Biography
Formed in the winter of 2003 at Carleton College, the band has released four albums. First came the self-released Tapes 'n Tapes EP in 2004, followed by the full-length release, The Loon, on Ibid Records in 2005. The band signed to XL Recordings and re-released The Loon on July 25, 2006.[1] In October 2007 the band announced finishing recording of their second album, titled Walk It Off. Walk It Off was recorded by producer David Fridmann in his Tarbox Road Studio in Cassadaga, New York.[2] The album was released April 8, 2008. The band's most recent album, Outside, was released on January 11, 2011.[3]
Tapes singer Josh Grier says their first album was recorded "...in the winter time at a cabin in the Wisconsin
woods with no running water. It was a lot fun to do it on our own and
get a little crazy, but it was also frustrating since we didn't really
know entirely what we were doing"
Tapes 'n Tapes gained popularity after a series of write-ups on music
blogs, first on EAR FARM then on sites such as Music For Robots and
Gorilla vs. Bear, leading some to cite them as the most recognizable
examples of a "blog band"[citation needed]. However, it wasn't until The Loon received a favorable review from Pitchfork Media,
including a "best new music" commendation, that the band started to
find success. Tapes 'n Tapes have been compared to such alternative
bands as Pixies and Pavement, or the recent alt-pop phenomenon Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. After release of their self-titled EP, the band played with more well-known acts such as The Futureheads, The Streets, Metric, Calvin Johnson, and I Am the World Trade Center. The band made its American television debut on The Late Show with David Letterman on July 25, 2006, performing the song "Insistor." In 2006 the band did a Take-Away Show video session shot by Vincent Moon. They also performed at the Siren Music Festival in July of that same year. Tapes 'n Tapes performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2007, along with bands such as Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Björk.
Tapes 'n Tapes' musical style varies in tempo and in influence,
ranging from fast-paced polka renditions to the slower, more
blues-influenced songs. The publication Music Week described the band's song "Insistor" as "Part country, part rock...possess[ing] an emotional urgency that rivals Arcade Fire. This is promising stuff."[4]
Josh Grier has written several untitled songs for the band's next
album, which was originally to be recorded in June 2007 and released in
the fall of 2007, Grier told Billboard.com. During their set at the 2007
Lollapalooza
festival, the band played six songs titled, according to the setlist
posted on the festival's website, "Demon Apple", "Blunt", "Icedbergs",
"Headshock", "Le Ruse" and "Hang Them All".[5]
Tapes 'n Tapes was featured on the MTV show Human Giant. Aziz
Ansari's character Clell Tickle: Indie Marketing Guru pushes bloggers to
put Mp3s of Tapes 'n Tapes on their blogs. At one point he says, "I've
decided that if you don't post that Tapes 'n Tapes mp3, I'm going to
come back here tomorrow and give you a Colombian necktie."
While not on the official soundtrack, the song "Insistor" by Tapes 'n Tapes is featured in a scene in the movie Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.
"Hang Them All" appears on Minnesota Public Radio station KCMP 89.3 The Current's "Live Current Volume 4". The album is available to contributors to MPR.
They are one of the most frequently played bands on Carleton College's nationally recognized student-run radio station KRLX. -- via the artist's Wikipedia page
Tapes singer Josh Grier says their first album was recorded "...in the winter time at a cabin in the Wisconsin
woods with no running water. It was a lot fun to do it on our own and
get a little crazy, but it was also frustrating since we didn't really
know entirely what we were doing"
Tapes 'n Tapes gained popularity after a series of write-ups on music
blogs, first on EAR FARM then on sites such as Music For Robots and
Gorilla vs. Bear, leading some to cite them as the most recognizable
examples of a "blog band"[citation needed]. However, it wasn't until The Loon received a favorable review from Pitchfork Media,
including a "best new music" commendation, that the band started to
find success. Tapes 'n Tapes have been compared to such alternative
bands as Pixies and Pavement, or the recent alt-pop phenomenon Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. After release of their self-titled EP, the band played with more well-known acts such as The Futureheads, The Streets, Metric, Calvin Johnson, and I Am the World Trade Center. The band made its American television debut on The Late Show with David Letterman on July 25, 2006, performing the song "Insistor." In 2006 the band did a Take-Away Show video session shot by Vincent Moon. They also performed at the Siren Music Festival in July of that same year. Tapes 'n Tapes performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2007, along with bands such as Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Björk.
Tapes 'n Tapes' musical style varies in tempo and in influence,
ranging from fast-paced polka renditions to the slower, more
blues-influenced songs. The publication Music Week described the band's song "Insistor" as "Part country, part rock...possess[ing] an emotional urgency that rivals Arcade Fire. This is promising stuff."[4]
Josh Grier has written several untitled songs for the band's next
album, which was originally to be recorded in June 2007 and released in
the fall of 2007, Grier told Billboard.com. During their set at the 2007
Lollapalooza
festival, the band played six songs titled, according to the setlist
posted on the festival's website, "Demon Apple", "Blunt", "Icedbergs",
"Headshock", "Le Ruse" and "Hang Them All".[5]
Tapes 'n Tapes was featured on the MTV show Human Giant. Aziz
Ansari's character Clell Tickle: Indie Marketing Guru pushes bloggers to
put Mp3s of Tapes 'n Tapes on their blogs. At one point he says, "I've
decided that if you don't post that Tapes 'n Tapes mp3, I'm going to
come back here tomorrow and give you a Colombian necktie."
While not on the official soundtrack, the song "Insistor" by Tapes 'n Tapes is featured in a scene in the movie Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.
"Hang Them All" appears on Minnesota Public Radio station KCMP 89.3 The Current's "Live Current Volume 4". The album is available to contributors to MPR.
They are one of the most frequently played bands on Carleton College's nationally recognized student-run radio station KRLX. -- via the artist's Wikipedia page