I write about random things a lot. I write a lot about random things. But even some of the things I write about are commonplace in comparison to some of the random stories that Tokyo Police Club have collected over the years.

Formed in Newmarket in 2005, Tokyo Police Club are Dave Monks (vocals, bass), Graham Wright (keys), Josh Hook (guitar) and Greg Alsop (drums). Releasing their A Lesson In Crime EP in 2006, the band came to realize that the budding hardcore scene in the area wasn't going to be the most nurturing to their sound.

Deciding instead to spend the time honing their craft, they've shown remarkable growth and brilliance over their next few records, leading to 2010's Champ, which critics far and wide have praised for its freshness and character.

While they spent their early days becoming better and better songwriters, farther cities like London offered audiences more conducive and interested in what they had to say. Accordingly, they have a long history with our city, and a lot of great stories to tell.

"One of the first shows we ever played was the Alex P. Keaton, before that closed," Alsop said. "And that was just bizarre. It was so small, there were people stepping on our pedals all the time and pushing us around."

"And it was one of the first times we ever played, um ... pretty inebriated," he admitted with a sheepish laugh. "They had an incredible beer list when we were there, and we tried them all!"

But as the years wore on, the quirkiness and charisma here in London continued to woo the band.

"Every other time we've played London, it's been Call The Office," Alsop reflected. "It's always been amazing; I remember at one of those shows there was this guy, I guess he just decided to start crowd-surfing, but no one else was interested in having a crowdsurfer, so they weren't supporting him."

"He got up there, and I guess he realized he was about to drop," he continued. "So he grabbed the piping above us, and just sort of Spidermanned himself up there for our entire last song. It was pretty amazing."

It's impossible to know what adventures await Tokyo Police Club when they return and headline a show at the London Music Hall — performing with guests Hollerado and Dinosaur Bones — on April 2. Tickets are on sale now for only $19.

What I can tell you is that Champ, nominated for Alternative Album of the Year at the 2011 Juno Awards in Toronto, is going to give heavyweights Arcade Fire a run for their money. If there is any chance that another band can steal the award from the Montréal indie-kings, the kind of cool confidence and intelligent lyrics on Champ will be the one to do it.

For more on Tokyo Police Club and their Juno-nominated record, check out TokyoPoliceClub.com or follow them and Alsop on Twitter @TokyoPoliceClub and @OtherGregAlsop, respectively.

And as always, for more music news, views and streams, follow @FSU_Bobbyisms or check out the Music Recommendations thread in our FSU social network. I'm out of words.