#26 of 2008: Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell

Thirty-Two Words: This album's not as infectious or as furious as the band's previous EP's. The most important thing to know about TPC is that they are Pitchfork darlings, Canadian, and on Saddle Creek.

The Moment of Truth: The opening bass line and drums on track #2, "In a Cave."

Killer to Filler Ratio: 8:3

Complete List

Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell

Five Hundred Four Words: Every once in a while, a band comes along that makes you believe they have the innovation and energy to make many, many good, if not, great records. I remember thinking this about Modest Mouse. They captivated small clubs with raucous performances, recorded albums that never left your regular rotation, and they were young, suggesting that they could do this for a while. There was a tangible buzz around bands like MM, Sleater-Kinney, or The Walkmen. Of course, I thought the same thing about The Sun or Franz Ferdinand.

Right now, Tokyo Police Club is that band for me. Ever since picking up their debut EP A Lesson in Crime, I have been hooked on the band's ultra-quick, bass-driven, synth-backed indie romp. Their show at Mojo's last year did nothing to change my mind as they played a blistering 20-minute set that made forget TV on the Radio was playing elsewhere that night. And when I heard they had signed with Saddle Creek, I knew this was a band with which to be reckoned.

I always have high hopes for new releases and my anticipation for Elephant Shell was very high. I had heard some of the tracks leaked on the blogs and knew that they contained the same immediacy and energy of the early EP's and singles. On my first listen this morning, the album does not disappoint.

Like previous TPC releases, it's quick. The band's eleven songs clock in around 28 minutes total. The frenetic pace isn't limited to the tracks' lengths, the band just plays fast. Although this quickness dominates Elephant Shell, the thing that sets TCP apart from most young, indie/punk bands is their ability to leave small bits of space in their songs. It's just the kind of time one needs to shake his ass to the left and step to the right while bobbing his head up and down to the beat.

Dancibility isn't the only thing that distinguishes TPC on Saddle Creek's roster. While the majority of their bands lives in Omaha or moves there or acts like they live there, TPC is decidedly a step outside of the label's typical signee. This is like when Sub Pop signed Sebadoh, The Afghan Whigs, or The Grifters. These bands were both stylistically and geographically unique to the label that had previously concentrated on Pacific Northwest bands that fit neatly under the label "grunge". TPC's signing could be the beginning of Saddle Creek's ascension to the same heights as labels like Merge, Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguwar, or Matador.

The future looks bright for Tokyo Police Club. Look for their quick version of indie rock to take hold of the scene and spawn multiple copycats. Elephant Shell, although somewhat raw and naive, could propel the band, its label, and even its aesthetic to magazine covers and spots on MTV. I predict they will have a significant impact on the scene for years to come. Bookmark this post and call me on it five years from now. I'm not worried.

The one song that makes it worth $17.95: "Tessellate"

Pitchfork Says: ??? (I may have to drop this feature from my reviews if Pitchfork doesn't get with it and start rating albums before they come out.)

Avoid This

I'm going to avoid the confusing mess that is my life to write about my new love...Daytrotter.

I'm sure that unlike most indie geeks on the interwebs, I am the last to discover Daytrotter. It's this great indie rock website of reviews, features and gossip about all your fav indie bands. However, what sets this site apart from the Pitchforks of the world is its regualr offering of free MP3s.

Now, these are no ordinary recordings. Artists stop by Daytrotter's studio, AKA Futureappletree Studio One in downtown Rock Island, Illinois. The bands lay down some live tracks of what they're playing at the time. some of the songs are old favorites while others are brand new songs they're trying on for size. The tracks are all high quality and unique. They have that great live feel. One can listen and choose to download if they like. My iTunes is quickly filling up.

So far, I've enjoyed sets by Eef Barzelay, Someone Still loves You Boris Yeltsin, Jolie Holland, and Tokyo Police Club. I'm looking forward to a future set by Grizzly Bear in early May.

In addition to the free music, Daytrotter's artwork is primarily provided by illustrator Johnnie Cluney. His simple drawings in what looks to be Crayola markers add a DIY theme that runs through the website.


Additional art in the form of a comic strip is contributed by Joe Sayers. I love simple, off-the-beaten-path comic strips. There appears to be a new one each week, but I've only seen two in the week I've visited the site.



Like any self-respecting music site, Daytrotter provides insightful features, interviews, and record reviews. I've really enjoyed their series of week-long record reviews that record the musings of a music fan 's first week with a new record. I know this feeling of picking up new things as you listen and liking totally different part each day.


Bonus: Daytrotter usually covers the French "Take Away Show Series" so that you don't have to search through a website totally written in French. The "Take Away Series" follows a band while they walk through the streets of Paris playing their music to the locals. The Arcade Fire and the Shins were definite favorites.

Not as Miserable

Yesterday, I was able to shed some misery/Misery.

The day began early as I set out to St. Louis to attend a job fair for the city's school district. I don't know if I want to work there, but it was good for me to talk to some city folk and get back to what I know and can do as a teacher. Besides, I had four hours to myself in the car with some good music.

The Buckeyes won their semi-final game versus Purdue. The game could have locked a #1 seed for them if they beat Wisconsin today or the game ends late. Either way, I'm ready for March Madness and to see what this young team can do.

R was sick, so I was able to do some things for her. I went to 9th Street and rounded up some films. While there, I asked to take the Cold War Kids poster they had on display. As long as I wasn't going to destroy it, I was able to take it home.

Then, I picked up some Vietnamese soup, joked about the Nazi's in town this weekend (24 of 'em), and got to see downtown COMO in a different, more diverse light. There seemed to be mixtures of people all over "the district" (of Columbia). The Vietnamese place in particular was serving several mixed-race couples with children. The man behind the counter and a young black guy bumped fists in mutual admiration. It was a multi-cultural dream. I realize this is mostly superficial, but sometimes I feel like Misery is the South. So, it was nice to feel comfortable with my Misery.

After eating soup with R, I met a friend/co-worker downtown to discuss my non-renewal (see previous post). He bought me a couple of beers and complained how much it "sucked". I agreed.

Now to what I really wanted to blog about: rock 'n' roll. The Cold War Kids and Tokyo Police Club were playing a sold-out Mojo's.

Delta Spirit opened with dance-able, indie, white-boy soul . They were a solid act. Don't know if they're my cup of tea, but they are nice guys. I ran into the front man, Matt, outside rolling a cigarette. Matt was interesting. He had been around, including remote communities and communes all over the country - all at 23. He was a nice fellow. We talked about whiskey, recording, and neo-Nazis (again, there were only 24). I believe he took off for more whiskey or the Blue Note to catch TV on the Radio or both. So, I headed back inside. There, I talked briefly with Kelley (?) - I dunno; it was loud. He was nice enough to talk as well. He had played the Newport in Columbus, so we reminisced how great Columbus is.

Tokyo Police Club played second. They really remind me of Brainiac live without all the pomp. And, man, are they young. The Club mainly played songs from their incredibly frenetic EP. I suspect they were attending TV on the Radio as well, because their set was very quick. I picked up a t-shirt and button. The t is American Apparrel, of course, and has a Zeppelin with spotlight on the left shoulder and some electrical design with band name on the bottom right. Way hipper than I normally wear.

The Cold War Kids came on last. Their brand of white-boy blues plays very well live. They played what I believe was a Nick Cave cover and a new song that was purposefully disjointed in its rhythm. The singer sounds way less like Robert Plant in-person, but still has some chops. They're a confident bunch and put a on a good show. I don't know that they will do much after this, but I'm glad I got to catch them when I did.

Tokyo Police Club of Misery

Here's the Tokyo Police Club. They are joining Cold War Kids at Mojo's this weekend!

BTW - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah tickets just went on sale for Columbia. I've got mine. Do you have yours?