June 16, 2011

NXNE 2011: The Postelles Shake, Rattle & Roll While Girls Swoon


The Postelles @ The Garrison 
NXNE 2011

   New York's The Postelles hit The Garrison in Toronto's west end for NXNE Wednesday, armed with their new record and plenty of swagger, to an audience that seemed acutely aware of the boys prior to their performance, but for those unfamiliar it didn't take lead singer Daniel Balk and co. long to convert them into Postelles advocates. 

 The audience was captivated from the opening rift with attention seeking hooks and melodies that drove the audience to dance and the girls to swoon. The immediate comparison is an upbeat garage-rock version of The Strokes with a flair for '60s pop/rock, and while that parallel is drawn and at times accurate, Balk and company are anything but The Strokes.
  The band's energy, and Balk's charisma were infectious and made it hard to not develop a crush on the boys, with great percussion, genuine enthusiasm and enthralling guitar grooves, there was no shortage of charm. Playing tunes from their debut disc, Balk bounced around throughout the set, crooning (Julius Casablancas style) over electric grooves along with a rousing  cover of Elvis' classic 'Hound Dog.' The Postelles  invoked a bit of that crazy rock 'n roll in the audience like a time warp back to the early 60s. 
   The Postelles never let the momentum get away from them and left the audience wanting more of their signature '60s garage rock sound. The Postelles performance has become an early highlight of 2011's NXNE and worth the price of admission.

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