Local Natives played 2 nights @ Bowery Ballroom w/ Suckers (pics), released a new video for "World News"

May 10, 2010

by Andrew Frisicano

Local Natives

Both [Local Natives & Suckers] played music from their debut albums, on the Frenchkiss label. Between them there were three-part vocal harmonies, clear-pinging guitars, repurposed dance rhythm. There was electronic geekery and lyrical vagary, and drums pounded by someone other than the drummer. There was a Talking Heads tune, a trumpet, an occasional augment of strings. There was a makeshift cape and memorable facial hair.

Local Natives has two appealing lead singers, the guitarist Taylor Rice (mustache) and the keyboardist Kelcey Ayer (beard). Another guitarist, Ryan Hahn, completes those three-part harmonies, which have earned the band a lot of reflexive comparisons to Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear. But “Gorilla Manor,” the band’s impressively sure-footed first outing, involves more driving rhythm than either of those other bands typically employs. The show made this distinction even clearer. [NY Times]

When Local Natives covered of “Warning Sign” at their second Bowery Ballroom show, they made sure to give a shout out to Talking Heads and David Byrne (who could be seen in front row of the balcony nodding along).

Local Natives and Suckers tour together through May. This summer, Local Natives will play an August 7th show on Governors Island.

Suckers have a few big NYC shows coming up: they play their own record release show at Music Hall of Williamsburg on June 18th, and then play Prospect Park Bandshell with Passion Pit and Tokyo Police Club on June 29th and Governors Island with those same bands and We Were Promised Jetpacks on June 30th.

More pictures from Local Natives/Suckers’ Friday, May 7th Bowery Ballroom show (they played the same venue the night before too) and Local Natives’ new video for “World News” are below…

—

Suckers