OUT TODAY! STRANGE NAMES' NEW ALBUM DATA!
Strange Names' new album Data is out today on Frenchkiss Records the tastemaking indie responsible for beloved breakouts Local Natives, The Hold Steady, Passion Pit,Bloc Party, Diet Cig and more. From Minneapolis to NYC, the trio has perfected a blend of irresistibly rhythmic retro reminiscent of The B-52s and Talking Heads and the contemporary appeal of pop powerhouses like Phoenix along the way. They'll celebrate record release with a show in NYC at Baby's All Right on February 24 and in LA at School Night on February 26.
"It's a billowing, luminous, impossible-to-ignore return, pop beamed in from another time, another place" - Clash
"A non-conforming yet instantly recognizable delight" - The Line of Best Fit
"..they seem to be able to alight on any era or genre – the power-pop perkiness of Supernatural Silence and Only Boy, the early-60s surf-pop harmonies of Overused Phrase, the wannabe John Hughes movie synthpop cuteness of the Neighbourhood – and construct a decent facsimile of it, while giving it their own Strange Names spin. - The Guardian (Best New Band)
"That high-energy, New Wave-pop-sound is definitely infectious." - Brooklyn Magazine
"Layers of synths, spanning the spectrum from heavy and low-frequency to airy and jaunty, are punctuated with slap-happy drums and unexpectedly piercing lyrics... youthful angst through a retro filter." - Stereogum
Strange Names' debut album Use Your Time Wisely earned the trio nationwide attention and tour slots supporting the likes of Azealia Banks. Where their previous record emanated a more sleek and modular sound, Data ushers in a more rambunctious, rock-centered audio-aesthetic. After recording, the band spent a week with producer Jonathan Schenke (Parquet Courts, The Drums), whose final mixing left hem with a record that’s assured, inventive and unabashedly fun. Amidst a grim and staggering cultural political zeitgeist, Data acknowledges the trivialities of human existence with self-aware humour through dissociation and escapism. “It’s about adding an element of discovery to these things that are very mundane and routine for us,” Benzvi adds.
Strange Names Live:
- February 24 | Brooklyn, NY at Baby's All Right
- February 26 | Los Angeles, CA at School Night (Bardot: 1737 Vine St.)
- February 28 | Loma Angeles, CA at Silverlake Lounge