Detroit’s The Hard Lessons make rock music. Not the kind of rock music that plays during beer commercials or in the background at party scenes in bad movies, but the kind of rock that inspires people to stand up, stomp the floor, and
allow themselves to be transported somewhere else. They start Wise Up, their most recent EP, with ghostly backwards masking, cram it full of lilting synth lines and bluesy guitar licks, and, just for good measure, finish it off with an extended guitar freak-out.
In addition to Wise Up, The Hard Lessons have a series of CD singles on the horizon, coming this March. In a nod to both the serial comic strips of the 40’s (think Superman), as well as the record clubs of the 90’s (think Sub Pop), Detroit’s The Hard Lessons will release the first single in a four-part series, B sides and G sides. Release dates begin in November, 2007 on both CD and 45 with special interrelating artwork. Each single will chronicle modern life from both a male and female perspective, as seen through the eyes of the band’s male and female vocalists (and songwriters) Augie and Ko Ko. The first single will feature the songs “See and Be Scene” and “Don’t Shake My Tree,” written and sung by Augie and Ko Ko, respectively. In a music world forever altered by digital downloading, The Hard Lessons are making record collecting fun again.
The band also recently released a CD single in tribute to Neil Young. Hey Hey, My My contains two versions of that track, which often serves as an exclamation point to The Hard Lesson’s live sets. Also included on the disc is a raw version of “Harvest Moon,” performed by vocalist/keyboardist Ko Ko Louise and The Sights’ Eddie Baranek on guitar.
MySpace page with music previews
