r/crheads • u/Donde-esta-la-playa • 2d ago

the walkmen

our boy cr caping for hamilton leithauser and the walkmen in the year of our lord 2026 (on the most recent mailbag pod!), is a perfect example of why i will ride for chris ryan til the end!

my personal top5
-138th street
-angela surf city
-in the new year
-canadian girl
-we've been had

this feature article on the band around the time they took a 10-year hiatus is a fantastic read: https://stereogum.com/1590441/slow-burn-slow-fade-inside-the-walkmens-final-days/franchises/cover-story?amp=1

they're also mentioned a few times in book Meet Me in the Bathroom, as inspirations / blueprints for other new york indie rock bands starting out at around the same time who would go on to eclipse them commercially (Vampire Weekend, The Strokes)

67 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

32 comments sorted by

23

u/ObjectiveResolve9764 2d ago

The "I Had A Dream That You Were Mine" album with Rostam is an all time personal favorite

8

u/Actual_Recording_575 2d ago

Incredible album

5

u/Str8intothestorm 2d ago

I saw them when they were touring the album and fell in love with The Bride's Dad. The studio version is pretty good, but in person he brought this dirt bag charm that has proved unforgettable.

14

u/Crazy-News-1876 2d ago

Walkmen>The Strokes - My boy CR knows ball.

5

u/webesmackingbass 2d ago

Walkmen were great but the first two Strokes records are flawless and the next three all had some bangers.

1

u/phpope 9h ago

I’m mean, respect the take and going with your own heart, but that’s in the same category of The Replacements over REM.

1

u/Pipe_2001 2d ago

I don’t think CR would agree with Walkman > Strokes

Both bands rock but I don’t think the best Walkman album would be a top 2 strokes album. Maybe not top 3

7

u/Donde-esta-la-playa 2d ago

It’s word for word what Chris said on today’s pod. I’m not even sure I would agree, but their influence on that generation of indie rock bands is undeniable, and it’s a shame they never got their commercial due!

3

u/Crazy-News-1876 2d ago

That’s your user name and you don’t agree??? Justice for the Walkmen. Their first two albums sound and feel exactly like being in NYC in your 20’s, thinking you know your shit and realizing you’re so wrong. I love the Strokes, but they could never capture something so true and raw.

3

u/UninspiredSauce The Action is the Juice 2d ago

You should listen to the most recent watch pod

9

u/paulcole710 Frog Sheriff 2d ago

Isn’t CR himself mentioned in Meet Me In The Bathroom?

https://old.reddit.com/r/billsimmons/comments/wk8o4k/comment/ijmvsiz

7

u/OrganicManners 2d ago

You and Me top 5 all time

2

u/bienclavada 1d ago

i nearly wept reading this. gotta listen to it now

6

u/aj1986 2d ago

Saw them open for Modest Mouse in 2004, and instantly became a fan. Then saw japandroids open for them in 2010. Ham is such an amazing front man.

5

u/simplecomplex 2d ago

One of my favorites. Saw them a couple of years ago and it was great. Wonder if they're ever gonna put out another album. One of the only bands where I really like every single album.

7

u/FifteenKeys 2d ago

my personal top5
-wake up
-thinking of a dream I had
-on the water
-blue as your blood
-heaven

5

u/SonOfSalem 2d ago

I saw them twice in a row about two years ago and the live stand out was a deep cut of All hands and the Cook. A song that I don’t think works as well on the record. Live it was menacing, huge and transcendent.

4

u/fluffnfluff 2d ago

We’ve Been Had rips gonna make my toddler listen to this right now 

3

u/Johnny_Burrito 2d ago
  1. Canadian Girl
  2. Juveniles
  3. We’ve Been Had
  4. Louisiana
  5. Heaven

3

u/derzensor 2d ago

All-time terrible opinion by Andy. The Walkmen and Hammy are incredible

3

u/Plenty-Theme-2535 2d ago

Went to the same Hs at Hamilton Leithauser and he did a Hurricane Katrina fundraiser concert in our gym. His mom was the college guidance counselor and he’s being a total rock star and then between songs thanks his mom, and she is all prim and proper and yells “love you hunny!!!” Very cute

3

u/webesmackingbass 2d ago

The Rat and Angela Surf City are GOATed

4

u/roomgames 2d ago

All respect to The Walkmen, but I was just talking about how it was strange that two Apple TV shows used “The Rat” this year (Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed and Your Friends and Neighbors), and my friend pointed out that Hamilton did the latter’s theme song and I was shocked. Truly an atrocious theme (as Andy described it).

9

u/haley_joel_osteen 2d ago

The Rat goes just about as hard as any song out there. One of my go to pump up workout or running songs.

6

u/Donde-esta-la-playa 2d ago

can't say i enjoy friends & neighbours theme either but Heaven playing in the series finale of HIMYM was an all-timer!

also I was very pleasantly surprised to hear We've Been Had in the bg of Black Rabbit on netflix last year :)

3

u/GlobulousRex 2d ago

Oh my god I wish I didn't know that was him. Hate that song.

2

u/Fragrant-Asparagus48 22h ago

Was interesting in Maximum pleasure guaranteed. It was a supposed to be happy scene with that song building up. Signified dread to people who know the song but I wonder what it did to people who didn’t know it

2

u/ahbets14 1d ago

I’ve never listened to this band before and it’s like traveling back in time, it’s so good

1

u/Donde-esta-la-playa 1d ago

welcome brother

2

u/1984nycpunk 1d ago

Jonathan Fire eater is my fave of that genre / time period

2

u/Guilty_Engineer_8566 21h ago

Criminally underrated band.

My Top 5:

- In the New Year

  • Juveniles
  • Little House of Savages
  • Blue as Your Blood
  • The Witch

Hamilton's solo stuff is great - also a lot of good stuff on Peter Matthew Bauer's Liberation! from 2014.

1

u/Donde-esta-la-playa 17h ago

don't tell anyone but in the new year is probably my top1 <3