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Visiter, by San Francisco band
The Dodos, is their second full length and first for
Frenchkiss. Originally formed in 2006 under the moniker
Dodobird as a one man acoustic act, Meric Long would
gig around SF playing folky guitar with a combination
of loops and ambient keyboards. Having already studied
West African Ewe drumming, Meric got turned onto country
blues fingerpicking and sought to create a band where
the drumming could be a center role and help bring
out the syncopated rhythms coming out of the acoustic
guitar. Through a chance introduction by a roommate,
Meric met Santa Cruz transplant Logan Kroeber, who
had also been experimenting with drumming, but in the
area of progressive metal. Eventually the band changed
their name to the Dodos, through constant harrowing
from first tourmates Peter and the Wolf, and got a
rehearsal studio where they'd spend long hours improvising
the music that would become their first record& Beware
of the Maniacs. The band quit their day jobs as a line
cook and a printer and hit the road in Oct. 2006.
The Dodos' principal concept
behind Visiterwas to
reconnect with the energy and intensity of their live
show. They decided to return to Type Foundry Studio where Beware
of the Maniacs had been recorded. With producer/engineer
John Askew back at the helm, they began expounding upon
what they had learned since the previous record. The
basic drumand guitar takes were recorded live simultaneously
with very minimal post production. Type Foundry's warehouse-sized
live room led to experimentation with mic placement,
capturing a variety of ambient & natural sounds.
At one point during tracking, the audible din of a thunderstorm
inspired an impromptu horn session between Meric and
guest trumpeter, Cory Gray. A small section of this can
be heard between the songs 'Fools' and 'Joe's Waltz'
on the record.
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