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POSTED 11.11.09
COMING UP: THE DODOS AND PORT O BRIEN
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THE DODOS
MEGAFAUN
Plus special guests
Sunday 15 November 2009
Doors 7:30pm
Scala, 275 Pentonville Road, King´s Cross, London N1 0207 833 2022
Tickets £12.50 available from
https://www.ticketweb.co.uk/promo/ownears/schedule/id=342922
0844 477 2000
Http://Www.Seetickets.Com/S.Asp?A=The+Dodos&P=1066
0870 264 3333
www.dodosmusic.net
www.wichita-recordings.com
http://www.myspace.com/megafaun
THE DODOS are a duo from San Francisco, who throw together a delightful mix of ephemeral psych-folk-pop. Singer and guitarist Meric Long’s fleeting, intricate and finely-tuned finger-picking is warm and focused, resonating under his refined lyrical hopscotch and drummer Logan Kroeber’s foot-stomping tom and-tambourine back beat. The propulsive results recall everything from John Fahey to the Akron/Family, and hones the callings of free-spirited, unhinged acts like Animal Collective.
"San Francisco duo the Dodos matches fleet strumming and picking with steady percussion and select other instrumentation, playing deceptively low-key songs that accrue a modest power like proverbial stones and moss" Time Out New York
MEGAFAUN neatly splice together different strands of sounds, whether it's tape manipulated hoedowns, mournful, slow-blooming banjo-and-white-noise-laced epics, or rural barbershop doo wop. Focusing on a wide palette of instrumentation, but always coming back to their soaring three-part harmonies
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PORT O BRIEN
DEER TICK
DRY THE RIVER
Plus guests
24 November 2009
Doors 7.30pm
Scala, 275 Pentonville Road, King´s Cross, London N1 0207 833 2022
Tickets £9 from
http://www.gigantic.com/gigantic/home_port_o_brien.html
Or in person at Rough Trade East
http://www.myspace.com/portobrien
http://www.myspace.com/deertick
http://www.myspace.com/drytherivermusic
The rousing PORT O’BRIEN debut All We Could Was Sing was released to an ecstatic reception last year, with critics and fans alike swept away by their tales of the sea and music filled with joyous abandon. But while some of our favourite albums are informed by delirium and youthful adventure, others are informed by tragedy and the depths of heartache. Unexpectedly, Port O’Brien’s second album falls into this category.
Where the band’s stomping debut All We Could Do Was Sing was full of ragged chants and life affirming lyrics, Threadbare is, as the name suggests, a much more contemplative and introspective affair yet still filled with all-encompassing, emotionally charged anthems for which Port O’Brien have become known.
What began in early 2009 as a light-hearted and loose songwriting effort quickly turned into a dense and bold work, following the sudden death of close family member. A lingering sense of apprehension hung around the resultant recording process.
Chinks of light are seen on ‘Love Me Through’, as the band regenerate with jaunty licks and stripped kit. The subject matter peering through the darkness towards the light at the end of the tunnel; “And after all this/I still love love love/Everything you do/But still I wonder, If you’ll love me through”.
The album closes with the book-end ‘High Without the Hope’ which begins with the same intro except played backwards. The song is almost identical but crucially, the lyrics differ and at the end Cambria adds: “Mourning’s never linear…”.
Threadbare is alarmingly honest and cuts like a knife, but it’s all the richer and stronger for it.
Praise for All We Could Do Was Sing
“This bands waters aren’t always still, but they do run satisfyingly deep” 4/6 Time Out
“Excellent debut album… nautical but very nice” 4/5 The Times
"Songs of hardship, resilience and drifting melancholy thus feature, all imbued with salty spirit and a bracing musicality. Arcade Fire fans are advised to take the bait." 4/5 The Independent
“Joyous abandon” 4/5 Uncut
“’Fisherman’s Son’ captures the bleak beauty of the frozen wilderness. If it inspires music like this, they shouldn't give up their day jobs just yet." Q
"…seriously fine material. The Alaskan fishing fleet's loss will be roots-rock's gain." Word
“Port O'Brien recognise that simplicity yields extremely good results... and the reward is all ours on their debut." The Fly
“Energetic and life affirming… a cracking debut album” 4/5 The Sun
“We’ve developed a bit of a crush” NME
“The sense of exuberance at the sheer joy of being alive… a debut album of group chants and lush melodies” The Guardian
“Port O’Brien have cast their lines and have us completely hooked”
Independent On Sunday
“Contemplative acoustic and melodically stomping indie folk… a beguiling debut” Metro
PLUS support from DEER TICK and DRY THE RIVER
