Band of the Day (10.16.09): A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS
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Artist:
Who?
In the mold of the Jesus & Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, New York-based shoegazers A Place to Bury Strangers rustle up the most glorious noise imaginable. As willfully abrasive at it is inspired, the band's second album, Exploding Head, is no empty threat.
And I care because?
- It's intricate art. Their wall of sound is thick, but the overall sound is laden with more guitar nuance than you'd expect form a pile of pedals. Contemporary shoegaze just doesn't get any better than this.
- No one else has these effects. Guitarist/vocalist Oliver Ackermann's effects wizardry is put into context when you're told he's the founder of effects pedal company Death By Audio. Said company has provided custom effects equipment to the likes of U2, Wilco, and My Bloody Valentine.
- The noiseniks won't accept mediocre mayhem. The band sent their second album to be mastered and when it came back unacceptable, Ackermann mastered it himself.
- Their live shows are an experience all their own. From ripping guitar strings and relentless distortion to breath-taking melodies and stunning visuals, live the boyss really do ratchet it up.
Stream their new album below; watch the video for new single, "In Your Heart," and buy their new album.
Comments (7)
O mighty BOTD..please speak, please get an avatar..you are scaring me!
I don't know, it's sort of fun to imagine a stick figure with headphones talking to you!
I am the almighty sitck. Bask in my stickiness...
Totally 80's, but in a good way. I do hear U2 in the guitar effects and their sounds also boarder on The Alarm. Nice.
I am hearing New Order in the Vocal, Dick Dale in the riffs, The Cure (early cure) in the feel of it all, Mix in some heavy production, put in alot of echo everywhere, and give them more pedals than god ever intended, and wallah. Also hearing some Church on some of the tracks too, especially Ego Death.
Everything always goes wrong starts off punk, and quickly turns into the Bangles, at least the good Bangles, the punk Bangles, not the Walk like Egyption later Bangles. Last Track is very Social Distortion.
Yes, they are very heavily 80's influenced, and ya know what, I like it, alot. But it is just a few hairs to "hard" for me. I fail to see a state of mind in my current life to match this music. God I hate getting old, they really do sound great.
My favourite album of 2009. Dead Beat, In Your Heart, Keep Slipping Away, and I Lived My Life To Stand In The Shadow Of Your Heart are flooring me.
Yes, this album is wicked good! Been enjoying it thoroughly. APTBS deserves MORE attention since they are sorely underrated. Glad you featured them.