POSTS TAGGED : Crystal Stilts

Crystal Stilts – ‘Sticks & Stones’

Crystal-Stilts

Brooklyn’s Crystal Stilts returned with their latest, and third LP, Nature Noir, back in September. While the new album doesn’t reach the lofty heights of their previous two records, Alight of Night and In Love With Oblivion, it’s still a fine and solid record. 

To celebrate their UK tour, Crystal Stilts are giving away ‘Sticks & Stones’ as a free download. ‘Sticks & Stones’ is one of the finer moments on Nature Noir; gentle, dreamy and wistful and it offers some respite from what is quite a dark album. Oddly enough there is no Irish date while they visit our neighbor’s shores. The last time they were in Dublin it was a superb show, maybe they’ll be back in this neck of the woods in the new year?

For now though, you can stream / download  ‘Sticks & Stones’ below. Or check out Nature Noir here.

Crystal Stilts – ‘Future Folklore’

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Brooklyn’s Crystal Stilts are back with news of a new album, entitled Nature Noir, it comes out on 16th September via Sacred Bones.

Crystal Stilts’ previous two records, Alight of Night and In Love With Oblivion were both excellent, so it’s hardly being harsh to expect more of the same from the forthcoming album? ‘Future Folklore’ offers a glimpse into what’s to come and it goes someway to satisfying such lofty expectations. ‘Future Folklore’ thunders along from the off; a rumbling bassline, muffled drums, organ and snappy guitar solos are met with touches of blues, swamp rock, psych and post-punk. This all provides the perfect platform for Brad Hargett’s baritone croon to float upon as the music thunders along. Clocking in at just over two and a half minutes, nothing is left to waste, this is a good old fashioned rock ‘n roll jam. Magnificent! 

You can listen to ‘Future Folklore’ below, along with fellow taster ‘Star Crawl’; hazier and more psyched out yes, but it’s got that recoginsable post-punk drone.

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Crystal Stilts – Dark Eyes

Hot on the heels of their album In Love With Oblivion, Crystal Stilts are to release a new EP, Radiant Door, next month.

The Brooklyn band have made murky lo-fi garage rock their own and ‘Dark Eyes’ is no different. The first taste from the EP is a dream like morsel which retains a nocturnal atmosphere at it’s heart.

It is great to see Crystal Stilts return with new material so quickly, enough of my waffling, you can listen to / download ‘Dark Eyes’ below and make up your own mind.

Download: Crystal Stilts – Dark Eyes

Crystal Stilts – In Love With Oblivion

Brooklyn quartet Crystal Stilts, received much acclaim with the release of Alight of Night back in ’09. While their debut sounded a little rough and slightly unfinished we were unknowingly witnessing the blossoming of what became a lo-fi garage rock revival.

This time they have a much better grasp on what works for them and along with considerably brushed up production values, In Love With Oblivion sees them develop and grow beyond obvious comfort zones.

‘Sycamore Trees’, ‘Through The Floor’ and ‘Alien Rivers’ capture this expansion beyond the band’s usual musical MO and embracing their murky side. While ‘Silver Sun’, ‘Half Moon’ and ‘Flying Into The Sun’ are the most closely related to the jangly instrumentals of their debut. ‘Invisible City’, ‘Blood Barons’ and ‘Prometheus At Large’ capture an urgent psychedelic style of indie/post-punk perpetrated so perfectly by Echo & The Bunnymen in their early days.

What binds it together is the overwhelming dream like and nocturnal atmosphere, developed in no small way through singer Brad Hargett’s signature warbling vocals, transporting the listener to a ghoulish ether.

They are not mucking about with the formula but they, like In Love With Oblivion stand tall against the bulk of fellow imitators. The beauty is in the balance between their influences, penchant for ’60s psychedelics and ’80s post-punk and talent. Crystal Stilts have a promising future.

Crystal Stilts – Through The Floor via popfrenzy

Crystal Stilts – Shake The Shackles via I-D