Saturday, June 4, 2011

Sleigh Bells and Neon Indian with Bosco Delray @ The Ogden Theatre, Doors 7:00PM, $25

This is perhaps the show I been looking forward to most this summer.  Both headliners are great bands who perform fun, fast-paced music that is the best kind to dance to on a Saturday night.  Sleigh Bells is a duo from Brooklyn, NY.  Alexis Krauss, their female vocalist, ROCKS the stage, hair flailing and all, without sacrificing her beautiful vocals. Girl crush? Yes.  The second member of the group, Derek Miller, plays guitar.  The noise-pop created by Sleigh Bells is bass heavy rock that contrasts nicely with Krauss' vocals.  The group does not have a drummer and therefore they bring out a TON of amps, we are talking a wall of amps, for their live show.  Get ready to get loud or else bring your ear plugs.  Sleigh Bells music is all about contrasting the heavy with the soft and beautiful.  Some people find it difficult to listen to, but in my opinion, their work is among the most unique, fascinating and addicting of the past few years.

Neon Indian.  The name almost says it all- take trendy, tribal beats and combine them with the electronic and you get a sound that sounds exactly like what a Neon Indian would sound like, if that were possible.  Maybe what an Indian drum circle would look and sound like with the help of hallucinogens.  Each Neon Indian song is pleasant and fun in beat, while containing lyrics that make you think twice- one of their tracks is called "Should Have Taken Acid with You".  They even sell t-shirts that say only that on them.  Whether you support the strange or not, this Saturday you can at least observe this craziness first hand.  And dance.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Ratatat @ The Ogden Theatre, Doors 7:00PM, $30 Sold Out

Ratatat, an electronic duo that uses real instruments, is one of the most different and talented groups out there when it comes to the DJ scene.  If you have never heard of them, you have still probably heard their work.  They were featured on Kid Cudi's hit track, "Pursuit of Happiness".  Ratatat is made up of a guitarist and a bassists/synth player.  Their music sounds entirely electronic and it is refreshing to me that they do it all while including a guitar and bass.  Their live shows are captivating- it's a dance show but you can still watch them perform as musicians, which is really what we pay for when we go to a concert.  Psychedelic visuals of faces, clips of movies, and swirling images and colors go along with the whole show, making it fun to watch even if you have a rough view of the stage itself.