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Dappled Cities

Who? Dave Rennick (guitar/vocals), Hugh Boyce (drums), Alex Moore (bass), and Tim Derricourt (guitar, vocals) joined forces in the Sydney suburbs in 2001. The Aussie troubadours, who now count Ned Cooke (keys) as a bandmate, are fresh off the heels of SXSW, and are currently doing an Australian tour for their second full-length album, Granddance, with many dates already sold out.

What’s the Deal? Granddance is forever vacillating between kooky, electronic levity and low-fi texture, and contains traces of the Flaming Lips and Grandaddy and slight tresses of the Shins. “Fire Fire Fire” marries new wave flourishes with elements of ethereal dream pop that’s not afraid to show a sunnier side, or a falsetto while “Vision Bell” features chiming vocals that border on goofy as they layer themselves over spacey electronica and a low-fi guitar melody. But as stripped-down Dappled Cities instrumentation can get, Granddance swells with a full-bodied atmosphere that envelops every chord, especially on “The Eve the Girl.”

Fun Fact: It’s no secret that the majestic lo-fi wizardy of Granddance may echo ghostly sonic arrangements akin to Grandaddy — former Grandaddy guitarist and current All Smiles frontman Jim Fairchild, along with singer/songwriter Peter Walker, produced the album. TRICIA SUMMERS

Now Hear This: Dappled Cities – “Fire Fire Fire” DOWNLOAD MP3

On the Web:
Dappled Cities at MySpace
dappledcities.com

Talk: Will you dance along to Granddance?

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