If ominous folk music is a thing, Timber Timbre nails it.
The Canadian outfit isn’t exactly a buzz band, as Taylor Kirk and his collaborators have been around too long for any flash-in-the-pan status; instead their fandom has developed into something more akin to a dull roar, thudding underneath. Their fans are quietly everywhere — like in a horror movie, but with a catchier beat.
Over their last four albums, Timber Timbre has carved out a niche for their darkly melodic music that creeps through your speakers. The band seems to know the effect that their music has, too — hence the title of their last album, Creep On Creepin’ On.
“Beat the Drum Slowly,” the latest single off their fifth album, Hot Dreams, shows the band doing what they do best: making memorable, quietly disquieting tunes sure to give you goosebumps while listen on repeat. The video for the track, which TIME is premiering today, looks like a genetic crossbreed of R. Crumb and James Kochalka, but was actually animated by Chad VanGaalen, an accomplished musician in his own right. Filled with imagery of creeping lines and exploding thoughts, the animation seems innocent at first, before it turns unsettling; it pairs perfectly with the slow thumping of the song.
Creep on, creepin’ on, guys. We’ll be listening.
Timber Timbre North American Tour Dates:
4/25 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
4/27 – Washington, DC – Rock & Roll Hotel
4/29 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
5/1 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
5/2 – Nashville, TN – Exit/In
5/3 – Louisville, KY – Zanzabar
5/4 – Newport, KY – Southgate House Revival
5/5 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway Nightclub
5/7 – Iowa City, IA – The Mill
5/8 – Minneapolis, MN – The Varsity
5/9 – Madison, WI – Memorial Union Terrace
5/10 – Chicago, IL – The Empty Bottle
5/23 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
6/3 – West Hollywood, CA – The Troubadour
6/5 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent
6/7 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
6/8 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
6/10 – Vancouver, BC – The Commodore Ballroom
6/12 – Edmonton, AB – Starlite Room
6/13 – Calgary, AB – Republik
6/14 – Saskatoon, SK – Broadway
6/16 – Winnipeg, MB – Union Sound Hall
9/19 – Montreal, QC – Metropolis Theatre
9/20 – Quebec, QC – Le Cercle
MORE: SXSW 2014: 17 Bands To Watch, Even if You Don’t Go to the Music Festival
MORE: It’s a Thriller: New Michael Jackson Songs Coming in May on Posthumous LP Xscape
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Why We're Spending So Much Money Now
- The Fight to Free Evan Gershkovich
- Meet the 2024 Women of the Year
- John Kerry's Next Move
- The Quiet Work Trees Do for the Planet
- Breaker Sunny Choi Is Heading to Paris
- Column: The Internet Made Romantic Betrayal Even More Devastating
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com