Barely out of their teens, Tokyo Police Club have already learned a vital rock 'n' roll lesson -- keep it short and fast. The original version of the Toronto quartet's debut indie release, "A Lesson In Crime," released in Canada in April 2006, clocked in at a mere 16 minutes (the Japanese release is augmented by one demo version and two b-sides) but has still done enough to garner commercial radio play, earn them an international tour (see Advanced Booking, left) and merit the title of "Canada's next big thing."
TPC put the emphasis on upbeat, two-minute post-punk songs with exuberant hand claps and muted group yelps while singing about being ruled by robot masters and the fictitious Tokyo Police Club "arresting you for being in love." Their intentioned rawness and vintage sound brings to mind The Strokes, but without any faux art-rock pretense, while the brief running time of "A Lesson In Crime" gives the music a sense of immediacy that many of TPC's contemporaries lack. Fiery openers "Cheer It On" and "Nature Of The Experiment" will get stoic music snobs up and dancing and could propel the group to a similar status as renowned fellow countrymen Arcade Fire.