Much like Guided by Voices, Times New Viking emerged from Ohio as a lo-fi indie rock outfit steeped in noise, shifting from the long-established Siltbreeze imprint to the more prominent Matador roster. In contrast to Guided by Voices, whose dense layers of hiss and distortion concealed a talent for traditional pop hooks rooted in the 1960s along with surreal wordplay in the lyrics, the Columbus trio draws from punk traditions and favors spare, intentionally repetitive lines.
The group, whose name serves as a cryptic and pointless play on the typeface Times New Roman, came together in Columbus during 2005 after art-school students Adam Elliott, Beth Murphy, and Jared Phillips impulsively formed a band during an evening at a neighborhood rock venue. With no prior musical experience between them, Murphy handled keyboards while Phillips took up guitar; Elliott, possessing slightly greater proficiency, sat behind the drums. Elliott and Murphy share vocal duties, frequently overlapping yet seldom blending in harmony. Their first full-length, Dig Yourself, appeared on Siltbreeze in 2005, with Times New Viking Present the Paisley Reich following in 2007; the compact-disc edition of the latter incorporated six songs drawn from two limited vinyl EPs issued earlier.
Favorable notices and steady road work, including a support slot with Yo La Tengo plus appearances at Coachella and SXSW, helped elevate their standing. This momentum prompted the move to Matador for 2008’s Rip It Off, sixteen hurried tracks clocking in under thirty-one minutes and produced by veteran Ohio noise-rock figure Mike Hummel of Mike Rep & the Quotas. Born Again Revisited followed the next year. After relocating to Merge and refining their approach modestly—recording in a studio for the first time—the trio issued its fifth album, Dancer Equired, in April 2011.
