The Dodos

Originally formed in 2006 as Dodobird by multi-instrumentalist Meric Long, unpredictable San Francisco indie rock duo the Dodos acquired their new moniker with the arrival of Logan Kroeber, a fellow West Coast artist whose penchant for experimental drumming and progressive metal melded perfectly with Long's interest in West African Ewe drumming and country blues fingerpicking. The Dodos independently released their debut album, Beware of the Maniacs, that same year, followed by Visiter in 2008. Long and Kroeber added electric vibraphonist Keaton Snyder to the fold and collaborated with producer Phil Ek on 2009's Time to Die, which found the trio exploring a more fleshed-out sound. For 2011's No Color, the band recruited Neko Case as a supporting vocalist and returned to its Visiter-era approach. The following year they were left in shock by the news of the sudden death of touring member Chris Reimer (also of Canadian outfit Women), who passed away in his sleep. This led Long and Kroeber to reassess the entire band, and for Long in particular, the way he approached songwriting and his guitar work. Their fifth record, Carrier, was released in 2013. Two years later, the band returned with Individ, a set of songs recorded shortly after Carrier that focused on Visiter-like interplay between Long and Kroeber.