Second Stage: Royal Bangs

by Robin Hilton

Download "War Bells" by Royal Bangs (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

When you listen to Let It Beep, the sophomore release from Knoxville-based quintet Royal Bangs, it's easy to hear why Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney is a fan. Let It Beep is a confident, propulsive rock record that moves at a breathless but carefully plotted pace, with crunchy bass lines, blown-out guitars and vintage synths. Carney discovered Royal Bangs' home-recorded and self-released debut, We Breed Champions, and reissued it on his own label, Audio Eagle Records, last year. The band then recorded Let It Beep at Carney's Tangerine Sound Studios in Akron, Ohio. The album gets an added lift from some surprisingly light moments dropped in the middle of harder rockers, with handclaps and playfully beeping synth lines. I hear that Royal Bangs gives a great live show, and the band is on tour right now. So check out its Web site and catch a set if you can.

Royal Bangs

This is the opening cut to Let It Beep, called "War Bells."

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10:48 AM ET | 10-16-2009 | permalink

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