New York City is a veritable smorgasbord for listeners with an indie inclination, and Brooklyn is the roasted pig of the feast. So much crackling goodness is great for the fan yet tough for the aspiring musicians. One band has latched onto a well-tested method of rising above the din to great success: take a bit of what works here, a smidgen of that over there, a pinch of this, mix it all together, and have a fun-ass time playing it. New-wave-cum-surf-rock quartet Black Taxi did just that on their 2009 debut LP Things of That Nature, and they’re looking to continue the good times with their sophomore effort, We Don’t Know Any Better.
To give you a taste of what these NYC buzzers are all about, CoS has an exclusive download of a new cut from the forthcoming album in “Tightrope”. Taut rhythms from Krisana Soponpong’s funky bass and Jason Holmes’ precise drumming keep a danceable beat beneath the chopping guitar of Bill Mayo. Think TV on the Radio floating over a surf-rock undercurrent. With lyrics from lead-singer Ezra Huleatt like “So I tried to go hide/but was kidnapped by carnies when/I accepted their ride,” the band’s recognizable-yet-distinct brand of indie rock is complete.
You can listen to the song, or get it for your own, using the SoundCloud widget below, and when it appears on We Don’t Know Any Better in January 2012. If you’re in New York, you’ve got a chance to catch it live when Black Taxi plays a single release party at Mercury Lounge on the first of next month, followed by a CMJ showcase. To find out where else they’ll be playing in New York as well as Boston in the coming months, see their current tour itinerary just ahead.
Black Taxi 2011 Tour Dates:
10/01 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
10/14 – Cambridge, MA @ Tommy Doyles
10/15 – Portland, ME @ Bayside Bowl
10/18 – New York, NY @ The Studio at Webster Hall *
10/20 – New York, NY @ Bowery Electric
10/22 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
10/26 – Nashville, KY @ 12th & Porter
10/27 – Fort Worth, TX @ 8.0
10/28 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
10/29 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live
11/18 – Albany, NY @ Jillian’s #
11/19 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Upstairs ^
12/10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn &
* = Surprise Attack Management CMJ Showcase w/ The Death Set, The Twees, & more
# = w/ My Pet Dragon
^ = w/ Guillermo Sexo, Dirty Dishes, & My Bet Dragon
& = w/ The Twees
