No clarity was shed and I was left feeling more confused. But happy nonetheless.

At the beginning of the gig I was struck by the Middle Eastern influence on their music. Then they moved on to songs from Saint Dymphna which reminded me why they have such an indie following. There were times when they sounded distinctly like !!! (pronounced chk-chk-chk). Next came one of the many new songs that they were testing. My favourite had an oriental feel to it. And then in the latter parts of the show I felt like I was at a Brazilian carnival!

Their music is both world music and other-worldly music. The band themselves look equally diverse with gypsy front woman Liz Bougatsos, a guitarist that looks like a slightly shady Spaniard, a fella on the keyboard/electrical gadgety things that could be the lost member of Goldie Looking Chain, and so on. You get the picture. They are a mixed bunch and so are their songs.

My favourite member of the band was the shaman ‘Bez’ who danced like a mad thing for the entirety of the gig. I had a great time and I am impressed by Gang Gang Dance’s talent, energy and diversity. Going to go buy all the preceding albums now.

Supporting Gang Gang Dance was DJ Rupture. A great DJ who spun an eclectic mix of tracks with a strong Indian influence with a cut-up style similar to dj Yoda. See him below:

Last week I reviewed The Dodo’s third album Time to Die and was a bit negative. I’ll be honest, I thought I had it nailed. However, live performances of albums can both raise and destroy an opinion. Whether a song that did not originally stand out on an album becomes extraordinary or a favourite track does not quite meet expectations, many often come away from a gig with altered perceptions. This is exactly what happened to me. The Dodo’s completely changed my opinion of Time to Die and I felt bad for doubting them. I think I just didn’t have their newest album on loud enough, because live, it was fantastic.

The whole night was great from start to finish. The tracks that I had noted as being strong in my album review did not disappoint, especially Two Medicines. And a few unnoticed treasures snuck out and gave me the much loved gig goose bumps that I so desire when I go to a live performance. Particularly Troll Nacht, which was just lovely. The most memorable part was when the lights were dimmed down and The Dodo’s were bedecked with green, red and blue lights.

Lead singer, Meric Long is a great guitarist and captivating to watch. To his left, the drummer Logan Kroeber is deservedly given the split limelight, indicating the importance of their unique instrumental approach. Behind them, Keaton Snyder plays the vibraphone (both with stringed bows as well as mallets) and more drums and cymbals! Their emphasis on percussion is what I love about The Dodos and the full intensity of it is only realised when seen live.

At the moment Visiter is still my preferred album, and I think the audience were in agreement as their performances of Trolls, Red and Purple and Walking sent everyone crazy. However, Time to Die has gone from my ‘dismissed’ pile and back to my ‘hang on a minute, I’m not sure I’m done with you yet’ pile.

I highly recommend this band live, they are energetic, loud and the finale involved Kroeber going a bit mad and punching his drum kit. Awesome.

The MST recently caught up with the lead singer of .357 Lover, Corn Mo to ask him about his music, USA and Accordions.

You can read our bio and download one of his tracks for free here.

Annabelle Palmer: What are you working on at the moment?

Corn Mo: I am working on the details with a director on a video for Maybe Tonite, finding a studio to do the next album, and mapping out a tour.

AP: How does one of your songs come together? Do you all create them together or is there more of a delegation going on?

Corn Mo: I introduce the song to the band and they play along and it becomes something bigger – each song is like a good potluck dinner.

AP: What was the first album you fell in love with and why?

Corn Mo: Def Leppard’s Pyromania was the first album I fell in love with.  It was the first time I ever wanted to make out with a girl in my room to one band.  It never happened with that album.  It did happen with Queen.

AP: Why 357 Lover?

Corn Mo: I made a list of names and it’s the one name that sucked the least.

AP: Corn Mo, are you the vegetarian version of Meat Loaf? Or a tastier, more nutritious accompaniment?

Corn Mo: If you’re referring to the music, then I’m all-you-can-eat buffet since I perform the Jim Steinman role as well as the Meatloaf role.  If you’re referring to anything else, then I’m one of the mints you grab from the bowl at the restaurant’s cash register.

AP: I’m new to this country, what is the best and worst thing about America?

Corn Mo: The best thing about this country is the potential this country has to be better than it already is.  The worst thing is that we let other people tie up our hands.  And we have really good bbq and clam chowder.

AP: What made you choose to come to Brooklyn after Texas? They are obviously very different music scenes, what do you miss about Texas and love about Brooklyn?

Corn Mo: I came to Brooklyn because there was nothing else I could do in Texas with what I do.  I hit a wall.

Denton, TX has one of the greatest music scenes in the world but it’s equivalent to holding a shitload of jewels and not knowing what to do with them.  Where do I take these jewels I got from the shipwrecked galleon?  To a pawn shop?

There are plenty of great artists in Brooklyn.  They came from other places to do their art, so they don’t fuck around.  Go to any show whether its music, art, improv, stand up, plays, dance, whatever.  You are more often going to be inspired rather than disappointed.

AP: Corn mo, I bought an accordion on Ebay last year and it was really broken and I had to return it. I was so annoyed by the experience I gave up trying to learn. Can you recommend a cheap starter accordion to a beginner?

Corn Mo: Go to a pawn shop or an antique dealer.  Many times they don’t know what to ask for.  A decent used accordion should be no more than $300.  If its in bad shape then take it to the Main Squeeze in lower Manhattan.  Walter Kuhr can fix it for you.  He also gives lessons and sells accordions.  He’s a great man.

AP: What’s next for .357 Lover?

Corn Mo: We’re mapping out the next album.  It’s going to be about 10 songs, recorded with real piano at one studio.

Time to Die is the third album of San Francisco band The Dodos and follows on from their outstanding breakthrough album Visiter.

When I heard that The Dodos were releasing a third album and were about to embark on a lengthy tour, I was excited. I really liked Visiter and felt like the band had plenty more to offer my expectant ears. What’s more, while there had been a bit of indie chatter, they hadn’t been hyped too much so they were not weighed down by all that tripe. With the release of Time to Die I was ready for great things to emanate out of my speakers.

The album starts off in terrific Dodos style with Small Deaths; a relentless percussive rhythm that moves at a satisfying pace, making me want to go on a long road trip simply to have The Dodos blasting in the background. I like this track; it is familiar enough to make me happy to be revisiting The Dodo’s style but it also has a little something extra. I think it was the vocals which had a James Mercer (lead singer of The Shins) distant echo quality to them.

Longform follows on from The Dodos signature style, featuring that similar chugging percussive arrangement. It does what I felt a few tracks on Visiter should have done – builds in intensity and wonderful hysteria. At this point in the album the listener can be forgiven for thinking The Dodos have engaged with what was missing from Visiter and have created an album that takes the character and youthful emotions of Visiter and gets a little bit more hectic. However, from The Strums onward, Time to Die blends into beige mediocrity. It is a sad turn in events. Aside from a momentary sparkle with Two Medicines – which has the harmonic frantic nature of an Animal Collective song and a riff that makes you go “Yes! Do more of THAT!” – the album fails to retain the momentum built by the first two tracks.

It is a pleasant enough pop record that I am sure many will enjoy. However, for a Visiter fan such as myself, it just doesn’t measure up. Think of all the great bands around at the moment that are of a similar ilk to The Dodos: Akron/Family, Yeasayer, Beirut, Grizzly Bear and the aforementioned Animal Collective. Considering the competition, Time to Die needed to be an accomplished display of The Dodos unique sound. Unfortunately that requirement was not fulfilled.

However, it’s not all bad. The Dodos are still a good band and definitely one to see live. Their songs have a marvellous energy to them and the best bit about seeing them live is you get to see songs from Visiter too! Excellent!

The Dodos are performing two New York shows. First at the Williamsburg Music Hall on the 13th October and at Bowery Ballroom on the 14th. We will be posting a live review.

Track listing

1. Small Deaths
2. Longform
3. Fables
4. The Strums
5. This is a Business
6. Two Medicines
7. Troll Nacht
8. Acorn Factory
9. A Time to Die

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They chose a good opener, the title track of their album, ‘To Lose My Life…’ which roused the crowd into a suitably pumped mass from the beginning. There is certainly something powerful about lead singer Harry McVeigh’s voice and it echoed as though he were performing in a stadium arena. It can’t simply have been down to the sound system or the acoustics of the venue. His lungs must be disproportionate to the rest of his British frame…

Biology aside, the poppy rhythms of The Killers, combined with the melancholy drones and vocals of Interpol, were enough to get my tired feet tapping and my head nodding. The crowd, similarly, mirrored my movements in perfect harmony with the beat. Unfortunately, not much else happened crowd wise. Even during the crescendos of songs like ‘Death’, the crowd maintained this rhythm, never really straying to the realms of gig induced ecstasy.

Their biggest tune of the night, and most likely their catchiest song in the world outside the walls of the Webster Hall was ‘Farewell to the Fairground’. The mantra ‘keep on running, there’s no place like home’ sent the crowd crazy and was undoubtedly rotating on repeat in attendee’s heads for the rest of the evening.

Bassist Charles Cave demonstrated a knack for stage presence in ‘Nothing to Give’ where he left the stage for the build up and came back at a moment which highlighted how superb the baseline is in this song.

Usually among bands, a bold sound is complemented by an immense light show that rises and falls with the key moments of songs. However, White Lies, dressed in all black, were simply lit by minimal white lights. There was something quite haunting and hollow about it all.

There is nothing technically astonishing about this band. They play solid songs well. They are a crowd pleaser and like the band they are often compared to – The Editors – they have a bit more depth to them in comparison to the average indie pop band.

Twelve songs later they left the stage and I felt satisfied that they had delivered what I had expected. They played true to the album, not really doing anything out of their remit, but for those in the crowd looking for an unyielding performance, they wouldn’t have gone home unhappy. They are going in the right direction; they are confident and they have the talent. Once they find that little pinch of something extra, they will be right up there with the big boys.