Sir Sly

One Liner: One alt-rock radio hit and a bunch of fun danceable rock.

Wikipedia Genre: Alternative rock, indie rock, psychedelic rock
Home: L.A.

Poster Position: 12
Day: Friday at 2:45
Both Weekends.

Thoughts:  Totally thought this band was going to be an electronic dance music guy.  Most important issue here - how do you say the band name?  Is it like Queen Elizabeth knighted Sly Stallone?  Or is it like a hipster valley girl person is saying "like, seriously!"  In an interview with the band, it seems like they just intend for it to sound like "seriously."  "but it’s just a name. We get everything – from ‘Sir Sly’ to ‘Sir Silly’, we’ve gotten it all. It’s really hard to find a short, succinct band name that people aren’t gonna fuck up. We manage to be lucky enough for people to get ‘seriously’."  Here is a YouTube video of some weirdo psychopath saying SIR SLY over and over again, which now makes me think it isn't pronounced like "seriously."  Dammit.  And then Conan announces the band as SIR SLY (like Stallone as a knight).  YES, here it is, from their own mouth, it is pronounced like Rocky got knighted.  That took me a long time to figure out, and I had to watch a bunch of weird videos, so you had better make sure to use their name repeatedly and correctly.

They've been making the festival rounds this year, with sets at Governors, Bonnaroo, Shaky Knees, Coachella, and others.  I'm sure mainly based on the hot hit from their last album, which I've heard over and over on alternative rock radio.  Although I have to admit, this whole time I thought I was hearing a Foster the People song.  This is their top track, called "High," with 25.6 million streams.

They do a good job of making it a rock song but with hip hop-esque beats and buzzy synths.  Reminds me of Foster the People, Walk the Moon, those kind of dudes who make danceable pop rock.  Highly fun song.  Are we entirely sure that the lead singer isn't the Foster the People guy?  No?  OK, I'll let it go.

Two albums, with the debut (2014's You Haunt Me) a little darker, quieter, less poppy and the sophomore album (2017's Don't You Worry, Honey) the brighter, poppier one.  The top track from that first album is "Gold," with 11.8 million streams.  BTW, most of the songs in their popular list on Spotify are more like a few million streams.

That tune has apparently been in video games and commercials, so maybe that is why it has so many streams.  Very serious video.  Song is pretty good, but the second album is better to me.  You get weird acid trip psych rock about being an astronaut ("Astronaut") or almost R&B sounding stuff ("Altar"). "2am" is a cool one, all spacey synths and echoing self-doubt.  Here's one more for your enjoyment, called "&Run" from the new album. 10.5 million streams.

and one more video, just because I think this is interesting to see what it looks like as they actually create the music.  One guy on guitar, one on keyboard, then one with a weird black box that makes electronic noises/ beats.

Yeah, man, I might go watch this one.  Even though it angles more towards the electronic side, I have enjoyed it.