Local Natives

I'll start these next few posts on SXSW with a band that really blew me away: Local Natives. I first heard of this band in October when my friend Andy told me to give them a listen. Unfortunately for me, I never did. I saw that they had done a cover of The Talking Heads song Warning Signs, and although I liked their choice, was put off by the idea. I blame it on pretension, which I really try to acknowledge and avoid, but sometimes it can't help but come out. Not knowing anything about this band, except that they were, of course, from Silver Lake (the Williamsburg of LA,) and that they had very "hip" graphics on their myspace, I assumed that they were a catchy hipster band covering a song from a band that they, and everyone else, loves. The Talking Heads seem to occupy that space in music that someone like Basquiat has in visual art. It's the type of stuff that, no matter how great it actually is, has been so over represented as "indie" or "alternative" that it's a turn off and steeped in cliche. Not only did I let music snobbery get the best of me; I must add that I love The Talking Heads and live in Williamsburg (the Silverlake of NY.) Touche Local Natives, I should have listened to your band months ago.

So I first listened to Local Natives at their SXSW NPR showcase, and was genuinely blown away. I came away feeling like I had just witnessed something really important happen in music. It is gratifying to watch musicians understand and use their instruments to their highest potential.  This is especially true at a place like SXSW, where short sets and poor organization often lead to underwhelming or over-done performances. This is what set the Local Natives aside from a lot of the other bands. They came across great live, and totally flipped my initial judgments, which is something that excites me so much in a band. During their set they alternated playing each others' instruments while simultaneously creating impeccably controlled three part harmonies. A sign of an incredibly talented live band; they had instrumentation and vocals down, while still having fun with their own music; keeping it light and inviting. The NPR show was their first in the US after touring abroad and the release of their first and only album; Gorilla Manor. It had to feel pretty great to return home and have people singing along to your new record.

A favorite of mine is "Airplanes," an incredibly moving song that makes your heart hurt each time Rice, Ayer, and Hahn, croon the line "I want you back, back, back, you back." Another favorite is Cubism Dream, a song with smooth guitar licks paired with fearlessly pretty vocals. It is a refreshingly delicate song coming from a band who's album title, Gorilla Manor, totes the line of sounding like a real bro-down.

Another favorite of course, ended up being their cover of Warning Signs. They didn't mess with the arrangement of the song too much, which seemed to be a successful attempt to duly appreciate and pay respects to the original. More importantly, what they did add to the song, was equally as great. While they kept a really similar drum beat, they layered the vocals perfectly and cleverly took the guitar lick from The Talking Heads' version and seamlessly folded it into their bass line, allowing for a more playful guitar part which switches back and forth from playing with the bass line and going off on its own, resulting in a full and boisterous song. I am not surprised that their May shows in NYC, Chicago, and Washington are all sold out after their infectious run at SXSW. This is a band that you should be happy to see blow up, because they are deservedly good. I have high hopes for what they will bring to a full set and a bigger venue.