For weeks leading up to the Sleigh Bells concert on Thursday, I was listening to their newest album release, Bitter Rivals, incessantly. When I initially listened to the album, it had a much brighter vibe to it. On a personal level, it reflected my life, in a way. When Reign of Terror was released, I was on a very heavy depressive kick. My life has become much more lifted since then, and somehow Bitter Rivals reflects that. I saw Sleigh Bells live twice for their Reign of Terror tour and then again last week. The feel of their productions may have a slight difference to them this time around, but the performances were equally fucking amazing.

Prior to the Sleigh Bells concert, I had never heard of opening act Montreal-based Doldrums. Their set had hints of '80s synths with tones of UK garage weirdness. The lighting for their performance was simple; red flashing lights reminiscent of a heart rate monitor. The group is comprised by three; the stage was set with a drum set, a Yahmaha and next to the lead singer's mic stand was various electronic equipment. It was a buffaBLOG night out for the Sleigh Bells show. Before Jon Krol, Cliff Parks and I headed downtown to Town Ballroom, I asked them what Doldrums was all about. One of them replied their sound was "sludgy," but in a good way. After the band thanked the audience and made way for the crew to re-set the stage, I wholeheartedly agree that the use of word was perfectly on point.

Sleigh Bells took the stage. This show was different than my previous two, in that it wasn't just Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller, but they were joined by their other guitarist and Poison the Well member Ryan Primack, and drummer Jason Boyer.

"It feels good to be back here!" Krauss told the audience. "Back in this creepy awesome place."

The show was incredible, once again. They played the classics like "Kids" and "Tell Em'" in addition to the Bitter Rivals tunes.

Krauss brought up a fond memory for the Buffalonians in attendance. She described a venue with a name she couldn't remember. The crowd yelled "Mohawk!" She laughed and replied "yes!"

The encore was incredible and I'm pretty sure it was during "Sing Like a Wire" that I threw my back out. I squeezed my way up to the gate to have a closer look and obviously to hear the music at a way louder decibel; the people surrounding me weren't too pleased. I asked one girl if I could scooch my way up a little closer and she said "sorry." Whatever. I stayed where I was and threw myself around like a rogue pinball in a machine. All I could do was laugh and I couldn't see anything because my hair was in the way. The girl who initially declined my request for a better view looked back, smiled and said "here," giving me a small spot to take a step closer.

I left Town Ballroom with ringing ears, a sweaty leather jacket and a sore back that I wouldn't feel until my after-concert beer as I made an attempt to walk across Allen Street.

Until we meet again Sleigh Bells. Until we meet again.

Over the last few years, the close-knit Montreal music scene has given us artists like Grimes, Purity Ring, Majical Cloudz, Blue Hawaii, and TOPS. This compelling list of unique and highly imaginative musicians also includes Toronto-born artist Airick Woodhead, aka Doldrums. His debut album, Lesser Evil, was released back in February and featured the atmospheric single, "Anomaly." Like much of his hometown scene, the record possesses a left-field, warped pop characteristic that combines cerebral melodies with an intense bass-heavy element to make for an complex sound that is best experienced live to understand it's appeal.

Tonight, Doldrums will open for Sleigh Bells at the Town Ballroom in what will undoubtedly be one of the most overwhelming shows of the year in terms of sound and volume. Doors open at 7pm, so be sure to get there early enough to catch both artists' punk-like approach to electronic pop. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $24.

Tonight Buffalo audiences will be get another chance to take in the phenomenon that is Sleigh Bells when they return for a show at the Town Ballroom. Their show at that fine venue in July last year was a roaring blast of sound, vision, and palpable sexiness that left the sold out crowd exhausted but ready for more. Touring behind their terrific third album Bitter Rivals and with a body of work that will make for a dynamite show, Sleigh Bells, aka Derek Miller (interviewed recently for the blog by Alicia Greco) and Alexis Krauss is coming back to give us more. Opening the show will be the hazy and dreamy sounds of mystery electronic act Doldrums. Tickets are $24 and are still available, and doors open at 7 PM.

As you've been hibernating the past few weeks, staying cozy inside while windchill levels approached sub-zero, the music world has kept warm too, grilling up an entire month's worth of awesome new releases. Check out what February has in store for your ears!


10. Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse
When Scottish indie rock outfit Frightened Rabbit released their track and subsequent video for "State Hospital" last year I was pretty blown away. The song has the stamina and intensity of a stadium rock anthem, but wields weighty lyricism that cuts to images of suffering and hope. Overall, their EP release last year wasn't great, but just good enough to stir up a longing for their fourth studio full-length which is out today.


9. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Push the Sky Away 
The legendary Nick Cave has stayed prolific as ever in the past few years with his Grinderman efforts and reissues with his band, and will be releasing his fifteenth studio record with The Bad Seeds on 2/18 via the band’s own label, Bad Seed Ltd. The debut single off the new record is called “Jubilee Street”. Check it out below:


8. Pissed Jeans - Honeys



Back with their follow-up to 2010’s underrated surf-rock self-titled effort, Beach Fossils will release Clash The Truth on 2/19 via Captured Tracks. While the band has expanded with various members coming and going, it all started with mastermind Dustin Payseur, who recorded everything on the first record by himself, playing every instrument. As the musician received continued acclaim in the indie community, Captured Tracks took notice and brought Payseur on to record a sophomore LP. Payseur brought on some core band members for recording in a proper studio, including a feature from Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino on their track “In Vertigo”. Listen to their latest track "Generational Synthetic" below:


3. My Bloody Valentine -mbv
Remember My Blood Valentine? I don’t. Because I was two years old when their last studio record was released back in 1991. it’s been a long time coming, but in the last 22 years, after many rumors of a new material, lead singer Kevin Shields going crazy, and countless throw-outs, My Blood Valentine has finally released their follow-up to Loveless with mbv, which was released on February 2, subsequently crashing the online server that was facilitating the release. So far the album has gotten favorable reviews with The Guardian giving it a perfect 5/5 rating. Listen to the opening track below and stream the rest via YouTube.

2. Iceage - You're Nothing
Strait-up, Iceage is putting out some awesome music right now. Still riding off the coattails of 2011’s 24-minute hell-raiser, New Brigade, they’ve just released the video for the new single “Ecstacy” about a week ago. Picking up where they left off, the Danish teens let out a surge of dark energy on the track with chunky guitar riffs coating hair-raising shouts of “Pressure!” While it seems the trend has been for many current indie-punk bands to shift toward more refined, poppier territory, Iceage have committed themselves to louder and gnarlier thread of punk, one that requires cheap beer and trashed speakers. You’re Nothing is out 2/19 via Matador.

1. Atoms for Peace - Amok - 2/25
Perhaps the most anticipated album of 2013, Atoms For Peace’s Amok, is something like four years in the making. The supergroup was first concieved when Thom Yorke called Flea (bassist for Red Hot Chili Peppers), Joey Waronker (drummer for R.E.M.), Mauro Refosco, and Nigel Godrich (Radiohead producer) together to play the entirety of Yorke’s solo record The Eraser in LA in 2009. Playing at Coachella in 2010 they were simply known as “??????” Since, they've slowly come into form, officially giving the band its name, releasing their first official single “Default” last year, and another “Judge, Jury, and Executioner” last month while detailing the release of their debut album. The tracks sound quite reminiscent of Yorke’s solo record Eraser, but there is definitely a stronger reliance on drum and vocal loops giving way to nuanced and textured sound that we’ve really yet to fully experience from Yorke. Amok is out 2/26 in the US. Listen to "Judge, Jury, and Executioner" below:

January is not typically known for its wide range of high quality releases, which tend to be concentrated in the later months of the year. However, this week, I noticed that there was a steady stream of some really great stuff. Whether it is forthcoming Beach Fossils album (which comes out in February but there was an early leak) or next week's Toro Y Moi LP (an uneven but exciting step forward), there is already quite a bit to be excited about in 2013. This week's new songs are a mix of psychedelia, electro-pop, and math rock. A seemingly disparate combination but a great set of songs nonetheless. Enjoy!

Herbcraft - "No Land:" A droning, contemplative song featuring a jumbled mix of chanting, tape noise, and woodwind flourishes that seems to have been recorded by a mic set 25 yards from the performers. Herbcraft recorded this in an 18th Century barn in the pacific Northwest, which is great because it has been a while since someone recorded strange folky music in a setting appropriate to its musical style. I mean, Bon Iver petered out after one album. Anyway, Herbcraft is releasing his next LP on Woodsist and this song fits in well with that label, known for their fuzzy, sometimes sunny, low-fi releases. Before listening, please put yourself in the appropriate mystical-ceremonial-head space. I don't know, set up a shrine or something.



Youth Lagoon - "Dropla:" More psychedelia, this time significantly more straightforward, from Youth Lagoon. A slowly building track, drawn together by a bright, glistening piano loop, and marked by a beautiful climax, this new work is an exciting step forward for the young artist.



Doldrums - "Anomaly:" An eerie pop song from a based in Montreal. Mixing noise, rapid off beat drums, and haunted vocals, the song messily combines all of its parts into a whole. You can almost see the lines where these elements don't quite gel together. This disjointedness makes the track compelling.



Lindstrøm/Todd Terje - "Lanzarote:" Should I ever find myself on a train into space (see: anime classic Galaxy Express 999), I would probably want to be listening to Lindstrøm, who has been making excellent space disco (yes that is, in fact, a genre) for several years. This new track, a collaboration with fellow Norwegian, Todd Terje, is a bright and propulsive g. Complex synth flourishes complement the rising beat and the song concludes with a chant about various tropical locations to visit, on your train...that can also go into space. OK, the song never mentions a train into space, but I think it WORK WELL IF IT DID.



Marnie Stern - "East Side Glory:" Marnie Stern might be quietly readying one of the more interesting records to come out in the first half of this year. "East Side Glory" is a jubilant and twitchy piece of stuttering guitar centered pop rock. Stern's technical skills are evident and the math rock lite guitar melody is great. I am excited for her forthcoming album, The Chronicles of Marnia, but am also ready to be disappointed, just in case it turns out like last year's Dent May album (early excitement, overall disappointment). [Song only available at Stern's bandcamp]