Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Quick Hitters:: Friendo

Today marks the start of Pop Explosion, so naturally a lot of our time and effort on the hill will be focused towards the influx of talent our city is seeing over the next 5 days. Chances are, if you are a music fan you are getting ready for the big Crystal Antlers show tonight – congrats to Joshua Crew for his most informative and inspired winning entry – but on the off chance you are killing time at work waiting until the shows start, here's a Calgary band you really need to check out.

I was sent a random tip about Friendo, and have to admit I wish I stumbled upon them myself. Basically, the poppy trio is the vessel for Women drummer Michael Wallace to get his voice heard and step out from behind the kit. Naturally, the songs are still lo-fi, but their debut tape shows a warmth and unexpected flair for melody. Counter/Time may start with an effective, low key drone, but it’s the playful, spacey shimmer and bouncing riff that fill out the outro groove of Counter/Time that lets the band sink their hooks into you.

Liner starts with the same basic building blocks, but it’s the warming fuzz the trio adds that makes the song purr. In an almost Ginsberg like way, they add an oddly beautiful shine to the gritty sound without ruining the simple, honest feel of the track, but even with the strength of the two opening jams my personal fav has to be Velvets inspired Callers. The beautiful, icy melody comes to life thanks to Nicole’s reverbed vocals. The 5-minute jam chugs along, refusing to stray too far from the simple riff that birthed it, heightening the mood with each passing note.

I know this is a three-song tape release, but it's fantastic. If this was 1993, I'd be letting the songs auto-reverse over and over again on the ole Walkmen (well, except when I needed my fix of Kid N' Play or EPMD). With the other commitments these guys have, I have no idea what is going to happen next for Friendo, but I'm 100% waiting impatiently for any new songs or shows.