SLEIGH BELLS, the yet unsigned power duo that’s been generating loads of attention post CMJ, had at least two reasons to be blissfully happy this past Thursday: they played a raucous show at Le Poisson Rogue AND received an honorable mention from Rolling Stone’s Rock and Roll Daily blog stating that they were on the preeminent-authority-on-music’s hype monitor. And if Rolling Stone says its so then its gotta be true (eyeroll).
All playful banter aside, the blur that is Alexis Krauss and the one-man-band that is Derek Miller delivered a thoroughly entertaining kick-ass rendition of their small but powerful oeuvre. Miss Krauss did not stand still for the entirety of the show (which I love… when I am not trying to capture at least one stellar still photo) and Miller’s guitar playing laid atop his pre-recorded beats were a next to identical facsimile of the band’s recorded tracks. Krauss went hard for the majority of the show and used the more mellow Ring Ring as a brief respite between dance anthems A/B Machines and “Infinity Guitar”.
The crowd at the show was a mix of the cool kids that came to dance, a few older suits (label scouts?), and one loud frat boy from Philly that can be heard on my video tracks singing his heart out along with Krauss to Ring Ring.