A Place To Bury Strangers

After catching A Place to Bury Strangers at Do Division street fest on Sunday, I was stoked to hear they were going to be playing a set at the Empty Bottle the following night. The first time I saw these guys was at the Metro while they were touring with The Big Pink. Singer/guitarist Oliver Ackermann's intense, raging stage presence had me mildly concerned for my safety. Never before had I been so certain that I was going to get smacked upside the head by a truculently flailing guitar; it was thoroughly rad. Their Monday night set at the Bottle lived up to my frighteningly awesome first impression. One thing was clear from Sunday to Monday though: see APTBS inside if you can. There were moments when the concentrated power of these New York noise rockers got lost in a muddled cacophony in an open air setting. But at the Bottle, you could feel their wall of sound knock you out like a misplaced blow from Ackermann's guitar.

Listen (below) to "I Lived My Life To Stand In The Shadow Of Your Heart" from the EP by the same name, released last June on Mute Records. The EP, the fifth single to be released from their last full length album Exploding Head, includes a B-side and three remixes of the title track. I recommend cranking the volume. If you have any interest in being slapped in the face by a riotous din then do yourself a favor and catch these guys live because that is where they really shine (but you might want to bring some ear plugs). Rockedition.com reported back in February that the band is busy working on their third full length studio album, but these guys have a reputation for touring like crazy so hopefully you won't have to wait until the next record is out before they swing through a town near you.

photo cred: Drew Reynolds via loudlooppress.com

01 I Lived My Life To Stand In The Shadow Of Your Heart by Mute UK