Think Death From Above 1979 meets The Knife. Call it noise pop…breakbeat rock…or dance punk. Sleigh Bells mixes heavy dance beats and lo-fi distorted guitars, produced/performed by Derek Miller, with the hi-energy vocals of female singer Alexis Krauss. This Brooklyn-based duo is blasting earbuds with their debut album, Treats, which was released in digital formats on May 11. Treats redefines loud. It’s a simplified sound that rocks, and the killer beats make it unique. I first heard Sleigh Bells earlier in 2010 when I saw photos/videos from SXSW. I was pretty blown away by the videos, and the album backs them up. My favorite tracks are Crown On The Ground, Riot Rhythm, and A/B Machines.
The production on Treats is loud-to-the-max but it really seems to work. Even my mom was down with the sound, but I imagine some might find it a bit overdriven. The duo makes great use of negative space throughout the album. The tracks are each different, but are all delivered with a great energy. There’s not a track that I don’t like. It’s next level, like Die Antwoord, who apparently Sleigh Bells will be performing with via M.I.A.‘s N.E.E.T. recordings on July 24th at the Hard NYC festival. For the most up-to-date Sleigh Bells tour dates, look on their MySpace page. From what I understand they use a backing track for the drums when they perform—with Derek on guitar and Alexis on the mic. I definitely want to check them out live. Treats was released by New York indie label Mom + Pop Music.
