Posted by Toby on Friday, April 14th, 2006
Sometimes I just want to drive a car. And sometimes I just want to sit in a car. Sometimes I want to do both of those simultaneously, and that never works. Sometimes I want to listen to music. Good music. While driving a car. Or sitting in a car. At those times, I pick up my trusty Tapes n’ Tapes “Loons” cd.
Tapes ‘n Tapes - Insistor.mp3
Interestingly, I once met the members of Tapes n’ Tapes at a house party in Minneapolis. Then I saw them play once at the Dinkytowner Restaurant. But until I heard them on mySpace a few weeks ago, I was never a fan. But after hearing them on mySpace, I was hooked.
These Minneapolis natives’ most recent release has been getting nonstop play in my cd player, taking the spot once held by harpist, Joanna Newsom. The album features some tight vocal lines and sweet guitar riffs. This might sound like elementary descriptions, but, well, I am elementary. This band is tight like my uncle Bob’s leather pants. The music is minimalist and has a garage band feel to it.
Tapes n’ Tapes has taken the Strokes’ sound, which was already pretty fantastic, to a new level.
Based on the reviews I’ve read by fans on iTunes, this band sounds nothing like the Arctic Monkeys, which probably means they sound just like the Arctic Monkeys.
These guys have been getting hyped up quite a bit since they played 18 shows in 19 days, including a few over-exposed shows at SXSW a couple of weeks ago.
Summary: I love this band.
Posted by Toby on Friday, April 14th, 2006
— This post comes to us courtesy of David Brusie at Music For Robots, one of the finest websites in the world. —April 06, 2006 | Posted by david at 10:21 AM
There’s no money in saying no
Alright, disclosure time: the man behind Cryns #3, Toby Cryns, is a friend of mine. Also, I play piano on his new record, If Howard Roarke Could Dance.
It’s a fun disc, for sure - well-crafted little pop songs, with hand claps, group singalongs, a trombone solo … he’s basically got everything but a kitchen sink thrown in, and I’m guessing it’s because there wasn’t one available.
Cryns #3 - Kids.
This song will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day, and I don’t think that’s a problem. Toby’s melodies are deceptively simple things that kind of wind their way around your subconscious for a while, and, like many of the songs I post here on Robots, you’ll find yourself singing “the kids are keeping it real” while in line at the bank, and it may cost you your bank dignity.
If you live in the Twin Cities area, you can catch Cryns #3 (including me on keyboards) at the 400 Bar on Cedar in Minneapolis, tonight at 8. It’ll set you back five bucks, but you’ve paid much more for much worse, haven’t you? Like that time when I paid thirty bucks to see Ray Davies ham it up and play a depressing set of nostalgia-peddling and new, bad songs. Oh, wait, that was just this past Tuesday. Grrrrr.
Anyway, you can pick up If Howard Roarke Could Dance from the Cryns #3 website.
South and Main!
