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Sleigh Bells Chronicle Best of Times & Worst of Times on Joyful, Thundering ‘Bunky Becky Birthday Boy’ Album

Sleigh Bell's Alexis Kruass and Derek Miller spoke to Billboard about their loud, joyful sixth studio album, 'Bunky Becky Birthday Boy.'

On the title track to their 2013 album, Bitter Rivals, Sleigh Bells singer Alexis Krauss howled the phrase, “It was the best of times/ It was the worst of times” over the sounds of barking from her beloved dog Riz and guitarist/producer Derek Miller’s signature crushing beats and buzzsaw guitars. “The ultimate goal would be to try to make a record with his as little self-consciousness as possible in such a f–ked up present,” says Miller, describing what is, kind of, a theme album that tells both the duo’s origin story on the single “Wanna Start a Band?,” while also introducing Bunky’s playmate, the 1980s Europop-influenced Roxette Ric. As for the theme running through the LP, Miller says songs like video game glitch rocker “Wanna Start a Band?” re-tell the duo’s famous origin story in which the guitarist/producer took a runner and moved to New York in the early 2000s in search of the perfect female lead singer for his next act, facing repeated rejection until Strauss picked up what he was putting down.

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