With Maryland’s Lower Dens debut, ‘Twin Hand Movement’, a sleeper surprise appeared from a band that had formed a little more than a year earlier. Fronted by Baltimore songwriter, Jana Hunter, they flex between poundingly taut and bass heavy to shimmering, reverb heavy efforts without deviating from a consistently gripping song structure. Well worth early entry.
Boston based Deerhunter have been maturing over their last few releases, but unlike many of their ilk that lose sight of their original ideals for a more selfish sound – 2010’s ‘Halcyon Digest’ found the band tossing aside the slowburn shortcuts of previous releases, for an instantly refreshing mixture.
As a result the LP rightfully proved one of the most critically lauded on release and was rewarded by hogging many a top 10 spot in end of year lists. With such a varied and talented line up of songs and musicians, and if their performance in Stereo in 2008 is anything to go by, expect a setlist to keep you on your toes before a wig out finale.
After imprisonment in recent home improvement store adverts, Swedish indie trio Peter, Bjorn & John whistling their way into Stereo on Friday night. A clear motivation for attendance will be for mainstay on the alternative dancefloor, ‘Young Folks’, but the band will be promoting new LP ‘Gimme Some’ – released on Monday.
After a busy few years spreading their individual talents with projects as varied as Swedish soulstress, Lykke Li to kraut-electro purveyors Holiday For Strings, the new album is a thumping guitar fuelled pop assault.
In a recent interview with Spin.com, drummer John Eriksson said: “We originally planned to make a punk rock album, but listening to it now it’s definitely a pop rock album. But it sounds more punk rock when we play the songs live!”.