Times New Viking

There are not many bands like Times New Viking anymore. They have perfected the lo-fi sound that a lot of bands in the 90s attempted to emulate after it was made popular by groups like Guided by Voices, the Wrens, and so on. A lot of their newer material has evolved and has a somewhat cleaner sound than their early stuff. However, that clean sound is somewhat abandoned in the live shows, which I think is a good thing. You get a pure experience with minimal production. It is just three people on stage playing music for the love of music. They back themselves with big, loud speakers, and just jam away. I saw them in a small club in Cincinnati several years ago and they absolutely filled it with sound. You could help but jump around on songs like “Teen Drama” and “Thing with a Hook.” They play with a raw energy and intensity and it transfers over to the crowd as the show goes on, which makes it an exhilarating experience. When I saw them there was not a lot of chit-chat between the band and the crowd, which I think is a good thing. Too much chatting between songs loses the audience. TNV keep things moving and kept the crowd involved in the music, which made for a great show. They also played for about two hours, which is pretty incredible. I would gladly go see them again if given the chance.