The Naked and Famous - Passive Me, Agressive You (March 15 / Universal/Republic Records)
Key Tracks: "Young Blood," "All of This," "Punching in a Dream," "Jilted Lovers," "Frayed."
Don't compare Auckland, New Zealand natives, The Naked and Famous, to Passion Pit, MGMT or any of the like. It doesn't work that way. Ask producer and fellow-band helmsman, Aaron Short, who we had a chance to catch up with via email.
"We always find the Passion Pit and MGMT reference an interesting one. I think most people find, as soon as they hear the album and dig further than the singles, that these comparisons disappear as songs head deeper in to different areas of our tastes. One listen to "Jilted Lovers" should sort you out," said Short.
Comparisons aside, The Naked and Famous are at the forefront of an interesting international electro-pop music movement percolating in the US. Their massive debut record, Passive Me, Aggressive You drops on March 15th in the States on Universal/Republic Records.
Short is one of five band members joined at the front by signer, co-producer and co-founder Thom Powers, singer and co-founder, Alisa Xayalith, bassist David Beadle and drummer Jesse Wood. Each of the five members in the band brings a different musical element to the table. Passive Me, Aggressive You is an eclectic mix of music genres, from fuzzed-out metal-rock, to electro-pop, to introspective, pseudo-ballads.
"We draw from a large amount of influences when making music," Short said. "I for example was completely absorbed in electronic music and collecting house records while Thom was growing up playing in metal bands. This dynamic we all have between us is what then results in the strong contrasts we have in all our music."
The band's debut single, "Young Blood" follows the guidelines of Short's more electro-friendly song constructions. With an infectious melody, an ear-worm of a chorus and a huge sound driven by vamped-up electric guitars, gang-vocals and 80s-influcened synth lines, it is ultimately Xayalith's angelically-indie-leaning voice that anchors the song. Check out their beautifully-crafted video for "Young Blood" below, directed by Joe Kefali and Campbell Hooper:
The Naked And Famous - Young Blood from The Naked And Famous on Vimeo.
Read more from our interview with Aaron Short, see the video for smash-hit "Punching in a Dream," and check out their upcoming US and Canadian tour dates after the jump!
