For some reason, I’m a sucker for a two-man band. I recently got my hands on Beware of the Maniacs by San Francisco based band, The Dodos. It ended up serving a great purpose on my weekend trip up to Mendocino. I decided to take what the guidebook referred to as a “peaceful hike in the shade of the redwoods.” It turned into Deliverance in mountain lion country as my wife, dog and I got lost in the forest for about 3 hours. After running into (and ultimately being rescued by) two loggers that were drinking and driving in the same rugged hills, the album served as quiet comfort as I reflected on my ordeal in the safety of our cabin.
The Dodos are songwriter/guitarist Meric Long and experimental drummer, Logan Kroeber. Together they mesh diverse backgrounds in country-blues, rock, and heavy metal and create a new sound that maintains melodic integrity while exploring newfound territory. It’s rare that I hear an up and coming band and can say that percussion, melody, songwriting, and overall creativity are all strengths. The Dodos win on all fronts.
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Thank goodness for law-breaking locals…we’d probably still be lost. Had no idea the walk was a forest of hundreds of trails that spread 10 miles by 10 miles.
I love the Dodos. They’re great live. The first time I saw them was at a Cafe du Nord concert during which that video was taken. (The video was taken, incidentally, by Nick of Albondigas, who was the first person to tip me off to the Dodos.)
I just gave this disc a real good listen for the first time today and came away very impressed.
WOW! So cool you wrote about The Dodos. I’ve seen these guys a few times up here in SF. They are really nice and great performers for sure. Meric, as you can see on the YouTube clip stays seated for the majority of the show, however, in one instance, he got sooo into it that he took the chair and his intense guitar playing ass flying back into the amps and other intruments. He continued playing on his back. Also, the second time I saw them, a band called Jennifer Gentle was on after them. Different, but worth checking out.
Keep it up.
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