Caribou

Caribou
@ Oberlin College, May 3
by Andrew Clayman
Published in The Cleveland Scene (Village Voice), April 2008



Using the same powers of deduction that earned him a Ph.D. in mathematics, electronic psych-popster Dan Snaith made a name for himself in 2004—by literally changing his name. Up to that point, the Canadian-born Snaith had been known to his fans as “Manitoba,” but when former Dictators frontman Dick Manitoba threatened a lawsuit, Snaith deftly re-dubbed himself “Caribou” and quickly re-released his back catalog with the new moniker in place.

So, while the world forgot about Manitoba, Caribou became one of the most acclaimed computer-pop nerds on the planet. His latest release, 2007’s Andorra, finds him exploring some of the warmest and most melodic tunes of his career, while still showing off his multi-layered, mathematical production chops. On stage, Caribou morphs into a four-piece band, with Snaith taking turns on everything from drums to guitar to various keyboards.

Caribou’s colorful, psychedelic show ought to meld interestingly with co-headliners Fuck Buttons, an English duo of electronic loop aficionados who turn synthesizers into pretty intense weapons. Fuck Buttons are getting a lot of positive press themselves these days, but like Caribou, they’re probably best known for name-related reasons.