More, Newer, Shinier! The Dodos.
I am literally falling over myself for new music at the moment. There’s barely even been any time for my incoherent, ill-informed rambling insightful social commentary this last week – it’s all been about cranking out the new posts about new things and getting newly overwhelmed by all the God-damned NEWNESS! And it ain’t going to stop there either, because there’s more. Today I present The Dodos.
Recently signed to French Kiss Records, home to all sort of cool bands like The Hold Steady (whom I love) and Les Savy Fay (whom I really do not) they should be approaching albumhood shortly and I am really rather looking forward to it. The debut single Fools has been offered up for download and is truly excellent in that wonderfully warm way that strummy folk-pop can be.
The superbly named Meric Long is a bit of a virtuoso guitarist by all accounts and although I am nothing like technically knowledgeable enough to be able to tell, I can certainly confirm that the guitar sounds gorgeous – rolling in a way that just cries out mildly introspective West Coast contentment. The constant rhythm is decorated with bursts of growl, the starburst of a single slow strum or a sudden flurry of picked intricacy. It is all brilliantly underpinned by Logan Kroeber’s relentless, yet easy drum rhythm which is heavy on the clack of sticks.
This is another of those bands whose sound rolls along at real pace, but is so lovely and dreamy in its own way that it seems always to be intimate and relaxed. Fans of The Shaky Hands and The Folk Implosion should really enjoy this – I think it’s excellent.
The Dodos – Fools
The Dodos – The Ball
Yes, really looking forward to this album! There’s another new track up as a DayTrotter session that you should also check out… very good…
Beware The Maniacs is so stupendous, and I cannot wait for their next album (coming out soon, eh?) Nice they’re getting some recognition.
Sorry Mr. T, but this lot left me cold. I kinda want to hear a tune, but these days it’s all ‘technique’ & ’style over substance’ with the kids.
DC
A lot of songs don’t have tunes per se. The pleasure is in the texture and the trajectory.
True — but, I missed the take off on this one &, to use an analogy close to everyone’s heart on Song, By Toad & a few hundred unlucky passengers recently, I think they landed a few hundred yards short of the runway.
It’ll probably make more sense when in the environment of a full album.
DC
What, your jokes?
(Snigger, sorry about that.)
I am getting the album in the next day or so. But sometimes you just don’t like stuff it’s hardly a surprise, given the amount of music on this site. Just wait until you hear the bashing I give Cat Power!
O don’t start me on the new Cat Power album. O, go on then: I have not heard a more self-regarding, luxury villa arse-dwelling, tuneless amount of tripe in such a long while. AND I LOVE TO HEAR COVERS DONE DIFFERENTLY. This is down there with gallery cafe open mic nights & busking to buy some rizla.
I loved The Greatest, esp. as it proved she does have a remarkable voice under all that self-loathing. But this new bollocks, well…
Where to start? Hate the new Cat Power? Toad hates Les Savy Fav but likes Hold Steady? I simply don’t understand.
Speaking of the latter, on a side note, the Dodos did a really nice opening set for Les Savy Fav here last month. But you dislike Les Savy Fav? Good god.