Brooklyn is experiencing quite the revival when it comes to heavy music. Or maybe it’s just that people outside of NYC are taking notice again. Hardcore and metal have always thrived in The Rotten Apple in the face of trends, with bands like Batillus and So Hideous My Love receiving a lot of attention of late. On all the up and comers, Tombs are definitely one of the biggest Brooklyn success stories. Since their inception in 2007, their EP on singer/guitarist Mike Hill’s Black Box Recording has sold out a couple of pressings and last year’s split 12” with German metal merchants Planks continues to sell briskly, especially on the heels of their tour with Isis and Pelican.
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Xiu Xiu are no strangers to strange cover versions, but they set their sights seemingly unreasonably high by taking on a song pretty much universally liked. Much more surprising, they pulled it off. The original was always about an interplay of voices, and here the effect is even more pronounced, balancing Jamie Stewart’s expressive quaver against Michael Gira’s (of Swans) staid resonance, and Caralee McEllroy’s ringing clarity. And with a couple brief free sax solos worked into the perfect balance of pop and experimentation. –Nate Dorr
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