Have you ever heard something so ugly it’s actually beautiful? That’s how I feel about Brooklyn-based Sleigh Bells. Guitarist/producer Derek Miller’s huge, shredding guitars over hard, reverb-heavy drums give singer Alexis Krauss’s piercing vocals some context. It all comes together to form the definition of “Noise Pop.”
The duo released their debut album, Treats, earlier this year to a strong cult following. So much so that MIA’s label, N.E.E.T. Recordings signed the band and have them touring with world-renowned disco house band LCD Soundsystem. To date, Sleigh Bells has well over a million plays on their Myspace and have a steady stream of about 3,000 plays a day.
Their sound is original, their look is appealing, and their live show has it all make sense. From the videos on Youtube and their Myspace, Alexis and Derek put on a show with the power of one of my father’s legendary sneezes. It’s loud, hard, ugly, original, and clever. Just don’t play it for your grandmother.
It’s somewhat difficult to distinguish the songs from one another, especially when initially hearing them. They all have the same elements and are all extremely compressed in the final mix. However, the more you listen the more you start to appreciate their ability to switch up melodies among the hard drums. I think my favorite song right now is “Tell ‘Em.” It’s just so damn hard, I want to break something every time I listen to it (although I feel that way when I listen to all their songs!).
I can’t wait to catch Sleigh Bells on their current run up and down the East Coast. They are playing at Webster Hall on 9/20 and I will surely be attending (and reviewing) that show. They also just signed on to perform at the highly-anticipated MoogFest 2010 in Asheville, NC at the end of October. Make sure you catch them now before you have to pay big money to see their shows (see MGMT, MIA)!