Have you heard of the Harlem Shakes yet? If not, you are just in time! I am pretty guilty myself considering that it took me this long to give them a proper listen. After finally giving the Brooklyn based band a chance, they have become one of my newest obsessions. They have been around the scene for a while, releasing their debut EP “Burning Birthdays” in 2006. I had seen their name around blogs for quite some time and finally looked into them after hearing a few songs off their myspace. Also, finding out that they opened up for both Arctic Monkeys & Vampire Weekend (two bands I can’t get enough of) helped spark my interest. I tracked down their EP which is a very good introduction to the band.
Describing the band is quite simple. They play jaw dropping catchy pop with harmonies and hooks flying at you at every moment. Each instrument has a very noticeable role on each song resulting in a fusion of many different sounds and styles that not many bands can incorporate. At least without giving you a headache. The funny thing about the lead vocalist Lexy is that he reminds me of 3 different singers at once. His voice sounds like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The View, and Born Ruffians at different times respectively.
I won’t lie, I have heard their debut album “Technicolor Health” already. How is it you ask? Absolutely awesome. 2009 has been a nice year so far but this album really clicked with me from the very first song and didn’t let go until the very last second. A lot of albums this year took multiple listens for me to get into it. On Technicolor, every song sounds absolutely fresh and different from each other, as well as anything else on the music scene. These are joyful songs that can make your day that much better. Each track has a definitive moment that really makes it stand out from the rest. It may be a harmony, hand claps, or a lush moment created by a keyboard. They got a lot of good stuff going.
Expect a lot more in the future about Harlem Shakes. They are going to take ’09 by storm!
[mp3] : Harlem Shakes – Strictly Game
For more info: Visit Harlem Shakes on Myspace
