On Walk It Off, Tapes 'n Tapes' first album for XL, the band trades the energy of The Loon for a more polished, cohesive sound, but it's hard to say that they got the better end of the deal. The Loon was often scattered, but appealingly so -- it sounded like what it was, a pile of tapes (and tapes!) turned into a scrappy debut album. More importantly, nearly every song on The Loon had an urgency that carried through the album's twists and turns. Tapes 'n Tapes didn't change their approach radically for Walk It Off -- their nasally vocals, angular guitars, and keyboard doodles are all in place -- but that urgency is missing, and it makes a difference. The band worked with Dave Fridmann on this album, and while teaming a quintessential indie rock producer like him with a band of indie rock classicists like Tapes 'n Tapes might seem like a good idea on paper, it doesn't quite work. Too many of the band's rambunctious edges have been buffed away, so that even when "Le Ruse"'s guitar solo splatters like silly string, it doesn't make much of an impact. And even though Fridmann's work isn't that elaborate -- by his standards, anyway -- Walk It Off's layers of sound seem to take precedence over the actual songs, as on "George Michael" (so named because the song's opening riff reminded the band of "Faith"), where the whooshing synths and lavish brass are more memorable than the melody or lyrics. That's Walk It Off's main problem: Tapes 'n Tapes make pretty straightforward music, with no eight-minute suites or wildly eclectic instrumentation to distract from whether or not their songs connect. They fail to connect to a disappointing degree here, whether on "Anvil" and "Time of Songs," which cross over from calm to listless, or on "Demon Apple" and "Blunt," rockers that mistake repetition for insistence. However, there are just as many moments when Tapes 'n Tapes pull it together: "Hang Them All" recalls The Loon's grit and energy; "Conquest"'s playful percussion, pristine chords, and roundabout yearning sound like a heart skipping a beat; and "Say Back Something" may be Walk It Off's finest moment, a nervous ballad about the subtle silence that can creep up on a couple and split them in two. "Lines" even shows how well Tapes 'n Tapes and Fridmann's collaboration could've worked for the entire album, building a looping melody from a languid (but not limp) start to galloping drums and guitars that bust out of the gate (the distorted drums that make "Headshock" sound even more impatient are another great example of when the band and producer are on the same page). For all the effort spent on Walk It Off, nothing makes as much of a visceral impact here as songs like "Insistor" did on The Loon -- often, it feels like there's fog or a glass wall between the music and listeners' ears. Walk It Off is hardly a disaster, but it is a strange, lopsided album -- despite its focus, it just doesn't play to Tapes 'n Tapes strengths as much as it should have.
If you thought that the albums of Tapes ‘n Tapes, the American band that made waves on the South by Southwest festival of 2006, were eclectic, oh boy, then you’re in for a surprise. The trademark of their albums The Loon and, to a lesser extent, Walk It Off that was released this year, is that all the songs sounded nothing alike. From the peaceful ‘Manitoba’ to the bluesy growl of ’10 Ga
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I have found out that working in a school usually means that I am the outcast when it comes to music selections. I do not look down upon my colleagues, although at times I almost feel I should. In 12 years of teaching I have only found one person who I would say shared the same musical tastes as myself. I guess in a school, listening to music sometimes is not something that is thought to be sh...
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If you thought that the albums of Tapes ‘n Tapes, the American band that made waves on the South by Southwest festival of 2006, were eclectic, oh boy, then you’re in for a surprise. The trademark of their albums The Loon and, to a lesser extent, Walk It Off that was released this year, is that all the songs sounded nothing alike. From the peaceful ‘Manitoba’ to the bluesy growl of ’10 Ga
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Tapes 'n Tapes debut album "The Loon" was one of my favorite albums of 2006, and featured my favorite song of 2006, the fantastic "Insistor". I was interested to see what they were going to do with their second album, because the first one was so eclectic (and at times, I admit, a bit uneven, though "Insistor" and "Omaha" are just mind-blowing). And here it is, the first song from the new album...
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Minneapolis' Tapes 'N Tapes will release their new album, "Walk It Off" on April 8th. The band recorded the follow-up to 2005's breakout The Loon in upstate New York at producer Dave Fridmann's Tarbox Road Studios.The new set offers twelve new original songs, including one even titled "George Micheal." "I thought the riff kind of sounded like the beginning of "Faith," frontman Josh Grier told P...
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Last month "news of a new Tapes N Tapes album":http://mog.com/Mackenzie_P/blog_post/139089 made a headline here on MOG. Today, we find out the Minneapolis-based is taking off on a huge tour of the U.S. this spring. The tour is in support of the group's sophomore album Walk It Off which drops on April 8th, two days before the tour starts in their dudes' hometown.The record should be good. Having...
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The first time I heard the Tapes 'n Tapes track "Insistor" I was instantly hooked. I immediately went out looking for more of their music, hoping that this wasn't, like some bands a fluke of a single brilliant track with everything else falling far short. I picked up their album "The Loon" and gave it a thorough listen, quickly latching on to a few other tracks, such as Cowbell and Omaha. Since...
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This song was playing in the background while I was slaving away slingin' java for the working class way too early in the morning today. It suddenly caught my ear and though I've heard it a thousand times I realized that it may just be the perfect theme song for the present moment. It's gritty, rockin', somewhat angry sounding, I'm not really sure what most of the lyrics are, but I think we can...
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(design © Steve St. Pierre)This weekend... Tapes 'n Tapes will finally play Indianapolis! Argue it until you are blue in the face but this "blog band" proved that we music blogs actually get it right some times. Tapes is touring in support of their sophomore album Walk It Off released this year by XL Recordings.BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW AND SAVE!Tapes 'n Tapes - Hang Them AllTapes 'n Tapes - Insis..
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Oh, this is timely. I was watching Jack Cafferty on CNN the other day when I was on the treadmill at my gym, which is the only time I watch TV. He said something like, "The Republicans keep saying Obama will spend too much money. What money? There IS no money. Bush spent it all." So true. You want more of the same? Vote for the "old guy," as Paris Hilton called him. I never thought I'...
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We hosted a fun Tapes 'n Tapes show a while back and have been keeping our fingers crossed that these guys will return to prominence with album three. That's often how it is right? Hit big with album one and make a splash, try new things and get met with luke-warm reviews for album two and then figure it all out on album three...that's what we're hoping for anyway. One of the songs I act...
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Minneapolis band Tapes 'N Tapes record, Walk It Off will be in stores on April 8th here in the US. In the meantime you can stream it from here. Enjoy!Tapes' debut album, The Loon, supported by relentless touring, was an indie/underground smash in 2005. This time around the band is releasing via XL/Beggar's Group, so expect this record to rise above ground.
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Scarlett is just f-ing beautiful (i HATE you Ryan Reynolds) & Borat is Borat LOL. I'm an illegal alien in the US so I can't vote but for those of you who can… please do TOMORROW NOV. 4th! Orlando Bloom? You can't vote neither! Here's a song that goes with the theme. A couple months back Minneapolis indie rockers Tapes N' Tapes asked AmpLive to give "The Dirty Dirty," the closer from their XL .
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The brokers stood perfectly thunderstruck for a moment, and then there was a general run to notify the different houses of Wall Street of the failure. The brokers surged out of the Exchange, stumbling pell mell over one another in general confusion and reached their offices in race horse time. The members of the firms [...]
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Le Ruse |
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| 2 Time of Songs |
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| 3 Hang Them All |
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| 4 Headshock |
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| 5 Conquest |
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| 6 Say Back Something |
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| 7 Demon Apple |
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| 8 Blunt |
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| 9 George Michael |
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| 10 Anvil |
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| 11 Lines |
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| 12 The Dirty Dirty |
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 "Walk It Off")
