hooves on the turf

Dowload “Fools” | It might’ve been a year ago when I first encountered The Dodos at Pete’s Candy Store in Williamsburg. Frontman Meric Long seemed timid, self-conscious and determined. His hair cloaked his face for the most part, and from what I can remember, he barely looked up at the audience from his guitar. But with the accompaniment of a fantastic drummer, Logan Kroeber, the duo delivered that night. I left with pieces of the songs in my head, and an album that stayed on my playlist for months to come.

All photos after the jump.

Beware of the Maniacs was released under the name Dodo Bird. Though I wasn’t sure about the patchy, whimsical lyrics, the central percussive forces made the album memorable, much like the show I had accidentally walked into. The style that revealed itself to be at the core of the band paid homage to deeper musical roots while sounding fresh, and it continues to do so in the band’s newest, Visiter.

If you think about it, Visiter is not a lot different from Beware of the Maniacs, even though the new release has generated an unprecedented buzz for the band. The melodies were catchy then as they are now, and the recognizable percussive elements are in place as before. The words in the lyrics are still used like puzzle pieces to first enhance the rhythm with their tonal shapes and second to provide peep holes into a story. In fact, there are several overlaps: “Jodi”, for example, would fit right into the previous album.

Yet, there is no doubt that The Dodos have surfaced anew. The little changes that make Visiter, as it turns out, are the important ones. First, with subtlety and restrain on the core sound, there has come maturity and comfort. Second, keeping the core in its place, they have stepped out to further explorations. The great use of a female voice in the opening song “Walking”, for example, is not something I would’ve expected in Beware of the Maniacs. But the new punch that packs it together this time really seems to be conviction.

At Mercury Lounge last night, this sense of conviction, leading to growth, was obvious in the band. Even though there was a third musician on several songs to provide more variety in percussion, it was still pretty much a two-man show, and a lot more powerful than what I’d seen last. A barricade of microphones went up along the front of the stage, but Meric Long didn’t seem to be hiding. He appeared content and sure, his long nails rarely missing a note. Logan Kroeber was as fantastic as I thought he’d be, drumming relentlessly while stomping on the tambourine taped to his left foot. I thought the guitar was far louder than Meric’s voice, but the acoustic, syncopated rhythm that has now become the band’s own was on its way to full glory.

I have a feeling that the excitement around Visiter is not so much about the album as about the great things the band has yet to do.

The Dodos perform on NPR

Tour continues:
04-08 Montreal, Quebec – Divan Orange
04-09 Toronto, Ontario – El Mocambo
04-09 Toronto, Ontario – Soundscape
04-10 Annandale-on-Hudson, NY – Bard College
04-11 Buffalo, NY – Mohawk
04-12 Pittsburgh, PA – Garfield Artworks
04-13 Cleveland, OH – Parts in the Flats
04-15 Columbus, OH – Cafe Bourbon St.
04-16 Detroit, MI – The Pike Room
04-17 Chicago, IL – The Note
04-18 Chicago, IL – Shoreland Ballroom
04-19 Bloomington, IN – Culture Shock Festival @ Indiana University *
04-20 Lawrence, KS – Replay Lounge
04-21 Denver, CO – Hi-Dive
04-23 Los Angeles, CA – Amoeba (6pm)
04-26 Indio, CA – Empire Polo Field (Coachella) ##
04-27 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall &
05-02 Los Angeles, CA – Natural History Museum #
05-14 San Francisco, CA – Amoeba (6pm)
06-19 San Francisco, CA – The Independent
06-25 Seattle, WA – KEXP
06-25 Seattle, WA – Neumos
06-28 Calgary, Alberta – Sled Island Festival
07-02 Boise, ID – Downtown Boise Summer Series Festival
07-19 New York, NY – Siren Festival
07-20 Chicago, IL – Pitchfork Festival

* w/ Beach House
& w/Les Savy Fav
# w/ Akron/Family
## as part of Akron/Family

ps. No Kids played as well, will post next.