Django Django: 6 March 2013 – New York

UK indie pop quartet Django Django took the stage at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in the dark, before setting off with the chugging beat of “Hail Bop”. The group established itself in London in 2009 after meeting up at the Edinburgh College of Art. An art rock aesthetic pervaded the show, from slightly unmatched shirts to a frenetic light show — constant strobes and fluorescent bulbs piercing through blinds, framing the band like a sculpture installation. These two sold out shows in Brooklyn attested to their quick rise on the music scene, as their self-titled debut album was released barely over a year ago.

The Devo-esque songs embrace the harmonies of the British invasion era, with an insistent propulsion similar to Franz Ferdinand. Moving on to another crazy-catchy upbeat tune, “Storm”, the group then showed its breadth with the jazzy “Firewater” and the exotic percussion of “Waveforms”. “Skies Over Cairo” took the cultural references of the Middle East to a fury before the bouncing-off-the-walls music of “Default”. Singer Vincent Neff introduced himself as the host for the night, a role he obviously takes seriously with an animated sense of fun, while also playing guitar. He presided with good will shout-outs to fans crowded in front of them as well as those seated comfortably at tables in the balcony. Jimmy Dixon provided the counter-point bass lines in constant rock out motion. Tommy Grace commanded an impressive station of synths and keyboards with David Maclean leading the charge back at the drum kit, both enlisting the help of bandmates throughout the set to achieve their multi-layered results. The band played most of their album, apologizing for not having more to offer, but Dixon promised that they would simply write more songs and come back soon. With the encore of “Wor”, the night concluded with a clap along dance off ending in a sea of distortion.

Django Django “Default” @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, NYC 3/7/13