Dominick Mastrangelo loves Tokyo Police Club at All Points West

By Venus Zine Staff
Published: August 1st, 2009 | 12:00am

The much-lauded EP, A Lesson In Crime (Paper Bag), is about as long musically as it takes you to say Tokyo Police Club. Clocking in at a shade over 16 minutes, the seven-song debut from 2006 made Tokyo Police Club yet another addition to a decade-long procession of Canadian bands that have garnered critical indie praise. The band proceeded to follow up their first mark with last year's Juno Award–nominated, Elephant Shell (Saddle Creek). The four-piece outfit, all in their early twenties, brings a breathtaking, hook-laden approach to post-punk. The album includes pristinely arranged two-minute songs crammed with vibrant guitar work, foot-stomping drumming, and hand claps, as lead singer Dave Monks borrows a page out of the Colin Meloy playbook … or maybe just his dictionary.

Tokyo Police Club performs at 7:55 p.m. at the Queen of the Valley Stage.

Dominick Mastrangelo is a Venus Zine photographer