Thanks to everyone who has been so kind to us over the years! After 6 years on and off, we have officially called it quits! But don't worry, Lee is still making new music with his new band Fat Camp! Check them out here: FAT CAMP WEBSITE
Member Since: 01/03/2007
Band Website: www.latoolanddie.com
Band Members:
Don't Touch My Mustache Discussed on Musique Plus!
Influences: Every goddamned thing we have ever heard!
Sounds Like: With an eccentric band name, lyrics like, “Mountain lions and grizzly bears / May rip our flesh off, but we don’t care / Cause we’re in love,†and an album rife with synth keys, Charlotte’s L.A. Tool and Die could be accused of not taking itself too seriously.
While that accusation might be true, the songs that work the best on The Last Thorn of Summer. L.A. Tool and Die’s second album, are the staid, sober ones. Tracks like “Waltz,†“Brother Rest†and the standout “Well-A-Day†operate in an understated, muted tone that better fit guitarist/vocalist Lee Grutman’s resonant voice - a voice that fluctuates from “Nashville Skylineâ€-era Dylan to in-shower crooning (especially on the oddly-intoned “Good Things for Youâ€).
-Performer Magazine
What you can expect from dyed-in-the-wool pop purists L.A. Tool and Die is absolute brilliance. These six lads from Charlotte, NC whimsically serve up a buffet of catchy tunes designed to make you forget about the fact that rock n' roll is taken all too seriously in current times. The opening track, "Jesus Saved Me at the Record Show" is a spoof on aspiring rockers who believe in some sort of divine manifestation the instant that they decide to form a band of supposedly loyal scenesters. The taunting lyrics mock those who attend shows with an agenda that involves more than simply enjoying themselves: Twee kittens, punkers, and Emo, too/I saved Elf Power and I'll save you." LA Tool and Die realize that making music is not about whether or not youre hip, and they urge the kids when Lee sings "Just get on stage and go make some noise."
-Nessim Halioua, Left Off The Dial
L.A. Tool and Die is a band that is doing it for the right reason which is simply...to have a good time. The fresh, sincere, upbeat tunes on Fashion for the Evildoer are brimming over with good vibes. The band's general direction may best be summed up by their appropriate cover of the Sparks tune "Eaten By The Monster of Love." L.A. Tool and Die is a lighthearted pop band with no interest in providing difficult or complex music. Instead, the band members provide music that is simple and direct. As a result, the album is an easy spin. The lyrics and the playing are obviously genuine and heartfelt. This, the fourtieth release (!) from Charlotte's AAJ Records is a keeper. Cool cuts include "Jesus Saved Me at the Record Show," "Lucky For Me," and "Game Over." (Rating: 4+++)
- Baby Sue Magazine
Jesus saved me at the record show. Said indie rock is the way to go. With folded arms and vacant stares. Shoegazing kiddies that just don't care.
So Jesus said "I will save them all". Between the sets in a bathroom stall. Twee kittens, punkers, and emo, too. I saved Elf Power and I'll save you.
And I don't care if you whine or rock. If you play Fender or Rickenbach(er). Just get on stage and go make some noise. For indie girlies and indie boys.
Those are lyrics from "Jesus Saved Me at the Record Show", the first track of the debut L.A. Tool and Die album, Fashion for the Evildoer. There you have what just might be an updated version of "Gimme Indie Rock". Just like the Sebadoh classic, you have an indie band temporarily detaching itself from the scene as a whole and singing a reverent, yet sarcasm-tinged tribute to it. Any band who can write a witty meta-indie rock song like this must be something special, right?
I don't think I've heard a band that sounds quite like them.
-Eric Wolf, Mundane Sounds
Record Label: AAJ Records/Unchikun Records
Type of Label: Indie