Singer Alexis Krauss Delivers One of This Year’s Best Shows
She’s got a singing voice as smooth as ice cream. She can scream with the best of ‘em. Her speaking voice is like Marilyn Monroe. And she’s got a style and stage presence we haven’t seen from a female rocker since Joan Jett or Exene Cervenka of X. I know this is hyperbolic – and you can debate me on this in the comments – but in a way, Sleigh Bells’ singer Alexis Krauss is our generation’s Joan Jett. Just not as famous.
Alexis should be huge rock star by now. Sleigh Bells’ arena-sized sound would fit the bill to play the United Center or Madison Square Garden. But we’re lucky enough to get to see them in a small venue like the Metro in Chicago on a sold-out Sunday night.
Formerly a duo – now a trio – the band got its start playing small gigs in Brooklyn. Simple idea: Gritty distorted guitars, a drum machine and a vocal style that is anything but metal as their personal style would suggest. It works perfectly – especially on songs like the happy-go-lucky “Comeback Kid” and the tender “Rill Rill” – both of which have awesome videos by the way.
Alexis emanates sex better than any Katy Perry or Nicki Minaj ever could. In a good, rock ’n’ roll kind of way – not sleazy. She somehow teeters between cute, sexy and punk rock all at the same time. I mean this in the most laudatory of ways. She is badass!
Wearing acid wash hot pants, more than a dozen sparkly bracelets and a studded leather jacket, her style was just as cool as her sound. From the stage, she reached out to fans for plenty of high fives and even crowd surfed a couple times.
Chicago audiences are notorious head bobbers. It takes a lot to get them to actually dance, but for this show – huge dance party. Seriously.
