Harlem Shakes, SXSW 2009

I have not been very attuned to the music scene recently, but Brooklyn's Harlem Shakes are one band I've been rather obsessed with for a few years now. It could be just because I happened to come across them or that they're just really fucking good (most likely a combination of both).

Their debut album, Technicolor Health, drops on the 24th and reveals a cohesive, evolved sound distinct from their EP, Burning Birthdays, as well as earlier recordings. Forget the Strokes comparisons from 2005. The new music is rich with their signature vocal harmonies (everyone in the band sings) while radiating a new hope that distinguishes it from past music.

They have been gaining overwhelming positive press for a while now, and they're finally playing SXSW this year (after a mishap with SXSW '07 when their scheduled show with Yoko Ono was cancelled). I spoke to lead singer Lexy Benaim this week, while Harlem Shakes were on tour in wintry Ohio (not to mention sick - yes every member was sick) and longing for the warm sunshine of Texas.

L-R: Todd, Kendrick, Jose, Lexy, & Brent. Photo by Elizabeth Weinberg.

How would you describe the Harlem Shakes’ sound?

I’d say our music sounds like the musical embodiment of prosperity in the 90s.

How’s life on tour been for you guys?

It’s been really good. I think we kind of set out having to take it to a new level. I think we achieved the vision we were going for, which is a looser sound, not exactly like on the album so there are some surprises. We generally try to keep it free and loose, surprise each other by banging on things or playing things the others don’t know we’re gonna do - just keeping everybody energetic, and I think the crowd likes that too. If you do something you clearly don’t know you’re gonna do beforehand and surprise yourself, they’re gonna be surprised and excited too.

What have been your favorite cities to play? Does each city have a distinctly different feel, or do they all kind of become the same after a long time on tour?

A couple cities stand out. Different cities have different things going for them. I like playing Montreal. I don’t mean to kiss up, but I like playing Austin. Chicago’s always been great. Anywhere that’s a little strange in some way is always fun to play.

What’s the main difference between playing in your hometown of New York as opposed to say Austin?

Oh you just know about a hundred people in the crowd. That’s always a little weird. We can definitely sell out bigger venues in New York than anywhere else and that’s good. But it’s a little weird recognizing the faces in the crowd, you always feel a little inhibited.

What are you looking forward to most about SXSW?

The banana pudding at Stubb’s Barbeque. And also we’re playing a show on Saturday at Red-Eyed Fly with Chairlift, Titus Andronicus, and the comedian Eugene Mirman, so we’re really excited about that.

How is your new album different from your past music?

I just think it’s a lot more ambitious. We worked a lot harder on it and took it more seriously. It was a more intense, involved experience. The EP we made was after we’d been together for like 2 months. So this record is us in a much more evolved stage.

Your new music and lyrics feel a lot more optimistic to me than your past music. Would that be a fair assessment?

I think that’s true. There is a kind of willful optimism. I really think you’re right.

What life experiences or changes inspired that?

Oh my god, so many. I feel like in the last two years we just lived so much. So much shit happened, good and bad. It’s almost like too much to process, and the only acceptable response for us was this kind of willful optimism in the face of this sea of experience.

I've noticed you revise and release different versions of many songs. You've recorded many different versions of “A Night” and you seem to have updated it and released it as “Sunlight.”

It has the same chorus. It’s a pretty radically different song. But I am a reviser. My main background in studies are in literature and fiction, and revision is a very basic aspect of the form, and I take the same approach to music.

Do you ever feel like you've reached exactly what you want with a song and that it's finished, or is it never done and always open to change?

Sometimes it’s done, but it’s almost always an arbitrary thing when it’s done. Nothing ever matches the Platonic ideal in your head, but sometimes it comes really close. After a certain amount of time, you learn to accept it as its own thing, separate from you. Just a thing in the world.

Who are your greatest musical influences?

I’ll try to say ones that aren’t so obvious. Really like a lot of early 90s music. Blur, Beta Band, Grandaddy.

What are your greatest influences outside of music?

All sorts of books and writers. Those can be as strong as the music for me in some ways. The Polish writer, Wisława Szymborska, I like her a lot. Lately I’ve been reading only short stories by Leonard Michaels. Seamus Heaney, the poet. Who else? Yeah, those are some favorites. Another poet called Alex Nemser, who I went to college with.

If you could form a supergroup with any other artists, dead or alive, who would you recruit?

David Berman for lead vocals. Actually backup vocals for David Berman. I would have Carlos Santana on lead guitar. Biggie Smalls on the rhymes. Who else would be in this magical band? Elvin Jones on the drums. Bill Evans on piano. And John from Deerhoof on guitar. And Satomi from Deerhoof on bass. Yeah I think we might be a little eclectic.

What are you favorite songs to play on tour?

Right now I’m having a lot of fun playing “Technicolor Health.” I’m also having a lot of fun playing this old song we reworked, “Old Flames.” And I like playing “Wild World” by Cat Stevens in the dressing room.

Do you guys ever do covers?

Not really, but we’re gonna start.

Do you have any in mind, who you want to cover?

I want to cover “Wild World” by Cat Stevens. Oh, Cat Stevens would have been in my all-star band, but we have too many singers already. Too many egos.

Harlem Shakes play an official SXSW showcase Thursday, March 19th at Red 7 along with numerous free shows and parties throughout the week. Check them out!