Music Snapshots: A Place to Bury Strangers @ Emo's

Though A Place to Bury Strangers' albums receive much praise, the best way to experience them is live. Guitarist and vocalist Oliver Ackerman is a tremendous performer; urging an unbelievable range of tones from his instrument, sometimes using nothing but feedback and broken strings against pickups. The band might draw influence from Jesus & Mary Chain, Slowdive and Joy Division, but they're without a doubt deserving of their own accolades, adding modern touches (both musically and technologically) to a genre that seems to be a soft spot for listeners. Most people walk out of a show discussing how loud it was, and it certainly was, but there's also something to be said for how much you're hearing out of just three people. It's not the type of show you just sit back and listen to. You need to be standing, watching what the fuck they're pulling off, and maybe putting in some earplugs. Even the most devout fans stood a couple feet back last night, and for good reason: when we left, our toes were tingling.

Read more about Ackerman & Co. here, as contributing writer Matthew Dewitt discusses the history behind NYC's loudest band.

If you can't view the Flash slideshow above, an alternate version appears after the jump.