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Credit: KEXP

Exitmusic: A Ghostly, Brooding Soundtrack

January 18, 2012Though Aleksa Palladino plays a beaten-down, soft-spoken character on Boardwalk Empire, she sounds passionate and longing with Exitmusic, which performs here at the Cutting Room Studios in New York City.

by John Richards

Performing as a four-piece, Brooklyn's Exitmusic, led by the married duo of Aleksa Palladino and Devon Church, recently stopped by Cutting Room Studios in New York City for a KEXP Morning Show appearance. When I introduced myself to Palladino, I realized that she plays Angela Darmody on HBO's Boardwalk Empire. I pretended not to notice, but, short of having Steve Buscemi walk in, it wasn't easy.

Once the band started to play, though, any connections outside the music disappeared. Here, we had someone from one of the best TV shows of the year, and who also recorded one of 2011's strongest EPs. Palladino might have played a beaten-down, soft-spoken character on television, but her unique and haunting voice rang through the heavy reverb to reveal real longing and passion. Exitmusic's sound and vibe made me think of the band as a cross between two other acts we've had up to the Cutting Room, The xx and Phantogram. Equally memorable, Exitmusic created a ghostly and brooding set, highlighted by the slow build and explosive chorus of "The Modern Age."

Setlist:
  • "The Sea"
  • "The Modern Age"
  • "The Hours"
  • "The Silence"
Credits:

Filmed by Jim Beckmann and Scott Holpainen; edited by Jim Beckmann; engineered by Anthony "Rocky" Gallo and Tom Gardner; still photo by David Andrako.

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