'80s Indie-pop? Calling M83 and School Of Seven Bells

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 21, 2008 6:00PM

O.K., you already know we love the new M83 album. How could you not? So we were excited to hear they're playing Bottom Lounge tonight since we missed them last time they were in town. Once we learned School Of Seven Bells was opening we couldn't wait to rush home and get dressed up in our finest 1988 attire to greet their distinctly 4AD sonic delivery.

A few years ago, it would have seemed ludicrous that the broadly atmospheric M83 would ever team up and tour with the monolithic guitarist from Secret Machines .. oh, wait, actually that makes total sense. O.K., let's try that again, once M83 turned towards '80s synth-pop, and ex-Secret machines guitarist Ben Curtis turned towards laptop twin-rock, their teaming up looks more unlikely, on paper. in fact though, the two groups' aesthetic is so closley intertwined it makes total sense.

Curtis teams up with twin singer / multi-instrumentalists Alejandra and Claudia Deheza to craft minimalist shoegaze anthems that bear no resemblance to anything out today, save perhaps Sad Day For Puppets. (Yes, we're shamelessly referencing via name dropping, but honestly when you're writing about bands so unabashedly directed towards their influences ho do you expect us to say anything REALLY new or insightful?) Curtis lays down the minimal rhythm tracks andd supplies the twinkling and sometimes surging guitar work, while the girls lay breathless vocals over top the dreamscapes and apply color as needed. it's all the right kind of angelic bliss delivered straight to the cerebral cortex.

M83 and School Of Seven Bells play tonight at Bottom Lounge, 1375 W Lake, 9 p.m., $20, 18+

School Of Seven Bells via the band