Dezember 10th, 2007 by admin

The Dodos have been kicking around for a good minute now, having self-released an EP and issued debut album Beware of the Maniacs in 2006, but they’re about to get a lot more familiar with an incredible debut single on the way and a sophomore album slated for release next spring. The San Franciscan duo have garnered a significant following on the west coast thanks to their phenomenal live shows, but a freshly-inked deal with Frenchkiss Records (hollerrrr) and the arrival of aforementioned single “Fools” suggests they’re about to jump to the next level in a big way.

“Fools”, to put it simply, is incredible. Channeling the tribal energy of Animal Collective and a Midlake-esque vocal delivery, “Fools” boasts a huge sound that seems impossible for a band of only two members. The union of vocalist/guitarist Meric Long’s emotive, personal verses and drummer Logan Kroeber’s frantic backing shouts and percussion yields one of the best American singles of the year, like maybe the best thing since Midlake unleashed “Roscoe” in early ‘06. The duo’s unique, bluegrass-leaning folk-pop sound is showcased beautifully across sophomore album, Visiter, which is sure to bring them some serious attention when it drops next year.

Also worth noting is their art direction. Earlier this year they performed for special needs students at LA’s Dorsey High School, prompting the kids to thank them with illustrated responses to the band’s music and performance. From these drawings the band culled most of the artwork for their website and the album packaging for Visiter, and aside from being a really interesting idea, the result actually works surprisingly well with their sound. I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing them live yet, but I’ve heard they’re really amazing and they’ll be opening for Les Savy Fav in LA this coming Saturday, so I’ll be flying out to see them and I couldn’t be more excited. “Fools” is all I’m at liberty to share at this juncture, but it should be more than enough to get you super pumped about the Dodos in 2008. Oh and the file’s hosted on our server at Frenchkiss, so no need for an alternate download link this time around. Rejoice.

MP3: “Fools” – The Dodos ((highly recommended))

And in the interest of full disclosure, yes I do work for Frenchkiss and yes it’s my step-brother who owns the label, but listen to “Fools” and just try to tell me it’s a personal bias and not the quality of the song that’s inspiring me to sing its praises.