White Denim recently kicked of The Syndicate’s CMJ run, with a pre-CMJ party held at Rebel in NYC. Free entry, free tequila cocktails, and three floors of music. The syndicate don’t appear to throw insubstantial parties, that’s for sure. If only it wasn’t a school night.
White Denim were second to last, with Brits Fanfarlo headlining. Despite a lot of press as of late, it’s difficult to wonder why White Denim were not the finishers to tonight’s treasure chest of free music by reputation alone. Kicking off their set with a 25 minute aggressive output of musical energy, it was bordering impossible to tell where one song started and the next finished. Perhaps it was the free tequila cocktails, but I’m almost certain they did not stop playing for the entire first half hour, blasting out multiple songs in quick succession without even thinking to put down an instrument. The electrifying on stage energy created by White Denim is a result of the charming chemistry between its three members and their constant churn out of a grungy, bluesy style.
The real showstopper however, is James Petralli’s voice. The banshee like wail that was produced by Petralli demonstrated a man who was born to do what he does; a cross between Jeff Buckley, Matt Bellamy, and Thom Yorke. His masculine, bluesy, scuzzy vocal never failed or grew weary on stage. It’s actually a real surprise to hear a vocal like this in a modern day Texan rock band, although it is far from wasted. The primal aggression of Josh Block on drums was impressive to the extent that it was difficult not to flinch at the sheer duration of fury that was impacted on his kit, sustained for the duration of the gig. Turning my attention to the less dominating Steve Terebecki, I watched his face contort in perfect unison with the rippling basslines driven from his guitar. At one point I even caught Terebeki’s eyes flickering towards the back of his head in pure musical ecstasy. These three Texan boys work together like a well oiled machine.
Hailed as “the next big thing” at their home town’s SXSW a couple of years back, White Denim seem to be enduring a progressive high, that started with their debut album, “Workout Holiday”, and is continuing with this year’s release “Fits”. Not content to fit in with their contempories, they produce music that is not easily pigeon-holed and refuses to adhere to the typical aesthetics of modern alternative standards. The constant hyperactive thrashing between songs, the lack of crowd interaction, the hour long raucous blasts of intense rock and roll, are however just the elements that have gained White Denim the live reputation they have achieved.
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