May Alternative Record of the Month - Lord Huron - Vide Noir

In early 2010, musician Ben Schneider returned from L.A. to his home state of Michigan and recorded 3 songs. Those tracks would end up serving as Lord Hurons's first EP Into the Sun. As the record began to gain traction, Schneider put a band together to take the show on the road. 

By the end of 2010, Lord Huron was steadily touring and had released a second EP entitled Mighty. The debut full-length, Lonesome Dreams, followed in 2012 after they signed to indie label Iamsound Records. The album rose all the way to #3 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart after selling 3,000 copies in the first week. 

2015's Strange Trails brought the band a little closer to the spotlight. Their second full-length LP, it snagged the #23 slot on the Billboard 200 and topped the Folk Albums chart selling 18,000 copies. Lord Huron's big break happened when hit single "The Night We Met" was featured on controversial Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. The song broke onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart (an all-format chart!) at #84, and was certified platinum as of February of 2018. 

Vide Noir is the latest effort from Lord Huron, released in April, it's their first recording for a major label; Republic Records. Flaming Lips and Tame Impala producer Dave Fridmann mixed the album, adding expansive electronic layers to the signature Lord Huron sound. Lead single "Ancient Names (Part 1)" arrived in January, followed by "Wait By the River" in February. Both songs charted on the US Rock chart at #45 and #47 respectively, while "Wait By the River" went all the way to #14 on the US AAA chart. 

You can still hear a bit of Strange Trails, but there's something new in the repertoire courtesy of mastermind Fridmann. It's the kind of record that begs to be listened to on a summer night drive with the windows rolled all the way down. 

We've chosen Vide Noir as our Alternative Record of the Month for May, and we hope you enjoy listening as much as we did! Check out the track "Emerald Star", it's a favorite for sure. 

B.T.R.C. - Rudy Newman

Track Listing

What critics are saying about Vide Noir...

"In the wake of that unexpected mainstream success, the band have stepped up a level for their third album ‘Vide Noir’, signing to a major label (Universal’s Republic Records) and working with big names such as Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala, MGMT) and Sonny DiPerri (Warpaint, Animal Collective). The concept is bigger, too. The album title is French for ‘black void’ and its contents find Schneider’s narrator working his way through a trippy and inextricable mix of heartbreak and depression..."
Larry Bartleet - NME "Lord Huron - 'Vide Noir' Review"