Draft:The Winter Blanket

• Comment: Things like "City Pages". 2004. does not give enough for anyone to verify. Which City Pages, when in 2004 and on what page. KylieTastic (talk) 16:48, 15 December 2023 (UTC)

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The Winter Blanket was a band from Illinois and Minnesota that composed music in multiple genres, including slowcore, folk-rock, Americana, and indie rock. The band formed in Moline, Illinois, in 1999, with Doug Miller on vocals and guitar, Stephanie Davila on vocals, guitar, and keys, Keith Murray on bass and keys, and Paul Blomquist on drums. The group's name matched the icy and isolated Midwestern domestic themes and textures inherent to its music.

The band made its first two albums--Hopeless Lullaby (2000) and Actors and Actresses (2002)--in Low's Duluth, Minnesota, studio 20 Below. The latter saw release on Alan Sparhawk's Chairkickers Music Label, marketed and distributed by Secretly Canadian. Both records garnered critical acclaim in music media and performed well on college radio. The latter broke into the top 75, including spots in the top-ten at several stations around the US. In support of these albums, the band hit the road for dates with Low, Idaho, Richard Buckner, M. Ward, and others. The release of Actors and Actresses also corresponded with a move to Minneapolis.

From a new home base, the group released the first ever music tribute to legendary folk-rock singer Fred Neil, shortly after Neil's passing. The Music for Ghosts EP featured an original song, "The Ghost of Fred Neil," and covers of two Fred Neil numbers. Miller appeared on National Public Radio to discuss the late folk singer. The group later re-recorded its original song about Neil for a compilation album released by The Onion.

In 2004, the band released Prescription Perils on North Carolina's Fractured Discs label. Recorded in Minneapolis with Tom Herbers, this album featured tighter song craft, steeped in 70s country-rock sounds, with greater emphasis on male/female vocal dynamics. The album featured a sparse cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Darkness on the Edge of Town," which became the band's most popular song. The album succeeded on college radio, hitting number one on some stations. In support of this album, the group toured with Norfolk & Western and Jason Molina's Magnolia Electric Company.

Finally, in 2006, the group entered Engine Studio in Chicago to work with producer Brian Deck, who had recently helmed projects for Modest Mouse, Iron and Wine, and Josh Ritter. The resulting Golden Sun exhibited a richer sonic palette that straddled modern rock and classic rock. Initially including twelve songs, the group shelved half the material and released it as a shorter LP. With bassist/keyboardist Dave Campbell and drummer Todd Hansen forming a new rhythm section, the band planned to re-record unreleased material from the Golden Sun sessions. Meanwhile, the group again toured the United States and achieved further praise in national and international music media. The following year, however, the band dissolved, with all four members moving in different directions.

Historically, the Winter Blanket was a notable group within the development of the slowcore and sadcore music genres that enjoyed cult followings in the late 1990s and early 2000s.