INVSN OF

THE HPSTR

HIPPIES

Meet nine
of the bands
traveling
in MGMT’s
blissed-out
orbit

BY DAVID MARCHESE

Amazing Baby

MAN TRA: “We’re desperate to
convey a feeling of ecstasy,”
says singer-keyboardist
Will Roan. “And we do
that by ignoring musical
limits.” Amazing Baby have
been paying attention to
something, though. The
monolithic riffs and gothic
synth spires of the Brooklyn
band’s self-released Infinite
Fucking Cross EP are a
godsend for fans of both
serapes and eyeliner. “New
York is ready for music
that’s lush and thoughtful,”
Roan says. “The trick is
balancing introspective
songwriting with extro-
verted production.”
MGM T MATERIAL: Guitarist
Simon O’Connor roomed
with Ben Goldwasser and
Andrew Van Wyngarden
at Wesleyan.

Beach House

MANTRA: “When musicians
stay true to their imagina-
tions,” claims singer
Victoria Legrand, “they end
up in some very bizarre
places.” Like Baltimore.
That’s where Legrand and
her multi-instrumentalist
partner Alex Scally have
concocted their beguiling
blend of blissful guitar
tones, dinky drumbeats,
and weary vocals. It’s a
sound you want to touch,
which is precisely the point.
“Phil Spector was a big
influence,” says Legrand.
“His music was so tactile.
Right now the Top 40 is like
a plastic Barbie.”
MGM T MATERIAL: While still
at college, Van Wyngarden
e-mailed Legrand, praising
Beach House’s self-titled
2006 debut album.

Boy Crisis

MANTRA: “We dig equally
on Rick James and the
Stooges,” says Victor
Vazquez, singer for this
bunch of self-described
“neo-classical proto-post”
New York transplants. But
while the quintet’s funk and
disco affinities shine through
clearly on the Martian
dance-floor come-ons of
“Dressed to Digress” and
“Seven Years War,” the
Stooges influence is more,
uh…help us out, Victor. “We
found something honest
in that music and then
translated it through our
own cultural mechanisms.”
Yeah, what he said.
MGM T MATERIAL: Vazquez
also went to Wesleyan
with MGMT. “I know those
fools,” he says. “We’re
definitely all bro-ey.”

Chairlift

MANTRA: Soundtracking an
iPod ad is a surefire way to
jump-start a nascent music
career, but this Brooklyn-
by-way-of-Colorado trio
have more on their agenda
than moving units. “Our
generation has nothing to
stand for but being cool,”
laments drummer Patrick
Wibberly. “Hopefully our
music can give some mean-
ing to the times we’re living
in.” “Bruises”—your favorite
new earwig, thanks to the
recent rainbow-hued Nano
campaign—typifies the
amalgam of rubbery grooves
and winsome vocals (cour-
tesy of Caroline Polachek)
on Chairlift’s debut, Does You
Inspire You (Kanine).
MGM T MATERIAL: The two
groups shared a Brooklyn
rehearsal studio.

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