Tokyo Police Club

by Jen McNeely
The young post punk band from Toronto (well Newmarket to be precise) is releasing its highly anticipated second album, Elephant Shell, April 22.

A Lesson In Crime, their short debut, hit the world hard. When speaking with Graham Wright, keyboardist and vocalist, he remarked that while a band has a lifetime to make a first album, a second album is time sensitive, and a difficult challenge when the bulk of your year is allocated to touring.

So will the second album live up to the first? Will it blow you away? Absolutely. They are young, talented and have established a unique sound for themselves that, in my humble opinion, is still at the beginning of where they will take us.

Graham describes their first album, as being the music you put on when you have twenty people over and want to keep the party raging on, whereas Elephant Shell is what you stick in your car when you are driving around after the party with a girl you want to hook up with.

For me, it is the music that plays backdrop on a Spring night in a dark and crowded bar when you first make eyes at a gorgeous hottie from across the room; sexual energy building music for people who love to fall in love fast.

So what’s Graham falling in love with now? Music wise that is.

He admits he’s an over-listener, finds an album he likes and plays the shit out of it until he can’t stand it and feels ill, but is still completely all over Death Cab for Cutie.

Although they’ve taken stage from the small dingy bars to the most notorious concert hall venues in North America, Graham is most excited to play at our beloved Opera House May 2 and 3. The shows in Toronto always hold a contingency of his and the band’s friends, which makes them the most fun to play.

Humble and honest, I ask him who in the world he’d orgasm to share a stage with. He confesses, “Radiohead or Arcade Fire…but I’d probably be too nervous, so maybe not.” Aww , shucks.

If he wasn’t a member of one of the hottest growing bands around, he’d be in school, probably figuring out what the fuck to do with his life. Instead, I’d say he’s got it pretty made and on a frighteningly fast stairway to stardom.

Keep doing what you do Tokyo Police Club, energize us and arrest us with your music…do you realize how easy you are to fall for? Probs not, and that’s why we love you even more.

New Album Hits The Street April 22

Buy the album and play it through. DO IT – or I’ll cuff you Japanese style. Oooh – but you’d like that.