did you do your best today?
Recent musical discovery: Sleigh Bells. Diane and I have really been enjoying their rock-techno-melody-turned-up-to-eleven sound. One reviewer made the observation that it’s like they took the best riffs and sequences of rock songs we really love and made whole songs out of them, and it feels true. The juxtaposition of the distortion-laden crunch and ethereal female vocals is done really well, and the lyrics demonstrate a level of detachment and acerbic commentary on the state of pop culture rare for music with such potential to be popular. It feels less like a guilty pleasure and more like music with actual artistic merit. Diane made the comment that a lot of it is actually quite beautiful in the purity of its expression, and I’m inclined to agree.
My coworker Charlie pointed me to a podcast of a concert they performed at, and I listened to a few of their songs this past spring, and enjoyed them. However, since then, they’ve come out with a full-length album, and hearing their sound further fleshed out has just made me more of a fan.
You can listen to some of their music here. My favorites are “Tell ‘Em,” “Infinity Guitars,” “Rill Rill,” “Crown on the Ground” and “Treats.”