New School Of Seven Bells - "Half Asleep" (Stereogum Premiere)
This isn't the first time we're mentioning School Of Seven Bells -- comprising ex-Secret Machines guitarist Ben Curtis and twins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza of On!Air!Library -- although it is the first post devoted solely to the Brooklyn trio. It's about time. Last September prolific sound sculptor Prefuse 73 offered up "The Class of 73 Bells," a collab with SVIIB (their abbreviation, but I like it), reimagining their "Iamundernodisguise" as a spinning, flute-y pastoral dance track. So our proper introduction to the School comes with this one, "Half Asleep," their first single from a new 7: and album. File under dream pop, sure -- it's lovely and silky and etc. -- but it's not without the right tension: the ladies ply gauzy, gazing vocals over synth tones for clear waters, but it's around two minutes that Curtis comes with an ominous undertow of sludging guitars. They're far away, but palpable, warping the pretty in just the right ways.
Very promising. In case you missed it last time, here's their mind meld with Guillermo:
Prefuse 73 (Feat. School Of Seven Bells) - "The Class Of 73 Bells (Edit)" (MP3)
"Half Asleep" will be out on a 7" on 9/16, and then on the full-length LP Alpinisms on 10/28, both via Ghostly. You can get Schooled live without M83...
10/17 - Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot
10/18 - Kalamazoo, MI @ State Theater
...or with M83:
11/11 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
11/12 - Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall
11/13 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat
11/14 - New York City, NY @ Webster Hall
11/15 - Philadelphia, PA @ Starlite
11/16 - Northhampton, MA @ Pearl Street
11/18 - Boston, MA @ Middle East Downstairs
11/19 - Montreal, QC @ Studio
11/20 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House
11/21 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
11/22 - Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
11/25 - Seattle, WA @ Neumo's
11/26 - Vancouver, BC @ Richard's on Richards
11/27 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
11/28 - San Fransisco, CA @ The Fillmore
11/29 - Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre
Posted at 5:24 PM by amrit in Tour Dates
Tags: School Of Seven Bells
Gorgeous song! I dig.
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They are very good. I have already seen them in concert twice and I was impressed. I can't wait for the debut full length album to come out.
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This is a really cool track!
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Great track! Thanks for sharing.
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i'm glad this is good. the new secret machines depress me.
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I saw them open for The National and Blonde Redhead last year during ACL weekend, and I was very impressed with their sound. Islands were originally supposed to open, but then they mysteriously happened to be replaced with SVIIB prior to the show. Ben Curtis held it down though, and those twins are quite sexy!
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lighted candle
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Definitely a nice-sounding band. I first heard their song "Trance Figure" in late May, and it's been on heavy rotation since. It's a bit more heavy on the beat, a little less dreamy. I'm glad to have another song of theirs now. Maybe I'll head up to Noho to see them and M83, that would be a good show.
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