Since they formed in 2008, Brooklyn’s Sleigh Bells have been one of the most popular and acclaimed new bands to hit the scene. With the release of their second album, Reign of Terror, in February on Mom + Pop Records, the duo of Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss have seen their profile grow in ways they would have never anticipated when they first started out.

Before they met at a restaurant in Brooklyn, the duo had very different backgrounds. Miller was used to play guitar for hardcore band Poison the Well, while Krauss was in teen pop group Rubyblue. The melding of these two genres has made their brand of indie rock meets power dance pop popular with a wide range of fans.

Signed to their record label shortly after a much-talked about performance at the CMJ Music Marathon in 2009. From there, they released their debut, Treats, and built a steady following, which culminated in performances at Coachella, Primavera Sound Festival and the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2010. In addition, they had songs featured on television programs like Gossip Girl and Skins, which helped their profile grow.

But it hasn’t stopped there. The duo has been busy promoting Reign of Terror, having just returned from a European tour, played a couple of gigs at SXSW and are slated to hit the road in North America this week, starting in Toronto and will crisscross the country and will conclude in May opening a few shows on the East Coast for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The Brooklynite’s European tour was much more successful this time around as compared to years past.

“Europe has been more challenging for us than the States,” singer Alexis Krauss says. “We don’t have as big of a presence as we do here, so we’re still kind of proving ourselves and we have to work a bit harder. That being said, it was really rewarding this time around to finally reach the point where it seemed like our shows were full of fans instead of people who read about us on the Internet and were there to check us out. It exceeded my expectations, which was really exciting.”

Already veterans of the SXSW rodeo, Krauss says the band’s experience this time around was a bit different, albeit more relaxed than in years past.

“Austin is one of my favorite cities in the world,” she remarks. “For the first, we didn’t have to kill ourselves since we only played two shows. We flew in from Europe on a Sunday night and played Monday, and didn’t play again till Saturday. We had a week to relax and explore everything that Austin had to offer.”

In February, the band did something that many dream of when they’re growing up: performing on Saturday Night Live. One would think that performing at the iconic comedy show would be planned months in advance, but that’s not how it happened. Instead, the group got a call just 10 days before the taping.

Even with the pressure of a time crunch, the band’s renditions of synth-driven dance pop songs "Comeback Kid" and "End of the Line" were both well received by fans and critics alike. But performing on the show isn’t as easy as you’d think.

“You can’t bring in your own production or do it the way you’d necessarily want to do it,” the singer explains. “But that entire team of people are so professional and are the kindest most down to earth people I’ve ever met.”

Reign of Terror has demonstrated that the duo is ready to make the leap into the hearts and minds of those beyond the indie scene. With catchy hooks, funky synths expect to see the New Yorkers move beyond its buzz band status to wider scale acclaim.

All photos by Patrick O'Dell

It’s less than two weeks to Coachella, and you’ve probably already scoped out exactly what new and veteran bands you want to catch at the fest. There definitely are plenty to choose from. Coachella is like awesome music heaven surrounded by palm trees any way you go about it, but there are some new bands that absolutely should not be missed. One of these bands is tUnE-yArDs. Seriously, their NYC performance last summer is still one of the most magical shows I can remember seeing. I really must insist you get your mind blown.

Merrill Garbus is both powerful and adorable, relatable and admirable. In her songs, she finds a way to keep it real while being strong and encouraging. Watching her live looping and seeing exactly how she creates these innovative musical puzzles is part of the fun, but there’s just something in her delivery of it all that communicates a genuine, pure joy to be doing what she’s doing. She continuously exchanges glances of glee with bassist Nate Brenner, and the two of them are so in sync it’s enviable.

Their album W H O K I L L was also included in our top albums of the year 2011series, for being one of the most innovative, intelligent, and inspiring albums of last year. For as good as the album is, the live show is at least 10 times better. With music that’s this fresh, fun, and clever, there’s no better way to experience all that than in an outdoor oasis of sound waves, with everyone around you singing the words with faces and hands pointed toward the sky. This is music perfectly conducive to the essential rock concert experience: being surrounded by strangers, but when you look at the person next to you, you have this shared understanding that you are having the same kick ass experience.

tUnE-yArDs will be playing both Saturdays of the festival, exact time still to be determined. Check back on the official Coachella website for updates, and get your up to the minute news on Coachella’s Twitter. tUnE-yArDs will also be playing dates in the area between Coachella weekends, so you have the chance to catch them in a more controlled setting as well. All dates are on tune-yards.com. Have to say, though, this is a band that can hold the attention of thousands of people, and no matter where you are in the crowd, Merrill is talking to you, yes you.

They weren’t exactly unknowns, but after being introduced to AU via their excellent—and critically recognized—2008 release Verbs, mention of the Portland experimental pop outfit to local music fans had been met with a disconcerting number of shrugged shoulders and furrowed brows. Still, four years later, the duo had little problem selling-out the Doug Fir for the release of their new record, Both Lights, on Saturday night.

Kicking off the show was local five-piece Grandparents. Ironically youthful looks aside, the group proved to be an impressive opener that had players swapping instruments and vocal responsibilities throughout.  Sparse crowds and early show times don’t always make it easy to be first on stage, but the group’s psyche-washed beachside rock (á la Real Estate, Ducktails) had people filling the floor without hesitation. By the end of the set, approving nods and cries of “More!” rippled through the crowd.

Tu Fawning, a band known for their intense percussive instrumentation and chiaroscuro-like tones, didn’t disappoint. I had never seen them live, but the foursome’s gothic pop translated perfectly during the performance. Set highlight, “Sad Story,” began as snare-led march and soon evolved into a raucous lament, with singer Corrina Repp deftly wailing on the drum kit and inspiring a number of excellent head banging demonstrations from audience members.

The first order of business after AU’s Luke Wyland (singer/multi-instrumentalist) and Dana Valatka (drummer/percussionist) took the stage was a group vocal exercise, which culminated with everyone in the room singing the highest and loudest note they could. As oddly endearing as it was, it also proved pretty prescient of the music to follow.

Joined by vocalist and clarinet player Holland Andrews (Like a Villain, Meyercord), as well as a saxophone and trombone player, the group sped through selections from past and present. “Are Animals” and “Ida Walked Away” exhibited Wyland’s operatic vocals set to surging electric guitar, accompanying brass and Valatka’s light-speed drumming. At one point, Wyland admitted that the group had never played in front of so many people before. “You deserve it!” a voice yelled back.

The most exciting point in the evening was during the band’s performance of “Solid Gold,” the new single off of Both Lights. Like me, I imagined that many in the audience had been waiting patiently (read: impatiently) for new material since the release of Versions in 2009. “Solid Gold” was AU at their best; Wyland’s grinding synth moved through bright saxophone and trombone, simmering only before joining electric guitar and Valatka’s frenetic percussion in a final burst of beautifully organized chaos.

I’m kicking myself now that I didn’t pick up a copy of Both Lights at the show before it hits stores on April 3^rd. I’m pretty confident few people will shoot me a confused look when I bring up a band by the name of AU after this album is released.

It’s been a busy year for Portland-based lo-fi outfit, Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Not only has the trio released its self-titled debut, but it has also been touring the world non-stop for well over six months now. I was able to catch the band a few months ago at The Echo, however frontman Ruban Nielson was under the weather, which affected his vocals and energy. The show was good, but it wasn’t great. This being said, I could see the potential for a stellar performance, and so when I caught word that UMO was circling back through Los Angeles, I made sure to check them out again.

That decision was the best one I’ve made in awhile. Ruban was healthy, and it showed. His vocals were dead-on; he was energetic and engaged with the audience; he strummed his guitar flawlessly. Another standout difference between this performance and the last was the change of drummer. I was expecting the group’s regular percussionist, Julien Ehrlich, to join Ruban and bassist Jake Portrait on the stage, but to my surprise, he did not. Instead, Ruban’s younger brother, Kody, sat behind the drum kit. As talented and energetic as Ehrlich is, my heart skipped a beat when I recognized Kody setting up gear. He and his older brother used to play together in a band called The Mint Chicks in their native country of New Zealand. And though that project ended up running its course, there was never a question that the brothers Nielson possessed a magnetizing chemistry onstage—Mint Chicks shows were brilliantly chaotic.

In true Nielson form, the brothers slashed and pounded their instruments, creating an intensity that UMO’s previous performance lacked. Kody picked up the songs quickly, feeling comfortable enough behind the drum set to let loose and go wild. He also provided backup vocals that meshed harmoniously with Ruban’s.

The only problem with seeing UMO live is the set list—it’s limited. The band released its freshman effort last year, and has since been on the road, making it difficult to write new material. As a result, its arsenal contains a mere nine tracks, which, recorded, account for not even 30 minutes worth of material. Lucky for the audience, Ruban likes to improvise. Each of the two- to three-minute songs were extended as the talented guitar player noodled, adding solos to opportune areas within his tunes to double their length. After playing every track on the record, UMO called it a night, and the only disappointment for the audience was no encore.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra will be touring with Girls in the month of March. Check out tour dates here.

Saturday was a day of great excitement in the Bay Area. Dr. Dog was playing at the Regency Ballroom, the Chinese New Year Parade was in full effect and Social Distortion was coming to the Fox Theater in Oakland for the second night in a row. That’s the one that intrigued me most, because of the opening acts Sharks and Frank Turner. Frank Turner has long been a favorite of Mike Ness’, touting his exploits for several years now and I was excited to see him live.

Sharks, on the other hand, are a relatively new band. Despite having performed for five years their debut album has yet to come out and they’ve been touring here for about a year. There was some speculation that they may not make the show due to their statement on Twitter that their van broke down on the way to their San Luis Obispo show.

I got to the theater early and coordinated an early interview so that I wouldn’t miss any of the show and could give a full and proper review. Again, the tour manager pushed back what was supposed to be a 7:00 interview to 9:00 and thus I missed most of Frank Turner’s performance. The audience was filled to the brim with zoot suits, tatted up hoodlums and curiosity. Curiosity for what the opening act Sharks would bring to the table.

It turns out the set was a bit disjointed. The band attemped to cover a Social Distortion song, while opening for the punk icons, which many found to be sophomoric, and in the midst of that, forgot some of the lyrics. They simply couldn’t energize the crowd and that’s the job of a warm up act. It wasn’t all a disaster, though; they did have a few moments that showed the potentiality of future greatness. Whether they get it together or not is entirely up to them and the direction they choose to take. If they continue to miss gigs, then they will fail miserably. However, if they stick to the formula that got them to where they are and make that a priority for the fans then they’ll have a long, fruitful career. As I said, because of their insistence that I move the interview up to 9pm from 7:00 I have no review or real frame of reference to judge Frank Turner’s performance, but from the few songs I did see he was amazing.

Social Distortion has been around for over 30 years. They’re hardly a new band and are widely considered to have been the forbearers of the tattoo resurgence of the past decade. Lead singer and only original member of Social D remaining, Mike Ness, appeared on stage wearing a Zoot Suit, hat and all. Looking like '20s mobster, he thrilled the crowd with all the favorites they’ve come to expect from the illustrious band.

When a fan threw a shirt on stage Ness, in his classically acerbic style, retorted, “I’m not your fucking mother; she’ll be at home waiting for you. Until then keep your fucking laundry off my stage.” This drew huge applause and cheers from an allied audience. This was the band they all came to see. This was the band that they’d been following since they were born. Coming out of the OC punk scene so long ago, Social D has been a symbol of musical consistency.

While the members have certainly changed or passed on the style and flair with which Ness composes his music and appearance has not. He caters to an audience he knows wants to hear the classics, but that also has a vital interest in the survival of the band. In this place in Downtown Oakland these elements converged and despite the hiccups of the opening act, which again could be an easy fix, found the love for a band that’s been showing it to them for a very long time.

Before the show, BestNewBands.com caught up backstage with Sharks' lead singer James Turner and here's what happened:

Thursday night, the Troubadour had a killer lineup of L.A. Locals: Kid is Qual and thatwasthen co-headlined, introduced by Acidic and Bikelock.  The crowd consisted of a lot of music veterans and industry people, mainly because Kid is Qual and Bikelock are offshoots of the band Jack's Mannequin.  This also meant that Jack's Mannequin lead singer Andrew McMahon was there supporting his freinds and bandmates (fun fact: he played piano on thatwasthen's "Sunlight"), which in turn meant that I was beyond excited to be there.

This past Saturday night, I saw thatwasthen and The Hush take on the Troubadour again.  I arrived to venue under the impression that The Hush was taking the stage after thatwasthen, but as I walked in The Hush’s lead singer, Jazmine Giovanni, was winding down the set.  However, the two songs that I did catch were easily enough to remind me of the sheer power behind this band.  They have perfected the mainstream power-pop-rock feel, with all the killer vocals, guitar solos, and head-banging drum fills a concert-goer could ask for. Furthermore, I really cannot get over Jazmine.  She is a truly talented rock star, and I am perplexed as to how Ke$ha can fill stadiums but the crowd at the Troubadour to see The Hush was about 30 people.

If you're in the San Diego area, or maybe escaping the LA doomsday that will ensue with the closing of the formidable 405, head on out to the Tin Can Alehouse on Saturday, July 16th for some awesome live music.  Playing that night is Los Coyotes, Allah-Las (who wowed me when I saw them open for White Denim), and The Cosmic Telegraph Co. If you make the show, I can assure that you're in for a night of vintage garage rock, with nostalgically garbled voices and guitars and an old-school radio feel from a time before mega-freeways ruled America. Check out event info below.

Okkervil River

I found myself back at The Wiltern last night to check out yet another of the venue’s repeatedly rocking lineups.  On the bill for last night were NewVillager, Titus Andronicus, and Okkervil River.  So, I paid too much for parking ($15, seriously?) and headed in amongst hoards of flannelled, plaid-ed boys.