Results tagged “tokyopoliceclub”

It's easy to be a snarky critic, but really, could Tokyo Police Club have been had been out all of three weeks could afford a reasonably classy (if utterly uninspired) LED stage set. Then they began to play, and we started to wonder what it is about Pitchfork and rest of the indie-rock, SXSW-obsessed crowd that gets their panties in a twist over a band that sounds like they started out aiming for Built to Spill but landed somewhere between Weezer and The Strokes. "Post-punk" is the label most often affixed to these Canadian rockers, which is apparently short-hand for: "They have long, drone-y, bass-heavy interludes between bleeding guitar/keyboard melody explosions, so that we can clearly hear the lead-singer's yearning, garbled singing." It's not that they're not a tight outfit or that they don't manage a few catchy hooks, but what's there to be so excited about over another band churning out an album of single-ready, three-minute pop songs?

We saw fine young Canadians Tokyo Police Club about a year ago and have been itching to see 'em headline a show ever since. Now's our chance, as the boys are back tonight at Neumo's with White Rabbits and the Virgins in tow. TPC are still working on their debut full-length for Saddle Creek, but they do have another single under their belt (the above "Your English is Good"), as well as a second EP. So altogether, they've got just shy of a dozen songs in their discography, including b-sides, only one of which cracks the three-minute mark. With that in mind, it may be a short set. Nah, we're sure the high-energy, clap-happy, uber-friendly kids will totally find a way to stretch their material to an hour. Semi-ironical covers and new songs please!

Yes, British indie rock quartet Editors are headlining at Chop Suey tonight, but we're more excited for super-catchy opening-opening band Ra Ra Riot. The Syracuse-based six-piece has guitars and cello and violin (oh my), and they've got one certifiably awesome song ("Dying is Fine") that's based on an ee cummings poem and reminds us of "Come on Eileen"--in a good way. Earlier this year, they wowed the critics at SXSW, ending up on NME's list of top 10 bands at the 2007 conference, before tragedy struck and their drummer died a few months ago. But the band has soldiered on, putting out a self-titled EP and touring non-stop with such acts as Tokyo Police Club, Art Brut, and The Cribs. Tonight they bring their big sound and bigger heart to Chop Suey. Catch them now, because they aren't going to be under the radar for much longer.

Last year's Sasquatch line up was good, but not good enough to get us to spend three days at the Gorge. We still prefer the festival in its one-day, all-in-one-fell-swoop form, but with the lineup that's been announced for this year's two-day fest, we may just have to make the trip. Out of the two days, it was Saturday that really made us coo. Bjork *and* Arcade Fire? Consider us sold. There are still bands to be announced, but here's how things stand as of right now:

High-energy garage rockers Tokyo Police Club could easily have been victims of their own hype, but last night at Chop Suey the kids were more than alright. Their music can best be described as "Strokes nostalgia," as much of it contains the same kinds of nimble guitar licks, arching keyboard lines, and overprocessed megaphoney vocals as everybody's favorite 2001 NYC culture icons (see TPC's call to arms "Cheer It On" [mp3]). While a couple years ago we might have found their sound to be tired or run-of-the-mill, the last Strokes album did sorta suck, and so someone had to pick up where they left off, even if it was four kids from outside Toronto. Seeing Tokyo Police Club perform, we couldn’t help but get a good-natured vibe from them. Like most great bands, lead singer David Monks affects a mild pseudo-British accent, though his voice was rough and scratchy, worn out from all the touring, which hurt his ability to yell when needed. Fortunately for him, keyboardist Graham Wright was there to pick up the yelling slack, as well as beat his tambourine ferociously and engage the crowd in very polite banter. Such nice boys, they even got everyone clapping on a few songs. The band kicked off their brief set by holding up signs to spell out their name before tearing through the entirety of debut EP A Lesson in Crime. As they only have seven songs recorded, and as each of those songs is under three minutes, they had to throw some new material into the mix to fill up their time. Once they get a few more songs, we're sure they'll be back headlining some time soon.