DRUG RUG at Rockwood Music Hall for CMJ 2009

Couple-fronted rock bands can get annoying. Or gimmicky. Or messy. But, despite their Boston rock band fairytale beginnings (Sara Cronin and Tommy Allen met while they were both working at the Middle East, and spent their first date playing music together) Drug Rug somehow manage to stay away from the trappings of indie rock spun from young love and manage to, well, rock.

Clearly pulling from a myriad of 60s-era references, their latest release, Paint The Fence Invisible, sways languidly from the dark and shimmery electro-tinged opener “Follow” to the assertive twang of “Never Tell” to Cronin’s sweet crooning layered over minimal guitar picking on the title-track.  In between, there are the haunting harmonies of “Don’t Be Frightened By The Devil,” the lazy but steady thrash of “Coffee In The Morning” and the fast-paced, finger wagging “Hannah, Please” that has Cronin’s award-winning vocals channeling a pissed-off Karen O. It’s all held together by varying but ever-present levels of fuzz, chug and twang and a pair of voices that just plain sound good together. (We’ll refrain from the “they make beautiful music together” cliche but, yeah.)

After seeing them twice at CMJ (both at the shoebox tiny Rockwood Music Hall and the cavernous Bowery Ballroom) as well as at their native Middle East Downstairs, we can attest to the fact that a live show from Drug Rug consists of straight-up, foot-stompin’ rock n roll. Sarah took some time out to chat us up about what the band has been up to since the release of their album and what’s in store for Drug Rug in the coming months.

–Jessie Rogers

DRUG RUG at The Bowery Ballroom for CMJ 2009

What has been going on with Drug Rug since we caught up with you at CMJ ‘09?

Lots of hibernating physically, and mentally pollinating different musical ideas…we have a permanent demo/idea machine set up in most of the bedroom.

You have already played with heavyweights like as Dr. Dog and Portugal. The Man, is there an artist that you are dying to go on the road with?

I always say The Breeders in answer to this question. Maybe if i say it enough times it will come true. Breeders Breeders Breeders.

Do you have any ghost stories from your time recording Paint The Fence Invisible at Old Soul in Catskill, NY?

You know that feeling when sometimes you are home alone and something is watching you? Something is behind your back, but when you turn around nothing is there…We never really saw anything but anytime me or Tommy had to go upstairs to get something, we couldn’t bring ourselves to go alone.

Members of Tulsa and Apollo Sunshine are featured on Paint The Fence Invisible– what kind of influence does the local music community have on your own music?

Me and Tommy tend to be a little bit reclusive, so our little group of buddies does exert a big influence on the music we write and get interested in. We’ve been meaning to go and check out what’s going on at the Whitehaus in Jamaica Plain because we’ve heard they have brought together a great bunch of creative people to make some pretty cool music. Its too bad JP is so far away from us! And that we’re such hermitish weirdos.

DRUG RUG at Rockwood Music Hall for CMJ 2009

Are there any acts in Boston that you are really excited about right now? Old timers? Up-and-comers?

Sam from the Needy Visions gave me a really awesome tape they recently recorded as sort of a warm-up release before their full record comes out. Its sick. I put it in Tommy’s Christmas stocking. We’re also really psyched about Nina Violet right now. We played a show at The Lizard Lounge with her a couple of months ago and we are getting to play with her again on the 15th at the Middle East Upstairs show. She really has an incredible voice and her songs are gorgeous. She’s from the Vineyard.

What/who are you guys listening to right now?

Ray Charles and Margie Hendricks singing “Night Time is the Right Time” on repeat. Also, Nina Simone’s versions of “Revolution” and “To Love Somebody” and Big Star.

Drug Rug is playing The Middle East Upstairs on January 15th, how does it feel playing at the club where it all started?

Honestly, its not nostalgic or anything like that. Tommy still works there a couple nights a week, and I go there alot to have a drink after work, so its really like any other day, except that we are going to have a fucking awesome time and exercise complete soul control on an astral level.

So we are dying to know, what’s up next for Drug Rug in 2010? A new album in the works? More touring?

Both, and sooner than any of us realize.

Drug Rug play the Middle East Upstairs, Saturday 9/15 with Nina Violet, Movers & Shakers and Mikey French Fries

DRUG RUG at The Bowery Ballroom for CMJ 2009