Times New Viking at Beyond Retro

Times New Viking at Beyond Retro

21 October, 2008
by: Domzig

Matador really can't do anything wrong at the moment; they've picked up Fucked Up after their bust up with Vice – a band who have had the NME following them around like loved-up school girls. They've also managed to snag Jay Reatard who's been showing hardcore kids how to have fun again. But it's their recent acquisition of Ohio lofi rockers Times New Viking that seems to have been their smartest move.

With everyone moving on from their Husker Du albums for the time being, plaid shirts, unkempt beards and ripped jeans seems to be the order of the day, and nothing says grunge quite like lofi, yet loud and messy indie-punk played by a bunch of guys who look as sweet as they are bewildered by it all.

Judging by the crowd outside Beyond Retro this afternoon this is going to be a pretty low-key affair; we're half way through Shred Yer Face Sunday, No Age have just played to a packed out Pure Groove in Smithfield's and Los Campesinos! at the cavernous Rough Trade East store is still a couple of hours away.

Surprisingly it still manages to be fucking rammed. Times New Vikings hit the 'stage' as soon as we get in there, and blitz into a set of stripped-down yet poppy-as-hell indie punk. Sonically there's little to hang anything on, as it is pretty much just pounding drums, knarling guitars and cutesy, verging on twee keyboards – there's not a lot of depth, but the happy go-lucky sing-along indie pop seems to transcend the shitty mics and a lack of a PA and sound like the fun you had when you were 5 and had just necked a bottle of cherryade.

TNV are a good example of everything that is right with US underground rock at the moment. It's not big, and it's not clever but it doesn't care, and would rather neck beers and watch reruns of Alf than rediscover Vaudeville and take itself way to seriously. Take that and put it amongst racks of old dresses, Blondie T-shirts and hockey hats at Beyond Retro and it turns into one hell of a way to spend a cold Sunday afternoon.

Check out our pages for a list of instores at Beyond Retro and Pure Groove. Fellow Matador act Jay Reatard is also playing the Old Blue Last next month which, judging by past experience, will be immense. I know this review changed your life as much as it changed mine - tell me about it on my profile.

Domzig