Video: Grouplove, ‘Colours’
Kevin Bronson on
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When I saw Grouplove (then operating under the search engine-stumping moniker “Group”) play their first live show at El Cid, I had them pegged as the indie-pop response to Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. To a room filled with their well-scrubbed but dressed-down friends and a remarkable number of label A&R folks they seemed to have on speed-dial, the L.A. based quintet was all hooks, handclaps and happiness. Grouplove’s talking points – their oddly matched personas, downright silly costumes, a heartwarming backstory about the amazing synchronicity that brought them together and music that referenced indie-rock icons rather than the hippie-fied ’60s – marked the band for immediate success, no matter that their tribal exuberance had the sincerity of a toothpaste commercial.
The fivesome was quickly snapped up by the Atlantic Records imprint Canvasback, which will release their debut EP on Jan. 25. Filmmaker Jordan Bahat’s video for “Colours” (spelled the British English way, naturally) is a button-pusher too. On Monday night in a roomful of happy, bouncing fans, I saw Grouplove for the sixth time, again thinking, during “Colours,” that they should just jump into a cover of “Float On” and get it over with. I’m sure it’s just me, but: Next, please.
||| Live: Grouplove has the Monday night residency at the Bootleg Theater – next week with White Arrows supporting and Jan. 17 with Chief. The Jan. 24 installment is not free but a $20 ticket, which means the billed “special guest” must be pretty special indeed.
You’re pretty good at this hate thing. You should guest spot for me, son. You and me, kid. I can see your name in lights. LIGHTS, I tell you.
Of course, if you want to see a cover of “Float On”, you should just see the Black Crystal Wolf Kids play a set of indie covers tonight at the Mint. But, maybe, that’s just me…
i think i was at that el cid show–i believe they played just before New Limb.
i was very suprised by the response Grouplove got and the numbers there to see them. i did not dislike them as much as you seem to have but i did feel they were working very hard at seeming to be just having loose fun. but there is no question that a good bunch of the audience just ate it all up that night.
float on? the modest mouse song? i guess if you’re really trying to stretch you could say that… an easier one would be pixies… anyhoo, thanks for posting this video, its crazy awesome!
God forbid anyone on the internet with a blog should say something positive. Comparing Grouplove to Modest Mouse is like comparing Obama to Hitler, a pretty fucking stupid comparison. Why don’t you go jerk off to some ten page essay you wrote about why you love pavement, sonic youth and every other terrible band pitchfork has told you “the world just doesn’t understand.”
do you think “fuck you” is in Grouplove? I bet he is. Grow a thick skin, Hippie! Grouphug deserves to wear cement boots. Just accept it.
WAIT you saw this band and they were HAPPY on stage?
I haven’t seen a band that is happy on stage since forever. BUT I have seen a lot of depressed looking kids who can hardly play their instruments, copying other peoples boring songs and making me and everyone around me sad we paid to come out. to see yet another band that has no art in it. I am definitely going to check out Grouplove when they come to Portland -WHY? cause they sound heavy and passionate and most importantly they sound ALIVE.
Haha, Kevin is very diplomatic with his criticism I think. I normally just say a band “isn’t my thing” and leave it at that. Grouplove isn’t my thing and the only times I’ve seen Modest Mouse was because they were playing with The Helio Sequence.
The Fold mentioned that there will be an important announcement on their Facebook on Monday so that will probably reveal the Grouplove special guest. After reading the recent interview on Brand X I’ll have to guess The Morning Benders?
I first heard “Colours” on The End while at work, and as soon as I got home I started googling to find out how there could possibly be a new Modest Mouse album without me knowing about its release. When I realized it wasn’t Modest Mouse, I assumed Grouplove must be some sort of “super group” that contained members of Modest Mouse.
But nope. They’re just hacks who sound *exactly* like Modest Mouse. File under: Someone Else Is Doing It Already And Doing It Better.
I mean, comparing this to modest mouse is not off point at all. He uses the same vocal inflections, tone, and in this song even words. I heard this on the radio today and was surprised that I did not know a new modest mouse album was released. Turns out there wasn’t. And if you listen to anything other than the last 2 modest mouse records you will totally here the voice inflections. I bet if you asked the singer of Grouplove he would say that Isaac Brock is a huge influence on his vocals.