White Lies at Antone's [Show Preview]
Tuesday, May 24
Antones (213 W 5th St)
$20, all ages, 8pm
[info] | [tickets]
Gloomy post-punk is as British as afternoon tea, bobbies, and those silly wigs their judges wear in court. There’s something about that rainy island that brings out the best in dark pop - starting with Joy Division in the 1970s - and the tradition continues with England’s latest export, White Lies.
Originally called Fear of Flying, the trio formed in London in 2007, changing their name as they crawled up the city’s club ladder. 2009 saw the release of their debut, but this year’s Ritual has catapulted them to mega-fame in their home country. It hung steady at number three on the UK albums chart and has inspired rabid fans throughout mainland Europe, with the States next to fall.
That dark mix is familiar—propulsive rhythms, synth-like guitars, and Harry McVeigh’s soaring voice are all the proper English ingredients, but they update the sound with a danceable sensibility that’s mostly lost to other post-punks. You can brood and move your feet to White Lies, so even the most depressing songs like “Death” and “Strangers” are uplifting in a millennial sort of way. The world may be crashing down, but White Lies are determined to ride the wave to its highest point. Catch them tonight at Antone’s while you can—the group headlines Wembley Stadium in December. No doubt they’ll bring the same urgency to 2,000 as they would to 90,000.
Opening up the evening is the dreamy New York duo known as Asobi Seksu. Their icy shoegaze is built around Yuki Chikudate’s warm voice—fitting for a band whose name roughly translates to “playful sex.” Most dream pop groups go for aloof coolness, but Asobi Seksu can blind you with their intimacy and—believe it or not—their giddiness. Since their self-titled debut in 2004, they’ve been mired in the indie ghetto, but their four subsequent albums (especially this year’s Fluorescence) are still poised and sure to please. Here's a nice thought: greeting the long days of summer with a refreshing batch of wintry music.
