Clap Your Hands Say
Yeah
For
a band no one outside of New York had heard before June 2005,
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have certainly done well for themselves.
Their success is even more impressive when you consider the
fact that they aren't signed to a record label, and,
like other recent sensations The Arctic Monkeys from the
UK, owe their popularity to word of mouth, internet buzz,
and the quality of their music.
Clap Your Hands' music speaks for itself - so much
so, in fact, that they don't see the need for a press
kit. Go ahead and look, but the closest you'll get
is an entry on Wikipedia. This is an anomaly in the music
business, but it has certainly had a positive effect on music
journalism, especially when reviewers attempt to distill
lead singer (and Philadelphia resident) Alec Ounsworth's
voice into a short blurb. Here's the most creative
one: "a singular vocal presence that sounds like Paul
Banks attempting to yodel through Jeff Mangum's throat (Pitchforkmedia.com)." Did
you catch those name-drops?
Hipster
references aside, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah can be described
playing a nostalgic
blend of new-wave influenced rock (think Talking Heads, not
Enya), with nasally vocals that can alienate some, but which
make this band unique and endearing. Their songs feature
chugging drumbeats, shoegaze synths, and jangly guitars that
are guaranteed to make you dance, or at least consider the
possibility.
For
independent music fans, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has done
everything right. Their name comes from graffiti in Brooklyn
(as does the rest of the band); the album starts off with
an odd-sounding weeded-out song to ensure that the listener
is truly ready to make a commitment; like Arcade Fire, they
have celebrity fans (actually, the same celebrity fans as
Arcade Fire); and they've turned down record contracts
because the labels can't offer them anything they can't
do themselves. They are proof that, with good enough music,
any band can climb to success. The funny name doesn't
hurt, either.
Website: clapyourhandssayyeah.com
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