Friday 25 February 2011

Sleigh Bells Ring.




S l e i g h B e l ls.

N o t t i n g h a m R e s c u e R o o m s.

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New York. Home to The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, Sex and the City, The Drums, yellow cabs, Wall Street, knife crime and more recently, Sleigh Bells. Derek Miller, formerly of Poison the Well (he has clearly gone on the better things since his teen angst) and Alexis Krauss, Sleigh Bells are a dynamic and exciting alternative electronic outfit. With debut album treats coming out in 2010, and unexpected success, Sleigh Bells embarked upon a UK and European tour, which is where we caught up with the intensely anticipated act, queue Nottingham Rescue Rooms.

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Rumoured in NME to 'destroy PA systems' and ruin music venues, Sleigh Bells carry a certain expectation which can only be matched by that of perhaps a more metallic scene (when was the last time Everything Everything blew a PA system lets be honest?). As the duet approach the stage, an electric guitar with distortion turned up to 100 rips the intro to their latest single 'Infinity Guitars'. The vocals from Alexis are not album quality, and who knows where the beat is coming from, but Nottingham does not even batter the metaphorical eyelid. The crowd is a hybrid of demographics. Middle ages men bounce like its 1993, whilst students get sweaty amongst the working class, its a sociologists wet dream.

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A/B Machines follows up as the crowd get a little more loose, shirts are flung off as the front end of the Rescue Rooms is simply becoming a malaise of arms and fists throwing up at the ceiling. As the distortion is turned down for Rill Rill (actually recall Derek leaving the stage for the one), it becomes apparent that the New Yorkers are already half way through the set. Time flies.

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The last song on the album and the title of the album itself, 'Treats', is the highlight of the show. Album perfect quality and ear-jizzingly good. Its a heavy number started with classic sleigh bells distortion, followed up by a superb bass drum which could pierce the ears of those associated with the hardest of bands (poison the well.....). It all comes to the front before 'Crown on the Ground' is unleashed as the finale. Strobe lighting as Derek swings and Alexis struts is pure magic. Its a short gig in time, but monstrous in terms of excitement and appeal. Sleigh Bells get the highest mark. A-. Oh and Alexis.....would we?


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