From TPC's Bowery Ballroom show last April
I've had the Ra Ra Riot and Andrew Maury (of RAC) remix of Tokyo Police Club's "Juno" for nearly two weeks now. I've been bombarded with so much new music lately that I didn't get a chance to listen to this piece until this morning. The haunting plucked strings of the intro immediately grabbed my attention. What song was this? How long had this been on my iPod and why haven't I noticed? And then, Dave Monks' voice came in, and I realized that this was the remix of "Juno" that I had gotten recently.
I love the moment when Ra Ra Riot's Wes Miles comes in (along with female voice), in perfect harmony with Dave, giving the piece so much more texture. With the additional voices and strings, the remix is not just another remix. Rather, this is a beautiful reinterpretation of "Juno" that is arguably better than the original. Although I was a big fan of Tokyo Police Club's A Lesson in Crime EP, Elephant Shell is one of most disappointing records of this past year. Perhaps you think differently. In any case, maybe it's not that hard for the remix to be better than the original.
Past TPC post here. Tokyo Police Club is currently on tour with Weezer. Past Ra Ra Riot post here. Ra Ra Riot returns to NYC on October 17 with a show at MHOW.
Juno (Ra Ra Riot/Andrew Maury Remix) - Tokyo Police Club
Juno - Tokyo Police Club
September 16, 2008
Tokyo Police Club - "Juno (Ra Ra Riot/Andrew Maury Remix)"
April 21, 2008
Tokyo Police Club - Bowery Ballroom 04.20.08
I'm really getting sick of my broken LCD screen.
I have to admit, I may be a biased when it comes to Tokyo Police Club. TPC has been one of my favorite bands for the past couple years. Sometimes, I would go days/weeks only listening to A Lesson in Crime, TPC's debut EP, and some live recordings. Basically, at last year's Mercury Lounge show, I was the the girl in the front who knew the words to all the songs, even the ones that hadn't been released.
So, unsurprisingly, I had a great time at the Bowery Ballroom show last night. I do have to be honest and say that I'm not in love with Elephant Shell, but I am in love with TPC's live shows. It's really hard to resist playing along with this band. They must have had the audience in mind when they wrote these songs; so many of them involve yelling out "HEY!" and clapping until your arms feel like they're going to fall off ("Be Good" is a perfect example of this).
Compared to last year's performance at ML, this Bowery Ballroom show was definitely more polished and professional. It is pretty obvious that Tokyo Police Club is growing up, and we should expect them to do so. TPC has gone through a lot of changes in the last year, including a label change and an increasing fanbase (that includes Agyness Deyn! Met her after the show. Check out my friend E's music blog for the details). Like I said before, Elephant Shell is not one of my favorite albums. But, there are moments in the album when I am glad that TPC traded in some of their playfulness for more meaning in their lyrics. "Graves" is my favorite song off the LP, and I've enjoyed it since it was just a minimalist live recording. When Dave Monks sings, "You're trading me for the lump sum, you try but you only ever treat the symptoms," I actually feel something (and that's a rare, good thing). What can I say, I am an emo kid at heart.
Although I prefer the intimacy of Mercury Lounge, it was exciting to see TPC pack a venue like Bowery Ballroom and get people into the music. There was a guy in the front who knew all the appropriate times to clap/yell for ALL the songs. I was impressed.
Did anyone buy any of the specialized merchandise? TPC's merch didn't arrive in New York, so they made some customized socks and such.
Elephant Shell hits stores tomorrow, April 22nd. If you missed them last night, you have four more chances (2 are free!) to catch them in New York.
Tonight (April 21) - Music Hall of Williamsburg (Sold Out)
Tomorrow (April 22) - Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out)
Tomorrow (April 22) - Virgin Megastore, Union Square (7pm, free)
Wednesday, April 23 - Sound Fix of Williamsburg(8pm, free)
Setlist
La Ferrassie
In a Cave
Box
Sixties Remake
If It Works
Graves
Juno
Your English is Good
Cut Cut Paste
Nursery Academy
Citizens of Tomorrow
New New Song
Tessellate
Shoulders & Arms
The Baskervilles
Nature of the Experiment
Listen to the Math
Be Good
See this post for more songs.
Graves - Tokyo Police Club
Tessellate - Tokyo Police Club
Be Good - Tokyo Police Club
March 2, 2008
Tokyo Police Club Grows Up?
Since I downloaded "Nature of the Experiment" off Insound.com two years ago, Tokyo Police Club (TPC) has been one of my favorite bands. While I'm not into all garage-indie bands, TPC has a playfulness that I love. It's no wonder that they were up for the "Best New Artist" PLUG award last year. After I saw them perform at Mercury Lounge last year, I was sold for life. That explains why I have 40 TPC tracks on my iTunes, although they have only released only two EPs.
Thankfully, Elephant Shell, their first LP, will be released on April 22. You can check out the tracklist here. Our first peek at the LP is "In a Cave," which is a little different from the TPC that I'm used to. With each single, TPC's music has matured with more meaningful lyrics and polished sound. Perhaps this is due to influences from their new label, Saddle Creek? Anyway, while I'm a huge fan of the A Lesson in Crime stuff, I'm loving the new track. My favorite line is, "Elephant shell, you're my cave and I've been hiding out, will you tell me a little bit about, a bit about yourself." So, maybe I appreciate this new, more emo side of TPC. "Graves" and "Your English is Good" are also included on the upcoming LP.
Can't wait to see them in April! Luckily, I got tickets before they sold out. They just added a second Manhattan show, but that will probably sell out soon.
Who says nothing good comes from Canada? Lies, all lies.
In a Cave - Tokyo Police Club
Your English is Good - Tokyo Police Club
Graves (Daytrotter Session) - Tokyo Police Club
