Let’s Talk About Noise

Given that I’ve written about Deerhunter and My Bloody Valentine with some level of frequency here, it should come as no surprise that I’m not scared off by noise. Far from it, I embrace it; I want it to wash over and consume so, and hopefully I can emerge whole on the other side.

So for me, a band like Fuck Buttons is wildly interesting. Fusing the epic/dance nature of trance with distortion and volume that would make Sonic Youth blush, listening to Fuck Buttons makes everything fucking epic. I remember one afternoon running errands around campus, and while on the CATBus listening to their 2009 release Tarot Sport: “This is the most vital/crucial CATBus ride of my life” (or just Tuesday if you aren’t buying into the aura the band creates). Each of their songs establish a basic groove which will then repeat for 3-4minutes. And then the noise will hit and it can be absolutely searing when it hits. These effects combined with fairly interesting rhythmic patterns and drum sounds make for an enthralling musical experience, and these really aren’t so much songs as an experience.

Breakout act Sleigh Bells are another group to fully embrace noise as a sonic tool. This is especially evident when comparing early demos to the tracks on their album Treats. “Infinity Guitars” was pretty tame on the EP, while on the album the last 30sec UNLOAD on your ears, and “Crown On The Ground” is about as blissed out as repeated sonic explosions can be.

Final note: What the hell are Battles doing on the Twilight: Eclipse Soundtrack? The track “The Line” is pretty solid, it’s a pretty ballsy move on the part of the Twilight people, and I’m sure this well garner some positive attention for a band that definitely deserves it, but what the hell?

Whats In My Ears:

Fuck Buttons – Space Mountain

Sleigh Bells – Infinity Guitars

Deerhoof – Rrrrrrright

Ponytail – Celebrate the Body Electric (It Came From An Angel)

~David Ballou