Takka Takka
May 2007, Brooklyn Record/Brownstoner
Interview with Gabe (read here).
May 2007, CMJ.com
Signing Announcement, read here.
May 2007, BrooklynVegan.com
Signing Announcement, read here.
April 2007, Spin Magazine
(Album Review) "Takka Takka - We Feel Safer At Night / 4 Stars / Self-Released
ATTENTION, DEFLATED INDIE KIDS: THIS BAND'S FOR YOU.
Brooklyn's Takka Takka seem overly casual or even apologetic at first, but there's a sneaky intensity to the minimalist urban rock n' roll on this wonderful debut. Resisting cynicism and self-pity, wry frontman Gabriel Levine sings the way people talk, resembling a nicer Lou Reed as he offers moral support to self-conscious loners who get caught up in society's games, only to "break under pressure." Sample throwaway gem: "You pushed real hard / But you never pushed enough."
- Jon Young, Spin Magazine
February 2007, Time Out New York
"Takka Takka seems preternaturally gifted at conveying prettiness through guitar pop. The band's casual swagger, both on record and stage, suggests and ease at pursuing this difficult task."
February 2007, Spin Magazine
"With an aw-shucks organ and conspiratorial, almost spoken-word vocals Gabriel Levine, this Brooklyn foursome is like a more upbeat Lambchop."
January 2007, The L Magazine's Top 20 Albums of 2006 (#8)
"Takka Takka has made a record that makes us think about Lou Reed, 70s Dylan and late-period Pavement all at the same time, yet still manages to sound current."
December 2006, New York Magazine
"When Takka Takka scored an opening slot with former band-of-the-second Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, rock cognoscenti were alerted to their laid-back organ pop. Together for less than a month, they mesmerized fans at SummerStage, then played to packed shows at the CMJ festival."
December 2006, Rolling Stone magazine
"Unsigned indie-popsters Takka Takka have been a hot property since Clap Your Hands Say Yeah took them on tour this fall."
December 2006, Spin.com
"We've got another addition to our "Tunes That Sleigh" playlist: a new, unreleased holiday track from recent Clap Your Hands Say Yeah tourmates Takka Takka called "The Stars and Subway Cars." Something about this reminds us of that decidedly excellent winter tale, The Ice Storm: Picture Elijah Wood and Christina Ricci spinning this on the basement turntable as icy weather reigns outside and everything falls apart."
December 2006, Stereogum
"'Everyday's no holiday,' sings a warm and obviously reflective Gabe -- over gentle guitars in country-campfire cadence -- and we imagine Takka Takka gathered around a cozy living room in Brooklyn with a handful of sweatered friends, sipping eggnog, smiling and nodding ... white Christmas lights, a fire, happy-sad faces. That's probably 'cause we come from broken homes where such a scene would never be possible, but that is the vibe on this track from Holidays With The Takkas, which is our favorite song from the group, aside from 'We Feel Safer At Night'."
November 2006, NME Magazine
Takka Takka in NME! (jpeg)
November 2006, The L Magazine
"Next up was Takka Takka, whom I've said many times are my current favorite band in New York City. I find myself thinking idiotic things like, "If I were a band, this is what we would sound like." They're fresh of a three-week tour with Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah, and it showed last night, as their live performance is starting to shape up nicely."
October 2006, Sound Fix Records
"The debut from this local Brooklyn band is a real winner, one of the best unsigned acts we�ve heard all year. They bring the whimsy and charm of Pavement with a rousing, harmonica-drenched Americana straight out of the Dylan and Neil Young songbook. It�s got hooks, heart, melody and plenty of pop smarts. Recommended!"
September 2006, Other Music
"You know how Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has the totally trainspottable influences but, gosh darnit, you can't really hold it against them cause they do it with such open-armed, just clever enough skill to pull it off? Well, say hello to Takka Takka. No, they don't sound like Clap Your Hands, but they are definitely brothers in arms, and I guess in more ways than one since they are actually joining them on their next tour. Where C.Y.H.S.Y. has that soaring, Tele-Velvet-Heads vibe, Takka Takka has a completely catchy, neo-indie version of Velvet Underground-meets-Jonathan Richman self-knowledge, with that nothing-is-gonna-get-me-down-ultimately vibe of Broken Social Scene. (And like V.U. and Modern Lovers, there is a definite NY/post-college bend to the lyrics.) Check out "We Feel Safer at Night", "Coco on the Corner", "Joshua and the Professor" and "She Works in Banking." A self-assured/self-aware and humble collection of songs here. [SM]"
September 2006, Amp Camp
"...if I were to predict a band to closely mirror the passage of Clap Your Hands, then I might as well choose Takka Takka.
...I think that Takka Takka sound like a more refined Pavement. Especially in the vocals, where singer Gabe Levine has a delivery not unlike Stephen Malkmus, but a timbre more akin to Spiral Stairs, as heard on the post-Pavement band Preston School of Industry.
One thing that's certain is that We Feel Safer At Night feels like a New York record, despite the fact that it completely deviates from bands like the Strokes or Interpol. If those bands sound more like the sweaty nightlife of the city, then this band sounds like just being in the city. Put your headphones on with Takka Takka and just take a walk around the blocks, and you'll know what I mean. It's easy music to lose yourself to, but beyond that, it's just a great record. It's unpretentious, and I think it's going to be something a lot of people are going to connect with because of it's refusal to limit itself. Is it really the next big thing? Let's not say so just yet, because one can never be certain. But could it be? Yeah, it's that good."
September 15th, 2006, Earfarm
"Takka Takka will rock ya rock ya. That's my new slogan I'll be pitching to them for t-shirts. Funny thing is, it's not like they're out to M�tley Cr�e-rock your socks off each time they take the stage but more like they're there to deliver their unique and honest brand of rock & roll as best they can so that you'll have no option but to end up loving them. See, Takka Takka rules the school and when they're finished with you and you pause to evaluate the show you'll think to yourself "wow, they were awesome! Takka Takka rocked my world and I didn't even know until it was too late! why wasn't I dancing?!" Or maybe that's just unique to what happened to me, but I'm very happy I got to see them for a second time last night. This time I was ready for their late '70s/early '80s indie inspired stylings and wasn't disappointed."
September 13th, 2006, The L Magazine
"With their freshly pressed debut full-length now available to discerning music fans everywhere and a three-week tour lined up with their friends Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Takka Takka is finally ready to take their act public. They play a distinctly New York brand of rock 'n' roll, but only if the New York you know and love has more to do with Lou Reed and Bob Dylan than Carlos D or any of the other hipster celebrities we don't care about. Their songs are bouncy and upbeat, but maintain a seedy feel that�s provided by the character-driven lyrical content. I had a chance to sit down with singer-guitarist Gabe Levine, and we talked about their upcoming tour, the war, and his complicated relationship with New York City."
September 5th, 2006, Pitchfork Media
News: "Attendees of the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah / Architecture in Helsinki / Takka Takka tour this fall will be able to take home more than memories, ringing eardrums, and cameraphone pix from the indie pop extravaganza. All three bands have contributed live tracks to an EP that will be on sale exclusively at the shows. Only 1500 copies have been pressed, so exactly 100 will be available at each gig. Better get to the merch table early, kid."
September 1st, 2006, Stereogum
"...be sure to use the show for a first glimpse at the Takkas, straight outta Brooklyn with a promising debut and charming live set.
The four-to-the-floor kick, organ, and tamborine may make you Say Yeah, but Gabe's conversational baritone is more Lou Reed than it is Ounsworth, and later instances of bar room basslines and indie country give 'em a home of their own."
September 2006, Insound
Takka Takka 'We Feel Safer At Night' (Self-Released)
"These New Yorkers have some serious talent. Recently on tour with their friends Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Takka Takka's catchy lo-fi songs should propel them to indie stardom...or at least make for a really good listen."
August 24th, 2006, Papermag.com
"So could it be? Does a new New York sound stand before us? One less concerned with NYC cops, pornographic subways, and dancing to the underground, and more interested in dancing in the moonlight, midnight musings, sunshine, clouds and pop art. Perhaps, we can call it the Outer-Borough sound: dreamy, dark, yet pacific, with a touch of some urban refinement peeking just across the proverbial river."
August 24th, 2006, Brooklyn Vegan
"Takka Takka rocked - they actually rocked more than I expected given the mellower nature a lot of their music. They gave me more of a Hold Steady bar-band feel than the indie rockness of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (who they're touring with). Don't miss them. And oh yeah, they all smiled a lot. I love that."
August 18, 2006, StereoactiveNYC
"...releasing an album that�s sure to only continue garnering them critical acclaim, it�s hard to imagine their star doing much else other than rising. And last night�s set, a truly skilled performance that offered a near-perfect balance of musicianship and showmanship, proved they may just deserve every bit of star-rising that comes their way.
Not only do these guys know how to play; they unabashedly enjoy it and aren�t afraid to show it, something perhaps rarer in a band from New York, the oftentimes-capitol of cynicism, than you might think. And, watching them live � or listening to their great new album, We Feel Safer At Night � you�ll not only enjoy the experience, but also how much they seem to enjoy it."
August 2006, Indie-licious
"...the Brooklyn & Queens foursome should definitely be taken seriously as legitimate talents in their own right, with a solid live act, the free EP to provide greater exposure, and an impressive debut full-length album "We Feel Safer At Night." The performance was really pieced together well, primarily focusing on the band's more upbeat, dancier songs, while still demonstrating their verstility with some impressive indie-pop "ballads" as well. "Fever" was one of the most popular songs of the evening, with multiple requests for repeat performances. With their rocking guitar solos, some of the most original and head-bopping basslines I've heard in some time, solid percussion, and the occasional wild harmonica, Takka Takka's songs get your feet moving and really stick with you too."
July 2006, Welcome to the Midwest
"These New Yorkers have some serious talent. What I found when I ventured to their simple (yet charming) website was a bunch of neat, folky indie/rock songs. Their sound is so familiar, but not stale. I spent a few hours last night listening to "They Built You Up Too Fast," "Joshua and Professor Faulkner," and "American Queen" trying to pinpoint who they sound like. Even after scanning thorugh my extensive iTunes library, I couldn't really put my finger on it. I heard a little bit of Yo La Tengo. A little American Analog Set. And even a little Neutral Milk Hotel. Yet those comparisions still don't really work all that well. I really can't wait to hear more."
June 2006, Village Indian
"Takka Takka is a band. They're from around these parts. Their drummer Conrad is a friend. They have other friends too, like the guys from Clap Your Hands, who are helping them produce the next studio effort. So, they're like, popular and stuff. They also write good tunes. "Safer" is a tasty rough mix. The four-to-the-floor kick, organ and tamborine may immediately recall the Clap's aesthetic, but the conversational baritone is more Lou Reed than it is Ounsworthian. If you will."
June 2006, Earfarm
"Takka Takka reminded me of Velvet Underground/Lou Reed, and Bob Dylan a bit too, but their music veers much more towards the pop side of those artists."
June 2006, Subinev
"Whenever one of the songs from Takka Takka's web-only album, Fall Apart Art comes up on shuffle on my computer I get this weird sense familiarity and excitement. There's a definite Pavement vibe to them, with some Unicorns-style wackiness, all wrangled by some very tight (not to mention concise!) songwriting."
April 2006, Brooklyn Vegan
"Takka Takka is a band from Brooklyn and Queens. That picture there to the left is Clap Your Hand Say Yeah's drummer wearing their shirt Saturday night at Bowery Ballroom (He likes that shirt). FreeIndie posted Takka Takka's web-only seven song EP for download. The band has even more good MP3s at their website and on MySpace."
April 2006, The Deli Magazine
"It's tough to pinpoint the sound of a band who's named after a Roy Lichtenstein painting. We hate when that happens. We'd say that Takka Takka don't sound like they're from Queens or Brooklyn, but a small midwestern town surrounded by miles of wheat fields. Their Fall Apart EP (online here) starts as honest acoustic folk over an occasional higgledy-piggledy synthesizer, but changes midway to solid indie-pop/country retaining a certain quirkiness throughout. Just gotta listen to understand..."
