Makeout Videotape

14 October 2009

GREG REESE
Arts Editor

There used to be talk of approaching the universal through the specific and depth through simplicity and so on — Jesus Christ, wasn’t it? Maybe I’m just imagining this.

Well, even if I’m under some strange delusional spell, I saw something happen last weekend with a Vancouver band called Makeout Videotape (Mac DeMarco and Natalie Gitt) which leads me to believe that minimalism is the new way forward.

A floor tom, snare drum, electric guitar and microphone were the only instruments used to pump out some otherworldly soul and garage rock hits. Minimalism was definitely the format but the sounds were full and nicely fuzzed-out.

Playing in a flooded art studio in Saskatoon’s downtown — we had to walk across a bunch of wooden planks to get to the room for the show — Makeout Videotape channeled the simple song structures of the great minimalist ’60s garage rockers. There was a lot of the Troggs, early Kinks and Sonics in their sound.

The mysterious side of the whole thing is that, for all the ’60s influence, they sound futuristic to me. I feel like these two young kids from Vancouver are showing us something new — like, “throw out your harps and xylophones and get a new set of strings for your old electric.”

Makeout Videotape recently finished a tour supporting Japandroids — another minimalist duo — but to me, they outclass Japandroids in a significant way. Makeout Videotape uses a minimalist drum sound to foreground the colourful guitar and vocal melodies and the interplay between these melodies. Japandroids just blast away at everything at once. Okay, Japandroids might not be terrible, but they don’t blissfully alter my consciousness either.

The song “I guess the Lord is in New York City” is a great example of Makeout Videotape’s paradoxical nature: the whole thing is so laid back and yet it creates an intense, vital energy.

Live, the guys do these silly little dance moves periodically. The stage show is compelling for the same reason the songs are: despite doing very little, the whole thing is full to the brim with presence.

As this is their first record, there is a lot of anticipation over the sophomore. I don’t think the two members of Makeout Videotape have more than 40 years between them, so there is sure to be a shitload of great tunes still to come.
- The Sheaf

Can't get enough of glorious lo-fi garage pop? Sick of all the fuzz? Regardless of what camp you're in, I strongly urge you to listen to Makeout Videotape right now. During my search for awesome new bands to cover for Standing Room/Standing Around, I saw that Makeout Videotape had been touring with Japandroids, my favorite act from Pitchfork Music Festival '09. One play of "I Guess The Lord Is In New York" on their MySpace was all it took for me to be hooked. It should be a crime to write songs that are this catchy. I've definitely caught myself singing some Makeout Videotape while walking around, and no one should be subjected to my singing.

Like Japandroids, Makeout Videotape is a two-piece hailing from Vancouver, and they're apparently signed onto the same Canadian label. According to BeatRoute Magazine, singer and guitarist Mac DeMarco recently finished high school, and I would assume that it's the same case for drummer Alex Calder. But, don't expect Makeout Videotape to sound like a typical high school garage band. If anything, Makeout Videotape only show their age through their genuinely easy-going nature, which I find to be a captivating characteristic for any band.

Most (if not all) of Makeout Videotape's infectious songs clock in under three minutes, so they got through quite a bit of material during their set, including a "cover" of Nirvana's "Come As You Are." Mac confessed that he didn't know all the words to the song, and sure enough he had to scat sing most of it. But, the crowd loved it anyway because he did a killer impression of Kurt Cobain. They promised to actually learn that one for the next time they're in NYC. Someone book this band so that they're back soon!

For now, Makeout Videotape has Heat Wave! EPs for sale on CD-R, and Mac was really nice to hook me up with one. I'm sharing some of those tracks with you, so enjoy! Live tracks from this show coming soon on Standing Room/Standing Around. Also, look out for Makeout Videotape's forthcoming 7". You'll have to go to a Makeout Videotape show yourself to find out why Japandroids called them the most eligible bachelors currently in New York City. - Look at me, I made a blog