Dopapod – Redivider (self-released)
Dopapod is a group that could conveniently be written-off as just another electro-hippie-jam-band. There are so many nowadays, and after all, they’re pretty much all the same, right? Well, perhaps a lot of them are similar, but let’s take a look at some facts: All of the members of Dopapod are Berklee College of Music graduates. Without going into too much music theory mumbo-jumbo, I’ll simply state that they “have it together” musically.
Dopapod – Redivider (self-released)
Dopapod is a group that could conveniently be written-off as just another electro-hippie-jam-band. There are so many nowadays, and after all, they’re pretty much all the same, right? Well, perhaps a lot of them are similar, but let’s take a look at some facts: All of the members of Dopapod are Berklee College of Music graduates. Without going into too much music theory mumbo-jumbo, I’ll simply state that they “have it together” musically. These guys know how to play, and boy do they play.
Their music spans a seemingly endless pool of genres. To peg the band as playing one type of music, or even a few types of music, would not only be inaccurate, but simply unfair. You have to listen–and not even that carefully–to see what I mean here. It’s clear that these guys all had a musically eclectic upbringing. Bravo to their parents, or high-school buddies, or music teachers, or whoever got them into whatever they listen to, because clearly they listen to everything.
They actually improvise during their live shows. Sure, other electronic-jam bands “jam,” but jamming is not the same as improvising – at least not in the sense that Charlie Parker or Jerry Garcia would use the word. I’ve been fortunate enough to see Dopapod a handful of times, and what strikes me the most about this band is their ability to develop themes and motifs in their extended improvisational sections. There is no guitar noodling. There are no feelings of disorientation (at least, not in a bad way). There is no boredom. Their jams make you wonder, “Is this a song? Did they rehearse this?” That, in my opinion, is musical magic.
Redivider, Dopapod’s third studio album, is all over the place, but certainly does not lack flow. The opening track, “Build an Android,” is a 54 second soundscape that gives the listener the illusion of entering a colossal robot of sound. Upon arrival, we are greeted by a quaint accordion-led ditty that would remind me of a Belgian tea shop, if there is such a thing, or if I had ever been to one. That doesn’t last long, though, as the electric guitar-driven theme to “Braindead” kicks in and beckons you to continue this bizarre yet smooth journey through the insides of this genre-bending musical robot.
The rest of the album/ride is anomalous and whimsically heavy. The aptly-named “Bubble Brain” is an instrumental anthem to fans of electronic music everywhere, ending with a soaring peak led by Eli Winderman’s Moog synth prowess and Rob Compa’s guitar dexterity. “Give It A Name” almost has a 90’s alt-pop sound to it, completed by the playfulness of bands like Blind Melon but with a chorus that kicks and screams like a Rage Against The Machine tune would. This, of course, is no surprise, as Chuck Jones (bass) and Neal Evans (drums) are both self-proclaimed metal-heads.
I recommend that you enjoy this album on HIGH VOLUME, as your desire to groove, headbang, rock out – whatever you like to do – will be impossible to ignore. Don’t be surprised if a party shows up wherever you’re listening, though. This tends to happen wherever Dopapod’s music is being played. Of course, the party is usually at their shows and not running after your car down the highway while you are pumping Redivider, but to quote a nameless child from a McDonald’s commercial in the 90’s: “Hey, it could happen.”
Redivider drops this Friday, December 21st. You can download it for free at www.dopapod.com. That is, of course, if the world doesn’t end, or if the transition into the new Mayan Baktun doesn’t kill the internet or something crazy like that.
Dopapod will be playing here in Richmond at The National on New Year’s Eve. It will be a hell of a show, and we are lucky that Dopapod chose to grace us with their presence on what is typically the biggest party night of the year. Be there–it will be, for the lack of a better term, friggin awesome.
