Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Here They Come

LA's Local Natives released their debut record "Gorilla Manor" stateside today (it's been out for a few months in the UK) for those of you into Neil Young and that new wave of Americana-infused indie rock that has become so visible over the past few years. Highlights from their full-length include the perfectly written opening track, "Wide Eyes," with it's melodic guitars and captivating hooks that resemble those of a more reverb-heavy The National, rhythmic "Sun Hands", the beautiful "Cards and Quarters", a cover of the Talking Heads' "Warning Sign", and the string-filled ballad, "Who Knows Who Cares." Actually, wait, the whole record is really good. I hear many of the big-hype, "it" bands of the last few years echoed in Gorilla Manor and yet Local Natives still somehow manage to fill a void in that all too familiar world of airwave-friendly rock. For every bit of Grizzly Bear in Gorilla Manor, there's equal parts TV On The Radio and Fleet Foxes. Critics might eat them up for having such similarities to their predecessors but the Local Natives' brand is just too well executed throughout their debut for it to be held against them. Currently the band is in the middle of a European tour which will then be followed by a week in Austin where they're sure to win over plenty of SXSW-goers just before they play Coachella in April to thousands of sunburnt parents, their rebellious teenage children, and every other Southern Californian that's ever bought a Jay-Z cd.


Tucsonans ought to check them out a couple days after they play Coachella, at Solar Culture on April 20th, which also just happens to be the same day that the new Caribou record comes out. If interested in purchasing the Local Natives record, buy it from their website or your local record store. Or download a lot of it illegally.

2 comments:

leafless said...

this is all too familiar of my favorite part about last weekend. you should ask nicole to see the video or nick s. for his comments.

hope you're well.

Jenny Brew said...

This is a very nicely written review. I am proud of you. I will be going to this show with you.