San Francisco Natives Meric Long and Logan Kroeber have been playing together as The Dodos since 2005 and were more recently joined by Keaton Snyder, whom Long has described as, 'a better musician than Logan and I combined'. Yet despite having acclaim piled upon them by critics, four albums later this indie-folk duo are still to hit the mainstream.
Their inclusion of African drum beats has drawn them into comparisons with Animal Collective, but if anything they are more of an edgier Vampire Weekend than a less spaced-out Collective. Drummer Kroeber originally began with his musical roots embedded in metal bands, and although this heavy edge is not apparent in The Dodos' tracks, the band have stated that they always aimed to create a sound in which the drums play a central role. Whilst many indie bands these days rely heavily on guitars, The Dodos have jumped at the opportunity to play about with percussion instruments and the often random or unexpected sounds created as a result really help in making their music stand out from the current crowd. Combine this enthusiasm with the fact their latest offering is produced by Phil Ek, the man behind the recently lauded Fleet Foxes, and it becomes blindingly obvious how the folk sound in their music has developed to the extent that it plays such an integral role to the band's music as a whole.
As if having a band serenade you with melodies as smooth as silk wasn't enough to grab your attention, here's a random fact for you: lead singer Meric is noted by fans for having surprisingly long nails on his guitar strumming hand. But why use plastic guitar picks when you can grow your own, right? The band may have a slightly ridiculous name, but there is nothing comical about the songs these guys create and the progressive risks they take in doing so.
www.myspace.com/thedodos
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