Tapes 'n Tapes

Minneapolis, MN, indie rock classicists Tapes 'n Tapes formed in the winter of 2003, when guitarist/vocalist Josh Grier (aka "Tapes 1"), bassist Matt Kretzmann ("'n") and guitarist Steve Nelson ("Tapes 2") began crafting a sound that harked back to the Pixies and Pavement and also recalled more contemporary bands like the Shins. Nelson left the band, with drummer Karl Schweitz becoming the band's second "Tapes"; this lineup recorded the Tapes 'n Tapes EP in early 2004, recording in a cabin in Wisconsin. After the EP's release, Tapes 'n Tapes played a string of gigs with I Am the World Trade Center, the Streets, Metric, and the Futureheads. Kretzmann moved to Seattle in summer 2004, and bassist Shawn Neary became Tapes 'n Tapes second "'n." The band went through more lineup changes: Schweitz moved to Madison, WI, early the following year, and Jeremy Hanson joined as Tapes 'n Tapes' new drummer. This version of the band recorded its debut album, The Loon, in summer 2005 with producer/engineer Erik Appelwick. Ibid Records released The Loon that fall; around that time, Kretzmann rejoined the Tapes 'n Tapes fold. Positive reviews of The Loon and the band's consistent gigging -- which included a winter 2006 East Coast tour and an appearance at that year's South by Southwest -- led to Tapes 'n Tapes signing with XL Records. Neary left the band late that spring, and Appelwick stepped in to become the band's extra "'n." XL re-released The Loon in summer 2006. In 2007, Tapes 'n Tapes recorded with producer Dave Fridmann at his Buffalo, NY studio; the band's second album Walk it Off arrived the following spring. For their third album, 2011's Outside, the band returned to their own Ibid imprint, recording the album in their hometown and having Peter Katis mix the results.

from Wikipedia:

Tapes 'n Tapes is an indie rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

History

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. 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. The album was released April 8, 2008. The band's most recent album, Outside, was released on January 11, 2011.

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 or toilet paper. 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". 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."

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".

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.