Sleigh Bells - Discography (2010-2013) [FLAC]

Sleigh Bells - Discography (2010-2013) [FLAC]

Genre: Pop/Rock
Styles: Noise Pop, Indie Rock, Indie Electronic
Source: CD, vinyl
Codec: FLAC
Bit Rates: ~ 900 kbps, ~ 2,900 kbps
Bit Depth: 16, 24
Sampling Rates: 44,100 Hz, 96,000 Hz

CD Rips 16/44

2010 Treats
2012 Reign of Terror
2013 Bitter Rivals

Vinyl Rips 24/96

2010 Treats
2013 Bitter Rivals

Artist Bio

Songwriter/producer Derek Miller and vocalist Alexis Krauss comprise Sleigh Bells, an experimental pop duo that began earning its first fans after a breakout performance at the 2009 CMJ Festival. The musicians formed the group in New York, where Miller (a Florida native and onetime member of hardcore act Poison the Well) had relocated in the hopes of starting a new project. He found his ideal partner in Krauss, a former vocalist for the teenaged girl group Rubyblue, and the two began creating a batch of demos that combined pop hooks with a loud, rhythmic crunch. The duo signed to M.I.A.'s boutique label N.E.E.T. and released its debut album, Treats, to critical acclaim in 2001. The band spent much of 2011 touring but found time to record, with Miller writing songs inspired by personal tragedy and playing a particularly metallic-sounding Jackson USA Soloist. The results, Reign of Terror, were released early in 2012 and reached as high as number 12 in the Billboard 200. During another year of heavy touring, the duo found time to lay down tracks for its third record, Bitter Rivals, which arrived in October 2013.

Bitter Rivals Review

Over the course of the three albums Sleigh Bells cranked out between 2010 and 2013, the pop and noise elements in their music didn't always play nicely together; 2012's Reign of Terror had almost as many frustrating moments as inspired ones. Album titles like that one and Bitter Rivals hint at the inherent tension in the duo's sound, but Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss take a more holistic approach to blending and balancing with these songs. For such a flamboyantly loud band, the tweaks they make are surprisingly subtle: Bitter Rivals' mix of Sunset Strip riffs, teeny bopper vocals, and crashing beats isn't as punishingly dense as it was on Reign of Terror, and its heavy and sweet sides work together instead of competing for attention. Songs like "Sugarcane" and "Young Legends" allow the melodies -- and Krauss' voice in particular -- to take center stage and act as the glue for louder and wilder parts. Meanwhile, "Love Sick"'s slow, dreamy chorus evokes Treats' prettier moments, and the sweet love song "To Hell with You" shows that Sleigh Bells still have the ability to surprise. Of course, the duo still crosses the fine line between bold and bratty as hard and as often as their sound goes into the red: "Minnie"'s acidly sweet chorus ("Go count your pennies/I'm sorry to say you don't have any") sounds like a catty nursery rhyme and stings like a mean girl's burn book. Bitter Rivals was written and recorded quickly, and sometimes feels a little underdone -- there isn't much to the title track except its admittedly catchy refrain, for example. Still, the album's shorter, lighter approach suits Krauss and Miller, and its best moments allow them to find more levels of expression in a sound that could easily wear out its welcome. Sleigh Bells' studies in contrasts aren't shocking anymore, but the fact that they sound more natural on Bitter Rivals makes this some of their most enjoyable music since Treats.

Treats Review

One of 2010’s most attention-getting debuts, Sleigh Bells' Treats comes on strong. Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss craft a sound that’s all climax, that sounds like cheap stereos turned up to 11 and boom cars that might actually explode. Nearly all the parts of all the songs on Treats are saturated with distortion that makes them feel even louder than they actually are (which is pretty loud to begin with). Yet their approach is far from lo-fi, and it’s worlds apart from the kind of noise pop that looks back to the halcyon days of four-track recording in the ‘90s. Instead, Sleigh Bells claim whatever sounds loud and shiny for their own: their beats can come from electro, rap, or a drumline; Miller's guitars often sound like they were stolen from stadium rock; and cheaply sampled sounds that could have come from toy instruments pop up more often than not. On top of all these blaring and blurring sounds is Krauss' unaffected, ultra-girly voice, which acts as the frosting on Treats, sweetening it and holding it all together. It’s an approach that’s as powerful as it is unlikely -- her voice could be too saccharine in another setting, and the music could be contrived and too abrasive without her presence.

Sleigh Bells have got their formula down and they stick to it throughout Treats, to often stunning effect. Nearly every track here sounds like an event. “Riot Rhythm” is stark and driven by a drumline rhythm; “Crown on the Ground” sounds like a cheerleader chant backed by a sound system; and “A/B Machines,” with its surfy guitars and siren-like synth drills, could be a Chemical Brothers song covered by No Age and what nu-rave should have sounded like. The fondness and flair Sleigh Bells show for recontextualizing and reconfiguring on songs like this and “Straight A’s,” which throws some metal guitar into the mix, make it easy to hear why M.I.A. signed the band to her label (and “Rill Rill,” which samples Funkadelic’s “Can You Get to That,” echoes her own surprise hit “Paper Planes”). On quieter songs like “Rachel” and the soulful “Run the Heart,” Miller and Krauss switch up their approach a bit, allowing her vocals to be the focus of the songs rather than a decoration. Given that Sleigh Bells' sound is so big -- and undeniably exciting -- songwriting falls lower on the band’s list of priorities than taking all the dramatic moments from everyone’s favorite songs and turning them into songs in their own right. That doesn’t stop Treats from having a boldness, immediacy, and sense of fun that’s missing from too much other music.