I have a harder time finding kindred spirits in the indie rock of today versus more post punk and britpop influences. So I refuse to let my writer's block keep me from posting about one of my favorite current bands! Tokyo Police Club is a group that I've been waiting to hear live since my ears first stumbled upon "Breakneck Speed" and "Wait Up (Boots of Danger)" [from Champ (2010)] in a friends car back in the day. Nostalgia is one of the biggest factors in what music really resonates with me and Tokyo Police Club's lyrics tend to strike that factor. Thinking back to that moment in the car, I probably had a different initial reaction than my current feelings to the lyrics "I remember when our voices used to sound the exact same/ Now we just translate.", but I was definitely drawn to the songs immediately.
Going into the show on May 13th at Black Cat, I tried not to let my hopes get too high. So many album reviews were saying that the newest album Forcefield (2014) pales in comparison to "their best album" Champ. In my eyes, this is a wrong way of looking at a band, but I can be guilty of it too. I try to go in with a clean slate and welcome an evolution in sound, so I had been listening to Forcefield to prepare myself. A show is never as fun for me if I don't know most of the songs and I grew quite fond of "Argentina", "Hot Tonight", and "Miserable". The riffs, rebellion to inhibitions and pretension, and still-solid lyrics were aesthetically pleasing to me. The live show turned out to be energetic and diverse. They played a good mix of their music from over the years and was authentic with just the right twist. Dave Monks has the perfect onstage balance of nervous energy, humor, and even the balls to come out and sing "Tesselate" acoustically with no microphone. This would be a band I would love to tour with or work with in any capacity.
Going into the show on May 13th at Black Cat, I tried not to let my hopes get too high. So many album reviews were saying that the newest album Forcefield (2014) pales in comparison to "their best album" Champ. In my eyes, this is a wrong way of looking at a band, but I can be guilty of it too. I try to go in with a clean slate and welcome an evolution in sound, so I had been listening to Forcefield to prepare myself. A show is never as fun for me if I don't know most of the songs and I grew quite fond of "Argentina", "Hot Tonight", and "Miserable". The riffs, rebellion to inhibitions and pretension, and still-solid lyrics were aesthetically pleasing to me. The live show turned out to be energetic and diverse. They played a good mix of their music from over the years and was authentic with just the right twist. Dave Monks has the perfect onstage balance of nervous energy, humor, and even the balls to come out and sing "Tesselate" acoustically with no microphone. This would be a band I would love to tour with or work with in any capacity.
"we share bottles we share gum/ when you smile you smile with all your teeth at once/ and when you smile with all your teeth/ yeah i'm done."
