Thanks to my favorite blog Big Stereo’s post on the new Thieves Like Us Album video teaser, my love for the Swedish/NYC band that now resides in Paris (according to their myspace) has been rekindled. Their jams use so few elements and yet still manage to be completely badass. Especially on the song ‘The Program of the First Part” which accompanies some super keen footage from the Cult Jeff Bridges film Tron. This film plus Robocop made me who I am today.
June 18, 2008
Thieves Like Us
January 7, 2008
Thieves Like Us Head Long Into the Night
In the age of so many artists looking to new wave and more specifically, New Order, for inspiration it’s refreshing to have come across a band that get it so right. Thieves Like Us is named directly for the New Order track and the elements they employ in their music are very similar to those that can be found in that track. The syncopated drum beat, minimalist synth and earnest vocal. I know the band is on the Kitsune Maison label and that they’ve released the ‘Drugs in My Body’ single either this year or sometime last year. I found a collection of songs that are dated 2006, but they aren’t from an album. If I knew more about them, or their releases they could have literally been the 2007 album of the year for me.
Their myspace describes them as half Daft Punk half Factory and all Kitsune, and that’s a pretty dead on description. Although I think the Factory influence is a little deeper. Each song is so remarkably simple and seemingly held together by so little, exactly like a Joy Division or Early New Order song. Not to say the band isn’t original, their repertoire of sounds make even the simplest song compelling. The mood of the songs range from earnest, to heartbroken, to even angry. All done in a way that’ll make you recall early 80′s sci fi movies ala Blade Runner. Best of all is that they have avoided their idol Bernard Sumner’s tendency to produce simple and cringe-able rhymes. If I had a list of best things I discovered this past year, but weren’t produced this year, Thieves Like Us would be #1.
Thieves Like Us – Declarations
