Press

New York Magazine

...Favorite Local Act 2006...

Stylus Magazine

They're deriving more pure, unalloyed gratification from the sheer act of coming up with their songs than anyone living on this side of a heroin needle could reasonably hope to attain... The songs themselves probably aren't going to be unfamiliar to anyone with even a passing education in poppy indie-rock archetypes, but that's practically inconsequential next to the enthusiasm with which they come together—the way drummer Brent relishes banging away on his drums once the angular rhythms take over "Red Right Hands," or the gentle restraint with which the kids all bring in the doo-wop-ish "Oh-ohhh"s in "Carpetbaggers," or the way lead singer Lexy suddenly throws himself right in the middle of "Sickos."
A-

Pitchfork Media

Burning Birthdays drips with sweat and elbow grease, though the EP is hardly a taxing listen. Despite toting an array of genres and ADHD song structures, the band seamlessly bounces along with the continuity of a stripped-down pop punk band. "Red Right Hands" opens with an artsy post-punk guitar line that nearly buries lead singer Lexy Benaim's vocals before melting into a warm, shuffling blues chorus wrapped in 21st century keyboards. Adding some muscle to the band's sound, a wall of backing harmonies supports nearly every song, a secret weapon that works especially effectively on opener "Carpetbaggers".

Unlike so many up-and-coming New York bands, the Shakes avoid lingering in one narrow-minded framework. The harmonies may lend themselves to some throwback Spector-era comparisons, and some of the grander choruses may resemble a primordial New Pornographers or Walkmen, but thanks to a frenetic clip of hooks, you can't simply pigeonhole Burning Birthdays.
7.3/10

All Music Guide

For a supposedly lo-fi band, Burning Birthdays's sound is pretty high caliber, although the mix does its best to hide that fact, burying the wonderful keyboard so deep that it's barely audible, and attempting to recreate Phil Spector's wall of sound as heard through a tiny transistor radio (preferably buried under your pillow)... "Red Right Hands" is a number that so subtly shifts through styles - from Big Star-y western, through a touch of swing, across rockabilly into R&B and storming out in rock mode, as ethereal harmonies sing out above...So nuanced are the genre changes, they're virtually imperceptible... There's lots of garage bands out there, but few that so perfectly capture the sound of the time, whilst simultaneously pulling the rug out from the age of innocence with their all too cynical lyrics. Brilliant.
(4.5 out of 5)

PopMatters.com

Happy Burning Birthdays to You

I love the great EP that promises even more. Franz Ferdinand's Darts of Pleasure, TV on the Radio's Young Liars. Perhaps it's unfair to put that kind of burden on this five-song debut from Brooklyn indie rock quintet Harlem Shakes. But Burning Birthdays is such a refreshing little thrill, like the sudden realization of a break in bad weather. You lift your head up, and there's the deep spreading blue of Todd Goldstein's ringing guitars, the driving bass of Jose Soegaard, Brent Katz's rolling and crashing drums, and pop melodies that shimmy and wriggle and bounce around like mad. Singer Lexy Benaim's voice is both mannered and unbound, like Morrissey circa 1984, only on helium. Harlem Shakes are bursting with restless energy, but they are never reckless with their well-crafted songs. The harmony vocals and glistening bridges keep the boys reined in just enough, as they pay service to the orderly rules of pop music. But just barely. Opening track "Carpetbaggers" mixes Elephant 6 twee catchiness with a Zutons-like, horn-punched, blues strut. "Red Right Hands" features an achingly bittersweet guitar run to die for. "Sickos" is brisk and beautiful, with chiming keys from Kendrick Strauch and the EP's hookiest refrain, "This place is filled with sickos", so sweetly and sadly sung. Yeah, the other two songs are great, as well. I'd be describing them right now if I didn't think you were buying the EP this very second. Soon, you too will know the truth. Harlem Shakes are gonna be big.
(8 / 10)

Time Out New York

critics' pick

[Burning Birthdays] scrambles sweet melodies with an overwhelming swirl of zany '60s-style details. Psychedelic organ and pounded-out piano are prevalent everywhere, with plenty of unexpected sounds woven in. Accordion swells add warmth to "Felt Wings," and space-age synth work rings above the panic anthem "Sickos." Throughout the disc, cooing background vocals bring calming consistency to songs played with maniacal conviction.

Playboy Magazine

Sickos Hot Song of the Month

PLAYBOY TUNES
This Month:
"Carpetbaggers"
by Harlem Shakes

Harlem Shakes are one of the hottest bands in Brooklyn right now. They apply a rough-and-ready New York aesthetic — deliciously sloppy guitars, speeding drum and bass lines — to the soaring sounds of the golden age of '50s rock. Just listen as the gorgeous faux doo-wop background vocals, horns and piano hold their own with the skidding guitars and crashing percussion on "Carpetbaggers." Following up on the buzz created by last year's "18" (listed in our December 2006 issue as one of best tracks of the year), the band just released the Burning Birthdays EP. After touring last month with Deerhoof they'll head out with Tapes 'n Tapes in April. Keep an eye out for that double bill. We're pretty sure once you check this track out you'll want to hear more.
— Brian LaRue

Glide Magazine

Harlem Shakes,
Burning Birthdays (self-released)

Between the Pretenders guitars, Hammond organ and Lexy Benaim's vocals' unpredictable switch-hitting, the mix gets very busy here, calling out Squeeze one minute and a high-on-life Shins the next, most of the songs ending in blurs of shoegaze. Put more parochially, it's very New York indie of the here and now, which is only one of the things that earned these guys a tour partnership with Deerhoof beginning in February. Unlike most of their hit-and-run-and-disappear contemporaries who tend to put out records fifteen seconds after luring their first coed onto the dance floor, Harlem Shakes pulled a mini Dave Chappelle, bugging off for a couple of years to get their personal and professional act together, resulting in a great service done to the ears of the scenester swine masses whether they appreciate it or not (actually they will, in all fairness; the blogs couldn't shut up about this band). Every melody seems to have a point, a rare enough thing nowadays, but the styles boogie all over the indie map without ever getting their legs tangled.

NYLON

Harlem Shakes
Burning Birthdays

Internet true loves and sugary rockers, Harlem Shakes, send out a lush and inventive EP for their first time on the tangible side of life. Burning Birthdays bubbles forth with the playful "Carpetbaggers" with a swirling melody and operatic instrumentation full of summery keys, epic chord progressions from the piano in the background, bulging baritone sax bass lines and cheeky lyrics ("We can get drunk at the movies/We can get drunk in my room") pouring from singer Lexy Benaim lips. The tracks playfully swell into layers of toe-tapping rhythmic undulations, of headstrong drumming, and a head-in-the-clouds presence held together with an odd sense of foreboding tension. "Felt Wings" sounds almost like a catchy chant with its rolling, repeating oohs and ahhs of different frequencies and paths, joining together along the same orbit of the free-spirited composition. Burning Birthdays continues like a game of hide and seek in which the Harlem Shakes jump and shiver within a decadent soundscape of psychedelic pop rock.
-KELLY GREEN

Washington Post.com

Be sure to arrive early for openers Harlem Shakes. The quintet is actually from the next borough over, in Brooklyn (shocker, I know), and is one of those bands that has songs that are instantly familiar, yet not derivative. You can certainly hear a bit of the Strokes and Ted Leo, but it's the ever-present harmonies and background vocals that may be the group's defining feature. We talked about the band on the latest edition of our podcast, so check that out for more info on these up-and-coming blogland favorites.

Village Voice Podcast

Featured on Official Village Voice Podcast by critic and Moth Wrangler, Flare member, former Magnetic Fields member and general luminary LD Beghtol.

KEXP.org

Harlem Shakes
Burning Birthdays (self-released)

This Brooklyn band debuts with a remarkably well-crafted EP of expansive garage-pop combining ultra-catchy melodies with soaring harmonies. Their bright, effervescent sound incorporates some vintage pop-rock influences (doo wop, Phil Spector and '60s girl groups) while also fitting in with New York contemporaries like the Strokes and the Walkmen.
- Don Yates

Nashville Scene

Critics' Pick

HARLEM SHAKES A compulsive, fast-moving assemblage of parts that shouldn't mesh but do, Harlem Shakes' new Burning Birthdays EP operates in a venerable pop tradition. This young New York quintet finds holes in the fabric of their songs, drums kick along in pursuit of the tune, the guitars are unexceptionably rhythmic and they like to use wordless "oohs" and "aahs" in place of lyrics that seem fairly impenetrable. Early reports have compared the band—which has been around for several years under various names—to The Strokes, but a better comparison is with the garrulous, sex-obsessed Eno of "Seven Deadly Finns" and "Baby's on Fire." On "Carpetbaggers," vocalist Lexy Benaim wants to "crash my moped into your fence," and "Red Right Hands" features an irresistible, unlikely hook. It's as cheerfully subversive a record as you're likely to hear this year. (myspace.com/harlemshakes) Mercy Lounge
- EDD HURT

Sylvia Adams

Harlem Shakes
Burning Birthdays
(February 2007)
*****

The Harlem Shakes delivers a sharp execution of high-spirited paeans in their 5-track EP, Burning Birthdays. As their album name implies, this is a celebratory affair aflame with finely honed rock melodies and pop hooks from the bygone era of Eisenhower America. Lexy Benaim's voice soars to sublime reaches shadowed by a delicate background of "oohs" and "ahhs" in airtight, sun-drenched melodies that still leave room for surprises. Despite the association with "doo-wop", their album isn't just the typical trip down memory lane. They've managed to synergize classic pop structures within the jangly NY-rock aesthetic that moves each song in exciting jerks and turns. In their second track, "Red Rights Hands", Jose Soegaard's jubilant guitar rises and falls in response to Benaim's boyish croons fashioned in grand body-shaking melodies, briefly quieted by moments of Todd Goldstein's solemn organ tones. From start to finish, every track stands distinctly on its own; yet all consistent in delivering that burst of youthful energy.

Although the Burning Birthdays may be your first glimpse of the Brooklyn-based group, the Harlem Shakes have been making quite a scene as the extroversive maestros of New York's dive bars. The self-produced group already opened for the Arctic Monkeys, Fiery Furnaces, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. They've also played and worked with their other fellow Brooklyn band, Beirut, whose own John Natchez offered his accordion and sax for the recording of their album. Now in support of their upcoming release, they will be touring with Deerhoof, the art-rock aficionados of California, making it the most exuberant live performance of West Coast meets East this year.
— Sylvia Adams

Out The Other

I can't remember the last time I was as excited about a show as I am about Harlem Shakes at the Mercy Lounge tonight - I've seriously been waiting since July of 2005 for the Brooklyn band to pay Nashville a visit. From the very first time I heard "A Night," I've been crossing my fingers and hoping they take a tour that dips south - and tonight they'll finally be here to play Mercy with Deerhoof and Busdriver.

Harlem Shakes released the excellent Burning Birthdays earlier this month, which you can pick up directly from their website. The EP sees the band moving in a slightly different direction than you would expect from their initial demos - there isn't really anything as punchy as "A Night," which drew early comparisons to the Arctic Monkeys. Burning Birthdays is still danceable, but reviews of the EP are now name-checking the likes of the Walkmen while describing just how perfectly "Brooklyn" or "New York City" the Harlem Shakes sound. If that means hooky, catchy, and utterly fantastic... I completely agree.

In the past few days, I've listened to "Old Flames", the last track on the EP, about 8,000 times. Like the Hotpipes song I posted the other day, there's one specific moment that just seals the deal for me - on this track it comes in at about 1:20 - and to fully appreciate it I think you should play the song super, super loud in your car. I can't even tell you how many people I've caught laughing at me as I sit rocking out to this at a stoplight.

SPIN.COM

Spin.com's Band of the Day 2/26/07

NPR

Hear "Red Right Hands" featured on NPR's Open Mic

SIXEYES

9/10

That final track, "Old Flames", is trademark Harlem Shakes, the band harmonizing while Benaim and Goldstein put their stamp on the song, but this one stretches out over the final minute into a mini-epic with the harmonies riding a galloping guitar into a bright promising future for the Harlem Shakes.

AOLMusic Spinner

They reference the best of New York's underground scene: lo-fi, garage rock with a palatable pop rinse.

Flavorpill NYC

Bouncy Brooklynites Harlem Shakes' long-waited EP, Burning Birthdays, rubs new-school sunshine pop against damaged indie doo-wop... Singer Lexy Benaim lisps with dark, boyish glee as alternately cutting and rolling guitar lines cascade over long, harmonized ooohs and ahhhs, bright synth patterns, and the occasional sax (there's even a flute in there somewhere)... If this is NYC-style garage, then it's a new, spiffier model (post-garage pop perhaps?).

Music For Robots

... It's got a pure pop pedigree, with cute keys that remind me of the reasons I loved the Flaming Lips so dearly back when, vocals that make me want to dig up the Subjects album again, and many other points that send me running for my CDs. In short, it's reminded me how wonderful a pop song can be. Their new EP, Burning Birthdays, has five great songs, one to kickstart each day of your workin' week (though work is for suckers, suckers).

Ohmyrockness.com

There's something sweet under the surface of their fuzzy guitar songs. I recently caught them play and it was immediately evident that they at least have the presence of rock stars (minus the album sales... or even a label deal for that matter). They took the stage like they owned it, and held their position atop that mountain for a solid forty...their catchy and energetic strums aren't easily forgotten. 
 

Said the Gramophone

["Sickos"] To all the fifteen-year-olds who read this blog, step-by-step instructions:
1. download this song and put it on a mix cd.
2. be sure to include a song that talks about "wanting you" or "gettin' with you" to be clear about your intentions.
3. give the cd to an older crush (someone your age wouldn't appreciate it like you can)
4. get plenty of action
5. marry them
6. have kids (twins)
7. keep a diary of these events
Upon submission of this diary to me, I will post it here. To which, the only appropriate response will be, clearly, this song. It's a circle, it's a very strong bridge, it's a wet dream.

SPILL Magazine

Burning Birthdays ... blends doo-wop, surf music, and 60s-style French pop into a colourful musical parody-think Brian Eno meets the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The only drawback is that this entertaining little five-song EP clocks in at less than 20 minutes... But I guess you can't blame 'em for leaving you wanting more.

Yellow Stereo

Listening to these 5 tracks just makes me feel great. Everyone knows how much I love a great pop song, and that's what each of these tracks deliver. Lots of energy, great melodies and some of the best hooks you can find from any EP or hell...any release so far.

Myself Myself

There's boyish charm cut with a worldly wit, colliding with doo-wop era harmonies and some accumulation of instrumentation that actually swells. Like a pile of old transistor radios being deposited, still playing, in a ditch on the side of the road from an afternoon twister.

Grean Pea-ness

["Carpetbaggers" is an] incredibly full-steam-ahead modern rock song stuffed wtih insanely catchy hooks and deleriously fun "OH-OH"s and such, all delivered with metronomic precision - in other words, it might as well have been engineered from the ground floor up to show off what the Shakes are best at....

You Ain't No Picasso

These days it seems like the New York bands that hardly cause a stir within their own state (or neighborhood) are still better than most bands that someone in my situation will encounter within a year. So if Harlem Shakes are your average Brooklyn pop-rock band, I say bring on the Brooklyn!

Bibabidi

... All at once they sound sort of lost, meandering (intriguing start-stop song structure, guitar and piano noodling), but completely collected (strong, unique vocals, beautifully crafted guitar lines, vivid bass lines, and ... character!) If you're looking for a clean/crisp pop group with plenty of twists and fascinating characteristics (and dreams of being bigger), then Harlem Shakes is the group for you.

Gothamist.com

Harlem Shakes are young, but their influences seem to cover decades of New York rock. Their sound is lo-fi tinny garage rock that will definitely make you dance (and yes, by dance New Yorkers, we mean disaffectedly tap your foot and occasionally bob your head)... Their gritty guitar and catchy melodies are what make NY rock...rock.

Razorblade Runner

top ten singles of the year

["A Night"]: Crazy emotional chorus, dancefloor capabilities, bar crooning, spitting, etc. this guy does this weird sound when breathing, but i really like it. this song is asthmacore.

Music for the Morning After

If you want to hear what The Strokes should sound like, take a listen to Harlem Shakes. Lo-fi garage rock that sets your feet (and heart) thumping! The rawness is all there, and they sound genuine rather than manufactured. 

New Haven Advocate

Tight little pop songs, spiky guitars, propulsive tom-pounding beats—these things are timeless. The melodies have a simple sophistication to them, and singer Lexy Benaim's voice, something between a croon and a high-pitched wail, lends urgency. After this too-brief five-song EP, lovers of retro-leaning guitar-pop can only hope these guys might someday prove capable of spreading their sweaty energy and melodic ideas over an entire album.

Like a Rolling Stone

I don't think it's overly dramatic to say that Harlem Shakes are, indeed, the future of New York City music... Their music brims with energy and youthful bravado... Harlem Shakes will remake the New York scene once again.

Una Piel de Astracan

"Porque Carpetbaggers es magnífica y entra como un ciclón, pero ¿acaso no son Felt wings y Sickos putas obras maestras en miniatura?"

rockfeedback.com

Moving along from old to very new is 'Burning Birthdays', the forthcoming debut EP by Harlem Shakes. Based on their live gigs over the past year, they've already established themselves as New Yawk's next band to wet your knickers over. Think The Housemartins meets post-rock at Phil Spector's house and you're not far off. (Go ask your cool uncle.)

Poblado

Reflejamos para el año en curso una especie de sondeo con la opinión de críticos y aficionados sobre los mejores trabajos que se van registrando. La relación de 2007, a diferencia de la de años anteriores, no expresa el criterio de la tienda y su página, sino el de esos críticos y aficionados.
EP'S
1 BEIRUT (Lon Gisland)
2 HARLEM SHAKES (Burning Birthdays)
3 OF MONTREAL (Icons, Abstract Thee)
4 YO LA TENGO (Live Session EP)
5 DECEMBERISTS (Live from SoHo)

Disposable Robot

The Harlem Shakes. Burning Birthdays. Step 1) Insert CD. Step 2) Hit repeat. Step 3) Profit! I am totally in love. If I were a CD I would want to marry it.

LunaPark 6

7.9/10

Before you write The Harlem Shakes off as another NY Strokes clone, you might do well to check out their newest EP Burning Birthdays. I don't know if it's influenced by being steeped in the decades of their surroundings, or if they have have an uncanny knack for extracting the finest ingredients of the sound, but they have indeed managed to make a record that sounds fresh...while avoiding the pratfalls of their contemparies. Youthful and energetic, this EP bursts at the seams.

Lexy Benaim's vocals certainly bring to mind a certain other big NY darling, but there is a touch of something else at work there…more natural perhaps, delivering melodies that sometimes sound like they've been perhaps approved by Ben Gibbard. Of the six tracks here, there isn't a snoozer - each one feels like a comforting old friend. "Carpetbaggers" kicks the record off in fine form with it's jangling chorus, inviting you onboard for the rest of the record. Happy keys burble and bleep over top of shambling rock stomps, pop hooks everywhere, great little angular guitar lines that are never overdone, all the while surfacing shades of The Velvet Underground. "Felt Wings" winds and twists with it's shimmying backbeat, the keyboards punctuating Benaim's cry for help…it certainly feels like a soundtrack to spinning out of control. I could go on track by track, touting the merits of everything here, but that might spoil some of the magic going on here. Here's a tip though, turn "Sickos" up when it comes on.

Honestly , I'm rarely enamored with the current "New York sound", and would much prefer to dig out a Velvet's or Television record than ever hear another Strokes tune. The Harlem Shakes however have managed to take all these elements, and drag them kicking into a sound that's current and relevant, all the while retaining the feel of the Big Apple. Fans yearning for new takes on the classic sounds of New York's legends should seek this out - for The Harlem Shakes sound wise well beyond their years.

Creative Loafing

Brooklyn's Harlem Shakes plays an energetic brand of keyboard-enhanced indie rock with male and female band members alternating lead vocals.

Big Yawn

funny interview

Early last year I had the pleasure of stumbling upon the Harlem Shakes. Despite only hearing two songs, I was in deep smit. Perhaps it was their well-played jangling, or singer Lexy's slightly throaty warble. In any case, "Sickos" and "18" began showing up frequently in my iPod's rotation. Now the Harlem Shakes find themselves on tour in support of the Burning Birthdays EP, a tour which happily rolls into the Black Cat on February 11 (with Deerhoof, $13). What better way is there to spend a Sunday night? To tide you over til then, here's Lexy (singing), Jose (bass-ing/singing), and Brent (drumming/singing) shedding light on the life of the Harlem Shakes (The Met! Tim Horton! Pennsyltexas!) and what might happen if Harlem indeed shook.

I Work at initech

...the 'Shakes, they are a new five-piece band that I was introduced to by Todd Goldstein (Arms), that play a genre-defying blend of music that has to be heard to be truly appreciated! I've included one of their songs off of their freshly released EP "Burning Birthdays" which is outstanding (see Carpet Baggers).

Silent Uproar

4.3 out of 5 rating

Burning Birthdays is exactly how New York City rock should be done—lots of hooks and lots of swagger. The Harlem Shakes' debut EP showcases a mere five tracks, but the band easily proves itself to be one of the most promising of 2007. The Brooklyn quintet oohs, ahhs and bounces over garage rock riffs, male/female vocals and sunny harmonies that are in opposition to the sometimes dark lyrics within. This is one of those cases where the only complaint about the release is that it's too short—and that a full-length doesn't seem to be coming soon enough. Buzz band or not, Harlem Shakes have outdone Arctic Monkeys and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah—both of whom they've opened for—in only five tracks' time.

Winter Academy

Οι Harlem Shakes μας έρχονται από το Brooklyn. Αντί να κυκλοφορήσουν ένα κανονικό single ή ένα full album προτίμησαν να μας συστηθούν με ένα EP 6 τραγουδιών [Burning Birthdays], θέλοντας προφανώς να αποδείξουν πως έχουν το ταλέντο και την πολυτέλεια να 'σπαταλήσουν' αρκετά τραγούδια σ'αυτήν την όχι ιδιαίτερα εμπορική κυκλοφορία [αν δεν κάνω λάθος τα EPs δεν μπορούν να μπουν στα charts ούτε των άλμπουμς ούτε των singles, ή όχι? -> αλλά πάλι, οι HS δεν είναι αυτό που λέμε charts material..].

Με ίσες δόσεις Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Strokes & Wolf Parade, οι Harlem Shakes [πήραν το όνομά τους από τη χορευτική φιγούρα 'The Harlem Shake'] δεν έχουν πάντως παρά να συμπεριλάβουν μερικά τραγούδια σαν το carpetbaggers, με τα υπέροχα oh oh στο ρεφρέν, στο ντεμπούτο τους άλμπουμ, για να δικαιολογήσουν το ταλέντο για το οποίο μιλούσαμε παραπάνω.. [το EP πάντως είναι super]

FWYB

...packed crowd at the Canal Room in Chinatown were grooving along Friday night as The Harlem Shakes came through with another set of smooth indie-pop in celebration of the release of their new EP "Burning Birthdays". The Shakes have been tearin' it up live lately and getting some great reviews. Next up for the band is a tour of the south so definitely check them out when their in your area.

The Port Sunshine

The Harlem Shakes are a new New York band that are much better than their peers.

Kyle Pfister

A few things I enjoyed about seeing the Harlem Shakes by NYC Blog Correspondent Aaliyah Sams

1. The show started on time.
2. I am poor. Entertainment that is good AND cheap is hard to come by.
3. The lead singer drinks Gatorade... is it in you?
4. They have a fuckin trumpet player.
5. I felt like they were having a good time [side note: I hate those bands that make me feel like I have to entertain THEM].
6. The lead singer sounds like Frankie Lymon... singer of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love"
7. Every song is good. Nuff said.
8. Go see them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tamba Bay Times

Harlem Shakes actually shakes it from Brooklyn, with enough earnest pop and frenetic overlapping of organs, guitars and rollicking beats to keep you happy in your borough of choice.
-Julie Garisto

DC-ist

A recap of last night would be incomplete without a mention of openers Harlem Shakes, whose name is quite fitting. They're actually from Brooklyn, but close enough. And their energetic indie-pop hooks do induce the shakes. Either the bouncy, doo-wop kind or the spooky, chills-up-your-spine kind.

Lead singer Lexy Benaim has such a broad, confident croon that he's probably already getting sick of being compared to Julian Casablancas. With propulsive guitar playing from Todd Goldstein and a chorus of "Oohs and Ahhs" from the rest of the guys, the Shakes took us through their repertoire of catchy, straightforward pop songs as well as more complex, ambling numbers from their recently-released debut EP, Burning Birthdays.

...HS ended on a high note, showcasing their song-writing chops with "Sickos," an old favorite that's been reworked for the EP, and "Old Flames," a feat of powerchords and thumping percussion. Another highlight of the set was a cover of "Kids," by their friends The Management. The Harlem Shakes took this electro number and pared it down, adding their signature space-warbles.

Pop Tarts Suck Toasted

This Week's Live Picks

Vanderbilt student paper

Harlem Shakes is an indie rock band hailing from Brooklyn - think Wolf Parade or Tapes 'n' Tapes. The variety should ensure a little something for everyone.
- Liz Schofield

I am a cow...

Now I'm not sure what a "carpetbagger" is, and I'm too lazy to look it up, or try to figure it out from "breaking down the word", but whatever it is, it should be happy to have this song named after it. Another "pure-energy" song, this is what fun sounds like. the only reason I ever found out about this band, was one day asked a bunch of people about some recommendations of some lesser-known bands. This was one of the recommended, and It came with a lot of support from people. So I checked them out, and I've been in love with this song since.

Slug Mag

The Harlem Shakes
Burning Birthdays
Self-release
Street:02.20

Harlem Shakes = The Strokes + The Futureheads + The Hot IQ's Next step: place Burning Birthdays in the closest compact disc player; skip to "Sickos" (Track 4); now elbows in, palms down, feet together and shimmy. I find it easier to shimmy left and then back to your right, but whichever way you choose to shake, shake, shake yo' ass, the lo-fi sounds of NYC's The Harlem Shakes will aid in working any hip-swaying/arm-spinning out of your body. The Shakes' first EP, Burning Birthdays, is the decision of four underage garage-rockers to try and play it gritty...Worked with plenty of down strokes and more whoa-ohs and OOoooOOs than anyone should reasonably shake a stick at, Burning Birthdays comes off as a sunshine-polished version of The Strokes' 2001 The Modern Age EP, and as such, can and should be enjoyed with warm milk (4%) and cookies. –Miles Ridling

A Quiet Revolution

Been enjoying their music so much as of late I thought I'd post some additional reviews in case you need more reason to check them out.

*Sixeyes Score: 9.0 out of 10
Allmusic Review: 4.5 stars [out of 5]
Stylus Review: A-

Listen to Old Flames - the ending of that song was written to grab you, lift you and leave you wanting more. And for me it definitely works.

Reminds me of this time I saw Down With the Butterfly* blew my freaking mind, the dynamics, the build, you expect fireworks to erupt from behind the stage! Or their heads! Somewhere! *specific song is evading me at the moment

Goldblatt University

Harlem Shakes opened the night. They had superbly written songs–well constructed pop tunes with a 60's feel a la Bruce Springsteen...

The Eagle (American University Paper)

rather enjoyable, were Deerhoof's opening act, The Harlem Shakes. The band's blend of wispy blues, indie-pop exuberance, and ethereal vocals sent listeners' heads bobbing.

South Florida Sun Sentinel

Deerhoof has excellent tour support in opening acts Harlem Shakes...

Chas the Bridge

Harlem Shakes are a band I know very little about outside of the fact that I'm obsessed with their new EP Burning Birthdays.

Pro-Anti

PPS: I already know what's headed straight to the top of my Best of 2007 list. Congrats to Jose, Lexy and the rest of the Shakes on the successful release of their first EP, Burning Birthdays. Here's some advice to the readers: buy it. It's quite good. Allmusic gave it 4.5 stars of 5. Even notoriously tough graders Stylus magazine hollered at them with an A-. More advice: don't miss the chance to see a killer live show and peep them on their ongoing US tour. Tell the bassist with the big glasses that Jim Stanley thinks Matsuzaka makes the Sox rotation the scariest that baseball has seen in awhile. He'll understand.

OTHER BLOGS/SITES: (click to read)

http://www.icecreamman.com/
http://iguessimfloating.blogspot.com/
http://www.pimpguides.com/ [interview]
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