Show & Tell: Sleigh Bells – Treats
Posted on 12. May, 2010 by Simon in Internet, Music, Show & Tell
Here’s the list: Drake, Justin Bieber, Sleigh Bells.
Those are the only three artists I can think of who, without being previously famous, have been so hyped up on the internet that people literally wait at their computers in anticipation of buying their debut album the second it becomes available.
Music and musings after the jump:
Of the listed artists, Sleigh Bells remain an intriguing anomaly, and not for stylistic reasons alone. For starters, Drake put out a mixtape that was essentially a full-length studio quality album prior to his first real LP. So Far Gone may not have been an “official” studio recording, but let’s be honest, Thank Me Later is Drake’s second album.
Likewise, Justin Beiber put out the video for “One Time” and released his My World EP months before his official debut dropped (which was called My World 2.0 anyways, so really whatever). It could be argued that even if My World is considered Beiber’s first recording, the Stratford sensation didn’t truly explode until after his video for “One Time” hit YouTube.
“One Time” would more aptly be named 22-million times, since that’s how many views it currently has; good enough for fifth most on YouTube’s all-time (of all time!) list. Ironically, one of the videos which has recently surpassed and pushed “One Time” down the most viewed list? Another Bieber single, “Love Me”. Basically, the only thing that gets more views than Justin Bieber is… newer Justin Bieber.
Ah, right. Sleigh Bells. Similar to the serendipitous ascendency of Canadians Drake and Bieber, Sleigh Bells were plucked from relative obscurity and backed by established names. Serving as the Weezy/Usher mentor for the lo-fi Brooklyn duo is M.I.A. who is putting out Sleigh Bells’ debut album, Treats, on her own N.E.E.T. record label. (Tangential, but what’s up with M.I.A. and acronyms? C.O.N.F.U.S.I.N.G.)
I can’t think of an indie debut that has been as hotly anticipated across the interwebs as Treats. Of note is that the New York via Florida combo of Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss didn’t have the culture making machinations of Bieber or Drake pulling the strings on their behalf. They tore up the stage at last year’s CMJ festival and were noticed by some important people — Spike Jonze, Pitchfork and Sasha Frere-Jones (New Yorker pop-music critic) to name a few.
Still, there was no polished debut from Sleigh Bells designed to purposely stoke the internet fires. The band got famous over a few demos they recorded in Miller’s bedroom and that he hand delivered to a writer for Stereogum who happened to live in his building. Sleigh Bells are sort of the living embodiment of Terrance Howard’s character in Hustle and Flow, but, you know, with less prostitution and even less black people.
As of right now, Treats is the third highest selling album on the U.S. iTunes store, sandwiched between indie stalwarts The National and Oprah approved songstress Charice. Seriously.
How did this happen based on a few demos? I don’t know, but it certainly sets a thoughtful precedent on how bands might make it big in the future.
Oh right, the music. Sleigh Bells make music designed for drunken hipster dance parties: loud, grating, lo-fi grunge rock with pop-sensible melodies and tinges of hip-hop beatmaking. Think Death From Above 1979 meets Gwen Stefani meets early Rapture.
Treats clocks in at an efficient 32 minutes total but seems to go by even faster. Sleigh Bells don’t make music you sit and contemplate — you’re designed to be doing something to a track like “Crown On The Ground”, be it dancing, drinking, writhing on the floor or shooting noobs in Halo: Reach.
So yeah, Treats is an eminently interesting summer album but, to me at least, not nearly as interesting as the story behind it.
