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Posted in music | pictures on September 9, 2008
Crystal Stilts @ EV Radio Fest, NYC - pics
photos by Chris La Putt
ex-Vivian Girl, standing drummer Frankie Rose
The Crystal Stilts are moody-sounding fuckers who make fabulous stripped-down garage-pop. Their mix-and-match post-punk ditties manage to sound both affected and effective at the same time; they're weirdly life-affirming and very fun. You want to dance when you hear them-- dance with a furrowed brow, maybe, but move around nonetheless. Singer Brad Hargett is from Brooklyn by way of Florida but sounds like he's from Manchester by way of Slough. The main thing I wonder when I listen to Crystal Stilts is why is it so hard to make exceptional garage-pop like this? [Pitchfork]The Crystal Stilts played one of my favorite sets of the day on the side stage of the East Village Radio Festival on Sunday (9/7). Brad comes off like he doesn't care on stage, yet he draws you in and occasionaly gives a hint that he really is enjoying himself. His eyes roll back into his head, he does a little dance - it's hard not to watch what he'll do next even though he's barely doing anything. My biggest revelation was how much the Vivian Girls lost when Frankie their drummer decided to go full time with the Crystal Stilts. More pictures below...
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Posted on September 9, 2008 2:18 PM
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Comments (9)
cool set - I like the no cymbals sound.
definitely ian curtis / VU vibe. no way around that.
Posted by Anonymous | September 9, 2008 2:44 PM
^agreed. good set though.
in addition, isn't this animal/crystal naming of bands thing getting tired, or was it already tired?
Posted by Anonymous | September 9, 2008 3:34 PM
why have an outdoor festival - and then have an indoor stage??
Posted by Anonymous | September 9, 2008 3:43 PM
Yeah, it was a good set. They will hate this comparison but they don't sound dissimilar to the Strokes' first album.
Posted by Anonymous | September 9, 2008 3:48 PM
what?! dude no they dont sound like the strokes. Black Lips maybe. singer has improved a lot too. this was 10 times better then Boris, sorry all you heavy metal fans.
Posted by Anonymous | September 9, 2008 3:50 PM
black lips? really? haha
they are good but boring as hell
Posted by Anonymous | September 9, 2008 4:59 PM
shoegays.
drummer's hot though.
Posted by Anonymous | September 10, 2008 9:35 AM
did anyone notice kickball katie's head right below the singer's elbow in the last picture?
Posted by Anonymous | October 18, 2008 3:07 PM
thaankes.>nice!
http://www.kw-girl.com
Posted by بنت الكويت | October 26, 2009 5:26 AM