Beach House
Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand got together and called themselves Beach House in 2005, with he on guitar and keyboards and her on organ and vocal duties. They were, and are, from Baltimore, though one of them was born in Paris – a quick glance at the surnames has us suspecting that it might be Legrand, and a quick check on another biography reveals that our suspicions are correct.
Legrand is also the niece of the legendary film score composer Michael Legrand – but that’s not of particular interest. Beach House’s music is. It’s dreamy, spellbinding stuff knowledgeable of My Bloody Valentine and The Velvet Underground and totally in love with Mazzy Star and Yo La Tengo all the while too. They made a first record in 2006, and named it after themselves. It was released on Carpark Records and created an underground buzz akin to a load of wasps stuck in a sewer.
In 2008, they followed up on this initial promise with a record called ‘Devotion’, that Rockfeedback went potty about. Released on the ever fine Bella Union records, responsible for everything from Explosions in the Sky to Fleet Foxes (come to think of it, Beach House’s sound sits quite comfortably in between the two, making them perhaps the archetypal Bella Union band?), it’s one of the best albums of the year, one that will warm you through the winter as it enchanted your summer.
MYSPACE.COM/BEACHHOUSEMUSIC: The usual collection of songs, tour dates, videos, photos and the like – except these are an usual collection of songs...
EXHIBITION – BEACH HOUSE @ CLUB ROCKFEEDBACK: Conclusive photographic proof that we actually did get Beach House to play a gig for us once. On the same bill as Pivot and Wild Beasts. Quite a night.
REVIEW - DEVOTION: “the perfect honey trap; a sweet, seducing album that draws you in before revealing its true intent and keeping you hooked” – Michael Cragg
VIDEO - GALI: “features singer Victoria LeGrand shrouded in black and clutching mystical beads, mouthing the words of the song to the camera, while bizarre strobe-lit scenes including blood-filled mouths, crystal balls, elixirs and a strange figure with the head of a bear are cut in to half-reveal a gothic story.” – Chris Helsen
MASTER OF NONE:
HEART OF CHAMBERS:
YOU CAME TO ME: