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CD Review: Dappled Cities' 'Granddance'
Artist: Dappled Cities
Release Date: June 2007
Album: Granddance
Label: Dangerbird Records
The Aussie band Dappled Cities(formerly Dappled Cities Fly) are often compared to the Flaming Lips and I just don't get it. The Dappled Cities produce measured indie rock that has marching highs and Sigur Ros-like lows but none of the crazy, out-there solos or fantastical weirdness of the Lips.
Their release, Granddance, on LA's Dangerbird Records, is 11 tracks of well-crafted quirkiness. They have a video out there on the internets for what I suppose is their single, 'Fire Fire Fire' and it's perhaps a bit too cute, what with a 'scary' polar bear attacking the Eskimo'd band and I don't think it's their best offering off of the album, which is IMHO 'Watercourse'.
Other great tracks are 'The Eve The Girl', perhaps the weirdest tune, and 'Vision Bell', although the latter suffers from vocalist Tim Derricourt slipping into falsetto, which he does way too many times on this record - but a nice bassline makes up for it here at least. There's plenty of harmonizing but it ain't Beach Boys or other boyband-esque for that matter, it's unique, like Dappled Cities.
Below is Dappled Cities' 'Watercourse':
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