Marking 20 years
of bold journalism,
reader supported.
Arts and Culture
Music

Acoustic Version

The Dodos turn off the amps and come up trumps.

Thom Wong 24 Feb 2011TheTyee.ca

Thom Wong writes regularly about music for The Tyee. He can also be found ruminating about the state of menswear at The Sunday Best.

image atom
For God's sake, don't walk toward the light, you Dodos!

There is one great truth in music, and it is this: the acoustic version of any song is only good in direct proportion to the amount of harmonized singing and orchestration that accompanies it. I'm sure you've read this before; it's practically etched in stone.

With this in mind you can assess for yourself whether you should listen to The Dodos' May session at Daytrotter, which features the 100 musician (though not all at once) strong Magik Magik Orchestra. Meric Long and Logan Kroeber's usually sweet harmonies are taken to almost ethereal levels with the addition of four female voices, turning the chant-a-long "Fools" into something much lighter, nearly sublime. 

Also worth checking out on Daytrotter, but not nearly as orchestral, is recent Music Pick Sarah Jaffe. Who could have guessed that the accordion, used to great effect here on "Two Intangibles Can't Be Had," was the missing ingredient from her repertoire? Where the original makes great use of sparse cello and harmonies, this version becomes a New Orleans dirge -- an entirely sadder affair, and you begin to wonder if the accordion isn't the saddest instrument ever made. Barring the monkey, of course.  

Read more: Music

  • Share:

Facts matter. Get The Tyee's in-depth journalism delivered to your inbox for free

Tyee Commenting Guidelines

Comments that violate guidelines risk being deleted, and violations may result in a temporary or permanent user ban. Maintain the spirit of good conversation to stay in the discussion.
*Please note The Tyee is not a forum for spreading misinformation about COVID-19, denying its existence or minimizing its risk to public health.

Do:

  • Be thoughtful about how your words may affect the communities you are addressing. Language matters
  • Challenge arguments, not commenters
  • Flag trolls and guideline violations
  • Treat all with respect and curiosity, learn from differences of opinion
  • Verify facts, debunk rumours, point out logical fallacies
  • Add context and background
  • Note typos and reporting blind spots
  • Stay on topic

Do not:

  • Use sexist, classist, racist, homophobic or transphobic language
  • Ridicule, misgender, bully, threaten, name call, troll or wish harm on others
  • Personally attack authors or contributors
  • Spread misinformation or perpetuate conspiracies
  • Libel, defame or publish falsehoods
  • Attempt to guess other commenters’ real-life identities
  • Post links without providing context

LATEST STORIES

The Barometer

Are You Concerned about AI?

Take this week's poll