Drawing inspiration from classic indie rock and fascinated by a variety of atmospheric and dark sounds, the Brooklyn-based band, A Place to Bury Strangers is made up of Oliver Ackermann, Jay Space, and Jono Mofo.
Forming out of the ashes of the likeminded Skywave, the band has moved into a darker, slightly heavier, and more experimental approach than had its previous incarnation.
The three friends initially joined forces in 2006, recording and playing gigs with fellow Brooklyn bands Read Yellow, Bravo Silva, the Funeral Crashers, and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Their 2007 self-titled debut album (Killer Pimp Records) gave hints to their sonic assault; 2009’s Exploding Head (Mute Records) found the three honing their song craft while building on their commitment to beautiful noise.
With the 2012 EP Onwards to the Wall, the band moved in a darker, louder direction reminiscent of their early releases. By the time of 2012’s Worship, the band had trimmed down to the duo of Ackerman and bassist Dion Lunadon, who recorded and produced the album themselves. The two have just released Transfixiation on the Dead Oceans label. After one listen (look for an online review later this month) I can attest to its being an outburst of sounds, drawing from the band’s past while moving in a new direction.
“We’ve Come So Far” captures A Place to Bury Strangers’ sense of raw energy; guitarist Ackermann says of the song, “The lyrics wrote themselves. The meaning is absolute truth. Life is super intense and f*ck*d up so even accomplishing anything is a huge feat. We should all be proud of that. When we have worked extremely hard for something for so long it is just amazing to look back on it all. Sometimes I just want to shake people for feeling useless; there are so many potential and amazing things going on all around. Help make something great for us all to enjoy.”
As the band ventures forth on its longest tour yet, they are clearly ready to make their mark. Part of that tour includes a Saturday, February 21 stop in Asheville at the New Mountain Theatre. Other bands on the bill include local favorites the Shine Brothers and Alligator Indian.
If You Go: A Place to Bury Strangers, Saturday, February 21, 2015 at the New Mountain Theatre located at 38 N. French Broad Road downtown. Doors open at 9 p.m. for this 10 p.m. show, limited to 18 and over with tickets priced at $10 in advance and $12 day of show.
