Sleigh Bells w/ Neon Indian @ the Rickshaw Stop 6/1/11

Last night's show was all about noise: the louder, the better. "San Francisco, make some fucking noise!!" shrieked Sleigh Bells' singer Alexis Krauss into the packed and sweaty Rickshaw Stop crowd at her third and final concert in San Francisco this week. Not that anything could be heard over the gut-wrenching, rib-crushing sound blasting from the amplifier-lined stage.

The night began with a set from psychedelic chillwave band Neon Indian, whose hour-long set was intensely loud yet somehow still laid-back, an impossible combination that Neon Indian's first album, Pyschic Chasms, balances perfectly. Frontman Alan Polomo, who writes, produces, and records all of Neon Indian's music, manipulated intricate layers of dream-pop sound into a hazy cloud of noise that washed over the audience like a drug.

Sleigh Bells' set began with several minutes of screamo rock before the duo even walked on stage. When they finally did, lights flashing, the crowd went wild. Krauss, donning an athletic jersey printed with the name "Bells," reached out towards her cult of fans, who seemed to love each song more than the one before it. Favorites like Rill Rill and Crown on the Ground sent the audience into a dancing frenzy, led by Krauss's constant movement on stage.

Guitarist Derek Miller often faded into the background, despite the fact that he writes and produces all of the duo's music. Tattooed singer Alexis Krauss dominated the stage, and I got the feeling that everyone in the crowd either wanted to be her or be with her. Krauss's haunting vocals floated over the staggering layers of sound as she caressed the over-sized speakers on either side of the stage.

Treats was the climax of the night, synthesizers and feedback reverberating through the walls of the tiny Rickshaw Stop and leaving the audience with no choice but to dance. The noise pop duo's sound is an irresistible juxtaposition of Miller's hardcore rock band background and Krauss's experience singing in teen pop group Rubyblue.

After a half-hour set consisting of eight songs, Sleigh Bells left the stage, leaving the energetic audience in disbelief, clearly not ready to stop dancing. A few seconds later, though, they were back for the encore, beginning with one of their most mellow songs, relatively speaking: Rachel. Krauss's voice floated hauntingly over the synthesizers and pulsing bass drone. The intensity quickly built back up with A/B Machines, sending Krauss crowd surfing through a sea of adoring fans in her metallic leggings and strappy leotard.

Sleigh Bells have only one eleven-song album, Treats, released in May 2010, yet they sold out three San Francisco shows to their quickly-growing cult following, who knew every single song that was played. I have no doubt that their upcoming album release will be largely successful, seeing as all of our ears are still ringing from the Sleigh Bells debut.

  Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill by marinak