http://www.aplacetoburystrangers.com/
Appropriately called 'The loudest band in New York', A Place to Bury Strangers lie among a rare breed in today's Rock and Roll landscape. Their sound, able to strip paint off of walls, is drenched in effects and reverb and sounds like a hurricane of notes coming from a ten-piece ensemble, when in reality the band consists of only three gentlemen: vocalist/guitarist Oliver Ackermann, bassist Jono Mofo and drummer Jay Space. The trio are preparing to release their second album, “Exploding Head” this October.
There is no honest way to describe what one feels upon the first listen of APTBS. Perhaps Hunter S. Thompson could help: “I felt nervous and vaguely confused, as if I had just heard a dog speak perfect English for 30 or 40 seconds”... that sounds about right. The band's sound includes solid distortion and electronic sounds laced with an endless array of effects pedals - all of them manufactured by Ackermann's own company, Death by Audio.
A Place to Bury Strangers was founded in New York in 2003. Ackermann began to make home recordings of the band's songs in order to teach them to his ever-revolving lineup. These recordings were released as EPs and subsequently were bundled together to form the band's self-titled debut album, which was released on Killer Pimp Records in 2007. Amidst the Sonic Youth-esque noise of the debut album, there are more traditional song structures and strong melodies. Ackermann attributes these features to a 1950s Rock and Roll influence, bestowed on him by his parents at an early age.
Regardless of the influences, A Place to Bury Strangers sound very much like themselves. Their sound is the kind of music you might hear in your head on nights when you've stayed up too late and somehow managed to take things further than usual. The fact that they were signed to the legendary Mute Records recently – home to Einstürzende Neubauten, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and most notably, Depeche Mode – can only promise bigger and better things for a band that has already distinguished themselves with their impressively loud and energetic live show.
We live in tough times and listening to music like this is like an open window to freedom – whichever kind of freedom you happen to crave at this particular moment.
“Exploding Head” is due to be released on October 5th.
A Place to Bury Strangers' official site
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