Figuring out a way to stay relevant in the music business these days is not an easy task. Success is usually short lived, and turning your buzzworthy band of the moment into a long term, successful career is a rarity. Yet, that’s exactly what The Walkmen have done. The Walkmen burst onto the NYC indie rock scene in the early 2000′s, around the same time as The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. You might remember their song “We’ve Been Had” from a Saturn ad that was literally on every five seconds and since that was back in the day when you still had to watch commercials, there was no avoiding it. Our favorite jam, “The Rat,” is a Lower East Side anthem for the ages. It reminds us of being young and getting stupid at Darkroom circa 2004 and has been on pretty much every iPod playlist we’ve made since then. Somehow, 465,331 plays in, it still rocks our faces off like the first time we ever heard it.
A decade removed from being the “it” band of the moment, The Walkmen are bigger and more important than they’ve ever been. Expect to see their latest release, Lisbon, on all kinds of year end Lists in the coming weeks, and if you don’t already have it, you should seriously consider picking it up at Amazon for $7.99.
We recently caught up with lead walkman himself, Hamilton Leithauser (all the way left in the photo) who is not only talented at belting out howling choruses, but also capable of showing you a good time around Brooklyn. Check out his restaurant picks below. Roman’s is high on our list for 2011.
Hamilton’s “Perfect For” Picks
Outdoor/Patio Situation
Saraghina (435 Halsey St.) – “A handsome garden. The inside is also done very well. Brick oven pizza is I guess the main draw, but everything I’ve had has been good.”
Small Plates
Roman’s (243 Dekalb Ave.) – “The food is great. They make a “daily sour” drink that is always worth ordering.”
Specialty Cocktails
James (605 Carlton Ave.) – “They have a nice little bar in a very well-put together room. I remember the gin cocktails were terrific.”
Neighborhood Hang
Chavellas (732 Classon Ave.) – “Very cheap but delicious mexican food. Cheap enough that you don’t have to feel guilty about having gone out to dinner at all.”
Adventurous Eating
Grand Dakar (285 Grand Ave.) – “Delicious west African cuisine that, once every five or so times you go there, will leave you violently ill.”
Hamilton’s Twitter People
@TheWalkmen – Walt tweets from our account while we’re on the road.
@BobDylan – Bob news.
@the_av_club – We love The Onion and just covered “Holiday Road” for their site.
@mickmgmt – We like our management company.
