Breaking bands: A Place To Bury Strangers

01 February 2010

by Nathan Jolly

From: New York City
Sounds like: The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine
Release: Exploding Head
Key tracks: In Your Heart, Keep Slipping Away

A number of psychedically tinged bands have emerged from New York City in the past couple of years - the likes of MGMT, Yeasayer, Grizzly Bear, The Pains of Being Pure Of Heart and Zaza have spawned countless journalistically endorsed sub-genres such as electro-psych, glo-wave, chill-wave and neo-shoegaze – but despite these clumsily shackled descriptions, all these bands fall under the loose definition of psychedelic music.

A Place to Bury Strangers are amongst the next batch of New York artists to break through into the mainstream – their crushing walls of feedback and shimmering guitars echo The Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, but unlike the countless imitators of these groups, A Place To Bury Strangers eschew the opiate haze adopted by most, and instead build walls of heavy guitars that constantly threaten to spill over the noise limiter - Exploding Head is a remarkably apt title for their second long- player.

The band first registered on the radar of New Yorkers in 2006 following a well received support slot for the violate and brilliant Brian Jonestown Massacre, which only gathered momentum after they supported The Jesus and Mary Chain. By this time the band had received the dubious honour of being referred to by local press as ‘New York’s loudest
band’ – the title of ‘one of England’s loudest bands’ was famously bestowed to Spinal Tap.

However, they were also receiving good press from The New York Times and The Washington Post, which, coupled with their live reputation, saw them sign to indie Killer Pimp Records (with the contract scribbled out on a napkin, no less) and release their debut album which, save from a rave review from indie barometer Pitchfork, did little else until the band scored a support with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, which led to a Nine Inch Nails support, and the release of their record in the UK.

This chain of events, bolstered by a UK tour with flavour of the moment MGMT in 2008, saw the band sign with major Mute and prepare the release of their second album, Exploding Head.
A Place To Bury Strangers released their second record in October 2009, and it promptly featured on many publications’ end of year lists, buoyed by a fanbase that had built up based on their many support slots. In Australia, EMI released the record, which will no doubt pick up in popularity in the wake of their recent Australian tour announcement.

After these guys bring their loud visceral live show to our shores, it won’t take long until A Place To Bury Strangers are one of the most talked about groups in the country.