Coachella 2010 Preview: Sleigh Bells

Photo courtesy of independancas.wordpress.com

Remember your fifth-grade school teacher? Now imagine her screaming her lungs out on the electro-dancepop you’d hear at a really good party–you know, the kind you wouldn’t tell your mother about.

That’s half the story of Sleigh Bells, the amp-heavy duo from Brooklyn consisting of guitarist/song writer/producer Derek Miller, formerly of the post-hardcore Poison the Well, and Alexis Krauss, our former school teacher. Miller and Krauss, who will take the stage at Coachella on Friday, April 16, broke into the scene at last year’s CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival, where the duo lit up the stage with a blistering set that left the crowd and music blogosphere reeling: “Their music could start fires,” was the comment from one critic, who was otherwise at a loss for words. Sleigh Bells went on last month to “stage a takeover” of South by Southwest, leaving me giddily curious: What’s going to happen at Coachella?

Indeed, the combination of Miller’s Slayer-esque rock and Krauss’ vocal presence form a unique sound that, while blown-out loud, offers a creative foundation for a group who have yet to debut an album. (That will change with Treats, set to be released May 11.) Check out “Crown on the Ground,” a — you guessed it — speaker-thumping track that will likely be remastered for next month’s album release. I also ran across “Ring Ring,” a gorgeous track in which the duo sit back on breezy vocals and a woozy guitar. Will be perfect for summertime.

-Devin

Sleigh Bells – Crown on the Ground (download)

Sleigh Bells – Ring Ring (download)