Extinct birds and underappreciated records (The Dodos)

[Monkey Bones]

The Dodos made a very cool little psychedelic folk-pop record on Frenchkiss last year called the Visiter. Silly band name, intentionally misspelled album title, no wonder this one got kind of overshadowed by the emergence of (the also silly named but very popular) Fleet Foxes and Vampire Weekend, and a bunch of others. But the story goes that the misspelled album title and cover artwork are from a kid's drawing given to them, which maybe is just a little more cute than cool



Anyway, I'll admit that I didn't give this one much of a chance last year, not sure why, maybe it just starts out kind of low key, maybe just in a strange mood, who knows? But I do know that it is really starting to click now, some very good and eclectic pop music, sometimes very melodic and accessible, other times noisy and adventurous, all the time with a nice sense of song craft, and nothing ever seems to unfold completely so you want to keep coming back. Like so many of the modern bands I like, a very healthy dose of the Kinks, sometimes pushing it toward the sound of that catchy Strokes' debut, but oftentimes more sophisticated. Fun CD, and nice to see that it actually wound up very high on many best of 2008 lists. Engineered by John Askew, who in his sometimes job as the band Tracker, made a very cool little record a few years ago that I still love called Polk. BTW, just saw recently that Askew offers 128K free downloads of all 3 Tracker records through his myspace link. Seems like a good business model for bands these days, give it away in low resolution, and offer the real thing for pay.

[Slosh]

Speaking of silly. . . . .

Anything where Rob Crow is involved is still pretty great, silly album title and band name and all.

NP:

[nightflier]

As long as the music measures up with the 'greatness' of the cover art & title.

[jonnyhambone]

good to see some Dodo-props. I thought this was a great release too but haven't listened to it lately. The drumming has this great caterwauling propulsion...reminds me just a bit of Jim White on that Nina Nastacia 'You Follow Me' album. But then they go off and rock out on some psychedelic tangent before bringing it home with some strumming folk-pop that's often, to my ears, very Animal Collective-sounding. Gonna have to pull this one out again.

Anyone else like the Sadies? I've also been very happily spinning their New Seasons album...the only thing I have by them. Country music that walks in the long shadow of Clarence White.

[Monkey Bones]

Anyone else like the Sadies? I've also been very happily spinning their New Seasons album...the only thing I have by them. Country music that walks in the long shadow of Clarence White.

Ya know, I really only know them from Neko Case and the Mekons, but the Sadies does seem a band I'd like on their own too. I'll have to see what I can turn up, though it sounds like that latest one might be a good place to start. Don't recall them slipping out of any comps that came my way over the years, surprising with all of the Canadian content. Probably missed em. Should have the new Neko Case in a day or two, along with the new Animal Collective, so this thread just went from a trudge to a brisk walk down my alley