The Dodos, courtesy Charlie VillyardWho: The DodosWhen: Tuesday, October 27Where: NeumosThe first time I saw the Dodos live — at this past year’s Sasquatch — their music just didn’t hold my attention. At the time, they sounded like just another derivative indie rock band and I couldn’t see what all the fuss was about or why John Vanderslice, a musician I respect immensely, appeared to be so into their set. I’ve since tried listening to their albums, and while I do like some of their songs, I have been on the fence about this band. I decided that I would not leave Neumos before coming to a conclusion about the Dodos. Mainly, I came to this show to see the Ruby Suns, who were great, though I’ve always wanted to see that band with a horn section and all the bells and whistles they’ve got on their studio recordings. And I was pleased to see that as many people appeared to be at the show to see them as the Dodos. In that vein it took me about six Dodos songs to decide that there’s something to this band that helps distinguish them from the other bazillion indie rock bands out there. They don’t use predictable song structures — just when they get repetitive to the point of being monosyllabic, they switch gears altogether — and these guys are pretty good musicians, which helps as well. On the other hand, when their songs fall flat, they really fall flat. Ultimately, I still like the Ruby Suns better, but I left Neumos feeling like the Dodos deserve the attention they’ve gotten. They’re just not ever going to be my favorite band.