First(ish) Listen: Sleigh Bells

So you know how some things that shouldn’t go together totally do? Like chocolate and bacon. And ice cream and bacon. And, well, pretty much everything goes with bacon. But peanut butter and jelly is too obvious.

Anyway, a music version of this phenomenon is most definitely Sleigh Bells. Take one part ex-teeny-bopper girl group singer and one part ex-hardcore band dude, throw them on M.I.A.’s record label and voila! You get noisy, catchy, distorted, poppy perfection.

Here, check them out for yourself real quick. This is "Rill Rill" from their debut full-length, Treats:

(Fave lyric: "So this is it then?/You're here to win friend/Click click saddle up see you on the moon then)

I can’t quite put my finger on why this band are so amazing. It might be the songs are so textured and layered that you hear a new sound every time. It might be former Rubyblue singer Alexis Krauss’ lilting, hypnotic vocals. Or it might be Derek Miller’s (formerly of Poison The Well) indie-electro-pop take on the breakdown. Or it might be that they have a song called “Rachel.”

Either way, they flippin’ rule. And I got to see them last night at the Grog Shop with a couple hundred other sweaty, happy, dancing people. It was loud. It was totally energetic. It sounded amazing. The audience was totally loving it. There were strobe lights the entire time. And it was sold the eff out.

Bravo, Cleveland! I love it when our city gives great bands their proper due. You made me proud.