin, ELO are the first to come to mind, but there are dozens of others.

TD: What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently listening to?

TL: Drink Up Buttercup, Ground Up, and Dopapod are all comprised of various friends of ours from high school so we tend to follow them a bit closer than others. We also love Nicky Egan, Levee Drivers, Toy Soldiers, Birdie Busch, Ween and Dr. Dog.

TD: What's the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought?

TL: First Concert - Soulive (Vanessa), The Who (Brendan), Bob Dylan (Brian), and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Josh).

First Album - Spin Doctors: POCKET FULL OF KRYPToNITE (Vanessa), Chumbawumba: TUBTHUMPING (Brendan), Wings - GREATEST HITS (Brian), and Will Smith - BIG WILLIE STYLE (Josh).

TD: What do you love about Philly?

TL: The FOOD, the beer and a shot deal for $3, the history , First Friday's in Olde City, Tailgating in K-Lot, "World Phucking Champions!", El Camino Real, Fairmount Park. How each street is like a different country.

TD: What do you hate about Philly?

TL: Hearing it referred to as "New York's little brother", Bikers in center city who ride in the middle of the street, "construction", pot holes that never get filled, Jersey drivers, parking, Duck Tours, PPA, Cab drivers, inadequate subway system.

TD: What are your plans for 2010?

TL: New album, New Tour, New Loves and 2011.

TD: What was your most memorable live show?

TL: Playing a hole in the wall called The Rock-it club in WV. I knew we were with good people when we actually stayed to play the show instead of running for the hills (hotel).

TD: What's your favorite thing to get at the deli?

TL: Italian hoagie with a huge pickle (it's all about the pickle!). Turkey LTO oil vinigar motz cheese, or anything with chicken in it.time. Also, Head Cheese with cheese.

(This last question was added by The Lawsuits.)

TL: What’s your favorite thing to do as a band?

TL: Make scrapbooks and discuss the complexities of sex and the city.

(Photo by Nicole Nocentino)

- The Deli Staff - Philadelphia Deli

"Are you sure you don't want something to eat? Drink? Gas money?" Brian kept asking. A very common question for me these days. Is it so strange to drive to Philly to film his band? I mean, if people drive south or take a train to New York to watch shows in a bars or halls, why wouldn't I do it for a private set?


The Lawsuits made it pretty fun though. Brendan, the bass player, lived in a three-floor apartment with a balcony and a pretty luxurious bathroom where we filmed the first and second songs respectively.


"Are you sure it's ok? I can give you gas money?" Brian, the singer, never failed to ask. "How about some Four Loko?"


Brendan and I spoke a lot of Brooklyn and New Jersey where the band rarely plays. The Lawsuits are a fantastic folk band with their live act showing a bit of some old school blues too. I can see why they would have a hard time fitting in Brooklyn where a lot of musicians are moving into an electronic-experimental type of sound. But they call Philly home and they made it seem so.


We filmed a few songs out on the streets where everyone really welcomed the music, whether it was the old man who owned the suit store the band played in front of or this rundown record store that house some pretty apathetic employees. Philadelphia really is home to this band. It's a great introduction to a massive city I've mostly neglected. Cheers with some Four Loko to more!
- Kevin de Wilde (Pollifax)

"Are you sure you don't want something to eat? Drink? Gas money?" Brian kept asking. A very common question for me these days. Is it so strange to drive to Philly to film his band? I mean, if people drive south or take a train to New York to watch shows in a bars or halls, why wouldn't I do it for a private set?


The Lawsuits made it pretty fun though. Brendan, the bass player, lived in a three-floor apartment with a balcony and a pretty luxurious bathroom where we filmed the first and second songs respectively.


"Are you sure it's ok? I can give you gas money?" Brian, the singer, never failed to ask. "How about some Four Loko?"


Brendan and I spoke a lot of Brooklyn and New Jersey where the band rarely plays. The Lawsuits are a fantastic folk band with their live act showing a bit of some old school blues too. I can see why they would have a hard time fitting in Brooklyn where a lot of musicians are moving into an electronic-experimental type of sound. But they call Philly home and they made it seem so.


We filmed a few songs out on the streets where everyone really welcomed the music, whether it was the old man who owned the suit store the band played in front of or this rundown record store that house some pretty apathetic employees. Philadelphia really is home to this band. It's a great introduction to a massive city I've mostly neglected. Cheers with some Four Loko to more!
- Kevin de Wilde (Pollifax)

The Lawsuits, hailing from Philadelphia, have a very bluesy sound, with an almost Beatles-esque feel to their music. "Have You Seen My Baby Tonight?" takes six minutes of your time to take you all over the place. The song starts with an enjoyable bluesy riff, and an overall bouncy feel to it. Then somewhere around four minutes in it takes quite a hazy, psychedelic turn. In between all that it manages to bring about all sorts of delightful vibes, and the band demonstrates a definite ability to craft a good song. - Get Off The Coast

At the heart of the band is singer/songwriter Brian Strouse who likes to mix things up style wise. The band’s sound is achieved by mixing folk, rock, alternative and blues rock styles of music together.

Many of the band’s songs are arranged so that they wind down to an ending point and just when you think it’s time for the next track to start they roar back to life ending with a ‘jam like’ feel.

My favorite tracks are when the band goes into their blues rock mode like on the tracks, “One More Chance Blues,” and “Feelin’ Free Blues.” The ‘for grown ears only’ track, “I Don’t Ever Want to Have Sex Again,” is an alt. rock sounding track that takes a lighthearted poke at the subject of sex.

I also liked the big guitar parts that drive the track, “Love Love Love,” along with “Seen my baby?,” a rhythmic track that features a nice steady drum beat that keeps things on track along with a nice mix of both male and female vocals that are found on it.

You definitely won’t get bored while listening to The Lawsuits music with both its eclectic touches and slightly experimental edges that help to form their unique sound. - C.W. Ross

The Lawsuits, hailing from Philadelphia, have a very bluesy sound, with an almost Beatles-esque feel to their music. "Have You Seen My Baby Tonight?" takes six minutes of your time to take you all over the place. The song starts with an enjoyable bluesy riff, and an overall bouncy feel to it. Then somewhere around four minutes in it takes quite a hazy, psychedelic turn. In between all that it manages to bring about all sorts of delightful vibes, and the band demonstrates a definite ability to craft a good song. - Get Off The Coast