White Rabbits

Better late than never. NYC’s White Rabbits have already lit up online press outlets everywhere, but I feel obliged to give them some love not because I have to, but because their debut album, Fort Nightly (out on Say Hey Records), is that good. There is something fishy going on in New York City. I don’t know if it’s the air or some dude buying the souls of upstart bands, because White Rabbits have that same distinguished "indie rockness” to them that befell on French Kicks and the Walkmen when they both switched to the 718 area code. Originally from Columbia, MO, White Rabbits appear like the younger brother of those two bands, rising up from high school to earn a name for themselves. Dual vocalists, Greg Roberts and Steve Patterson, intersperse their voices, but they gel so nicely it’s hardly evident that it’s a two-man job. The guitars are regulated immaculately on reverb, and their ability to switch up the tempo helps Fort Nightly maintain its refreshment. "The Plot” is their obvious single, which is one of the few that doesn’t let the piano take the lead. Instead it’s the driving rhythm, powered by a potent tambourine that gives the song its vitality. (However, on the appreciated breakdown, the piano does come to life, and when it does, it is majestic.) In "Walkmen speak,” "The Plot" is White Rabbits’ "The Rat.” Sadly, they’re only scheduled to play one Canadian date in the near future - September 26 at the Carlu along with Datarock and Kaiser Chiefs – but they’re touring with Tokyo Police Club, so maybe that connection will bring them across the border more often.

White Rabbits "The Plot"

White Rabbits Daytrotter Session

White Rabbits "The Plot" Live on Letterman