HONK! FEST and band of the week

My band of the week is The Dodos from San Francisco. Though they are often described as indie-folk, their music originally caught my ear with a song reminiscent of Animal Collective. The Dodos too are into rich vocal harmonies, delicious layers and occasional yelping. But, more than that, they've got horns, fun lyrics and a unique drumming style that sets them apart from the other kids in the business. If you're sick of everything you have and you're looking for a new band to get you through the winter, this is it. I promise. I've been listening to last year's The Visiter but I'm sure this summer's Time to Die is good too.

Over the weekend I was fortunate enough to witness Honk Fest, an annual three-day festival of activist drum collectives in Somerville, Mass. The event featured 27 groups from across the country and one from Rome. In seven parks and parking lots, cool kids, nerds, dancers, musicians, singers, babies, dogs and dancing grandmas came together and broke it down. Personal highlights included the all-percussion Cakalak Thunder from Greensboro, North Carolina, the dancers of the Rude Mechanical Orchestra from New York City, and costumes worn by the members of Seed & Feed from Atlanta, Georgia (See photo below).