Carter and I caught the indie electronic Knifight during Free Week and I was definitely intrigued by their mix of synth melodies and thundering vocals. During their live show, I thought “This is what a mashup of LCD Soundsystem and Joy Division would probably sound like.” The synthesizer melodies and beats keep the songs danceable and the vocals turn the songs into anthemic sing-alongs. Backing these two main sonic elements are running basslines and guitar work that add texture and bring fullness to the sound. Below are a couple samples of their tunes.
Knifight - Faith Don't Help the Hurting
But I think these songs are really meant to be heard live. The recordings capture the overall sound of the group but the dynamics feel different when you experience the synthesized percussion and harmonized vocals loud in a small venue. Luckily, you’ll be able to catch their live show and hear the difference soon. These guys are playing a couple shows in Austin this week. Tonight, they’re playing at the Mohawk with Binary Sunrise and New Fumes. On Friday night, they’ll be playing with Glasnost, Ode to Oscillator and Cintus Supremus at Red 7. Also, be sure to check out their recently released EP at their Bandcamp page to hear more of their tunes. They’ve gotten some national attention for this release and I only see them getting bigger in the future. So catch them locally before they’re touring everywhere but Austin.