Shhh! The Sounds Play Secret Show at Santos
By Nell Alk
The place was packed, absolutely brimming with hipster kids, prepsters, sophisticated folk and every other form of fan you can think of. It was more than a little trying to navigate the sardine-can-stuffed Santos Party House, struggling to stay afloat while swimming in vain amidst a sea of people vying for the ever-coveted front-and-center spots. I myself got caught in the current and was elbowed on more than one occasion.
Once one secured an acceptable coordinate on the dance floor, huddling by the bar or leaning against one of the columns, there they hopefully copped a decent view of the spectacular Swedish new wave outfit, The Sounds. The female-fronted quintet was in town celebrating their forthcoming record release, Crossing the Rubicon, due to drop June 2nd, and played for a packed house where invite-only guests gathered in droves.
Led by sexy lead singer Maja Ivarsson, these Swedes performed a solid set, consisting of 14 tracks delivered with great energy and enthusiasm. They plucked numbers from all three of their albums, Living in America, Dying To Say This To You and Rubicon, which, based on last night’s showcase and the crowd’s subsequent response, promises to be a winning disc.
Twenty-nine-year-old tatted blonde bombshell Ivarsson sported expertly torn fishnet tights, black satin hot pants and an oversized ’80s-esque tee featuring gold lettering reading “New York.” Talk about paying homage to the Big Apple. Delicious. Beyond this, the beauty brought it. In other words, she not only boasted the look of a quintessential leading lady, but also embodied the exact attitude one would expect from a punk-pop-rock group. She fist-pumped the air with Rocky-inspired fervor, dropped it like it was hot (bouncing down and back up again as though workin’ a stripper pole) and even managed to squeeze in some high kicks. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she and Semi Precious Weapons’ Justin Tranter traded fashion and stage presence tips backstage. They definitely share a striking resemblance as far as core auras and outward appearances go.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a pretty young thang with platinum locks rock the mic, commanding guys and gals alike with her sex appeal and vocal faculty. As you may recall, fellow foreign honey Mette Lindberg of The Asteroids Galaxy Tour turned us on back in March at (le) Poisson Rouge and, not long before that, the The Ting Tings were in town (Katie White), not to mention The Duke Spirit (Liela Moss). This won’t be the last time we witness sensual, pin-up girl power either. In fact, The Sounds are gearing up to tour the entire summer with No Doubt, supporting what few would dispute to be the original fair-haired, female-fronted band in recent history. We expect great things from Gwen and have complete confidence that together she and Ivarsson will leave audiences weak at the knees.
DJ Paul Sevigny greeted the evening and post-show DJ Daniel "rekLES" Casanova brought everything full circle on the turntables. But, as soon as The Sounds exited, so too did the bulk of the excitement. Evidently kicking things off with an open bar at 8 p.m. can potentially send otherwise all-night partiers packing earlier than expected, especially for a Thursday in New York. Remaining attendees formed clusters, catching up with old friends and making new ones whilst rekLES spun. The gradual exodus revealed an alcohol-drenched surface littered with bottles and plastic cups. At least I could now traverse the space with ease, despite my shoes getting stuck now and again to the newly laid down sugary booze finishing.
Photos by THE CULTURE OF ME
LISTEN:
"Dorchester Hotel" - The Sounds
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