North America’s most recent attempt, after perhaps Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or The Strokes, to crack the “great rock and roll band” canon would be Brooklyn’s A Place To Bury Strangers. Like either band, they’re suckers for righteous, bold statements of both musical and quasi-philosophical rock-and-roll-as-raison-d’être intent. However, they deal in very fuzzy, very loud shades of shoegazing grey, and are infinitely more nuanced and inward in their approach.
Called “New York City’s loudest band” by The Village Voice, A Place To Bury Strangers are a dense and powerful update of the Jesus and Mary Chain or My Bloody Valentine for the 21st century. Far from being loud just for the sake of it, their sonic tendencies are instead a result of years of passionately and carefully cultivating their sound. Frontman Oliver Ackermann runs Death By Audio, a wildly unique guitar effects manufacturer. His clients vary from Kevin Shields to Trent Reznor and the Edge; and the pedals come with a “will destroy your equipment if not used correctly” warning, which is a pretty good indication of the band’s sound itself.
Combining this sonic invention with years of touring and small-scale DIY releases before they started receiving attention, it’s clear the group have a refreshing honesty and work ethic in place to back up their attempts at a genre-defining sound.
Add to your festival schedule.
