Stricken City at The Levi’s/FADER Fort
- story THE FADER
We’re so enamored of the shambolic harmonies on Stricken City’s debut, Songs About People I Know, but they’re meant to be buzzy and loud, so while we were beyond psyched, we weren’t sure what would go down when the lovely Londoners dropped by Room 501 for a song at the Levi’s®/FADER Fort suite at Ace Hotel New York. But they’re game: they brought amps, turned down low, and proceeded to stoke us all the way with a quietly electrified performance of “Small Things.” Consequently, we are going to invite them to every slumber party we throw henceforth.
Premiere: Stricken City, “Pull The House Down” MP3
- story Peter Macia
From the beginning, London’s Stricken City has been a practice in restraint, singer Rebecca Raa’s outfits about as loud as they get. Just when you expect a song to expand and get ruined, they go into the coat closet and wait for you to stop looking around. Weirdos. Their songs are all so gentle and pleasant you almost want to think they’re pointless, but that’s because you’re probably American and subtlety is not our way. Either that, or they are wrong and should drop a huge acid synth bridge in here somewhere, but we don’t think so. This song, from their album to be released on Kora Records November 3rd, is their best yet, with a few more hooks and a more sultry Raa.
Download: Stricken City, “Pull The House Down”
Dollars to Pounds: Stricken City
- story THE FADER
- photo Phil Sharp
If it was the mid-’80s, Stricken City would be the archetypal British indie band. They studied film and fashion, have an eccentric knockout for a singer, and write songs that are ramshackle, charming and slightly obscure. They’re indie in the best, oldest sense of the word. The kind of band whose logo you’d carefully carve into your desk with a protractor during double science. Here’s an exclusive track from their charming new EP, Songs About People I Know. I met up with the quartet on a hot day in East London to talk about DVDs, Gossip Girl and writing songs about people you know, but don’t necessarily like.
Download: Stricken City, “Killing Time”
Freeload: Stricken City’s “Lost Art” Remixes
- story THE FADER
Since we first posted about Stricken City back in July, we’ve had a couple inner debates about what’s more interesting about the band: their music, or Rebekah Raa’s peculiar dance moves. Their songs are pretty inoffensive, so it must be the herky jerky. Regardless, they’ve got a new single out this week called “Lost Art” and its video is more of Raa’s now signature foot-stomping, shoulder-strugging wonderment. To spice up the music side, we’ve got Nic Nell’s jumpy Carrying the Ears remix, and RCRD LBL is hosting the trance-inducing Gold Panda version of the same song. If you’re in London and want to see Stricken City in action, they’re playing a couple shows at the end of the month.
Download: Stricken City, “Lost Art (Nic Nell Carrying The Ears Remix)”
Download: Stricken City, “Lost Art (Gold Panda Remix)”
Video/Freeload: Stricken City, “Tak O Tak” + Free EP
- story THE FADER
We stumbled across London’s Stricken City while doing our regular check up on Adventures Close To Home and had a hard time initially deciding whether we were going to get into them or not. Ultimately, lead singer/Korg-er Rebecca Raa’s awkward dancing and rad voice led us to do believe that, yes, we will get into it. And our committment was rewarded with a free copy of Stricken City’s debut EP, which includes “Tak O Tak” as well as the pretty great, pretty mellow “Bardou” and “The Traveller” on it. As if that weren’t enough, we found a couple more excellent demos on their MySpace, both of which you can download too. And then you can stop being greedy.
Download: Stricken City EP
Download: Stricken City, “Better As A Girl” + “Killing Time”
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posted on Jul 18, 2008 in MP3 / STREAMS tags Adventures Close To Home, freeload, rock, Stricken City
