Music
Press
"Even 'avant-garde' fails to describe quasi-synth-pop collective Plastic Chord, an eight-member band boasting 10-plus instruments-- a slide whistle, a theremin, smart lyrics, and a spooky, sci-fi live show with a high-brow sense of humor that charms as often as it confuses." - Katherine Tylevich (The Onion- A.V. Twin Cities)
"For those of you who think that Weezer need to get a 21st century indie-tronica makeover, look no further than Minneapolis' own Plastic Chord." - Jonathan Graef (minneapolisfuckingrocks.blogspot
What have we here? a sort of musical Monty Python with funny sounds popping up all over the place. There is a morose male vocal in the centre of the metal machinery. This is like walking down a long corridor of mirrors that distort your perception of reality, alternative could be an understatement but it's still very accessible for a flexible ear - JAWZ
So Plastic Chord were back again last night at Cafe Montmartre opening for the Dorothy Heralds. Their sound is smart and challenging. They balance noise and harmonies and horns for a dancing cavalcade of opulent and cocky, glorious music. Keyboards, xylophone, trumpet, there was a lot of sounds emanating from Montmartre's tiny stage. As to the horns (a trumpet and sax) I leaned over to my friend and said something along the lines that this is what happens when hipster ska kids made the smart move out of third wave. Dare I go on that perilous limb and try to describe their sound? In a term, they're pop-hipster. On a bit more complex level, they're a little bit Beatles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jim Morrison/Doors, and Talking Heads with at many times a snapping dancebeat reminiscent of Franz Ferdinand. They have a female bassist (who was curiously absent from the lineup last night). Their lead singer/guitarist, as you'll see, is a motherfucking rocker. A pale redhead with a wiry frame who rocks the tight jeans like no other. His performance last night included a physical willing of a guitar pedal antenna much like Edward Norton in the Illusionist.
-Bridgit - Blog
Discography
Electric Tendrils: Nov 2008
Colonial Conundrum: Oct 2007
Hither and Yon, To and Fro: 2006
The Plastic Chord Attitude: 2006
Implanted Kingdom: 2005
Photos
Bio
Since 2005, Plastic Chord has toured and eaten breakfast around the middle-west portion of the USA.
In late '07 they released an album called Colonial Conundrum. As you may or may not have expected from the title, it is about tyrants, madness, cities, umbrellas, and driving. It spent 4 weeks on the cmj top too-hundred, peaking at #115 and continues to get play on many US and Canada radio stations.
The follow-up to this release came out a year later, in e.p. form, entitled 'Electric Tendrils'. Each album jacket is rubber hand stamped with four layers of designs.
Over the last few years, they have played throughout the Twin Cities, Chicago, Texas and beyond. Venues include:
First Ave., The 7th Street Entry, Turf Club, Hexagon Bar, The Nite Owl, Cafe Bourbon Street, 400 Bar, Mad Planet, Big V's, Dinkytowner, Sound Gallery, What's Up Lounge, Macalaster College, Cafe Montmartre, Electric Earth Cafe, Riverwest Commons, The Whole (U of M campus), Club Underground, Viking Bar, The Klinic, The Modern Exchange, Memory Lanes, Nomad World Pub, Steaknife, Uptown Bar, Canopy Club, Red Line Tap, The Fine Line Music Cafe, 331 Club, Art-a-Whirl festival, and more.
Links
