Sleigh Bells is a blast of rock and pop, of guitar and electronic, of melody and a kick to the face that has critics grasping for descriptive terms like “noise pop” to convey the band’s bombastic sound.
“Genre doesn’t matter to us,” said Alexis Krauss, one-half of the duo that is Sleigh Bells. “We have yet to settle on a succinct, comprehensive genre description. I think ‘noise pop’ is relatively convenient. I think the marriage of those two words is appropriate.”
Sleigh Bells performs Sunday at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
After selling out the 9:30 Club back in March, Sleigh Bells continues to tour in support of the band’s second album, February’s “Reign of Terror.”
| Onstage |
| Sleigh Bells |
| Where: Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia |
| When: 6 p.m. doors, Sunday |
| Info: With Hot Chip and a DJ set by James Murphy (DFA/LCD Soundsystem); $35 to $45; 877-435-9849; merriweathermusic.com |
“It’s definitely a different vibe than a club show,” Krauss said of playing an amphitheater. “I don’t think one’s superior. We try to bring the same amount of enthusiasm. We bring a hundred and fifty percent to what we do.”
Enthusiastic is definitely another term describing Sleigh Bells, which features Krauss on vocals and Derek Miller on guitar. The duo partnered in 2008, when Miller, who was looking for a vocalist to work on his new project, met Krauss at a restaurant he worked at. They released their highly-anticipated debut album, “Treats,” in 2010.
More recently, the band opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers for two weeks. Krauss said it was a surreal experience to hang out in a dressing room only to have a shirtless Flea walk by shredding on his bass while asking how her day was going.
“It was definitely different,” Krauss said of opening for the Chili Peppers. “You’re not playing to your own fans. That can always be challenging and a bit terrifying. They’re definitely not there to see you. If anything, you’re an impediment to being able to see the band they paid a lot of money to see. That being said, we didn’t encounter any hostility from the crowd. We walked away with more fans every night. It was all in all a really positive experience.”
With two full-length efforts under their belt, Krauss said she and Miller have started work on some new tracks. She didn’t reveal much else about a possible upcoming release.
In the mean time, Sleigh Bells plans to finish out the dozen or so dates remaining on the current tour. While playing Merriweather will be a different experience than the 9:30 Club, the band should be able to avoid an issue it has run into now and then: blowing out puny PA systems.
“The larger the PA, the happier we are,” Krauss said. “It’s not like we’re reckless. We have the utmost respect for the venues.”
