Review of Dancer Equired Album by Times New Viking

It seems that the two most interesting things about Dancer Equired are A) That the "Notoriously hissy" (Whatever that means) trio took it upon themselves to record in a studio for the first time in their five album career and B) That those lucky enough to pre-order it will receive a temporary tattoo depicting a map of the band's home state of Ohio.

Times New Viking Dancer Equired Album

Both could be considered something of a marketing contrivance; after all, Times New Viking are renowned as doyens of the "Shitgaze" scene, normally committing their work to tape first and generally keeping it as lo-fi real as possible. But ultimately you have to admit that the tattoo thing is pretty cool.

For those of you not keeping up, TNV formed in Columbus, Ohio and consist of guitarist Jared Phillips, drummer Adam Elliott and Beth Murphy on keyboards. Philips and Murphy share vocals, sometimes dueting, whilst musically it's generally been about hitting instruments at random and making the kind of melody-free racket which is guaranteed to annoy parents whilst simultaneously getting high brow scene-sters frothing into their blogs.

A studio may have been involved then, but loyal fans will be thrilled to find out that the results still stay absolutely true to TNV's DIY aesthetic. There is a tune or two lurking around - the brief New Vertical Dwelling is almost rockist, whilst the rugged Try Harder adds a bit of muscle to their feyness - but in general those already converted to their post-bubblegum Indie-ness will still be those most likely to lap this stuff up.

For the rest of us however the pickings are slimmer, although two efforts featuring Murphy on her own - the almost cheesy sixties punk-pop of California Roll and the spite filled guitar fuzz of F*ck Her Tears - undoubtedly hold a broader appeal. For now though, Dancer Equired is still mostly showcasing a band who seem likely to remain a strictly acquired taste.


Site - http://timesnewviking.net

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