Band Profile: Sleigh Bells

Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells

A couple months after I graduated from college, I was trying to make a few bucks working an indie music festival called FYF fest. All day, I served overpriced bottle water and bacon-cheese fries to wannabe hipsters who dressed as if they would have gone to Coachella if their parents had given them $200 more allowance. Combined with the 100+ degree weather, the day was approaching on unbearable.

Then the sun set and the crowds started pouring in. The lines became so busy that it was impossible for supply to keep up with demand. Consciousness faded into automatic movements. Scoop Fries. Drizzle cheese. Layer bacon. It was impossible to think over the upset customers. That's when an unfamiliar voice exploding from the main stage and cut through the unbearable atmosphere. Everyone in line stopped arguing and turned to hear Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells yell "Are you ready?! Let's go!!" Along with composer and guitarist Derek Miller, Alexis went on to sing the most deafening, obnoxious, and entrancing set I have ever heard in my young life. It made me want to dance and mosh at the same time.


After the gig was over, I went home to hear more tracks from the FYF artists. Sleigh Bells stuck out in my mind. Both of their albums, Treats and Reign of Terror, boast outstanding guitar riffs and vocalizations (although Reign of Terror has higher production value).  Their entire discography is diversified and can only be described as chainsawing a troop of preppy cheerleaders in half and having tigers ravage the remains. I looked for something deeper in their songs and found small elements of meaning until I saw the following interview:

 

I quickly realized that, while their songs were inspired by honest emotions, the lyrics and and artists themselves were producing songs practically devoid of meaning. They're just having fun and being their quirky, nihilistic selves. At first I was worried that I had fallen in love with such a band, but there's something undeniably alluring about the formula. Maybe it's the catchy rhythms, reckless abandon, or Krauss' sex appeal, but ever since Sleigh Bells' sound graced my ears, I've been a serious fan.

Check them out and let me know what you think.