Watch: Tempo No Tempo - “Pole Position”

One of last years more interesting and unexpected debut’s, Waking Heat by San Francisco’s Tempo No Tempo showed us that there is still a bit left to uncover in the realm of D.C.-bred post-punk. The trio made a great album by wedding those obtuse sounds with the more bouncing styles of dub and Afrobeat for a fresh take all their own, one which is evidenced well in Heat’s second single, “Pole Position.”

This video for “Pole Position” song is ridiculously well-made and intricately choreographed for a band who self-released its first album. TNT’s three members move about through strange portals between practice spaces, basements, and beaches—sometimes travelling in precarious and disorienting ways—while simultaneously performing the song. Kudos to French Press Films for the quality retained in executing this idea.

Tempo No TempoWaking Heatself-released (2009)
Genre: IndieRating: B-
The biggest downfall and greatest pleasure of Tempo No Tempo’s debut album, Waking Heat, is the ease with which one can draw parallels between their influences and the band’s own brand of DC-indebted post-punk tunes. While comparisons to the entirety of Fugazi’s and Q And Not U’s catalog immediately come to mind, Waking Heat also contains elements of dub, kraut-rock, afrobeat, and disco from start to finish.
The jangly guitars of album kick-off “The Rat (Part One)” prove to be a recurring sound in the San Francisco outfit’s repertoire, as do the rhythm section’s penchant for 3/3 beats, but the rest of their ideas are varied enough to avoid boring the listener. “Get Down, Stay Down” has an infectious dub-inspired groove that brings to mind fellow SF no-wavers Tussle, the synth-heavy “Kilometer” features a chorus singalong that’ll stick in your head for days, and Waking Heat’s arguably best track, “Line Drawing,” not only runs their gamut of rhythms and instrumental timbres but also showcases the band at their most powerful and reserved.
Waking Heat’s ideas are tried and true in its own circles, but, nonetheless, they’re given a fresh update by a young and hungry trio of musicians. If you’re looking for a record with an unflinchingly original style of music, Waking Heat wouldn’t be your first choice, but if you’re looking for exciting sounds delivered with tenacity, conviction, and skill, Tempo No Tempo has got your number.
-Patric Fallon
Listen:“Kilometer”

Tempo No Tempo on Myspace

Tempo No Tempo
Waking Heat
self-released (2009)

Genre: Indie
Rating: B-

The biggest downfall and greatest pleasure of Tempo No Tempo’s debut album, Waking Heat, is the ease with which one can draw parallels between their influences and the band’s own brand of DC-indebted post-punk tunes. While comparisons to the entirety of Fugazi’s and Q And Not U’s catalog immediately come to mind, Waking Heat also contains elements of dub, kraut-rock, afrobeat, and disco from start to finish.

The jangly guitars of album kick-off “The Rat (Part One)” prove to be a recurring sound in the San Francisco outfit’s repertoire, as do the rhythm section’s penchant for 3/3 beats, but the rest of their ideas are varied enough to avoid boring the listener. “Get Down, Stay Down” has an infectious dub-inspired groove that brings to mind fellow SF no-wavers Tussle, the synth-heavy “Kilometer” features a chorus singalong that’ll stick in your head for days, and Waking Heat’s arguably best track, “Line Drawing,” not only runs their gamut of rhythms and instrumental timbres but also showcases the band at their most powerful and reserved.

Waking Heat’s ideas are tried and true in its own circles, but, nonetheless, they’re given a fresh update by a young and hungry trio of musicians. If you’re looking for a record with an unflinchingly original style of music, Waking Heat wouldn’t be your first choice, but if you’re looking for exciting sounds delivered with tenacity, conviction, and skill, Tempo No Tempo has got your number.

-Patric Fallon

Listen:
“Kilometer”

Tempo No Tempo on Myspace

Watch: Tempo No Tempo - “Pole Position”

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