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Tapes 'n Tapes, Oberhofer & Xylos played MHOW (pics, setlist)

photos by Andrew St. Clair

Tapes N Tapes

“In the music industry, buzz can feel like an unseasonably warm stretch in the dead of winter. It’s nice while it lasts, but it never does. The buzz dispensers quickly tire of this week/day/moment’s object of adoration and soon move on, and the aftermath can be unpleasant.

Consider Tapes ‘n Tapes, who first gained notice when 2006’s self-released album “The Loon” turned the Minneapolis quartet into blogosphere darlings. But that quickly faded, and each subsequent Tapes ‘n Tapes album has picked up worse reviews than the one before. You can trace the devolution of their critical reputation in hipster circles through the influential website pitchfork.com, which awarded “The Loon” an 8.3 (out of 10) rave. But 2008’s “Walk It Off” dropped them all the way to a 5.9 rating, and their current album “Outside” (Ibid Records) just picked up a wince-inducing 5.5.

Alas, slings and arrows are part of the gig.

“I don’t think there’s much value you can put into reviews because they’re just somebody’s opinion, and we realize that,” says Tapes ‘n Tapes frontman Josh Grier over the phone from Minneapolis. “I mean, we all love our music and everybody is entitled to their own opinion. Reading too much into that would be a recipe for disaster – make you into a head case trying to cater to someone else. We make the music we want to make. if somebody else doesn’t like it, well, we can’t let that affect the music we make in the future.”

Undeserved opprobrium aside, “Outside” is an immensely likable record that wears well, setting Grier’s nervous yelp to elastic, skittery grooves with hooks sharp enough to stick. It’s a less-self-conscious take on Vampire Weekend’s worldly underground rock, with a vibe recalling prime Talking Heads.” [Newobserver.com]

The ex-buzzy Tapes ‘n Tapes were joined by the currently-buzzy Oberhofer (their tour-mates) and the ladies (and men) of Xylos (who play Cameo on 2/11) at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday night. More pictures from the sold out show (including some backstage shots and one of T’nT’s setlist), with an MPLS.TV video and the rest of their tour dates, below…

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Oberhofer

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City of Music: Tapes ‘n Tapes from MPLS.TV on Vimeo.

Tapes n Tapes – 2011 Tour Dates
2-05 PHILADELPHIA, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
2-07 WASHINGTON, DC – Rock and Roll Hotel
2-08 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Jefferson Theater
2-09 ASHEVILLE, NC – Grey Eagle
2-10 CARRBORO, NC – Cat’s Cradle
2-11 ATLANTA, GA – The Earl
2-12 NASHVILLE, TN – Mercy Lounge
2-14 BIRMINGHAM, AL – Bottletree
2-15 HATTIESBURG, MS – Thirsty Hippo
2-17 HOUSTON, TX – Fitzgerald’s
2-18 AUSTIN, TX – Emo’s
2-19 DALLAS, TX – The Loft
2-21 LITTLE ROCK, AR – Sticky Fingers
2-22 NORMAN, OK – Opolis
2-23 COLUMBIA, MO – Mojo’s
2-24 OMAHA, NE – Waiting Room
2-25 MINNEAPOLIS, MN – First Avenue
3-04 LAWRENCE, KS – Jackpot
3-05 BOULDER, CO – Fox Theater
3-08 SEATTLE, WA – Crocodile Café
3-09 PORTLAND, OR – Doug Fir
3-11 SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Bottom of the Hill
3-12 LOS ANGELES, CA – Troubadour
3-14 VISALIA, CA – Cellar Door
3-15 COSTA MESA, CA – Detroit Bar
3-16 SAN DIEGO, CA – Casbah