Though all the members of Canadian based band, Friendo, have years of experience under their belts, this current incarnation of music making is technically all amateur. In a series of musical flip-flopping Friendo turns drummers into guitarists and bassists into drummers, creating an experiment in uncharted waters for the trio.
Pulling from the style of ‘90s experimental rock, ‘70s punk and ‘60s pop, Friendo has created a minimalist blend of harmony and noise, resulting in well paced, floating numbers akin to the sound we suspect Pedro the Lion would make if the band had taken up residence in a garage.
From the swooshing, dreamy sound of the guitars in “Callers” to the rapid hi-hat of “New Sibley”, the songs of Friendo offer an intimate feeling of hanging out in a basement while your best friends jam. But even with that sense of loose free styling, there is some structure behind this trio. Hazy tracks like “Liners” and “Young Fellows” are sure to please fans of The Dismemberment Plan and Dinosaur Jr., prime examples of the fuzzy and sparse arrangements that make Friendo so distinct.
The groups self-released album, Cold Toads is unique not only in its old school lo-fi approach, but in its distribution as well. Seeing a limited release, the 7 tracks are made available on un-mastered cassettes, created in house on a hodge-podge of equipment ranging from tape decks, 4-tracks, computer mics and portable recorders. The resulting sound is something oddly soothing and simplistic, somewhat ghostly and all together ethereal. Through the label St. Ives, run by the fine folks of Secretly Canadian, Friendo is also releasing 200 hand crafted vinyl copies of Cold Toads, as well as a digital release of the record on iTunes today, May 18th.
Be on the look out for the band in a city near you- Friendo will be hitting the road with Grown Ups May 26th.
Tags: Album Review, International, New Release, Tour
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