Dappled Cities
Granddance
Dangerbird
Imagine the best of ’80s new romantic music, mixed with the poppiest Pavement song you can remember (“Cut Your Hair,” for me), add some 21st century indie electronic quirkiness, and they bury it down under.
You’ve just created Dappled Cities (who used to be called Dappled Cities Fly, and if you can figure out why they dropped the “fly” you win a lifetime supply of vegemite).
There is nothing outrageously gripping about Granddance, yet the pop confections are just sweet enough to keep me listening. They’re not cynical enough to be comparable to Britpop, yet there’s an element of influence in there; they’re not cliche enough to be another Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, though they’ll inevitably draw comparisons; and the fact that they have previously collaborated with Wayne Coyne means that placing them alongside The Flaming Lips is a given.
It’d be best to listen to this brand new band (may I suggest “Fire Fire Fire,” “Granddance” and “Holy Chord” to begin with) with a forgotten knowledge of any previous indie bands you’ve loved before. Otherwise you’ll rack your brain trying to figure out who co-vocalists Tim Derricourt and Dave Rennick sound like, when really you should just be thanking your lucky stars that you’ve found a little bit of goodness to help paint the soundtrack of your day.
P.S.- This is another summer album. Picture bright sunny skies, car rides, and sunglasses with sweat drops hanging on the lenses while you nod your head along to the tunes.
Dappled Cities: http://www.dappledcitiesfly.com
