Listening to Sleigh Bells is like going to an ironic 80s-themed party and unironically enjoying the shit out of yourself, dancing around in a neon headband and punching the air.
Ever the latecomer, I only discovered the noise pop duo over the weekend via SNL — one of the most consistently funny episodes in a while, thanks to Maya Rudolph — and I’ve already bought both of their albums, the latter of which dropped a few hours ago (which makes me cool now, right?).
In a way, they remind of one of my favorite bands, OK Go, in that they’re both just so much goddamned fun. From the presentation to the catchy pop hooks, both groups have that kind of semi-hipstery self-awareness that allows them to not take themselves too seriously. And there’s something about not taking yourselves too seriously that gives you the breathing space to do something pretty cool, whether it’s combining ethereal vocals with power chords and 808s, or choreographing dance numbers on treadmills.
There’s also something about SB and OK Go that appeals to my inner teen and outer dance fiend. I’ve only seen OK Go in concert (and by “only” I mean four times), but judging from the one-woman dance parties I’ve been holding in my living room, a la Alexis Krauss around 2:10, something tells me Sleigh Bells is even more awesome live.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some unironic air-punching to do.
