Today’s song is “Cripple John” by Nineteen Thirteen. The Dayton, Ohio group is comprised of Brett Hill, Evan Davell,Dave Mann, and Kevin Schindel. They are members of Mouth of the Architect, Twelve Tribes, and Neon Warship, etc.
The band came together after an inspiring dream experienced by Evan Davell says vocalist Brett Hill. “1913 was the year that a great flood devastated Dayton, which was the most extensive natural disaster to hit any American city up to that time. It changed the tide for Dayton and was symbolic of the death of the old world for our city.”
The dream also tied in well with two themes Hill wanted to explore as a songwriter. “The results of the changes within that five year period [1913-1918] in Dayton after the flood and across the whole world what with World War One changing the global system entirely. This led to the content of the first two songs on the album.”
In addition to their own ethereal states, the band says their musical inspiration comes from a wide range of influences. Everything from Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Silver Mt. Zion, and Black Mountain to Pink Floyd, Pile, Unwound, The Mars Volta, and Ennio Morricone. Western film soundtracks also have lent a hand to the music-making process.
The song opens with menacing guitar riffs that attract and engage the listener. Even with just a few notes, you can tell this song is going to deliver some powerful music. Then before you know you are hit with the drum beats and dark, sensual crooning vocals.
“Cripple John” is about Hill’s great-great-uncle who had a limp his whole life from a Tennessee kids game where you’d try and scale a whole tree and come back down before the other kid could chop it down with an axe. He got axed in the leg at age six.”
This track is off their debut album, MCMXIII, out today February 26!
Listen below and for more information and to get their album check out their Bandcamp and Facebook pages.