The Bowery Presents

Music Hall of Williamsburg upcoming shows

The Dodos

The Ruby Suns

Venue:
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Date:
Tue 10/13
Notes:
18+
Doors: 8:00 PM / Show: 9:00 PM
$15 advance / $17 day of show
Tickets
The Dodos
official website
myspace
The Dodos, Time To Die (Frenchkiss)

With a title like Time To Die, you might think the Dodos’ third disc is their ‘mature
album,’ a deadly serious undertaking punctuated with string sections and synths. Nice try
kid, but you’ve got it all wrong. While indie rock’s go-to guy, Phil Ek (Built to Spill,
Fleet Foxes, The Shins), hopped behind the boards this time, the Dodos’ wildly-
percussive style is still centered around two key elements: the punchy percussion of
Logan Kroeber and the Fahey-infused finger-picking of frontman Meric Long. Oh sure,
you’ll hear a horn blast here and there, but it’s never enough to distract you from the
group’s riffs and rolls.

“I’m glad that we were able to keep things simple on this record,” says Long, “Because
when your band gets a little popular, there’s this tendency to say things like, ‘Let’s add an
orchestra on this one!” That works for some people, but it would detract from this band.”

Indeed, and as right as Long may be, Time To Die introduces one major addition to the
Dodos’ creative core: Keaton Snyder, a 21-year-old music school dropout who plays a
mean vibraphone. As Long puts it, “He’s a better musician than Logan and I combined. I
don’t even know what’s going on with his music theory ideas half the time.” On a similar
note, Snyder—a classically-trained musician—is constantly learning what ‘being in a
band’ entails. In fact, he didn’t even know how to react when a chord was yanked during
his Dodos debut. “After the show,” says Long, “he was like, ‘Yeah, I’ve never had to
plug anything in before.’ It was hilarious.”

All jokes aside, you’d never know Snyder was the Dodos’ third man without looking at
the new album’s liner notes. Not because he’s missing in action half the time; he’s just
locked in step with Long’s steady-handed strumming and Kroeber’s canon-like beats.
That, and Snyder’s actual sound/physical presence isn’t all that different than the visceral
elements explored on the Dodos’ previous two albums, 2006’s Beware of the Maniacs
and the band’s buzz-stirring breakthrough, 2008’s Visiter.

“The vibraphone is pretty crazy and loud,” says Long, “and if you put it through some
effects, you can make it sound like a guitar or synthesizer. It still has that element of
something you’re hitting, though, which is central to how Logan and I play our
instruments.”

That’s the thing about Time To Die: It expands the Dodos’ Ginsu-sharp sound without
smothering it. It’s not the death of everything you adored about the duo; it’s a rebirth,
revealing some serious career standouts (the widescreen payoff of “Small Deaths,” the
string-and-drum spasms of “Longform,” the delicate/distorted dynamics of Snyder’s
“Troll Nacht” parts) along the way. Which isn’t a surprise when you hear how many
months they spent writing the damn thing earlier this year.

“After Visiter, we had a lot of options for which direction to go,” says Long, “But I knew
we wanted a make a rock record. Being an acoustic band—primarily, at least—sort of
works against this idea, but Phil’s production showcased that side of our band.”
The Ruby Suns
official website
myspace
The Ruby Suns combine psychedelic indie pop with world music influences, drawing inspiration from the travels of the group's only permanent member, Ryan McPhun. Although born and raised in California, McPhun's thirst for adventure eventually drew him halfway across the globe, where he ventured into Africa and Thailand before settling in New Zealand. Auckland's music scene was rich, and the multi-instrumentalist spent time in various pop groups (the Tokey Tones, the Reduction Agents, and the Brunettes) while fronting his own act, Ryan McPhun & the Ruby Suns. After releasing a self-titled debut under that moniker, the band shortened its name to the Ruby Suns and signed with Lil' Chief Records, securing distribution deals in Europe and Australia along the way. The Ruby Suns toured the U.S. in 2006, and McPhun returned home to write and record the band's sophomore effort in his Auckland basement. Inspired by the indigenous music of Africa and Kenya, the diverse Sea Lion -- named after a sea lion colony that lies adjacent to California's Hwy 1 -- was released in 2008 on several labels, including the Seattle-based Sub Pop.
--Andrew Leahey
American Express — Are you a card member?

© 2010