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Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Fang Island and Sleigh Bells: A Genre Exercise

Over the last several months we have seen the rise of a new genre of indie rock that seems to have been born of the unholy union of Andrew WK and Battles (please don't click away after reading that).  No name exists for this genre yet, but you can bet it will contain a hyphen.  The music emerging from this mini-movement is infectious, driving, and immediate, yet manages to mix in a surprising degree of rhythmic complexity.  Mostly it's just fun, and I expect we'll be hearing a great deal of it this summer.  At present, however, the new genre is represented primarily by two emerging acts.

Fang Island are a five-piece band from Brooklyn by way of increasingly hip Providence, RI (more on this next week).  They have described their music as the sound of "everyone high-fiving everyone," and while this is perhaps a bit reductive, it is a fairly accurate appraisal.  Their eponymous debut was released in February, although playing this record in the dead of winter is hard to envision.   Now that the sun is beating down, throw it on.  The first three songs are a continuous encomium to awesomeness, and it only gets better.  Two tracks are included below:

Fang Island - Daisy


Fang Island - The Illinois


Sleigh Bells are also from Brooklyn (so few bands seem not to be) and are comprised of the duo of vocalist Alexis Krauss and polymath Derek E. Miller.  Their music is shot through with a decidedly darker tinge than that of Fang Island,  but while it is more appropriate for the House of Horrors than the Fun House, it clearly shares space in the amusement park.  Their debut record Treats is due out one week from today (May 11), and they're playing two shows in Brooklyn this week, at Coco66 and Monster Island Basement respectively.  Two tracks from the upcoming album below (be careful with your speakers):

Sleigh Bells - Tell 'Em


Sleigh Bells - A/B Machines

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